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junker-town · 5 years

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How your NFL team can fix its biggest offseason needs

Buffalo Bills

The Bills used free agency to build around Josh Allen, getting quantity (if not quality) as they work to prop up their budding franchise QB. Wideouts John Brown and Cole Beasley will add viable targets for a weak passing game, and linemen Mitch Morse and Spencer Long should keep Allen from getting his jersey too dirty in 2019.

There are still plenty of holes to fill in Buffalo, however. The Bills lack the kind of game-changing WR1 who can give Beasley, Brown, and Zay Jones room to thrive. They could also use a run-stopping plug in the middle of the defensive line now that Kyle Williams has retired, and the secondary needs help as well.

Miami Dolphins

Miami needs help just about everywhere, and while signing Ryan Fitzpatrick gives the Dolphins some experience at quarterback, he’s no long-term solution. First-year head coach Brian Flores also brought former Patriots Eric Rowe and Dwayne Allen south with him, which ... yeah, isn’t splashy.

That leaves plenty of work to do in the draft and 2019 will be a rebuilding year, so Flores should prioritize adding as much pure talent to a barren roster as possible. Replenishing the team’s defense — primarily at edge rusher and in the secondary — and the offensive line would be a good start for what could be a long road back to prosperity.

New England Patriots

The Patriots watched some premium talent leave this offseason when Trent Brown and Trey Flowers each struck off for massive contracts elsewhere and Rob Gronkowski retired. Filling Tom Brady’s need for receiving talent is the uninspiring new group of Demaryius Thomas, Bruce Ellington, Matt LaCosse, Maurice Harris, and Austin Seferian-Jenkins. On the plus side, veterans Michael Bennett and Mike Pennel should be able to replace some of the versatile upfront presence Flowers left behind.

New England still needs young blood at wideout and tight end, as well as a dominant pass rusher to keep players like Deatrich Wise and John Simon in rotational roles. With 12 picks, the Patriots could also grab an offensive tackle and — gasp! — a quarterback to potentially replace Brady one day (if he ever stops playing football).

New York Jets

New York is following a similar blueprint as Buffalo: adding talent around a second-year quarterback to help coax a giant leap out. That’s brought Le’Veon Bell and Jamison Crowder into town to revamp the offense, while C.J. Mosley will be called upon to lead the Jets’ defense.

The team still needs to address the departures along the interior of its offensive line in order to allow Bell to feast and to keep Sam Darnold upright. New York also needs help at cornerback to allow the Jamal Adams-Marcus Maye duo to shine and an edge presence to balance out an uneven pass rush.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens lost some big names (C.J. Mosley, Joe Flacco, Terrell Suggs) and added a pair of their own in Earl Thomas and Mark Ingram. That’ll add an extra punch to the running game and provide a younger upgrade to Eric Weddle at safety, but Baltimore’s chance to repeat as AFC North champion may hinge on adding new, dynamic talent in this year’s draft.

The top priority may be giving Lamar Jackson the receiving (and tight end) talent he needs to thrive as a passer. He could use more help in the middle of his offensive line to clear a path for both him and Ingram on the ground, too. The Ravens also need pass rushers to replace the production Suggs and Za’Darius Smith left behind.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals’ quest to move on from the Marvin Lewis era meant re-signing marginal (or oft-injured) talent like Bobby Hart, C.J. Uzomah, and Tyler Eifert. Vontaze Burfict is gone though, so now the Steelers will have to drive 15 more yards than usual each time they play Cincinnati.

New coach Zac Taylor is an offensive-minded leader, but he’ll have to draft a cache of defensive talent to restore the Bengals to contender status. Cincinnati needs help in the trenches, with gaps at both defensive tackle and along the edges, and linebacker support — especially now that Burfict is gone. A quarterback to eventually take over for Andy Dalton could be on the agenda, too.

Cleveland Browns

Only the Raiders could match the Browns’ big-name activity this offseason, as new head coach Freddie Kitchens added Odell Beckham Jr., Olivier Vernon, Kareem Hunt, and Sheldon Richardson to his rising team. This influx of talent, coupled with the strong finish to 2018, has Cleveland looking like AFC North favorites for the first time in a long, long time.

