The AFC North will play a big role in the first round. That's according to ESPN Insider Todd McShay, who listed the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals among the five teams who could shake up the opening round of the NFL draft.
The Browns are sitting with the fourth overall pick, which is behind the Indianapolis Colts (who are expected to take Andrew Luck) and two teams who won't be drafting quarterbacks in the top 5 (the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings). If there are no trades, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III would fall to the Browns.
The problem is, quarterback-hungry teams like the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks could all leapfrog the Browns by trading with either the Rams or the Vikings. How determined are the Browns to get RG3? Would they trade up to make sure they get the Heisman Trophy winner?
McShay also makes a case for the Bengals, who own two first-round picks, to move up from the 17th overall spot and move down from No. 21. Cincinnati, which needs a starting running back, could package a second-round pick to jump up and get Alabama's Trent Richardson if he falls toward the bottom of the top 10. The Bengals then could dangle the No. 21 pick to teams wanting to move back into the first round for a quarterback like Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill and gain extra picks.
The Browns are sitting with the fourth overall pick, which is behind the Indianapolis Colts (who are expected to take Andrew Luck) and two teams who won't be drafting quarterbacks in the top 5 (the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings). If there are no trades, Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III would fall to the Browns.
The problem is, quarterback-hungry teams like the Washington Redskins, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks could all leapfrog the Browns by trading with either the Rams or the Vikings. How determined are the Browns to get RG3? Would they trade up to make sure they get the Heisman Trophy winner?
McShay also makes a case for the Bengals, who own two first-round picks, to move up from the 17th overall spot and move down from No. 21. Cincinnati, which needs a starting running back, could package a second-round pick to jump up and get Alabama's Trent Richardson if he falls toward the bottom of the top 10. The Bengals then could dangle the No. 21 pick to teams wanting to move back into the first round for a quarterback like Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill and gain extra picks.
Because one of our players started the ball moving on what could be substantial changes to the NFL's Pro Bowl, I'll take it upon myself to track suggestions and developments in that area. It's a tough and thankless job, but someone has to do it. I'm willing to make the necessary sacrifices.
RodgersEven before Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers criticized the effort level of some players in the Jan. 29 game, we passed along Patty's suggestion of scrapping the game and instituting an alternative competition -- skills, snail-eating, sludge swimming -- to benefit each player's favorite charity. To that list, we'll add a suggestion from NBC analyst Cris Collinsworth, who suggested a revival and tweak of the once-annual Chicago Charities All-Star Football Classic between the best NFL and college players.
Longtime NFC North/Central fans will remember that game was typically played in the preseason between the reigning NFL champions and the top rookies entering the league. It ended in 1976 for a variety of reasons, including the interruption it caused to training camp.
But what if the NFL turned the Pro Bowl into the first step of the following season by putting on display the proverbial stars of tomorrow? It would add several levels of significance to the event, including another chance for coaches and scouts to work with and observe draft-eligible players. And, Collinsworth suggests, it would provide the NFL All-Stars with more motivation.
"NFL stars would be forced to bring their A-game or get their butt handed to them," Collinsworth writes.
Part of me thinks that it's too late to stuff the genie back into the bottle. Other than damaged pride, there still wouldn't be any consequences for a veteran player taking it easy. I wonder if the Pro Bowl game has run its course.
I realize many of you don't put this issue atop your list of concerns, but I for one would like to see a more interesting and significant conclusion to the NFL season each year. We might not have hit the right idea yet, but we should keep trying. Rodgers' comments have put NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the case, so let's try to think along with him and see what we can come up with.
Longtime NFC North/Central fans will remember that game was typically played in the preseason between the reigning NFL champions and the top rookies entering the league. It ended in 1976 for a variety of reasons, including the interruption it caused to training camp.
But what if the NFL turned the Pro Bowl into the first step of the following season by putting on display the proverbial stars of tomorrow? It would add several levels of significance to the event, including another chance for coaches and scouts to work with and observe draft-eligible players. And, Collinsworth suggests, it would provide the NFL All-Stars with more motivation.
"NFL stars would be forced to bring their A-game or get their butt handed to them," Collinsworth writes.
Part of me thinks that it's too late to stuff the genie back into the bottle. Other than damaged pride, there still wouldn't be any consequences for a veteran player taking it easy. I wonder if the Pro Bowl game has run its course.
I realize many of you don't put this issue atop your list of concerns, but I for one would like to see a more interesting and significant conclusion to the NFL season each year. We might not have hit the right idea yet, but we should keep trying. Rodgers' comments have put NFL commissioner Roger Goodell on the case, so let's try to think along with him and see what we can come up with.
We continue our series on AFC East free agency with an early look at the Miami Dolphins.
Here is the full list compiled by Brian McIntyre's Mac's Football Blog:
Restricted
Here is the full list compiled by Brian McIntyre's Mac's Football Blog:
Restricted
- RB Lex Hilliard
- OT Lydon Murtha
- DE Ryan Baker
- DE Phillip Merling
- QB Chad Henne
- QB J.P. Losman
- RB Steve Slaton
- G Vernon Carey
- OT Marc Colombo
- DE Kendall Langford
- NT Paul Soliai
- LB Ikaika Alama-Francis
- LB Marvin Mitchell
- LB Jason Taylor
- CB Will Allen
One of the first things first-year law students are told is to look to their left, their right and at themselves. Then, they hear how at least one of the three of them won’t be there the following year. It’s the start of the weeding-out process.
The NFC South is about to go through one of its own. Give me your list of the 15 biggest names in the NFC South. Thanks, I’ve got them and I think we’ve got a pretty good consensus.
Now, I’ll tell you why a third of those names could be gone by the time the league year starts in mid-March. It happens every year in every division and it’s usually due to age, injury and salary-cap situations.
But 2012 could be the year of the facelift in the NFC South. More than usual, the faces and the names that are on the bubble are especially prominent. Let’s take a look at five big NFC South names that could be gone from their teams in the next month:
AbrahamJohn Abraham, Falcons. He’ll turn 34 in May, which is ancient for a pass-rusher. There were signs in 2011 that Abraham was slowing down, after putting up an impressive 13 sacks in 2010. The numbers may not look terrible on the surface because Abraham did finish last season with 9.5 sacks.
But let’s put that in perspective and remember that 3.5 of those came in a game against a very bad Jacksonville team. That’s like counting home runs from batting practice. Without the Jacksonville game, Abraham had six sacks. I don’t want to hear the argument that every down year in Abraham’s career has been followed by an up one.
When a defensive end reaches 33 or 34, you generally see him trending in only one direction and that’s down. Abraham’s had a very nice run with the Falcons, but they invested a lot of money in Ray Edwards to play opposite him last year. Edwards didn’t light it up, so the Falcons may have to invest more money or draft picks in defensive ends this year.
Abraham’s also an unrestricted free agent. Could the Falcons bring him back at a reasonable rate for one more year and use him as a pass-rush specialist? Sure, it’s possible. But, with Mike Nolan taking over as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator, it might be a good time to find a new face of the Falcons’ pass rush.
SmithWill Smith, Saints. For a long time, Abraham and Smith have been viewed as the NFC South’s top two pass-rushers. But it’s possible they’ll both be gone. Smith’s situation is slightly different than Abraham’s.
To start with, Smith remains under contract, which is precisely the reason he’s even in this discussion. Smith is scheduled to count $10.15 million against the 2012 salary cap. That’s an issue for a team that’s trying to figure out how to keep free-agent quarterback Drew Brees, guard Carl Nicks and receiver Marques Colston.
