Post by John on May 6, 2006 12:17:44 GMT -4
Trouble spots: Running down biggest holes that need filling
By Pete Prisco
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Now that free agency and the draft are behind us, all of the league's 32 head coaches have to feel better about their teams than they did three months ago. At least, they will say they do.
There have been a lot of holes filled, major moves made and depth acquired. But one offseason does not cure all the ills.
It takes time. Even the dominant teams, like the Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers, still have holes to fill.
The team that can come closest to filling them all usually can be counted on to be there in the end, playing for the ring.
So as we wait for minicamps to get rolling and training camp still three months away, now is a good time to look at the trouble spots that still remain for each of the 32 teams. Some have more than one trouble area, but for this we focused on the worst of those problems.
Some of those problems will be fixed in training camp with the emergence of a player or two. But until then, those holes will probably keep a lot of coaches uneasy during their down time.
The trouble spot for each team:
Arizona Cardinals
There aren't too many trouble spots on this team. Yes, I just wrote that. Aside from outside linebacker Karlos Dansby, though, the other two spots are filled by so-so players in Orlando Huff and James Darling.
Atlanta Falcons
Kicker is a big worry. They didn't want to pay free agent Todd Peterson, so they are left with three inexperienced kickers to compete for the job. They are Ryan Rossner, Zac Dent and Tony Yelk. Who? But sometimes these kickers develop out of nowhere.
Baltimore Ravens
It has to be quarterback. Kyle Boller is penciled in as the starter for now, but that will change when this team finds a way to get Steve McNair on board. For now, though, Boller remains the hole for this team.
Buffalo Bills
They drafted defense, and that meant left tackle was still a glaring hole. Mike Gandy wasn't too good there last year and the Bills have to be concerned about him penciled in as the starter again right now. The candidates to take his place don't exactly bring up visions of anything more than a journeyman player.
Carolina Panthers
They lost strong safety Marlon McCree to San Diego in free agency, which leaves Kevin McCadam, Shaun Williams, Colin Branch and maybe draft pick Nate Salley to battle for the job. McCree played well last year, but it's not like he isn't replaceable.
Chicago Bears
They haven't had a real tight end since Mike Ditka. Yet they passed on the chance to take UCLA's Marcedes Lewis to concentrate on drafting defensive players. Starting tight end Desmond Clark just doesn't scare people down the field.
Cincinnati Bengals
Here's another team that has issues as tight end. Reggie Kelly is the starter, but he is more blocker than receiver. There isn't much behind him in terms of pass-catchers.
Cleveland Browns
In their 3-4 scheme, they need big bodies to play defensive end. Orpheus Roye does a nice job on one side, but they need better than what Alvin McKinley gives them on the other side.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys matched an offer sheet free safety Keith Davis signed with the New Orleans Saints, but is he really the answer there? They did draft Pat Watkins out of Florida State, and his range might give him a chance to win the job at some point this year.
Denver Broncos
Hard to believe, but it's running back. Is Tatum Bell the answer? What about Ron Dayne? The Broncos believe in their system in terms of making running backs go, but are they really happy with the group they have?
Detroit Lions
Right tackle Kelly Butler struggled in a big way last year and the Lions haven't done anything to challenge him this year. They must have a lot of faith in this young player. There isn't much behind him.
Green Bay Packers
Running back Ahman Green is coming off an ACL tear, yet he is penciled in as the starter. The guys behind him are just OK, too. If he isn't ready to go, Brett Favre will once again be forced to do too much.
Houston Texans
They drafted Eric Winston and Charles Spencer and signed Mike Flanagan to help alleviate the worries on the offensive line, so the main problem now is in the secondary. Phillip Buchanon is so-so on the corner and young safeties Glenn Earl and C.C. Brown need to play better. There isn't a lot in terms of depth, either.
Indianapolis Colts
It remains the offensive line. Drafting Joseph Addai will take care of the loss of Edgerrin James, but they've done nothing to improve the offensive line. If they don't play better, this team will never make it to a Super Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars
They still need to find a starter at one outside linebacker spot. They took two in the draft (Clint Ingram and Brent Hawkins) and they will compete with veteran Nick Greisen and 2004 draft pick Jorge Cordova. The favorite is Greisen, but don't count out Cordova if he can prove he's back from a knee injury.
