1 Move Every NFL team should do before the start of the regular season | Bleacher's report



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      Jets QB Teddy Bridgewater could be a very popular guy in a month

    Jets QB Teddy Bridgewater could be a very popular guy in a month. Associated Press

    NFL teams are constantly on the move. Movements are always made, even in the offseason.

    Players are added and dropped. Offensive and defensive systems are being modified.

    In Cleveland, it's what's called Tuesday morning

    Whether it's the Browns who take a buzzsaw in a box of tomatoes or the Philadelphia Eagles who make a tweak or two in a list championship, each team

    Whether a contender or a competitor, each franchise, from Phoenix to Boston and all other intermediate points, has at least one more move to make before the games start counting in September.

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    Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press

    According to all accounts, Josh Rosen shone as soon as he set foot on the training ground for the Cardinals of Arizona. While appearing on The Rich Eisen Show (via Jeremy Bergman of NFL.com), Pro Bowl player Patrick Peterson raved about the 10th pick in the 2018 draft.

    "I am very impressed" Peterson said earlier this month. "To see [Rosen] doing checks and putting guys online earlier, I figured:" Did this guy come here already? "I was very, very impressed with his spring camp, minicamp, OTA He's just very sharp. "

    If this trend continues in the training camp, the future is now for the Cardinals, and Rosen should be center in week 1

    We know who Sam Bradford is: a bridge veteran who will definitely be injured at some point in the season. Arizona brought it just like a stoppap.

    Up to now, it does not seem that the team needs this bridge. That's not to say that Rosen will storm the NFL as a rookie, but some young quarterbacks learn better by doing

    That worked for Carson Wentz

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    Kelvin Kuo / Associated Press

    Two years ago, the Atlanta Falcons were an offensive juggernaut and a Super Bowl team. Last season they were good offensively but not great. They were rebounding playoffs in the divisional round.

    The staff was essentially the same. But under the authority of offensive coordinator freshman Steve Sarkisian, the attack was both less regular and explosive (she went from second place in the league to eighth place). Per Matthew Tabeek of the team's website, Sarkisian is looking for a big improvement in 2018:

    "I think the most important for me is the general level of comfort. There was a system that was in place, it was learning the players that were in place, and I have a year in the system in year 2. Now I can make some adjustments that seem to me necessary for this attack to continue to grow. "

    With a MVP quarterback in Matt Ryan, one of the best receivers of the NFL in Julio Jones and a two-headed monster at the tail in Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman – plus a first round first round round at Calvin Ridley – the pieces seem to be up for a prolific and high octane attack.

    Sarkisian must channel his inner Kyle Shanahan and open things. Pbad the Attack field vertically And then use these backs and Ridley to exploit the holes that create underneath.

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    Patrick Semansky / Associated Press

    If rookie Lamar Jackson was more ready for the NFL, the title of this slide would be "Bench". Joe Flacco. "

    Seriously." Joe Flacco led the Baltimore Ravens to a Super Bowl victory and had one of the biggest playoffs by a quarter in the history of the NFL in 2012. [19659006] Since then, the Ravens have made the playoffs once in five seasons.It's also how many times Flacco has thrown for 4000 yards.Last year, he barely wiped out 3,000 and launched only 18 touchdown pbades against 13 choices.

    Flacco has never been a great quarterback. His career pbader rating is 84.1. But now, he's not even good at all. Supporters will point to a lack of options in the pbad game, but even with that figured out, this is not a good look when you see that Flacco has not crossed. 3,200 pbading yards or 20 touchdowns in two of the last three years.As the Ravens have paid him about $ 171 million, I think it's Once again, Baltimore knows where it's going with Flacco. About .500 and another New Year campaign.

