I am going to discuss a few thoughts on this past weekend’s NFL Draft. Over the next several months, any fans who have questions about rookies, veterans, and teams looking ahead towards the 2008 NFL Season, please email me here. I will answer selected questions via the blog throughout the spring and summer.

Kansas City Chiefs: Carl Peterson and Herm Edwards stood out on draft weekend although they gave up Jared Allen last week. Adding Glenn Dorsey and Branden Albert allow the Chiefs to build a new foundation along both trenches for the long-term as this franchise transitions to a new era. The Chiefs have always built their strength along both front lines for many years. Dorsey is the impact player they’ve been missing in the middle of their defense and the type of penetrator that Gunther Cunningham likes to build his defense around. Albert was a masterful pickup to building rebuilding an offensive line that loss Will Shields and William Roaf in recent years. The Chiefs can now focus on finding pieces to build around Albert upfront. Brandon Flowers has a future as a tough component as the Chiefs work to get younger at cornerback. Jamal Charles also strengthens their depth behind Larry Johnson at running back.

Jacksonville Jaguars: There is a buzz around the league about the Jaguars. They have been struggling to generate consistent pressure off the perimeter and haven’t been able to acquire a blue-chip pass rusher. Adding rookies Derrick Harvey and Quentin Groves opened a lot of eyes on Saturday. Harvey isn’t an explosive pass rusher, but should develop into a well-rounded starter and Groves likely will be a situational pass rusher. The Jaguars are always trying to find nickel help, which could open a spot for Trae Williams early. Williams isn’t big enough to start, but has good cover skills. Expectations will be high for Jack Del Rio this season.

Baltimore Ravens: John Harbaugh’s tenure as head coach will be defined by Joe Flacco’s development. This represents the biggest boom or bust pick of the draft mainly due to Flacco going in the mid-first and representing a big part of the future. Flacco has very intriguing tools to become another Tony Romo, but has a lot of work ahead just like any other rookie quarterback. He’s going to have to learn how to read defenses and get rid of the ball quicker at the pro level than he showed on film at Delaware. The quarterback position generally represents the biggest risk in the first round, but they feel comfortable with Cam Cameron working with Flacco. If Flacco fails, it will set the Ravens back for years.

Chad Henne, Brian Brohm, and John David Booty: The Dolphins, Packers, and Vikings respectively made good insurance picks at the quarterback position. John Beck wasn’t drafted by the new regime in Miami and raised a lot of red flags with his play as a rookie when he looked like a deer in headlights a few times. Henne is more of the strong-armed pocket passer that Parcells has always built around in the past. Brohm probably found his best fit going to Green Bay without the pressure of being a first round pick. Brohm comes from a family-like atmosphere in Louisville, which makes Green Bay an easier transition. And in Minnesota, the jury is out on Tarvaris Jackson. John David Booty at least offers some long-term insurance as a backup.

Green Bay Packers: In talking about the Packers, it will be interesting to see how things play out with Aaron Rodgers and Brian Brohm. Picking Brohm was a good move to provide insurance because Rodgers is hardly any sure bet despite his progression during the past year. But it will be interesting to how Rodgers responds. Although Rodgers and Brohm both have durability questions, they aren’t in bad shape at the quarterback position so soon after Brett Favre’s retirement – especially with a quarterback guru like Mike McCarthy as head coach. Unfortunately, neither has the veteran experience you’d like to see a contender have at this stage. Beyond the Brohm pick, the Packers have a pretty solid draft. Jordy Nelson wasn’t an exciting pick in the second round, but he’s a good fit in the passing game and can return punts. Jermichael Finley was a solid pickup in the third round to pair with Donald Lee in double tight end sets in the passing game. Ted Thompson is giving Mike McCarthy a lot of depth in the passing game to help his young quarterbacks develop. Jeremy Thompson should add depth at defensive end. He lacks ideal tools, but is workman-like.