Let’s do the math real quick here. The Saints could save a $1 million roster bonus if they cut Smith before the 15th day of the league year. If they did release Smith, the Saints would only be on the hook for $4 million against the salary cap. In other words, they could free up $6.15 million in salary-cap space.
Throw in the fact that Smith will turn 31 in July and produced only 6.5 sacks in 2011 and I think you can see the Saints have to at least consider this possibility. But there also are some things weighing in Smith’s favor. It’s not like the Saints have another dominant pass-rusher (safety Roman Harper led the team with 7.5 sacks last season) and new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes his pass rush to come almost exclusively from the front four. That could weigh in Smith’s favor. But, if Smith really wants to shift the scales and make sure he stays in New Orleans this year, he might be willing to restructure his contract to make it more cap friendly.
VilmaJonathan Vilma, Saints. I can hear the screams coming from fans already. Vilma’s not Brees, but he’s close to being an icon and he should be because he’s had a great run.
But let’s face the reality. Can anyone honestly say they saw greatness in Vilma this past season? He looked a step slow before and after the knee surgery that forced him to miss five games. Vilma will turn 30 in April. Anytime you’re talking about a linebacker whose game is based largely on speed, knee surgery and 30th birthdays are not good signs.
As I pointed out on Smith, economics are a big deal for the Saints. Vilma is scheduled to count $7.6 million against this year’s cap. If the Saints release him, they instantly free up $5.2 million in cap space.
DavisThomas Davis, Panthers. We’re purely making educated guesses on Vilma, Smith, Abraham and the final guy on the list. But Davis’ departure from Carolina is more than an educated guess. Sadly, it’s a foregone conclusion.
The Panthers took a shot on Davis last summer when they signed him to a big contract extension after he had come back from two torn ACLs. Then, he went out and suffered the same injury for the third time early last season. That’s why the Panthers basically included an “out clause’’ when they gave Davis the new contract.
His deal calls for an $8 million option bonus on the second day of the league year. That’s not going to happen. The Panthers will release Davis because it’s the only move that makes economic sense. But he is well-liked by ownership, the front office and coaches, so it’s not impossible to see Davis ending up back with the Panthers at a much lower salary if he can’t land a nice deal somewhere else.
BarberRonde Barber, Buccaneers. You’d like to say that Barber has earned the right to end his career as a Buccaneer whenever and however he wants to. But this isn’t a perfect world. Yes, it is possible Barber could simply decide to retire. It’s also possible he may want to continue playing and new coach Greg Schiano could want to keep him as an elder statesman. In that scenario the Bucs simply could hand Barber another $4 million contract like they did in 2011.
But it’s also possible Barber may want to continue playing and the Bucs don’t feel they need to keep a cornerback who will turn 37 in April. That’s where this one could get sticky.
The Bucs looked terribly cruel when they sent Derrick Brooks packing in 2009. This situation isn’t quite the same because Barber’s no longer under contract and maybe he makes it easy on the Bucs and simply retires.
But Aqib Talib, the other starting cornerback, is facing trial on an assault charge in Texas in March. There’s no guarantee Talib will be with the Bucs next season and it’s not like the team has a ton of other talented cornerbacks.
This might be one situation where the Bucs might be wise to ignore the youth movement they’re following everywhere else and bring back the one guy they know they can count on -- if he wants to keep playing.
The NFC South is about to go through one of its own. Give me your list of the 15 biggest names in the NFC South. Thanks, I’ve got them and I think we’ve got a pretty good consensus.
Now, I’ll tell you why a third of those names could be gone by the time the league year starts in mid-March. It happens every year in every division and it’s usually due to age, injury and salary-cap situations.
But 2012 could be the year of the facelift in the NFC South. More than usual, the faces and the names that are on the bubble are especially prominent. Let’s take a look at five big NFC South names that could be gone from their teams in the next month:
But let’s put that in perspective and remember that 3.5 of those came in a game against a very bad Jacksonville team. That’s like counting home runs from batting practice. Without the Jacksonville game, Abraham had six sacks. I don’t want to hear the argument that every down year in Abraham’s career has been followed by an up one.
When a defensive end reaches 33 or 34, you generally see him trending in only one direction and that’s down. Abraham’s had a very nice run with the Falcons, but they invested a lot of money in Ray Edwards to play opposite him last year. Edwards didn’t light it up, so the Falcons may have to invest more money or draft picks in defensive ends this year.
Abraham’s also an unrestricted free agent. Could the Falcons bring him back at a reasonable rate for one more year and use him as a pass-rush specialist? Sure, it’s possible. But, with Mike Nolan taking over as Atlanta’s defensive coordinator, it might be a good time to find a new face of the Falcons’ pass rush.
To start with, Smith remains under contract, which is precisely the reason he’s even in this discussion. Smith is scheduled to count $10.15 million against the 2012 salary cap. That’s an issue for a team that’s trying to figure out how to keep free-agent quarterback Drew Brees, guard Carl Nicks and receiver Marques Colston.
Let’s do the math real quick here. The Saints could save a $1 million roster bonus if they cut Smith before the 15th day of the league year. If they did release Smith, the Saints would only be on the hook for $4 million against the salary cap. In other words, they could free up $6.15 million in salary-cap space.
Throw in the fact that Smith will turn 31 in July and produced only 6.5 sacks in 2011 and I think you can see the Saints have to at least consider this possibility. But there also are some things weighing in Smith’s favor. It’s not like the Saints have another dominant pass-rusher (safety Roman Harper led the team with 7.5 sacks last season) and new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo likes his pass rush to come almost exclusively from the front four. That could weigh in Smith’s favor. But, if Smith really wants to shift the scales and make sure he stays in New Orleans this year, he might be willing to restructure his contract to make it more cap friendly.
But let’s face the reality. Can anyone honestly say they saw greatness in Vilma this past season? He looked a step slow before and after the knee surgery that forced him to miss five games. Vilma will turn 30 in April. Anytime you’re talking about a linebacker whose game is based largely on speed, knee surgery and 30th birthdays are not good signs.
As I pointed out on Smith, economics are a big deal for the Saints. Vilma is scheduled to count $7.6 million against this year’s cap. If the Saints release him, they instantly free up $5.2 million in cap space.
The Panthers took a shot on Davis last summer when they signed him to a big contract extension after he had come back from two torn ACLs. Then, he went out and suffered the same injury for the third time early last season. That’s why the Panthers basically included an “out clause’’ when they gave Davis the new contract.
His deal calls for an $8 million option bonus on the second day of the league year. That’s not going to happen. The Panthers will release Davis because it’s the only move that makes economic sense. But he is well-liked by ownership, the front office and coaches, so it’s not impossible to see Davis ending up back with the Panthers at a much lower salary if he can’t land a nice deal somewhere else.
But it’s also possible Barber may want to continue playing and the Bucs don’t feel they need to keep a cornerback who will turn 37 in April. That’s where this one could get sticky.
The Bucs looked terribly cruel when they sent Derrick Brooks packing in 2009. This situation isn’t quite the same because Barber’s no longer under contract and maybe he makes it easy on the Bucs and simply retires.
But Aqib Talib, the other starting cornerback, is facing trial on an assault charge in Texas in March. There’s no guarantee Talib will be with the Bucs next season and it’s not like the team has a ton of other talented cornerbacks.
