Pressing needs for every NFL team

[rocdhog]

Free agency and the draft are not cure-alls.

NFL teams are well aware. That's why all 32 franchises will be trying to work out kinks between now and the preseason. FOXSports.com senior NFL writer Alex Marvez takes a look at one pressing need for every club.

AFC EAST


Buffalo Bills



Pressing need: Finding a way to get the tight end more involved in the passing offense. No player at the position has caught more than 34 passes in a single season since 2001.
Possible solution: After seven seasons, Robert Royal shouldn't be expected to magically become Tony Gonzalez. Courtney Anderson and Teyo Johnson are being given a chance to resurrect their NFL careers but neither was a vertical threat previously. At this point, the best hope for new Bills offensive coordinator Turk Schonert might be 2008 fourth-round pick Derek Fine as an underneath target.
Miami Dolphins


Pressing need: Identifying a starting left guard. Both players who manned the position last year (Chris Liwienski and Cory Lekkerkerker) weren't re-signed.
Possible solution: Drew Mormino (2007/sixth round) and rookie Shawn Murphy (2008/fourth) are the early frontrunners. But don't be surprised if the eventual starter is currently on the Dallas Cowboys roster. New Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano was Dallas' offensive line coach the past three seasons. And by virtue of having the NFL's worst record in 2007, Miami will have first dibs on any Cowboys offensive linemen who are waived.
New England Patriots


Pressing need: Recovering from the shock of losing Super Bowl XLII. Compiling the NFL's first 18-0 record — only to fall short of perfection with a 17-13 loss to the New York Giants — may have taken a psychological toll as Patriots players prepare for another season.
Possible solution: Bill Belichick hopes he has one. The last heavily favored team with a gaudy record that lost the Super Bowl was the 2001 St. Louis Rams (16-3). The next season, the shell-shocked Rams failed to make the playoffs.
New York Jets


Pressing need: Settling on a starting quarterback. Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens are competing for the spot.
Possible solution: The easy one would have been parting ways with Pennington, which seemed destined to happen after he was benched midway through last season. But Clemens didn't show enough to Jets management in eight starts to justify such a move. If Clemens enjoys a spectacular preseason and 2008 fifth-round pick Eric Ainge develops quickly, the Jets could try moving Pennington and his $6 million base salary elsewhere.
AFC SOUTH


Houston Texans


Pressing need: Creating stability at cornerback. The free-agent loss of Von Hutchins (Atlanta) was a wash after the signing of Jacques Reeves (Dallas). But the Texans may still need help with Dunta Robinson (leg) possibly out heading into the regular season.
Possible solution: 2008 third-round pick Antwaun Molden will have the chance to earn immediate snaps as a nickel cornerback. But if the Eastern Kentucky product needs time adjusting to tougher competition, the Texans will have to rely on veterans Demarcus Faggins and Jamar Fletcher.
Indianapolis Colts


Pressing need: Backup running back. Kenton Keith did a solid job last season spelling Joseph Addai but his roster spot isn't assured, especially after an off-season arrest. Promoted to a starting role, Addai gained fewer yards on more carries last season than in 2006 when paired with Dominic Rhodes.
Possible solution: Rhodes, who expressed an interest in returning to Indianapolis following this week's release by Oakland. The Colts also used a 2008 sixth-round pick on Michigan standout Mike Hart, who slid because of poor pre-draft workouts.

The Jaguars took a chance bringing Troy Williamson in from Minnesota. Now they need him not to drop the ball. (Steve Dykes / Getty Images)

Jacksonville Jaguars


Pressing need: Sorting through a logjam of wide receivers. The Jaguars have added Troy Williamson and Jerry Porter to a unit that already has Reggie Williams, Matt Jones, Dennis Northcutt and promising youngster Mike Walker.
Possible solution: Letting Williamson and Jones compete for one roster spot in hopes the competition will bring out the best in two disappointing first-round picks.
Tennessee Titans


Pressing need: Defensive tackle. The Titans let former starter Randy Starks leave to Miami in free agency and may not have the services of franchise player Albert Haynesworth beyond this season. Still, the Titans didn't address the position in the draft or free agency.
Possible solution: Hope that an unproven youngster like Antonio Johnson, Eric Taylor or Kevin Vickerson can form an effective rotation with Haynesworth and Tony Brown. For six NFL seasons, injuries have prevented Haynesworth from starting an entire year. Brown was the NFL's only defensive tackle last season to appear on more than 80 percent of his team's defensive snaps. A reduction in playing time would make him more effective.
AFC NORTH


