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2014 NFL: ALL HAIL THE ACID SHARKS

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
The NFL is a game of inches and where once the Atlanta Falcons found them in their favor, they turned against them in 2013. A team famed for winning close games starting losing them and the outcome was a first losing season under Head Coach Mike Smith.

Was this an off-year caused by missed opportunities and injuries? Or perhaps something deeper in the organization where a failure to develop draft picks left them under skilled at a number of key positions. We turn our Projected Line Ups series to them to see what they’re walking into the offseason with.

Key:
– Player markers are colored per class on a six-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
– Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
– Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
– Red player names suggest injury risks.
– Click on the image to enlarge.

Lineup-ATL1.png


Roster Notes

- The most glaring weakness right now is at defensive tackle. Travian Robertson and Adam Replogle lack experience, with the former just 126 snaps into his career and latter no regular season experience. You would expect one of Jonathan Babineaux, Corey Peters or Peria Jerry to return, but even accounting for that it’s an area that will need some attention in free agency or the draft.

- When you look at deals the franchise handed out to Justin Blalock and Sam Baker over the past few years, you get the impression the team has overvalued certain starters. Blalock has long been an average guard and little more, while Baker cashed in on his one good season in five before going back to the player he was in his first four years. The overinvestment there has left the right side of the line something of a nightmare, where the team will hope Lamarr Holmes and Peter Konz are much improved from horrible first years starting, and that they can find a solution at right guard. It’s a big area of concern right now.

- If nothing else, in 2013 Atlanta got some young guns some experience. Notably at linebacker where undrafted free agents Paul Worrilow and Joplo Bartu played well enough that the team could cut the Stephen Nicholas cord. Still Worrilow, who made a boatload of tackles, could only get a -13.7 grade while Bartu looked purely a two-down player. The team really needs Sean Weatherspoon to find some of his 2011 form. He’s been far too miss since then.

- The team is currently carrying two fullbacks so we’d expect one of them to go. Patrick DiMarco played well in his 196 snaps, but the team, having invested a 2012 fifth-round pick in him, will want Bradie Ewing (14 career snaps) to be the guy. Can he stay healthy?

2014 Cap Situation

Per www.spotrac.com the Falcons sit a very healthy $15.9m under the cap which would give them room to make some under the radar signings that might address the depth issues they’ve had recently.

Potential Casualties

Of course they might want to make a bigger splash, but to do so requires some creativity. Roddy White is a candidate for a restructure to lower his $5M cap hit, while the team might decide that Thomas Decoud (-21.0 grade since signing his new deal – which he earned) is $3M in savings they can make. Beyond that the team seems happy with Osi Umenyiora, but you question if they could get similar production for less than the $4.8M he’s going to cost against the cap, while if Garrett Reynolds isn’t the answer at right guard you simply can’t justify keeping him on the books for a $1.4M hit. There are savings to be made.

Opportunities from the Roster

The penciled-in starters at defensive end right now are Kroy Biermann and Umenyiora. Neither man should be considered safe, with the versatile Biermann even a candidate to start at strongside linebacker. That’s because they’ve invested in quantity at the position so that players like Malliciah Goodman, Stansly Maponga, Jonathan Massaquoi and Cliff Matthews are all within a shout. Of them, Massaquoi, a 2012 fifth-rounder, is the furthest along in his development and played 540 snaps last year, earning a positive grade in run defense, but watch out for the more versatile Goodman who might be asked to play a tweener tackle/ end role.

With the roster spot of Decoud in jeopardy you might see Kemal Ishmael or Zeke Motta make a play for it, with Motta doing a decent enough job on his 158 snaps as a rookie. Lastly, at tackle, the team is high on preseason star Ryan Schraeder and in his 315 snaps he looked more polished than Holmes. If the team ignores tackle in the draft and free agency he’s legit competition for an injury-prone Baker and Holmes (if he doesn’t take a huge leap forward).
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
Continuing our dive into how the NFL rosters currently look, we’re turning our attention to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With Greg Schiano gone, Tampa Bay is bringing in a different type of head coach in the shape of the hugely successful Lovie Smith. The formers Bears top dog spent all of 2013 out of the NFL but returns to a team with more talent than its record would suggest.

We turn our “Projected Lineups” series the way of the Bucs to see what they have to work with.

Key:
- Player markers are colored per class on a six-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.

Lineup-TB.png


Roster Notes

- With Erik Lorig currently set for free agency we’ve opted for a two tight end set in the eternal “will they use more 12 or 21 personnel” question. While we’re not sold on the talents of Tom Crabtree, we are intrigued by the upside of Tim Wright. His run blocking looks very much like a work in progress but his Yards Per Route Run number of 1.48 is a healthy one, bettering players like Tyler Eifert, Tony Gonzalez and Jordan Cameron.

