Inside Linebacker (4/5): Just a few days after Super XXXIX, this very suddenly went from a position of strength to a position of need. Tedy Bruschi, the soul of the Pats 3-4 defense, suffered a minor stroke and his status for the upcoming season is in jeopardy. Bruschi is a tough and intelligent defender, and he has an uncanny knack for coming up with timely big plays. If he cannot play this season, New England must draft a capable replacement. Ted Johnson, the other ILB, is primarily a run-stuffer whose range and mobility have eroded with age. Thirty-seven year old Roman Phifer alternated with Johnson last season, but was released by the Patriots this offseason. Providing depth are Don Davis, who chipped-in mostly in the secondary last season, special teams maven Larry Izzo, and converted all-purpose lineman Dan Klecko. Unquestionably, the Patriots should look to inject some youth and playmaking ability into this unit, given the uncertainty of Bruschi’s status and the age of Johnson.
Cornerback (3/5): This is perhaps not as big a need as some people assume. Although Ty Law and Tyrone Poole missed most of last season and neither is likely return in 2005, the fact remains that Asante Samuel and undrafted free agent Randall Gay held up admirably in the stretch run to the Super Bowl. The Pats acquired Duane Starks from the Cardinals for a 3rd-round pick this offseason. Starks comes with injury question marks, but he was once regarded as an elite corner in days with the Ravens. A starting pairing of a healthy Duane Starks with emerging playmaker Asante Samuel, and Randall Gay filling in the nickel role, would give the Patriots a more than adequate cornerback unit. However, the Patriots have learned the importance of having depth to safeguard against injuries and will undoubtedly look to add some at this position in the draft. Troy Brown will not be there in 2005 to play corner in an emergency, and Earthwind Moreland was a salary cap casualty. Hank Poteat was signed for depth during the playoff run and is still under contract. Whether he will still be come opening day, however, is unknown. The Pats do have the luxury of moving FS Eugene Wilson to corner, his college position, should injuries strike again.
Right Tackle (3/5): Again, perhaps not quite the need people make it out to be. Although this position has been a turnstile the past few seasons, with Greg Randall, Tom Ashworth, and Brandon Gorin all rotating in and out, the strongside tackle has never caused an offensive breakdown during the Patriots’ three Super Bowl runs. Line coach Dante Scarnecchia is among the league’s best. Last season, he plugged in Gorin at the RT spot and left him there until February, and he did the same thing the previous year with Ashworth. Both will be back this season, creating a healthy competition for the starting role. But New England might do best to add a youngster with dominant potential to the starting mix.
Other needs: Guard, wide receiver.
Defensive Tackle (4/5): Into the void created by the departure of Jason Ferguson steps former Giant Lance Legree. Ferguson excelled last season and was a terror in the middle, and his emergence helped in the maturation of Dewayne Robertson. Legree will be hard-pressed to provide the interior presence that Ferguson did. Depth will be a major problem as well. Reserve James Reed is currently unsigned. Fellow reserve Josh Evans was recently inked to a new deal. But Evans was sidelined for all but one game last season with a back injury, and how much he can be counted on to contribute this season is uncertain. The only other nose tackle on the roster is undrafted free agent Tim McGill. There is a danger that Robertson will regress if he doesn’t have an elite player to two-gap beside him.
Tight End (4/5): Anthony Becht departed in free agency. The former first-round draft pick never developed into a consistent downfield threat, and his departed will likely not significantly affect the Jets offence. Currently, leaving under-utilized Chris Baker atop the depth chart. This could be a break-out season for Baker, who is considered a better blocker than receiver, but the Jets will still need to stock the position with depth. Unknowns Matt Chila and Josh Norman form the rest of the tight end corps, so even if the Jets are sold on Baker, they will need to make a significant improvement in terms of quality depth.
Corner (4/5): On one side, David Barrett is a solid and consistent corner. While he rarely scintillates with his big-play ability, he also rarely gets beaten badly. Aging Donnie Henderson occupies the other spot, and the Jets should look to replace him. They should also look to replace nickelback Ray Mickens, who was sidelined for much of last season with injury. Currently, the future rests with Derrick Strait, a tall corner whom the Jets drafter out of Oklahoma last season. Although he was slowed by injuries, Strait looked promising when he did see playing time and should leapfrog the older veterans on the depth chart this season. Even if Strait is the answer opposite Barrett, however, the Jets need to focus on injecting more youth into their cornerback unit. Little used Andrew Davison and Darrien Johnson are likely being kept on the roster merely to be used as training-camp fodder for the Jets’ wideouts.
Other needs: Tackle, linebacker, strong safety.
