AFC Teams Needs!!!

In part 2 of this series we will look at the AFC team by team and examine who needs what in order to improve. Some teams have huge holes to fill while others some light patchwork. One thing to keep in mind, just because a team is not very good doesn’t mean that they have holes to fill. They could have the players in place and now just need some time to groom them. This also works in reverse, good teams may have some aging players and the time is now to start looking for a replacement. Without further ado, let’s breakdown the AFC!

Baltimore Ravens –
The Ravens made a major move this offseason by trading for Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin who was acquired from the Arizona Cardinals so that is no longer a need. A few positions still stick out. Defensive End and Tackle on that side of the ball and Tight End on offense. Trevor Pryce is not getting any younger and he isn’t the sack master that he once was. Terrell Suggs could use some help in the sack department and the team is really looking at the guy they brought in years ago to fill this void and that guy is Paul Kruger. Kruger needs to beef up a bit and prove that he is an every down player but Coach Harbaugh has faith that he has the skills to do the job. At Tackle, the Ravens lost Justin Bannan to the Denver Broncos by way of Free Agency and they could really use some young talent to pair with stud Haloti Ngata. Sorry Todd Heap fans but your boy just isn’t as dominant as we thought he’d be. He had the football world thinking he was the next big thing but over the last few years he just hasn’t been “special”. Look for the Ravens to find a young and speedy Tight End to stretch the field and really make the Raven Offense dangerous.

Buffalo Bills -
It’s been a while since the Bills have “circled the wagons” and a once proud offensive team has had trouble maintaining their offensive prowess. Gone are the days of Jim Kelly, Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed instead it’s…well nevermind. The Bills have to find a way to get some production from the Quarterback position. They have gone 56 games without a 300 yard passing game while having talented Wide Receivers on the roster, that tells you it’s the signal caller. Trent Edwards has some tools but after watching him get bent up like a lawn chair last year it’s clear to see that Offensive Line is just as big a need. To make it easy for the Bills, start at the Football and work your way outward. O-Line and QB are tops on the list of improvements in Buffalo. On Defense, they kind of have some nice things working for them. An interior Linebacker with size and a physical presence would be a nice addition along with a pass rusher to get at the QB and give INT specialist Jarius Byrd more chances to get some picks!!

Cleveland Browns -
The Cleveland Browns have brought in a big name to run the front office of the franchise in Mike Holmgren. He will bring his West Coast Offense along with him and has already made some changes at the Quarteback position. Gone are Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn and replaced them with Seneca Wallace and Jake Delhomme. That is hardly an upgrade by any means. Delhomme had a horrible ending in Carolina and Wallace is nothing more than a lifetime backup. The one thing that Wallace does bring is mobility and he will need it with the porous Offensive line in Cleveland. The Left Tackle spot is stellar but the Right side, mostly at Guard is not good at all. They need to shore that position up and give whichever QB they decide to start a punchers chance. On Defense the Browns need to add talent at Safety and Cornerback. Eric Wright is very solid but after that, they lack talent in the Defensive backfield. The Browns also lost Kamerion Wimbley so they could use some help in the pass rushing department but do have a slew of able bodies at the position. If the Browns find that Eric Berry falls to them with the 7th Pick they will pounce, if not look for them to select Joe Hayden, the Florida Gator Cornerback who will pair with Wright to form a nice tandem.

Cincinnati Bengals –
The surprise team of 2009 will be looking to build on a very good season which they saw a playoff birth and a season where they swept both the Ravens and Steelers. With every team in the league however, they are working hard to improve. Cedric Benson looked great, the O-Line did their part, Carson Palmer played well as did Chad “Dancing with the Stars” OchoCinco. The Defense was greatly improved so what’s lacking? Well, a few things jump out. First, a quality Tight End to stretch the field. After signing Antonio Bryant at WR the Bengals have the tools to have a dynamic passing attack and if you add in a TE that can keep a Safety honest they could be really tough to stop. Look for the Bengals to make a move for a speedy TE that can do just that. Jermaine Grisham would be a great addition in the draft! Along the Offensive line they have a slight need at Guard, especially the left side. If Bobbie Williams re-signs with another team than Guard will become an immediate need. The Bengals also might need to get some competition in camp to compete with Kicker Dave Rayner who has only 1 year of professional experience. All in all the Bengals are in pretty good shape after resigning Tank Johnson and Roy Williams, the Defense remains intact!

