ARIZONA: Tempe, Arizona will be the site of the Cardinals’ new state-of-the-art stadium, expected to be ready for the 2004 season. The stadium will have a retractable roof, rollout field and 86 luxury boxes. It will also host college football’s Fiesta Bowl.

ATLANTA: ERIC ZEIER, the former Georgia quarterback, is coming home as the Falcons’ No. 2 quarterback. "It feels good to get back home in front of all the fans I've played in front of before,'' says Zeier. The Falcons acquired Zeier in a trade with Tampa Bay. "I'm looking forward to this challenge,'' he said. "This is a great organization to play for.''

CAROLINA: The Panthers signed free-agent center JEFF MITCHELL to anchor their offensive line. ""When I added up all the little things, Carolina was the perfect situation," said Mitchell, who helped Baltimore win Super Bowl XXXV. "It's a beautiful part of the country. It's the Southeast and that's where I'm from and where I wanted to be."

CHICAGO: A quarterback competition to determine who will start for the Bears in 2001 was motivation enough for SHANE MATTHEWS to re-sign with the club. "I wanted to be here," says Matthews. "It's very appealing to have that chance to be the starter. Whoever is the best quarterback will be the starter. That's all you can ask."

DALLAS: The Cowboys are once again heavily involved in the annual Children’s Cancer Fund of Dallas Fashion Show and Luncheon, which raised $400,000 in 2000. On March 27, Cowboys DEXTER COAKLEY, EBENEZER EKUBAN, GREG ELLIS, MICAH KNORR, DAT NGUYEN, IZELL REESE, TIM SEDER and CHARLIE WILLIAMS will spend the afternoon visiting with more than 100 children with cancer. They are also escorts for the children, who serve as models.

DETROIT: On March 20, the Lions conducted a school assembly program, with safety RON RICE as a speaker, as part of the Detroit Public Schools and Police Department’s Crime Prevention Section that is designed to bring a message to schoolchildren on the importance of education, good citizenship, and saying "No" to drugs.

GREEN BAY: The Packers finished 2000 as one of the NFL’s hottest teams, winning their final four games. Looking to build on that momentum, the club did most of its offseason work before the free-agency signing period began, and will return 21 of 22 starters. Head coach/general manager MIKE SHERMAN and soon-to-retire GM RON WOLF re-signed safety DARREN SHARPER and kicker RYAN LONGWELL, extended the contract of quarterback BRETT FAVRE, and renegotiated the contracts of running back DORSEY LEVENS and center FRANK WINTERS.

MINNESOTA: Vikings head coach DENNIS GREEN replaced Pro Bowl linemen JEFF CHRISTY and RANDALL MC DANIEL prior to 2000 and watched ROBERT SMITH rush for a club-record and NFC-best 1,521 yards. This year, he is confident he can replace TODD STEUSSIE and CORBIN LACINA with BRAD BADGER and CHRIS LIWIENSKI and get similar results. "With Badger and Liwienski joining MATT BIRK, DAVID DIXON and KOREY STRINGER," says Green, "we not only have one of the bigger offensive lines in the NFL but one that has shown it can work together."

NEW ORLEANS: Who will be the Saints’ starting quarterback in 2001? Veteran JEFF BLAKE or super-sub AARON BROOKS? "Jeff is going to come back quite competitive in an attempt to maintain the starting job," says Brooks. "But at the same time, he has to realize that I'm gunning for it." Such talk suggests ill will between the two, but nothing could be further from the truth. "We don't have any animosity toward each other," says Brooks. "If we did, it could cause conflict within the team. We're all in it together."

NEW YORK GIANTS: Head coach JIM FASSEL was rewarded for taking the Giants to the Super Bowl with a new four-year contract. "I want to go down in the history of the Giants as one of the best coaches," says Fassel. "I want to win a Super Bowl here. That, more than anything, is what drives me. I look at the numbers in the won-lost columns. I'd trade all of the money for the best won-lost record. That's what I'm driven by."

PHILADELPHIA: The Eagles opened their new state-of-the-art facility, the NovaCare Complex, on March 7. Eagles history is a big part of their new home, with framed photos adorning walls and four giant pictures of team greats CHUCK BEDNARIK, TOMMY MCDONALD, STEVE VAN BUREN and REGGIE WHITE decorating the auditorium. "I was in awe," said wide receiver CHARLES JOHNSON of his first visit to the complex. "It’s one thing to go to work, but it’s another to go to work in a place like this, with so much excitement involved."

ST. LOUIS: Some were puzzled when the Rams hired little-known LOVIE SMITH as their defensive coordinator from Tampa Bay. But listen to Buccaneers defensive coordinator MONTE KIFFIN, Smith’s former boss, and you get a sense that the Rams hired a great coach. "I’m serious, the Rams got the best-kept secret in the NFL in Lovie Smith," says Kiffin. "I know good coaches from bad coaches. Lovie is just outstanding."

SAN FRANCISCO: With a roster that includes 27 players with three years or less experience, the 49ers’ offseason program is all the more important. "It's a great opportunity to work with and improve our young players," says offensive coordinator GREG KNAPP. "NFL teams really cannot work with their draft picks until they have graduated from college or their academic year is over, so our work with the young players was limited last year. This is a chance to get caught up."

TAMPA BAY: In 2000, the Buccaneers only threw the ball 42 percent of the time, but with new free-agent quarterback BRAD JOHNSON look for Tampa to open it up, especially with medium-range passes. "I think Brad is going to bring a different dimension to the position than what we've had,'' said head coach TONY DUNGY. "One of the best things he does is throw the intermediate ball. When he was at Washington, the 20-yard pass was a staple."

WASHINGTON: Beware, opposing defenses. The Redskins will be an attacking, aggressive offense under new offensive coordinator JIMMY RAYE. "We give our players a chance to make plays and the sense that they are playing offense, as opposed to playing guarded or close-to-the-vest," says Raye. "We're trying to score points."