NFC Division Previews

By Dale Sims

Unobstructed View

We have looked at the AFC and it is time to turn our attention to the NFC.  Last season’s results should be enough to fuel the optimism of any fan in this conference.  Certainly last season at this time, very few people were thinking that the Giants would end up as Super Bowl champions; and those that were on that bandwagon had to be die-hard Giant fans.  (I frankly thought that Coughlin had a much better chance to be the first head coach out of work rather than getting a ring.)

The NFC East

Dallas – Last year the Cowboys had a great season until the playoffs rolled around and over them.  They really had very few needs going into the draft having picked up Pacman Jones in the off-season, whose availability is still uncertain.  They picked up Mike Jenkins in the draft as a further move to strengthen their pass defense.  The biggest help there though should be from the return of linebackers Ellis and Ware who should help the pass rush.  On offense the team let one Jones go in free agency only to land another in the draft to serve as a change of pace to Marion Barber.

New York Giants – A team that played very well at the right time last season faces high expectations now.  Their defensive line is going to be without the retiring Strahan next season and has a couple of other less notable defections in free agency.  They have the offense returning intact and the emphasis was clearly on defense in the off-season and draft.  They will probably have two new starting safeties; Sammy Knight and first round draft pick Kenny Phillips as of week one.  Second round pick, cornerback Terrell Thomas, further strengthens the Giant’s defensive secondary.

Philadelphia – The Eagles went in search of help for their pass defense picking up Asante Samuel and pass-rushing end Chris Clemons in the free agent market who looks like the replacement for Jevon Kearse.  Their first pick in the draft, defensive tackle Trevor Lewis is likely a situational pass rusher who will fit into the defensive line rotation.  The offense will look much the same as last season though they will have better depth at receiver with rookie DeSean Jackson who will likely be their primary return man.

Washington – The Redskins actually had draft picks this year after years of trading them away and correspondingly they were unnaturally quiet in the free agency period.  They added two big wide receivers in the draft, Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly, both of whom will be getting playing time in the west coast offense that Washington will be running this season.  They also picked up offensive linemen, including three undrafted free agents, an opportunity to look at adding some depth they desperately need.

The NFC North

Chicago – The Bears were not particularly active in free agency and had a number of needs to address on offense in the draft.  They started with offensive tackle Chris Williams, an athletic player opposed to the maulers they usually field.  Matt Forte looked like a value pick in the second round made to push Cedric Benson; who then managed to get himself arrested twice and off the team.  The team did not draft a quarterback despite lackluster results from both Grossman and Orton last season though the offensive line play has to take at least some of the responsibility for that.

Detroit – The Lions have been in a rebuilding mode for the better part of a decade.  They have the best quarterback in this division; unfortunately, it is Jon Kitna.  Cherilius seems like a bit of a reach in the first round but the team was in desperate need of a right tackle that could start from the opening game.  Their pick of running back Kevin Smith may be one of their more critical choices, in the Lions’ transitioning offense he will provide an inside running game they have lacked for some time.  The Lions picked a linebacker in Dixon who will likely start immediately on the weak side.

Green Bay – Unlike the other teams in this division they did pick a quarterback, Brian Brohm thought by many to be the best quarterback available in the draft.  This should have Aaron Rogers looking over his shoulder as they also added LSU product, quarterback Matt Flynn, late in the draft the message seems clear.  The Packers first pick in the draft, wide receiver, Jordy Nelson, will be on the field as a returner immediately but has a role as a possession receiver at some point.

Minnesota – The Vikings big move was in free agency where they acquired Jared Allen who will provide the team an outside pass rush to go along with their run-stuffing tackles.  This should automatically improve their defensive secondary as well.  They have a good offensive line and a solid running game.  They added a deep threat to their passing game picking up Bernard Berrian from the Bears.  Of course throwing to him his Tarvaris Jackson whose consistency has been his inconsistency behind him is Gus Frerotte and rookie John David Booty neither a likely immediate improvement.

