LOS ANGELES -- As roughly 21,000 fans gathered at Staples Center in Los Angeles for the League of Legends World Championship, two of the countrys most well-known media influencers and businessmen, Peter Guber and Bruce Stein, sat in the Los Angeles Lakers suite in the arena.Guber and Stein are former executives at Sony Entertainment, and Guber is a co-owner of the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles FC. Their time at the League of Legends World Championship affirmed what they believed to be true when their ownership group purchased one of the most popular esports teams in the United States, Team Liquid, several months ago.Guber says there were two reasons his new esports ownership group, aXiomatic, invested in the bourgeoning esports industry.One, Im attracted by the sport itself, which is a digital play, millennial play, its an over-the-top play in a sense, Guber told ESPN on Saturday night. Its an engagement that can be at home. You get the chance to get very close to the players, which is not as easy in other sports. You can participate in the sport easily; some of the games are very complicated -- like, wow -- but you can participate in it. You can follow the sport in a way thats unique and unique to that audience.According to research company Newzoo, esports has over 148 million fans, with an additional 144 million occasional viewers. Furthermore, within the United States, of the 20 million people who are esports fans, six million do not watch other traditional sports. Gubers second reason for investing comes from these demographics and similar numbers that he believes makes this investment worthwhile.I saw the psychographics and demographics of the audience, and Bruce and I talked about that; the idea that it isnt a fad, the median age keeps getting older, older and older as it goes through it and the bottom is also growing too, Guber said. So you get both things growing -- the tail and the head grows. Its a tsunami, it has that effect. Its an influencer, too -- it influences product, it influences sponsors, it influences behavior. It has all the components that makes it a viral activity.Talk of Gubers investment in the space began in early 2016 as he and his associates discussed a potential purchase of Team Liquid. The deal was finalized in late September, a day after the Philadelphia 76ers announced they had purchased Team Dignitas and Apex Gaming.The seeds of both deals, and perhaps other NBA interest in esports, were planted after a late-2015 NBA Board of Governors meeting, which featured a presentation on the growth of esports. Guber, for his part, says esports was already on his radar before that presentation.Really, it just drew out of my experience of being around Sony and running Sony and part of my experience of way back, he said, being an amateur radio operator and building my own rigs. [It] came out of my experience of recognizing that Im in the audience business. When you own the Dick Clark company with all of the attractions, when you own sports teams, big sports teams, and sports media companies, youre in the entertainment business.Youre engaging audiences. Thats what your job is, to engage audiences, and when you see an audience that is engaged as this, its magnetic, its exciting and you want to try and be a part of it.While Guber did not say exactly why his deal with Liquid took the better part of a year to complete, he did say that he and his associates felt it was best to take it slow before moving into the esports officially.Bruce and I have a view: You can put all the ingredients together and if you take it out of the oven too soon, its chocolate pudding, he said. If you leave it in the oven enough, you get a soufflé. Were in the soufflé business.Out of multiple options possible, Guber and Stein both say Liquid was the obvious option for a number of reasons: brand authenticity, popularity and the willingness of the organization to think outside the box with the deal to be purchased.The [Team Liquid] brand was incredibly strong with gamers who view authenticity as valuable, Stein said. Its a very valuable and authentic brand.Two, management: [Liquid co-CEOs] Steve [Arhancet] and Victor [Goossens] were really important to this. When you have short-term player contracts as a sport, it has in almost every game, you have to have a very responsive group that can deal with the changes. Steve and Victor were the two people who stuck out to us as partners that we could be invested with both in time, energy and resources over the long haul.Guber and Steins group has chosen to retain Arhancet, formerly of the Curse Gaming esports team which merged with Team Liquid in late 2014, and ?Goossens, the original founder of the Team Liquid StarCraft clan in 2000. The 76ers instead moved the Team Dignitas and Apex Gaming founding members, Michael ODEE ODell and Michael Slan, to operations manager positions.When asked why aXiomatic decided to keep Goossens and Arhancet in their current positions, Guber laughed.Seventy-sixers, Warriors, 76ers, Warriors, Guber joked, in reference to Golden States rising success in recent