Even with all the drama that has already been generated in the off-season--from New England's Tom Brady being suspended for an air-pressure infraction, to Pittsburgh's Le'Veon Bell being suspended for an air-head infraction, to the Dallas Cowboy's Number One draft pick, Ezekiel Elliott, being accused of domestic violence--several pressing questions need to be answered this season. Here are seven of them.
1. Who is Brock Osweiler and how the hell did he get a team to pay him $72 million? Will Osweiler's signing with the Houston Texans turn out to be a "bargain," or will the largely untested and unproven young quarterback go down in history as yet more example of a classic "white elephant"?
2. Can the Carolina Panthers repeat? With, arguably, the greatest quarterback to ever play the game, can the Panthers make it back to the Super Bowl? It's hard to repeat. All one has to do is look at Super Bowl history to confirm that fact. But if any team can do it, the young, well-coached and extravagantly talented Carolina Panthers is that team.
3. Will the Pittsburgh Steelers finally prove to the world that they are indeed the greatest, most stable, most collectively impressive, and most productive franchise in the history of the NFL? Even with Bell missing four games, they will still have Big Ben and Antonio Brown--a tandem that was a big reason why Pittsburgh led the League in offense in 2015.
4. What does RG III (Robert Griffin III) signing with the lowly Cleveland Browns signify? Does it mean that he wants to demonstrate to the NFL that he still has something left and needs to prove it on a team where expectations are abysmally low, thus allowing him the freedom to perform at his own pace, without undue scrutiny? Or does signing with the Browns mean that he is, in fact, harboring a profound death wish?
5. Can Tony Romo avoid injury and finally be the Dallas Cowboys' starting quarterback for 16 regular season games? And if he does manage to play in all 16 games, will this be enough for the generously paid, talent-laden Cowboys to make a run at the Super Bowl?
6. Will Charles "Chip" Kelly, as coach of the mentally and physically challenged San Francisco 49'ers, show himself to be the "creative and innovative genius" he was advertised to be when he came out of the University of Oregon, or will Kelly reveal himself to be one of those second-rate "college guys" who never should have made the jump to the NFL? The 2016 season could make or break him.
7. Is it possible for the Denver Broncos to repeat as Super Bowl champions without the benefit of a first-rate offense? Can a blue-chip defense carry a team all the way to a second Super Bowl championship? Which is to say, after being vilified by the Big Apple's predatory media, can Mark Sanchez find salvation and redemption in the Rocky Mountain Sate? Anyone who remembers Mark's glory days at USC will be pulling for him.