NFL writer Ken Murray ranks the NFL's 30 teams as they head into training camp this week:
Coach: Mike Holmgren
1997 record: 13-3
1998 outlook: Despite losing four starters to free agency, the Packers still look like the team to beat.
No. 1: Can QB Brett Favre, working on a streak of 106 consecutive starts, collect his fourth straight MVP award after sharing it with Barry Sanders last year?
No. 2: Will the Packers sign -- and satisfy -- RB Dorsey Levens?
No. 3: Can veteran Vaughn Booker or rookie Vonnie Holliday replace Reggie White if White is finally finished?
No. 4: Can NT Gilbert Brown get in shape and save his knees, or will teams run roughshod over him the way Denver did in Super Bowl XXXI?
No. 5: Will Holmgren try to leave after the season for a dual title of GM/coach?
Coach: Bill Cowher
1997 record: 11-5
1998 outlook: Because they retained the right free agents -- Levon Kirkland and Joel Steed on defense -- they should be the class of the AFC.
No. 1: Will QB Kordell Stewart (17 interceptions in 1997) throw less into coverage and more to his backs and tight ends under new offensive coordinator Ray Sherman?
No. 2: Will FS Carnell Lake be forced to play CB again with the injury to Chad Scott?
No. 3: Is Mike Vrabel better suited to Greg Lloyd's OLB spot than the DE position he played in 1997?
No. 4: Can Jamain Stephens, a No. 1 pick in 1996, take over at right tackle for John Jackson?
No. 5: Will third-round pick Hines Ward, who played QB, RB and WR at Georgia, become Slash II?
Coach: Tom Coughlin
1997 record: 11-5
1998 outlook: They are putting all the pieces together for a powerhouse.
No. 1: By signing Bryce Paup at strong-side LB and moving Kevin Hardy to weak-side LB, have the Jaguars stabilized a run defense that allowed 310 yards to Denver in the playoffs?
No. 2: Will a combination of rookie Fred Taylor and veteran James Stewart improve on Natrone Means at RB, or will the team regret not trading up in the draft for Curtis Enis?
No. 3: Will rookies Donovin Darius and Cordell Taylor tighten a secondary that had just one interception in the last six games?
No. 4: Can QB Mark Brunell play without the bulky leg brace that slowed him down last season?
No. 5: Have the Jaguars written the definitive book on how to build an expansion team?
Coach: Marty Schottenheimer
1997 record: 13-3
1998 outlook: Schottenheimer must get over the hump of home-field advantage in the playoffs.
No. 1: Will the arrival of WR Derrick Alexander and promotion of Jimmy Raye to offensive coordinator open up an ultra-conservative offense?
No. 2: Can RB Donnell Bennett replace retired Marcus Allen, especially on the goal line?
No. 3: How do the Chiefs get more out of underachieving defensive linemen Chester McGlockton and Leslie O'Neal than the Raiders and Rams did?
No. 4: What kind of web will WR Andre Rison, a.k.a. Spiderman, weave now that he has a four-year contract extension?
No. 5: By taking tackle Victor Riley in the first round, did the Chiefs repeat their mistake of 1995, when they whiffed on Trezelle Jenkins?
Coach: Mike Shanahan
1997 record: 12-4
1998 outlook: One miracle run for the Broncos was enough; two would be fantasy.
No. 1: Will QB John Elway's shoulder surgery or his indecision over returning for a 16th season affect his performance?
No. 2: Who is Elway's heir apparent -- third-year vet Jeff Lewis or rookie Brian Griese?
No. 3: Can RB Terrell Davis carry the Broncos back to the Super Bowl?
No. 4: Will the intense Shanahan be a victim of burnout or will he find a way to inspire the defending champs again?
No. 5: Are 20 surgeries the limit for OG Mark Schlereth or can he do a couple more?
Coach: Tony Dungy
1997 record: 10-6
1998 outlook: With improvement at quarterback, the Bucs can make a serious run at the Packers.
No. 1: Will free-agent signee Bert Emanuel and second-round pick Jacquez Green give the Bucs speed in the passing game they've lacked?
No. 2: Can QB Trent Dilfer (1-6 career against Green Bay) beat the Packers in a big game?