There are still holes to be patched, though none especially gaping. A foundational left tackle could upgrade Baker Mayfield’s protection in 2019 and beyond. A linebacker who can be the Kirkland version of Jamie Collins and another cornerback would boost the defense. Oh, and a punter would help, too.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Le’Veon Bell? Gone. Antonio Brown? Gone. Jesse James? Also gone, but in much less dramatic fashion.

Who’s in? Mark Barron, Steven Nelson and, uh, Donte Moncrief.

So the Steelers need some fresh talent in this year’s draft. Getting an inside linebacker who can cover rangy tight ends and replace the leadership Ryan Shazier once provided would be a big win. Help at cornerback should Artie Burns never live up to his potential is also needed. And Ben Roethlisberger could use some supporting WR/TE help to keep Pittsburgh’s offensive legacy intact.

Houston Texans

The Texans lost two major components of their 2018 run when starting safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Kareem Jackson departed for eight-figure salaries elsewhere. Kevin Johnson and Christian Covington followed, leaving gaps only be partially filled by free agent signees Tashaun Gipson, Bradley Roby, and Briean Boddy-Calhoun.

Houston still needs secondary help, especially if Roby remains a bit of an enigma. But most importantly it needs to keep Deshaun Watson — who was sacked an unacceptable 62 times in 2018 — upright and healthy. Upgrading an ever-porous offensive line will be paramount to the team’s AFC South title defense.

Indianapolis Colts

The Colts jumpstarted their rebuild with a handful of impact additions last offseason, but have been relatively quiet this spring despite a wealth of cap space. Indianapolis re-signed Pierre Desir, bet on Devin Funchess living up to his potential with Andrew Luck, and then lured Justin Houston north after he was released by the Chiefs to cap a small — but potent — free agent haul.

Chris Ballard absolutely nailed last year’s draft, adding two different All-Pros. This year he needs some wide receiving help behind T.Y. Hilton and Funchess, a pass rusher to thrive next to veterans Houston and Jabaal Sheard, and some secondary help to keep Desir from shouldering the entire load in the defensive backfield. He’ll have four top-90 picks to get there.

Jacksonville Jaguars

2018 was an impressive mess, and the 2019 offseason brought quarterback Nick Foles and not much else to help it. Jacksonville is betting last year’s defensive regression won’t last, adding only Green Bay linebacker Jake Ryan despite losing Tashaun Gipson and Malik Jackson. It still has several good, young players in place, but it would benefit from finding an edge rusher to pair with Yannick Ngakoue.

The Jaguars’ lack of cap space places an extra emphasis on drafting playmakers — particularly wide receivers and tight ends who can expand Foles’ margin of error. On a similar note, help at either tackle position would help keep Foles protected. He was sacked 4.5 percent the past two years in Philadelphia, while Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler were sacked on 9 percent of their dropbacks in 2018.

Tennessee Titans

Tennessee has to make a decision about whether to commit to Marcus Mariota at quarterback or not as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. The team has given him some extra weapons this offseason, signing slot receiver Adam Humphries and lineman Rodger Saffold. The latter will be particularly useful after losing both his starting guards from 2018 — Josh Kline and Quinton Spain — this spring.

Adding more playmakers would help Mariota be his best self, but a few impact defenders could transform the Titans’ defense from good to great. Tennessee needs additional depth at all three levels of the defense, including pass-rushing presences both inside and out and some safety help alongside Kevin Byard. Fortunately, the 2019 NFL Draft is loaded with those type of players.

Denver Broncos

John Elway has pegged Joe Flacco, a man with worse numbers than Case Keenum in 2018, as his Keenum replacement. And though he added Ja’Wuan James to hold down the right tackle spot, he also lost interior blockers Matt Paradis and Billy Turner in free agency, creating a need to protect the former Super Bowl MVP — or whichever rookie takes over.

