Cornerback (5/5): Tennessee’s needs are many, as the Titans purged themselves this offseason in an attempt to rectify their huge salary cap problems. One of the casualties was corner Samari Rolle, a premier defender. Being cash-strapped, the Titans were also unable to be pro-active in resigning Andre Dyson, a talented and emerging corner with his best years ahead of him. All that remains is youth and inexperience. The team desperately needs former first rounder Andre Woolfolk to grow into a playmaker at right corner this season. This desperation is protracted by the fact that projected starting left corner Rich Gardner and projected nickel back Michael Waddell were targeted and burnt badly in their rookie campaigns. The only other corner on the roster is Tony Beckham, who suffers from the same lack of experience as the other three. If they do not upgrade this position, the Titans will be drastically undermanned when they match up against Manning, Carr, and Leftwich next season.
Wide Receiver (5/5): The perimeter is a source of weakness on both side of the ball. Derrick Mason and Eddie Berlin have departed in free agency, and no one has been brought in as of yet to replace them. As of this writing, the Titans only had three receivers under contract. One is a gem. Drew Bennett had a monster season in 2004, picking up 1247 yards through the air for a 15.6 yard per catch average and hauling in 11 touchdowns. The Titans had hoped that 2004 would be a break-out year for Tyrone Calico, but instead injury struck and he saw action in only one game. The team needs Calico to bounce back in a big way, because the lone receiver behind him and Bennett is practice-squad player Kevin Wolcott. If Calico can return to health and emerge as a dynamic alternative to Bennett, and if the Titans can find a speedy slotback-type in the early rounds of the draft, this could grow into a quality, young unit. But that’s a lot of “if’s,” and life in the NFL is rarely so kind.
Defensive End (5/5): The Titans lost 8.5 sacks with the departure of Kevin Carter in free agency and Carlos Hall via trade. They will be extremely young at end this season, rotating 2004 draft picks Travis LaBoy, Bo Schobel, and Antwan Odom at the left and right side positions. The three combined for 5.5 sacks last year. LaBoy evinced the most promise, with Odom and Schobel looking more like they will contribute best in substitution packages. The Titans should look to add depth to this position, if only to guard against injury or ineffectiveness. If the Titans fail to generate pressure from the end position, they will be forced to rely more heavily on their talented, young defensive tackle rotation. Adding another defensive end in the early rounds should set the Titans up to have a very dangerous front four in the upcoming years.
Other needs: Running back, guard, middle linebacker.
Linebacker (4/5): It has become a recurrent offseason theme and a draft day rite that the Colts will target defense as their area of need. Opponents amassed an average of 370 yards per game against the Colts last season. Yes, this number must be taken in context; opponents were most often operating from wide-open formation, as they tried to play catch-up to the Colts offensive scoring machine. But the Colts’ defense intimidates no one, and the problems areas being with the linebacking corps. While it is true that DC Ron Meeks does not blitz his linebackers much, but the trio of Rob Morris, Cato June, and David Thornton only produced 3 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Former starting MLB Morris and reserve Jim Nelson will not return to the club in the fall. The Colts need an instant upgrade in the middle, where, as things stand now, Gary Brackett is slated to start. Brackett has only started one game in his career, and the Colts would be unwise to bank on him. Behind Brackett is little-utilized Keyon Whiteside. Thornton and June are respectable on the outside, though they have evinced little ability to author game-altering big plays. There is youth and potential behind them. Kendyll Pope and Gilbert Gardner, both 2004 drat selections, are athletic and talented, but made scant contribution in their rookie seasons.
Cornerback (4/5): Another position where the Colts are banking on youth and potential more than on a proven track record of productivity. Out of the foursome of Donald Strickland, Joseph Jefferson, Jason David, and Von Hutchins, two will emerge as starters. David and Hutchins showed promise in their rookie season, combining 91 tackles and 5 interceptions. But they saw a lot of balls coming in their direction, a telling sign that opposing quarterbacks did not respect them. Joseph Jefferson has had an injury-riddled career and should only be used in substitution packages. Strickland, also, is better suited as a nickel or dime back. Waine Bacon is also under contract as the 5th corner. The Colts need to make a serious move to upgrade this position. Either David or Hutchins can start, but not both, and the other three corners on the roster should only be used in passing sets.
Guard (3/5): Former LG Rick DeMulling will suit up for the Detroit Lions this upcoming season. Tupe Peko is slated to be his replacement. Peko has some ability, but is a significant drop-off from DeMulling. Behind Peko is Ryan Lilja, an undersized youngster who player well in spots last season. On the other size, second-year man Jake Scott will assume the starting role. At 280 lbs, Scott is light for a guard, but he distinguished himself when called upon to play last season and should be an able starter this season. There is no proven depth behind Scott, however. The only signed guard behind him is unknown Marico Portis.
Other needs: Defensive tackle, left tackle, fullback.