seasons. You do the math.Steve and Victor are progamers at heart, Stein said. If we lost a drop of the authenticity, there would be brand diminishment. Our intention is to keep every bit of the authenticity and add best practices from other areas. I think we want to take what Steve and Victor have done, acknowledge the dynamic that has changed in the business [money and other management], and add an ownership group from NextVR, Dick Clark Enterprises, every sort of imaginable traditional business and bring those practices to the sport. Thats what we add.As far as team management, players and constructing it, were advisers and partners of Steve and Victor, but thats what we think of it, and were following their lead in that regard.Joining Stein and Guber in their endeavor is Ted Leonsis, former AOL CEO and current owner of the Washington Wizards, Washington Capitals?and the Verizon Center; and Hall of Fame point guard Earvin Magic Johnson.[Ted is] a leader in digital technologies and software, he owns the Washington Capitals and the Wizards and a whole bunch of other sports teams, too. Hes just giant and over the top, Guber said. Hes an unbelievable leader with resources, hes a major participant and player, a full owner and partner in this, and his leadership, strengths and talent is going to be fundamental to us being successful.Moving forward, Guber says aXiomatic isnt just interested in owning an esports team. Guber compares his ambitions to that of what he has done with the Warriors since the purchase by him and majority owner Joe Lacob in 2010. Since the purchase, the team won a NBA championship in 2015 and is planning to open a new stadium in San Francisco by the 2018-19 season.I would say that [aXiomatic] should become a platform for the elements that are center and surround [esports], whether its engagement of venues, merchandise, peripherals or products that support the teams, Guber said. This a multifaceted enterprise, this sport is a multifaceted enterprise.If youre in baseball, youre in -- bam -- youre in venue management, youre in hospitality, youre in fan management, memorabilia, youre in a lot of other elements that depend on the success of the sport and the success of your team. We expect to grow [our new] business horizontally as well as vertically. Cheap Air Max 90 Clearance . -- Matt Ryan needed one of the best games of his career to lead the Falcons and their depleted offence out of their three-game losing streak last week. Cheap Air Max Wholesale .C. -- Al Jefferson joked that he feels he can score from anywhere on the court. http://www.airmaxwholesaleforsale.com/discount-air-max-tn-wholesale.html . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. Cheap Air Max For Sale . -- Sergey Tolchinksy scored his second goal of the game 3:56 into overtime as the Sault Ste. Air Max 95 Cheap Sale . Wilson hit Schenn from behind during Tuesday nights game in Philadelphia, earning a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct. He has a phone hearing with the department of player safety, which limits any potential suspension to five or fewer games. This summer, NFL Nation reporters are answering the biggest questions for every team in divisional roundtables.Fridays question: Who will win each division and how many teams from the division will make the playoffs?Mondays question: Who will be the best newcomer? Tuesdays question: Who is the rising star in each division? Wednesdays question: Who is on the hottest seat in the division? Thursdays question: Who will be the division MVP?AFC East | AFC North | AFC South | AFC West NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC WestAFC EastMike Rodak, Buffalo Bills reporter: Its tough to pick against the Patriots because they didnt win this division with Tom Brady at quarterback just twice since 2002. As weve seen in the 13 seasons since, it takes an injury to Brady -- which happened only in 2008 -- to derail the Patriots. Eventually, Brady will either slow down or retire and the Patriots will face stiffer competition for the division crown, but I dont see this being the year. As for how many teams qualify for the playoffs, its hard to see three teams making it -- that has never happened in the AFC East since the NFLs division realignment in 2002 -- but I can see either the Jets or Bills squeaking into the postseason as a wild card. It would be the first time this division has sent two teams to the playoffs since 2010, when Rex Ryan brought the Jets through Gillette Stadium on his way to the AFC Championship Game.James Walker, Miami Dolphins reporter: Ten wins werent enough for the Jets to become the second AFC East team to get into the playoffs last year. But I have a feeling nine or 10 victories will be enough in 2016. Book the Patriots to win the division -- thats been the safest bet in football for most of the past 15 years. The difficult part is projecting which AFC East team will finish second. I expect the Jets to take a step back and the Dolphins to be a little better this season. Both teams could hover around .500. That leaves the Bills -- yes, the Bills -- to end the NFLs longest