This might be one situation where the Bucs might be wise to ignore the youth movement they’re following everywhere else and bring back the one guy they know they can count on -- if he wants to keep playing.
BALTIMORE RAVENS
Unrestricted (13): RB Ray Rice, LB Brendon Ayanbadejo, C Matt Birk, G Ben Grubbs, G-C Andre Gurode, LB Jarret Johnson, LB Edgar Jones, LB Jameel McClain, NT Brandon McKinney, S Haruki Nakamura, DE Cory Redding, TE Kris Wilson and SS Tom Zbikowski.
Restricted (4): CB Lardarius Webb, CB Cary Williams, LB Dannell Ellerbe and RB Matt Lawrence
Need to stay: Rice isn't going anywhere. The Ravens will use the franchise tag on him if they can't strike a long-term deal. The Ravens have spent years developing McClain, so they would like to keep him. But Baltimore can replace him with Ellerbe or a top draft pick if McClain gets a better offer elsewhere. Redding increased his chances of staying with a strong season, but the Ravens have younger players ready to take his spot. The Ravens are expected to put a first-round tender on Webb, a restricted free agent, to make sure he remains with the team.
Likely to go: It's hard to imagine that the Ravens could pay another big-money deal to Grubbs after signing the team's other Pro Bowl guard, Marshal Yanda, to a five-year, $32.5 million deal, a year ago. There's talk that the Ravens could franchise Grubbs if they could first sign Rice. It seems like the odds are against the Ravens keeping Grubbs. The Ravens would prefer to keep Johnson (especially after Sergio Kindle hasn't panned out), and he's enjoys playing in Baltimore. But Johnson could be lured elsewhere by two of his former coordinators, Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and Jets head coach Rex Ryan. There's also a question at center, where starter Matt Birk is contemplating retirement and backup Gurode is a free agent.
Unrestricted (13): RB Ray Rice, LB Brendon Ayanbadejo, C Matt Birk, G Ben Grubbs, G-C Andre Gurode, LB Jarret Johnson, LB Edgar Jones, LB Jameel McClain, NT Brandon McKinney, S Haruki Nakamura, DE Cory Redding, TE Kris Wilson and SS Tom Zbikowski.
Restricted (4): CB Lardarius Webb, CB Cary Williams, LB Dannell Ellerbe and RB Matt Lawrence
Need to stay: Rice isn't going anywhere. The Ravens will use the franchise tag on him if they can't strike a long-term deal. The Ravens have spent years developing McClain, so they would like to keep him. But Baltimore can replace him with Ellerbe or a top draft pick if McClain gets a better offer elsewhere. Redding increased his chances of staying with a strong season, but the Ravens have younger players ready to take his spot. The Ravens are expected to put a first-round tender on Webb, a restricted free agent, to make sure he remains with the team.
Likely to go: It's hard to imagine that the Ravens could pay another big-money deal to Grubbs after signing the team's other Pro Bowl guard, Marshal Yanda, to a five-year, $32.5 million deal, a year ago. There's talk that the Ravens could franchise Grubbs if they could first sign Rice. It seems like the odds are against the Ravens keeping Grubbs. The Ravens would prefer to keep Johnson (especially after Sergio Kindle hasn't panned out), and he's enjoys playing in Baltimore. But Johnson could be lured elsewhere by two of his former coordinators, Colts head coach Chuck Pagano and Jets head coach Rex Ryan. There's also a question at center, where starter Matt Birk is contemplating retirement and backup Gurode is a free agent.
Wendi and Marcellus discuss if T.O. can make his way back to the NFL, Darren talks about the Jets offseason needs, and in Did You Hear That?, Chase Blackburn tells the amazing tale of his road back to the NFL.
We've had two coaching developments Wednesday afternoon in the NFC North. We'll start with the Green Bay Packers' apparent shift of assistant Ben McAdoo from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach, a move first reported by Jason La Canfora of NFL.com.
It was obvious that Packers coach Mike McCarthy had something in mind for McAdoo when he blocked requests from the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to interview him for their offensive coordinator jobs. McAdoo will fill the role once held by the highly regarded Tom Clements, whom McCarthy recently promoted to offensive coordinator to replace the departed Joe Philbin.
While McAdoo is obviously considered an up-and-comer in several corners of the NFL, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared skeptical earlier this week on his ESPN 540 radio show about the possibility of installing a coach with no experience at the position. Here's what Rodgers had to say about reports that McAdoo was a candidate for the job:
McAdoo, 34, has coached with McCarthy when both were with the New Orleans Saints (2004) and the San Francisco 49ers (2005). He was one of McCarthy's first hires when he got the Packers job in 2006 and has been their tight ends coach ever since. No matter how good a coach he is, it's fair to ask if he has the expertise to speak the language of a veteran MVP quarterback. McAdoo will also have the important job of developing the Packers' next backup quarterback, assuming that Matt Flynn signs elsewhere as a free agent.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears rounded out their staff by hiring Tim Holt as their offensive line coach. Holt was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' assistant offensive line coach in 2011, and it's expected that new offensive coordinator Mike Tice will retain a daily presence with the offensive line, much as defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli does with the Bears' defensive line.
It was obvious that Packers coach Mike McCarthy had something in mind for McAdoo when he blocked requests from the Miami Dolphins and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to interview him for their offensive coordinator jobs. McAdoo will fill the role once held by the highly regarded Tom Clements, whom McCarthy recently promoted to offensive coordinator to replace the departed Joe Philbin.
While McAdoo is obviously considered an up-and-comer in several corners of the NFL, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers appeared skeptical earlier this week on his ESPN 540 radio show about the possibility of installing a coach with no experience at the position. Here's what Rodgers had to say about reports that McAdoo was a candidate for the job:
"I think that's an interesting conversation I hope I'm in the loop for, because going into my eighth season it'll be interesting to see what direction [McCarthy] wants to go in -- if he wants to bring in a former quarterback with experience to kind of help me with my transition into the middle part of my career being more of an established player in the league now. I'm not sure what the dynamic would be with a coach who hasn't coached the position before, but Ben is a very talented coach and if they do make that decision I'm sure he'll make a very smooth transition."
McAdoo, 34, has coached with McCarthy when both were with the New Orleans Saints (2004) and the San Francisco 49ers (2005). He was one of McCarthy's first hires when he got the Packers job in 2006 and has been their tight ends coach ever since. No matter how good a coach he is, it's fair to ask if he has the expertise to speak the language of a veteran MVP quarterback. McAdoo will also have the important job of developing the Packers' next backup quarterback, assuming that Matt Flynn signs elsewhere as a free agent.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears rounded out their staff by hiring Tim Holt as their offensive line coach. Holt was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' assistant offensive line coach in 2011, and it's expected that new offensive coordinator Mike Tice will retain a daily presence with the offensive line, much as defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli does with the Bears' defensive line.
Over at ESPNNewYork.com, they're running one of these interactive "Take 'em or Trash 'em" features, where you can go clicking through the New York Giants' roster and pick which players you'd keep and which players you wouldn't for next year's team. Ohm's keeping everyone but free-agent right tackle Kareem McKenzie, but it's probably not realistic to think the Giants can bring back their Super Bowl champion roster that unscathed.