Denver Broncos -
The 2009 Denver Broncos started off 6-0 only to finish 8-8. The 2-6 finish left a bad taste in the mouth of the fans enough to boo Head Coach Josh McDaniels as he left field after a bad loss to Kansas City. The Broncos have some holes to fill. First, they need to find some bigger Offensive Lineman to fit the scheme that McDaniels like to run. The Mike Shanahan holdovers have slowly been phased out and look for Denver to continue to add girth along the line, especially at Guard. The biggest Wild Card on offense is Brandon Marshall. If Denver trades the talented Wide Out than look for them to replace him in the draft. Arizona St. Wide Out Dez Bryant would fit that mold but he comes with some question marks as well. The Broncos traded for Brady Quinn but that move was mostly to shore up the back up role for Kyle Orton who will likely be the starter. On Defense, the Broncos have added some talented pieces along the D-Line, signing Jamal Williams, Justin Bannan and Jarvis Green. They could still use some Linebacker help especially in the middle where starter Andra Davis is now a Buffalo Bill. The Secondary is getting older so they may look to infuse some youth in the backfield especially at Safety.

Houston Texans -
The Houston Texans have some great weapons on Offense but still have a hole in the backfield. Steve Slaton is talented but has had fumbling issues that led to Head Coach Gary Kubiak looking for a new direction. The Texans could look at Ryan Mathews in or C.J. Spiller in the draft, both would be excellent in the Zone Blocking Scheme that Houston runs. If you paired a home-run threat with Andre Johnson in the passing game the Texan offense could be even more explosive. On Defense the Texans need a Cornerback in a bad way. Dunta Robinson has left via Free Agency and the Texans need to find a quality starting Cornerback that can come in and play immediately. The Front 7 is good at the Linebacker and Defensive End spots but need some pass rushing presence from the Defensive Tackle position. The Texans have used a ton of 1st round picks over the last 5 years on Defense and have found some great run stuffers in the middle but not any pocket pushers. They need to find some guys to push the pocket and not rely on Mario Williams alone to sack the QB. Houston is a team that is improving each year and come April expect them to use their early picks at Running Back and Corner then shore up the DT spots, this team could push the Colts that AFC South crown if they hit homeruns come April.

Indianapolis Colts –
Speaking of the Colts, the Super Bowl runners up had a great 2009 season and with Peyton Manning at the helm they always have a chance to go far in the playoffs. What the Colts want to do is be more physical along the Offensive Line. They have always valued versatile lineman but surprisingly released veteran Ryan Lilja who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. In order to become more physical, the Colts will need to add some bigger bodies along the line. Finding guys who are big but yet are still nimble is no easy task so it will be interesting to see what direction they take. On Defense, the Colts terminated the contract of Raheem Brock and could use a 3rd Down pass rushing specialist to go with All Pro Dwight Freeney and Veteran Robert Mathis. Defensive End depth is something the Colts will probably try and shore up in the Draft. Along with the Front 4, the Colts need some help at Cornerback. Marlin Jackson was let go and is now with the Philadelphia Eagles. He was injured over the last 2 years and the Colts have had to make due without him. A playmaking Cornerback would be a welcome site at Lucas Oil Stadium, especially in a Division that boasts Andre Johnson, Mike Sims-Walker and up and coming Kenny Britt.

Jacksonville Jaguars –
Rumor around the league is Los Angeles California is looking for an NFL team and the Jacksonville Jaguars have been earmarked by some as a team that could be relocated. The Jags have trouble selling out and some have speculated that the guy that could ignite an instant buzz is former Florida Gator Tim Tebow. In reality, David Garrard is not a bad NFL QB, actually he is a much better passer than Tim Tebow will be in my opinion. The Jags have some holes and the biggest are on Defense. The Jags need to find some help at Linebacker, Defensive End and Safety. Recently Head Coach Jack Del Rio admitted that he was only comfortable with one Linebacker on the roster. They need to add some pop in the middle to get back to the physical style of Defense that they once had. On the D-Line, the Jags need to find a proven pass rusher or draft one that can come in and add immediate impact. Reggie Hayward dealt with a broken leg last year and when he went down so did sack production. That was the reason they went out and signed Aaron Kampmann this offseason but they still might look to groom for the future as Kampmann isn’t exactly a Pass Rush specialist. At Safety, Reggie Nelson hasn’t lived up to the hype that the Jags have hoped for. Look for Jacksonville to bring in some competition for him either via Free Agency or the Draft.

