•WHO’S NEW: OLB Clark Haggans (Pittsburgh), DE/OLB Travis LaBoy (Tennessee), LB Matt Stewart (Cleveland), P Dirk Johnson (Chicago), TE Jerame Tuman (Pittsburgh), QB Brian St. Pierre (Pittsburgh).
•WHO’S GONE: DE/OLB Calvin Pace (N.Y. Jets), G Keydrick Vincent (Carolina), S Terrence Holt (Carolina), WR Bryant Johnson (San Francisco).
•BEST DRAFT PICKS: CB Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie will get on the field right away. WR Early Doucet should replace Johnson as the third receiver.
•KEY QUESTIONS: Will QB Matt Leinart grow up? Can RB Edgerrin James carry the load, again? Will contract squabbles with several key players affect performance?
•GAMES TO WATCH: Cards open at San Francisco, which swept the season series last year. Three of the first four games are on the road, including back-to-back at Washington and the Jets. The Cardinals must avoid getting off to their usual slow start.
•WHO’S NEW: DE Justin Smith (Cincinnati), WR Isaac Bruce (St. Louis), WR Bryant Johnson (Arizona), RB DeShaun Foster (Carolina), LB Dontarrious Thomas (Minnesota) QB J.T. O’Sullivan (Detroit)
•WHO’S GONE: DL Bryant Young (retired), OL Larry Allen (expected to retire), DE Marcus Douglas (Tampa Bay), G Justin Smiley (Miami), LB Derek Smith (San Diego), QB Trent Dilfer (released)
•BEST DRAFT PICKS: DL Kentwan Balmer will step in for Young, and G Chilo Rachel could replace Allen.
•KEY QUESTIONS: Will QB Alex Smith hang on to his starting job or will native Kansan Shaun Hill or free agent O’Sullivan take it away? What kind of difference will Mike Martz make in the development of the quarterbacks?
•GAMES TO WATCH: Mike Nolan’s job could be in jeopardy during the Nov. 2 bye after this stretch: at New Orleans, New England, Philadelphia, at N.Y. Giants and Seattle.
•WHO’S NEW: G Jacob Bell (Tennessee), TE Anthony Becht (Tampa Bay), K Josh Brown (Seattle), QB Trent Green (Miami), CB David Macklin (Washington), WR Reche Caldwell (Washington).
•WHO’S GONE: K Jeff Wilkins (retired), LB Brandon Chillar (Green Bay), QB Gus Frerotte (Minnesota), WR Isaac Bruce (San Francisco).
•BEST DRAFT PICKS: DE Chris Long will start. WR Donnie Avery probably will be the slot receiver.
•KEY QUESTIONS: Can Long step in and help pressure the QB (Rams defensive ends totaled 5 1/2 sacks last year)? Can the offensive line stay reasonably healthy after last year’s spate of injuries? Will WR Drew Bennett be an effective successor to Bruce?
•GAMES TO WATCH: The 2007 Super Bowl teams are on the schedule — the Giants come to St. Louis in week two and the Rams travel to the Patriots in week eight.
•WHO’S NEW: RB Julius Jones (Dallas), RB T.J. Duckett (Detroit), guard Mike Wahle (Carolina), K Olindo Mare (New Orleans).
•WHO’S GONE: DT Chuck Darby (Detroit), WR D.J. Hackett (Carolina), LB Kevin Bentley (Houston), LB Niko Koutouvides (Denver), RB Shaun Alexander (released).
•BEST DRAFT PICKS: DE Lawrence Jackson, TE John Carlson should start; DT Red Bryant, FB Owen Schmitt, LS Tyler Schmitt will play.
•KEY QUESTIONS: Can a Julius Jones-led, running-backs-by-committee approach reinvigorate the Seahawks’ running game? Can QB Matt Hasselbeck stay as healthy as he did last season?
•GAMES TO WATCH: Game five at New York Giants will give the Seahawks an idea of how close they are to Super Bowl contenders, as will a Thanksgiving Day game at Dallas and a home game the next week against New England.
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