The Giants appear to have 21 unrestricted free agents, one restricted free agent (cornerback Bruce Johnson) and two exclusive rights free agents (tight ends Bear Pascoe and Jake Ballard). I could run through the whole unrestricted list, or I could refer you instead to Brian McIntyre, who tracks this stuff, and you can look through the whole list there if you want. I'm picking out a couple of the unrestricteds of interest and addressing them here:
WR Mario Manningham. If the Super Bowl hero wants top wideout money, he'll likely have to get it elsewhere. My guess is someone's willing to pay him more than the Giants are willing to pay their No. 3 wide receiver.
WR Domenik Hixon. Can he come back from a second serious knee injury in two years? That's the question. If he can, he could compete with Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan to be Manningham's replacement.
McKenzie. He'll be 33 in May. He looked slower this year. Great Giant, great champion, but they need to keep refreshing things on the offensive line. Last year's casualties were Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert. McKenzie is likely this year's.
LB Jonathan Goff. If healthy, he should reclaim his role as starting middle linebacker.
CB Terrell Thomas. If healthy, he should reclaim his role as a starting cornerback.
CB Aaron Ross. No doubt he has value, and he played very well this year after Thomas went down in preseason. But if Thomas is back and Prince Amukamara is ready to take the next step, is there room for Ross?
P Steve Weatherford. Reports out of New York this week indicate they're already at work on a new deal for Weatherford, as they should be.
S Deon Grant. They moved on from Grant last year, only to re-sign him late in the preseason. He's well-loved in the locker room and a valuable veteran leader on which the coaching staff can lean. But he only comes back if he'll come back cheap.
The Giants appear to have 21 unrestricted free agents, one restricted free agent (cornerback Bruce Johnson) and two exclusive rights free agents (tight ends Bear Pascoe and Jake Ballard). I could run through the whole unrestricted list, or I could refer you instead to Brian McIntyre, who tracks this stuff, and you can look through the whole list there if you want. I'm picking out a couple of the unrestricteds of interest and addressing them here:
WR Mario Manningham. If the Super Bowl hero wants top wideout money, he'll likely have to get it elsewhere. My guess is someone's willing to pay him more than the Giants are willing to pay their No. 3 wide receiver.
WR Domenik Hixon. Can he come back from a second serious knee injury in two years? That's the question. If he can, he could compete with Ramses Barden and Jerrel Jernigan to be Manningham's replacement.
McKenzie. He'll be 33 in May. He looked slower this year. Great Giant, great champion, but they need to keep refreshing things on the offensive line. Last year's casualties were Shaun O'Hara and Rich Seubert. McKenzie is likely this year's.
LB Jonathan Goff. If healthy, he should reclaim his role as starting middle linebacker.
CB Terrell Thomas. If healthy, he should reclaim his role as a starting cornerback.
CB Aaron Ross. No doubt he has value, and he played very well this year after Thomas went down in preseason. But if Thomas is back and Prince Amukamara is ready to take the next step, is there room for Ross?
P Steve Weatherford. Reports out of New York this week indicate they're already at work on a new deal for Weatherford, as they should be.
S Deon Grant. They moved on from Grant last year, only to re-sign him late in the preseason. He's well-loved in the locker room and a valuable veteran leader on which the coaching staff can lean. But he only comes back if he'll come back cheap.
Connecting the dots became much easier Wednesday when the Arizona Cardinals announced Frank Reich's hiring to coach their wide receivers.
Reich coached quarterbacks and later wide receivers for the Indianapolis Colts in recent seasons, giving the Cardinals a direct link to Peyton Manning should Manning hit the market this offseason, as expected. Multiple reports have listed the Cardinals among teams likely to pursue the Colts' longtime quarterback.
The Cardinals had an opening for a quarterbacks coach, but they moved receivers coach John McNulty into that role, replacing Chris Miller, who was fired. Reich replaces McNulty.
Reich, a former NFL quarterback best known for leading Buffalo's historic playoff comeback against the Houston Oilers, made his NFL coaching debut as a Colts offensive assistant in 2008. He became their quarterbacks coach in 2009, then moved to coach receivers this past season.
The Cardinals previously prevented McNulty from interviewing to become offensive coordinator with Tampa Bay. Moving him to quarterbacks coach allowed them to address McNulty's contract, which likely resulted in a pay raise. Team president Michael Bidwill discussed that expected move during Super Bowl week. Bidwill also affirmed the team's intention to pay a $7 million bonus to incumbent quarterback Kevin Kolb, but his wording left open the possibility things could change. Bidwill cited rules against tampering in discussing Manning specifically.
On Kolb and the bonus, he said this: "You sort of cross bridges as you get there, you know, but I wouldn't say we are going to deviate from the plan at this stage."
Hiring Reich only strengthens perceptions the Cardinals will pursue Manning if given the chance. Lots of other teams will likely have interest as well. Whatever edge Reich might offer will belong to the Cardinals.
Reich coached quarterbacks and later wide receivers for the Indianapolis Colts in recent seasons, giving the Cardinals a direct link to Peyton Manning should Manning hit the market this offseason, as expected. Multiple reports have listed the Cardinals among teams likely to pursue the Colts' longtime quarterback.
The Cardinals had an opening for a quarterbacks coach, but they moved receivers coach John McNulty into that role, replacing Chris Miller, who was fired. Reich replaces McNulty.
Reich, a former NFL quarterback best known for leading Buffalo's historic playoff comeback against the Houston Oilers, made his NFL coaching debut as a Colts offensive assistant in 2008. He became their quarterbacks coach in 2009, then moved to coach receivers this past season.
The Cardinals previously prevented McNulty from interviewing to become offensive coordinator with Tampa Bay. Moving him to quarterbacks coach allowed them to address McNulty's contract, which likely resulted in a pay raise. Team president Michael Bidwill discussed that expected move during Super Bowl week. Bidwill also affirmed the team's intention to pay a $7 million bonus to incumbent quarterback Kevin Kolb, but his wording left open the possibility things could change. Bidwill cited rules against tampering in discussing Manning specifically.
On Kolb and the bonus, he said this: "You sort of cross bridges as you get there, you know, but I wouldn't say we are going to deviate from the plan at this stage."
Hiring Reich only strengthens perceptions the Cardinals will pursue Manning if given the chance. Lots of other teams will likely have interest as well. Whatever edge Reich might offer will belong to the Cardinals.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick was recently named the most disliked athlete in America, according to a Forbes survey. It's not a new development — Vick has been a somewhat publicly reviled figure since his conviction on dogfighting charges several years ago.
But as Jonathan Tamari writes, it's interesting to note the way the perception of Vick has changed in Philadelphia and around the Eagles. While the outside world continues to hold Vick's dogfighting past against him, in Philadelphia this year he was discussed and analyzed more or less as any quarterback would be:
No, the issue with Vick in Philadelphia right now is whether the team can make a Super Bowl run with him as its quarterback. For all of the focus on first-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, the Wide 9 and the length of time it took the team to adjust to all of the new players, coaches and schemes this year, there's been precious little focus on Vick and his level of responsibility for what happened. Vick threw 11 interceptions and fumbled eight times (losing three) during the Eagles' 3-6 start. He played hurt without telling anyone in the Arizona game, which probably cost them. And he missed the following three games with the same injury, which definitely did.
If 2010 was Vick's breakout season, 2011 was a step back. His performance was brilliant at times but uneven. And the main problem was that this was supposed to have been the year he took over as a leader. Quarterbacks who lead are responsible with the ball and with their own bodies, knowing how important it is for them to stay on the field. Vick showed little regard for either as the Eagles were losing close games early, and he bears a good measure of the responsibility for the poor start that doomed the Eagles' season.
