Chicago Bears Top Draft Needs: WR, S, DE

Jerry Angelo took a lot of the fun out of the 2009 draft. Most Bears fans believe that it was worth it, but only time will tell if Jay Cutler is worth what some critics have called the high price the Bears paid to get him. The Jay Cutler trade jolted the city and franchise from an otherwise boring offseason and infused life into a franchise just two years removed from a Super Bowl appearance. Say what you want about Cutler and what the Bears gave up to get him, but at least they made a bold move to address a position that has been in a state of flux for the better part of two decades.

A lot of talk has centered around getting some weapons for Jay Cutler and most mock drafts have the Bears taking a wide receiver with their second round pick. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Bears went with a safety in the second round and shopped for multiple wide receivers on Day 2 of the draft. Angelo likes stockpiling defensive lineman and I fully expect to see him take a project or two in this area in the later rounds. With an aging offensive line, look for the Bears to infuse some youth to start grooming replacements for aging veterans Olin Kreutz and Orlando Pace.

Without their original first and third round picks this year, GM Jerry Angelo will have to find some late round magic. Here are the key needs the Bears need to address with their remaining picks.

Wide Receiver

If we learned anything from the amazing playoff run by the Arizona Cardinals, it’s that a legit #1 wide receiver or two can make any offense look great. The Bears new-look offense comes in with a big question mark at the wide receiver position. Veterans Marty Booker and Brandon Lloyd are gone, while rookie Earl Bennett hopes his reunion with Vanderbilt teammate Jay Cutler shows why he merited a 3rd round pick in 2008. Meanwhile, Devin Hester has shown signs of being able to contribute consistently on offense, but he needs some help.

The Bears definitely need to add a wideout or three around Hester. Taking a receiver in the second or third round is a must. If someone like Kenny Britt out of Rutgers or Brian Robiskie slides in the second round, expect the Bears to jump at the chance. Other names swirling around the Bears in the 2nd round include Mohamed Massaquoi out of Georgia or Juaquin Iglesias from Oklahoma. Don’t be too surprised if the Bears take a safety in the second and grab a project like WR Ramses Barden from Cal Poly in the third round.

Safety

One of the keys to the Cover-2 Defense is having playmakers in the defensive backfield. It is a sad reality that Mike Brown’s days as a Chicago Bear are over with his best days certainly behind him. His injuries in recent years have magnified the need to find a reliable replacement to “quarterback” the defense. (What is it with that quarterback position in Chicago anyway?) When Brownie was back there, you didn’t see the types of missed assignments that you witnessed with Danieal Manning, Craig Steltz, etc. Josh Bullocks was brought in to help add some depth, but he struggled in a bad Saints secondary, so don’t count on him as more than an insurance policy.

Look no further than the world champion Pittsburgh Steelers to see the impact of having a stud safety like Troy Polamalu. Speaking of USC safeties, with Taylor Mays deciding to stay in school for another year (I guess he couldn’t afford the pay cut), the Safety class of 2009 is slim at best. Missouri’s William Moore and Louis Delmas of Western Michigan appear to be at the head of an admittedly thin class. If the Bears wait until the bottom of the third round, they are not likely to get anyone near the top of the list.

Defensive End

The other key to the Cover-2 is to pressure the quarterback without having to blitz. That was not the case last season. The pass rush was a disappointment to say the least. Adewale Ogunleye is entering the final year of his contract and appears to be heading out the door. On the other end, Alex Brown is solid and does a great job in spurts during the season but has yet to be a consistent game changer. Mark Anderson hasn’t been able to regain his rookie form where he burst on the scene with 12 sacks and 2007.

Until the Cutler and Pace deals, the biggest offseason move appeared to be grabbing Rod Marinelli to be the new defensive line coach. The hope is that Marinelli will be able to increase the production of a defensive line coming off a disappointing 2008 season. Look for the Bears to grab a project for Marinelli to groom as the line starts to rebuild around Tommie Harris.

