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.

Pete Kendall and the Washington Redskins needed each other.  Kendall was part of a prolonged exile with the Jets throughout the past several months after sparring with team officials over his contract.  Meanwhile, the Redskins had a hole along their offensive line after allowing Derrick Dockery to sign with Buffalo early in the spring.

The Redskins tried to fill Dockery’s spot at left guard with veteran tackle Todd Wade.   Wade has excellent size and power, but struggled to make the transition from being a career right tackle to moving to the left side to play inside.  Wade never found a comfort zone at that spot with his techniques and feel for the position. 

Enter Pete Kendall.  Kendall is 34 years old, but remains a solid veteran presence and has graded well at left guard over the past couple seasons with the Jets.  Kendall lacks the lower body strength to consistently move guys off the line, but he’s a tough, nasty blocker who plays with tremendous technique. 

Kendall’s addition bolsters the club’s veteran stability upfront and a strong ground game will work together to support a young quarterback in Jason Campbell. 

Chiefs make right decision at quarterback: I believe the Chiefs made the right decision by naming Damon Huard the starting quarterback heading into the season.  Brodie Croyle has intriguing physical tools and the Chiefs were hoping he could win the job coming out of training camp, but he made too many mistakes with the football.  Huard has limitations, but he’s a steady veteran who protects the football.  He gives the Chiefs the best opportunity to win at the beginning of the season.  Huard is also respected by many veterans on the team. 

At some point, the Chiefs need to answer the question on Croyle.  There’s no debate he has the physical tools and makeup to become a starting quarterback.  The Chiefs have to find the right time to hand the reins to Croyle with the understanding that there will be growing pains.  The Chiefs must learn if Croyle can handle the physical demands of being a starting quarterback in the National Football League after questions about his durability surfaced during his college career.  And ultimately, they have to determine whether he can lift the team to a higher level and display the mental toughness to eventually become a long-term fixture at quarterback for their franchise. 

Bengals add depth: Cincinnati made a solid move by adding veteran linebacker Lemar Marshall.  Marshall has experience at both the weak side and in the middle.  He’s not very big, but he’s smart and plays to his assignments.  Marshall is also solid in pass coverage.  He replaces what they lost when they cut Brian Simmons last spring.  Marshall is coming off a subpar 2006 season as a starter in the middle with the Redskins, but was slowed by some knee and ankle problems.  Marshall bolsters the Bengals’ depth at linebacker.  Ed Hartwell began camp in competition on the weakside, but is taking a lot of reps at middle linebacker now to act as insurance if Ahmad Brooks can’t handle the mental responsibilities that comes with the position.  But Hartwell lacks the speed that Marvin Lewis wants in the middle and has a history of knee problems the past couple years. 

Gaither pushing for starting spot with Ravens: Rookie Jared Gaither has opened a lot of eyes during training camp.  Gaither was highly coveted by the Ravens coming out of the Supplemental Draft for his incredible size and upside, but there were questions about his mental toughness and work ethic.  But he’s been a surprise thus far.  He’s worked hard and hasn’t backed down in practice.  He’s been moving well and matching up well in pass protection.  The Ravens planned on allowing Gaither to settle into the left tackle position behind Jonathan Odgen this season, but he could open the season as the starting right tackle ahead of Adam Terry. 

Quarterback derby heats up in Cleveland: While Brady Quinn has opened a lot of eyes during the exhibition season, the question remains on what will happen with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson.  Frye will likely get the opening game nod despite Quinn’s intriguing performances.  The Browns will likely also keep Ken Dorsey.  Dorsey is extremely smart and has a tremendous understanding of Rob Chudzinski’s scheme.  He’s been an invaluable resource for Quinn thus far.  But will the Browns keep four quarterbacks to open the season?  A few teams are keeping an eye on this situation as there is interest in Derek Anderson.  Anderson needs to learn to make better decisions with the football and isn’t very mobile, but has good size and scouts like the way he throws the ball. 

Losing Anthony McFarland was the second major blow for the Colts in the past few weeks.  McFarland brought a jolt to a suspect Colts’ front four when he was acquired from Tampa Bay last season with his quickness and veteran experience.  Rookie Quinn Pitcoc k is now in the spotlight with an opportunity to take over McFarland’s spot.  Pitcoc k is a blue-collar guy from Ohio State with plays with a lot of effort, but has a lot of limitations.  Darrell Reid and Dan Klecko are young veterans who are try-hard guys who can penetrate and get upfield, but possess size limitations. 

