SOUTH And WEST Of AFC preview

SOUTH
Best additions
CB Dunta Robinson, new Falcons jerseys: Atlanta made a big free-agent splash to repair one of the roster's weak spots.
DE Alex Brown, Saints: He should show improvement in Gregg Williams' aggressive scheme.
Biggest losses
DE Julius Peppers, Panthers: Carolina believed he was on the way down the slope, but he still topped 10 sacks in six of his eight seasons.
T Jammal Brown, Saints: Was the starter at LT for the Saints before missing 2009 with hip and hernia surgeries.
WR Antonio Bryant, Buccaneers: Bryant has a career 15.3 yards per catch average in his eight seasons to go with two 1,000-yard seasons.
The favorite
Saints: They kept things together and have the league's most dangerous balance on offense, having finished fourth in passing and sixth in rushing in 2009.
Division breakdown
This is certainly the Saints' show and the division's other three teams don't appear to have nearly enough firepower to keep up. The Falcons, with Matt Ryan fooball jersey continuing his development at QB, have the best chance to make a push, but Atlanta needs far more out of its defense. The Falcons surrendered at least 390 yards six times last season, including both meetings with New Orleans.
WEST
Best additions
G Alan Faneca, Cardinals: He already has moved into the starting lineup and should be top shelf under line coach Russ Grimm.
QB Sam Bradford, Rams: Rookie looks and sounds like a franchise QB for a team that desperately needs someone to fill that job.
RB Leon Washington, Seahawks: Runner/returner gives Seattle offensive coordinator Jeremy Bates some options.
Biggest losses
QB Kurt Warner football jersey, Cardinals: He fueled the team's drive to the Super Bowl, and his supreme accuracy and big-game aggressiveness will be missed as he begins his retirement.
T Tony Pashos, 49ers: He is a productive player who has started 55 games during his career for Jacksonville, Baltimore and San Francisco.
The favorite
Cardinals: Go with the Cardinals, but the heat is on Matt Leinart to show he's ready to be an NFL starter — both on and off the field.
Division breakdown
The Cardinals still have plenty of pieces in place, though they took some hits on defense in the offseason. The key will be Leinart, who threw three interceptions and no TDs in limited duty last season. He has yet to show he can move an offense consistently or make adjustments at the line of scrimmage. The new 49ers jerseys are a try-hard bunch that could make a push in this division, but it's now or never for QB Alex Smith. He rallied down the stretch with 12 TD passes in the last seven games in 2009. Pete Carroll will need his defense to be more than ornamental in Seattle to get in the mix of contenders in his first year on the job.