ahimes@mavs.coloradomesa.edu, ksparkhu@mavs.coloradomesa.edu

Anthony Himes: On the first day of free agency, over 20 of the top 50 free agents signed to new teams. Even though it hasn’t even been a week since it began, some teams have already pushed themselves forward as Super Bowl favorites. The team that helped itself the most: the Denver Broncos. Adding Wes Welker helps, obviously, but the signing means the Broncos helped defuse the one team who would give them the most trouble for a Super Bowl berth in the Patriots.

Kyle Parkhurst: In the AFC, both the Patriots and Broncos have been making moves to once again solidify their dominance in the conference while the Super Bowl-winning Ravens seem to be dishing everyone away. Even more interesting, the NFC West is now the division to watch. Most feel the Seahawks now have the pieces to not only win the NFC West, but possibly the Super Bowl. However, the signing I’m most excited about is Reggie Bush going to the Lions, who have been void of any solid running game. He’s going to make a huge impact in the passing game by taking some pressure off of Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson.

As far as a Super Bowl favorite, I have to go with the Seahawks. They have a tremendous homefield advantage and a fast, young defense that has dominated the league. Percy Harvin is just another weapon for Pete Carroll to use in both special teams and the offense. I’m sure we will see some spread, read option action with Wilson and Harvin.

A.H.: The one thing Seattle needed was someone on the defensive line, and with the signing of Cliff Avril, the Seahawks got their man. The 49ers are also adding more and more weapons, so the two teams could very easily meet in the NFC Championship game. Detroit should have been good last year, but struggled badly. Adding Bush will not put them over the top. When was the last time people were excited about Reggie Bush? At USC? I can’t see him making the difference.

The Falcons gained two big pieces with Stephen Jackson, who will hopefully continue his streak of 1,000 yard seasons, and Tony Gonzalez, who decided to not retire after all. So it’ll be between them and the Saints in that division.

K.P.: The Seahawks did everything right and it seems that it is now the place where players want to play. You have a players coach, an awesome fan base and a lot of young talent. I love Steven Jackson in Atlanta. Him and the speedster Jacquizz Rodgers will be fun to watch. The NFC is going to be ridiculous. There is no clear favorite.

I’m going with a Seahawks-Broncos matchup for the Super Bowl. If the Broncos don’t win the AFC and make it to the Superbowl, it will be seen as a failure amongst fans. They made all the right moves.

A.H.: There really isn’t much competition in the AFC. I can see the Chiefs doing much better with the pickup of a real quarterback, keeping their key pieces and having the first overall pick. The Ravens have lost so much talent, especially on defense, so I can’t see them competing for much. The Dolphins are making a lot of noise, especially with the pick up of Mike Wallace. But for my Super Bowl pick, I think it will be a Broncos and 49ers Super Bowl, just because of the fact that the Niners didn’t get worse and they have that postseason experience.