- It may surprise some to see Dashon Goldson, the $8M per annum man, getting a below average notch. Well we’ve always been of the opinion he was made to look better than he was in the 49ers’ defense, whereas he was found out somewhat playing in Tampa Bay. He was our 81st-ranked safety last year, and while some of that can be attributed to injuries and six penalties, it’s worth noting he missed one tackle for every 5.9 attempted, 17th-worst in the league. He needs to step up because as last lines of defenses go, he’s not a reliable one.

- We’re going with William Gholston over Da’Quan Bowers at defensive end, well aware that could change. Unfortunately, Bowers hasn’t lived up to the hype and while the team wanted him to replace Michael Bennett, he failed to lock down a starting job and contributed just 212 snaps and 17 quarterback disruptions as a situational player.

- We’ve given Chris Owusu something of a pass, but his first 297 snaps with the Buccaneers were not kind. The former undrafted free agent out of Stanford earned a -5.1 grade for his 2013 efforts as he failed to make an impact. The third receiver spot looks wide open.

2014 Cap Situation

The team has $10M to spend and 18 guys about to hit free agency (as well as two more on Monday). So if they want to make their annual free agent splurge then they’ll have to make significant moves within their own roster, while also looking to the future.

Potential Roster Casualties

The big money savings would see them get rid of Darrelle Revis, Gerald McCoy and Vincent Jackson. You can forget that with them representing three of their best four players. Instead, you might consider paying a punter $3.25M a waste, while wondering if Jeremy Zuttah is worth $4.5M when you’ll get solid play and little more from him. We know where we’d start and that’s saying goodbye to the perennially overrated Davin Joseph to save $6M (with no dead money) in cap space. He was our lowest ranked right guard last year and has never lived up to the hype. The other question mark is Donald Penn, an above average left tackle who doesn’t constantly deliver. His $7.4M cap hit and the Bucs’ drafting slot means they could get younger and cheaper at the position while freeing up money for potential re-signings (down the road) of McCoy and Lavonte David.

Opportunities from the Roster

The team isn’t short on cornerbacks right now and might consider upgrading at the slot position. Leonard Johnson displayed some skills as a rookie but looked out of his depth covering the slot, seeing him end the year with a -14.5 grade. Mike Adams is a free agent so the team might get a look at Anthony Gaitor or Deveon Carr there. Gaitor, a 2011 seventh round pick, never caught on with previous coaching staffs and at this stage would be lucky to make the roster, but with a new head coach in town things can turn around quickly.

Former Titans defensive end Scott Solomon and 2013 fifth-rounder Steven Means might provide if not competition, then situational relief at defensive end. Means managed 80 snaps as a rookie and is a little undersized to start, but given the lack of edge pressure this team generates on every down, there’s a role there for him if he can turn the corner. At linebacker the team will need to find a starter to compliment David and Mason Foster. Glaud, a former Rutgers graduate will look to build on five snaps as a rookie, but is likely to face competition from Danny Lansanah and any number of players the team signs or re-signs.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
One look at this current view of the Raiders’ lineup puts into perspective the state of things as Phase 3 of the roster demolition/rebuild gets underway. Last season’s slew of ‘let’s just field a full team’ one-year deals are set to expire and the dead money from past misgivings is melting away, so that clean-slate fresh start Reggie McKenzie’s regime has maneuvered for is finally here.

Needless to say there are scarce few locked-in solutions already on board, so the additions we see this offseason – via the draft and in using their massive cap space to keep a couple of their own and add through free agency — will be critical as the foundation is set down.

Key:
- Player markers are colored per class on a five-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.

Lineup-OAK1.png



Roster Notes

- First off, it’s a good clue that if the cornerstone talent of your lineup is a hybrid fullback, you might have larger roster issues. But using that player on just 48% of your offensive snaps only helps to compound things. Reece is a great piece in danger of being wasted.

- Faced with the key rebuild question: do you get the roster in place and then secure the QB to run it or get the QB first and add around him? Oakland can go either way at this point with the QB answer not yet found. The signal-callers available at No. 5 on draft day could show their hand in this regard.

- 353 snaps of unimpressive play from last year’s first-round pick didn’t take the CB position forward as it should have. Perhaps there’s a huge step coming in the second season for a hopefully healthy Hayden, but regardless, the CB roster is once again stripped down and in need of more than a rented talent infusion.

- Contracts are up for seven of the nine O-linemen/ D-linemen who started the final game in 2013. Left in their place are an unhealthy mix of players proven short of the task and those who’ve not logged enough time to tell. Jared Veldheer and Lamarr Houston have been the headline free agents of the group, but the Pat Sims/Vance Walker interior D-Line duo put in work deserving of new deals and Tony Pashos was a stabilizing factor in his 12 games after joining the team at the end of camp.

- A healthy Tyvon Branch and the re-signing of an out-of-options Charles Woodson or under-utilized Usama Young would send Brandian Ross back to a reserve role and remove one of the secondary’s weakest links, but the spot needs attention in the form of a long-term answer soon.

