Although wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson can be a royal pain at times, he is an excellent fit here as a complimentary receiver to the mercurial Steve Smith. The addition of Johnson means less double-teaming of Smith, which should improve the numbers of both pass catchers not to mention quarterback Jake Delhomme. Now Carolina had one of the worst running games of any playoff team last year, but they may have filled that void for the next decade with the selection of running back DeAngelo Williams out of Memphis in the first round. Also incumbent DeShaun Foster is an excellent back when healthy, and he may stay healthy longer with fewer carries with Williams around.

The Panthers finished third in the NFL in total defense last season, and this unit should be downright dominant this year! Ex-All-Pro defensive tackle Kris Jenkins is now fully healthy, and Carolina made some nice free agent acquisitions such as safety Shaun Williams (NY Giants) and defensive tackles Maake Kernoeatu (Baltimore) and Damione Lewis (St. Louis). They also added another great player in the second round of the draft in cornerback Richard Marshall of Fresno State. This team appears loaded on both sides of the ball, and we are looking for a rematch with Seattle for the NFC Championship, only this time with the Panthers entering the contest as NFC South champions.

2006 Prediction: 1 st Place NFC South, NFC Championship Game Runner-up