Bill Polian has created a strong football culture that allows the Colts to overcome key injuries similar to the environment that has allowed Andy Reid to work through adversity in Philadelphia.  The Colts will remain a competitive football team with a lot of good athletes on both side of the ball, but will face tough odds to repeat after losing their most talented offensive lineman and now a key factor along their defensive front. 

49ers scare: Mike Nolan had a scare a few days ago when Aubrayo Franklin went down with a knee injury.  Luckily, he should only miss the pre-season, but Franklin also missed a few practices last week with an elbow injury.  Franklin is such an important cog at nose tackle towards building the defense Nolan envision when he arrived in San Francisco.  But after working as a reserve in Baltimore, the only question that arrived with Franklin was proving his durability in a full-time role.  Franklin will need to answer those questions during the season.  Without Franklin in the lineup during camp, the 49ers will get good looks at Isaac Sopoapga and rookie Joe Cohen.  Cohen has opened eyes with his active play, but is more of a tweener type.  He lacks the ideal power to play the nose on an everydown basis.  Sopoaga has the size and power to control blockers in the trenches, but his career has been a disappointment to date.  Sopoaga has worked on using his hands better to gain initial control over blockers and must work on not allowing blockers into his chest.  He entered camp on the bubble for a roster spot. 

Rookie impresses Chargers: The Chargers are intrigued with the natural athleticism displayed by rookie wide receiver Craig Davis in practice thus far.  Davis has the ability to stretch the field and give the Chargers an immediate downfield threat, but must prove he’s tough enough to work over the middle of the field.  Davis is being counted on to fill a prominent role coming out of the gate with Eric Parker out for the early part of the season.  Davis has more size and speed, but they’ll miss Parker’s ability to make a lot of clutch grabs.  Vincent Jackson is also being counted on to take his game to the next level with his blend of size and athletic ability, but still must show he can make tough plays in traffic that true number one receivers make in traffic.  Jackson has been nicked up in the early parts of camp.

McIntosh questions: Damion McIntosh’s knee injury will keep him out 4 to 6 weeks.  Scouts around the league have always had red flags on McIntosh over long-term durability.  The Chiefs must hope they can squeeze an effective season from McIntosh while deciding on their long-term direction at left tackle.  Will Svitek will get a long look the next several weeks and that should provide some indication whether Svitek has any opportunity at becoming a long-term solution at left tackle or whether the Chiefs will have to make this position a priority next spring.  Svitek is a former college defensive lineman who lacks experience on the offensive side of the ball and had knee problems last season.  Svitek has good size and feet, but needs a lot of work.

The San Diego Chargers are talented with difference makers on both sides of the ball.  The only question is how they respond to the coaching transition with Norv Turner and several new assistants.  This is the most talent Turner has worked with since his days in Dallas, but hasn’t proven himself as a head coach under two tough owners.  Philip Rivers could become a dangerous quarterback working with Turner.  Rivers possesses natural instincts in the passing game, but needs more support from the wide receivers.  Vincent Jackson flashes talent with good size, but must take a step forward in terms of consistency.  The defense is very strong again.  Jamal Williams and Luis Castillo are unsung warriors upfront.  They generate a lot of pressure off the perimeter with Shawne Merriman and Shaun Phillips.  Quentin Jammer has finally taken his game to the next level.  Antonio Cromartie is a strong prospect in the secondary.  This secondary does need to create more turnovers – especially from inside.  They are hoping Eric Weddle quickly emerges as a playmaker during his rookie year.  They’ll also miss the veteran presence of Donnie Edwards and Randall Godfrey at linebacker, although Stephen Cooper and Matt Wilhelm are capable. 