2014 Cap Situation

Carrying a cap space number that looks to be the highest in the league (near $60M peroverthecap.com), the Raiders find themselves in unfamiliar territory. The cap dance of days past will look a little different as dollars aren’t being shuffled around in deadline-beating desperation, but rather as part of a plan to spend wisely, hoping for a lot of bang from a lot of bucks.

Potential Casualties

If the team is not satisfied with the bankroll they’ve positioned for already, the largest potential for additional savings would be in the form of 31-year-old linebacker, Kevin Burnett. His value as a veteran presence and his work done as a run defender last season would point to him being retained, but that $3.5M savings has to be attractive to a team now addicted to trimming every bit of cap fat.

Perhaps a more likely move would be seeing 30-year-old guard Mike Brisiel sent off a year after he restructured to stay aboard. His 2013 was a step better than the season before, but both guard spots could use upgrades and the $1.4M savings he represents would be one more reason for the team to part ways.

Opportunities from the Roster

Grabbing hold of a starting spot late in 2013, wide receiver Andre Holmes flashed the chops to have an impact on the outside. His +3.9 receiving grade and quality work as a blocker may have given him grip on a secondary role in this receiving corps that still lacks a top dog.

Matt McCants served in most games as an overload tackle, but showed well when thrust in as an emergency starter on the right side. The three hurries he gave up on 118 pass-blocking snaps produced an impressive Pass Blocking Efficiency score of 98.1 and his run blocking was no worse than league average. With both Jared Veldheer and Tony Pashos looking for deals, McCants could push 2013 pick Menelik Watson for consideration on the right or maybe even get a look at guard.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
We continue our path down the draft order looking at the current projected starters based on who the team has under contract right now.

The Vikings are one of several teams to have cleared out the coaching staff after their disappointing season and new coach Mike Zimmer will be working along with incumbent GM Rick Spielman to patch the holes in the roster that have become significant in places.

Here’s how the current lineup, after removing the Unrestricted Free Agents, shakes out:

Key:
- Player markers are colored per class on a six-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.

Lineup-MIN.png


Roster Notes

- Adrian Peterson is now the lone blue-chip stud on the roster, but his success depends on the quality of the blocking in front of him ironing out the kinks and living up to their potential rather than their mean performances.

- The once formidable Vikings defense has been eroded over time and now faces a serious dearth of talent. Only three of the eleven projected starters rank as solid or above.

- Cordarrelle Patterson showed fantastic potential as a rookie making plays both as a kick returner, but also as a wide out and running the football. With Jerome Simpson a free agent we’ve projected Patterson to step into the starting lineup and believe he has the potential to be special.

- Kyle Rudolph is another player with the potential to jump not one but two colors. In terms of skill set he might be the closest player in the league to Rob Gronkowski as he showed as a rookie, but remains far too inconsistent to be ranked above adequate starter at this point.

2014 Cap Situation

Healthy. The Vikings have one of the best in the business when it comes to cap management in the form of Rob Brzezinski who enters his sixteenth year with the team in 2014.

The team wants to build through the draft but with somewhere more than $25M worth of cap space they can also afford to target key free agents if they see a better fix there. This is a roster that likely needs to patch holes using both.

Potential Casualties

The way the NFL arranges player contracts there is rarely a team that can’t shave some cap space by offloading a bloated deal that has passed its ‘sell by’ date. Letroy Guion was always miscast as a nose tackle in the 4-3 Minnesota has been using, and the team could save $4M by jettisoning his $4.3m salary this offseason (per overthecap.com). Maybe he would have more joy in Mike Zimmer’s new defense, but the Vikings would be better off clearing his contract and bringing him back afresh to find out.

Chad Greenway might be one of the biggest leaders on that defense, but the team could make a $4.8 million savings by cutting him. At the very least he may be in line for a re-structure given his slip in performance, because on 2013’s display he isn’t justifying his $8.2M cap number.

Adrian Peterson is, of course, in no danger of being cut, but he has a $14.4M cap number this year and Minnesota would save nearly $10M by doing so.

Opportunities from the Roster

The Vikings have a hole on the O-line at left guard, and the team has a history of trying to give that job to somebody they have developed themselves. They did exactly that last season when Brandon Fusco was handed the job over Geoff Schwartz despite the tape suggesting Schwartz should have earned the job on merit. Fusco struggled in his first season starting but in 2013 was vastly improved. Jeff Baca played more preseason snaps than any other Minnesota offensive lineman in 2013, all at left guard, so could well be given the chance to start there in 2014. His preseason grade suggests, however, that unless he can speed his development up somewhat he may experience a similar rough transition period to Fusco.

With Erin Henderson being cut there is going to be an opportunity at linebacker for several of Minnesota’s recent draft picks. Audie Cole is likely to get the first shot at middle linebacker while Gerald Hodges among others could win himself a job on the strong side.
 

whiteyc_77

The Skeleton Debator
Mod Alumni
It is in draft order, you dolts.

That is the order that the site is releasing the team breakdowns. Look at the first 8 words of Packfan's last post (the breakdown of the Vikings).