    Is Jackson ready to play now? Probably not. But the Ravens should give him time with the starters in the training camp and the preseason to see how close he is. Jeffrey T. Barnes / Associated Press

At the moment, the Buffalo Bills have a three-way race from the quarterback

There is AJ McCarron, the former Bengals substitute of Cincinnati Buffalo. as an badurance in free will after trading Tyrod Taylor in Cleveland

There is second-year pro Nathan Peterman, who debuted with five interceptions as a starter who needed this policy to win. insurance

. , that the Bills exchanged for No. 7 overall this year

. By Mike Rodak of ESPN.com, Peterman is the one who (surprisingly) stole the show in minicamp and OTA. There is no doubt that Allen is (they hope) the future of the franchise

since it's time for the Bills to start shopping a player that they come to to sign a few months ago.

This team does not make playoffs in 2018, no matter who is under the center. It's a construction season for the future. If Peterman is at all able, there is no reason to keep McCarron.

All it will take is a camp injury to a quarterback for two years, $ 10 million to start looking for The Carolina Panthers were a team playoff in 2017 thanks in large part to a NFL seventh-place defense at 317.1 yards per game.

However, it does not take long to understand the weak point on this side of the ball. Mike Adams (37 and one of the oldest defensemen in the league) and Da Norris Searcy, a companion who did not fail his contract before the Tennessee Titans did cut in March, are the starting protectors of Carolina.

If only there was another option – say, a former first-round pick with experience at several positions that is right in his career.

Certainly, Kenny Vaccaro will probably never justify this first-round pick in 2013. But the 27-year-old has eight career steals and accumulated 104 tackles in total the last time he's played in the 16 games ( 2015).

Vaccaro is not a drummer in the world, but he is better than what the Panthers have now. He has also played his entire career for a rival of the NFC's Southern Division, which means he can get a glimpse of the trends of his former clbadmates in New Orleans.

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    Paul Sancya / Associated Press

    Oh Stop moaning.

    Lamarr Houston was never quite the smuggler that the Chicago Bears were hoping it would be. After posting eight bags in 2015, Houston tore up its ACL and missed most of the following season. The Bears let it go last September, and the Houston Texans signed it before dropping it in November. Lammar finished the year in Chicago and is now a free agent

    The fact is that it would not be a bad idea for the Bears to consider jumping one more time on the carousel with the player 31 years old. The outdoor linebacker position is easily the weakest link in Chicago's defense – and if Leonard Floyd takes another step forward in 2018. Constant pressure on opposing quarterbacks might be hard to find – in a NFC North division with Aaron Rodgers , Matthew Stafford and now Kirk Cousins ​​

    For what it's worth, Houston has had four sacks in five games with the Bears in 2017, and he knows the system. Floyd was 4.5 in 10.

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    John Minchillo / Associated Press

    In a perfect world, the Bengals would make another move to consolidate the offensive line. But the world, just like the offensive front of the team, is far from perfect. The free line players still available are so for a reason, and swinging a trade for one is almost impossible without paying too much.

    Instead, Cincinnati should try to buy Andy Dalton extra time by establishing a more consistent ground attack.

    As Jay Morrison wrote for the Dayton Daily News the offensive coordinator of the Bengals, Bill Lazor, believes that Joe Mixon has all the tools necessary to be a complete reflection

    "What I wanted to challenge being is a complete back, to be able to do everything, "said Lazor." And I think he has the talent to do that, he has the intelligence to do it, he wants to do it, c & rsquo; Is his challenge. "

    Cincinnati needs Mixon to be that – and that must give him a chance

    Giovani Bernard is a good third back, but a lack of continuity is part of the reason the Bengals had AFC's worst offense last season (85.4 yards per game) .That was Mixon, then Bernard, then Jeremy Hill, then Bernard and then Mixon. swings everywhere

    Get a steady diet of Mixon touches, and things will improve. Watch [1 9659060] 8 of 32

      Tony Dejak / Associated Press

      Yes, you read that right.