Baltimore Ravens


Pressing need: Determining whether quarterback Joe Flacco is ready to compete for a starting spot. Baltimore's first-round pick, Flacco didn't face top-tier college competition at Delaware. He will soon enough when facing Baltimore's vaunted defense in practice.
Possible solution: Taking extra precautions to insure Flacco's confidence isn't damaged by playing him prematurely. While Miami's head coach last year, new Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron erred by throwing John Beck to the wolves in Week 11.
Cincinnati Bengals


Pressing need: Resolving the on-going feud with Chad Johnson. The wide receiver's repeated requests for a trade this off-season have fallen on deaf ears. In turn, Johnson has threatened a holdout that could turn extremely ugly.
Possible solution: Cincinnati drafted two wide receivers in the first three rounds (Coastal Carolina's Jerome Simpson and Florida's Andre Caldwell). If those players shine during minicamps, Bengals management may become more open to dealing Johnson, especially if a suitor includes another wide receiver as part of its trade package.
Cleveland Browns


Pressing need: Settling on a backup running back behind Jamal Lewis, who is entering his ninth NFL season.
Possible solution: Jason Wright had career-highs in rushing yards (277), per-carry average (4.6) and receptions (24) in 2007. The Browns are hoping Jerome Harrison can challenge Wright for snaps, but the 2005 fifth-round pick was inactive for eight games last season. Harrison will be pushed for his roster spot by Travis Thomas, an undrafted rookie free agent from Notre Dame who may provide more value on special teams.
Pittsburgh Steelers


Pressing need: Backup defensive ends. Travis Kirschke will be 34 entering the season and has back issues, while Nick Eason struggled when pressed into a starting role last season in place of Aaron Smith (knee). Smith is entering his 10th NFL season; fellow starter Brett Keisel turns 30 in September.
Possible solution: The Steelers didn't draft an end and there isn't anyone remaining in free agency outside of journeyman backups.
AFC WEST


Denver Broncos

The Jaguars took a chance bringing Troy Williamson in from Minnesota. Now they need him not to drop the ball. (Steve Dykes / Getty Images)

Pressing need: Specialists. For the first time since 1993, the Broncos need a new kicker with Jason Elam leaving to Atlanta in free agency. Todd Sauerbrun, who handled the punting chores for most of last season, was released following an off-field incident.
Possible solutions: Matt Prater and undrafted college free agent Garrett Hartley (Oklahoma) are the only kickers currently on the roster. Prater has a strong leg for kickoffs but struggles with accuracy; Hartley connected on 81 percent of his college field goals. Sam Paulescu, who punted five times for Denver in 2007, will compete against fellow youngsters Danny Baugher and Brett Kern. If the Broncos are dissatisfied, more veteran punting and kicking options should surface closer to the regular season.
Kansas City Chiefs


Pressing need: Besides trying to get an overhauled roster to mesh? Let's start with the backup situation behind quarterback Brodie Croyle. Incumbent Damon Huard and new offensive coordinator Chan Gailey were together with Miami in 2000. Huard was benched during the preseason in favor of Jay Fiedler and left to Kansas City the following season. Huard is well liked by Chiefs management, but Gailey prefers a more mobile quarterback running his system.
Possible solution: Huard could have some preseason trade value for a team with an unsettled backup situation (Green Bay immediately comes to mind). But first, Kansas City must determine whether promising youngster Tyler Thigpen is ready for a second-string role.
Oakland Raiders


Pressing need: Solidifying the left tackle position. Barry Sims was released this off-season after manning the spot for most of the past nine years.
Possible solution: Oakland's offensive line improved greatly in assistant coach Tom Cable's first season. Cable will now try to work his magic with Kwame Harris, who never fulfilled expectations in San Francisco as a 2003 first-round draft choice. If Harris doesn't pan out, 2007 third-round pick Mario Henderson could get a look after appearing in just one game as a rookie.
San Diego Chargers


Pressing need: Quick recoveries by a slew of players recovering from off-season surgeries. Eight starters and four backups have undergone procedures since an AFC championship game loss to New England. Quarterback Philip Rivers (knee), tight end Antonio Gates (toe) and center Nick Hardwick (foot) may not be ready for the start of training camp.
Possible solution: An abundance of talent should help San Diego survive until the roster gets healthier. Chargers free safety Eric Weddle recently told me Rivers already was participating in some running drills with teammates. Billy Volek and Charlie Whitehurst will share practice snaps until Rivers is ready to return. Eight-year veteran Cory Withrow will man the center position until Hardwick returns. The Chargers, though, don't have a backup tight end who can stretch the field like Gates.
NFC EAST