No. 3: Will RB Warren Dunn begrudge FB Mike Alstott's status as lone back in the one-back set?
No. 4: Armed with his six-year, $36.05 million contract, will DT Warren Sapp rise to an All-Pro level?
No. 5: Have Dungy and GM Rich McKay put together the best young team in the league?
Coach: Steve Mariucci
1997 record: 13-3
1998 outlook: It's a pivotal year for a great franchise.
No. 1: Can the 49ers lose six starters and still catch the Packers in the NFC?
No. 2: Can Denver castoff OT Jamie Brown keep QB Steve Young from a career-ending concussion while protecting his blind side?
No. 3: Who got the best of the free-agent cornerback switch in which Rod Woodson joined the Ravens and Antonio Langham joined the 49ers?
No. 4: Will WR Jerry Rice return for an injury-free season?
No. 5: If the team fails to reach the Super Bowl, will management try to lure former 49ers assistant Mike Holmgren back to the West Coast?
Coach: Pete Carroll
1997 record: 10-6
1998 outlook: If they can find a running game, they should avoid a stunning fall.
No. 1: Will new offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese nudge QB Drew Bledsoe to another level?
No. 2: Can the Patriots replace mainstay RB Curtis Martin with rookie Robert Edwards and second-year vet Sedrick Shaw?
No. 3: Will the Patriots regret the gamble to take Syracuse RB/safety Tebucky Jones with the 22nd pick and project him as a starting cornerback?
No. 4: How does the bitter rivalry with former Patriots coach, now Jets coach, Bill Parcells escalate in 1998?
No. 5: Has Carroll cleaned out all the Parcells loyalists?
Coach: Norv Turner
1997 record: 8-7-1
1998 outlook: They figure to climb to the top of the NFC East with a revived defense.
No. 1: Will the Redskins finally play respectable run defense with high-priced additions Dana Stubblefield and Dan Wilkinson at DT?
No. 2: After spending $13 million in signing bonuses on the above two players, can there be any scenario in which a fifth non-playoff season under Turner is acceptable?
No. 3: Can QB Gus Frerotte bounce back from a disappointing season (broken hip, 11th in NFC pass efficiency, head-butted a stadium wall)?
No. 4: After missing six games and parts of two others to injury, is RB Terry Allen washed up at 30?
No. 5: Is this the year WR Michael Westbrook, 26, grows up or bombs out?
10. Detroit Lions
Coach: Bobby Ross
1997 record: 9-7
1998 outlook: Too much liability at quarterback to go deep in the postseason.
No. 1: Will RB Barry Sanders make another magical run at 2,000 yards?
No. 2: Is this the year the verdict comes down on Scott Mitchell, who has been a bad big-game quarterback?
No. 3: Does the arrival of LBs Allen Aldridge and Rob Fredrickson and DT Dan Owens mean the defense is stout enough to challenge the Packers in the NFC Central?
No. 4: Will Ross become less conservative offensively after ranking 25th in third-down conversions?
No. 5: Can second-year man Juan Roque come back from a serious knee injury to play right tackle?
11. Miami Dolphins
Coach: Jimmy Johnson
1997 record: 9-7
1998 outlook: The clock is running on Johnson, who hasn't come close to the Super Bowl yet in Miami.
No. 1: De-emphasizing the pass, will the team pay QB Dan Marino $7.575 million this year to direct RBs Karim Abdul-Jabbar, Lawrence Phillips and John Avery to the line of scrimmage?
No. 2: Can Avery, a 5-foot-9 rookie scatback, become a big-play maker?
No. 3: Does Johnson regret trading down in the draft and losing a shot at big-play receiver Randy Moss?
No. 4: Will Marino really operate a no-audible offense designed to make it easier on his offensive linemen?
No. 5: Is there any phase of the Don Shula system that Johnson hasn't obliterated by now?
Coach: Dennis Green
1997 record: 9-7
1998 outlook: They've kept all their key players for what figures to be their best chance at the Super Bowl.
No. 1: Can QB Brad Johnson regain enough strength in his passing hand to salvage his career after surgery for a herniated cervical disk?
No. 2: Has rookie WR Randy Moss targeted the 19 teams, including the Bengals twice, who passed him over in the draft?