-YTC
 

NML

Well-Known Member
Well Houston picks first and the Jags pick third. I think Rams/Skeens are second.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
We’ve seen some success from rookie quarterback and head coach combinations in recent times but, with E.J. Manuel’s development disrupted by injuries throughout 2013, the Buffalo Bills didn’t enjoy the same results.

Head Coach Doug Marrone lost his defensive coordinator as Mike Pettine headed to Cleveland to become their new head coach, but the defense still has plenty of talent. They do have some holes on the roster, however, so keep that in mind as we take a look at the current projected starters based on who the team has under contract right now.

Key:
- Player markers are colored per class on a six-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.

Lineup-BUF.png


Roster Notes

- 2013 was a down year for C.J. Spiller, with that in mind we have him down as a solid starter. He can vault himself back up a bracket if he can get himself back to his 2012 form however. Back then he averaged 3.6 yards after contact per carry and forced 53 missed tackles, leading our Elusive Rating Signature Stat by some distance.

- With Scott Chandler currently slated to be an unrestricted free agent (see Buffalo’s free agents here), we have Lee Smith slotted in as the new starting tight end. Heading into his fourth season he has shown himself to be an able blocker but, with just 13 receptions in his career so far, we haven’t seen anything to suggest he can contribute much in the passing game.

- Defensively, the front seven for the Bills looks to be an area of strength, with six of the seven projected starters considered to be at least solid starters. Kiko Alonso had a fantastic rookie season in coverage, but still has some work to do against the run to elevate his rating.

- The team lacks a true free safety on the roster with Jarius Byrd scheduled to hit free agency. That would leave Da’Norris Searcy playing out of position so you would expect them to look to find a free safety through free agency or the draft.

- We currently have the Bills penciled in as a 3-4 defensively, but with new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz on board that is potentially up in the air. They have the personnel to run either currently, so free agency may give a better idea as to which way they are leaning.

2014 Cap Situation

With plenty of starters in place, the Bills projected $18.9 million in cap room looks fairly healthy. It allows them to be as aggressive as they want to be to fills their most important needs. They aren’t in as good shape as teams like the Oakland Raiders, but plenty of teams would certainly love to switch places with them.

Potential Casualties

The team has $3.1M tied up in backup quarterback Kevin Kolb, who suffered another concussion in the preseason and might not be able to come back from this one. That would push them over the $20M mark in terms of cap space but there doesn’t look to be much more in the way of savings to be made, with the biggest savings coming from players who are established starters, whom cutting would seem counterproductive.

Opportunities from the Roster

Speedster Marquise Goodwin showed some explosiveness on his 17 catches, averaging 16.6 yards per catch and could potentially unseat T.J. Graham as the team’s number three receiver if he continues to develop and Graham struggles again. Stefan Charles showed flashes of potential on 82 snaps in his first season after arriving from Canada, including recording five defensive stops in the regular season finale, and could force his way to a greater role on the defensive line with a strong offseason. Linebacker Ty Powell, the teams seventh round pick a year ago, saw 82 snaps in the preseason and just 15 in the regular season. While that’s not enough to judge a player on, he performed well enough that he’s worth keeping an eye on this offseason as someone who could potentially step up as a role player. They added tight end Tony Moeaki in December and if he could rekindle his pre-injury form could start, but it’s been so long since we’ve seen him at his best that it’s hard to say how much he can contribute.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
Our Accuracy Percentage stat goes beyond your standard quarterback completion percentage, taking into account dropped passes, throw aways, spiked balls, batted passes and passes where the quarterback was hit while attempting to throw.
Accuracy Percentage

The Top 10

The best of the best in terms of Accuracy Percentage features some of the players you’d expect to find at the top of this list, and a few who come as a bit of a surprise. Leading the way among the 41 QBs who surpassed the 175 drop-back mark to qualify is Green Bay’sAaron Rodgers, accurate on 79.3% of his passes after finishing second in 2012 with 80.2%. That’s impressively consistent from the Packers’ signal caller, and he’s joined inside the Top 10 by backup Matt Flynn who, despite his struggles, managed to be accurate on 74.7% of his passes, tied with Ben Roethlisberger and Sam Bradford for the seventh-best mark in 2013.

Ever prominent atop most quarterback rankings regardless of which stat you’re looking at, Drew Brees and Peyton Manning were tied for fifth with an Acc% of 77.0%, with Manning seeing 6.5% of his catchable passes dropped by receivers. In fourth we have Josh McCown, highlighting his impressive season and something that will surely catch the attention of teams looking for a quarterback this offseason while Matt Ryan, much maligned for a midseason slump, was still in the Top 3.

The Bottom 10

Like the Top 10, the Bottom 10 won’t come as much of a shock to anyone who watched these quarterbacks play in 2013. Oakland’s Matthew McGloin was at the bottom of the pile with an Acc% of just 66.5%, and he was joined in the lower group, sadly for Raiders fans, by teammate Terrelle Pryor.