Mike Burzawa – Bear Googles On

Running back:

Tight end: The Birds waved bye, bye to underachieving L.J. Smith, who signed with the Ravens. Smith showed flashes, but never lived up to his second-round status. Brent Celek has been elevated to starter based largely on his late season surge and spectacular playoff performances. Matt Schobel, for some strange reason, still has the third-string tight end job. Another vertical/red zone target is needed. It would be nice to have someone who is a good blocker, but the arrival of Peters, Stacy Andrews and Leonard Weaver offsets the necessity for a run-blocking tight end.

Cornerback: Most fans will cry wide receiver. Personally, I think what they have is enough. A big, physical red zone threat would be nice, but it’s not a must need. Another cornerback is more relevant at this time. Last year’s fourth-round selection, Jack Ikegwuonu, has yet to see the field due a knee injury suffered in January 2008. Relying on just him for depth would be foolish. In addition, the recent trade demands by Sheldon Brown could lead to a lengthy holdout, so the Birds would be wise to cover their backsides.

How will the Eagles address these needs? I’d like to believe Andy Reid will go running back in the opening round. Almost every mock draft has them picking Knowshon Moreno at 21. I think he’ll be gone by then, but if he isn’t, there is still no guarantee he’ll be the choice. It’s probably too early to grab Donald Brown, so backs like LeSean McCoy and Rashad Jennings might be targeted in round two. If they do take Brown at 21, look for a tight end to come off the board in either the second or third round. Jared Cook, Cornelius Ingram and Chase Coffman are names to remember. With no fourth round pick because of the Jason Peters trade, they could wait until the fifth round before taking a cornerback, but that seems risky. They own four picks in the fifth, so they could trade back into the fourth if they wanted. However, selecting a corner in one of the first three rounds is the safer bet. Guys like Mike Mickens, Sean Smith, Kevin Barnes and Bradley Fletcher are players they have shown interest in who should be available between rounds two through four.

One last point: I will not be be surprised one bit if a defensive player is taken at 21. They don’t really need one, but that won’t stop Reid from throwing everyone a curve.

Scott Tunstall – Inside the Iggles

Kellen Barton and Nick Bishop from Titan Sized and FanSided weigh in on what positions the Titans should be looking at in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft.

Positions: WR, CB, DE, LB

In recent years, Tennessee Titans fans have clamored for a top-flight wide receiver. In 2007, the team selected safety Michael Griffin from the University of Texas. In 2008, they “reached” for the speedy running back Chris Johnson out of ECU. Fortunately, those picks have paid huge dividends thus far, as both have become Pro Bowlers in their first and second seasons, respectively. With all of that said, is this finally the year that the Titans draft an impact wideout? History says no, but if a WR is the highest player they have left on their draft board, then Titans fans will likely be welcoming a new one to the team.

WR: Tennessee has drafted eight wide receivers since 2005. Since you asked, those eight have been: Courtney Roby, Brandon Jones, Roydell Williams, Jonathan Orr, Paul Williams, Chris Davis, Joel Filani and Lavelle Hawkins. A few of those guys still have time to pan out, but none of them are currently in danger of being recognized on the street. And that doesn’t include the 1st round selection of Kevin Dyson in 1998, the 2nd round pick of Tyrone Calico in 2000, or the 2nd round choice of Ben Troupe in 2004 (yes, he was a TE, but he was also the team’s first pick in the draft that year). None of them are now Titans. Needless to say, that some of those choices may have affected future draft picks at this position. But if the Titans learned anything with the selection of “Twitch” in last year’s draft, it’s that having playmakers at skill positions is indispensable. If a WR like Percy Harvin or Hakeem Nicks are still hanging around, then Titans must strongly consider taking the leap they weren’t willing to last year when all of the top WR’s were still on the board.