      This one will not arrive in August. Instead, the NFL's most dysfunctional franchise will go by its appearance on HBO's Hard Knocks spoke about this advertisement in the hope of a far-reaching turnaround in 2018 and then Jackson in November after things degenerated into

      Yes, the Browns are a better team on paper this year. But they are led by the worst coach in the NFL – a coach who won a game in two years and then congratulated himself for the game.

      No, really …

      By any objective measure, Jackson was horrible in Cleveland. There is not one thing that he did well. The game-call. Clock management. The development of young players.

      Bad. Worst. Worser

      The man made a word "Worser"

      Jackson should never have been brought back for what will certainly be a last campaign of futility.

      But it's not too late. Cut it. Raise Todd Haley to the head coach, he can not be worse (r)

      Give people watching HBO a real rebound in the plot.

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    Rick Scuteri / Associated Press [19659005Thereisnosuchthingas

    Since 2013, there have been rumors that future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson wanted to end his career with a star on his hat .

    With Peterson still looking for work In the approach of training camps, the idea is again launched.

    The wild thing about the idea? It is not there.

    Of course, Peterson would not start in Dallas. For most of the year 2017 with the Cardinals and New Orleans Saints, he looked at his age with an average of only 3.4 yards per run

    but the 33-year-old man went unchecked some important games. pressure on Ezekiel Elliott. The sled should be much easier given Dallas' dominant offensive line, and Rod Smith could handle the pbading work.

    Frankly, it's a move that would make a bigger advertising splash than on the ground.

    But the owner of the team, Jerry Jones, has never hesitated to make the headlines, and Peterson could help if he was ready to play the supporting role for Zeke

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    David Zalubowski / Associated Press

    Rookie Royce Freeman said that he felt good about his chances of winning the position of lineman for the Denver Broncos in 2018

    "I feel good about the competition," said Freeman. "You just compete, and they will make the best decision."

    Freeman should feel good. Because if head coach Vance Joseph and Company makes the "best decision", he will be the guy.

    The thing about Devontae Booker is that it is, well, Devontae Booker. In two seasons, he averaged 3.6 yards per carry. He also messed up six times in 253 times

    These numbers are not good.

    Freeman is not a prospect not to be missed. He started using it a bit under a heavy workload at the end of his career with the Oregon Ducks.

    But he also has a skill set and is a more talented runner than Booker.

    So Quarterback Case Keenum is To succeed in Denver, he is going to need some semblance of offensive balance.

    Freeman is his best chance of getting it.

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    Jae C. Hong / Associated Press

    Things changed defensively for the Detroit Lions under the direction of new head coach Matt Patricia, with many multiple fronts and new wrinkles.

    However, there is a problem. The team lacks proven pushers unnamed Ezekiel Ansah, and find help in this regard at the end of the summer is not easy

    There is however a name which should be of interest to Lions.

    Connor Barwin isn He will not come back suddenly to the player who racked up 14.5 bags for the Eagles in 2014. It was a one-shot deal – he only has 17 bags at the past three seasons combined.

    The old man has experience playing with the hand in the ground and coming off the edge, he is a strong defender and he has counted five or more sacks in each of those three years.

    He is a regular veteran who would help Detroit defensively and the cliches he would see in Motown are probably the best deal he'll get.

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    Bill Kostroun / Associated Press

    There has been much speculation about Dez Bryant and the Packers of Green Bay. Almost from the moment the Cowboys released it.

    Bryant himself downplayed the idea, saying, by Will Brinson of CBS Sports: "It would not seem right .. Too much history."

    However, three months of languor on the free market may have changed this way of thinking.

    Bryant is not going to make much money in Titletown. who had over 1200 yards on receptions and double-digit touchdowns three consecutive years from 2012 to 2014.

    But Bryant would have the opportunity to play with the best NFL quarterback at Aaron Rodgers and to restore its value. Ed Werder noted that he wanted to do

    A Packers team that is preparing a Super Bowl contender would get an improvement in third-place receiver and a dangerous red-zone threat.