Kansas City Chiefs –
So far in 2010 the Chiefs have been busy little bee’s. They have signed quality starting caliber players such as Thomas Jones, Casey Weigmann, Ryan Lilja and re-signed other key players like Chris Chambers and Mike Vrabel. The Chiefs are not standing pat and watching the parade go bye, they are taking matters into their own hands and making things happen. They’ve brought Charlie Weis into the fold and Head Coach Todd Haley is committed to bringing a winner back to the proud franchise in Kansas City. It’s a great football town and the fans are very passionate about their Kansas City Chiefs. After a few years of rebuilding the Chiefs are ready to start putting a winning product on the field again but they still have some holes. The biggest being Linebacker! In the 3-4 Defense the name of the game is how good are your Linebackers (and NT) and for the Chiefs they have 1 really good playmaker in Derrick Johnson but not too much run stopping talent. Mike Vrabel is versatile but not spectacular and the Chiefs could really use another inside backer to stuff the run. The other main issue for the Chiefs is at Safety. They have weaknesses at both spots, the Strong and Free. Mike Brown will probably not return and Jon McGraw will probably be relegated to Nickel duties. The Chiefs need playmakers and if Eric Berry falls on their lap come April, you will see a selection in record time! Other area’s of need are Wide Receiver, Kick Returner and Defensive Line…will be interesting to see how the Glenn Dorsey experiment plays out. We will give Tyson Jackson another year or two to prove his worth!

Miami Dolphins –
I actually really like the direction the Dolphins are headed, but with Bill Parcells in town it was kind of expected. First, Chad Henne is the real deal. He has a big arm and will only get better. At Wide Out, they really have 3 slot receivers in Bess, Camarillo and Ginn and could use a big 3rd down target for Henne to look for in crunch time. So obviously Wide Receiver is a need, which is a shame considering the high draft picks that they used at the position not too long ago. Other than that, go right up the middle of the defense starting at the ball and there you have the rest of the Phins needs. As of now, they have plugged one hole by signing Linebacker Karlos Dansby. They need a Nose Tackle to play over the ball and anchor the 34 defense and they definitely need Safety help. Gibril Wilson was a disaster and some speculate that Taylor Mays might be the kind of player that Parcells would covet but he has never drafted a Safety in the 1st Round. He usually likes to go after the big men! One thing is for sure the Phins are set at Cornerback now that Sean Smith and Vontae Davis proved they can play in this league!

New England Patriots –
You never know what Rabbit ole Bill Belichick is going to pull out of his hat and I’m sure he has something up his sleeve. The first big step that the Pats took was keeping a big, real big, component to their roster. Vince Wilfork was resigned and the Nose Tackle is one of the best run stuffers in the NFL and it was a great move by New England to get a deal done, now onto the rest of the defense. The biggest need right now is finding a proven Pass Rusher! The Patriots don’t exactly have great cover guys in the secondary but with no pass rush it makes it that much harder. The Pats knew going in that it was either Wilfork or Richard Seymour and when Seymour was deemed unsignable they traded him. When he left however the pass rushing presence left with him. The Pats have good run stuffing Linebackers but not edge rushers. They could also use some help at Corner and Safety Brandon Meriweather is really hit or miss and more times than not it’s miss! On offense they could use a bell cow running back but the pass the ball so often that the position is downgraded overall. Randy Moss says that this is his last year in New England so look for a young Receiver to come in and be groomed for a bit until Moss moves on!

New York Jets -
The New York J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets are back! This team is fun and exciting! They defense has swagger and talent, the offense has a young and charismatic Quarterback and the Offensive Line gets after people in the running game! The problem? They let the runner go! The signing of LaDainian Tomlinson sounds great but in reality it wasn’t. Thomas Jones was a flat out stud for the league leading rushing attack last year but apparently the Jets feel that Shonn Green is ready to carry that load, they must and hence the reason they used the 2nd Round pick on him in 2009. They Jets backfield will be interesting to watch to see if they can match the production they had in ’09. They could also use a big Wide Receiver and rumor has it they have internally kicked the tires on Brandon Marshall but have not offered him a contract as of yet. On Defense, they traded for Antonio Cromartie to pair with Darrelle Revis to form a nice little tandem, they traded Kerry Rhodes to Arizona and signed Brodney Pool. The issues the Jets face is at Outside Linebacker and Defensive End. They need to find proven pass rushers that will get after the QB’s as the Jets plan on making a Super Bowl run, guys like Peyton Manning need to see the turf up close if you want to beat them!