He'll be back in 2012, of course, and the Eagles will hope he's learned some of those lessons the hard way. The great quarterbacks are the ones that view the position as a craft to be honed, and who are always looking for the little-but-important ways to improve their game and their team. That's what Vick needs to show in 2012 if he's to prove that 2011 was the fluke and he really is capable of leading a team on a deep playoff run. He'll still probably show up in the top spot in next year's Forbes poll whether he does that or not. But if he does, the narrative and opinion about him in the town in which he plays will have changed dramatically.
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Howard Smith/US PresswireWill the public's perception of Michael Vick change if or when he guides the Eagles to a deep playoff run?
Howard Smith/US PresswireWill the public's perception of Michael Vick change if or when he guides the Eagles to a deep playoff run?There were still varied opinions on Vick — how responsible was he for his turnovers? How much blame did he deserve for the Eagles' struggles? But these were the kind of arguments that surround nearly any quarterback on any disappointing team. While there were occasional reminders — at one Vick endorsement event in Philly one woman pointedly asked what he was doing to help dogs trained to fight – for the most part it seemed that Philadelphia decided the debate had been well flogged and just moved on.
No, the issue with Vick in Philadelphia right now is whether the team can make a Super Bowl run with him as its quarterback. For all of the focus on first-year defensive coordinator Juan Castillo, the Wide 9 and the length of time it took the team to adjust to all of the new players, coaches and schemes this year, there's been precious little focus on Vick and his level of responsibility for what happened. Vick threw 11 interceptions and fumbled eight times (losing three) during the Eagles' 3-6 start. He played hurt without telling anyone in the Arizona game, which probably cost them. And he missed the following three games with the same injury, which definitely did.
If 2010 was Vick's breakout season, 2011 was a step back. His performance was brilliant at times but uneven. And the main problem was that this was supposed to have been the year he took over as a leader. Quarterbacks who lead are responsible with the ball and with their own bodies, knowing how important it is for them to stay on the field. Vick showed little regard for either as the Eagles were losing close games early, and he bears a good measure of the responsibility for the poor start that doomed the Eagles' season.
He'll be back in 2012, of course, and the Eagles will hope he's learned some of those lessons the hard way. The great quarterbacks are the ones that view the position as a craft to be honed, and who are always looking for the little-but-important ways to improve their game and their team. That's what Vick needs to show in 2012 if he's to prove that 2011 was the fluke and he really is capable of leading a team on a deep playoff run. He'll still probably show up in the top spot in next year's Forbes poll whether he does that or not. But if he does, the narrative and opinion about him in the town in which he plays will have changed dramatically.
We're going to get some mileage out of the research I did, and had forwarded to me, for our 2011 All-NFC North team. The first installment is left over from the debate that ultimately led me to choose Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson over the Minnesota Vikings' Percy Harvin.
I checked out their playing time as part of comparing their production. As it turned out, Nelson and Harvin were on the field for almost exactly the same amount of time. Nelson played 609 snaps and Harvin 605. (All numbers in this post exclude penalties, which means they vary slightly from the figures we've used during the season.) The percentages of their team's total snaps were close as well: 58.9 for Nelson and 58.4 for Harvin.
That makes sense for Nelson, who was part of the NFL's deepest receiving corps. But I have a hard time understanding how Harvin -- by far the Vikings' best receiver in 2011 and one of their few playmakers -- was on the sideline for more than 40 percent of a mostly punchless team's snaps.
Across the NFL, 54 receivers played a higher percentage of their team's snaps than Harvin did. That includes teammate Devin Aromashodu, who eventually stepped into the starting lineup after Bernard Berrian's departure and Michael Jenkins' injury. Aromashodu caught 26 passes while playing on 674 snaps, 69 more than Harvin. (Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe led Vikings pass-catchers by playing 76.1 percent of the team's snaps.)
I think we all assumed that Harvin would be the Vikings' No. 1 receiver, and it was immediately surprising when he played about half of the snaps in the Vikings' first two games. At the time, coach Leslie Frazier said: "We have certain packages where we want to feature him, and not necessarily overuse him, but use him to help our football team."
Many of us dropped the issue given Harvin's season-long productivity, but in the end the Vikings finished the season with the NFL's fifth-fewest passing yards while their best receiver was on the sideline for 41.6 percent of their plays. That's hard to defend.
On the other hand, it's possible the Vikings believed Harvin would be more effective with managed snaps. He did, after all, catch a career-high 87 passes while rushing for 345 yards out of the backfield. The Vikings also had him as their primary kickoff returner on 30 of the kickoffs they faced.
Frazier denied during the season that his playing-time plan for Harvin was related to his migraine history, but it's worth noting that Harvin had no reported issues this season. Did the limited contact contribute to that? Assuming Frazier was being truthful, the two events were coincidental.
Regardless, in the big picture Harvin is too young to be on a pitch count. He won't turn 24 until May. It's true that he was managing a rib injury late in the season, but that doesn't account for 431 plays on the sideline. There is every reason to believe that Harvin could and should play at least as much as the No. 1 or No. 2 receivers on other teams.
For context, here are the NFC North receivers who played a higher percentage of snaps than Harvin in 2011:
Consider that Jennings played more snaps in 12 1/2 games before suffering a knee injury than Harvin did in 16. In the end, Harvin had the best year of his career when playing limited snaps. The Vikings must spend part of this offseason deciding if that was the reason, or if they artificially capped his production by overcompensating on his playing time.
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Icon SMIPercy Harvin can do plenty of things on the field, as long as the Vikings have him on the field.
Icon SMIPercy Harvin can do plenty of things on the field, as long as the Vikings have him on the field.That makes sense for Nelson, who was part of the NFL's deepest receiving corps. But I have a hard time understanding how Harvin -- by far the Vikings' best receiver in 2011 and one of their few playmakers -- was on the sideline for more than 40 percent of a mostly punchless team's snaps.
Across the NFL, 54 receivers played a higher percentage of their team's snaps than Harvin did. That includes teammate Devin Aromashodu, who eventually stepped into the starting lineup after Bernard Berrian's departure and Michael Jenkins' injury. Aromashodu caught 26 passes while playing on 674 snaps, 69 more than Harvin. (Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe led Vikings pass-catchers by playing 76.1 percent of the team's snaps.)
I think we all assumed that Harvin would be the Vikings' No. 1 receiver, and it was immediately surprising when he played about half of the snaps in the Vikings' first two games. At the time, coach Leslie Frazier said: "We have certain packages where we want to feature him, and not necessarily overuse him, but use him to help our football team."
Many of us dropped the issue given Harvin's season-long productivity, but in the end the Vikings finished the season with the NFL's fifth-fewest passing yards while their best receiver was on the sideline for 41.6 percent of their plays. That's hard to defend.
On the other hand, it's possible the Vikings believed Harvin would be more effective with managed snaps. He did, after all, catch a career-high 87 passes while rushing for 345 yards out of the backfield. The Vikings also had him as their primary kickoff returner on 30 of the kickoffs they faced.
Frazier denied during the season that his playing-time plan for Harvin was related to his migraine history, but it's worth noting that Harvin had no reported issues this season. Did the limited contact contribute to that? Assuming Frazier was being truthful, the two events were coincidental.
Regardless, in the big picture Harvin is too young to be on a pitch count. He won't turn 24 until May. It's true that he was managing a rib injury late in the season, but that doesn't account for 431 plays on the sideline. There is every reason to believe that Harvin could and should play at least as much as the No. 1 or No. 2 receivers on other teams.
