TEAM NEEDS, DAY 3, SAINTS, PHILLY, INDY & CHIEFS
Ten days & counting till Roger Goodell steps to the mic & announces the first round selection of the Carolina Panthers. Let's look at the needs of four more teams.
New Orleans #24
1. Defensive tackle-The Saints need help on the D-line, tackle Sedrick Ellis has been a solid addition but there's little inside besides him.
2. Defensive end-when the New Orleans' front four was called upon to rush the passer without any blitzing help, they were very disappointing. In seven games, the Saints recorded 1 or fewer sacks, certainly not elite.
3. Outside linebacker-More defensive help needed here. New Orleans can score with anybody, unfortunately, it was the teams that were able to score at will that cost them the division. Cincy, Cleveland, Arizona & Seattle all scored 30 or more on the Saints, which isn't good. Both starters are average at best & they could be free agents.
4. Safety-Darren Sharper made almost no impact after signing as a free agent, his best days are behind him. Roman Harper was solid at strong safety, but he could join other Saint defenders in free agency.
5. Running back-Pierre Thomas & Reggie Bush missed 10 & 7 games last season due to injury. Thomas could be a free agent, Bush hasn't been the game breaker he was advertised to be. Saints fans long for the days of Deuce McCallister, a bigger, more durable every-down back who could catch the ball.
Luckily for the Saints, this draft is rich in defensive linemen & that's where I expect them to go with both their 1st & second round selections. Baylor's Phil Taylor is a possibility as is Marvin Austin of North Carolina.
Philadelphia #23
1. Ellis Hobbs, coming off a severe neck injury, is questionable & his replacement, Dimitri Patterson was completely overwhelmed. The Eagles surrendered a franchise worst 31 touchdown passes. Pro Bowler Assante Samuel is a ball hawk, but there's little else.
2. Right offensive tackle-Winston Justice was benched twice last season. The play at right tackle was way below acceptable.
3. Right guard-The loss of center Jamaal Jackson was a major part of the 50 sacks surrendered by Philadelphia. Think about that, a team with Michael Vick at quarterback giving up 50 sacks. Mike McGlynn stepped in for Jackson even tho he's a better guard & Max jean-Gilles played right guard. He isn't an every down NFL player IMO.
4. Defensive end-Brandon Graham, Eagles 1st round pick last season was disappointing early on & blew out his knee late in the season. Juqua Parker & Trent Cole, the starters, combined for 16 sacks, but only 5 in the last 8 games.
The top cornerbacks will already be gone when the 23rd pick comes up, so look for Andy Reid to grab the best offensive tackle available. Three teams right in front of the Eagles, Giants#19, K.C. #21 & Indy at #22 all need offensive tackles, the Eagles could find the pickings kind of slim, there's always the trade-up option, K.C. being the most likely partner.
Indianapolis #22
1. Offensive tackle-Since Tarik Glenn retired after the Super Bowl win, it's been one disappointment after another at left tackle. Right tackle Ryan Diem is overpriced & near the end of the line career-wise. I see Bill Polian drafting two tackles within the first four rounds.
2. Wide receiver-With Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie & Blair White, one would think the Colts are pretty well set at WR. But after TE Dallas Clark went down for the season, every WR injury was more magnified. Gonzalez missed a lot of time, Collie a few games as well as garcon & Wayne will be 33 in November.
3. Safety-No Bob Sanders, he was hurt constantly & Polian finally pulled the plug. Aaron Francisco isn't an NFL starter.
4. Cornerback-The other position ravaged by injuries last season. CB became a revolving door of one no-name after another. Quality depth is a real need.
5. Quarterback-Really? Yeah, it's time to start grooming the heir apparent to Peyton Manning. He turned 35 last month, he & his wife just had twins, how much longer will he play? The Colts employ a very complicated system that Manning runs to perfection, grooming his replacement might take 2-3 years, better get started.
Kansas City #21
1. Offensive tackle-Barry Richardson is a decent run blocker but he gets beaten too often pass blocking. He's as good as he's going to be & that's not acceptable. Creating a consistent pocket for QB Matt Cassel is a must if he's to progress.
2. Center-Casey Weigmann is 38, will he retire? Rudy Niswanger wasn't even active in 11 games last season. Can Brian Waters slide over & play center for 2-3 years before retirement? Too many questions, nothing concrete, better draft a center.
3. Wide receiver-This one is a no-brainer right? I don't have to explain how the Chiefs have Dwayne Bowe with his 15 touchdown receptions & a total of two from all other wideouts on the roster? Yes, it's a must, don't be surprised to see two WR's drafted next week.
4. Nose tackle-Ron Edwards is nearing retirement & what they were able to milk out of him was nothing short of miraculous. He's not that talented. Kansas City needs to give Romeo Crennell another building block on defense.
5. Outside linebacker-A bookend pass rusher for Tamba Hali is a real need. Mike Vrabel is finished & I doubt Andy Studebaker can exert consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback.
6. Running back-I have serious reservations about Thomas Jones, is he finished? His second half last year was abysmal. Averaging 2.4 yards per carry down the stretch makes me believe his 2,828 career touches have taken their toll on a running back who will turn 33 before the season starts. They need a back who can tote the rock at least 150-times & make that tough yardage on third down & at the goal line.
I was hot on Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor, but now there's some ugly rumors going around that he might have a degenerative foot problem that will only get worse. I haven't seen the medical reports, so I'm unable to speculate what it means. That could knock the Chiefs down to offensive tackle or center. That most likely means Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi or Florida center/guard Mike Pouncey. The current status of the centers on their roster is a very important consideration. No wideouts deserve to be selected at #21, a suitable WR can be had later in the draft.
Next up: Tampa Bay, the Giants, San Diego & Jacksonville.