Not many people are talking about the Denver Broncos, but they are a team to watch in the AFC.  Jay Cutler showed good mental toughness as a rookie.  He’ll have some rough stretches, but he’s in a good position to make things happen.  Cutler has a lot of targets in the passing game – especially if Rod Smith bounces back and Brandon Stokley stays healthy working out of the slot.  Tony Sheffler will make a lot of plays from the tight end position if healthy.  They always seem to have an efficient unit upfront and that should be the case again if Matt Lepsis bounces back at left tackle.  Travis Henry brings good stability to the ground game.  Jim Bates was a strong hire to run the defense.  He gets the most out of his players.  They are deep in numbers across the front four.  A healthy Gerard Warren and Sam Adams will lead a solid rotation inside.  They’ll be a lot of pressure on rookie Jarvis Moss to quickly emerge as the pass rusher they’ve been missing off the perimeter.  Moss doesn’t have much bulk, but is a perfect fit in Bates scheme.  They’ll be a lot of pressure on Dre’ Bly playing opposite of Champ Bailey.  Bly can make big plays, but must show consistency since he’ll be challenged often. 

The Kansas City Chiefs are officially in a transition phase following the trade of Trent Green.  Damon Huard did a fine job last season, but the Chiefs are looking for Brodie Croyle to seize the quarterback spot.  Croyle has good attributes, but must prove he can handle the physical aspect of being a starting quarterback in this league.  The Chiefs must get that question answered this season.  The once strong offensive line now has a lot of questions.  It’s tough to lose Willie Roaf and Will Shields to retirement in consecutive seasons without definitive replacements.  Now the Chiefs are starting a few journeyman along the offensive line.  Damion McIntosh is an adequate stopgap at left tackle, but far from a long-term solution.  The defense could struggle.  Tamba Hali displayed a good motor as a pass rusher last season, but Jared Allen faces a very uncertain future.  They have a couple young prospects inside, but they are raw at this point.  That means the interior rotation looks to be filled with stopgap type talent again.  They hope to squeeze quality seasons from Ty Law and Patrick Surtain at cornerback, but they are aging with little depth behind them.  The only hope towards keeping the Chiefs competitive is the presence of Larry Johnson and Tony Gonzalez. 

Lane Kiffin faces a rough first season with the Oakland Raiders.  They will be breaking in a rookie quarterback at some point.  Jerry Porter looks to bounce back following an embarrassing feud with Art Shell.  Ronald Curry is a quality target in the passing game.  I believe rookie Zach Miller will finally stabilize the tight end position.  Lamont Jordan is healthy, but hasn’t shown any consistency on the ground.  Nobody knows what to expect from the offensive line.  Robert Gallery won’t meet expectations of being a franchise left tackle, but could still become a solid starter somewhere along the line.  The only positive right now is the defensive side of the ball.  They have a solid core who play hard for Rob Ryan.  They have a solid group of young guys in the secondary to build around.  Nnamdi Asomugha and Fabian Washington have become a nice tandem at cornerback.  Michael Huff showed be can cover tight ends and could make a bigger impact if allowed to settle into one role.  Kirk Morrison is good leader at linebacker.  They need rookie Quentin Moses to quickly emerge as a pass rusher to complement Derrick Burgess. 

Now that Trent Green has officially been traded to Miami, the Chiefs are ready to turn the page at quarterback with Damon Huard and Brodie Croyle. 

Huard did a nice job while Green was sidelined last season.  He displayed veteran savvy and did a good job pushing the ball downfield.  He takes a good approach to the game. 

But Huard isn’t the ultimately reason the Chiefs traded Trent Green.

Brodie Croyle is the future in Kansas City.  And Herm Edwards felt it was the right time to start the transition at quarterback and put his own stamp on this team moving forward.  Green will be 37 years old and suffered a very bad concussion last season.  And the Chiefs couldn’t progress beyond being a first round playoff team. 

Croyle will be given every opportunity to win the starting job this summer.  Edwards really likes this guy.  Croyle is a competitor who shows good natural instincts on the football field.  He’s smart and knows how to get rid of the ball quickly for a young quarterback, but Croyle’s presence on the practice field is what intrigues Edwards most.  Croyle has all the attributes to develop into a strong leader.  Croyle knows how to win games as proven during his tenure at Alabama. 

The major concern with Croyle is durability.  He’s suffered a lot of critical injuries to joints such as his knee, elbow, and shoulder prior to turning pro.  A past with joint injuries is always a concern for medical people around the league.  Croyle’s going to take some hits playing behind an offensive line that has lost William Roaf and Will Shields over the past year.