For context, here are the NFC North receivers who played a higher percentage of snaps than Harvin in 2011:
- Calvin Johnson: 93.2
- Nate Burleson: 87.1
- Aromashodu: 65.1
- Titus Young: 63.1
- Greg Jennings: 62.2
- Roy Williams: 59.6
- Nelson: 58.9
Consider that Jennings played more snaps in 12 1/2 games before suffering a knee injury than Harvin did in 16. In the end, Harvin had the best year of his career when playing limited snaps. The Vikings must spend part of this offseason deciding if that was the reason, or if they artificially capped his production by overcompensating on his playing time.
Welcome to the 2012 NFL season. The games are not yet here, of course, but most teams have long since shifted their mindsets forward.
Tuesday brought a first look at free agency for NFC West teams. Now comes a first look at the draft, to be revisited as teams add and subtract players in free agency.
Thanks to those who left comments suggesting topics for this space. I've targeted a few for future items and drawn on the general thrust — more free agency and draft stuff, please — for this one. The comments affirmed how much we look forward to NFL offseasons.
Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. offered general thoughts on potential considerations for each team.
Here we go ...
St. Louis Rams
First-round position: second overall.
Three primary needs: WR, OLB, OL
In the spotlight: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Mocking it up: Kiper has the Rams selecting Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. McShay has them selecting USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil.
Muench's thoughts: "The first thing that jumps out at me is the value at No. 2. Blackmon is the best receiver in the group, but No. 2 is way too rich to take a receiver in this draft, especially Blackmon, who is not Julio Jones or A.J. Green. The Rams need help at outside linebacker, but the value is not there. This defensive tackle class is very poor. When you look at those offensive tackles and what the Rams have already spent on the position, I understand the hesitation, but going after Kalil or Iowa's Riley Reiff, depending on which one they like, would make sense. Reiff is more balanced and fundamentally sound. Kalil has more talent. Blackmon would make sense if the Rams traded back, but if they are stuck at No. 2, offensive tackle makes the most sense."
Sando's follow-up: The top two needs listed are the same ones I listed in a similar item one year ago, but there are new needs sprouting up. Defensive tackle was the third need one year ago, and it remains a big need for St. Louis. The situation on the offensive line is unsettled enough to give that position a priority. Using another early choice for a tackle would not inspire much excitement in St. Louis. The need for playmakers appears paramount. Whatever the Rams do, they absolutely, positively must give quarterback Sam Bradford a fighting chance. Another season filled with sacks and injuries could inflict long-term damage to his career. Coach Jeff Fisher and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will gear the offense toward the ground game in an effort to protect Bradford.
Seattle Seahawks
First-round position: 11th or 12th overall
Three primary needs: QB, DE, LB
In the spotlight: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Mocking it up: Kiper has the Seahawks selecting South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram. McShay thinks Alabama running back Trent Richardson could be the choice.
Muench's thoughts: "The Seahawks are not in a great spot given their needs. Quinton Coples from North Carolina could be the edge rusher who starts from Day One and is more than just a situational player, but I do not think he'll be there when Seattle picks. He is almost 6-foot-6 and weighs 281 pounds. A lot of guys with his talent protect themselves during the offseason, but Coples worked his butt off at Senior Bowl practices and had a great game, too. Ingram does not have great size, but he is explosive enough and strong enough to play defensive end. At quarterback, there's a big drop after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Ryan Tannehill could go at the end of the first round, but No. 11 or 12 is way too rich. Brock Osweiler moves very well for a quarterback of his height. These are interesting guys and all it takes is for one team to fall in love with them, but you are reaching if you do it at No. 11 or 12. The reality is that there are so few good quarterbacks in most drafts. It usually doesn't work out when you force the issue."
Sando's follow-up: Finding a long-term quarterback remains the top priority for the Seahawks, but once again the planets appear reluctant to align for them. Parting with Matt Hasselbeck and passing over Andy Dalton have left Seattle with Tarvaris Jackson and developmental quarterback Josh Portis. Chasing after Peyton Manning could make sense for the Seahawks. They have good young players. Adding a front-line quarterback could put them over the top in the division. Linebacker has replaced the offensive line as a primary need for the Seahawks. That should not be the case, in theory, because the team had so much invested in a couple of relatively young linebackers. Aaron Curry and Lofa Tatupu are gone, however, and David Hawthorne is a free agent. The team could move K.J. Wright into the middle.
Arizona Cardinals
First-round position: 13th
Three primary needs: OT, LB, WR
In the spotlight: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
Mocking it up: Kiper has the Cardinals taking Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin. McShay has them taking Martin's teammate, guard David DeCastro.
Muench's thoughts: "Kalil and Reiff are the highest-rated tackles. I doubt either one will be there at No. 13. Martin makes sense because of his upside more than anything, but he is not a mauler. He could be gone at 13 if there is a run on tackles, but he might be a reach that early, anyway. There is another dropoff after him, too. This is not a great tackle class. Thirteen is a little early for Kendall Wright, the Baylor receiver, even if he has a good combine. Wright's stock is rising, but because of his size (5-10, 194), he won't win as many one-on-one battles. There was a big jump from 2010 to 2011 in his consistency with his hands and his route running. Adding a pass-rusher is more interesting for me because Ingram and Alabama's Courtney Upshaw could fit. Upshaw doesn't have that idea closing speed, but his initial burst and power are impressive. He can get off blocks. He will be a productive edge rusher. Some 3-4 teams prefer taller outside linebackers, but Arizona and Pittsburgh have gotten away with shorter guys. Ingram and Upshaw are both in that 6-1 or 6-2 range. Neither will be great in coverage, but that has been overrated a little bit. Basically, he has to be able to hold up in underneath zone."
Sando follow-up: The Cardinals haven't drafted an offensive lineman early since selecting Levi Brown fifth overall in 2007. If Brown returns, it will be at a reduced rate. Upgrading the pass protection seems important, in my view, because quarterback Kevin Kolb has not shown great pocket awareness. He has also had injury problems. Landing Manning would obviously change those dynamics. Manning has succeeded for years without top talent across the line. The depth at receiver could use stabilizing, particularly if Early Doucet becomes the latest secondary Arizona target to depart. But with Larry Fitzgerald on the team, the position is in good hands. Very good hands. Some Cardinals fans have pointed to strong sack numbers as evidence Arizona doesn't need to make significant upgrades in that area. Have you ever met a defensive coordinator satisfied with his pass rush? O'Brien Schofield and Sam Acho have shown promise. They are not good enough for the Cardinals to lean back in their chairs and feel great about their outside rush for the next few years.
San Francisco 49ers
First-round position: 30th
Three primary needs: WR, CB, OL
In the spotlight: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Mocking it up: Kiper points to South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery as a possibility. McShay goes with Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard.