NameTeamAccuracy %
Kellen ClemensSTL68.7%
E.J. ManuelBUF68.4%
Terrelle PryorOAK68.3%
Brandon WeedenCLV68.2%
Joe FlaccoBLT67.8%
Thaddeus LewisBUF67.5%
Case KeenumHST67.5%
Geno SmithNYJ67.4%
Eli ManningNYG67.2%
Matthew McGloinOAK66.5%
High profile signal-callers in the Bottom 10 include former Super Bowl MVP’s Joe Flacco andEli Manning, with neither justifying their lofty contracts in 2013. Neither come as too much of a surprise, however, with Flacco having the sixth-worst mark in 2012, and Manning 11th from the bottom.

AFC East rookies Geno Smith and E.J. Manuel find themselves here too, an indication of their struggles in their first seasons in the league, but Smith improved as the year went on and Manuel saw his season interrupted by injury, so there will be an expectation that both can lift
 

GR8 2 B FL G8R

Well-Known Member
Ever prominent atop most quarterback rankings regardless of which stat you’re looking at, Drew Brees

Ever prominent atop most quarterback rankings regardless of which stat you’re looking at, Drew Brees

Ever prominent atop most quarterback rankings regardless of which stat you’re looking at, Drew Brees

Ever prominent atop most quarterback rankings regardless of which stat you’re looking at, Drew Brees

Ever prominent atop most quarterback rankings regardless of which stat you’re looking at, Drew Brees
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
Oh noodle

Acc%: Deep Passing

The Top 10

Deep Accuracy gives a good indication of which quarterbacks were most accurate challenging defenses downfield and, with a big start in limited action in Houston, Case Keenum tops the list with a Deep Acc% of 53.1%. Rodgers is once again amongst the best here, as the only quarterback other than Keenum to finish above 50%. Super Bowl QBs Russell Wilson and Peyton Manning round out the Top 5 along with the surprise inclusion of Kellen Clemens.

NameTeamDeep Acc. %
Case KeenumHST53.1%
Aaron RodgersGB52.8%
Russell WilsonSEA48.3%
Peyton ManningDEN48.2%
Kellen ClemensSTL48.0%
Matt CasselMIN47.4%
Geno SmithNYJ46.7%
Alex D. SmithKC46.3%
Matthew McGloinOAK45.7%
Mike GlennonTB45.0%
Despite his poor overall accuracy, Geno Smith was seventh-best on deep throws, completing 46.7% of passes 20 yards or more downfield, though that did come with seven interceptions — the only player in the Top 10 to throw more interceptions than touchdowns. He’s joined by fellow rookie Mike Glennon who finishes the Top 10 at 45.0%, but had the best touchdown-to-interception ratio among them with seven TDs and just one INT.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
A new chapter begins for the Detroit Lions as Jim Caldwell takes the reins as head coach, but the cupboard is loaded with plenty of talent. It’s not often a new coach is blessed with a viable quarterback, one of the league’s top defensive lines, and potential elite talent sprinkled throughout the roster, but Caldwell inherits a team capable of competing right away.

The only drawbacks in Detroit center around the lack of salary cap space, so they’ll have to get creative this offseason, but with a solid draft, the Lions should be right in the middle of the NFC North race next season.

Key:
- Player markers are colored per class on a six-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.




Roster Notes

- The seemingly yearly tradition of waiting for the Lions to address their No. 2 wide receiver will continue this offseason. While the offense has a number of pieces in place with the solid Matthew Stafford, two backfield playmakers in Reggie Bush and Joique Bell, and of course elite wide receiver Calvin Johnson, the Lions will once again be in the market for an outside receiving complement, most likely through the draft.

- Yet another Detroit rite of passage is the search for cornerback help. They’ve spent resources at the position both financially and through the draft, with youngsters Darius Slay and Dwight Bentley flanking Chris Houston in an underwhelming group. With limited cap space, this is yet another area that may need to be addressed come draft time.

- The clear strength of the team is the defensive line, certainly not a bad place to build. Ndamukong Suh is among the best defensive tackles in the league while Nick Fairley is capable of joining him there in any given year. The Lions spent last year’s first round pick on DE Ezekial Ansah who showed well as a rookie and may join his colleagues in the green very soon. On the other side, we didn’t really get a chance to see what Jason Jones could do in Detroit’s scheme last season, but he’s historically been a much better player on the inside rather than as a 4-3 defensive end. With Suh and Fairley on the roster, his opportunities will be limited on the interior so until he proves his worth on the outside, he gets the orange label with upside.

- With TE Brandon Pettigrew a free agent, the Lions are left with only Joseph Fauria at the position. Despite a nice rookie season that saw Fauria emerge as a red zone threat with seven touchdowns, they still have to address the position with a more traditional, every-down option.

- Re-signing center Dominic Raiola ensures that a potentially solid offensive line remains intact. Right tackle LaAdrian Waddle came out of nowhere to claim his starting spot after going undrafted a year ago while fellow rookie Larry Warford emerged as one of the league’s best guards. Detroit may look to get younger at left guard at some point as Rob Sims enters his ninth year in the league.