playoff drought and grab one of the two wild cards in the AFC. Their quarterback play was underrated last year, and Tyrod Taylor will be motivated in a contract year. The running game also is one of the best in the league, and Rex and Rob Ryan should get the defense on track. Barring major injuries, Buffalo has the potential to be a surprise team in the conference.Rich Cimini, New York Jets reporter: For the sixth straight year, there will be only one playoff team from the AFC East -- yeah, them again. Were talking about the Patriots, of course. Theyll win the division by at least two games, with the Jets and Bills staying in the wild-card hunt until the end. At some point, the Jets, Bills and Dolphins will have their day. But not yet.Mike Reiss, New England Patriots reporter: Jets receiver Eric Decker recently shared his belief that the division is up for grabs with Tom Bradys four-game suspension, and perhaps this is the year the Bills, Dolphins or Jets finally wrestle control of the AFC East away from the Patriots. But until I see more decisive answers at quarterback for those teams, I cant pick them. As for the playoffs, with the strength of the AFC North and what I project as a bounce-back season for the Indianapolis Colts, I project a traffic jam for the wild-card spots that will leave the AFC East on the outside looking in with just one overall playoff team.AFC NorthJeremy Fowler, Pittsburgh Steelers reporter: Pittsburgh and Cincinnati will push each other until Week 17, with the Bengals getting the edge by one game. The Ravens will finish above .500 but will miss the playoffs by a game, leaving two divisional teams at home for January and the other two -- hopefully -- facing off in an AFC wild-card rematch. The Steelers offense will be better and their defensive rebuild is nearly complete, but I just like the Bengals overall balance a little better. Andy Dalton never got to finish what he started a year ago, and the franchise is eager to end the little-brother complex that Pittsburgh would love to see continue. The losses of Heath Miller and Martavis Bryant could cause the Steelers to start the season a bit slowly.Coley Harvey, Cincinnati Bengals reporter: Well go with the last part first. A lot of the playoff question hinges upon what happens with the Ravens. If they can get back to the form that led them to the playoffs in 2014, then well see a three-team playoff representation from the AFC North just like in 2014. At this stage, theres no question the Steelers and Bengals belong in the playoff discussion. After all, the division champion has come down to those two teams in each of the past three seasons. In each of those years, the runner-up has qualified for a wild-card spot. That said, those will be the only AFC North teams in the playoffs this season. As for the division champion? For the Bengals to repeat, they will need a complete buy-in into the lessons taught by the new members of their coaching staff. Cincinnati had to replace six coaches this offseason. Judging from how the Bengals worked at a more business-like, up-tempo pace during organized team activities and minicamp, they already have started getting used to their new coaches. Although itll be close between them and the Steelers again this year, Im picking Cincinnati to repeat and claim the division crown.Jamison Hensley, Baltimore Ravens reporter: The Steelers will win the AFC North for the second time in three seasons, and the Ravens will rebound to make the playoffs after their worst season under coach John Harbaugh. This looks like Pittsburghs year because its hard to imagine the Steelers experiencing the same bad run of injuries again. Pittsburgh is going to simply outscore teams with the NFLs best triplets in Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and LeVeon Bell. While the defense was a far cry from the Steel Curtain, the Steelers werent as bad as many like to think. Pittsburgh ranked 11th in points allowed. The Ravens havent generated much offseason buzz because most of their star players are injured. But Baltimore addressed two of the biggest areas of concern in the offseason, adding a leader in the secondary in Eric Weddle and a deep threat in Mike Wallace. The last time Baltimore missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons was 2004-05. The Bengals will miss out on the playoffs for the first time since 2010 because they took a big hit with the changes at wide receiver and their coaching staff.Pat McManamon, Cleveland Browns reporter: Pittsburgh would have run away with the division last season, but LeVeon Bell missed 10 games and Ben Roethlisberger four. Even with injuries, the Steelers offense was prolific; the 423 points scored by Pittsburgh was second in the AFC and best in the division. If Bell, Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown stay reasonably healthy, they all could put up big numbers and provide a young defense time to grow. The Steelers win this division, with the Bengals earning a wild-card berth by finishing second.AFC SouthMichael DiRocco, Jacksonville Jaguars reporter: Im going with the Texans as the