Who's your SLEEPER pick for '07?

Question

It's easy to talk about the top, just look to last season, but what NFL team is going to turn around their poor/mediocre season and become a playoff contender?

My sleeper - San Francisco 49ers

They've done nothing but improve over the off season. They had an excellent draft with getting a young and talented Patrick Willis and have been just as good in free agency with the addition of Nate Clements and Michael Lewis. With a healthy Vernon Davis and a newly acquired Darrel Jackson, Alex Smith should have less trouble finding an open target. With a beaten up and injured O-line now fully healthy Gore should be just as effective as he was last season. They finished a frustrating 7-9 season with a win against an otherwise playoff bound Denver (in Denver). All of this along with their easy division and easy schedule point them to the playoffs.

So who's your sleeper?

Answer 1

The Raiders are going to be no less than a wildcard team this year, they may even win the division. With the way the defense is going to play this year now that they have grown together and everyone is back and healthy for this upcoming season. Sapp(10sacks) lost 30 lbs. and Burgess(11sacks) is a sacking machine. and then Asomugha(8ints) is going to have an mvp caliber year, he may come away with 10+ interceptions this year.
With them picking up Rhodes(Colts) to go along with Jordan in the backfield and then picking up some veteran O-lineman(4rm the Broncos, Bucc's) and a Line coach(4rm the Falcons) that does a gap blocking scheme, there will be some big numbers on the ground which will open up the air attack that we haven't seen since Gannon(2002 NFL MVP) left which coincidently is like the same time Gruden left.(Which at the time he was the youngest coach in the NFL.) doesn't that sound familiar with the new coach Kiffin at 31. They just needed a fresh face with some new ideas to get this team fired up.


IM IN!!

Answer 2

Well, before I clicked onto your question, I was thinking of the 49ers too.

However, a true sleeper is someone who is completely off the radar, don't you agree? The Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, even Tennessee Titans are on people's radar. You have proved that the Niners are going to be a force to be reckoned with next year... so I cannot consider them a sleeper when they are a contender, especially with the division they are in.

I would have to say sleepers like last years New Orleans Saints are rare in the NFL. There are contenders and pretenders and not much in between.

Answer 3

anyone that picks NE as a sleeper pick is a complete moron. sleeper pick is a team that is not expected to be there at the end. my picks are:

AFC- the Bills.. the Bills have addressed the offensive line and their running back positions. Losman should com into his own with not having to run for his life every play. The defense has lost Spikes and Clements. BIG DEAL! Spikes has been injured for 2 yrs wasn't really there much. Clements , yeah he was the Bills best corner, but compare him to the best corners in the league. He couldn't cover San Diego's and Tennessee's 2nd receiver to save his butt. They Drafted Paul Poz out of Penn State , he will replace old man Fletcher.

NFC: Gotta go with the cardinals. they have all the weapons, just need to put it all together

Answer 4

You could be right, I agree with your easy div. And I don't know about the rest of your schedule, but you are playing the AFC north this season. And the only team that anybody would pick as a easy win in that div, is my sleeper pick the Cleveland Browns. The 49ers could easily go 0-4 to the AFC north and even if I am wrong about my Browns you are still looking at 1-3.

Answer 5

The Cleveland Browns, because Brady Quinn during the mini-camps has been out performing Charlie Frye. Also with the addition of Joe Thomas, the Cleveland Browns offensive line is stronger and will allow the QB to react to what is out on the field. The Browns also have a strong defense and with the amount of youth and veteren leadership from Jamal Lewis and others on the team, the Browns will be a team to watch this year.

Answer 6

Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, i present to you the sleeper picks for the 2007 NFL season........ The New York Jets of the AFC East and why??? Two words for ya................ ERIC MANGINI!

The Jets under the second coming of Bill Belichick, Eric Mangini, were showing signs of being a contender in flashes last season and they can only improve from here on in! Thomas Jones is the perfect back to give Chad Pennington some time in the backfield and with Jones getting up to 4.5 yards a carry, bringing him up to about 1450yrds for the season,the jets can be dominant. If they cud win 10 games with Houston and Washington in the backfield combinig for just under 1000yards, just imagine what they can do with some real talent and muscle back there! Chad will have the chance to equal or better his 3352 yards of last season and lead the Jets to the wildcard in the AFC with an 11-5 record behind a very powerful, division winning Patriots team because lets face it, the Dolphins are in dissaray and the Bills without McGahee are gonna be as threatening as a gun without any bullets.

Once they hit the play offs, Mangini wll prove that he has what it takes to be the man and I can see him being successful in plotting the downfall of any of the big teams, including my beloved Chargers on the way to an AFC championship game in Foxborough. After then who knows what will happen!! I know this sounds crazy 2 most of y'all but just u wait til December and you'll see Mangini prove himself to be the best young coach in the game today!

Answer 7

Well, they aren't really a sleeper but the Panthers struggled last year...They will be in the playoffs again...The other 2 that will contend that haven't in recent years are the Browns and Cardinals...Brady Quinn will be NFL Rookie of the Year and Matt Leinhart keeps getting better...

Answer 8

there are alot of good answers here! I think the Cards have a good shot as well as the Jets. the Niners are so stacked that it's almost wrong to call them a sleeper. but i have a feeling that the Rams will be a real contender this season. Don't have any real reason just a hunch.
GO BILLS!!

Answer 9

I agree completely with you!

And I'll go even a little farther...
San Francisco will be the NFC champion

NFC West will be the strongest NFC division and will send no fewer than 2 and possibly 3 teams to the playoffs. They will finish San Francisco, Seattle, St Louis, Arizona and even the Cardinals will win 6 games.

There are going to be serious offensive fireworks coming out of this division with the best collection of quarterbacks, the best collection of receivers, and the 2nd best collection of running backs in the league.

Answer 10

My sleeper pick is the new England patriots lets see tom Brady was off towards last season because he knocked up some girl and is going to come back and win