Muench's thoughts: "Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Wright will be gone. That is your top tier of receivers. In a perfect world, you hope Wright or Floyd slips to you. Floyd makes sense in that scheme because of his ability to stretch the field, which could help Michael Crabtree underneath and Vernon Davis over the middle. Wright has speed, but he is not the traditional target to win one-on-ones. After that, we have three receivers with second-round grades. LSU's Rueben Randle, Jeffery and Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu are all vertical threats who must work on their route running. Randle might fit the Jim Harbaugh offense because he is quicker off the line. Jeffery must work on his release. Sanu might be the best for that scheme because he is a better route runner and is more consistent with his hands, but he has not shown the same kind of big-play ability. Jeffery's stock has fallen; he doesn't separate particularly well. He did have a good game against Dennard, who is a solid second-round prospect, but he is much bigger than Dennard. Sanu's size is insane and he has great body control, but can he keep his weight down? I do like Dennard at corner. He didn't have a great Senior Bowl week and he is small, but he is tough and I think that is going to go a long way to slow down receivers at the line of scrimmage. He has a short memory and that is so important. Janoris Jenkins and Kirkpatrick are two corners to watch. Both have off-field concerns. I think someone will fall in love with Jenkins and take him before the 49ers pick. Kirkpatrick is a bigger, longer corner. He can be physical. There is a good chance neither makes it that far, but if they do, it would be hard for San Francisco not to snatch one. More than likely, that would offer more value than any receiver they could get in that spot."
Sando follow-up: The 49ers have few obvious, immediate needs. That is a credit to their personnel department and to their coaches. Smith's expected return puts off for at least one season the need for San Francisco to pursue a quarterback. It probably removes the 49ers from the Manning conversation. I think the 49ers have tremendous flexibility picking this late in the draft. They do not need to target a receiver even though the position could use reinforcing after injuries knocked out Josh Morgan and diminished what Braylon Edwards could offer. Re-signing Carlos Rogers would stabilize the cornerback position, as well. The 49ers could justify going in just about any position with this pick.
Tuesday brought a first look at free agency for NFC West teams. Now comes a first look at the draft, to be revisited as teams add and subtract players in free agency.
Thanks to those who left comments suggesting topics for this space. I've targeted a few for future items and drawn on the general thrust — more free agency and draft stuff, please — for this one. The comments affirmed how much we look forward to NFL offseasons.
Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. offered general thoughts on potential considerations for each team.
Here we go ...
St. Louis Rams
First-round position: second overall.
Three primary needs: WR, OLB, OL
In the spotlight: Matt Kalil, OT, USC
Mocking it up: Kiper has the Rams selecting Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. McShay has them selecting USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil.
Muench's thoughts: "The first thing that jumps out at me is the value at No. 2. Blackmon is the best receiver in the group, but No. 2 is way too rich to take a receiver in this draft, especially Blackmon, who is not Julio Jones or A.J. Green. The Rams need help at outside linebacker, but the value is not there. This defensive tackle class is very poor. When you look at those offensive tackles and what the Rams have already spent on the position, I understand the hesitation, but going after Kalil or Iowa's Riley Reiff, depending on which one they like, would make sense. Reiff is more balanced and fundamentally sound. Kalil has more talent. Blackmon would make sense if the Rams traded back, but if they are stuck at No. 2, offensive tackle makes the most sense."
Sando's follow-up: The top two needs listed are the same ones I listed in a similar item one year ago, but there are new needs sprouting up. Defensive tackle was the third need one year ago, and it remains a big need for St. Louis. The situation on the offensive line is unsettled enough to give that position a priority. Using another early choice for a tackle would not inspire much excitement in St. Louis. The need for playmakers appears paramount. Whatever the Rams do, they absolutely, positively must give quarterback Sam Bradford a fighting chance. Another season filled with sacks and injuries could inflict long-term damage to his career. Coach Jeff Fisher and coordinator Brian Schottenheimer will gear the offense toward the ground game in an effort to protect Bradford.
Seattle Seahawks
First-round position: 11th or 12th overall
Three primary needs: QB, DE, LB
In the spotlight: Melvin Ingram, DE, South Carolina
Mocking it up: Kiper has the Seahawks selecting South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram. McShay thinks Alabama running back Trent Richardson could be the choice.
Muench's thoughts: "The Seahawks are not in a great spot given their needs. Quinton Coples from North Carolina could be the edge rusher who starts from Day One and is more than just a situational player, but I do not think he'll be there when Seattle picks. He is almost 6-foot-6 and weighs 281 pounds. A lot of guys with his talent protect themselves during the offseason, but Coples worked his butt off at Senior Bowl practices and had a great game, too. Ingram does not have great size, but he is explosive enough and strong enough to play defensive end. At quarterback, there's a big drop after Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. Ryan Tannehill could go at the end of the first round, but No. 11 or 12 is way too rich. Brock Osweiler moves very well for a quarterback of his height. These are interesting guys and all it takes is for one team to fall in love with them, but you are reaching if you do it at No. 11 or 12. The reality is that there are so few good quarterbacks in most drafts. It usually doesn't work out when you force the issue."
Sando's follow-up: Finding a long-term quarterback remains the top priority for the Seahawks, but once again the planets appear reluctant to align for them. Parting with Matt Hasselbeck and passing over Andy Dalton have left Seattle with Tarvaris Jackson and developmental quarterback Josh Portis. Chasing after Peyton Manning could make sense for the Seahawks. They have good young players. Adding a front-line quarterback could put them over the top in the division. Linebacker has replaced the offensive line as a primary need for the Seahawks. That should not be the case, in theory, because the team had so much invested in a couple of relatively young linebackers. Aaron Curry and Lofa Tatupu are gone, however, and David Hawthorne is a free agent. The team could move K.J. Wright into the middle.
Arizona Cardinals
First-round position: 13th
Three primary needs: OT, LB, WR
In the spotlight: Courtney Upshaw, OLB, Alabama
Mocking it up: Kiper has the Cardinals taking Stanford tackle Jonathan Martin. McShay has them taking Martin's teammate, guard David DeCastro.
Muench's thoughts: "Kalil and Reiff are the highest-rated tackles. I doubt either one will be there at No. 13. Martin makes sense because of his upside more than anything, but he is not a mauler. He could be gone at 13 if there is a run on tackles, but he might be a reach that early, anyway. There is another dropoff after him, too. This is not a great tackle class. Thirteen is a little early for Kendall Wright, the Baylor receiver, even if he has a good combine. Wright's stock is rising, but because of his size (5-10, 194), he won't win as many one-on-one battles. There was a big jump from 2010 to 2011 in his consistency with his hands and his route running. Adding a pass-rusher is more interesting for me because Ingram and Alabama's Courtney Upshaw could fit. Upshaw doesn't have that idea closing speed, but his initial burst and power are impressive. He can get off blocks. He will be a productive edge rusher. Some 3-4 teams prefer taller outside linebackers, but Arizona and Pittsburgh have gotten away with shorter guys. Ingram and Upshaw are both in that 6-1 or 6-2 range. Neither will be great in coverage, but that has been overrated a little bit. Basically, he has to be able to hold up in underneath zone."
Sando follow-up: The Cardinals haven't drafted an offensive lineman early since selecting Levi Brown fifth overall in 2007. If Brown returns, it will be at a reduced rate. Upgrading the pass protection seems important, in my view, because quarterback Kevin Kolb has not shown great pocket awareness. He has also had injury problems. Landing Manning would obviously change those dynamics. Manning has succeeded for years without top talent across the line. The depth at receiver could use stabilizing, particularly if Early Doucet becomes the latest secondary Arizona target to depart. But with Larry Fitzgerald on the team, the position is in good hands. Very good hands. Some Cardinals fans have pointed to strong sack numbers as evidence Arizona doesn't need to make significant upgrades in that area. Have you ever met a defensive coordinator satisfied with his pass rush? O'Brien Schofield and Sam Acho have shown promise. They are not good enough for the Cardinals to lean back in their chairs and feel great about their outside rush for the next few years.