CB: The Titans secondary was by far the most pleasant surprise of the 2008 season. Going back just two years to 2006, the Titans finished with the 27th ranked passing defense in the league. But since drafting CB Cortland Finnegan in 2006 (6th round), S Michael Griffin in 2007 and bringing in free agents S Chris Hope in 2006 and CB Nick Harper in 2007, the Titans have turned in top ten defensive units. Finnegan and Griffin will be cornerstones in the secondary for years to come, but Hope and Harper aren’t getting any younger, and Harper will become a free agent after next season. Look for the Titans to find his replacement in this year’s draft.

DE: Last year’s loss of 2004 second round picks Antwan Odom and Travis LaBoy coupled with the age and injury histories of Kyle Vanden Bosch and Jevon Kearse leaves defensive end as a position where Tennessee needs to get deeper and younger. Rookie Jason Jones played incredibly well this season, and while he’s listed as a DE, the majority of his playing time was at the tackle position. Jones adds to the depth of the interior line (which becomes especially important if Albert Haynesworth leaves via free agency), so expect Tennessee to look to bolster the DE position (and/or tackle depending on Haynesworth), possibly even finding a starter in the first few rounds.

LB: Keith Bulluck has unquestionably been the leader of the Tennessee Titans defense since being their 1st round selection in the 2000 draft. He has quite possibly been one of the most underrated players at his position since he came into the league (only one Pro Bowl in 2003). Unfortunately, Bulluck is on the north side of 30. Same goes for his linebacking bookend, David Thornton. The youngster, Stephen Tulloch looks to have a place in this corps for the future, as he has shown tons of promise, but he still lacks the consistency that is needed to lead this unit. Throw in the fact that there is very little depth here (unless you’re crazy about Stanford Keglar’s “upside”) and you almost have to think that the Titans will try and find another future starting linebacker in this draft.

If last year proved anything, it’s that Tennessee (like most disciplined teams) isn’t going to draft solely for need in the first round. The Titans might seem pretty stacked at offensive tackle, for instance, but if the top guy on their board when they pick at #30 is an OT, we’re probably looking at a new offensive lineman. This is not a bad thing. The Titans roster is littered with second day gems, and Tennessee has the luxury of having a season or two to groom this year’s draft picks before their impact is essential.

Phin Phanatic

Shane Ford is the draft specialist for PhinPhanatic.com. Shane has been working with the site as a contributing draft writer for a year now and posts all of the PhinPhanatic.com Mock Drafts.

Positions: LB, NT, FS, CB, OL, WR

At best most people thought Miami would end 2008 with a 5 to 6 win season and be looking at a top 10 pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. Enter Bill Parcels. Enter Jeff Ireland. Enter Tony Sporano. The Trifecta restored hope in South Florida by bringing in football players and instilling discipline. This translated to an 11-5 record and the AFC East crown. The challenge will be to keep the momentum going and while from the outside it may look that all is well in Miami, a tougher schedule will surely test the Dolphins in 2009.

Vernon Carey holds the key to Miami’s draft. The free agent market will not be great this year if Miami is looking to replace Carey at RT. Dolphins have said the resigning Carey is a priority. If Carey is resigned that will give Miami the opportunity to look for a project at RT for a mid to late round pick, by combing the waiver wire or simply wait until the 2010 draft. If Miami can’t resign Carey then look for Miami to target a RT on day one of the draft that can be a plug and play type player. A couple of names to look at could be Phil Laodholt, Eben Britton and Alex Boone.

For the purpose of this article we will assume that Carey will be resigned by Miami and hold down the RT spot for at least another 2 years. We will focus our attention to the offensive side of the ball first. To be the smash mouth football team that the Trifecta wants Miami has to be able to run the ball effectively between the tackles without running the Wildcat formation. They will look to upgrade the center position first and foremost. Satele had a very nice rookie season, but regressed when Miami went to a less finesse offense. To his credit he played most of the season with a torn labrum, and it’s been reported that Miami has asked Sampson to add 10 to 15 pounds of upper body muscle in the off-season. The lackluster guard play could be corrected by the returns of Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas. If the Trifecta is not happy with the progression of Satele they might be in a position to draft one of the top 4 center/guards with their first round pick. Pay close attention once free agency starts and see if Jason Brown hits the market and if Miami takes a run at him, this could tip their hat in the draft and Miami could target players like Alex Mack, Eric Wood, Max Unger and Jonathan Luigs who can all play either guard position as well.

