11. Harvin the Headliner

The most dynamic player from the 2009 NFL Draft is not Matthew Stafford, the first overall pick. It is not Darrius Heyward-Bey, he of the Combine-best 4.30 40-yard dash. It is not Michael Crabtree, who caught more passes and more touchdown passes over two years than any wide receiver in NCAA history. The most dynamic player from the draft is Percy Harvin, the 22nd pick in the first round and a player who wasn’t even on a good portion of the teams’ draft boards.

Most NFL GMs agreed that based on talent alone, Harvin should have been one of the first players selected. But he had a long history of finding trouble, and then he failed a drug test at the Combine. But all of Harvin’s past transgressions will be forgotten if, in his new life as a Minnesota Viking, he walks the straight and narrow and runs those dazzling zigzags into end zones.

Vikings coach Brad Childress can hardly wait to start playing with his new toy. He compares Harvin to running back Brian Westbrook, whom Childress coached in Philadelphia. “Westbrook is a running back that has the ability to go out and play wide receiver,” Childress says. “This guy is a wide receiver that can come in the backfield and give you some snaps as a running back.”

In fact, Childress says Florida coach Urban Meyer told him Harvin might have been his best tailback. As a dual threat for the Gators, Harvin had 1,929 receiving yards and 1,852 rushing yards. And he averaged 9.5 yards per carry to set a new school record.

Childress studied how Meyer used Harvin, and he also looked at some Wildcat tape from NFL games last season. He knows he must be creative about getting touches for Harvin in a lineup that already has Adrian Peterson, Chester Taylor, Bernard Berrian and Visanthe Shiancoe. Childress is even considering having Harvin return punts and kicks in order to maximize his touches.

One way or another, it seems, Harvin is destined to be the center of much attention this year.

12. Which teams will bounce back in 2009?

Every year there are teams that follow poor seasons with impressive ones. They tend to be heralded as incredible surprises, but usually, there are logical reasons for the turnarounds. Here are three candidates for “bounce-back” seasons.

Seahawks

The Seahawks likely would have been competitive in 2008 if not for a glut of injuries that left them virtually incapable of passing the ball. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, wide receivers Deion Branch and Nate Burleson and left tackle Walter Jones all spent time on the sideline. Good health will be a huge lift for the Seahawks, who should get an infusion of adrenaline from new coach Jim Mora and his staff.

Jaguars

No team underachieved more in 2008. Like the Seahawks, the Jaguars had a glut of injuries in one spot — the offensive line. It happened early in the season, and the Jaguars never overcame it. Signing free agent offensive tackle Tra Thomas and drafting tackles with their first two picks should help shore up the blocking problems. Quarterback David Garrard regressed last season, though a lot of his problems could be attributed to lack of protection. The Jaguars are counting on tailback Maurice Jones-Drew to be more productive now that Fred Taylor has been released.

Packers

Aaron Rodgers was not the issue. The Packers lost seven of their last nine games as their defense crumbled after a slew of injuries. If the Packers get more out of their defense this year — and they should with new coordinator Dom Capers calling the shots — they will be contenders in the NFC North. In his second year as a starter, Rodgers should be ready to become one of the NFC’s better passers. With perhaps the NFL’s deepest group of talented wide receivers and excellent playcalling from coach Mike McCarthy, Rodgers is set up to turn around the Pack.

13. The dawn of a new age in Tampa Bay

An era ended in Tampa this offseason. The Bucs did all they could to burn the bridge to the past, short of destroying the team archives.

Jon Gruden was quietly and shockingly dismissed three weeks after the season ended as he was hiring new assistants. Following him out the door were Bucs icons Derrick Brooks and Warrick Dunn. Also given walking papers: Jeff Garcia, Joey Galloway, Ike Hilliard and Cato June.

“We wanted to have an opportunity for some of the younger players to step up,” new general manager Mark Dominik says. “We also had a vision in mind of this team getting a little younger.”

Starting with the new coach — Raheem Morris, 32, who looks more like a rookie player than a rookie coach. Morris has set a strategic course that represents a dramatic shift from what the Bucs have been known for. They are now using a zone run-blocking scheme, and they have put the Tampa 2 defense in mothballs under new coordinator Jim Bates.

Dominik, interestingly enough, is a holdover from the past. He joined the team in the Rich McKay days. But that has not stopped him from being very open to change.

After cleaning house, Dominik pulled off a blockbuster trade for tight end Kellen Winslow, signed free agent running back Derrick Ward, kept wide receiver Antonio Bryant by using the franchise tag and re-signed Bucs free agent wide receiver Michael Clayton. Oh, and he also tried to trade for Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler. “It’s going to be different,” he says.

This feature appears in the 2009 Athlon Sports Pro Football magazine. Click here to purchase your copy.