division champs. Even though I have reservations about Brock Osweiler, all he needs to be is an average quarterback and that should be good enough for the Texans to win 10 games. Houston seriously upgraded its speed on offense and receiver DeAndre Hopkins should be in the conversation for offensive player of the year. The Texans defense is pretty darn good -- J.J. Watt, and all -- so the strides the team makes on offense make the difference. The Jaguars are a year away from being a serious division contender, and the Titans need at least another season. I dont buy the supposedly repaired Chuck Pagano-Ryan Grigson relationship in Indianapolis. Thats going to implode at some point in 2016. No other teams but the Texans make the playoffs.Tania Ganguli, Houston Texans reporter: The Texans will be much better than they were last season. While Osweiler will have some growing pains in the offense, it wont match the catastrophic turmoil they experienced at the position in 2015. Further, theyll expect to be more consistent on defense from earlier in the season. There, too, theyll have more stability. As such, even though the Texans schedule will be significantly more difficult in 2015, theyll be able to defend their division crown. But the AFC South still has not reached a point where it is good enough to field a wild-card team. Only the Texans will make it to the postseason.Paul Kuharsky, Tennessee Titans reporter: The Colts will return to the top of the division and show that Andrew Lucks pre-injury struggles in 2015 were a blip for him. Either the Texans will maintain some of their success from last season or the Jaguars will blossom with the final pieces they needed to reach a playoff level. The AFC South will have two playoff teams for the first time since 2012.Mike Wells, Indianapolis Colts reporter: So much has been talked about Houstons and Jacksonvilles offseasons, but its hard to go against the Colts to win the division now that Andrew Luck is healthy. Luck had the worst season of his career in 2015, but you cant forget he led Indianapolis to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons with teams that werent overly talented. The Colts made improving the offensive line -- their weak link during the Luck era -- a focal point of the offseason. Luck still has T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, Dwayne Allen and Frank Gore at his disposal. Houston will also represent the AFC South in the playoffs. The Texans finally have a quarterback they can depend on in Brock Osweiler to lead the offense so they no longer have to rely strictly on J.J. Watt and the defense to carry them.AFC WestJeff Legwold, Denver Broncos?reporter:? Until somebody shows theyre ready to push the Broncos aside, the division belongs to Denver. Its won five consecutive division titles despite the best efforts of the others to stop the string. The Raiders, who finished 7-9 last season, including a win in Denver, have been the most aggressive in trying to unseat the Broncos. They have drafted impact players, led by Khalil Mack and Derek Carr, spent lavishly with piles of salary-cap room and have publicly professed their readiness to end their playoff drought. They also present, before any potential injuries on their roster or anybody elses in the division, the best chance to break the Broncos streak. The Chiefs largely chose to stand pat while the Chargers, in the eyes of most personnel executives in the league, still have too many question marks on the depth chart. The Broncos have the core of their Super Bowl roster still in place, but have dealt with a healthy dose of Super Bowl hangover. The Broncos won 11 games by a touchdown or less on the way to the title -- a sign of a staff doing the right things with the game on the line. The Broncos still look like they can grind to a division title, while Denver and Oakland figure to be the playoff representatives.Adam Teicher,?Kansas City Chiefs?reporter: This years AFC West race looks as open as any since Peyton Manning took over as the Broncos quarterback in 2012. The Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders have legitimate reasons to believe they will win this years division title. While Kansas City or Oakland could certainly break Denvers five-year hold on the AFC West championship, theres no clear and compelling case to be made that either team has covered enough ground from last year to do so. So Ill go with the Broncos to win a sixth straight division championship. Either the Chiefs or Raiders will join them in the postseason. Ill go with the Chiefs in a tough call.Paul Gutierrez,?Oakland Raiders?reporter: The Denver Broncos are the defending champs and have a defense that many observers say reminded them of the 1985 Chicago Bears and the 2000 Baltimore Ravens. The Oakland Raiders are a sexy pick to break through and not only get their first winning record since 2002 but also claim their first playoff berth since going to the Super Bowl that same season. And the San Diego Chargers seem to have more important things on their mind like whether they are staying put in Mission Valley or moving