San Francisco 49ers
First-round position: 30th
Three primary needs: WR, CB, OL
In the spotlight: Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama
Mocking it up: Kiper points to South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery as a possibility. McShay goes with Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard.
Muench's thoughts: "Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Wright will be gone. That is your top tier of receivers. In a perfect world, you hope Wright or Floyd slips to you. Floyd makes sense in that scheme because of his ability to stretch the field, which could help Michael Crabtree underneath and Vernon Davis over the middle. Wright has speed, but he is not the traditional target to win one-on-ones. After that, we have three receivers with second-round grades. LSU's Rueben Randle, Jeffery and Rutgers' Mohamed Sanu are all vertical threats who must work on their route running. Randle might fit the Jim Harbaugh offense because he is quicker off the line. Jeffery must work on his release. Sanu might be the best for that scheme because he is a better route runner and is more consistent with his hands, but he has not shown the same kind of big-play ability. Jeffery's stock has fallen; he doesn't separate particularly well. He did have a good game against Dennard, who is a solid second-round prospect, but he is much bigger than Dennard. Sanu's size is insane and he has great body control, but can he keep his weight down? I do like Dennard at corner. He didn't have a great Senior Bowl week and he is small, but he is tough and I think that is going to go a long way to slow down receivers at the line of scrimmage. He has a short memory and that is so important. Janoris Jenkins and Kirkpatrick are two corners to watch. Both have off-field concerns. I think someone will fall in love with Jenkins and take him before the 49ers pick. Kirkpatrick is a bigger, longer corner. He can be physical. There is a good chance neither makes it that far, but if they do, it would be hard for San Francisco not to snatch one. More than likely, that would offer more value than any receiver they could get in that spot."
Sando follow-up: The 49ers have few obvious, immediate needs. That is a credit to their personnel department and to their coaches. Smith's expected return puts off for at least one season the need for San Francisco to pursue a quarterback. It probably removes the 49ers from the Manning conversation. I think the 49ers have tremendous flexibility picking this late in the draft. They do not need to target a receiver even though the position could use reinforcing after injuries knocked out Josh Morgan and diminished what Braylon Edwards could offer. Re-signing Carlos Rogers would stabilize the cornerback position, as well. The 49ers could justify going in just about any position with this pick.
Here is a potential clue to tracking the Miami Dolphins in free agency: Watch the Green Bay Packers.
Yes, general manager Jeff Ireland is running the show in Miami. But that doesn't mean Dolphins rookie head coach Joe Philbin won't add some influence about the players he's most familiar with.
Green Bay went 15-1 this season. Here are some key pending free agents for the Packers to keep an eye on:
- QB Matt Flynn
- TE Jermichael Finley
- RB Ryan Grant
- C Scott Wells
Philbin worked directly with this group day-to-day as Green Bay's offensive coordinator.
It's no secret Philbin likes Flynn, who was Aaron Rodgers' backup for four seasons. Perhaps no coach outside of the Packers’ staff knows Flynn better than Miami’s rookie head coach. I fully expect Miami to be in the Flynn sweepstakes if Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning is out of the equation.
Finley and Grant are interesting cases. I doubt Finley is going anywhere. He is one of Rodgers' favorite targets and most likely will get an extension or the franchise tag. Grant might be someone of interest, although Miami has 1,000-yard rusher Reggie Bush and budding rookie Daniel Thomas. Wells is Green Bay's starting center, and Mike Pouncey is Miami's long-term solution there.
The Dallas Cowboys didn't see Laurent Robinson coming last summer, but thanks to Miles Austin's hamstrings and the speed with which he and Tony Romo developed a red zone rapport, Robinson became an important part of Dallas' offense. Now, he's an unrestricted free agent, and the team faces a difficult decision on what to do about him.
In the third installment of their position-by-position look at the Cowboys, ESPNDallas.com tackles the wide receivers. Bryan Broaddus acknowledges Robinson's contribution but "would not be surprised if the front office allows Robinson to walk."
I remember No. 3 receiver being a concern for the Cowboys last August in training camp, and I remember talking to Bryan about this issue. At the time, we agreed that it was a small concern, in part because there was always a chance they could find a decent No. 3 wideout on the street (as they did) if they didn't like their internal options, and in part because of tight end Jason Witten's abilities as a receiver.
Witten this past season posted his lowest reception and yardage totals since 2006. I believe part of that was due to the emergence of Robinson, especially as a red zone option. I also think it had something to do with the Cowboys' offensive line struggles, which may have required Witten to spend more time as a pass-protector than a pass-catcher. It's entirely possible that, should the Cowboys let Robinson go, they can replace his production by throwing to Witten as much as they did in prior seasons. And if that's the case, internal options such as Jesse Holley or Raymond Radway might be sufficient replacements. Or they could find next year's Robinson in the free-agent bargain bin again.
The Cowboys need to spend money to upgrade the line and the secondary, and they could stand to spend some on a pass rush. If Austin and Dez Bryant can stay healthy, their concerns at wide receiver are small compared to those in other areas. So if Robinson wants more than No. 3 wide receiver money, or if he wants a long-term commitment, I'm with Bryan in that I wouldn't be surprised to see them let him go.
In the third installment of their position-by-position look at the Cowboys, ESPNDallas.com tackles the wide receivers. Bryan Broaddus acknowledges Robinson's contribution but "would not be surprised if the front office allows Robinson to walk."
He's made it clear that he wants to return to Valley Ranch and has indicated that the Cowboys wouldn't necessarily have to be the top bidders to keep him. What the Cowboys would be willing to pay for a No. 3 receiver who has proven he can be a quality fill-in starter isn't clear. If the Cowboys don't re-sign Robinson, they'll need to find another third receiver, whether it's in the draft or another free-agency bargain.
I remember No. 3 receiver being a concern for the Cowboys last August in training camp, and I remember talking to Bryan about this issue. At the time, we agreed that it was a small concern, in part because there was always a chance they could find a decent No. 3 wideout on the street (as they did) if they didn't like their internal options, and in part because of tight end Jason Witten's abilities as a receiver.
Witten this past season posted his lowest reception and yardage totals since 2006. I believe part of that was due to the emergence of Robinson, especially as a red zone option. I also think it had something to do with the Cowboys' offensive line struggles, which may have required Witten to spend more time as a pass-protector than a pass-catcher. It's entirely possible that, should the Cowboys let Robinson go, they can replace his production by throwing to Witten as much as they did in prior seasons. And if that's the case, internal options such as Jesse Holley or Raymond Radway might be sufficient replacements. Or they could find next year's Robinson in the free-agent bargain bin again.
The Cowboys need to spend money to upgrade the line and the secondary, and they could stand to spend some on a pass rush. If Austin and Dez Bryant can stay healthy, their concerns at wide receiver are small compared to those in other areas. So if Robinson wants more than No. 3 wide receiver money, or if he wants a long-term commitment, I'm with Bryan in that I wouldn't be surprised to see them let him go.
NFL SCOREBOARD
Sunday, 2/5
WEEKLY LEADERS
- T. Brady NE - QB
- 27-41, 276 yds, 2 tds
- vs NYG | Final
- A. Bradshaw NYG - RB
- 17 car, 72 yds, 1 td
- @ NE | Final
- H. Nicks NYG - WR
- 10 rec, 109 yds, 0 tds
- @ NE | Final