Minnesota Vikings: Although he wasn’t a draft pick on Saturday, the Vikings’ trading their first round pick to Kansas City for Jared Allen could push the Vikings over the top in the NFC North. The quarterback position and pass rush were the two biggest problems for the Vikings last season. Allen certainly fits in well here to give the Vikings production off the perimeter. The only question now is how Tarvaris Jackson and their young talent at wide receive progresses heading into the 2008 season. Bernard Berrian should help the Vikings stretch the field.

Miami Dolphins: I believe the Dolphins have acquired a solid foundation to begin the Bill Parcells Era. Jake Long has a chance to become a stud at left tackle and suddenly the Dolphins have a few young lineman to build around upfront. Shawn Murphy has some upside at guard as a fourth round pick. Long and Vernon Carey are solid building blocks upfront along with Justin Smiley and Samson Satele inside. The Dolphins also added some numbers with Phillip Merling and Kendall Langford at defensive end. Both could be solid fits within the 3-4 defense. Chad Henne is a good value pick at quarterback. He’s a blue-collar leader with good physical tools. I believe he’ll overtake John Beck quickly.

The Bengals have one of the stronger passing attacks in the league, but most of that production comes from the wide receiver positions.  The club hopes the signing of former Colts’ tight end Ben Utecht adds balance to their attack.

Utecht was primarily a backup behind Dallas Clark with the Colts, but saw a lot of snaps the past couple seasons as the number two guy and was productive as a starter when Clark was out of the lineup. 

The Bengals hope Utecht can provide them more production in the passing game from the tight end position.  Reggie Kelly has been a decent pass catcher, but his value remains in the run game at the line of scrimmage. 

Utecht has worked himself into an adequate positional type blocker off the line of scrimmage, but most of his assignments will be in the passing game.  He’s a pretty good athlete.  He’s not great off the line and can be neutralized if linebackers focus on jamming him off the line, but he knows how to get open if you scheme him properly in the slot.  He has enough size and speed to create favorable matchups within the intermediate passing game. 

The only question with Utecht is how much more can the Bengals ask of him than he gave Indianapolis in terms of snaps.  Durability has always been one question that surrounds Utecht with many scouts and personnel types around the league. 

In some other recent moves around the league, one of the sleeper signings this spring could be Cleveland’s addition of linebacker Shantee Orr.  Orr is a natural 3-4 linebacker who has good burst off the edge and long arms as a pass rusher.  He’s been stuck playing within the Texans’ 4-3 scheme the past couple seasons.  Orr should fit well in Cleveland with his workman-like mentality and find a role as a pass rusher. 

The Patriots continue to restock on veteran cornerbacks after getting cleaned out here early in the free agent period with the signing of Fernando Bryant last week.  Bryant has been nicked up a lot throughout his career and doesn’t make many plays, but he’s an experienced cover guy who played adequately to solid in Rod Marinelli’s zone scheme in Detroit. 

Carolina added a stop-gap to stabilize their secondary for next season with the recent addition of Terrence Holt to pair with Chris Harris at the safety positions.  Holt has a lot of limitations in man coverage and is very erratic in run support, but provides some veteran leadership and does a passable job in zone coverage.  He shows enough intelligence on the field to help lineup the rest of the secondary.  That is something the Panthers needed in their secondary at this stage. 

I liked the move by Minnesota to add former Kansas City defensive back Benny Sapp.  Sapp is strictly a role player, but plays hard and does everything that is asked of him.  He’s aggressive on special teams.  He has too many limitations in the secondary to play outside the slot, but handles limited assignments well out of the slot – especially as a blitzer. 

Phil Savage is serious about positioning his football team to contend for the AFC title sooner than later. 

The Browns suddenly have a solid rotation along the defensive line with the additions of Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers.  I’ve always liked Williams.  He’s not the quickest nor strongest lineman, but he plays hard and displays intensity on the field.  His effort will bring energy upfront.  Rogers needed a change of scenery from Detroit.  When Rogers plays hard and he’s in shape – he can as dominate as any defender in the league.  He can collapse the pocket and disrupt opponents in the backfield.  The Browns need Rogers to become energized in Cleveland. 