to Los Angeles to join the Rams in Inglewood. Quietly, though, the Kansas City Chiefs ran off an 11-game winning streak last year, including a 30-0 blowout of the Houston Texans in the playoffs, and did it without running back Jamaal Charles, who tore an ACL in Week 5. He should be back to take some of the pressure off of quarterback Alex Smith, even if the defense is weakened by the departure of cornerback Sean Smith to Oakland. Which brings us back to the Raiders. Look, they are throwing more than flirtatious glances at Las Vegas as a potential future home so lets go with the gambling theme here by proclaiming that three teams from the AFC West will go to the NFLs postseason tournament -- the Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders. And while defense won the Broncos a championship last year, it will also win them a division in 2016.Eric Williams, San Diego Chargers reporter: I like the Chiefs to overtake the Broncos and win the AFC West for the first time since 2010. Kansas City has a consistent performer at quarterback in Alex Smith along with a good defense. With the Broncos going through a change at quarterback, 2016 should be the time for Andy Reid to take his team over the threshold and win an AFC West title. The Broncos and Raiders should compete for a wild-card spot, with the Broncos advancing to the postseason and Oakland finishing above .500 for the first time since advancing to the Super Bowl in 2002.NFC EastDan Graziano, New York Giants reporter: The NFC East hasnt had a repeat champion since the 2003-04 Eagles, and thats not changing this year. Dallas comes roaring back from last years pothole and edges out defending champion Washington in a tight two-way race.ddddddddddddBut for the first time since 2009, two teams from this division reach the playoffs. Washington shows that last year wasnt a total fluke and snags a wild-card spot.Phil Sheridan, Philadelphia Eagles reporter: As much as it galls Eagles fans, I think the Cowboys are in position to win the division title this season. Dallas won it in 2014, then fell apart in 2015 because of injuries to Tony Romo and Dez Bryant. If Romo and Bryant are healthy and Ezekiel Elliott is the player everyone expects, the Cowboys immediately become the class of the division. I do think theres a decent chance that Washington could get in as a wild card. The other divisions have strong teams at the top, but there is room for the NFC East runner-up in the playoffs.Todd Archer, Dallas Cowboys reporter: There has not been a repeat division winner in the NFC East since the 2003-04 Eagles, so that would seem to rule out the Redskins. The Eagles and Giants have new head coaches, and they sometimes need time to find their footing. That leaves the Cowboys. They are not your typical 4-12 team. Tony Romo is healthy. Dez Bryant is healthy. They drafted Ezekiel Elliott. They have the best offensive line in the division. There are several defensive questions, but the offense can negate many of the defensive inefficiencies. The Cowboys won the division in 2014 with that formula, and they will do it again. And they will be the only NFC East team to qualify for the postseason. Matching up with the AFC North and NFC North will not allow the second-place team to make it as a wild card.John Keim, Washington Redskins reporter: I know its easy to dismiss Washington because there hasnt been a repeat division champion since 2003-04, but I dont want to rely on that stat alone as a reason to rule someone out. This division isnt exactly the strongest, so if the Redskins stay healthy then, yeah, I think theyll repeat. I can easily see three teams winning the division if certain things break right -- right now, the only team Im dismissing is Philadelphia. My fear with Dallas is Tony Romos health. Can he play all 16 games? Could the Cowboys survive, say, a two-game absence? Right now, Id say no -- although I think hell be the MVP of the division, I do not think hell play all 16 games. Also, I dont see an improved defense in Dallas. I have no idea if Ben McAdoo will be a good head coach or not, so while I think New York blew a shot last year, I cant assume that hell make the difference. I have no idea. To me, the Redskins have the fewest questions. I like the addition of Josh Norman and the potential impact of Junior Galette. I dont think Kirk Cousins is a great quarterback, but I also dont see him falling off big time -- he understands the talent he has around him (as long as he keeps using it, theyre good). Theres a strong, professional mindset among these players that is healthy. They have questions, too, and I dont see them as prime Super Bowl contenders yet, but in a still-recovering NFC East? Theyre as good as anyone. My take: Theyll win a tiebreaker over Dallas, but both make the postseason. (Of course, the truth is I flipped a coin).NFC NorthRob Demovsky, Green Bay Packers reporter: This isnt 2001, when the old NFC Central sent three teams to the playoffs: Chicago at 13-3, Green Bay at 12-4 and Tampa Bay at 9-7. Nor is it 2012, when the Packers (11-5), Vikings (10-6) and Bears (10-6) all had double-digit