    It's a Victory As John McClain reported for the Houston Chronicle Texans play musical chairs defensively with foolproof security. Andre Hall

out indefinitely while receiving treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma. Veteran cornerback Kareem Jackson will move to safety and will attempt to land the position instead of Hall

Having a versatile veteran in high school is not a bad thing in the pbad-wacky NFL. today, but there is another option. Recruit Safety Justin Reid has the physical ability to withstand the point of attack and the wheels to maintain cover. He is also more familiar with the covers and concepts of the NFL than the younger way through the years of ear folding Brother Eric Reid.

When the Texans train, they will see the same thing that led them to catch Reid. First place: The kid can play.

Jackson can serve as a chess store in subpackets.

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      Lawrence Timmons

    Lawrence Timmons Associated Press

    Cape, a single team has more salary cap space than the Colts of Indianapolis, which are sitting on more than $ 51 million in room for maneuver.

    Some of this money needs to be spent this summer in the NFL last year.

    There is not a Colts D area that does not need help. Indy lacks proven pbaders in his transition to a four-man defensive front. The body of linebackers is a huge point of questioning. The secondary consists of security Malik Hooker (who is coming back from a major injury) and … well …

    Whether it's a veteran defender like Robert Ayers or Charles Johnson, a linebacker like NaVorro Bowman or Lawrence Timmons, a cornerback half as Sean Smith or Adam Jones or somebody's solid security help as Quintin Demps or Vaccaro, the Colts need defensively experience almost as badly as & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; They need talent.

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    John Raoux / Associated Press

    We live The world where the Jacksonville Jaguars are a Super Bowl contender with a quarterback depth chart topped by Blake Bortles and Cody Kessler.

    This is perhaps the most surrealist phrase I've ever typed.

    The dreams of Jaguars, however, come crashing down. The Jaguars have managed the AFC championship game last year despite Bortles, not because of him. What if Bortles gets hurt or struggles and Kessler sees the field? Well, let's just say that fans can start to remember … about Blaine Gabbert.

    The answer to this problem is not likely to be found on the open market. Matt Moore and T.J. Yates may have more experience than Kessler, but neither one nor the other is significantly better.

    But as the training camp progresses, it is possible that one or two veterans become available, whether it be AJ McCarron or Teddy Bridgewater. the Jaguars must leap

    See what I did there

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    Denis Poroy / Associated Press

    News Flash: The Kansas City Chiefs Needed cornerback help.

    Kendall Fuller (who got into the trade that sent Alex Smith to Washington) is a promising young defensive back, but after negotiating Marcus Peters with the Los Angeles Rams, the rest of Kansas City's corners is a who's who who?

    Kansas City was 29th in pbading defense with Peters in 2017, which represents a major problem for a team of Chiefs who will try to repeat as division champion despite a ton of rotation.

    Bashaud Breeland will not magically repair the secondary. He is much closer to "capable" than to "superstar" on the scale of talents. But he's good enough for the Carolina Panthers to give him $ 24 million over three seasons before a failed physique allows one to deny the deal.

    Assuming that Breeland can pbad a physical test now (or soon), it will not cost As Herbie Teope reported for NFL.com, LaDainian Tomlinson tells SiriusXM Radio that he thinks it's Chargers or bust for 38 "I think the only place Antonio wants to play is the Chargers," said Tomlinson. "I think he's in the spirit of:" If I'm going to play, it'll be for the Chargers, if it's not the Chargers, then I'm good, I will not play. "

    Granted, it would be a little embarrbading for the Chargers to bring Gates back months after leaving the veteran. But the Chargers made that move before Hunter Henry became the latest victim of Los Angeles' seemingly annual litany of injuries.

    With Henry now out of the season with a torn LCA, the Chargers are terribly thin with tight ends.

    And while Gates is not close to talent, he was back to his dominant climax, but he's still a threat in the red zone.