Oakland Raiders –
The Oakland Raiders began this offseason pretty well. They ended any Head Coaching controversy by naming Cable the guy and traded a 3rd round pick to Cleveland for Linebacker Kamerion Wimbely. The Raiders already have a good group of Linebackers but now they just got better. This roster is loaded with talent and it will be interesting to see how well they can now that they have officially pulled the plug on the “JaMarcus Russell Project”. Bruce Gradkowski has been out in Oakland for most of the offseason working hard to solidify the starting spot, meanwhile out in Phoenix – JaMarcus Russell has apparently lost so much weight that you wouldn’t recognize him. At least JM is working hard but I think the job is Gradkowski’s to lose and he gives the Raiders a much better chance to win. But what the Raiders really need is an Offensive Tackle. Look for them to use the 8th pick in the Draft on a guy that they can plug into the line an shore up protection for the QB. Next up on the wish list has to be Middle Linebacker due to the fact that Kirk Morrison is up in the air as to whether he will sign an offer sheet or not. If he leaves town, than the Raiders will either bring someone win or shuffle their guys around now that Wimbley adds some depth. The final piece to the Raiders “need” puzzle is at Defensive Tackle. Gerard Warren was released and that leaves only two Defensive Tackles on the roster so finding some big guys to plug up the gaps is going to be a priority!

The Steel City is collectively holding their breath as they await what is going to happen to Big Ben Roethlisberger after he was once again involved in some fishy female play. He was charged with Sexual Assault and the league has publicly stated that they are going to sit down with the tall QB and find some stuff out. If a suspension is looming the Steelers need to get a Plan B working and fast. As far as their needs most of them rely on Defensive, hard to believe for a City built on that side of the ball. Cornerback is a glaring need, the Steelers need to get some cover guys who can run with top receivers. Next up is D-Line, Casey Hampton has re-signed but he isn’t getting any younger and now would be a good time to bring someone in to groom them for the future. Finally, the Steelers need to add some youth at Linebacker. They added Larry Foote this offseason but he will be 35 and James Harrison is 32 so it’s time to go out and find some guys that can play Steeler football. By that we mean fly around the field and intimidate that Crap out of offenses!!

San Diego Chargers –
You never thought that you would say this out in San Diego but they Bolts need a Running Back!! LaDainian Tomlinson has gone the way of the Jets and bolted. The longtime standout was the bellcow out in San Diego but now the onus falls on diminutive Darren Sproles. Sproles is a spark-plug and he can definitely make things happen but in all reality he’s a bit small to carry the ball 20-25 times a game over a 16 week span and into the playoffs. The Chargers love to throw off play-action so their passing attack is really predicated off their running attack. Next up on the wishlist is at Cornerback. Antonio Cromartie is also now a Jet so the Bolts need to find some cover guys. Deep in the postseason the name of the game is Pass Defense as you are likely to face the Peyton Manning’s and Tom Brady’s of the world so to have some coverage abilities is very important if the Bolts want to make a SuperBowl run. Finally the Chargers need to rebuild the Defensive Line. Jamal Williams is now a Bronco and Igor Olishansky was a Cowboy last season so the base that once was is no longer! Look for San Diego to address their D-Line in the draft or make a move up to grab a guy like CJ Spiller…that would be scary!

Tennessee Titans –
The Titans have a few holes but could shore them up if they resign some key leaders like Kevin Mawea at Center for example. Their biggest needs for improvement are consistency at QB but that’s not a roster move, just need some maturity at the position and Vince Young has proven he has gotten better over the last few years. Heading into the Draft the Titans need to add a few key pieces. They lost Kyle Vanden Bosch and need to find an edge presence that can not only rush the passer but also stop the run. If they don’t bring back longtime team leader Keith Bullock than Middle Linebacker is also a position of need. The New England Patriots stepped up their offer to Alge Crumpler and he is no longer a Titan so maybe in rounds two or three the Titans could find a nice compliment to Bo Scaife who did sign his tender agreement. Back in the day Special Teams was just a bunch of guys that didn’t make starting spots but now with the likes of Josh Cribbs and Devin Hester it’s become much more important to get production from your return guys. Well, the Titans need some production and need to find a Kick Returner to shorten the field for the offense. With the ultra-talented Chris Johnson at Running Back pretty much everything is a short field but it would be nice to start drives at around the 40 and not the 20!