wins. This looks like a two-team race again. Last season, the Vikings ended the Packers run of division titles at four straight, but the Packers still seem like the team to beat. Even the Las Vegas oddsmakers agree. The Packers will take back control of the NFC North, but the Vikings will join them in the postseason.Jeff Dickerson, Chicago Bears reporter: Green Bay wins the division. The road to the NFC North crown still goes through northern Wisconsin because of Aaron Rodgers. But Minnesota is a close second. The Vikings have the NFC Norths best defense, and of course, Adrian Peterson, who rushed for 1,485 yards in 2015. I still question the rest of Minnesotas offense, but Teddy Bridgewater is a steady, if not spectacular, quarterback. The Bears will win more than six games. But Chicagos defense still lacks enough playmakers to hang with the NFLs elite. And Jay Cutler is the ultimate wild card. Cutler thrived under former offensive coordinator Adam Gase, who is now the coach of the Dolphins. Can he play as well for new offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains? Thats tough to say. Chicago looks like a team destined to be .500. And the Lions, who lost Calvin Johnson, did not make enough offseason moves to challenge Green Bay or Minnesota. I think both the Packers and Vikings qualify for the postseason.Ben Goessling, Minnesota Vikings reporter: I believe there are only two teams from the NFC North that are good enough to make the playoffs, and I think both of them will: The Packers and the Vikings will both be back in the NFC field come January, and theyll once again battle for the division title. Who wins it? Im going to go with the Packers, based on a belief theyll be somewhat healthier than they were last year -- which could be wrong, given how often they seem to be among the leagues most injury-ravaged teams -- and a schedule that rated as the leagues easiest before the season. But I think the division will once again come down to a battle between the Packers and Vikings, and I see both teams going north of 10 wins to reach the playoffs. It could be one of the two high-profile matchups between the teams -- the Week 2 Sunday night tilt to open U.S. Bank Stadium or the Christmas Eve matchup at Lambeau Field -- that tips the division.Michael Rothstein, Detroit Lions reporter: Im higher than most on the Vikings, as I believe they are the best team in the NFC. The Vikings defense should be the best in the division. Minnesota has the best running back in the league and a potential star in Bridgewater. The makeup of the Vikings is strong, and as long as Peterson continues to play at a level close to what hes reached?in the past, the Vikings have a good shot of going back-to-back in the division. Two teams will make the playoffs from the NFC North: the Vikings and Packers. It will come down to the final two weeks of the season to decide which team wins the division and which ends up on the road in the first round. They are two of the top five teams in the NFC, so both should be positioned well for the playoffs. Detroit and Chicago could have paths to the playoffs as well, but both franchises would need things to break right for them.NFC SouthJenna Laine, Tampa Bay Buccaneers reporter: While losing Josh Norman hurts the Panthers defensively, theyre still the most complete team in the division and should win the NFC South again in 2016. The Saints have had a surprising number of injuries already, which will hurt their chances, and the Bucs and Falcons have made some improvements but are not quite where Carolina is yet. I see the Panthers taking the division outright, and I think the Falcons or maybe even the Bucs (depending on how the transition to Mike Smiths defense goes) could sneak into the playoffs with a wild card.Vaughn McClure, Atlanta Falcons reporter: Carolina, behind a great coach in Ron Rivera and stars Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly, will win the division for the fourth consecutive season. It will be extremely difficult for the Falcons and Saints to keep pace, particularly with Atlanta tied for the leagues toughest schedule and New Orleans having the fourth-toughest schedule based on last seasons records. Of course, you can still have success in the division while dropping some non-division games, but it will be a tall task regardless. The Falcons, Saints and Buccaneers can only hope the Panthers stumble out of the gate while facing the Broncos and Vikings in Weeks 1 and 3 leading into division play. If the Falcons can average close to 30 points, maybe theyll have a chance to compete for a playoff spot. Thats a big if though. The NFC South last had two playoff qualifiers during the 2013 season, when the Panthers and Saints both lost in the divisional round.David Newton, Carolina Panthers reporter: The Panthers remain the most complete team not only in their division, but in the entire NFC. Most of the starters return from a Carolina team that went a regular-season best 15-1 and reached the Super Bowl last season. The only offseason setback was the loss of Norman, but the staff has shown the past three