The regualr season is over - when does training camp start?

Well, the 2008 NFL regular season is now over, and I'm a little disappointed. None of my teams made it to the playoffs - I live in Houston, so I am a Texans fan, but given that I used to live in New Jersey and idolized Joe Namath I'm also a big Jets fan. My Dad is/was a Bengals fan, so I am almost by default a Bengals fan too. Although my teams didn't reach the promised land this year, I had a lot of fun watching this season. In no particular order, my favorite stories of the year.

• Kurt Warner's resurgence as a starter in the league. When preseason started I thought it laughable that Warner was (in his way) complaining about not starting. Of course Matt Leinart did everything he could to throw his career away, and Warner played his ass off in camp. The Cardinals (even though beneficiaries of playing in the weak NFC west) sewed up their division early and Warner is a bonafide MVP candidate, again. Warner threw for 4,583 yards and 30 TDs (with 14 INTs), easily his best year since 2001 (although last year in 11 games he was damned good too). And while history will show Drew Brees threw for more yards, Brees had 37 more attempts (a full game's worth more). since Warner threw for 472 against the Jets, I wouldn't have bet against him getting to 5,000 with as many attempts.
• The Texans season. I know, 8-8 just like last year. But consider that the Texans finished 3rd (that's right, 3rd) in total offense, went 6-2 at home this season, and after that disastrous but incredibly misleading 0-4 start, the Texans were on fire, and the team no one wanted to play. To return to the misleading start, the Texans first two games were against the Steelers and Titans, two teams with first round byes in the playoffs. The next two losses were last minute losses to the Jags (courtesy of the defense) and to the Colts (courtesy of Sage Rosenfels' inability to understand that keeping the clock moving is more important than doing a helicopter impersonation). With Andre Johnson hitting his prime (leading the league in receptions and receiving yards) and Matt Shaub finding his groove (his stats over the course of a full season translated to 4000+yards and 27 TDs) the Texans should undoubtedly be in the playoffs next year.
  
• Aaron Rodgers. I'm sorry let me say it correctly - Aaron Freakin' Rodgers. At the start of the season everyone worried about Rodgers and the pressure - well, I think he answered all of the questions with a resounding "I AM READY NOW." It's too easy to compare his season to Diva Favre, but just for fun:
  Rodgers: 4,038 YDS, 28 TDs, 13 INT, 93.8 rating (4th QB overall)
  Diva: 3,472 yds, 22 TDs, 22 INTs, 81 rating (11th QB overall)
  What's more impressive is that Rodgers' stats represented no dropoff from the Diva's 2007 season (4,155, 28 TDs, 15 INTs, 95.8 rating) and were MILES ahead of Favre's first season as a starter. Maybe the Packers could have handled Diva's departure better (although, I don't know - guy says "I'm retiring" team says "Awesome, let's honor you and your contributions AND RETIRE YOUR NUMBER at the first home game" seems pretty good to me), but what no one can question ever again is Aaron Rodgers, the case is closed.
• The Miami Dolphins season. From the moment the Dolphins hired Bill Parcells one had to know they would improve. But anyone who said they thought the Dolphins would win 11 games and their division is lying (Jamal Anderson, former Atlanta Falcons RB claimed on ESPN's "Mike and Mike" that he predicted a 10-win season, but Jamal also said that even though he doesn't lift the way he did when he played he could still bench press 400 pounds). Parcells, as well as Tony Sparano gutted that team, remade it (getting rid of their own diva) and instilled an attitude. The coup d'gras as far as I'm concerned, was getting Chad Pennington, ignominiously released by the Jets in favor of the Diva. Not only did Chad have a better season (3,653 yds, 19 TDs, 7 INTs, 97.4 rating) but in crunch time, it wasn't Chad slinging the ball all over the place and throwing 3 interceptions - that was the Diva doing that. Thanks a lot Diva - but congrats to Chad.