2014 Cap Situation

Not good. Before making cuts, the Lions are one of only five teams already over the cop according to overthecap.com, so some moves will have to be made. They have so much money tied up in contracts to Stafford, Johnson, and Suh, and with a potential extension for Fairley on the horizon, the Lions don’t look like they’ll be major players in free agency this offseason.

Potential Casualties

It appears inevitable that WR Nate Burleson will be cut given his $7 million+ cap number[update: shortly after posting this, Burelson was cut], but there are not a lot of other options for cap relief on the roster. Among the other possibilities, FS Louis Delmas would be a surprise cut, but he’d save the team around over $5 million on the cap while Sims is another possible option if a younger, cheaper left guard is drafted.

Opportunities from the Roster

We’re still waiting on a clean bill of health from WR Ryan Broyles, who has shown potential from the slot. The injuries are piling up as he heads into his third season, but if he can move forward, the Lions could have a valuable piece to their passing game. Rookie DE Devin Taylor made the most of his 308 snaps last season, putting himself in position to potentially steal some playing time from Jason Jones. He’ll continue to see time in the rotation at the very least and his run stopping ability should be a valuable asset on the already-loaded defensive front. After a decent start to his career, CB Jonte Green should have a chance to secure some playing time with CB Rashean Mathis moving on in free agency
 

R2D2

Well-Known Member
Some rumors:

"Mallett and Adrian Peterson have a friendly relationship through a mutual coaching connection, and Vikings general manager Rick Spielman has done a number of deals with the Patriots. If the Patriots were open to moving him, it's possible the Vikings could take a look." - ESPN's Ben Goessling on a potential trade for Ryan Mallett.
"Pittsburgh's intent is to take a tall receiver early -- they have already indicated that to Ben Roethlisberger -- another indication that Sanders will be gone." - Gerry Dulac
"The Broncos could spend a premium pick on a corner like Kyle Fuller from Virginia Tech. ... Other cornerbacks the Broncos could consider are: Stanley Jean-Baptiste (Nebraska), Chris Davis (Auburn) or Antone Exum (Virginia Tech)." - Cecil Lammey
 

Chase

Well-Known Member
Jim Caldwell and Matt Stafford = 6-10, 7-9. They cut Delmas too.

Also regarding the WR rumor in the draft for the Steelers: Emmanuel Sanders blows. Was stupid to match the Patriots offer last season. In his 'contract year' he was terrible. Steelers 'taking a tall receiver early' would mean Mike Evans, Benjamin from FSU or Ebron from UNC, Evans and Ebron would be great but I would be pretty meh on Benjamin. Marquise Lee would be great, granted he's only 6 foot . I just fear the Steelers will take the NT from Notre Dame who won't even be a starter until 2017, because that's what they've done under Tomlin.. take DL who are groomed for years down the road and the year they become a starter they're a free agent at the end of the year. Backward ass footbaw.
 

Chase

Well-Known Member
I think he's a great player, but I just know the Steelers wouldn't start him for years. And in today's NFL is a NT worth a 1st round pick? Bears should take Clinton-Dix IMO.
 

R2D2

Well-Known Member
He has a lot of talent. I do think drafting him at 14 overall is high though. If I'm a GM I see him more as a late first to early second.

For the Bears, their run defense needs some improvement. It was turrible last season. Maybe draft Mosley out of Alabama? To me he's overrated doe.
 

bruin

Well-Known Member
Chiefs are high on Clinton-Dix. Need another safety. If we go WR, don't want Beckham Jr. Nope. No thanks.
 

Reel

Off dem Milds and dat Yak
Community Liaison
Chiefs are high on Clinton-Dix. Need another safety. If we go WR, don't want Beckham Jr. Nope. No thanks.

Then you're tripping. Beckham Jr is legit. I've watched him since his freshmen year before mettenberger was a somewhat competent quarterback. Imagine him with Alex Smith and the year he had this past season
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
A new era dawns in Tennessee with the appointment of an old face in the form of Head Coach Ken Whisenhunt. A former Super Bowl champion coordinator from his time in Pittsburgh, Whisenhunt also got back to the big dance in Arizona but fell just short against his former employers.

In Tennessee he faces the task of realizing Jake Locker’s potential and revamping a team that has struggled to keep pace in the AFC South.

Without an overabundance of cap space the Titans won’t be able to rework the entire roster through free agency, but with a few moves they are in a relatively healthy situation.

Key:
- Player markers are colored per class on a six-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.




Roster Notes

- With the addition of Andy Levitre in the 2013 offseason the Titans can deploy one of the finest left sides in the league when it comes to the offensive line. Michael Roos remains one of the best and Levitre quietly played well in his first year in Tennessee. If they can get improved play from Warmack on the right side then they are left with just center and right tackle to address.

- The trend on the Titans’ roster is very much average, with 10 players earning a yellow designation, one of only two sides in the league in double figures. The biggest ‘average’ area on the roster with the likely free agent departure of Alterraun Verner is the defensive secondary.