Yep, quarterback is a major need Elway will have to address at the 2019 NFL Draft. So is tight end, where Jake Butt has been limited to just three games in two seasons due to injury. The Denver defense could also use an infusion of talent after backsliding in 2018. Most notably, the Broncos could use a powerful defensive tackle who can take the blocking attention away from Von Miller and Bradley Chubb along the edges.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs needed defense, but were too cash-strapped to keep the big names they already had in 2019. Eric Berry, Dee Ford, Steven Nelson, and Justin Houston are all gone from last year’s AFC finalist squad. Frank Clark, Tyrann Mathieu, and Alex Okafor will help bolster the defensive rebuild, but they’ll need help.

Kansas City enters the draft with several needs and some unappealing picks with which to fill them, especially after trading its first-round pick for Clark. It needs secondary help to keep teams from outscoring Patrick Mahomes. And, if the value is there, the Chiefs wouldn’t be too off base by picking up some interior line help to keep Mahomes upright.

Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers’ 2018 put them back in contention for the AFC West crown, but a tight salary cap situation meant the biggest contract they’d hand out would go to backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Los Angeles’ free agent losses were minimal — deep threat Tyrell Williams, lane-clogging DT Darius Philon, and oft-injured cornerback Jason Verrett foremost among them — so there’s a chance Philip Rivers’ team can compete in 2019 even without a new crop of rookie playmakers.

Of course, an impact draft class could be the missing piece that sends Rivers to his first Super Bowl. LA needs receiving talent to replace Williams and give Keenan Allen some downfield support — especially if Allen gets injured again. The team could also use some help along the edges to keep its veteran quarterback protected.

Oakland Raiders

Jon Gruden’s second offseason was somehow busier than his first, as he handed out massive deals to Trent Brown, Tyrell Williams, and Lamarcus Joyner after trading for unhappy Pittsburgh wideout Antonio Brown. Vontaze Burfict is also here to give John Madden flashbacks of his 1970s Oakland squads.

The Raiders are primed for a bounce back, but they’ve still got needs to address if they’re going to compete in the ultra-tough AFC West. They no longer have a Khalil Mack-like presence in the pass rush and could use help both on the edge and from the interior of their defensive line. They also need secondary help — a need that’s haunted the team for what seems like the past decade — and a useful dual-threat tailback to replace Marshawn Lynch ... whenever.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys used this offseason to keep DeMarcus Lawrence locked down and bring Jason Witten out of retirement, which is a boon for both their receiving corps and any of us who failed to mute Monday Night Football in 2018. Signing Randall Cobb adds an extra weapon for Dak Prescott, who will be without Cole Beasley and Geoff Swaim after both signed elsewhere. And while George Iloka isn’t Earl Thomas, he’ll still add value to the Dallas secondary.

But Prescott still needs targets, particularly at tight end with Witten pushing 37 years old. And that defense could use a long-term solution at safety, especially since Iloka is only signed for a single year. Getting Lawrence a pocket-crumpling running mate would be a boost as well.

New York Giants

Dave Gettleman’s reshaping of the Giants’ roster has been puzzling for much of the 2019 offseason. He traded both Odell Beckham Jr. and Olivier Vernon to the Browns, leaving big shoes to fill at wide receiver and defensive end — although the latter trade landed guard Kevin Zeitler in New York, helping to upgrade an offensive line that struggled in 2018. The Giants also lost Landon Collins, one of the best young safeties in the NFL, in free agency.

The Giants found replacements by signing receiver Golden Tate, pass rusher Markus Golden, and safety Antoine Bethea. But all three are downgrades, and the team still has work to do at the most premium positions — not to mention quarterback, where a replacement for Eli Manning needs to be found soon.

Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles already have a roster that should continue to be in Super Bowl contention, so the offseason has mostly just been small tinkering to make it even better. The Eagles added Malik Jackson to the defensive line, traded to bring receiver DeSean Jackson back to where his career began, and added running back Jordan Howard in another trade.

There are no holes on the roster that desperately need to be filled, but Philadelphia could stand to add defensive depth. Michael Bennett was traded away to the Patriots, leaving room for another pass rusher to be added to the mix. More help in the secondary and a replacement for 37-year-old left tackle Jason Peters could also be top priorities.