Sticking with the offensive side of the ball many feel Miami lacks a true #1 receiver. I have never been caught up in the numbers game for receivers, but more looking at what they can do. Teams need a receiver with solid hands that runs excellent routes and will go over the middle, enter Camarillo. They need a solid slot receiver that can create space with quick feet and excellent hands, enter Bess. They need a receiver that can be a big red zone target, enter London. They also need a receiver that can stretch the field, enter Ginn (for now, but that’s another article). Then they will need a young receiver that may be a bit of a project, but is a playmaker, enter Pat White. The Dolphins have been rumored to show some interest in White’s playmaking abilities as a WR and lining up running the Wildcat adding a new wrinkle to the formation. I do not look for Miami to go WR early in the draft, and would be surprised if they took a WR before round 4. Players to keep your eye on would be Brooks Foster, Ramses Barden, Patrick Turner, Marko Mitchell and DJ Boldin, yes the other Boldin.

I also look for Miami to take a project QB in a late round pick or as an undrafted free agent, because I think they will move Beck before the draft. A few guys that could fall into that category could be Hunter Cantwell, Tom Branstater and Todd Boeckman.

Now let’s focus our efforts on the defensive side of the ball. This is where I feel at least two of Miami’s fist three picks will be spent. The needs on defense wont change with the signing or not signing of key free agents like Bell, Hill, Goodman and Crowder (who I believe is as good as gone).

This writer believes Miami’s biggest off-season need is in the line backing corps. They mat have addressed the pass rush by going up to Canada and signing the two time defensive player of the year in Cameron Wake. Miami sorely misses a play making ILB and knowing Parcells’s history the Vegas odds should be on him to look to improve that with the #25 pick. With the signing of Wake the need for an outside line backer that can get pressure on the QB is not what it once was, and they may look at a late round or undrafted free agent to groom behind Porter. Many mock drafts have Miami taking USC linebacker Brian Cushing with the 25th pick. Cushing is a very talented athlete, and has the ability to play inside or out, but I like the other linebacker from USC who has been shooting up the charts. Clay Mathews Jr. seems like the perfect fit for a BP run team. He is tough as nails, non-stop motor, and comes from a NFL family so he knows what it takes. Like Cushing Mathews played outside linebacker, but seems to have the ability and size to move inside and he be an attacking ILB. Another name I like as a day two pick that could be a one to two year project is Antonio Appleby out of Virginia. He is a very solid ILB and while he may never turn into a Pro-Bowl type player he could be a very solid starter.

Miami will also look to address the NT spot either in free agency or in the draft. I don’t feel this is as big of a need as most because I felt Soliai started coming on towards the end of the season and seemed like the light finally came on for him. With that being said we’ll still take a look. I have been preaching BJ Raji all season, and it finally looks like the rest of the country caught on and Raji may have moved himself up to a top 10 pick. So we won’t look at Raji anymore, who I think will be better in a 4-3 base defense than a 3-4. His teammate Ron Brace on the other hand I feel is the perfect NT for a 3-4 scheme. Unlike Raji, Brace won’t get the pressure on the QB, but he may be a bit stouter against the run than Raji, and that is what a 3-4 scheme needs. If Miami likes Brace they will more than likely have to take him with their first pick in round two in not their round one pick. Some other players to look at in round three or later would be, Dorell Scott, Terrance Taylor, Sammie Lee Hill, Terrance Knight and Miami’s own Antonio Dixon. I think this spot is very deep in the draft and don’t think Miami will address until later or in free agency.