- If Jake Locker fails to progress under new coaching it’s likely not going to be for the want of weapons to throw to. Kendall Wright leads the receiving corps which has the potential to be an excellent group if Justin Hunter can take another step forward. Delanie Walker is a good option at tight end and the Titans have the ability to run the football.

- Jurrell Casey was one of the league’s most disruptive defensive tackles in 2013 and former first round pick Derrick Morgan has also quietly developed into a fine player. Those two provide an impressive pair on the D-line but there is scope to improve their supporting cast, either in the form of starters or in the rotation behind them.

2014 Cap Situation

Not bad. The Titans have a bit of wiggle room against the cap with somewhere in the region of $7.2 million (per overthecap.com) of space but they can also free up significantly more with a couple of cuts or restructures of key personnel on the roster. The team needs to attack this draft with gusto under a new regime, but they do have the cash to target a free agent or two if they decide that’s the way to go.

Potential Casualties

Chris Johnson. Formerly CJ2K has a monster cap number ($10 million) and hasn’t come close to justifying that kind of figure for some time. The Titans weren’t helping him out with blocking up front for some of that time, but Johnson isn’t the player he was at his best. His rushing style isn’t ideally suited to making things happen on his own when the blocking breaks down. The Titans would be on the hook for $4 million in dead money if they cut him, but it would free up $6 million of cap space and come close to doubling their cap room in one move.

Players like Michael Griffin and Kamerion Wimbley also have significant cap numbers, but they might be better candidates for restructuring than outright cuts.

Opportunities on the Roster

With Verner likely leaving in free agency the Titans have a spot open at corner for the first time in a few years. Verner and Jason McCourty have locked down those spots for some time but in 2013 Blidi Wreh-Wilson saw 93 snaps and played well in that limited time. His preseason was less successful, playing 98 snaps and surrendering a pair of touchdowns and a 126.5 passer rating into his coverage. The Titans will likely look to add a corner but maybe his regular season performance will earn him a look at the starting spot.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
After an ugly 2013 season the Giants find themselves if not fully rebuilding than at least seriously reloading through free agency and the draft. A team that has won a pair of Super Bowls in recent years looked quite some way short of that standard this year.

The team has decided to stick the course with their proven and trusted regime though and they have a track record of making lemonade out of lemons when their roster looks like it doesn’t quite belong with the very best in the league.

With some reasonable cap space the Giants have the ability to get back in the lead of a division that has no clear front runner entering the 2014 season.

Key:

– Player markers are colored per class on a six-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.

Lineup-NYG1.png


Roster Notes

- In 2011 Eli Manning put together one of the best extended performances by a quarterback in the face of sustained pressure you are ever likely to see. Given the current state of the Giants’ offensive line he may need to repeat that going forward if the offense is to have any chance. William Beatty has shown impressive play in the past and Jordan Pugh on the other side played pretty well as a rookie. Still, the line has real problems in between those two with Chris Snee’s marked decline only one of several problems. The Giants need to address the offensive line in the draft and probably with veterans too.

- When the Giants won their rings they did it largely on the back of a formidable front seven and a pretty fearsome ability to bring pressure up front. Jason Pierre-Paul is a fine player (though perhaps will never wind up being one of the league’s very best pass rushers) but outside of him there is precious little reinforcement. While the D-line has its issues, if anything, the linebacking corps is in even worse shape. The Giants need some serious defensive help here.

- New York seems to keep finding reasonable safety play from all comers but they have struggled to find quality corners in recent years. Terrell Thomas has been unlucky with a series of knee injuries and Corey Webster has declined from a point of once leading PFF’s grading over a season. Prince Amukamara was supposed to be the answer but needs to take another step forward to be the top guy in that defensive backfield. Even if he does they still need to find at least one more capable starter.

- Since Jake Ballard’s career collapsed in much the same way his knee did when he tried to run off an ACL tear in the Super Bowl, the Giants have been struggling to replace his spot at tight end. Martellus Bennett was the last reasonable player they had manning the position and they allowed him to walk after a season of quality play.

2014 Cap Situation

Currently in reasonable shape. The Giants have something in the region of $13.4m of cap space (per overthecap.com) and several more contracts that could be either cut loose or restructured to provide more. The team needs to fix some serious holes, so they will likely be looking to free agency as well as the draft in order to get that done. They have the cap space to make a couple of moves before the draft arrives and narrows their focus.

Potential Casualties

Chris Snee has a cap number of $11.3 million this season and his play has long since declined past the point where that is palatable. It sounds as if he himself is aware of that and there is talk of him ending his career by retiring. Getting his contract off the roster would add nearly $7 million to the Giants’ cap space. Antrel Rolle finally lived up to the hype that has surrounded him from the outset with a pretty good year, but he has a cap number of $9.25 million in 2014. Cutting him would free up more than $7 million, raising the question of restructuring at the very least. As ever, with a quarterback sitting on a $100 million+ contract Eli Manning has the potential to restructure his deal to give the team a little more flexibility against the cap.

