The 5 weeks for preseason are over with, the wrangling for fantasy football sleepers are over, and now we are 4 days from putting toe to leather to kick off the NFL season, what did fans actually learn this preseason? Oh, there was a lot to be learned this preseason.

1.-Overpaid players which produce little on the field were cut, i.e. Arizona Cardinals QB Matt Leinart and Tampa Bay Buccaneers WR Michael Clayton and RB Derrick Ward. Seattle Seahawks WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh could fall in the mix, but he had more receptions last year than Bucs receiver Michael Clayton totaled in the past 3 season but still not worth 7 million a year. QB Matt Leinart isn’t even wanted by his former college coach.

2.- Owners took a hard stance on restricted free agents who refused to sign their tender offers, San Diego Chargers players, Vincent Jackson, Marcus McNeill and New England Patriots OG Logan Mankins all wanted new contracts and the ownership nixed that idea and said we can win without you. We’ll see.

3. Tennessee Titans RB Chris Johnson wanted to sit out until he got 30-40 million guaranteed money with a new contract, the Titans gave him a couple more million and he returned. Johnson will not come close to what he did last year, this year.

4. CB Darrelle Revis, from the New York Jets, got caught up in his own hype. He’s “Revis Island” and even got the keys from Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He has been in a heated contract battle with the Jets all offseason, and according to which report you read, Revis is wanting as much as 160 million for 10 years. Hey Darrelle, Tom Brady, winner of three Super Bowls is playing for less than 4 million this season. You are a great corner, but 14 interceptions in three years, despite your talent is not worth 160 million.

5. St. Louis Rams QB Sam Bradford was selected first overall and received a contract with 50 million in guaranteed money. The sports media seemed shocked yesterday when he was named the starter. Bradford rebounded off a week 2 game against the Cleveland Browns where he went 6-14 for 24 yards and finished the preseason strong. He had great numbers in the last two games, and should be starting. Just a word to the St. Louis Rams front office, watch the progression of undrafted free agent, Max Hall out of BYU for the Arizona Cardinals.  He might give you 50 million dollars worth of buyers remorse.

6. Brett Favre returned, big surprise. Then the Minnesota Vikings shipped their best quarterback in the preseason out of town for a song. Sage Rosenfels in now a New York Giant while Tavaris Jackson remains. It’s going to be a year of disappointment Minnesota.

7. It was a brutal offseason to be a running back with either the Denver Broncos or the Houston Texans. Texans 2nd round draft pick Ben Tate was lost for the season with an injury. Broncos running backs Knowshon Moreno and Correll Buckhalter both missed significant time in preseason. The Broncos brought in Justin Fargas, to be later released. They signed LenDale White, to see him lost for the season with an Achilles tendon rupture. It will be a long season for the Broncos.

8. The San Francisco 49ers landed one of the best running backs in the draft in the 6th round, 173rd overall in Anthony Dixon. Dixon rushed for 300 yards and 4 scores in the preseason and looked like a beast doing it.

9. The Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns appear to be heading in the right directions for 2010 and beyond. The Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, Buffalo Bills, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars not appear to be.

10. The Philadelphia Eagles have hitched their hopes on Kevin Kolb as they traded Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins. The player lost in all this trading? QB Jason Campbell. Last season McNabb and Campbell had nearly equal stats. The player who winds up with the best stats at the end of the year between the trio, Jason Campbell. Mark it down and take it to the bank.

It’s a wonderful time of the year. For football fans, all the teams start off unbeaten, but that ends after the first week when 16 teams will fall. It’s a period of time when everyone loves to talk smack about their favorite team, many times without anything more than pure passion for the love of their team behind them. But as fans of the game overall, we learned a few things this preseason, and you’ll have to check back in here and see my division winner picks and Super Bowl predictions leading right up to kickoff on Thursday night. Are you ready for some football?