Q: Dan, The Chicago Bears released Cedric Benson recently. Do you think they will find a player to replace him?
— Richard Kagen, Sunnyside, N.Y.

A: It won't take much to replace Benson, considering he averaged 3.4 yards per carry, ran for 674 yards and scored four touchdowns last year.

The bigger issue is how do the Bears get better than Benson. The hope in Chicago is second round pick Matt Forte will be a more productive, more dynamic runner than Benson ever was. But Forte has yet to prove anything.

Q: What are the odds Terry Glenn is a reliable No. 2 receiver for the Cowboys this year? Or is he just going to be hurt?
— Melinda, Dallas

A: The Cowboys would be foolish to count on Glenn, a 34-year old who missed most of last season and has a reputation for being fragile. But the Cowboys aren't putting all their eggs in Glenn's basket.

They like the way Miles Austin has stepped up in the offseason, and also have hopes for Patrick Crayton and Sam Hurd. What's more, they reportedly have tinkered with the idea of playing Adam Jones on offense.

Special feature QB controversies Tom Curran looks at the quarterback battles brewing across the NFL. Yes, Green Bay is on the list.

Q: Hey Dan, I am very impressed with the offseason moves the Cleveland Browns made. However with the schedule they have in front of them this season I have a hard time believing that they will make it to the playoffs this year. What do you think?
— Aaron, Akron, OhioA: I think we all get too caught up looking at two things: offseason additions and the schedule.

Teams rarely are improved markedly through free agency and trades. And you can't tell much about the schedule in July because many of the teams we think will be good will be bad, and many we think will be bad will be good. 

That being said, the Browns are a good young team that should continue to improve. I have some serious concerns about their corners being able to hold up against top passing games, however.

Q: Is Steve McNair a Hall of Famer?
— Clint, Knoxville, Tenn.

A: I would consider him a real longshot.

His passing numbers do not stack up favorably with other great quarterbacks of his era, and he never won a Super Bowl. Among the passers he played against who have more impressive careers are Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner. If they continue on their current paths, Carson Palmer and Drew Brees will have more impressive careers than McNair.

McNair's career is very comparable to Mark Brunell's, and nobody talks about Brunell as a hall of famer. McNair had only truly special year, in 2003. Other than that he was a nice, above average quarterback.

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