Opportunities on the Roster

Given the state of the Giants’ roster the truth is there are opportunities almost everywhere for somebody with talent to step up and win a job. Linebacker in particular is crying out for somebody to win a spot but there is also serious opportunity on both lines. Sadly for the team, there are few, if any, candidates for actually taking those opportunities because the backups have proven largely to be even worse than the players ahead of them on the depth chart.
 

bruin

Well-Known Member
Then you're tripping. Beckham Jr is legit. I've watched him since his freshmen year before mettenberger was a somewhat competent quarterback. Imagine him with Alex Smith and the year he had this past season

Maybe I am, Reel. Maybe it's just another LSU WR that scares me. Bowe is getting paid like a top 10 WR, but he isn't one.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
f the Rams lost all of their unrestricted free agents, didn’t re-sign anyone and didn’t draft anyone, their roster really wouldn’t look significantly different than the 2013 season outside of having Sam Bradford healthy. The Rams have built their roster with recent high round draft picks who will ideally continue to improve mixed with a few veteran offensive free agents that have panned out.
In a worst case scenario a lot of these young players don’t pan out and St. Louis has another losing season. In a best case the Rams make the right moves this offseason and can help keep the NFC West the best division in football.
Key:
- Player markers are colored per class on a five-step ‘Poor’ to ‘High Quality’ scale based on their overall performance and the league’s elite are marked separately in blue.
- Colored outlines suggest a potential change in class.
- Underlined players will be 30+ years old for the 2014 season.
- Red player names suggest injury risks.
- Click on the image to enlarge.

Lineup-STL.png


Roster Notes
- The Rams have one of the least diverse rosters when it comes to talent. This is due to the fact that 18 of 24 players are in the average to below average starter category which is tied for the most in the league. This makes them as a team a largely unknown because nearly every projected starter is someone who hasn’t lived up to their draft pick yet but has the potential to improve.
- By far the best position group is the defensive line. Only three players on the roster are an above average starter or better, and two are their defensive ends Robert Quinn and Chris Long. The two defensive tackles, Michael Brockers and Kendall Langford, are also among the best players on the roster.
- Over the last three years the Rams have spent five early draft picks on receivers, and to this point none have developed into anything more than role players. While we list these three players as the likely starters, until someone steps up we will likely continue to see a five-man rotation.
- One of the most interesting positions to keep an eye on this offseason is the interior offensive line. Most of the Rams’ notable free agents are guards including Shelly Smith and Rodger Saffold who both played well as part-time players last year. Regardless of who is or isn’t brought back, look for St. Louis to spend one or more draft picks on offensive linemen. Of the 10 linemen currently under contact, only one was drafted by the Rams.
- The biggest need is slot cornerback where Cortland Finnegan hasn’t lived up to his reputation. It wasn’t ideal to move safety Rodney McLeod to the slot when Finnegan was hurt and it wouldn’t be surprising if next year’s slot corner isn’t currently on the roster.
2014 Cap Situation
At the moment the Rams have very little money to spend on free agents and draft picks, only having roughly $600,000 of cap room per overthecap.com. A lot of this is due to Sam Bradford, Chris Long, James Laurinaitis and Cortland Finnegan having a combined 2014 cap hit of over $50 million. Luckily with high draft picks and few 2013 players as free agents, they aren’t as bad off as other teams with that little cap space.
Potential Casualties
By far the biggest question is at quarterback, where Sam Bradford is an average player and not playing nearly up to his salary. Cutting him would allow the Rams to draft a quarterback early and use the money gained to build around him. Keeping him would mean not re-signing some of their better free agents and continuing to build around him with the draft.
At cornerback, Finnegan’s contract isn’t the most friendly to be cut as it would lead to a lot of dead money, but with his age and production it would make sense to let him go.
The other two possibilities that would save a few million each are linemen Harvey Dahl and Scott Wells. Both were well-paid free agents who have played decently but not up to expectations. Letting them go would give them cap space to re-sign some of their free agent offensive linemen, and also give them opportunities to be full-time starters. Releasing Finnegan as well as these two linemen would effectively make Chris Long, who is currently 28, the oldest player on the roster.
Opportunities from the Roster
It wasn’t until Week 9 that third-round rookie Stedman Bailey worked his way into the wide receiver rotation. His playing time went up as the season went on to the point where he was playing in 40 or more snaps in each of the last two games. His PFF pass rating of +1.9 was the best out of the Rams’ wide receivers, and he could earn himself a starting job next year.
Cory Harkey mostly lines up at fullback, but at times plays tight end or goes out to play like a wide receiver. His receiving numbers on a small sample size looked very good especially late in the season, so he could gain more receiving opportunities in 2014.
 

Packfan

Administrator
Administrator
Top NFL earners in 2013 -- Aaron Rodgers: $40 million; Roger Goodell: $44 million.
 
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