Needs: QB, RB, OT, OG, C, DT, DE, OLB, ILB, S, CB

Ouch.

We're basically set at 2 positions: WR and TE. But every other position desperately needs either depth or new starters.

QB -- if this team is going to be serious about the playoffs, the fastest way to get there is to get a better QB. Unfortunately, the free-agent class is lacking in such QBs (Pennington?). And while Bradford and Clausen could be available in the draft, I'm not convinced about either of them. So...another year of Alex? Can Nate somehow miraculously step up? The QB position just doesn't look good in the near-term future.

RB -- Gore has *at most* two good years left in him. Coffee is purely backup material (when people say that he's a 209-pound back who runs like a 230-pounder, unfortunately that refers more to his lack of speed and elusiveness than anything else). We still need a 1B to Gore's 1A. And pretty soon, we're going to need a 1A to Gore's 1B.

OL -- Staley is okay, but is anyone else a bit surprised by how Sims is basically doing the same thing that Staley was doing at LT? Am I missing the huge difference? I'm a little worried that Staley could be overrated. He doesn't dominate on the run and he gets beaten more often than I'd like on the pass rush. Meanwhile, right tackle could use an upgrade. But surprisingly, the biggest problem right now is at guard. Rachal is playing like a dumbass, Baas can't stay healthy, and Wragge needs to Wretire. Rachal and Baas are both becoming wasted 2nd-round investments in guards (2nd round! On guards! Two of them!). That's is a hugely overlooked factor in this team's lack of talent. And let's not forget that we have nobody behind Heitmann to learn and eventually take over at C (Cody Wallace? No.).

DL -- so we get another year of contract-year-Franklin, which means the all-important NT position should be okay for now. But I'm not convinced that Balmer is the long-term solution at NT, and it would help to find an alternative. Meanwhile, the DEs are solid against the run but generate almost zero pass rush. A stud Ty Warren type would be great with either of our first-rounders (Warren was drafted #10 I believe). Suh will be drafted top-10, but McCoy could be available in the mid teens.

LB -- it's almost becoming a cliche/running-joke: we need an edge rusher. So what else is new? Lawson and Haralson are solid unspectacular grinders. To go along with our solid unspectacular grinders at DE. And that's how we end up with a piss-poor pass-rush. And can we please not have to rely on random free-agents off the street to be our starter at ILB? Curtis Lofton instead of Kentwan Balmer is looking *really* good about now.

DB -- we're not in bad shape here, but a rangy, hard-hitting, ball-hawking FS/SS would be great to have. So would additional depth at CB. But Berry will go top-10 and I have doubts about Mays. So this seems like a lower priority than drafting some elite talent for the front-seven.


__________________________________________________________