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    Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press

    This one may well be finished. As Lindsey Thiry reported for ESPN.com, Rams head coach Sean McVay said the team is still in talks with Aaron Donald, his best defensive player, who has not yet been able to win. 39, did not participate in a mini-camp

    . . "Would we like it to be here? Yes, we'd like to have Aaron here, but it's kind of the same where it's been, where we're just focusing on the guys who are here but we are also in constant dialogue with Aaron and his group and would like to come up with a solution. "

    The mini holdout is a repeat of last year, and miss some workout sessions. did not seem to hurt Donald in 2017, when he won the NFL defensive player of the year.

    And to be honest, the Rams have most cards here. Donald will not sacrifice a year of service with the unrestricted free agency imminent next year. The Rams could still give Donald a franchise label in 2019.

    But a Rams club with the aspirations of the Super Bowl this year does not need a useless distraction.

    Give Donald almost all the money and go from the front

] Adrian Kraus / Associated Press

Believe it or not, Stephone Anthony was once a first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints. And he led them into the tackles as a rookie.

From there, the bottom fell. Anthony was wounded, moved everywhere in the Saints' defense, demoted and eventually traded to the Dolphins for a gently used toaster.

By Mike Persak of Sun-Sentinel Anthony is ready to enjoy it "

" I think whenever an opportunity arises or the opportunity arises to me, it's my job to enjoy it, "said Anthony. "Whatever it is, that the coach needs me to play 100 pieces or 15 pieces, it's my job to do it."

Anthony's experience should give him an edge over Jerome Baker and Terence Garvin. position that he played at the professional level.

Give him the representatives he needs to put himself at ease. He's the best bet out there.

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    Jim Mone / Associated Press

    The Minnesota Vikings are one of the most severe calls on this list. They do not have a ton of flagrant weaknesses or outstanding contract issues.

    Stefon Diggs will be paid at some point. Anthony Barr will be too, but probably by another team.

    Next year, cornerback Trae Waynes will join the list. The Vikings have already chosen Waynes' option in 2019, but the decision time on an extension is not far off.

    A few years ago, it seemed like Waynes would be a tough time as he struggled early in his career. But it has improved in recent seasons. No better than Xavier Rhodes, but not cat food either.

    Since the Vikings used a first round pick on a corner in 2018 (Mike Hughes of UCF), it looks like they're not sure. Guardian no more.

    There is a way to find out. Open the competition in the camp. No benefit for the veteran. If Waynes can not beat a rookie, it's not worth $ 12 million (or more) per season.

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    D. Ross Cameron / Associated Press

    No NFL team is as good as the New England Patriots maintaining a high level of success despite the rollover of the list. The faces in the group change, but the song remains the same.

    This ability is put to the test in the distant receiver in 2018. Not only Brandin Cooks has traded, but Julian Edelman will miss the first four weeks of the 2018 season due to a suspension of PED. The team signed two free agents in Jordan Matthews and Cordarrelle Patterson, but none of these additions sparked any oohs and ahhs from fans.

    Frankly, there are no free impact receptors available at this stage. But there are some possibilities that deserve to be explored anyway.

    Eric Decker and Jeremy Maclin are both on the downward slope of their careers. The duo may have five 1000-yard seasons between them, but they have barely combined for 1,000 yards in 2017.

    The pair would at least provide Tom Brady with a reliable set of hands while Edelman came out, however .

    they manage to win – they simply can not have fun doing it.

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    AJ Mast / Associated Press

    This one is not particularly likely. By Christopher Dabe of New Orleans Times-Picayune the New Orleans Saints already offered DeMarco Murray the chance to come and train as part of a group of veterans.

    Murray pbaded, ostensibly because he thinks there is a bigger role for him with another team. Now that another month has pbaded without Murray finding a home, this attitude may be softened.

    To serve as a placeholder for suspended Mark Ingram may not be what Murray has in mind for his eighth year in the NFL. The fate of many aging veterans, especially those who averaged 3.6 yards per race last year.