Holdovers Shaun Smith and Robarie Smith round out the rotation.  Shaun Smith displayed a good effort on the field at nose tackle and end during his first season with the Browns.  He should be effective at the point of attack. 

I like the addition of Donte’ Stallworth on the other side of the ball.  Stallworth stayed healthy last season, but has a track record of hamstring problems.  At his best, he provides an excellent complement to Braylon Edwards in the passing game.  This move allows Joe Jurevicius to escape some wear and tear and remain a clutch performer on third down. 

Moving forward, the Browns still must upgrade their pass rush behind Kamerion Winbley and add a veteran cover corner to solidify the secondary. 

 

Bills: The Bills have been quite active in addressing their problems against the run.  Opponents have capitalized on Buffalo’s lack of size upfront the past couple seasons.  Marcus Stroud provides the size and ability the clog gaps in the trenches against the run.  But the Bills must hope Stroud can overcome severe ankle problems that have slowed him down the past two seasons.  If Stroud bounces back and John McCargo emerges as a playmaker inside, the Bills should have a solid rotation including a few capable backups.  Kawika Mitchell adds much needed size to a smallish linebacker corps.  Mitchell isn’t a playmaker, but possesses good size and toughness against the run.  He made a lot of key stops down the stretch for the Giants last season and takes a good approach to the game.   

Saints: Have the Saints finally found some answers at linebacker?  On paper, I would say yes.  Jonathan Vilma is a very active and instinctive guy who plays hard and has a nose for the ball.  Morgan is a solid run defender who can solidify the middle.  He brings a blue-collar approach to the field.  The question is whether they can stay healthy.  Vilma has a history of knee problems, which finally sidelined him for a significant stretch last season.  Morgan has the history of concussions and various other injury problems because he plays so hard.  He can bring some attitude if he can stay on the field. 

 

Buccaneers:  Antonio Bryant attempting a comeback after off-field issues kept him off the field last season.  If Bryant has turned the corner and matured, he could become a difference-maker to complement Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard for Tampa Bay next season.  Bryant lacks ideal speed and has lapses in concentration on the field, but has good size and isn’t afraid to go over the middle of the field.  A consistent Bryant would add balance within Jon Gruden’s passing game. 

There are a lot of mixed thoughts among the masses about Brian Billick and his confident personality, but he’s an excellent football coach who deserves a lot of credit for his tenure in Baltimore.   He built a solid coaching staff throughout his tenure, created a strong culture, and did a tremendous job working with a lot of diverse personalities – especially in the early years of his tenure. 

As much as I respect Billick, I believe the Ravens made the right decision to move in a new direction. 

It was the right time.  The organization needed a new voice on the field and some fresh ideas.  One of the most frustrating aspects of the Billick regime was constant problems on the offensive side of the ball despite Billick’s background as an offensive coach.  After several years of this being known as a defensive team, the culture becomes overbearing around the organization.  It presents a lot of challenges and roadblocks for the offensive side of the ball to develop respect and confidence to commit to a plan. 

By moving in a new direction with the coaching staff, it gives this organization an opportunity to take a step back and look at the makeup of their football team.  It allows a new group of coaches to come into the organization with a clean slate towards building a new philosophy and identity on the offensive side of the ball. 

At the same time, I believe the Ravens have to take a look at their leadership core and Ray Lewis.  They have to realize this isn’t the Super Bowl team anymore.  It hasn’t been for several seasons now.   The leadership core of that team with Lewis – Shannon Sharpe, Rod Woodson, and blue collar veterans like Tony Siragusa have been long gone.  The Ravens should think about parting ways with Lewis to begin opening the pipeline for a new leadership core to grow.  Lewis has such a strong presence that looms over the whole team which could be holding the younger core or next generation of Ravens from breaking out from his shadow.  I can’t say whether I would make that move at the end of the day, but I believe a lot of thought analysis must be invested into this issue by Ozzie Newsome and the rest of the staff in Baltimore.