Kansas City Chiefs
The receiving group remains an area of concern. Do they have a receiver who scares anybody down the field? Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker are not No. 1 receivers. The scheme helps them out, but this is a team in need of a big-play receiver and there isn't much on the roster.
Miami Dolphins
They drafted Jason Allen in the first round and he should help stabilize either one corner spot or a safety position, which leaves strong-side linebacker as the position on defense that is a concern. Sedrick Hodge is penciled in as the starter for now, but Donnie Spragan will be in the mix. Both are just average.
Minnesota Vikings
They must have a lot of faith in 37-year-old Brad Johnson at quarterback. How else do you let Daunte Culpepper walk and not get a veteran to take his place? No matter what they say, quarterback has to be a major concern. Second-round pick Tarvaris Jackson is a long way away from playing.
New England Patriots
Ellis Hobbs played well as a rookie starter at corner last year, but can he keep it up? Asante Samuel has played well, but some scouts think he'd be better off as a nickel back. So corner is certainly a concern for this team. Ty Law could be brought back to help fix it, but is that really worth it?
New Orleans Saints
Is Jonathan Stinchcomb ready to take over as the right tackle? He better be. The Saints moved Jammal Brown from the right side to the left, which puts Stinchcomb in at right tackle. Some scouts wonder if he's tough enough.
New York Giants
Their offensive tackles didn't play well last year, which is a worry. Kareem McKenzie came over from the Jets as a free agent and struggled on the right side, while Luke Petitgout was slightly better on the other side. They did draft Guy Whimper in the fourth round for some depth, but those two starters simply have to play better.
New York Jets
They passed on Matt Leinart in the draft, which was a mistake, and now they go into the season with major issues at quarterback. Can Chad Pennington bounce back? Does Patrick Ramsey have the tools to be a starter? This regime has to find a quarterback.
Oakland Raiders
In their 3-4 scheme, they have to get solid play from the three guys up front. They didn't last year. Warren Sapp and Bobby Hamilton are getting old, and that shows up. Young players like Tommy Kelly and Anttaj Hawthorne have to play better.
Philadelphia Eagles
They used late-round picks on receivers Jason Avant and Jeremy Bloom, but how soon can they help a receiving group that needs it. Losing Terrell Owens last year hurt this team. Can Reggie Brown become a star?
Pittsburgh Steelers
They lost free safety Chris Hope in free agency to the Titans and signed Ryan Clark, who played well for the Redskins last year. They also drafted Anthony Smith in the third round. But Hope played well last year, so he will be tough to replace.
St. Louis Rams
They have Leonard Little coming off one end, but they have little else on the other side. They need to find someone who can help the pressure the quarterback other than Little. Tony Hargrove has some potential, but can he continue to improve?
San Diego Chargers
They let Drew Brees go, so first-time starter Philip Rivers remains the player who has many fans concerned. But they shouldn't really worry. He's going to be a big-time player. For now, though, until he proves himself, he's the trouble spot.
San Francisco 49ers
The secondary was not addressed in a big way in the offseason, although they did sign safety Chad Williams on Wednesday. That makes it once again the weak spot of this team. Free safety Mike Adams and corner Shawntae Spencer are the two main concerns.
Seattle Seahawks
You can't lose a player of guard Steve Hutchinson's caliber and not have his position become the worry position. They like Floyd Womack to take over and they signed Tom Ashworth to be in the mix. But no matter who plays the position, they won't come close to what Hutchinson brought every Sunday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
They used the draft and free agency to help shore up the offensive line, so that leaves free safety a problem area. They wanted Charles Woodson to play that spot, but he signed with Green Bay. Will Allen will get first dibs at the job, but others will be in the mix.
Tennessee Titans
They moved right tackle Michael Roos to the left side to take over for the retired Brad Hopkins, which leaves a couple of young guys battling to take over on the right side. They are David Stewart, Daniel Loper and guard Jason Bell. That's an issue for a team that loves to run the ball.
Washington Redskins
They signed Andre Carter as a free agent to play one defensive end, but the other spot is still a concern. Veteran Philip Daniels is getting up in the years and Renaldo Wynn is coming off a torn biceps muscle. They have to get more from that spot.