Left tackle (5/5): Left tackle has been an unstable position for the Texans since their inception. It says something about their faith in Seth Wand that the Texans made such a publicized attempt to sign Rams LT Orlando Pace to an offer sheet in the offseason. While David Carr did take less of a beating last season than he had in the past, 49 sacks is still a lot to ask any quarterback to absorb. Wand at least showed an ability to stay healthy last season, starting every game at left tackle. But the Texans really need someone who can shut down the pass rush from the left-hand side, and there is doubt as to whether Wand will develop into anything more than a stop-gap tackle. Many experts project athletic Florida State tackle Alex Barron to the Texans with the 13th overall selection. Even if the Texans do not draft a starter here, they need to secure depth at this position. Chad Beasley backs up Wade. Beasley is a marginal player at best.
Nose tackle (4/5): The Texans run defense surrendered an average of 115 yards per game last season, and this number must be improved on in 2005. NT Seth Payne registered 51 tackles and 2 sacks and is still an adequate starter. But he turned 30 in February, has had a history of injuries, and there are indications that his quality of play is starting to slip. As such, the Texans should look to inject this position with a dosage of youth. Jerry DeLoach backs up Payne and ironically registered more tackles for loss than Payne, despite his use as a situational defender. Given the fact that the Texans threaten to be very weak at the inside linebacker position (see below), they cannot afford a letdown on at the NT position and must import at least one gap-clogging body on draft day.
Inside linebacker (4/5): The recent release of Jamie Sharper has made this a chronic need, not just because Sharper’s 139 tackles and 3 forced fumbles will be difficult to replace, but because the Texans have no viable options on the roster with which to replace him. Sharper was also one of the original Texans, selected in their expansion draft, which means that the Texans have lost one of their few veteran leaders. Their other starting inside linebacker, Jay Foreman, was also a salary cap casualty, though his loss is far less lamentable. Foreman has been replaced by free agent acquisition Morlon Greenwood, an ex-Dolphin, and the trade-off is pretty much equitable. The most dangerous byproduct of cutting Sharper is that it could possibly force a player best suited for a back-up role into the starting lineup. The belief here is that the other inside linebackers on the roster, namely undrafted free agents Shantee Orr and Troy Evans, as well as journeymen Dashon Polk and Frank Chamberlin, do not have the talent to be anything more than situational contributors.
Other needs: Safety, running back, guard.
Left defensive end (5/5): The defensive end position was something of an embarrassment for the Jaguars last season, as they were forced to rely on reserve linebacker Greg Favors and undersized 7th round draft pick Bobby McCray to generate even a modest pass rush. Reggie Hayward, signed as a free agent from Denver, should stabilize the right defensive end position. The left defensive end position still requires an upgrade, however. Marcellus Wiley, a huge disappointment in Dallas last season, was signed as a free agent. The Jaguars evidently saw something in Wiley that most lucid talent evaluators missed. McCray is available for use, but he using him as anything more than a situation rusher is asking too much from him at this stage of his career. Ends Paul Spicer and Rob Meier, wave players with injury histories and very limited upsides, are also under contract. The Jaguars will have the opportunity to bolster this position in the draft, given the depth of this season’s end class. They should further look for a end with good two-way ability, as a hidden weakness of the Jaguars’ defense last season was an inability to stone the run (they allowed 111.1 rushing yards per game). A playmaker like Dan Cody, David Pollack, or Matt Roth should be available when they make their selection. The addition of Hayward in free agency and a playmaking rookie in the draft would give the Jaguars four studs along their defensive front.
Right cornerback (4/5): The Jaguars have a real up-and-comer at left cornerback in Rashean Mathis, who snagged 5 interceptions in extensive starting action. Right cornerback is less of a strength, however. The Jaguars wisely cut last season’s starter, Dewayne Washington. Washington saw a ton of balls thrown in his direction last season, and he may have outlasted his effectiveness as an NFL starter. Similarly, the aging Juran Bolden was released and joined Tampa Bay. Jacksonville should look to get younger and much more athletic at the right corner position. As it stands, Kiwaukee Thomas will start; his backup will be Kenny Wright, a free agent acquisition from division rival Houston. Here is a sobering statistic the Jaguars should consider: in a combined 11 seasons in the league, Thomas and Wright have only produced 4 interceptions between them. The Jaguars would be well served to draft a talented young corner who could complement Mathis. They could then let Thomas fight it out with Wright and Terry Cousin for nickel back responsibilities.
Left tackle (4/5): Starter Mike Pearson sustained a season-ending knee injury last October. The Jaguars shifted Ephraim Salaam over from reserve right tackle to replace him and signed Bob Whitfield for depth. The team will not retain Whitfield, the dictionary definition of a stopgap, and would rather use Salaam to backup Maurice Williams on the right side. To do this, they must be certain that Pearson can return to form in time for the 2005 season, and right now, that is very debatable. The Jaguars have no other true left tackle on the roster to substitute for Pearson. It would be a very imprudent risk to open mini-camps in May without at least using a late first day or early second day pick on some insurance at the position, in case Pearson proceeds slower than expected with his rehabilitation.
Other needs: Linebacker, wide receiver, running back.