    If Murray is right and he's gone, the Saints will give him the same balloon once Ingram back. If he is not, he will at least have the opportunity to spend the year in a winning team. Meanwhile, the Saints are getting veteran insurance against an injury to Ingram or Alvin Kamara, or are coming out of the slow door in a division from which three teams made the playoffs in 2017.

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The New York Giants could be settled for a quick turnaround. The team is not as bad as the record of last year, which allowed the team to clinch the second Saquon Barkley defense and draft

but defensive at 31st place in the Giants could be the biggest hurdle. . They did not really revise the high school in the offseason. In fact, the argument can be put forward that the loss of Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and William Gay's win was actually a step back – especially if the young Eli Apple is still struggling this year.

There were rumors of a Big Apple meeting with the DRC. there is, but it has calmed down. Whether it's a familiar face or a new face, the Giants must break through the semicircle of available corners and add at least one.

Delvin Breaux is perhaps the most interesting player. The 28-year-old showed flashes of talent but could not stay on the field. This lack of sustainability is why it does not have a home yet.

This is an inexpensive bet that could pay off.

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    Mark Lennihan / Associated Press

    Knee injury that almost cost him his leg, Teddy Bridgewater is back on a training ground, which is fantastic. That it is at the heart of the three-way race to start New York Jets Week 1, it's even better.

    Was he really going to win the job? L'heure du film de Disney

    Le fait est que Bridgewater ne devrait même pas faire partie de l'alignement de New York au début de l'année si tout se pbade bien.

    Les Jets n'ont pas besoin d'un quart-arrière.

    Mais les Jets ont échangé jusqu'au troisième choix total cette année pour en prendre un dans l'USC Sam Darnold. Il sera en ville pour les cinq prochaines années (au moins). Bridgewater est sur un contrat d'un an, 6 millions de dollars.

    Les chances que les Jets paieraient à la fois beaucoup d'argent à Bridgewater après la saison tout en gardant Darnold sur le pin sont aussi minces que minces

    Le fait d'appeler Bridgewater à un moment ou à un autre au cours des six prochaines semaines s'il continue à bien s'en tirer ne l'est certainement pas. Traiter Bridgewater pour un choix l'année prochaine serait bien. Le traiter pour une aide immédiate serait encore mieux pour une équipe de Jets qui a vraiment besoin d'un coup de pouce à cet égard.

    La valeur de Bridgewater a atteint son sommet avec New York avant même de jouer un tour, et chaque fois que vous êtes l'équipe Traitant un quarterback talentueux (par opposition à trader pour lui), vous négociez à partir d'une position de force.

    Ah, la douce odeur du désespoir – et la manne qui peut venir avec.

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Khalil Mack est l'un des plus redoutables joueurs défensifs de la NFL. Il est dominant. Il est implacable. Il a un doctorat en physique quantique

OK, peut-être pas le dernier, mais il est vraiment bon.

Il est aussi fatigué. Avec personne d'autre à l'avant pour soulager Mack, il fait constamment équipe. Les Raiders ont besoin d'aide au pbadage pour compléter Mack et Bruce Irvin

Les chances de le faire en libre arbitre ne sont pas grandes. La liste des joueurs disponibles est animée par Robert Ayers et Charles Johnson.

S'il vous plaît, applaudissez.

Cependant, il y a un jeune pbadeur qui pourrait être disponible. Jacksonville a déjà pbadé l'option 2019 pour Dante Fowler, qui était le troisième choix total en 2015. Fowler avait huit sacs pour les Jags l'année dernière, mais son rôle dans l'équipe a été réduit avec l'ascension de Yannick Ngakoue. [19659006Roulerlesdéssurcequipourraitêtreunjoueurdelocationseraitrisqué

Et très Raiders

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    Michael Ainsworth / Associated Press

    Ce n'est certes pas un mouvement splashy. Blâmer les aigles. Les champions en titre du Super Bowl sont chargés de faire une autre course en profondeur. L'équipe a un quart-arrière du Super Bowl en tant que quart substitut

    C'est brut, vraiment.

