· The Jags lost Jimmy Smith to a four-game suspension for
violating the league's substance abuse policy and the team is now
desperate at the wide receiver position. With J.J. Stokes, Donald
Hayes, Kevin Lockett and Matthew Hatchette expected to hold down
the top four receiving spots in Smith's absence, look for teams
to stack the line of scrimmage to stop Fred Taylor.
· Losing Mark Fields to Hodgkin's disease is a big blow for
the Panthers defense. Fields was the team's second leading tackler
last year and contributed a number of big plays on defense, including
seven and a half sacks, five forced fumbles, two forced fumbles
and an interception. He was the Panthers top defender over the last
quarter of 2002 while new starter Greg Favors was a bust for the
Bills last year, appearing in 2002.
· The 49ers are desperate for cornerback with the news Jason
Webster will miss at least the first four games of the season. Mike
Rumph, a 1st round pick in 2002, will take over as the starter but
he has been injury prone during training camp and was a large part
of the reason the 49ers had the worst 3rd down defense in the league
last year. With Rashad Holman, Fred Weary and Jimmy Williams the
team's remaining backups, there has been talk the team would pick
up Ray Crockett. However, with the team's new frugal management
philosophy, look for the 49ers to enter the season without adding
any veteran help.
· Dave Wohlabaugh, the Rams new starting center, fractured
his thumb during the team's preseason game against the Bucs. This
is bad news for a team that had poor line play in 2002 and looked
weak in their preseason opener against the Raiders. Although Wohlabaugh
is expected to be ready for the season opener, the missed time will
not help him in picking up the Rams blocking schemes where the center
is required to call out any required adjustments at the line of
scrimmage.
· Keeping with the Rams, Orlando Pace said this week on a
nationally syndicated radio show he was expecting to sign his franchise
tender and join the team within the next week. That's good news
for the Rams who have seen Pace's backup Grant Williams go down
with a back injury, forcing the team to use last season's starting
right tackle John St. Clair at left tackle during the preseason.
St. Clair, you will recall, was a turnstile for much of 2002. With
the aforementioned injury to Wohlabaugh, St. Clair has been moved
to center.
· If the preseason is any indication, the Redskins offseason
spending spree has the potential to be disastrous. Based on the
team's inability to run during the preseason, Randy Thomas looks
like an overpaid guard. Rob Johnson was so impressive the team signed
Danny Wuerffel Brandon Noble is out for the season. Chad Morton
suddenly looks like an average returner. Plus, because of the salary
cap space required for all the free agent signings and Champ Bailey's
expected long-term deal, the team was forced to release Dan Wilkinson.
It looks like it will be up to wide receiver Laveranues Coles and
free safety Matt Bowen to make this free agent class look respectable.
· Keeping with the Redskins, the release of Wilkinson and
the subsequent season ending injury to Noble has left the team precariously
thin at defensive tackle. The Redskins have tried to patch things
up with the free agent signings of Bernard Holsey and James Cannida
and a trade with the Saints for Martin Chase. However, with Jermaine
Haley expected to start alongside Chase and Delbert Cowsette, Cannida
and possibly Holsey in backup roles, the Redskins are going to have
major difficulty stopping the run, regardless of how good their
linebackers are. Note to Redskins management - occasionally you
can win if you can't stop the pass but you almost never win if you
can't stop the run.
· The Lions beat out the Packers in the Wilkinson sweepstakes
and this could turn into a key signing for the team. With Luther
Ellis' availability for the early part of the season in doubt, the
Lions were precariously thin at tackle. With Wilkinson in the fold,
Shaun Rogers looking slim and rejuvenated, steady veteran Luther
Ellis and rookie Cory Redding, the Lions have the makings of a fine
defensive tackle rotation, particularly if Elliss returns. Couple
that with the team's rotation of Robert Porcher, Kalimba Edwards
and James Hall at end and the defensive line has the potential to
get the quarterback frequently enough to make up for team's defensive
backfield deficiencies.
· Here's how much the Rams think of last year's starting
free safety Kim Herring, their prized free agent signing prior to
the 2001 season. First the Rams signed converted cornerback Jason
Sehorn to be their starting free safety during the offseason. Then
when Sehorn went down with an injury that will cause him to miss
half the season, the Rams converted Aeneas Williams to free safety,
leaving them with Travis Fisher and Jeremetrius Butler as their
starting cornerbacks. If that doesn't tell Herring to take the inevitable
salary reduction request or risk release, what does?
· Keeping with disappointing safeties, it appears the Packers
will open the season with someone other than Marques Anderson as
their starting strong safety. The 2002 3rd round choice picked off
four passes, returning two for touchdowns while chalking up 11 starts.
However, his play leveled off over the final quarter of the season
and it now looks like Antuan Edwards will fill the spot unless the
team picks up one of the many veteran safeties that are available.
