In recent months, the NFC champion Giants are learning about a relatively new NFL affliction.

It's called post-Super Bowl distress syndrome and it only strikes teams that wear rings.

Instead of kicking back and basking in the accomplishment, a team that reaches the Super Bowl now finds itself tip-toeing through an offseason that includes injuries, contract squabbles, free-agent defections and changes on the coaching staff.

Individually, those symptoms aren't death sentences for a powerful team. Collectively, they can add up and suddenly a Super Bowl team will find itself right back in the middle of the pack.

The Giants had hoped to avoid such problems during the offseason, which began with them trying to forget their stinging, 34-7 loss to the Ravens and hoping to remember the two months before that when coach Jim Fassel's playoff guarantee lit the fire that turned them into a surprise Super Bowl participant. For the most part, they pulled it off, too.

	Jason Sehorn was rewarded this offseason by the Giants with a six-year deal worth $36 million.

The Giants accomplished their No. 1 offseason objective when they re-signed halfback Tiki Barber and cornerback Jason Sehorn. Then they upgraded their so-so pass rush by luring free-agent defensive end Kenny Holmes from the Titans. Finally, they bolstered their weakest link by adding cornerbacks Will Allen and William Peterson with their first two picks in the draft.

Then, right on schedule, the usual post-Super Bowl symptoms began to crop up.

Linebacker Ryan Phillips and tackle Christian Peter, two solid defensive starters, tight end Pete Mitchell and punter Brad Maynard left via free agency.

Linebacker Jessie Armstead, perhaps Fassel's most important ally in the locker room, skipped a mini-camp due to a contract dispute.

Joe Montgomery, a valuable insurance policy for Barber and Ron Dayne at tailback, ruptured his Achilles tendon in a harmless mini-camp drill.

Reserve defensive lineman Jeremiah Parker was dismissed by the team after he was charged with aggravated manslaughter in the death of a child.

Wide receiver Ike Hilliard, who became quarterback Kerry Collins' favorite third-down target last season, angered the team by putting off treatment for a big toe injury and now faces surgery that could force him to miss the start of the regular season.

Ron Dixon, one of several wide receivers who is expected to pick up the slack, left the team's most recent mini-camp for an emergency appendectomy.

All in all, not a good couple of months for the Giants. After they shrewdly kept their core group intact and upgraded themselves via free agency and the draft, the recent developments mean they're no longer the favorites to defend their East Division title, much less their NFC championship.

The Eagles, who finished a game behind the Giants last season, should be favored to jump over the G-Men this season in what looks like a two-team race in the division. The Redskins, Cowboys and Cardinals, none of whom finished above .500, all went in reverse during the offseason, leaving the Giants and Eagles to battle for the title.

For the Giants to win it again, two things must happen. Their middle-of-the-pack offense must get repeat career seasons from Collins and Barber (or a better season from a leaner Dayne). And the top-five defense, virtually impenetrable against the run, must add a consistent pass rush.

Most of the Giants' offseason changes were concentrated on the defensive front seven, a surprise because it was that group's ferocious play that fueled the Super Bowl run. Upon closer inspection, however, the front seven should be improved because end Michael Strahan, tackle Keith Hamilton and linebackers Armstead and Mike Barrow, the real playmakers on the unit, all return and the three newcomers are more athletic than the players they replaced.

Holmes should give the Giants the pass rush at end that Cedric Jones, a disappointing former No. 1 pick, seldom did. Jones was released when Holmes was signed.

At tackle, Cornelius Griffin probably would have nudged Peter out of a job anyway. As a rookie playing part-time, Griffin flashed big-league pass-rush ability.

Phillips' linebacker spot is the biggest worry. Brandon Short played sparingly as a rookie and it will take awhile before he figures everything out. However, Short is faster and better in coverage than Phillips.

If the front seven is more explosive and Allen supplants Dave Thomas at cornerback, the defense should be even better than it was last year.

The Giants' other potential problem spots are on special teams, where both kicking specialists, Maynard and kicker Brad Daluiso, have departed, and depth on the offensive line and at tight end.

No matter who wins the kicking jobs, those spots will carry question marks entering the season. Whether the Giants can pick up a pass-catching tight end or back themselves up behind veterans Glenn Parker and Lomas Brown on the left side of the line is problematical at this late date.

The other potential issues cropped up only recently. Armstead's unhappiness with his contract threatens to upset the chemistry that was so important to last season's success. And if Hilliard misses any games, Joe Jurevicius and Dixon will be forced into larger roles in the offense.

Despite their Super Bowl appearance, the Giants were not a great team last season. They were a good team that got hot at the right time.