I am going to group the defensive backs together. Three of Miami’s fours starting DB’s are unrestricted free agents. There is a very good chance that all three will be back, but won’t hide the fact that all fours starting DB’s are 30 years old or older. I think Miami will address this area often in the draft. If Miami does not spend the number 25 pick on a DB like DJ Moore, Alphonso Smith, Sean Smith or William Moore, look for rounds two three and four to be spent on at least 2 players for the secondary. Miami currently has two pick in round two and Jeff Ireland has said he would like to gain a third. I believe he would like that because there are some good players that will be available throughout round two. Corners like Darius Butler, Jairus Byrd, Coye Francis Victor Harris, Mike Mickens and a guy I like in Domonique Johnson should all be there in rounds two and three. Corners that could be around on day two and could be nice picks to learn the game for a year or two would be Cary Harris, Keenan Lewis, Sherrod Martin, Kebin Barnes and Morgan Trent. This group is very deep and will be quality players available on day two.

Sean Smith (corner/safety) may be the only safety to go in round one. With Taylor Mayes deciding to stay in school and falling stock of William Moore and Patrick Chung, Miami will be able to wait till the second round or later to get a safety that can learn for a year or two. Players like Louis Delmas, Derek Peques, David Burton, and Brandon Underwood will be free safeties that will be available. If Miami would like to look for an understudy for Bell they may look at players like Michael Hamlin (who I like a lot and can play both SS and FS), Kevin Ellison, who like Hamlin can play both safety spots.

Ok, there you have it. These needs will definitely change between now and the last weekend in April because Miami will be very active in free agency once again, and may find a few diamonds in the rough.

Timothy Redinger from BuffaLowdown and Fan-Sided Blogs weighs in on who the Bills should be looking at in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft.

The Bills are selecting 11th overall in this years draft. I don’t see the Bills trading up in this draft, nor do I see them trading down, unless the price was right.

The Bills can do a lot with the 11th pick, and according to *Chris Brown* featured on Two Bills Drive this morning, the Bills would do well to take a pass rusher, because the teams selecting just after them will be looking to improve that area as well.

From the Mocks that I have seen in the past few days, defensive ends are the common theme for the Buffalo pick, with names like Everett Brown (Florida State), Tyson Jackson (LSU), and Brian Orakpo (Texas) being mentioned.

Only one draft I saw had the Bills not taking a DE, and that mock had the Bills selecting OLD Aaron Curry from Wake Forest.

Thinking of the Bills and their frugal ways, I could see the Bills being cautious with this draft, but taking the draft head on when the rookie cap is put into place.

David Wellman from Stripe Hype and Fan-Sided Blogs weighs in on who the Bengals should be looking at in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft.

As one might expect of a team that finished last season 4-11-1, the Cincinnati Bengals are in need of upgrades pretty much across the board. The only exception is quarterback, where a healthy Carson Palmer is by all reports set to return next fall. Here’s a unit-by-unit look.

Offense: The Bengals’ weakest unit is the offensive line. Left tackle Levi Jones hasn’t been completely healthy since early in the 2006 season, right tackle Stacy Andrews tore his ACL in the second-to-last game of 2008 and is a free agent in March, and center Eric Ghiacuic, who consistently struggled against top-tier defensive linemen, isn’t expected to return. The Bengals do have tackle Anthony Collins, a highly regarded junior they stole in the fourth round of the ‘08 draft, as well as tackle Andrew Whitworth, a second-round pick in 2006 who has been playing at left guard, so there are some tackle options in-house. Nonetheless, OT is a very strong possibility in the first, where the Bengals have the 6th overall selection. At center, Ghaicuic’s backup is converted guard Dan Santucci, a seventh-round pick in 2007, so a center in the second or third round is a strong possibility as well.

A number of mock drafts have projected a running back or wide receiver to the Bengals in the first round, but at this point it’s impossible to tell what those positions will look like come draft day. Cincinnati is very high on RB Cedric Benson and has made re-signing him this offseason a priority. Likewise, the Bengals also want to re-sign WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh and are said to be interested in moving fellow wideout Chad Johnson. Houshmandzadeh is a candidate for the franchise tag if a long-term deal can’t be worked out. Depending on how things play out, running back and/or wide receiver could be addressed as high as the first round, though most Bengals fan would view this as a grave miscalculation. With the Bengals’ abysmal offensive line unable to either run-block or protect the QB, any upgrades at RB or WR would be superfluous. A reincarnated Jim Brown couldn’t make much headway behind the line as currently constituted, and even the best wideout can’t help much when the QB gets gets planted every play.