Dallas Cowboys



Pressing need: Preparing for the onslaught of media that will swarm Cowboys training camp if recently acquired cornerback Pacman Jones is reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Players and coaches will be asked ad nauseum about Jones in the upcoming months. But Cowboys owner Jerry Jones believes that distraction is a small price to pay for a player of Jones' talent.
Possible solution: Jones doesn't say or do anything stupid if reinstated and fades into the background a la Tank Johnson. Of course, history indicates that probably won't be the case.
New York Giants


Pressing need: Putting last season to rest. The 2007 Giants became one of the great stories in NFL history. But living in the past is one of the reasons previous Super Bowl winners have failed to repeat.
Possible solution: Giants coach Tom Coughlin becomes less touchy-feely than he was in 2007.
Philadelphia Eagles


Pressing need: General manager Tom Heckert told me his team doesn't need a "No. 1 receiver" to prosper offensively. But the Eagles still unsuccessfully kicked the tires on Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald earlier this off-season. Size limitations also may prevent 2008 second-round pick DeSean Jackson from fitting that bill.
Possible solution: The Eagles couldn't get Arizona to trade Fitzgerald, but they may have more success later this off-season if the Cardinals begin shopping Anquan Boldin. Chad Johnson is another potential option, but Eagles coach Andy Reid may not want to deal with another talented-but-temperamental wideout after the Terrell Owens debacle.
Washington Redskins


Pressing need: Reassembling the offensive line. Right tackle was a revolving door in 2007 after Jon Jansen was lost to a fractured ankle in the season-opener. The season-long absence of right guard Randy Thomas (triceps) also hurt.
Possible solution: Jansen will practice Friday in Washington's minicamp for the first time since being injured. Jansen, who has missed two of the past four seasons because of injuries, and Thomas seem safe in Washington for another year. But the Redskins may already have future replacements in Stephon Heyer and Chad Rinehart, a 2008 third-round pick from Northern Iowa.
NFC NORTH


Chicago Bears


Pressing need: Salvaging the careers of Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton. This will likely be the last chance for either quarterback to become an NFL starter, especially in Chicago.
Possible solution: There is none on the horizon if Grossman or Orton flop. Chicago didn't draft a quarterback or sign a free-agent replacement after Brian Griese was traded to Tampa Bay.
Detroit Lions


Pressing need: Getting better production from 2006 and 2007 draft choices besides linebacker Ernie Sims and free safety Gerald Alexander.
Possible solution: Members of Rod Marinelli's first two draft classes have the chance to contribute. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson will be expected to play better after experiencing back problems throughout his rookie campaign. Strong safety Daniel Bullocks (knee) should return to the starting lineup. Quarterback Drew Stanton will compete with Dan Orlovsky to become Jon Kitna's backup. The Lions also need picks like defensive end Ikaika Alama-Francis, guard Manny Ramirez and running back Brian Calhoun to push for snaps at positions that were weak in 2007.
Green Bay Packers


Pressing need: Putting to rest speculation that quarterback Brett Favre could emerge from retirement and play again.
Possible solution: Good luck finding one. Even though the Packers recently placed him on the reserve/retired list, Favre seems unwilling to completely shut the door on a possible return. That will make the transition period in Green Bay even harder for replacement Aaron Rodgers.
Minnesota Vikings


Pressing need: Creating contingency plans in case standout left tackle Bryant McKinnie is suspended or even sentenced to prison. McKinnie is facing four charges, including felony assault, stemming from an off-season altercation outside a South Florida nightclub. McKinnie is scheduled for a June 2 trial.
Possible solution: Potential free-agent replacements aren't very appealing, so the Vikings would probably look within. Artis Hicks, who lost his starting spot at right guard in 2007, would have first crack at the job. A longshot is Chase Johnson, a massive second-year player who spent his rookie season on the bench.
NFC SOUTH


