USA TODAY Sports*Philadelphia Eagles (11-5)Dallas Cowboys (8-8)New York Giants (8-8)Washington Redskins (7-9)Going into this projection Eric Kush Jerseys 2019 , I wasn’t overly high on the NFC East. All but one team is projected to finish .500 or better. Until I see what the Cowboys offense looks like, it’s hard for me to buy into them. The Giants offense could be fun, even with an aging Eli Manning.NFC NorthRon Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports*Minnesota Vikings (13-3)*Chicago Bears (10-6)Green Bay Packers (10-6)Detroit Lions (7-9)This is going to be the best division in football in 2018. Maybe I’m drinking the Kool-Aid following the Khalil Mack addition, but the Bears are playoff bound for the first time since 2010. Make no mistake, the Vikings are the best squad here, but it’s going to be more competitive from top-to-bottom in comparison to last year.NFC SouthEric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports*Atlanta Falcons (12-4)*New Orleans (10-6)Carolina Panthers (7-9)Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-12)Maybe I’m higher on the Falcons that most but their offense should be deadly, assuming the play calling is better. The Panthers’ offensive line issues worry me and the Bucs appears to be looking at an 0-4 start. What was the strongest division in football takes a step back.NFC WestKirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports*Los Angeles Rams (12-4)San Francisco 49ers (8-8)Arizona Cardinals (6-10)Seattle Seahawks (4-12)The Rams might have the most complete team in the NFL, but we’ve seen what too many superstars on the same roster can do. The 49ers could end up finishing better, but losing Jerick McKinnon is a big blow. The Cardinals and Seahawks are both bound to take a step back White Cordarrelle Patterson Jerseys , especially the latter.AFC EastJeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports*New England Patriots (12-4)New York Jets (6-10)Miami Dolphins (5-11)Buffalo Bills (2-14)It appears the Patriots’ dominant run is close to being over, but in such a weak division it’s going to have to wait another year. The Jets are going to be better than their record projects and they have a bright future. The Bills appear to be the worst team in football after making the playoffs the previous year, and I’m not sure it’s close.AFC NorthPhilip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports*Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4)Baltimore Ravens (7-9)Cleveland Browns (7-9)Cincinnati Bengals (4-12)The Steelers are loaded on offense and could dominate the AFC this season. The Ravens will continue to float around .500, and the Browns could surprise. There’s a lot of young talent on that Cleveland roster. I feel like I’m too low on the Bengals, but keeping Marvin Lewis was a terrible decision.AFC SouthTroy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports*Houston Texans (10-6)*Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6)Indianapolis Colts (7-9)Tennessee Titans (5-11)The battle at the top is going to go into the final weeks of the season, as I like both the Jaguars and Texans. The Colts have a bad roster, but if Andrew Luck is healthy, it’s easy to see them accidentally winning six to seven games based on him alone. Not sure why, but I’m not buying what the Titans are selling.AFC WestThomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports*Los Angeles Chargers (11-5)*Kansas City Chiefs (10-6)Denver Broncos (7-9)Oakland Raiders (4-12)The battle between the Chargers and Chiefs will be a fun one. I’m not completely sold that Patrick Mahomes will be playoff ready in his first year starting Cordarrelle Patterson Jerseys 2019 , but I like them long-term. The Chargers will finally figure it out. They have too much talent not to. The Raiders are a team that I had around seven wins heading into last weekend, and what a disaster that ended up being. Trading Mack, cutting Martavis Bryant, and trading a fifth-round pick for A.J. McCarron was brutal. PlayoffsWild Card RoundReinhold Matay-USA TODAY SportsNFC: Eagles over Bears, and Falcons over Saints.AFC: Texans over Chiefs, and Chargers over Jaguars.Divisional RoundBrad Rempel-USA TODAY SportsNFC: Vikings over Eagles, and Falcons over Rams.AFC: Steelers over Texans, and Patriots over Chargers.Conference ChampionshipBenny Sieu-USA TODAY SportsNFC: Falcons over VikingsAFC: Steelers over PatriotsSuper Bowl:Aaron Doster-USA TODAY SportsSteelers over Falcons The hard-hitting Amos is on his way to Green Bay as the Bears look elsewhere at strong safety."After 56 starts in over four seasons in Chicago, the Bears-Adrian Amos partnership has come to an end. Considered one of the best available safeties in an oversaturated free agent safety market White Eddie Goldman Jerseys , Amos signed a lucrative deal with the Green Bay Packers on Tuesday, reports NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport. ESPN’s Adam Schefter is reporting the contract will be a four-year deal worth $37 million, including $14 million in the first year and $21 million in the first two years of the contract.Over the past few years, there’s been a lot of debate as to how valuable Amos really was to the Bears defense. With their largely arbitrary player grades, outlets like Pro Football Focus have consistently contributed to the metaphorical tug of war concerning Amos’ place in the Chicago defensive box. Some have seen the high tackle numbers and grades and thought “superstar.” Factor in Amos’ standard penchant for violent hits — of which mean little in comparison to far more useful skills but do stand out as lewd football plays — and you have a traditional old school Bears player.From the other perspective, some have seen the rampant mistakes when matched up against more prominent pass catchers in coverage and a mere three interceptions in four years and think “fine, but not irreplaceable on a great defense.” Given that the Bears ultimately let Amos walk and drew out his negotiating situation well into the 2019 off-season, it can be reasonably surmised they sat somewhere far closer to the latter sentiment. The issue with Amos was never anything specifically related to him. As an individual talent, he’s a fine safety and an above average starter. The 25-year-old would be a starter on most NFL teams and fit in seamlessly. On a stacked Bears defense featuring more impactful star players like Khalil Mack Eddie Goldman Jerseys 2019 , Eddie Jackson, Akiem Hicks, and Roquan Smith among others, Amos didn’t rank highly in Chicago’s hierarchy. He earned every bit of his new contract as he starts the next phase of his career on a defense where he’ll have far more responsibility. That lucrative contract is one the Bears simply couldn’t afford with other more preeminent playmakers already locked in (Mack, Hicks), or others waiting for their contract opening (Jackson) in the coming years. You can’t reward everyone when other more deserving and important players take first priority. The NFL salary cap can be twisted around and flexed with things like restructures, but it can only be twisted around and flexed so much. The question moving forward is who the Bears elect to replace Amos with. There are any number of available free agent safeties left on the market that could suit their fancy. Another versatile defensive back like former Falcon Brian Poole is also someone in play. If not on the open market, the draft is also always an option with names like Fresno State’s Mike Bell and Maryland’s Darnell Savage standing out as prominent mid-round possibilities. Of course, the Bears could look inward and turn to Deon Bush. The former 2016 fourth-round pick played admirably beside Amos when Eddie Jackson went down with a foot injury late last season. Entrusting Bush in the full-time strong safety role next to a healthy Jackson is a sensible move White Kevin White Jerseys , but it would have to undoubtedly be signed off on by new secondary coach Deshea Townsend. Whatever the case, you’re not in dire straits when you have to replace but one defensive starter on an otherwise loaded group. Whoever does end up happening to feature as the Bears’ strong safety next season, they’ll be one of the more fortunate players in the NFL. They’ll get to play next to a First-Team All-Pro safety like Jackson that can cover for a lot of mistakes on the back-end. They’ll have a defense with a ferocious pass rush in front of them of which can do much of the same. It’s good work if you can get it. On a star-laden Bears defense, often all you have to do is show up and be consistent. Robert is the Editor-in-chief of The Blitz Network (subscribe here!), the managing editor of Windy City Gridiron, and writes for a host of other fine publications. You can follow him on Twitter @RobertZeglinski.