The Bengals do not look to be in the market for a tight end after having signed Ben Utecht away from the Colts and drafting Villanova project Matt Sherry in the sixth round last year. However, the Bengals are very much in need of a fullback. Starter Jeremi Johnson, a fourth-round pick back in 2003, struggled with weight issues throughout his career, and last August showed up at training camp grossly overweight. He was initially put on the physically unable to perform list, but then proceeded to hurt his knee during camp and was placed on injured reserve. He was subsequently released during the season. Johnson’s absence played a significant role in both the poor run game as well as the poor pass protection, as Cincinnati was forced to rely on converted TE Daniel Coats. If the Bengals don’t sign a free agent FB, that becomes an option as early as the fourth round.

Defense: If fixing the offensive line is job 1 for the Bengals this offseason, fixing the pass rush is job 1a. The Bengals had just 17 sacks last season, tied with the Browns for second-fewest in the league. The team has invested heavily in the defense in the draft over the past four years with four straight first round selections dedicated to that side of the ball. The attention finally began to pay off in 2008, when the Bengals’ defense finished 12th overall. A disruptive defensive tackle like B.J. Raji, whom the team’s coaching staff saw up close at the Senior Bowl or defensive end such as Brian Orapko are both legitimate options in the first round. DT may be the slightly more attractive of the two. The Bengals coveted Sedrick Ellis last year but were outmaneuvered by New Orleans and forced to settle for Pat Sims (who had a solid rookie campaign) in the third. And the team already has about $60 million invested in two current defensive ends, Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers, plus former third-round pick Frostee Rucker in reserve.

Last year, the Bengals took USC linebacker Keith Rivers in the first round and installed him as the starter on the weak side. Rivers was having a very good rookie year until getting knocked out with a busted jaw. Cincinnati will almost certainly look to bolster the linebacking corps further, perhaps as early as the first round. Rey Maualuga would be an upgrade over Dhani Jones in the middle, as Aaron Curry would be over former CFL DE Rashad Jeanty on the strong side. Both those current Bengals starters are serviceable on the field and good characters in the locker room, but they aren’t keeping any offensive coordinators around the league up at night.

Cornerback is a slim possibility in the first. The Bengals took first-round corners Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall back-to-back in 2006 and 2007. Joseph has been dogged by injuries and hands of stone — just five picks on 48 passes defensed — while Hall is fine against Nos. 2 and 3 receivers, but can be burned by elite wideouts. The team’s No. 3 corner is David Jones, a fifth-round pick by the Saints in 2007. The Bengals are likely set at safety, especially if free agent Chris Crocker returns.

Special teams: Special teams could be very much in the mix come draft day. Incumbent kicker Shayne Graham is a free agent in March, and so far there have been no talks between his agent and the Bengals. The team and Graham tried to reach an extension prior to the 2008 season but couldn’t come to an agreement. Cincinnati was forced to match a rich offer from Jacksonville for Graham several years ago when Shayne was a restricted free agent, so his price tag for another tour of duty may simply be too high for the budget-conscious Bengals.

Punter is also up for grabs. The Bengals extended their current punter Kyle Larson last offseason, despite an iffy 2007 outing, and Larson was among the worst in the league in 2008. Special teams coach Darrin Simmons has already said that competition will be brought in at the position, and many Bengals fans would be overjoyed to see the team use a day 2 pick on a local product, University of Cincinnati standout Kevin Huber.

Dustin Staggers from The Pewter Plank and Fan-Sided Blogs weighs in on who the Bucs should be looking at in the upcoming 2009 NFL Draft.

