What does your team REALLY need? (NFC South)
If you where waiting for 'Part III' of my Super Bowl blog... it ain't gunna happen. I rewrote it 1,000 times and every time it came out angrier and more opinionated that the previous draft. SO. That being said. Here is a new quick series on what all 32 NFL teams REALLY need and where they maybe able to pick of the talent.
Lets start with the division I know like the back of my hand, the NFC South. This group had the NFC representative in Super Bowl 50, the MVP in Cam Newton, the fan voted Rookie of the Year Jameis Winston, the QB with the most passing yards in Drew Brees with 4,870 and the Salute to Service Award winner Vincent Jackson. Pretty good for a group that only put one team in the playoffs!
Atlanta Falcons (8-8, 17th overall pick) Need: Edge rush
The Falcons had a fantastic start to the 2015 season going 6-1 in their first 7 games. Then... well. They ended 8-8 so, you do the math. They boasted a pretty solid offense but their defense was last in the league in sacks, 19 total. Some players like J.J. Watt and Khalil Mack almost hit that total themselves. On top of that their sack leader was rookie Vic Beasley Jr with a whopping 4 total. Yikes. Now, who is available? If you look to the draft Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd both solid defensive ends both out of Clemson. If you glance toward Free Agency Mario Williams was just cut by the Bills today (but he is utter locker room cancer) and Jason Pierre-Paul are out there. But, I won't shoot off any fireworks for either of those FA. If I where the Falcons I would look for youth and not some pricey FA looking to JUST be a edge guy.
Carolina Panthers (15-1, 30th overall pick) Need: Backfield depth
Two games shy of a perfect season, the MVP, a ton of guys voted to the Pro Bowl... it seems hard to find flaws here but there is one big one, depth at running back. As of today Johnathon Stewart is going to turn 30 at the end of March and Mike Tolbert is set to become a free agent any day now and also is 30 as well. Underneath them is a cluster of backs led by Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne. Both those guys only combined for just shy of 300yds and 2 touchdowns. I can't see either of them becoming an every-down-back nor do I see Tolbert returning to the Carolinas. So, if the Panthers want to look to the draft there really only two guys worth a first rounder. First, is Ezekiel Elliot out of Ohio State but I think he will be off the board by the 30th pick. Second, is Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry, which, in the grand scheme of things fits well in that "ground and pound" type offense in Carolina. And what's up in free agency? Matt Forte is going to be there but I think he has Patriots written all over him. However, Lamar Miller out of the Fins organization is a great fit. He is a guy you can hand the ball to 250 times to give Stewart a break and has great hands out of the backfield.
New Orleans Saints (7-9, 12th overall pick) Need: Linebackers
No shock that Drew Brees had an amazing year but... also no shock that the Saints had an AWFUL defense. They allowed the most points this year at a staggering 29.8 points per game, 26th in interceptions, 25th in sacks etc... you get the idea. And, it is never a good sign when your second leading tackler is one of your safeties. That means the linebackers are letting a ton of ball carriers slip by into the secondary. I think they are sound at middle linebacker with Stephone Anthony (who led the team in tackles) and need to improve outside him. If they look to improve via the draft they will most likely miss out on OLB Myles Jack out of UCLA but after an outstanding combine Darron Lee out of OSU looks the fit the bill nicely. He ran a 4.43 40 yard dash (the fastest by a LB in more than a decade) as well as an 11ft 1inch broad jump and over 35 inches in the vertical jump. And in the old free pool... I think they already met with the best available in former Ram, James Laurinaitis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9, 9th overall pick) Need: Cornerback
It looks like they struck gold with the first overall pick in Jameis Winston and had a few other bright spots but... there is ANOTHER new head coach in town, Dirk Koetter, which means a new defensive coordinator, Mike Smith (former Falcons HC,) and I am sure there are personal changes coming as well. But, there is one thing they NEED to improve on ASAP and that is the secondary, most glaring is the cornerback spot. "The truth is the Bucs have added more defensive backs over the past two years than any other position and don’t have much to show for it" (PewterReport) Now, how to fix that via the draft? Well, lucky for Tampa CB Vernon Hargreaves III will most likely be around when they pick 9th. And on top of that he is the highest rated defensive back in the draft AND he said on record he would love to play in his hometown, Tampa Bay. In FA? The Bucs had had nothing but busts out of that pool... Darrelle Revis, Alterraun Verner etc... but there is a good chance that one or both of the Rams' corners come into the market, Trumaine Johnson/Janoris Jenkins, and they would be decent fits in pewter and gold.
The next division up? The NFC East.