Washington

The offseason started for Washington in a big way with the addition of Landon Collins, a transformative safety who should make a gigantic difference on defense. The problem is the rest of the spring has just been depressing for the team.

Alex Smith probably won’t be back in 2019, and Washington acquired Case Keenum as the quarterback to temporarily fill those shoes. The team also signed colossal draft bust Ereck Flowers for offensive line depth, and pulled cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie out of his brief retirement.

Washington is left with plenty of rebuilding to do. A quarterback of the future needs to be found at some point, but a pass rusher to complement Ryan Kerrigan may be the even higher priority. The team also needs receivers, defensive backs, and offensive linemen.

Chicago Bears

Last year, the Bears dove headfirst into free agency and then landed Khalil Mack in a trade just before the regular season. The 2019 offseason hasn’t been nearly as exciting, but it hasn’t had to be. Chicago is already a contender and tried nudging itself over the hump by signing safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and receiver Cordarrelle Patterson.

Clinton-Dix will help offset the loss of Adrian Amos, who joined the Packers in free agency. The Bears also lost cornerback Bryce Callahan and running back Jordan Howard, but the additions of Buster Skrine and Mike Davis should fill those holes.

All that leaves little work left for general manager Ryan Pace to do in the draft. The Bears could target help in the secondary, another pass rusher, or hunt for some skill position upgrades.

Detroit Lions

The coup of the offseason for the Lions was pass rusher Trey Flowers, who will make a big difference on defense if he provides more consistency than Ezekiel Ansah did. That was far from the only move Detroit made, though. The Lions also brought on cornerbacks Justin Coleman and Rashaan Melvin, tight end Jesse James, and receiver Danny Amendola.

Still, the roster has plenty of reconstruction left to do. Matthew Stafford needs more help, and Detroit could benefit from drafting another receiver and one of the many top tight end prospects this year. Most of all, Matt Patricia could use more pieces on defense — especially in the secondary and on a defensive line that needs to add more than just Flowers.

Green Bay Packers

It was an uncharacteristically active venture into free agency for the Packers, who added safety Adrian Amos, linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, and offensive lineman Billy Turner. All those additions free up Green Bay to use the draft to fulfill its top priority of the offseason: Make Aaron Rodgers happy.

Outside of Davante Adams, there really aren’t many receiving options that the Packers can feel comfortable with on the roster. Both receivers and tight ends could be on the draft-day wish list for Green Bay. The Packers could also stand to round out the defense with linemen and defensive backs to complement their free agent additions.

Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings’ defense was still good in 2018, but quarterback Kirk Cousins wasn’t the savior who pushed the team over the top. Part of his struggled can be attributed to an offensive line that failed to clear space. Minnesota hasn’t done much to fix that yet, though. It lost Nick Easton in free agency released Mike Remmers, and only spent big money to retain Anthony Barr.

Protecting Cousins is clearly the top priority heading into the draft, at both guard and tackle. Other places on the roster — like running back, wide receiver, and defensive tackle — could stand to add depth as well.

Atlanta Falcons

The offseason for the Falcons has consisted of more subtraction than addition with Tevin Coleman, Robert Alford, Andy Levitre, and Bruce Irvin all leaving as free agents. Atlanta kept the most important impending free agent, though, by giving defensive tackle Grady Jarrett the franchise tag.

Still, Matt Ryan has no shortage of weapons, and the defense has speed at linebacker and in the secondary. Now, Atlanta needs to add beef on both sides of the ball.

The defensive line will be the more important project of the two with defensive tackles and pass rushers at the top of the wish list. The offensive line needs help too, but adding James Carpenter and Jamon Brown in free agency may serve as a solid band-aid for the situation.

Carolina Panthers

It’s starting to feel like a bit of a broken record at this point: The Panthers need to upgrade Cam Newton’s supporting cast. Keeping offensive tackle Daryl Williams and signing center Matt Paradis was a start, but the offensive line could still use more help and receiving options are thin after D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel — especially after the departure of Devin Funchess.