The 2009 NFL draft will be enormous for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their transition from the seven year regime of Bruce Allen and Jon Gruden to the new men in charge, Mark Dominik and Raheem Morris. For all of the criticism Jon and Bruce received because of the players they drafted, we have an awful lot of players who will be starters next year from their drafts. Barrett Ruud, Aqib Talib, Tanard Jackson, Gaines Adams (that’s 4 defenders), and Alex Smith, Aaron Sears, Davin Joseph, and Jeremy Trueblood (4 offensive players) will start next season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, as well as at least 7 quality backups (Jeremy Zuttah, Quincy Black, Greg Peterson, Geno Hayes, Adam Heyward, Quincy Black, Sabby Piscatelli). Even with all these successful players taken in the draft, the amount of unrestricted FA’s we have this season (Michael Clayton, Antonio Bryant, Carmella Garcia, Luke McCown, Jovan Haye, Jermaine Phillips) just to name a few, make this draft a pivotal one for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

RB/WR
First and foremost, offensive weapons, in my opinion are the most glaring need for this football team. The late season injury to Cadillac Williams as well as the lack of a starting receiver under contract (unless you’re happy with Ike Hilliard and Joey Galloway as the starters) to me are a glaring hole on this team. The young offensive line, although struggling a little late in the season, is one of the most promising in the league. Davin Joseph made his first Pro Bowl this season, and Jeff Faine and Aaron Sears could have easily joined him. We need to put some pieces in place behind
those guys that can put touchdowns on the board.
Potential First Day Targets – Percy Harvin, Jeremy Maclin, Darius
Heyward-Bey, Lesean McCoy, Knowshon Moreno, Chris Beanie Wells

DT
The most essential position on the defensive side of the ball in any scheme in my honest opinion, and one the Bucs need to address either in FA (Albert Haynesworth!) or in the draft. Chris Hovan and Jovan Haye produced 1 sack from the starting DT’s and both seemed to wear down as the season went along. Greg Peterson and Ryan Sims are more suited to rotational duty on the interior line, and to be perfectly honest at this point in Chris Hovan’s career, I think he would be better suited in the same role. Haye is a FA that I’m not sure whether or not we plan to retain. This has been a position that has been a weak link for the Bucs since Warren Sapp left and Booger McFarland was traded. It needs to be fixed.
Potential First Day Targets – Peria Jerry, BJ Raji, Ron Brace

CB
With Jim Bates coming aboard as the defensive coordinator, the Bucs will certainly be moving towards more man coverage. This is good news for Sabby Piscatelli and Tanard Jackson (and Jermaine “Flip” Phillips is he is retained) but bad news for Ronde Barber. I think Ronde will shift towards primarily a nickel corner role this season, elevating Aqib Talib to the main man coverage corner. Phillip Buchanon would be the number two corner in this scenario, but this position could certainly be augmented in the draft. I think another big physical corner (like the ones Bates had in Green Bay) is essential to the transition of this defense.
Potential First Day Targets – Sean Smith, Vontae Davis

DE
Let’s face it, Gaines Adams has been mildly disappointing, and Stylez G White had a subpar 2008 as well. Jimmy Wilkerson was a real surprise and can play all the defensive line spots, and should be counted on for an even bigger 2009. We still need to obtain a guy who can consistently get to the QB 10 times a season and not be a complete liability in the run game.
Potential First Day Targets – Everett Brown, Tyson Jackson, Michael Johnson

QB
With Jon Gruden out as the head coach, I would have to imagine (depending on who we hire as the OC, if this ever occurs) that the new brass would like to bring in a young signal caller. With Gruden here, I was fairly sure that we would always use vets at the position, but he is out, and a young signal caller will probably be a priority. We drafted Josh Johnson last season, but he still seems like a project guy to me. There is a good chance we will struggle in year one of our transition, so waiting for the Big 3 to come out next year, Sam Bradford, Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow, might be the more prudent move.
Potential First Day Targets – Matthew Stafford, Josh Freeman

Dustin Staggers, Lead Blogger, The Pewter Plank