Check out futures odds for the AFC

National Football Conference

New Orleans (+1300)

The Saints came marching in as an NFC South powerhouse last year and were the league’s feel good story to boot.

With Reggie Bush, Drew Brees and Deuce McAllister returning, the Saints could repeat as the NFL’s No. 1 team in terms of total offense.

Dallas Cowboys (+1500)

Bill Parcells might be gone, but his successor Wade Phillips still might be able to accomplish what the Big Tuna wasn’t able to do during his stint in Dallas—win a playoff game.

Phillips doesn’t have the Tuna’s résumé, but his laid back style—a stark contrast to Parcells’ old school ways—might rub players like Terrell Owens the right way.

New additions such as mammoth RG Leonard Davis, S Ken Hamlin will help the O-line and secondary respectively and QB Brad Johnson will be a good replacement for now-retired Drew Bledsoe.

With TO, RBs Julius Jones and Marion Barber III, WR Terry Glenn and TE Jason Witten, QB Tony Romo has all the tools to bounce back from the gaffe he committed in the Wild Card game against Seattle.

San Francisco 49ers (+1600)

QB Alex Smith is not on the level of Joe Montana; RB Frank Gore is not level with Roger Craig, at least not yet; TE Vernon Davis isn’t Brent Jones and WR Darrell Jackson isn’t in the same area code as Jerry Rice, but nevertheless there seems to be a sense of excitement in Niners camp that hasn’t been seen since their heyday.

Head coach Mike Nolan, although no Bill Walsh, has the team headed in the right direction and they might be ready for a huge step forward this year.

There might be the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel for San Francisco fans who have been suffering the past four seasons.

2007 AFC Futures, 2007 NFC Futures