By Pete Prisco
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Now that free agency and the draft are behind us, all of the league's 32 head coaches have to feel better about their teams than they did three months ago. At least, they will say they do.
There have been a lot of holes filled, major moves made and depth acquired. But one offseason does not cure all the ills.
It takes time. Even the dominant teams, like the Super Bowl-champion Pittsburgh Steelers, still have holes to fill.
The team that can come closest to filling them all usually can be counted on to be there in the end, playing for the ring.
So as we wait for minicamps to get rolling and training camp still three months away, now is a good time to look at the trouble spots that still remain for each of the 32 teams. Some have more than one trouble area, but for this we focused on the worst of those problems.
Some of those problems will be fixed in training camp with the emergence of a player or two. But until then, those holes will probably keep a lot of coaches uneasy during their down time.
The trouble spot for each team:
Arizona Cardinals
There aren't too many trouble spots on this team. Yes, I just wrote that. Aside from outside linebacker Karlos Dansby, though, the other two spots are filled by so-so players in Orlando Huff and James Darling.
Atlanta Falcons
Kicker is a big worry. They didn't want to pay free agent Todd Peterson, so they are left with three inexperienced kickers to compete for the job. They are Ryan Rossner, Zac Dent and Tony Yelk. Who? But sometimes these kickers develop out of nowhere.
Baltimore Ravens
It has to be quarterback. Kyle Boller is penciled in as the starter for now, but that will change when this team finds a way to get Steve McNair on board. For now, though, Boller remains the hole for this team.
Buffalo Bills
They drafted defense, and that meant left tackle was still a glaring hole. Mike Gandy wasn't too good there last year and the Bills have to be concerned about him penciled in as the starter again right now. The candidates to take his place don't exactly bring up visions of anything more than a journeyman player.
Carolina Panthers
They lost strong safety Marlon McCree to San Diego in free agency, which leaves Kevin McCadam, Shaun Williams, Colin Branch and maybe draft pick Nate Salley to battle for the job. McCree played well last year, but it's not like he isn't replaceable.
Chicago Bears
They haven't had a real tight end since Mike Ditka. Yet they passed on the chance to take UCLA's Marcedes Lewis to concentrate on drafting defensive players. Starting tight end Desmond Clark just doesn't scare people down the field.
Cincinnati Bengals
Here's another team that has issues as tight end. Reggie Kelly is the starter, but he is more blocker than receiver. There isn't much behind him in terms of pass-catchers.
Cleveland Browns
In their 3-4 scheme, they need big bodies to play defensive end. Orpheus Roye does a nice job on one side, but they need better than what Alvin McKinley gives them on the other side.
Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys matched an offer sheet free safety Keith Davis signed with the New Orleans Saints, but is he really the answer there? They did draft Pat Watkins out of Florida State, and his range might give him a chance to win the job at some point this year.
Denver Broncos
Hard to believe, but it's running back. Is Tatum Bell the answer? What about Ron Dayne? The Broncos believe in their system in terms of making running backs go, but are they really happy with the group they have?
Detroit Lions
Right tackle Kelly Butler struggled in a big way last year and the Lions haven't done anything to challenge him this year. They must have a lot of faith in this young player. There isn't much behind him.
Green Bay Packers
Running back Ahman Green is coming off an ACL tear, yet he is penciled in as the starter. The guys behind him are just OK, too. If he isn't ready to go, Brett Favre will once again be forced to do too much.
Houston Texans
They drafted Eric Winston and Charles Spencer and signed Mike Flanagan to help alleviate the worries on the offensive line, so the main problem now is in the secondary. Phillip Buchanon is so-so on the corner and young safeties Glenn Earl and C.C. Brown need to play better. There isn't a lot in terms of depth, either.
Indianapolis Colts
It remains the offensive line. Drafting Joseph Addai will take care of the loss of Edgerrin James, but they've done nothing to improve the offensive line. If they don't play better, this team will never make it to a Super Bowl.
Jacksonville Jaguars
They still need to find a starter at one outside linebacker spot. They took two in the draft (Clint Ingram and Brent Hawkins) and they will compete with veteran Nick Greisen and 2004 draft pick Jorge Cordova. The favorite is Greisen, but don't count out Cordova if he can prove he's back from a knee injury.