But the bigger issue is a defensive line that has Kawann Short, Mario Addison, and not much else. Julius Peppers finally retired and that leaves pass rusher as the clear top priority for the team heading into the draft.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints didn’t need to do much this offseason after a 13-win season, and that’s good because they didn’t have many resources to use. New Orleans needs cap space in the reserves to lock down Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara for the future. But the team still managed to tinker away in free agency and add tight end Jared Cook and center Nick Easton. It lost pass rusher Alex Okafor and running back Mark Ingram, but replaced the latter with Latavius Murray.

New Orleans isn’t scheduled to make its first draft pick until late in the second round, but there’s no single pressing need that the Saints have to address. Adding a defensive tackle, wide receiver, or cornerback who can contribute as a rookie could be all it takes to push the Saints over the top.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Bruce Arians’ first year coaching in Tampa looks like a rebuilding one. The Bucs made few big moves this offseason; their most expensive signing of the spring was punter Bradley Pinion. Kwon Alexander, Adam Humphries, and even Ryan Fitzpatrick have all moved on from Tampa Bay, leaving Arians with an opportunity to shape the team in his image.

Alexander’s departure leaves a hole in the middle of the defense, and the receiving corps are pretty limited after Mike Evans thanks to Humphries’ departure and the trade that shipped DeSean Jackson back to Philadelphia. Some high-upside defensive backs would also help bolster one of the league’s worst passing defenses — and allow quarterback Jameis Winston to win some games that aren’t shootouts.

Arizona Cardinals

While the Cardinals made some minor moves to improve an awful roster this offseason, their rebound from 2018’s bottoming-out will come through the draft. Defenders like Jordan Hicks, Darius Philon, and Robert Alford were strong supporting additions, but players like J.R. Sweezy, Charles Clay, and a 36-year-old Terrell Suggs probably aren’t going to be instrumental to the team’s rebuild.

Kyler Murray would, however. Taking a second straight first-round quarterback would give debuting head coach Kliff Kingsbury a passer he’s long coveted and make Arizona infinitely more entertaining. The Cardinals need plenty of help elsewhere, no matter who their 2019 QB is — restocking the team’s offensive line and receiving corps should be a priority during the draft.

Los Angeles Rams

2019 has been a measured offseason for a Rams team that built an NFC champion over the course of the previous two years. Starters like Lamarcus Joyner, Rodger Saffold, and Mark Barron have departed, replaced by Eric Weddle, Clay Matthews, and whomever can step up either in this year’s draft or from previous drafts.

The reigning NFC West champs aren’t hurting for talent, but an aging secondary could use reinforcements — many of which will be available at the end of the first round. There’s need up front, too, especially since it appears Ndamukong Suh won’t be returning to Los Angeles this fall.

San Francisco 49ers

San Francisco lost a season due to quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s knee injury, but 2019 should bring improvements thanks to the expensive addition of linebacker Kwon Alexander and pass rusher Dee Ford, and the low-risk, high-reward signings of Tevin Coleman, Jordan Matthews, and Jason Verrett. The free agent losses were minimal, too — the biggest names leaving Santa Clara were punter Bradley Pinion and rotational pass rusher Cassius Marsh.

The Niners have premier position in this year’s draft, which should allow them to pick up the pass-rushing talent they need with the No. 2 selection. Their second-round spot will yield a solid group of young receivers to team up with Marquise Goodwin, George Kittle, and Dante Pettis and push Garoppolo to a resurgent season. A little extra blocking wouldn’t hurt, either.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle’s latest attempt to protect Russell Wilson swaps out J.R. Sweezy for Mike Iupati, which is a step in the right direction but probably not enough for Wilson to avoid being one of the league’s most-sacked QBs again. While retaining K.J. Wright and the awaiting-sentence-for-insider-trading Mychal Kendricks helps, that won’t offset the losses of defenders like Shamar Stephen, Justin Coleman, Frank Clark, and especially Earl Thomas.

If the Seahawks want to stave off a decline, they’ll have to add some defensive talent both up front and in the backfield to provide at least a passable imitation of the former Legion of Boom. Wilson still needs help too — not just from a cheesecloth offensive line, but also from a group of wide receiver and tight end targets led by Tyler Lockett and a 31-year-old Doug Baldwin.

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