No. 3: Will DT John Randle's incessant trash talk in the trenches abate after getting a five-year, $32.5 million contract, $20 million of which is guaranteed?
No. 4: How long will it take for new owner Red McCombs to wave the franchise relocation flag if he doesn't get a sweetheart lease on the Metrodome?
No. 5: Is Green, author of "No Room for Crybabies," working on a new book in 1998?
13. New York Giants
Coach: Jim Fassel
1997 record: 10-5-1
1998 outlook: Just like the old days -- win with defense and a running game.
No. 1: Will there be any lingering residue from the fourth-quarter playoff collapse against the Vikings, when several defenders squabbled among themselves on the field?
No. 2: Can QB Danny Kanell take the next step and become a bona fide NFL passer?
No. 3: Will the Giants' opportune defense come close to its NFL-high 44 take-aways?
No. 4: Do the Giants have a running back for every occasion in Tiki Barber, Tyrone Wheatley, Gary Brown and Charles Way?
No. 5: Will rookie receivers Joe Jurevicius and Brian Alford make a difference if Ike Hilliard is slow returning from spinal surgery?
14. New York Jets
Coach: Bill Parcells
1997 record: 9-7
1998 outlook: This season will be another leg in the journey back to the Super Bowl for Parcells.
No. 1: Can QB Glenn Foley shake his fragile reputation and hold up for a whole season?
No. 2: If he can't, can QB Vinny Testaverde handle what Neil O'Donnell couldn't?
No. 3: Is the oft-injured Curtis Martin, stolen from the Patriots, still the durable running back Parcells' system requires?
No. 4: Does the addition of 300-pounders Kevin Mawae and Todd Burger solve the crisis on the offensive line?
No. 5: With the playoffs on the line, will Parcells allow rookie safety Scott Frost, a former Nebraska quarterback, to throw a critical pass, as he did with reserve Ray Lucas last year?
15. Dallas Cowboys
Coach: Chan Gailey
1997 record: 6-10
1998 outlook: Gailey gets to clean up the mess left by deposed Barry Switzer.
No. 1: Can Gailey's bag of tricks -- the shotgun formation, five-receiver sets, trick plays -- pump up an offense that ranked 24th and 20th the past two seasons?
No. 2: Was RB Chris Warren signed to complement Emmitt Smith (career-low four rushing TDs in 1997) or replace him?
No. 3: Battered in the pocket last season, has QB Troy Aikman reverted to his tentative rookie form?
No. 4: After sitting out the baseball season, will Deion Sanders be primed for his role as premier cornerback and occasional receiver/punt returner?
L No. 5: When Gailey talks, will owner Jerry Jones' lips move?
16. Tennessee Oilers
Coach: Jeff Fisher
1997 record: 8-8
1998 outlook: Depending on the new passing game, it could be feast or famine for the Oilers.
No. 1: Does the addition of WRs Yancey Thigpen and Kevin Dyson and TE Jackie Harris make credible the 29th-ranked pass offense?
No. 2: Did the Oilers know Thigpen needed foot surgery when they gave him a five-year, $21 million contract?
No. 3: If the offense is much improved, why did the team need to give punter Craig Hentrich an unprecedented five-year, $5.5 million deal?
No. 4: Will RB Eddie George miss RG Kevin Donnalley, who signed with Miami, the most?
No. 5: Playing temporarily at Vanderbilt's stadium in Nashville, will the Oilers draw significantly more than the 28,028 they attracted in Memphis?
Coach: Vince Tobin
1997 record: 4-12
1998 outlook: It's revival time in the desert because the Cardinals look like a team on the rise.
No. 1: With Eric Swann, Simeon Rice and Andre Wadsworth, is this the best defensive line in the NFL?
No. 2: After giving up 78 sacks, second most in league history, is this the worst offensive line in the NFL?
No. 3: Is QB Jake Plummer really the next Joe Montana?
No. 4: Trashed after working in San Francisco, can offensive coordinator Marc Trestman resuscitate his reputation?
No. 5: Is Adrian Murrell the RB the Cards have been searching for?