years it can survive with what many would call a makeshift secondary because the Panthers defensive front seven is one of the best in the NFL. The return of wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin should make Newton and the offense even more explosive. But the biggest reason to pick the Panthers to win a fourth straight division title is Atlanta, Tampa Bay and New Orleans arent good enough defensively to do much better than an 8-8 record. Because of that, and because I see at least six other NFC teams -- Seattle, Arizona, Green Bay, Minnesota, Washington and Los Angeles -- are better than anybody else in the NFC South, I cant see a second South team making the playoffs.Mike Triplett, New Orleans Saints reporter: Id love to go out on a limb, but instead Ill go with Carolina for the fourth straight season. So much for the NFC Souths old habit of crowning a new champ every year from 2002 to 2013. I do expect the Panthers to fall back to the pack a bit after a 15-win season. But with such a good balance of offense/defense, pass/run and Newton/Kuechly, I still expect double-digit wins. As for the rest of the division, I wouldnt be shocked to see any of the other three teams sneak into the playoffs. But Ill predict the Saints, Falcons and Buccaneers all fall just short with eight to nine wins. Of the three, I still think New Orleans has the highest upside because of Drew Brees and an offense that can outscore anybody on any given week -- if only the Saints can get that defense into the top 30 for a change.NFC WestJosh Weinfuss, Arizona Cardinals reporter:?The Cardinals are primed for another deep run in the playoffs if?they stay healthy. They didnt lose a player who scored an offensive touchdown or caught a pass from quarterback Carson Palmer, giving the offense a veteran swagger. If the Cardinals were able to put up record-breaking numbers last season, imagine what theyll be able to do with even more experience in the offense. And on defense, they added one of the elite young pass-rushers in Chandler Jones. The division is theirs to lose. And following right behind the Cardinals will, again, be the Seattle Seahawks, giving the West two teams in the playoffs. Even though Seattle is still figuring out its offensive line and how to run the ball after Marshawn Lynch, it has enough experience at quarterback with Russell Wilson and at wide receiver with Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse and Tyler Lockett to keep the ball moving. And then theres that defense up in the Pacific Northwest. Not much else needs to be said. The Seahawks will be good again this year, but it might take them a few games to find their footing rushing the ball and blocking up front. While that happens, however, the Cardinals will run to an insurmountable division lead.Nick Wagoner, Los Angeles Rams reporter:?The NFL is a fickle league and theres generally a lot of turnover among playoff teams from year to year. But I just dont see the Rams or 49ers pushing the Cardinals or Seahawks?for NFC West supremacy. In fact, Im of the belief that Arizona and Seattle are not only the two best teams in the NFC West but also the two best teams in the NFC heading into 2016. Both the Cardinals and Seahawks will return to the postseason and whatever changes to the playoff teams happen will come from other divisions. Deciding between those two teams as the winner of the NFC West is a difficult proposition. Football Outsiders projects Arizona to win it in part because the Cardinals get to face New England without Tom Brady (assuming his suspension holds up) and Seattle doesnt. That one game could make the difference. But Im going to go the other direction and pick Seattle. As always, injuries play a huge part in these projections, but the Seahawks, with Jimmy Graham and some key defenders back healthy, look ready to reclaim the NFC West crown in 2016.Michael Wagaman, San Francisco 49ers reporter: The Cardinals knocked the Seahawks from their perch atop the division last season, and although they flamed out in the postseason, theres a good chance theyll return. Seattle has improved and will be in the running for a wild card but Arizona has plenty of talent and a solid defense to keep in front of the Seahawks. The Rams will definitely be better and could be a playoff contender in a few years, just not now. The 49ers? Theyre just trying to get back to the break-even point.?Sheil Kapadia, Seattle Seahawks reporter: This will be a two-team race like last year. The Rams have some talented pieces, but they will need time to get going with rookie quarterback?Jared Goff. The 49ers have talent in the front seven, but there is very little to work with offensively, and coach Chip Kelly must prove that hes not just going to try to use the same blueprint he trotted out in Philly. It will come down to the Seahawks and the Cardinals. Both teams have impressive talent on both sides of the ball, defined identities and proven, veteran quarterbacks. Look for both squads to be among the NFCs elite in 2016. The Seahawks win the NFC West, but the Cardinals get in as a dangerous wild card. ' ' '