Kansas City Chiefs
The receiving group remains an area of concern. Do they have a receiver who scares anybody down the field? Eddie Kennison and Samie Parker are not No. 1 receivers. The scheme helps them out, but this is a team in need of a big-play receiver and there isn't much on the roster.
Miami Dolphins
They drafted Jason Allen in the first round and he should help stabilize either one corner spot or a safety position, which leaves strong-side linebacker as the position on defense that is a concern. Sedrick Hodge is penciled in as the starter for now, but Donnie Spragan will be in the mix. Both are just average.
Minnesota Vikings
They must have a lot of faith in 37-year-old Brad Johnson at quarterback. How else do you let Daunte Culpepper walk and not get a veteran to take his place? No matter what they say, quarterback has to be a major concern. Second-round pick Tarvaris Jackson is a long way away from playing.
New England Patriots
Ellis Hobbs played well as a rookie starter at corner last year, but can he keep it up? Asante Samuel has played well, but some scouts think he'd be better off as a nickel back. So corner is certainly a concern for this team. Ty Law could be brought back to help fix it, but is that really worth it?
New Orleans Saints
Is Jonathan Stinchcomb ready to take over as the right tackle? He better be. The Saints moved Jammal Brown from the right side to the left, which puts Stinchcomb in at right tackle. Some scouts wonder if he's tough enough.
New York Giants
Their offensive tackles didn't play well last year, which is a worry. Kareem McKenzie came over from the Jets as a free agent and struggled on the right side, while Luke Petitgout was slightly better on the other side. They did draft Guy Whimper in the fourth round for some depth, but those two starters simply have to play better.
New York Jets
They passed on Matt Leinart in the draft, which was a mistake, and now they go into the season with major issues at quarterback. Can Chad Pennington bounce back? Does Patrick Ramsey have the tools to be a starter? This regime has to find a quarterback.
Oakland Raiders
In their 3-4 scheme, they have to get solid play from the three guys up front. They didn't last year. Warren Sapp and Bobby Hamilton are getting old, and that shows up. Young players like Tommy Kelly and Anttaj Hawthorne have to play better.
Philadelphia Eagles
They used late-round picks on receivers Jason Avant and Jeremy Bloom, but how soon can they help a receiving group that needs it. Losing Terrell Owens last year hurt this team. Can Reggie Brown become a star?
Pittsburgh Steelers
They lost free safety Chris Hope in free agency to the Titans and signed Ryan Clark, who played well for the Redskins last year. They also drafted Anthony Smith in the third round. But Hope played well last year, so he will be tough to replace.
St. Louis Rams
They have Leonard Little coming off one end, but they have little else on the other side. They need to find someone who can help the pressure the quarterback other than Little. Tony Hargrove has some potential, but can he continue to improve?
San Diego Chargers
They let Drew Brees go, so first-time starter Philip Rivers remains the player who has many fans concerned. But they shouldn't really worry. He's going to be a big-time player. For now, though, until he proves himself, he's the trouble spot.
San Francisco 49ers
The secondary was not addressed in a big way in the offseason, although they did sign safety Chad Williams on Wednesday. That makes it once again the weak spot of this team. Free safety Mike Adams and corner Shawntae Spencer are the two main concerns.
Seattle Seahawks
You can't lose a player of guard Steve Hutchinson's caliber and not have his position become the worry position. They like Floyd Womack to take over and they signed Tom Ashworth to be in the mix. But no matter who plays the position, they won't come close to what Hutchinson brought every Sunday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
They used the draft and free agency to help shore up the offensive line, so that leaves free safety a problem area. They wanted Charles Woodson to play that spot, but he signed with Green Bay. Will Allen will get first dibs at the job, but others will be in the mix.
Tennessee Titans
They moved right tackle Michael Roos to the left side to take over for the retired Brad Hopkins, which leaves a couple of young guys battling to take over on the right side. They are David Stewart, Daniel Loper and guard Jason Bell. That's an issue for a team that loves to run the ball.
Washington Redskins
They signed Andre Carter as a free agent to play one defensive end, but the other spot is still a concern. Veteran Philip Daniels is getting up in the years and Renaldo Wynn is coming off a torn biceps muscle. They have to get more from that spot.