Button up those chin-straps and field test your cup, football fans, because training camps are open across the land and we are days…DAYS…away from the opening preseason game of the 2008 NFL season. To get all of you diehard fans ready for opening day, we at CraveOnline are going to give you a division by division rundown on all the major happenings while our beloved sport was in its off-season. Heck, we’ll even throw ourselves to the wolves and toss out some predictions as well! So kick back and grab the nachos and cheese, sports fan, as we do our thing.

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AFC NORTH

Pittsburgh Steelers (2007: 10-6, Division champs)

Off-season Recap: Drafted Rashard Mendenhall, RB, ILLINOIS and Limas Sweed, WR, TEXAS…both thought to be immediate impact players. They renewed QB Ben Roethlisburgher to an 8 year, $102 million contract, ensuring them stability at one of the most difficult positions in football. Signed C Justin Hartwig and RB Mewelde Moore in free agency and lost LG Alan Faneca.

2008 Outlook: The reigning AFC North champs are one of the few teams in the NFL that you can pencil in as a Superbowl contender year after year. That being said, they are facing one of the most brutal schedules the 2008 season has to offer as well as trying to hold off a talented, resurgent Cleveland Browns team. And can they shore up a very weak special teams unit?

2008 prediction: 10-6, 2nd in division

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Cleveland Browns (2007: 10-6, 2nd place)

Off-season Recap: Addressing a lackluster defense that gave up an average of 23.9 ppg in 2007, the Browns acquired DB Gary Baxter, LB Shantee Orr, S Nick Sorensen, and DB Terry Cousin. They also bolstered one of the best offenses in the NFL with the addition of WR Donte Stallworth.

2008 Outlook: Loaded with talent and poised to give the Steelers a run for their money, the only real questions surrounding the Browns are a) whether they can stay healthy and b) can they put that talent together when it counts.

2008 Prediction: 11-5, 1st in division

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Baltimore Ravens (5-11, 4th place)

Off-season Recap: Perhaps more than any team in the NFL, the Ravens enter the 2008 season with a TON of question marks. They are in the midst of yet another QB battle…the retirement of Steve Mcnair having opened the doors for Kyle Boller, Troy Smith and rookie Joey Flacco…and gone is the days of ‘offensive genius’ Brian Billick, having been replaced with first year coach John Harbaugh, who has started things off with a grueling series of mini-camps.

2008 Outlook: With huge question marks at QB and a patchwork O-line, the Ravens will have to rely on aging vet. Ray Lewis to spark his defense to carry the load again this season. But is their overworked unit up to the task one more year? Only time will tell.

2008 Prediction: 7-9 4th in division

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Cincinnati Bengals (7-9, 3rd place)

Off-season recap: If for nothing more than the interesting news they produce year round, you gotta love the Bengals. This team seems to be constantly involved in one dramady or another and this off-season wasn’t any different. Pro-Bowl WR Chad Johnson was hungry for some downtime attention and demanded a trade but ended up meekly showing up to camp with nothing more than a limp (he had ankle surgery). Troubled WR Chris Henry was released after assault charges were filed against him only to have the case dropped (gotta love the guilty until proven innocent mentality of the NFL). On the bright side, this did manage to take the attention off Head Coach Marvin Lewis, who has to be on the hot seat to win this season.

2008 Outlook: Loaded with talent on offense, it’s the continual inability of the defense that kills this team year after year. If they can pull any type on steady play from the D-unit, they can make a run at the division crown.

2008 Prediction: 8-8, 3rd in division