NFL Team Needs: NFC East
By Editorial Staff
The newest segment for NFLMocks is the NFL Team Needs focus. We are going to bring you division by division team needs and these needs will be updated throughout the offseason and during the actual season. And after the season is said and done and free agency has settled we will have the areas your team should address when entering the 2011 NFL Draft. We encourage you to check out our 2011 NFL Draft Player Scouting Reports, 2011 NFL Draft Prospect Big Board, our 2011 NFL Mock Draft, and our 2011 NFL Draft Prospect Position Rankings.
NFC EAST
- Safety
- Cornerback
- Offensive Line
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Thoughts:
The Eagles took a gamble on signing oft-injured defensive back Marlon Jackson and that gamble didn’t pay off. He suffered another knee injury and is lost for yet another season. The Eagles will now have to rely on rookie Nate Allen to fill the void at the safety position. Allen was considered one of the top safeties in the 2010 Draft but he will suffer from growing pains. The Eagles traded longtime starter Sheldon Brown during the offseason. The loss of Brown will be felt as the Eagles are struggling to fill his spot. Ellis Hobbs and converted safety Macho Harris will be battling for the starting spot opposite Asante Samuel. You also can not count out nickel back Joselio Hansen. However you look at it the defensive secondary will an area the Eagles address in the 2011 NFL draft. The Eagles are another team with several question marks along their offensive line. Having issues along the offensive line is not an ideal situation especially when breaking in a new starting quarterback. Last offseason the Eagles signed Stacey Andrews to a big free agent contract and were expecting him to be a major staple on their line but injuries and poor production lead to a unpleasant first season for Andrews. He is expected to start at guard opposite another question mark Todd Herremans. It is possible that both Andrews and Herremans have good seasons but adding some depth and talent here wouldn’t be the worst idea.
- Safety
- Offensive Tackle
- Guard
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Thoughts:
The Dallas Cowboys have a very talented roster with limited holes. They have either solid veterans or promising youngsters at each position. However, that doesn’t mean that they don’t have areas to improve on. The above list identifies the positions we feel the Cowboys need to address and it all starts with the Safety position. As it sits right now they are going to let Allan Ball and Mike Hamlin battle it out for one of the starting safety positions. Both are young promising players but could suffer from growing pains. This is a risky situation for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. Next we look at the offensive tackle situation. The Cowboys are moving on from the Flozell Adams era and have opened up the competition for Doug Free and Alex Barron. Dallas acquired Barron in an offseason trade with St. Louis and he has received a lot of criticism by not living up to his 1st round draft pick status. Free received several starts at tackle last season but he may lack the ideal athleticism to play left tackle. Finally, I think the Cowboys could use some depth at the guard position. Dallas boasts three talented running backs but without a powerful offensive line those running backs won’t be as effective. Kyle Kosier is a good hard working player but at age 31 he is on the down part of his career. The Cowboys would be wise to start eying some young talented guards in the 2011 NFL Draft.
- Nose Tackle
- Safety
- Offensive Line
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Thoughts:
This has been a very active offseason for the Washington Redskins. They added Donovan McNabb, Trent Williams, and now Jamal Brown. Not to mention the several running backs that have joined the team. They also have a brand new coaching staff and with the coaching changes came system changes. The Redskins are moving to a 3-4 defensive scheme and it appears they don’t have the proper personnel to fill out that defense. Of course the issues with Albert Haynesworth are what is causing the #1 problem. For any 3-4 defense to be effective they need a run stuffing nose tackle and as of now the Redskins don’t have that. Kendric Golston and Muake Kemoeatu are expected share snaps at the position but it’s not probable that either will the long term solution at the position. Next the Skins could look to upgrade the Safety position. I am sure most Redskin fans heard the rumors involving LaRon Landry who has failed to live up to his loft draft pick expectations. While he may not have earned his top 10 selection he is the best Washington has on the roster. The other three players battling for playing time will be Chris Horton, Reed Doughty, and Kareem Moore needless to say I wouldn’t feel very comfortable with one of those guys holding up the back of my defense. The Redskins put a lot of resources towards upgrading the offensive line but talent and depth is still needed. I have concerns about Artis Hicks starting at guard without having a capable backup.
- Linebacker
- Running Back
- Offensive Line
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Thoughts:
The Giants are coming off of a disappointing season and there are still some holes to fill before they can feel completely comfortable. The first order of business will be finding a long term replacement for middle linebacker Antonio Pierce. The Giants will be going into training camp letting Jonathan Goff, Gerris Wilkinson, and Phillip Dillard battle it out for the starting nod. This will be a battle that will be closely monitored and the in season performance of these players could really shake up the Giants team needs. Next I feel the Giants would do well by adding some talent to their running back corps. Brandon Jacobs is coming off of two disappointing seasons and it seems like he will never fulfill his promise. Ahmad Bradshaw had another productive season but this unit performed the best when it had a three man rotation. While this may not be considered a need by most I feel that for this team to be successful they need to have a dominating running attack. The last team need goes hand in hand with the running back position. A few years ago when the Giants won the Super Bowl their offensive line was regarded as the best in the NFL and now signs of age are starting to show. Kareem McKenzie and Shaun O’Hara are both over 30 years old and have both suffered several injuries the last few seasons. The Giants did select William Beatty in the 2nd round two years ago but there are still questions if he is the long term replacement. The long term success of any team heavily relies on the success of the offensive line.