Stats, facts and figures: espn.com, nfl.com, pewterreport.com, profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
Lets start with the division I know like the back of my hand, the NFC South. This group had the NFC representative in Super Bowl 50, the MVP in Cam Newton, the fan voted Rookie of the Year Jameis Winston, the QB with the most passing yards in Drew Brees with 4,870 and the Salute to Service Award winner Vincent Jackson. Pretty good for a group that only put one team in the playoffs!
Atlanta Falcons (8-8, 17th overall pick) Need: Edge rush
The Falcons had a fantastic start to the 2015 season going 6-1 in their first 7 games. Then... well. They ended 8-8 so, you do the math. They boasted a pretty solid offense but their defense was last in the league in sacks, 19 total. Some players like J.J. Watt and Khalil Mack almost hit that total themselves. On top of that their sack leader was rookie Vic Beasley Jr with a whopping 4 total. Yikes. Now, who is available? If you look to the draft Shaq Lawson and Kevin Dodd both solid defensive ends both out of Clemson. If you glance toward Free Agency Mario Williams was just cut by the Bills today (but he is utter locker room cancer) and Jason Pierre-Paul are out there. But, I won't shoot off any fireworks for either of those FA. If I where the Falcons I would look for youth and not some pricey FA looking to JUST be a edge guy.
Carolina Panthers (15-1, 30th overall pick) Need: Backfield depth
Two games shy of a perfect season, the MVP, a ton of guys voted to the Pro Bowl... it seems hard to find flaws here but there is one big one, depth at running back. As of today Johnathon Stewart is going to turn 30 at the end of March and Mike Tolbert is set to become a free agent any day now and also is 30 as well. Underneath them is a cluster of backs led by Fozzy Whittaker and Cameron Artis-Payne. Both those guys only combined for just shy of 300yds and 2 touchdowns. I can't see either of them becoming an every-down-back nor do I see Tolbert returning to the Carolinas. So, if the Panthers want to look to the draft there really only two guys worth a first rounder. First, is Ezekiel Elliot out of Ohio State but I think he will be off the board by the 30th pick. Second, is Heisman trophy winner Derrick Henry, which, in the grand scheme of things fits well in that "ground and pound" type offense in Carolina. And what's up in free agency? Matt Forte is going to be there but I think he has Patriots written all over him. However, Lamar Miller out of the Fins organization is a great fit. He is a guy you can hand the ball to 250 times to give Stewart a break and has great hands out of the backfield.
New Orleans Saints (7-9, 12th overall pick) Need: Linebackers
No shock that Drew Brees had an amazing year but... also no shock that the Saints had an AWFUL defense. They allowed the most points this year at a staggering 29.8 points per game, 26th in interceptions, 25th in sacks etc... you get the idea. And, it is never a good sign when your second leading tackler is one of your safeties. That means the linebackers are letting a ton of ball carriers slip by into the secondary. I think they are sound at middle linebacker with Stephone Anthony (who led the team in tackles) and need to improve outside him. If they look to improve via the draft they will most likely miss out on OLB Myles Jack out of UCLA but after an outstanding combine Darron Lee out of OSU looks the fit the bill nicely. He ran a 4.43 40 yard dash (the fastest by a LB in more than a decade) as well as an 11ft 1inch broad jump and over 35 inches in the vertical jump. And in the old free pool... I think they already met with the best available in former Ram, James Laurinaitis.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9, 9th overall pick) Need: Cornerback
It looks like they struck gold with the first overall pick in Jameis Winston and had a few other bright spots but... there is ANOTHER new head coach in town, Dirk Koetter, which means a new defensive coordinator, Mike Smith (former Falcons HC,) and I am sure there are personal changes coming as well. But, there is one thing they NEED to improve on ASAP and that is the secondary, most glaring is the cornerback spot. "The truth is the Bucs have added more defensive backs over the past two years than any other position and don’t have much to show for it" (PewterReport) Now, how to fix that via the draft? Well, lucky for Tampa CB Vernon Hargreaves III will most likely be around when they pick 9th. And on top of that he is the highest rated defensive back in the draft AND he said on record he would love to play in his hometown, Tampa Bay. In FA? The Bucs had had nothing but busts out of that pool... Darrelle Revis, Alterraun Verner etc... but there is a good chance that one or both of the Rams' corners come into the market, Trumaine Johnson/Janoris Jenkins, and they would be decent fits in pewter and gold.
The next division up? The NFC East.
Stats, facts and figures: espn.com, nfl.com, pewterreport.com, profootballtalk.nbcsports.com
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