Team

Salisbury's analysis

No disrespect to Tony Dungy (who is a perfect fit in Indianapolis), but Jon Gruden is the biggest addition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a long time. While I'm a huge Dungy fan, every once in a while change is good. And Gruden's no-nonsense coaching approach is just the remedy Tampa needs. The Bucs are a very talented team with some underachieving players. Certain teams need an arm around their back and a pat on the rear for motivation, but what Tampa needs is a big foot to its back side. Gruden won't stand for laziness, mental errors or selfishness. An offensive mind, Gruden won't rely on defense alone to win games. Look for him to elevate quarterback Brad Johnson's career the way he elevated Rich Gannon's in Oakland. He'll push the offense to score. In the past Tampa Bay has beaten itself. With Gruden at the helm, I doubt we'll see that happen as much this year.

The New Orleans Saints' off-the-field disarray (the firing of general manager Randy Mueller being the latest saga) and the loss of star running back Ricky Williams make me a tad uncertain about their chances. But Jim Haslett is a good coach, and I believe quarterback Aaron Brooks is on the verge of stardom. If Deuce McAllister can stay healthy, he'll play some good football and should be an adequate replacement for Williams. That said, I believe the Saints will rally and have a better year than last year's 7-9 finish. Despite their off-field troubles, the Saints are good enough to make something happen on the field.

I'm particularly excited to watch quarterback Michael Vick this season. His athleticism alone is worth a couple of wins. But while Vick should make things happen, the Atlanta Falcons still have a long way to go. Loaded in the backfield with Jamal Anderson, Warrick Dunn and Maurice Smith, I was surprised by Atlanta's first-draft pick, Michigan State's T.J. Duckett. Duckett is a quality back, but I'm not so sure it was the right move. However, Dunn, an explosive feature back, should be a big help to Vick. Overall, I expect the Falcons to play better this season, but they have to be more physical and to get more explosiveness from the wideout position.

The Carolina Panthers' most important offseason move was the addition of head coach John Fox and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio. Fox and Del Rio, coming from New York and Baltimore respectively, bring with them aggressive defensive philosophies and various looks. They're the type of coaches who can turn average players into great ones by deploying them to the right positions. They'll use first-round draft pick Julius Peppers in a several different ways and turn him into a game-changing player. When a team plays more aggressively on one side of the ball, it's contagious, so overall Carolina should be a far better team. But the key to the Panthers' success will be their offense, which needs to be more explosive. The Panthers must improve their running game, and second-year quarterback Chris Weinke needs to play like a veteran. Fox told me he believes in Weinke or they would have drafted a quarterback. If Weinke plays well, the Panthers have a chance.