NFC South

Atlanta
1) QB – Right now Atlanta’s QB depth chart reads Chris Redman, Joey Harrington, DJ Shockley in some order. If they don’t spend one of their first two picks on a quarterback, it will be a travesty.
2) OL – Atlanta’s offensive line was a train wreck. Now Wayne Gandy is probably gone, and only LG Justin Blalock is much of a long term solution. This unit needs depth, and it needs much better starters.
3) DT – There is a lot of youth here and a long list of guys in the rotation, but nothing that will really excite anyone. A star could really free up someone like John Abraham on the pass rush.
4) S – Erik Coleman and Lawyer Milloy bring a lot of veteran leadership here, but it’s getting to be a bit too much if you know what I mean. Time to add some youth.
5) LB – This crew is actually quite good, but it lacks depth. And Keith Brooking still has a couple of good years in him but is on the downside of his career.

Carolina
1) DL – This is not the stud line it once was with Mike Rucker and Kris Jenkins gone. The Panthers need help at every position here in order to rebuild what was once its biggest strength.
2) OL – Jordan Gross is a fine tackle, but Travelle Wharton has moved inside. This team could use a franchise tackle in a big way.
3) QB – Carolina needed to find a future here several years ago, and they’ve paid the price for it as Jake Delhomme has struggled to stay healthy two years in a row.
4) S – The starters are okay here but there is no real playmaker here, so an upgrade would be helpful.
5) RB – DeShaun Foster is finally gone and it’s DeAngelo Williams’s time to shine. But he hasn’t exactly been a beacon of health, and there’s no real depth behind him.

New Orleans
1) DT – This is still a bad defense at its heart, and the DTs are the heart of any defense. Hollis Thomas is decent, but the team needs to try something new here.
2) OLB – Jon Vilma upgrades this linebacking unit in a hurry, but there are still a few spots to go. Dan Morgan is an intriguing signing, but they need at least one more either way.
3) OC – Jeff Faine is gone, and Jon Goodwin is nothing more than a career backup at best. This is a great young line, but a new center is imperative.
4) S – Roman Harper is the definition of a fill-in starter and needs to be replaced by a big time playmaker at strong safety.
5) QB – Drew Brees is a star QB, but he and his bionic shoulder have thrown over 1200 passes in the past two seasons and there’s no real depth there. It might not be too bad of an idea to find someone young to learn behind the master.

Tampa Bay
1) OT – The offensive line is improving a lot, especially in the interior, but there is still nothing that looks like a franchise tackle in sight.
2) WR – Michael Clayton has gone so far out of style at this point that 99% of America hears his name and thinks of George Clooney, and Ike Hilliard wasn’t really that great 10 years ago.
3) CB – Long time starter Brian Kelly is finally gone, and Ronde Barber can’t be too far behind at this point. Tampa needs a defensive youth movement.
4) DT – If it seems like the days of Warren Sapp were a long time ago, you are right. Tampa needs some fresh blood.
5) QB – I know what you’re thinking, and yes it does seem like the Bucs already have about 8 quarterbacks on the roster. But you know the old saying. Jake Plummer, Jeff Garcia, Brian Griese, and Luke McCown couldn’t combine all of their good qualities to make a decent QB at this point.

NFC West

Arizona
1) CB – Antrell Rolle has been moved permanently to free safety, so that makes a weak position even weaker. Neither Rod Hood nor Eric Green should be starting, so this is a need and a half.
2) DE – Bert Berry is terrific when healthy, but he hasn’t played more than 10 games in three seasons, and there’s no one on the other side. Pass rush, run stuffing, you name it – the Cardinals need it.
3) OT – The Cards took Levi Brown with the 5th pick in last year’s draft and he has done well, but Mike Gandy is nothing but a stopgap on the other side.
4) RB – Edgerrin James isn’t getting any younger. He’ll be 30 by opening day and has logged over 3000 carries in his career. Historically that signifies the end of a running back’s career, and JJ Arrington has disappointed as a backup plan.
5) LB – Karlos Dansby is a young star and the rest of the crew isn’t too bad, but it is a very thin group that needs depth and could use another top playmaker or pass rusher.

San Francisco
1) CB – Nate Clements is making the big bucks and doing a great job, but it’s a joke that Walt Harris is the other starting corner, and a bad joke at that.
2) NT – Coach Nolan has been trying to build a good 3-4 for a few years now, and they’ve yet to find a great big guy to clog up the middle.
3) QB – Alex Smith has been nothing short of a bust so far, but we’ll see how he does with a year under Mike Martz. Even so, it might be time to start thinking of something else.
4) IL – Larry Allen has finally hung up the cleats, and the 49ers have a few other young guys but could use a starting center and some depth.
5) S – There’s nothing wrong here, but nothing great here either. Mark Roman should probably be replaced before too long.

Seattle
1) TE – This position is so thin that Seattle tried to take a QB-turned-WR and turn him into a playmaker at TE. Maybe they need to think of a new solution.
2) WR – On the one side, DJ Hackett was never really healthy anyway. On the other hand, neither are the rest of Seattle’s receivers. It’s time to add someone new for Hasselbeck to throw to.
3) RB – Julius Jones is clearly a stopgap, and it looks like it’s inevitable at this point that Shaun Alexander will be let go by the season, if not sooner. It’s time to find the future.
4) S – Deon Grant and Brian Russell are nothing short of average. Gone are the days when Ken Hamlin and Michael Boulware were big time playmakers, and they need some juice back.
5) DE – Pat Kerney is a star but needs some help. Seattle has a great pass rush but can still use some improvement here.

