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. 

The real test begins for the New Orleans Saints as they enter Sean Payton’s second season.  They should remain productive at putting points on the board.  Drew Brees has an instinctive command of the offense.  They have a solid offensive line.  And Deuce McAllister and Reggie Bush complement each other very well in the backfield.  They have a nice collection of young receivers, but either Devery Henderson or rookie Robert Meachem must step up as a consistent downfield target to complement Marques Colston.  The biggest question again is on the defensive side of the ball.  They can get to the quarterback with Charles Grant and Will Smith coming off the perimeter.  Now they must prove they can stop the run and create more turnovers if they want to get deep into the playoffs again.  They didn’t bring in any high impact players this spring, but added a host of steady contributors.  Kendrick Clancy provides quality depth upfront to spell Hollis Thomas at times.  Brian Simmons will be a steady veteran presence at linebacker.  Jason David and Kevin Kaesviharn add numbers to a suspect secondary.  Kaesviharn has a knack for creating turnovers. 

If anyone challenges the Saints, it will be the Carolina Panthers.  John Fox still has a respectable defense to remain competitive.  Ken Lucas should rebound at cornerback after injuries slowed him considerably last season.  Richard Marshall proved to be a strong cover guy as a rookie.  They still have Julius Peppers rushing the passer.  They’ve always been strong along the front four, but Mike Rucker is aging and coming off a knee injury.  Kris Jenkins faces an uncertain future after trade talks surfaced this spring.  Jenkins is the key to their run defense.  They can’t afford bitter feelings affecting his play on the field and trading him leaves a major hole upfront.  The offensive side of the ball is a concern.  Jake Delhomme remains respected in the huddle, but must protect the ball better.  David Carr is waiting in the wings if Delhomme struggles again.  Unfortunately, Steve Smith is the only proven target in the passing game.  Dwayne Jarrett could become a solid pass catcher to complement Smith, but will have growing pains as a rookie.  The run game is concern until proven otherwise.   DeShaun Foster and DeAngelo Williams are solid fits in Jeff Davidson’s new zone blocking scheme, but one of them must step forward as a feature back.  Williams has the feet and quickness to break a lot of plays if he stays healthy.  There should be more stability across the offensive line this season if everyone stays healthy.  This is a team at a crossroads after several competitive years under Fox.  They have always bounced back from down seasons, but face a lot of personnel questions entering training camp. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain in transition after losing a number of their cornerstone players the past few years.  But Jon Gruden is going for a quick fix at quarterback to save his job.  Jeff Garcia is the perfect fit to run Gruden’s offense, but I have doubts whether Garcia can remain effective for 16 games.  That’s why Gruden is pleading for Jake Plummer to put off retirement.  Carnell Williams must prove his durability at running back.  Joey Galloway is the only playmaker in the passing game.  They jury remains out on Michael Clayton and tight end Alex Smith.  They are building solid numbers across the offensive line.  You have to give Monte Kiffin a lot of credit for keeping their defense from not falling apart.  They’ve lost a lot of key players the past few years.  They aren’t creating the same pressure from the front four or generating as many turnovers these days.  Gaines Adams was a nice addition as Simeon Rice nears the end.  Kevin Carter is a solid stop gap upfront.  A healthy Brian Kelly helps the secondary if contract concerns stay off the field. 

The Atlanta Falcons are making a paradigm shift under Bobby Petrino.  There is more pressure on Michael Vick than ever following an eventful off-season.  Vick could be a solid fit to push the ball downfield in Petrino’s offense, but must also become a lot more efficient in the passing game and protect the ball better.  Joe Horn brings a strong veteran presence if he can avoid nagging injuries, but Roddy White and Michael Jenkins must become more consistent if the passing game is to take shape.  Despite having the top ranked run game last season, questions exist with Petrino going to a power based attack.  Warrick Dunn showed signs of wearing down late last season.  Jerious Norwood might not be durable enough in this scheme.  On defense, they’ll miss the leadership of Patrick Kearney.  John Abraham has trouble staying on the field.  And they have questions inside as Grady Jackson is at odds with the club over his contract and Rod Coleman is rehabbing a quadriceps injury.  DeAngelo Hall is their lone certainty in the secondary.  The rest of this group is a concern against the pass.  Chris Houston could have inconsistencies as a rookie.  Lawyer Milloy and Chris Crocker are vulnerable against the pass inside. 

Atlanta Falcons: This group has high upside for the Falcons. There’s been a lot of talk regarding the offensive side of the ball with Bob Petrino arriving in Atlanta, but the Falcons added two starters on the defensive side of the ball. Losing Patrick Kerney in free agency was a blow. They still have John Abraham, but he has trouble staying healthy. Enter Jamaal Anderson to step in for Kerney. Anderson needs work, but has the tools and work habits to develop into a solid presence along the front four after a year of pro coaching. Chris Houston will be a boom or bust at cornerback. He has the physical tools to fit well at cornerback in Mike Zimmer’s scheme and could address the need for a second corner.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Falcons are transitioning to a more physical approach upfront. That makes the addition of Justin Blalock critical towards opening holes in the run game.

Carolina Panthers: I believe the Panthers found some solid components on both sides of the ball. Dwayne Jarrett is a good fit here because he’s not being asked to become the playmaker in Carolina. He’ll provide a complement to Smith in the intermediate passing game for the long-term. With the release of Keyshawn Johnson, they’ll be a lot of pressure on Jarrett to contribute early because Drew Carter is better suited as extra receiver downfield and Keary Colbert doesn’t pose much of a threat. Ryan Kalil should be a nice fit along the interior line as the Panthers are going to a zone-blocking scheme under new offensive coordinator Jeff Davidson.