Where are the Ravens going from here?

I do believe the Ravens are in pretty good shape for the future.  They have a couple younger players on the offensive side of the ball with Mark Clayton and Willis McGahee that are good fits moving forward.  I like their numbers and young talent along the offensive line.  They have a good core of young players on the defensive side of the ball for the next several years. 

The biggest uncertainty is at the quarterback position.  Does it make sense to try squeezing another year out of Steve McNair under a first year coach?   Kyle Boller hasn’t shown enough consistency to be the answer.  Troy Smith has a strong arm and his teammates respect his competitiveness, but the jury remains out on whether he could develop into a legitimate starting quarterback. 

And the other question is the future of Todd Heap.  Heap has been an enigma in Baltimore – held back by lack of support around him and injuries.  When healthy, Heap is a weapon in the passing game who can create favorable matchups, but has had a lot of problems with injuries the past couple seasons. 

Who are some coaches that should be considered?

Rex Ryan certainly deserves an interview.  I believe he has an opportunity to become a very good head coach in this league.  Ryan is a tremendous communicator and has a lot of positive leadership qualities.  But Ryan might be victimized by the organization deciding it needs to go outside for a new voice much like the situation in Pittsburgh a year ago. 

If they go outside the organization, New England’s Josh McDaniels would be a very intriguing fit within their organizational structure.  McDaniels has a tremendous grasp of the big picture after working with Bill Belichick.  He has a lot of energy and would bring some fresh ideas to the organization on the offensive side of the ball.  I believe they could pick up a few ideas just from interviewing him.  McDaniels also would probably work well within their scouting structure. 

Cowboys’ offensive coordinator Jason Garrett is a hot name right now.  He has good offensive philosophies and leadership skills.  I also would talk to Indianapolis quarterback coach Jim Caldwell.  Caldwell has a quiet strength to him similar to Tony Dungy and a good reputation on the offensive side of the ball.  A lot of people would probably be surprised, but I’d also request to interview Cleveland offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.  Chudzinski is going to be a head coach in the near future and maybe sooner than many people realize if he scores well in his interviews.  I liked how Chudzinski utilized his personnel in Cleveland this season and also has a lot of positive leadership skills. 

And finally, I’d interview Tennessee defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.  Schwartz has a big picture organizational philosophy that could fit well with the Ravens’ personnel department.  On the field, he’s built similar types of defenses to what they are running in Baltimore. 

Rookies Marvin White and Chinedum Ndukwe lined up as the starting safeties for Cincinnati’s interstate battle against Cleveland.  This is a sign of things to come in the Bengals’ secondary for 2008.

White and Ndukwe have intrigued coaches throughout the summer and into the regular season.  They quickly established themselves as backups behind Madieu Williams and Dexter Jackson.  Williams will be a free agent this coming spring.  He’ll likely be overpaid by somebody else.  Jackson is a stop-gap veteran with limitations.  That means the Bengals could go into the 2008 season with White and Ndukwe as full-time starters. 

White has displayed fairly good speed and loves to hit people.  He’s very strong in run support and plays with a lot of intensity.  White just needs more experience and repetitions this spring to improve his command of the defense and learning how to recognize things better on the field.

Ndukwe has a better feel for the mental side of the game and has flashed the ability to make plays.  He covers a lot of ground and displays good burst to the ball in the air.  He plays hard and has good size in the box. 

Overall, the Bengals are developing a young core in the secondary with another rookie – cornerback Leon Hall and second-year man Jonathan Joseph.  Hall displayed good toughness to re-route receivers and plays instinctively for a rookie.  Joseph is a good athlete and flashes a lot of ability as a cover guy, but still needs more repetitions to continue working on his instincts.  Joseph was rusty for much of the year after returning from a broken foot.