Atlanta Falcons


Pressing need: Scheming how to stop the run with a suspect defensive tackle situation. Atlanta not only passed on Louisiana State's Glenn Dorsey with the No. 3 overall pick but failed to address a need area with any of their subsequent 10 draft choices. Rod Coleman, a starter the past four seasons, also was released early in the off-season.
Possible solution: The Falcons won't find much help in free agency, especially with division rival Carolina signing two of the top remaining defensive tackles (Darwin Walker and Ian Scott) earlier this week. The Falcons must hope castoffs like Rashad Moore, Tim Anderson and Kindal Moorehead can contribute to a unit that features Montavious Stanley, Jonathan Babineaux and promising youngster Trey Lewis, who is coming off knee surgery.
Carolina Panthers


Pressing need: Determining whether Jake Delhomme will be ready for the start of the season. Delhomme had the same kind of major elbow surgery that fellow quarterbacks Rob Johnson and Craig Erickson couldn't come back from.
Possible solution: The Panthers feel confident enough in Delhomme and second-year backup Matt Moore that a quarterback wasn't drafted or signed in free agency. That's a big risk, especially in a free-agent market where washouts like Byron Leftwich and Daunte Culpepper are currently the best options.
New Orleans


Pressing need: Seeing whether Deuce McAllister can make a successful comeback from two knee surgeries. McAllister agreed to restructure his contract for a chance to remain on the Saints roster. New Orleans fielded the NFL's 28th-ranked rushing offense in 2007 when McAllister wasn't there to provide a strong between-the-tackles rushing threat.
Possible solution: Without a healthy McAllister, the Saints will be forced to continue using a committee approach led by Reggie Bush. Aaron Stecker was re-signed, while Pierre Thomas ended his rookie preseason strong with a 105-yard outing against Chicago. The Saints didn't draft a running back and released 2007 fourth-round pick Antonio Pittman during his rookie preseason.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers


Pressing need: Shedding quarterbacks. The Bucs currently have seven — seven!!! — on their active roster.
Possible solution: Expect the Bucs to start trading quarterbacks after this weekend's rookie minicamp. The first to go will almost assuredly be former starter Chris Simms. Don't be surprised if Tampa Bay talks to Dallas, Chicago, Green Bay and Kansas City about possible deals.
NFC WEST


Arizona Cardinals
Pressing need: A backup running back. Edgerrin James will be 30 in August and is coming off a fifth consecutive season with 300-plus carries. The top two backups on last year's roster — J.J. Arrington and Marcel Shipp — combined for only 41 rushes.
Possible solution: Tim Hightower, a 2008 fifth-round pick from Richmond, will have the chance to earn playing time. But if he isn't impressive early, Arizona coach Ken Whisenhunt may look for running backs who knew his system when he was Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator. The Steelers may ultimately release a rusher after using a first-round pick on Illinois' Rashard Mendenhall. Another option is Verron Haynes, a free agent who spent the past six seasons with the Steelers.
St. Louis Rams


Pressing need: Better health. The Rams were among the NFL's most injured teams in 2007, especially along the offensive line. The loss of manpower heavily contributed to St. Louis' 3-13 record.
Possible solution: Different off-season conditioning drills. St. Louis coach Scott Linehan told me that he met with the Rams training staff to see whether some preventative training could be implemented, especially to guard against high ankle sprains. The Rams have subsequently added a sand pit at team headquarters for players to run in and better develop their lower leg muscles.
San Francisco 49ers


Pressing need: Learning new offensive coordinator Mike Martz's complicated system. The scheme is predicated on precise route running and the offensive line giving the quarterback enough time to let plays downfield develop.
Possible solution: Practice, practice, practice. San Francisco tight end Vernon Davis told me Martz's scheme was much harder than those San Francisco used during his first two NFL seasons. Davis, the No. 6 overall pick in 2006, is being counted on to make a bigger impact than in his first two NFL seasons. But first, San Francisco must settle on a starting quarterback between Alex Smith and Shaun Hill.
Seattle Seahawks


Pressing need: Wide receiver. Deion Branch (knee) will likely open the season on the PUP list and D.J. Hackett left in free agency to Carolina. Bobby Engram had an 1,147-yard campaign last season but is 35 years old. Outside of Nate Burleson, the only other Seahawks wideouts with an NFL reception are Ben Obomanu (12) and Courtney Taylor (five). That makes Seattle's decision to pass on wide receivers in this year's draft even more mind-boggling.
Possible solution: The Seahawks traded for Branch in 2006 and may be forced to swing another deal for a veteran wide receiver. Marvez interviewed Linehan, Davis, Weddle and Heckert while hosting on Sirius NFL Radio.

Source: Alex Marvez, msn.foxsports.com

[Jerome]

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