NFC South

Atlanta – Clearly, a rebuilding year or two is facing this team and that will be if they are lucky.  They choose Matt Ryan because as a franchise, they had to redo their image but from a football perspective, their draft was not fundamentally sound.  They picked only one lineman in the draft unlikely to be a big enough improvement there to protect their quarterback investment.  If free agent center Stepanovich is healthy that may help some.  The Falcons look like they are pinning their immediate hopes on free agent running back Michael Turner.

Carolina – The Panthers look like they are trying to make a push this year.  They made a number of moves in free agency bringing in D J Hackett and Mushin Muhammad in an attempt to get a passing threat to balance Steve Smith.  They drafted Jonathan Stewart a big back who can run between the tackles and then traded back into the first round to grab tackle Jeff Otah.  They apparently believe that Jake Delhomme will recover from off season elbow surgery, as they made no move to bring in another quarterback.

New Orleans – The Saints have quietly put together a very solid off-season.  They acquired Vilma who, if healthy, is a very good middle linebacker in the 3-4 defense they play.  Free agent cornerbacks Ray Guy and Aaron Glenn are well traveled but still an improvement to the defensive backfield.  In the draft, they continued the defensive theme picking up pass rusher Sedrick Ellis and cornerback Tracy Porter.  Ellis should start immediately and Porter will be in the defensive back rotation but will need some development before taking over a starting job.

Tampa Bay – Last season the defense led the way to the division title and they and they grabbed the athletic Aqib Talib a very talented cornerback who should fit in their cover two.  They went into the second round and added Dexter Jackson who can play in the slot and will likely be involved in the return game as well.  The team is still showing age at critical positions, adding Warrick Dunn to the mix is not making them any younger but they have added depth all around.

NFC West

Arizona – The team focused on the defensive side of the ball for the most part in the off-season and added quality there in the draft.  Rodgers-Cromartie will likely be the nickel back by the start of the season and Doucet will replace Bryant Johnson as the third receiver and play out of the slot.  They picked up a tackle (Brandon Keith) in the seventh round that will be something of a project for Russ Grimm but he has the physical tools to shore up the lack of depth there.  They also picked up a running back; Tim Hightower, who might be a short yardage option, but is not likely to be a long-term replacement for James.

San Francisco – With Mike Martz back in this division there are significant changes coming on offense.  The offensive line will be starting perhaps three new players; one is likely guard Chilo Rachal.  Last season they tied for the lead in sacks allowed with Kansas City but were only one in front of the Lions.  (Martz might get Smith killed given the blockers they have and his penchant for putting everyone out in the pattern.)  They added defensive end Justin Smith in free agency and should be improved on the line if they can ever get the defense off the field.

Seattle – The Seahawks are hoping that recently acquired guard Mike Wahle will be an upgrade over Womack and that a combination of Julius Jones and Duckett can replace Shaun Alexander in a rebuilt offense.  They also added Jeb Putzier and drafted John Carlson in the hope of finding a productive tight end, a perennial problem for the Seahawks.  Seattle has created a very good defense over the past few seasons and drafted Lawrence Jackson to put into their defensive end rotation.

St Louis – The Rams had many needs to address.  Chris Long was a safe choice in round one and addresses a need though he would appear better suited for a 3-4 defensive front.  Another area they also addressed was the offensive line, bringing in guard Jacob Bell in free agency and drafting John Greco who was a real value in the third round and may be able to play tackle.  Improving their offensive line and keeping it healthy will go a long way in improving their results from last season.  Avery, the first receiver taken in the draft, should have a role in the offense as a third receiver out of the slot.

Observations

Revisiting the NFL owners’ early exit from the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement from the previous column let’s look at the other, less optimistic side.  There is some chance that they could come out of this to the benefit of almost everyone (except future rookies) but that seems overly optimistic at this point.  The problem is that despite the unanimous vote to end the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) the owners have different agendas from each other.

The owners are all interested in the bottom line to one extent or another.  For some though it is a matter of controlling expenses and for others it is establishing a better product.  To that end, some owners see the salary cap as an impediment.  If the CBA is not retained, the salary cap goes away and the competitiveness of the NFL will eventually suffer with small market teams being the obvious initial casualties.  The long range impact is a bit harder to determine though to some extent it is bound to be negative to some degree.

Dale “at” footballforecasters.com

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