· Things are getting interesting in Dallas. That's no shocker
with it being Bill Parcells first training camp with the Cowboys,
but the signing of Adrian Murrell has to be seen as a wakeup call
to Troy Hambrick. Murrell has been out of the league for two full
season so he shouldn't be seen as a challenger to Hambrick's starting
position. However, it's a clear signal that coach Bill Parcells
is looking to shake things up at the position. Look for the team
to scour the waiver wire and explore trade possibilities prior to
the season. Duce Staley, Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala and Olandis Gary
are available and, of course, Ron Dayne. Wouldn't it be interesting
if Parcells were Dayne's coach? Just a thought.
· Granted there are a number of good reasons why the Eagles
aren't interested in giving Duce Staley a lucrative long-term deal
but it would appear signing Todd Pinkston to a five-year deal worth
up to $18-million isn't likely to help in getting Staley to camp.
A proud guy who is never going to be considered a top back in the
league, Staley has nonetheless put up good numbers when given the
opportunity, other than in 2001 when he was coming back from injury.
It's hard to fault the team's strategy of not giving long term deals
to veterans over 30 but it's time to make a push for a championship
now before their window of opportunity closes. With Correll Buckhalter
coming back from ACL surgery, the Eagles would be well-served by
getting Staley in camp.
· Keeping with the Eagles, although they have plenty of salary
cap space, the team has shown little interest in signing either
of their outstanding veteran cornerback duo of Troy Vincent and
Bobby Taylor, free agents after this season, to contract extensions.
Look for the team to use some of their salary cap space on extending
Corey Simon's deal while waiting until later in the season to begin
negotiations with Vincent or Taylor and possibly Carlos Emmons.
Of course, if 2002 draft picks Lito Sheppard, 1st round, and Sheldon
Brown, 2nd round, play well in 2003, the team may let Vincent and
Taylor walk. Either way, one of them won't be with the team in 2003.
· Keep an eye on the David Terrell situation in Chicago.
Despite being a disappointment in his first two seasons, the 8th
pick in the 2001 draft thinks he should be starting. However, holdover
starter Dez White is a favorite of the coaching staff so it won't
be a surprise if he opens the season opposite Marty Booker. The
team has Ahmad Merritt around and used picked Justin Gage and Bobby
Wade in the 5th round of this year's draft so Terrell could pave
his way to a further reduced role and right out of Chicago if he
doesn't handle the situation properly.
· With defensive end Marques Douglas having a good preseason,
the Ravens have moved Adalius Thomas to outside linebacker. Thomas,
who was expected to start at left defensive end, has shown enough
coverage ability that the team wants to keep him on the field as
an every down defender. With Cornell Brown backing him up because
of his run stuffing abilities, it looks like Terrell Suggs, picked
in the 1st round this year to play linebacker, will only see the
field as a defensive end in obvious passing situations.
· With Bengals outside linebacker Steve Foley looking rusty
after missing all of last season due to a dislocated right shoulder,
the team has moved Adrian Ross into the lineup. Ross played decently
in 2002, starting six games, but it won't be a surprise if Foley
is back in the starting lineup at some point.
· The Patriots are having some problems along their offensive
line. Starting right tackle Kenyatta Jones has been slowed by injuries,
forcing Adrian Klemm into the starting lineup where he has played
poorly. The team lost guards Stephen Neal to injury and Brendan
Stai to retirement and recently signed Corbin Lacina, who started
16 games for the Vikings last year, to backup Joe Andruzzi and Mike
Compton. It looks like the team's depth along the line will be poor
in 2003, particularly at tackle and the team will be in trouble
if Jones or Matt Light miss significant time.
· The Dolphins are high on wide receiver Derrius Thompson,
signed as a free agent from the Redskins this offseason. Thompson
quickly supplanted James McKnight from his starting role and he
could turn into a major bargain for the team, at a little more than
a million a season for three years.
· It looks like Ladell Betts could be released by the Redskins.
The running back, a 2nd round selection in 2002, has missed time
during training camp and with the team expected to keep only three
running backs and Trung Canidate and Chad Morton locks to make the
team, he likely needs to beat out Kenny Watson for a spot on the
roster. Watson, originally signed as a rookie free agent, outplayed
Betts last year and the trend has continued into 2003. It's possible
one of Betts or Watson could be traded prior to final cutdown day.
· Despite promising to come into camp hungry and in shape,
Browns defensive tackle Gerard Warren has played poorly in the team's
first two preseason games. The 3rd overall selection in the 2001
draft, Warren had a decent rookie season but underachieved in 2002,
admitting after the season he spent too much time out on the town.
With the team expected to start three 2nd year players with no starting
experience at linebacker, the Browns were hopeful Warren and defensive
end Courtney Brown, the 1st selection in the 2000 draft, could step
up and be disruptive along the defensive line. With Brown coming
off offseason surgery and yet to play in the preseason, the possibility
of that happening is growing more remote by the day.
· With the Vikings decision to move 1st round selection Kevin
Williams to defensive end, Kenny Mixon having a strong camp and
Lance Johnstone expected to contribute on passing downs, it looks
like Lorenzo Bromell's time in Minnesota is drawing to a close.
Bromell did not play up to the five year, $11-million contract he
signed prior to last season and apparently does not get along with
defensive coordinator George O'Leary. The team will likely try to
trade Bromell but either way he will be playing for some team this
year.
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