By keeping Barber and Sehorn around and upgrading the pass defense, they didn't take a step back during the offseason. However, how the Giants deal with post-Super Bowl distress syndrome will determine whether they can take a step forward.

Eagles need to get offensive
The Eagles won 11 games despite an offense that was all Donovan McNabb all the time. The dearth of big-play weapons around the second-year quarterback made the Eagles' breakthrough season under coach Andy Reid all the more surprising.

Halfback Duce Staley was outstanding early but missed the majority of the season after a foot injury. That left the team virtually without a running game. Staley looked solid in the latest mini-camp, which is all the Eagles needed to see.

McNabb's amazing progress might have been even greater had he been blessed with wide receivers a cut above Torrance Small and Charles Johnson, who were rock solid but couldn't stretch the field. Both were allowed to depart, opening the door for James Thrash, a free-agent signed from the Redskins, and first-round draft pick Freddie Mitchell. They should give McNabb much-needed deep speed, although neither is a proven everyday NFL performer.

Only disappointing pass-rush specialist Mike Mamula was lost from the ultra-aggressive defense, which means the Eagles could continue their move upward if Staley and the new wide receivers give McNabb the help he needs.

Busy offseason in Washington
Owner Daniel Snyder's misguided spending spree resulted in an 8-8 record, put the Redskins in an untenable salary-cap position and cost coach Norv Turner his job.

Turner was replaced by the more demanding Marty Schottenheimer, who also demanded control of personnel decisions. So far, Schottenheimer's purge has netted eight starters, including quarterback Brad Johnson, fullback Larry Centers, wide receiver Albert Connell, defensive tackle Dana Stubblefield and safety Mark Carrier. And Schottenheimer might not be finished. Light-hitting -- in more ways than one -- cornerback Deion Sanders could be the next to go.

However, Schottenheimer's discipline will only go so far with such a depleted roster. With free agent Kevin Lockett and first-round pick Rod Gardner joining Michael Westbrook, who has returned from injury, wide receiver will be the only area that is improved. But will anyone notice? All eyes will be on headstrong quarterback Jeff George to see how he co-exists with Schottenheimer, especially given the team's shaky interior line.

The secondary will be without Carrier and probably Sanders, which means ageless cornerback Darrell Green will have to make his 19th season a good one. Second-round pick Fred Smoot might have to play in a hurry should Green finally show his age. The unsettled secondary could undermine a defense that made great strides last season.

Long season ahead in Dallas
The Cowboys won five games last year with quarterback Troy Aikman, offensive tackle Erik Williams, defensive tackles Leon Lett and Alonzo Spellman and cornerbacks Ryan McNeil and Phillippi Sparks. Without them, there's no telling how far Dallas will fall.

Talented but hopelessly inconsistent Tony Banks played his way out of starting jobs in St. Louis and Baltimore, yet he is the replacement for Aikman, the sure-fire Hall of Famer who was forced to retire. Banks can throw the deep ball and the return of injured wide receivers Joey Galloway and Rocket Ismail will give him deep threats. However, that might be the Cowboys' only hope.

The defense was horrible against the run and not much better against the pass last year. Gone are Spellman, Lett and Chad Hennings, the three top interior defenders, and McNeil and Sparks, the only experienced corners. The Cowboys are hoping the three corners they drafted in 2000 will surface, but are so desperate they moved safety Izell Reese to corner. That is not a good sign.

Owner Jerry Jones' 10-win prediction aside, Dallas will purposely take a step backward in order to rid itself of $23 million in dead salary-cap money.

What's in the cards in Arizona?
The Cardinals concentrated on improving their offense during the offseason, trying to develop a running game to assist quarterback Jake Plummer and the fine trio of wide receivers.

After signing free-agent guard Pete Kendall and taking massive Leonard Davis with the second overall pick in the draft, the Cardinals have the makings of a powerful offensive line. Young tackles L.J. Shelton and Anthony Clement will flank Kendall and Davis, with Mike Gruttadauria at center, provided he can come back from a neck injury. The team still must choose between Michael Pittman and Thomas Jones at halfback, but it'll be easier to make that call if there are actual holes to run through.

The offense might have to be Rams-like because the defense, 30th in the league last year, will be worse. Pro Bowl cornerback Aeneas Williams was traded and the team cut ties with three starters on the line, Mark Smith, Simeon Rice and Andre Wadsworth. It would help if there were replacements lined up, but there aren't. End Kyle Vanden Bosch was drafted on the second round, but it'll take until at least next year for the Cardinals to do for the defense what they did for the offense this year.

Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal writes an NFC column every other week for ESPN.com.