Help Wanted

When you’re the Super Bowl champions there aren’t that many positions where the Packers need a lot of help. Add on to that the number of players returning from injuries, there isn’t much room left on the roster for new players.
 
However there are a few positions where the Packers got by with below average talent, as well as other positions where they are likely to lose players due to free agency. Since Ted Thompson has been the general manager in Green Bay, the Packers have built almost completely through the draft and they will continue to do that in 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

In the 2010 season, the Bears did a bit better than people expected them to. Part of that was due to the teams ability to know their weaknesses and adjust their game plans to help overcome their weaknesses.
 
However the Bears can still try to address these needs coming into the 2011 season. They have already let a few players leave the team, and more are likely to be gone once free agency starts. The core of what made the Bears great in 2010 will still be intact, but addressing these needs will help the Bears overcome the problems they’ve had in the past and let them continue to be an elite NFL team. Read the rest of this entry »

After spending most of the past decade with picks in the top 10, for the second time in recent memory the Lions are picking outside of the top 10 with pick number 13. Things have began to look up for the Lions under Jim Schwartz, as the Lions didn’t finish last in the division and this young team looks to keep getting better.
 
However an amazing defensive line and the great Calvin Johnson at wide receiver isn’t enough to get this team to the playoffs and beyond. There are a number of positions that could use an upgrade, and with the Bears and Packers in this division the Lions will need to gain ground on them in order to have a competitive 2011 season. Read the rest of this entry »

The Vikings were a team on the decline in 2010. After being an interception away from reaching the Super Bowl the offense fell apart and cost Brad Childress his job. The Vikings are now entering a new era with a lot of question marks.
 
Sidney Rice, Ray Edwards and Pat Williams are all free agents and Brett Favre retired (again.) If the Vikings lose any of their free agents, new positions of need will be created, but here we will focus on what they should target even if those players stay on board.
 
Their defense is still capable of being one of the better ones in the league and with Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, the offense can still be explosive. So much depends, though, on the talent they bring in before the start of the season. Read the rest of this entry »

Seattle had one of the strangest seasons to date. They ended the season as the only team in NFL history to win the division at 7-9. Experts said this team had no business even being in the playoffs, but they wanted to make sure they proved everyone wrong by knocking off the Saints 41-36. The Next week out they headed to the windy city to take on the Chicago Bears.

Chicago came out and exploited every weakness of the Seattle Seahawks. Chris Clemons and Raheem Brock both registered a sack, but both of them struggled against the run (along with the rest of the defensive line) allowing the Bears to pile up almost 180 yards on the ground. Coming into the game, Seattle knew they were going to have trouble running the football, so they decided to shelve the running game for the day and rushed the ball only 12 times.
 
This game really showed a lot of the their weaknesses. Lets take a look at some of the areas in need of improvement for 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

Entering 2010, the Rams were a team in need of good fortunes. The past three years had not been very kind to them as they amassed a record of 6-42 in that time. Most thought 2010 would be no different. Think about it, rookie quarterback, lousy wide receivers, and basically the same defense from the year before.
 
Well, I bet everyone thinks Sam Bradford is well worth that 50 million in guaranteed dollars. He was the breath of fresh air this team needed, instantly becoming a leader for a disorganized, beaten down football team. A 7-9 record is a nice starting point, but there are plenty of holes still to be filled.
 
Let’s play GM and take a look at areas the Rams can improve in for the upcoming year. Read the rest of this entry »

How is it that a talented team like the 49ers can never make the playoffs? They should run the table in the NFC West year after year. Playmakers run rampant on the offensive side of the ball with the likes of Frank Gore, Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis. Defense is no different you have Patrick Willis, Aubrayo Franklin and Justin Smith.
 
But San Francisco has ignored the most important element in winning, a quarterback. Yes, I know they drafted Alex Smith No. 1 overall in 2005, but they have had plenty of time to see that its just not really working out very well. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over expecting different results.
 
I’m sure this year will be the same as last. Read the rest of this entry »

Oh how far the mighty have fallen. From perennial playoff contender to bottom dwellers of the NFC West, it’s not a good time to be a Cardinals fan. Arizona was a team that relied heavily on the arm of Kurt Warner for much of the last three years, but what happens when Warner retires? You get the 2010 Cardinals who can’t block or throw a football to save their lives.
 
Kurt Warner retiring wasn’t the only problem the Cardinals had. A finger can be pointed at management for allowing players to leave in free agency and not having adequate players in position to take over. It’s hard to justify allowing top-tier players to leave and replacing them with lesser talent.
 
The Cardinals are paying for there past mistakes now, which leads me to their team needs for 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

Everyone expected Philadelphia to struggle last year with Kevin Kolb taking the mantle from long time starting QB Donovan Mcnabb.

Just 20 snaps into the first regular season game and everything changed when Kolb suffered a concussion on a hit from Clay Matthews and Michael Vick stepped into the lineup.

11 wins and the NFC East title later, Vick faced the team that had inadvertently given him a second chance at starting in the NFL. Despite a defeat in that game, he led what was probably the most explosive offense in the league last season.

The defense was a different story. The red zone D was historically bad, allowing touchdowns on 78% of trips. The pass defense not much better, conceding a franchise high 31 touchdowns. The fall guy was former defensive coordinator Sean McDermott who was fired at the end of the season. In one of the more bizarre moves of the offseason, Reid announced his replacement would be offensive line coach Juan Castillo. There was certainly an attempt to surround him with great positional coaches however as gone with McDermott is former defensive line coach Rory Segrest to be replaced by the highly esteemed Jim Washburn.

With this in mind, are the Eagles three biggest areas of need all on defense? Read the rest of this entry »

The Giants were all but in the playoffs as NFC East division winners up 31-10 against the Eagles in week 15. An embarrassing blowout at Lambeau field a week later squashed the slim chances they did have and capped another playoff-less season for the G-men.

Still this is certainly not a team that lacks talent. The defense thrived under new defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and the offense possesses some of the best skill position players in the league. Injuries to the WR position and along the offensive line hardly slowed down a potent unit.

While Eli Manning failed to put up exceptional numbers, many of his interceptions were not his fault as he ended up ranked 8th overall in our passing rankings. A number of Giants underperformed in 2010 so it’s difficult to identify their needs per se, although there are certainly some positions they could look to upgrade. Read the rest of this entry »