New Orleans #24
1. Defensive tackle-The Saints need help on the D-line, tackle Sedrick Ellis has been a solid addition but there's little inside besides him.
2. Defensive end-when the New Orleans' front four was called upon to rush the passer without any blitzing help, they were very disappointing. In seven games, the Saints recorded 1 or fewer sacks, certainly not elite.
3. Outside linebacker-More defensive help needed here. New Orleans can score with anybody, unfortunately, it was the teams that were able to score at will that cost them the division. Cincy, Cleveland, Arizona & Seattle all scored 30 or more on the Saints, which isn't good. Both starters are average at best & they could be free agents.
4. Safety-Darren Sharper made almost no impact after signing as a free agent, his best days are behind him. Roman Harper was solid at strong safety, but he could join other Saint defenders in free agency.
5. Running back-Pierre Thomas & Reggie Bush missed 10 & 7 games last season due to injury. Thomas could be a free agent, Bush hasn't been the game breaker he was advertised to be. Saints fans long for the days of Deuce McCallister, a bigger, more durable every-down back who could catch the ball.
Luckily for the Saints, this draft is rich in defensive linemen & that's where I expect them to go with both their 1st & second round selections. Baylor's Phil Taylor is a possibility as is Marvin Austin of North Carolina.
Philadelphia #23
1. Ellis Hobbs, coming off a severe neck injury, is questionable & his replacement, Dimitri Patterson was completely overwhelmed. The Eagles surrendered a franchise worst 31 touchdown passes. Pro Bowler Assante Samuel is a ball hawk, but there's little else.
2. Right offensive tackle-Winston Justice was benched twice last season. The play at right tackle was way below acceptable.
3. Right guard-The loss of center Jamaal Jackson was a major part of the 50 sacks surrendered by Philadelphia. Think about that, a team with Michael Vick at quarterback giving up 50 sacks. Mike McGlynn stepped in for Jackson even tho he's a better guard & Max jean-Gilles played right guard. He isn't an every down NFL player IMO.
4. Defensive end-Brandon Graham, Eagles 1st round pick last season was disappointing early on & blew out his knee late in the season. Juqua Parker & Trent Cole, the starters, combined for 16 sacks, but only 5 in the last 8 games.
The top cornerbacks will already be gone when the 23rd pick comes up, so look for Andy Reid to grab the best offensive tackle available. Three teams right in front of the Eagles, Giants#19, K.C. #21 & Indy at #22 all need offensive tackles, the Eagles could find the pickings kind of slim, there's always the trade-up option, K.C. being the most likely partner.
Indianapolis #22
1. Offensive tackle-Since Tarik Glenn retired after the Super Bowl win, it's been one disappointment after another at left tackle. Right tackle Ryan Diem is overpriced & near the end of the line career-wise. I see Bill Polian drafting two tackles within the first four rounds.
2. Wide receiver-With Reggie Wayne, Anthony Gonzalez, Pierre Garcon, Austin Collie & Blair White, one would think the Colts are pretty well set at WR. But after TE Dallas Clark went down for the season, every WR injury was more magnified. Gonzalez missed a lot of time, Collie a few games as well as garcon & Wayne will be 33 in November.
3. Safety-No Bob Sanders, he was hurt constantly & Polian finally pulled the plug. Aaron Francisco isn't an NFL starter.
4. Cornerback-The other position ravaged by injuries last season. CB became a revolving door of one no-name after another. Quality depth is a real need.
5. Quarterback-Really? Yeah, it's time to start grooming the heir apparent to Peyton Manning. He turned 35 last month, he & his wife just had twins, how much longer will he play? The Colts employ a very complicated system that Manning runs to perfection, grooming his replacement might take 2-3 years, better get started.
Kansas City #21
1. Offensive tackle-Barry Richardson is a decent run blocker but he gets beaten too often pass blocking. He's as good as he's going to be & that's not acceptable. Creating a consistent pocket for QB Matt Cassel is a must if he's to progress.
2. Center-Casey Weigmann is 38, will he retire? Rudy Niswanger wasn't even active in 11 games last season. Can Brian Waters slide over & play center for 2-3 years before retirement? Too many questions, nothing concrete, better draft a center.
3. Wide receiver-This one is a no-brainer right? I don't have to explain how the Chiefs have Dwayne Bowe with his 15 touchdown receptions & a total of two from all other wideouts on the roster? Yes, it's a must, don't be surprised to see two WR's drafted next week.
4. Nose tackle-Ron Edwards is nearing retirement & what they were able to milk out of him was nothing short of miraculous. He's not that talented. Kansas City needs to give Romeo Crennell another building block on defense.
5. Outside linebacker-A bookend pass rusher for Tamba Hali is a real need. Mike Vrabel is finished & I doubt Andy Studebaker can exert consistent pressure on the opposing quarterback.
6. Running back-I have serious reservations about Thomas Jones, is he finished? His second half last year was abysmal. Averaging 2.4 yards per carry down the stretch makes me believe his 2,828 career touches have taken their toll on a running back who will turn 33 before the season starts. They need a back who can tote the rock at least 150-times & make that tough yardage on third down & at the goal line.
I was hot on Baylor nose tackle Phil Taylor, but now there's some ugly rumors going around that he might have a degenerative foot problem that will only get worse. I haven't seen the medical reports, so I'm unable to speculate what it means. That could knock the Chiefs down to offensive tackle or center. That most likely means Wisconsin OT Gabe Carimi or Florida center/guard Mike Pouncey. The current status of the centers on their roster is a very important consideration. No wideouts deserve to be selected at #21, a suitable WR can be had later in the draft.
Next up: Tampa Bay, the Giants, San Diego & Jacksonville.
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