Buffalo Bills:
Defensive Tackle (5/5): Sam Adams is a stud, but his equally talented former partner, Pat Williams, departed to Minnesota in free agency. Wave players Ron Edwards and Tim Anderson are next in line to replace him. Both players lack the experience, size, tenacity, and ability to engulf blockers that Williams had. Reserve tackle Justin Bannan is not starting tackle material and can only be counted on for a very limited number of snaps per game. Rarely utilized Lauvale Sape completes the unit. The Bills were within breathing distance for the top in terms of total defense last season. And given the fact that they will be breaking in J.P. Losman as a full-time starter, they can be expected to rely even more heavily on this unit in 2005. As such, the team cannot afford a letdown at the defensive tackle position, and thus it is important that they draft a player with dominant potential to pair-up with Adams as a rock-solid interior force.
Left Tackle (5/5): A need that may be filled very shortly if the Bills decide to pull the trigger on the long-rumoured L.J. Shelton for Travis Henry deal. Jonas Jennings, last season’s starter, left in free agency for San Francisco. Again, it must be mentioned that with the Bills breaking-in a young quarterback, they cannot afford a significant letdown such a critical offensive line position. Former Bear Mike Gandy and Dylan McFarland are the only true left tackle options on the roster if none is added by trade or in the draft. While it is true that centre Trey Teague can play tackle in an emergency, this would create a vacancy in the interior. The Bills cannot risk slowing down Losman’s development because of inconsistency at the blind-side tackle position.
Wide Receiver (4/5): The Bills struck gold with the selection of Lee Evans in the first round last year. Evans looks like he will give the Bills not only a complement to Eric Moulds, but a big-play, gamebreaking threat who can stretch secondaries to the point of vulnerability. Moulds is still a consistent threat that defensives have to plan for, and the emergence of Evans only heightens his effectiveness. The Bills passing offence should be more dynamic with Losman at he controls, and each receiver’s productivity can be expected to benefit from this. But an upgrade will be required at the slot position. Josh Reed has been mediocre in his three seasons in the league, and has not asserted himself as a playmaker in the way the Bills expected him to. Barring injury, he will likely remain a backup for a long as he lasts with the Bills. Behind Reed are unproven Sam Aiken, Drew Haddad, and Jonathan Smith--raw, developmental types with limited upside.
Other needs: Tight end, strong safety, guard.
Miami Dolphins:
Running back (5/5): One of the most publicized needs in the 2005 draft. This has been a position of glaring weakness for the Dolphins since that fateful day last summer when Ricky Williams decided to abandon NFL superstardom and pursue inner piece along the Pacific Rim. The Dolphins went from one of the most feared rushing teams in the league, to one of the most pathetic. Travis Minor and Sammy Morris combined to fill in to the best of their abilities, but in reality both backs are best suited to spelling the starter. Between them, they managed only 911 yards on the ground. Lamar Gordon arrived with great promise, but succumbed to injury in his third start with the team, and only managed an average of 1.8 yards per rush in the limited action that he did see. In desperation, the Dolphins turned to Leonard Henry and Brock Forsey to bolster the ground game, but to very little effect, as neither is starting material. The gap at running back must be rectified at or before the NFL Draft. It is critical to Head Coach Nick Saban’s effort to rebuild the team from the ashes of shame and humiliation it was reduced to in 2004.
Quarterback (5/5): Another very prominent position of need for Miami. The Dolphins highest rated passed in 2004 was wide receiver Marty Booker, whose 118.0 quarterback rating was nearly as high as the sum of A.J. Feeley’s (61.7) and Jay Fielder’s (67.1) ratings. Fiedler much maligned career with the team drew to an end this offseason when he signed as a free agent with the Jets. While he will be in position with the second selection overall to draft one of the two potential franchise quarterbacks, Saban might feel that the team has already invested too much (2nd round pick to Philly) in A.J. Feely
not to give him another season at the controls of the offense. Feeley average a miserable 5.32 yards per attempt last season, and the decision to acquire him from the Eagles could likely to go as one of the most dubious scouting and worst personnel decisions in Dolphins history. Gus Frerotte was acquired from Minnesota to back-up the eventual starter. Sage Rosenfels will chart plays if no other quarterback is added to the team. If called upon to start, Frerotte is the better stopgap option.
Linebacker (4/5): It is high time for a youth movement to take root at this position. Zach Thomas is still a tackling machine, but is no longer the sideline-to-sideline dynamo that he was a few years ago. Similarly, Junior Seau has lost much of his playmaking ability, and should seriously consider putting an honorable end to his brilliant career. On the strongside, the Dolphins will start former Bronco Donnie Spragan. Spragan is a solid player with starting experience, but his insertion into the lineup might further slow down the development of 2003 draft pick Eddie Moore, a player whose career has already had a very hard time getting off the ground. Undersized rookie Derrick Pope played very well in spots during the second half of last season and should push for more playing time in 2005. Reserve linebackers Brendon Ayanbadejo, Corey Jenkins, and Tony Bua are principally special teamers, with Bua having the look of a special teams deamon. It is time for a changing of the guard in the Dolphins’ linebacking corps, and the team should be mindful of this come draft day.
Other needs: Safety, cornerback, guard.