18. Seattle Seahawks
Coach: Dennis Erickson
1997 record: 8-8
1998 outlook: There has been little return on owner Paul Allen's big investment so far.
No. 1: When does age catch up with 41-year-old QB Warren Moon?
No. 2: After spending $26 million in signing bonuses the past two years, can the Seahawks end their nine-year playoff drought?
No. 3: Can Erickson survive a fourth straight non-playoff season?
No. 4: Can former Redskins coach Pete Rodriguez turn around the worst special teams in the league?
No. 5: Does RB Ricky Watters have any more to offer than discarded Chris Warren?
19. Cincinnati Bengals
Coach: Bruce Coslet
1997 record: 7-9
L 1998 outlook: The Bengals are locked in a run of mediocrity.
No. 1: Can QB Jeff Blake resume his leadership role and find his 1995 Pro Bowl form?
No. 2: Will Coslet's get-tough approach be a solution for the team's collective 9-47 record over the first half of the past seven seasons?
No. 3: When DE John Copeland returns from a ruptured Achilles' tendon, will he be the same player who signed a five-year, $15 million contract in the off-season?
No. 4: Will rookie LBs Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons give defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau the speed he needs for his zone blitzes?
No. 5: Is RB Corey Dillon (1,129 yards) the real deal or a one-year wonder?
20. Ravens
Coach: Ted Marchibroda
1997 record: 6-9-1
1998 outlook: The playoffs are still a stretch for the Ravens.
No. 1: How much does QB Jim Harbaugh have left after getting pounded in Indianapolis the past two years?
No. 2: Will Harbaugh sever the team's ugly string of fourth-quarter collapses?
No. 3: Can the Ravens win now with veteran Rod Woodson and rookie Duane Starks at cornerback?
No. 4: Will OLB Peter Boulware rise to a Pro Bowl level his second year and lift the defense with him?
No. 5: How will Marchibroda handle the pressure of a lame-duck season and "elite" expectations?
Coach: Dom Capers
1997 record: 7-9
1998 outlook: They face major overhauls on offense and defense.
No. 1: Can QB Kerry Collins reclaim his career after throwing 21 interceptions and ranking last in passer efficiency?
No. 2: Was Doug Evans really worth the second-best cornerback contract in the league ($22.5 million over five years)?
No. 3: Will DT Sean Gilbert, off a one-year sabbatical, put teeth in a defense that ranked 22nd against the run?
No. 4: Can the return of LB Kevin Greene revive a pass rush that plunged from 60 sacks to 36 a year ago?
No. 5: After spending more than $19 million in signing bonuses on Evans, Gilbert and William Floyd, is the team back on track or ready to derail completely?
Coach: Mike Ditka
1997 record: 6-10
1998 outlook: The defense looks legitimate, the offense looks awful.
No. 1: Will Ditka's raw emotion drain his young players?
No. 2: Can free-agent RB Lamar Smith give the team its first 1,000-yard rusher since Dalton Hilliard in 1989?
No. 3: Will an offensive line that includes first-round picks Kyle Turley ('98) and Chris Naeole ('97) cut back on the 50 sacks allowed?
No. 4: Is Billy Joe Hobert, the fourth of four QBs to start last year, the one who'll keep the job?
No. 5: Will Ditka admit his mistake trading for Heath Shuler?
23. Atlanta Falcons
Coach: Dan Reeves
1997 record: 7-9
1998 outlook: Reeves' rebuilding project has a look of urgency this season.
No. 1: Can injury-prone QB Chris Chandler, coming off his best season, stay healthy enough to improve on a 6-2 stretch run?
No. 2: Will soon-to-be 34-year-old Tony Martin be able to replace big-play receiver Bert Emanuel (nine TDs), who left in free agency?
No. 3: Can first-round draft choice Keith Brooking at LB shore up the 27th-ranked run defense?
No. 4: At 35, does ex-Packers S Eugene Robinson have enough left to overcome the secondary's deficiencies?
No. 5: If the team is in a youth movement, why did it sign or trade for so many veterans in the off-season?
Coach: Jim Mora
1997 record: 3-13
1998 outlook: This is probably the team's best shot at long-term prosperity in Indianapolis.
No. 1: Will QB Peyton Manning be more like Bert Jones or Jeff George as the club's newest savior?