St Louis
1) OL – What was once a major strength is now a weakness with Orlando Pace near the end of his career, and the interior line is a major weakness. No wonder Bulger and SJax can’t stay healthy.
2) DE – The defensive pass rush, or lack thereof, is simply atrocious. Leonard Little used to be good but is on the wrong side of his career.
3) CB – The young guys are starting to come around but they still can’t cover NFL level wide receivers. Tye Hill would be a better second corner, and Fakhir Brown would be an average nickel back.
4) QB – Marc Bulger continues to get hurt every single year. And when he does, the Rams completely fall apart because they haven’t had a decent backup since, well… Marc Bulger.
5) OLB – The Rams have tried for years to come up with speedy guys at outside linebacker, and it’s time to admit that it’s not working.

AFC starts tomorrow!

__________________
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CFA: Wheaton Thunder

As far as drafting look for Seattle to go

1. RB, TE/OL or
2. OL, RB, TE

After round 3 though who knows. Ruskell is a huge BPA guy and has been known to pull suprises before.

good points AD. a couple of counter thoughts...

seattle likes to use a lot of 3 and 4 WR sets. branch cant stay healthy all year. engram is a great slot 3rd WR type but nothing more and is only getting older. burleson is average and only gets more expensive -- no way hes around a year or two from now at that $$. it seems pretty likely to me that in a year or two, branch is the only real WR left. i like obamanu too, but that much? im not sure.

i am interested in your note about burleson vs j jones in special teams. has jones been much of a returner before? do you think nate becomes more of a WR and may be that teams sleeper de jour?

lastly... i see OL on all the lists. and i know its not what it once was. walter jones isnt who he once was, and theres obviously no hutch. but i think its still an area of strength, or at least not one of the glaring weaknesses. why is it assumed that theyre going to draft an O-lineman on day one? this is holmgren's last year, so it feels like a year to take risks and get playmakers. thats not what a rookie OL is.

Ooops, sorry. Poor wording on my part. I expect Jones to be a replacement plus a bit for Morris and Morris to take over as the main return guy.
On Branch I do not expect very much at all this year. By the time he gets healthy there will not be very much of the season left to get into shape and in sinc with the rest of the Offense. You are right on Engram, very few people realize that he was the #1 3rd/slot WR in the NFL for several years straight.
On the Oline, they are going to need to replace Jones soon. Wahle is what, about 3 more years tops. Gray is older than Favre. Womack only keeps his job because he is everyones backup except Spencer; and here's the kicker. TR's biggest Oops was Hutch. The depth at Oline, RB and TE almost forces them to go that route this year. If Williams, Otah etc ... is there and Stewart is gone he will make ammends for that goof.
In Seattle we have gone from "Ground Chucks" run to set up the pass (I could have called the D against that one), to "Walrus's" pass to set up the run. Neither will work without the Oline. That's why I asked about Holmgrens passing to RB's history. If you are passing to set up the run why pass to the RB. I'd want the D to be more worried about the rest of my offensive players.

Here's my take, the biggest needs Seattle has on O are huge needs at positions that have a fairly quick impact in the NFL. And those positions are deep in this years draft (OL, RB, and TE). My concern is that it is the last year for the Coach and probably the OC. I'm not really sure of what Mora sees/wants for the team and how much input he will have in the draft. Any WR drafted this year will at best be the #4 WR and used as a returner mostly. Any OL, RB, TE drafted in the first 2 or 3 rounds this year would very likely be a starter or at the very least the main backup grooming as future starter. I'm sure the FO is much more up on if we don't grab whoever this year who can we get so-an-so next year than I am, but I'm sure they feel they will not be getting any early draft picks for the next few years.


I envision Seattles depth chart for 2008 to be

• RB - Jones and a draft pick to be 1A/1B. Duckett on short yardage. Morris on Special Teams. Keep in mind that Holmgren does not like starting rookie RB's. Remember Watters
• WR - #1 Burleson, Engram/Obamanu/Taylor will share time at #2, with Engram slot in 3 WR sets (this will change late in the season depending on Branch). I'm not too up on the Flanker/Spit difference
• TE - That will be the draft pick, but it will be a 3 down guy that can block
• OL - Jones, Wahle, Spencer, Sims, Locklear. If they wind up with a backup centre somehow Gray will no longer be on the team. Willis, Wrotto and a pick will be the backups/future. I'm not too sure of their plans for Womack at this time.

The Saints are not set at cornerback. Sure they need to draft a young QB, but I bet they'll use Brunell/Palko this year. If Brees goes down, we're screwed anyway.

Bomber, Bomber, Bomber. What is this "Jeff Garcia plus the other 80-something Tampa QB's couldn't combine forces to make a decent one at this point" garbage that you speak?
Now, I'll give you that Plummer and McCown and Griese all pretty much suck, but sir, about Mr. Garcia, you are wrong. Perhaps you have forgotten last year's 63.9% completion rating, or his QB rating of 94.6 or his mere 4 interceptions thrown; give the man some credit, however, a QB for the future would be nice.
As far as your little blurb about the WR situation, Michael Clayton was a terrific movie. You did forget to mention the Bucs new addition, Antonio Bryant, who I think will fit into this offence nicely, though I admit that you are right and it is an issue that needs to be addressed especially with their aging WR core.
Your comments about CB, DT and OT all seemed to be spot on and a direct reflection of my thoughts, which is what I have come to expect from you because, let me tell you, not only are you very good at this but you also have an uncanny ability to predict NCAA Tournament upsets moments after they happen.

lol, whatever that means.

as for antonio bryant, i loved this guy in college but how long ago was that? he has never really done anything in the pros. its time for tampa to move on past this whole idea of taking washed up has-beens or never-weres from other teams and making them QB and WR combos on their own. its kind of ridiculous if i can be honest.

anyway garcia isnt terrible, and many teams (yes my own) could definitely improve with him, but all of their backups need to retire, and the team needs a future.