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Then again, with all the bounties suspensions and litigation, nothing has gone easy this year in the Big Easy.
Moss could be motoring under passes from Alex Smith in San Francisco. The former game-breaking receiver who has worn out his welcome everywhere he's played. He didn't play at all in 2011. But the 49ers, desperate for help at the position, gave the 35-year-old Moss a one-year deal.
Also returning from a one-year hiatus is Fisher, whose 16-year run with the Titans included a Super Bowl loss to the Rams. Now, he's the head man in St. Louis, facing a massive rebuilding job for a team that has won a total of 12 games in the last four seasons.
"There's been a lot of changes since I've been here. This is by far the one I'm most excited about," defensive end Chris Long said. "I think we're all very excited about it. It's a new beginning for a lot of people and, in the same sense, you have to re-prove yourself."
Several teams and players have to prove that last season was no fluke -- or that it was just that.
The Lions want to validate themselves as a consistent contender, not a one-year wonder after they broke their 11-season playoff drought. Houston grabbed its first AFC South crown in 2011, then won its first playoff appearance, and now expects to go much deeper in the postseason. Cincinnati tries to build off a wild-card season in which two rookies, QB Andy Dalton and WR A.J. Green, were standouts.
Meanwhile, the Eagles long ago dropped the Dream Team persona, now hoping their collection of stars will reach the level expected and never attained last season. The Bears, on pace to make the playoffs before injuries ravaged their roster, believe good health will lead to great results this time.
Hopes are high in Buffalo after the Bills shelled out a nine-figure deal for defensive end Mario Williams in free agency. With Cam Newton coming off the most productive season for a rookie quarterback in NFL history, Carolina is thinking big. Not surprisingly, so is Green Bay, which went 15-1 behind MVP Aaron Rodgers but with little defense last year. The Packers feel they're significantly upgraded on D.
There's also uncertainty for two AFC powers: Pittsburgh, in transition with veterans Hines Ward, James Farrior and Aaron Smith gone, and Baltimore, where Defensive Player of the Year Terrell Suggs is sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury.
The most unsure situation probably is in Oakland, where for the first time in nearly a half-century, Davis no longer is running the Raiders. The organization swears the "Commitment to Excellence" remains. Without Davis' guidance and expertise, how close the Raiders get to carrying out that commitment is questionable.
Beginning this week, answers will come from across the NFL.
[Associated
Press;
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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