No. 2: How quickly can the leadership of president Bill Polian and Mora redirect a team that has lost 21 of its past 29 games?
No. 3: Can an offensive line that allowed a franchise-record 62 sacks a year ago keep Manning in one piece, knowing the alternative is Bill Musgrave?
No. 4: Does Mora at 63 have the patience to endure a slow building process?
No. 5: Can RB Marshall Faulk handle the workload in Mora's run-oriented offense?
25. Oakland Raiders
Coach: Jon Gruden
1997 record: 4-12
1998 outlook: It's a long way back to contender's status for the Raiders.
No. 1: Is the offensive-minded Gruden the answer for an inept defense that gave up the league's most total yards, rush yards and pass yards?
No. 2: After missing the playoffs in nine of the past 12 seasons, does the team still profess a "commitment to excellence?"
No. 3: Has WR Tim Brown volunteered to help Gruden call plays as he did with deposed Joe Bugel?
No. 4: Can rookie Mo Collins take over left tackle while Pat Harlow mends from back surgery?
No. 5: After surrendering 58 sacks last year, are the Raiders really prepared to go with Donald Hollas as backup QB to Jeff George?
26. Buffalo Bills
Coach: Wade Phillips
1997 record: 6-10
1998 outlook: The Bills may not have hit bottom yet.
No. 1: Will QB Rob Johnson live up to the rave notices after his trade from Jacksonville?
No. 2: If he doesn't, does Doug Flutie play for a "single" after leaving the CFL?
No. 3: Is RB Antowain Smith good enough to send Thurman Thomas into retirement?
No. 4: How long before DE Bruce Smith complains about NT Ted Washington's five-year, $27 million contract?
L No. 5: Can LB Chris Spielman make it back from neck surgery?
27. St. Louis Rams
Coach: Dick Vermeil
1997 record: 5-11
1998 outlook: Vermeil had a rough first year back; it may get rougher.
No. 1: Has the generation gap between the 61-year-old Vermeil and his 20-something players gotten any smaller?
No. 2: Is this the year that erratic Tony Banks settles in at QB?
No. 3: Will OT Orlando Pace, the first pick in the '97 draft, officially become a dude or a dud this year?
No. 4: Will rookie RB Robert Holcombe make the Rams forget Lawrence Phillips?
No. 5: Is there an award for leading the league in penalties and did the Rams get theirs?
Coach: Ray Rhodes
1997 record: 6-9-1
1998 outlook: The Rhodes era that started with such promise is fast disintegrating.
No. 1: When RB Charlie Garner gets the ball, will the Eagles miss Ricky Watters?
No. 2: Is QB Bobby Hoying anywhere near ready to carry the offense?
No. 3: Is OT Tra Thomas another in a line of blown first picks or a cornerstone for a fresh start?
No. 4: Does LB/DE Mike Mamula need a map to find the quarterback?
No. 5: Will the front-office carousel stop with Tom Modrak, the new director of football operations?
29. San Diego Chargers
Coach: Kevin Gilbride
1997 record: 4-12
1998 outlook: It's time to panic in San Diego.
No. 1: Was QB Ryan Leaf really worth two first-round picks, two players, and a second-round choice?
No. 2: With the trade of WR Tony Martin, whom will Leaf throw to? Bryan Still?
No. 3: Does new offensive line coach Joe Bugel still have his old magic?
No. 4: Can RB Natrone Means go home again?
No. 5: Will K John Carney regain his touch after a non-surgical right knee injury knocked him out in '97?
30. Chicago Bears
Coach: Dave Wannstedt
1997 record: 4-12
1998 outlook: The Bears will get first crack at a quarterback in the 1999 draft.
No. 1: Will first-round pick Curtis Enis beat out free-agent RB Edgar Bennett?
No. 2: With QB Rick Mirer a major bust, can Erik Kramer restore the offense?
No. 3: Was cutting controversial LB Bryan Cox addition by subtraction?
No. 4: How long will it take Mark Hatley to clear the personnel chaos of the Wannstedt era?
No. 5: How long before Wannstedt rejoins Jimmy Johnson in Miami?
Pub Date: 7/19/98