Charles Johnson and Jon Beason will add immediate depth, but should be building blocks on this defense in the next year. Johnson will be a starter sooner than later with Mike Rucker fading physically. Johnson may never become a top pass rusher off the edge, but the Panthers have Julius Peppers as their blue-chipper. Beason offers much needed insurance at middle linebacker as Dan Morgan faces uncertainty over the long-term with injuries and concussions.

New Orleans Saints: Sean Payton likes to be aggressive and diverse with his offense. Robert Meachem has the tools to become a complete receiver who can make big plays to complement Marques Colston. The addition of Meachem puts Devery Henderson on the hot seat because Terrance Copper is expected to play a bigger role in the passing game this season as he shows signs of becoming a reliable intermediate threat. Henderson does flash big-play ability, but drops too many balls and disappears too often.

The Saints also took a shot at improving their numbers at cornerback with Usama Young and David Jones. Both are extremely raw, but have intriguing tools as developmental prospects. The Saints hope to develop Young into a press corner in a couple years.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers added much needed youth to an aging defense. Gaines Adams has an opportunity to make the same impact in this defense that Simeon Rice did during his prime. Tanard Jackson could be a nice pickup at cornerback. He displays the physical tools to eventually become a solid starter in their zone scheme. Monte Kiffin will use Sabby Piscitelli in a similar role to that of John ####, but I don’t think we’ll see the second coming of #### when it comes to team dynamics.

Aaron Sears should be a nice fit along the offensive line. Jon Gruden loves a strong run game, so pairing Sears with second-year Davin Joseph at the guard spots should help the Buccaneers begin getting more push in the run game. Unfortunately, the one area Gruden couldn’t address is finding a young playmaker in the passing game.

Cato June fits the Tampa Bay scheme since he played in the same scheme with the Colts, but won’t be playing the weakside spot while Derrick Brooks remains a Buccaneer.  We’ll trust Monte Kiffin to fit June into his defense in the same mode of Sheldon Quarles.

June is a very good athlete who covers a lot of ground and makes a lot of plays, especially in pass coverage.  He’s not going to fill gaps and will miss a few tackles, leading to mixed reviews from most scouts and ultimately kept him out of the initial free agent hoopla since most evaluators view June as a system player.    

One area where June bolsters the Tampa Bay defense will be in the nickel alignments.  With Sheldon Quarles facing a very uncertain future following an injury-ravaged season, they could have been faced with a significant problem when they are in their two-linebacker alignments on passing downs without signing June.  Brooks and June will make it difficult for opposing quarterbacks to find open areas in the intermediate passing game on third downs. 

With Brooks and June on the field at the same time, they’ll need another linebacker to handle the dirty work.  Barrett Ruud could get an opportunity to play on run downs.  Ruud has shown toughness and the ability to fight off blockers. 

More Free Agency Thoughts:

Chief add interior depth: The addition of Alfonso Boone doesn’t solve the need for a difference maker at defensive tackle in Kansas City, but this is a solid move to strengthen their interior depth.  Boone is a capable rotation type with good size and strength at the point of attack.  He’s effective against the run within his limited range, which is much needed in Kansas City. 

Phil Savage pulls a savvy move: The Browns made a savvy decision when they decided to pursue former Bengal Shaun Smith.  Smith has established himself as a rotational player in Cincinnati the past two seasons and could develop into a solid nose tackle in the Browns’ 3-4 scheme.  Nose tackles are hard to come by and adding a young prospect potentially on the upswing like Smith is worthwhile investment.  Smith is strong and understands how to play with leverage.  He has the ability to occupy blockers inside and push the pocket with his natural power.   With Ted Washington finally nearing the end, Smith arrives in Cleveland with tremendous opportunity. 

Titans add veteran stability at cornerback: As PacMan Jones faces a shaky future in Tennessee, the Titans secured a much needed veteran presence in former Colt Nick Harper.  The biggest question with Harper is how he’ll adjust outside the cover-2 scheme.  Harper is an instinctive veteran who is quick to react to the ball – especially on plays in front of him.  Harper can be exposed in straight man coverage downfield in some schemes because he likes top-end speed and ideal size against opponents’ top receivers.  And that’s going to be the biggest question for the Titans heading into the season assuming Jones won’t be on the field.  In Harper and Reynaldo Hill, the Titans have two corners who have some natural savvy, but lack ideal matchup ability.  That means Titans’ defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will have to design a lot of zone coverage schemes to protect his corners and maximize their strengths.  One player to also watch at cornerback for the Titans will be Cortland Finnegan.  Finnegan also lacks ideal speed, but shows natural athletic instincts to make things happen and shows a knack to blitz off the corner. 

Saints bolster secondary: The Saints made a solid move with the addition of former Bengal safety Kevin Kaesviharn to bolster their depth in the secondary.  Kaesviharn lacks ideal speed as a free safety and the size to play up in the box, but he’s simply a productive extra defender in the secondary.  Kaeshivarn is very instinctive and smart on the field.  He’s simply around the ball a lot.  The Saints have a solid young duo developing at safety with Roman Harper (coming off a knee injury) and Josh Bullocks along with the addition of Kaeshivarn.