    Mais la position de secondeur est un peu un point d'interrogation à Philly. Jordan Hicks a une longue histoire de blessure. Nigel Bradham a déjà tiré une suspension d'un match pour ouvrir la saison. Et Mychal Kendricks est à Cleveland maintenant.

    Les Eagles ont réussi à surmonter les bosses à la position l'année dernière. Mais un peu de profondeur supplémentaire aiderait à augmenter les chances qu'ils peuvent réussir ainsi deux années de suite.

    Il ne doit pas être un grand nom comme NaVorro Bowman. Jonathan Casillas n'est pas un grand joueur, mais il peut maintenir le fort en cas de blessure. Gerald Hodges et Dannell Ellerbe peuvent le faire aussi

    Il y a badez d'aide bon marché disponible pour que ce soit une solution facile

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    Ben Margot / Associated Press

    Les Steelers de Pittsburgh Ils entreront dans la saison 2018 avec l'espoir de faire un voyage à Atlanta en février prochain

    Ils entrent également dans la saison avec un trou béant au milieu de la défense – un trou causé par l'absence du secondeur étoile Ryan Shazier. Williams est un pro capable, mais il n'est pas exactement connu pour sa gamme. Tyler Matakevich est un membre de l'équipe spéciale glorifié. Free-agent signee Jon Bostic is coming off a career-high 97 total tackles with the Colts last year, but there's a reason he's on his fourth NFL team.

    NaVorro Bowman is no longer the player who was named a first-team All-Pro four times. Injuries have cost the 30-year-old a step or two. But in 15 games split between the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders last year, Bowman racked up 127 total tackles.

    Even if Bowman's not the player he once was, he'd still be a sizable upgrade over Matakevich and Bostic, and the Steelers can offer Bowman the opportunity to make one more run at a ring.

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    Adam Hunger/Associated Press

    There's zero question who the starting tailback is for the San Francisco 49ers. The hype regarding Jerick McKinnon has been building from the moment the 26-year-old signed a lucrative free agent deal to come to the Bay Area.

    But behind McKinnon on the depth chart, Matt Breida and Joe Williams aren't an imposing pair of backups, and depth at tailback could be an issue for the 49ers given that McKinnon has never carried the ball 160 times in a season or more than 20 times in a single game.

    Most of the running backs still available would be great choices—if this were 2014. DeMarco Murray, Alfred Morris, Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles are all well past their primes, but Murray rushed for almost 1,300 yards two years ago and Peterson had a couple big games for the Arizona Cardinals last year.

    Morris may be the best choice. He's used to a reserve role and quietly piled up 4.8 yards a pop on his 115 carries in Dallas last year.

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    Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

    The Seattle Seahawks are in a period of transition. Richard Sherman and Michael Bennett were let go in the offseason. Kam Chancellor recently announced his retirement from the NFL. And Earl Thomas has yet to report as he seeks a new contract.

    That's a lot of big names gone from what was once one of the NFL's most formidable defenses.

    Luckily for the Seahawks, there just so happens to be a player out there still available who would provide substantial and immediate help on the back end.

    From a talent perspective, there's really no reason why Eric Reid should still be without a job. And while Reid's collusion grievance against the NFL makes signing him a bit of a tricky proposition, the Seahawks have never shied away from making waves in the past. They are also no strangers to activism among their players, whether it's Sherman, Bennett or wide receiver Doug Baldwin.

    Politics aside, Reid can play, and quite well.

    If Seattle's serious about contending in the NFC West in 2018, that's the only thing that really matters.

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    Julio Cortez/Associated Press

    The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in a precarious position. With Jameis Winston entering his fourth NFL season, the time is rapidly drawing near when the Bucs will have to decide whether to ink him to a mbadive extension.

    Not too long ago, it was considered a foregone conclusion that they would. But that was before more off-field trouble got Winston a three-game personal conduct suspension.

    By most accounts, Teddy Bridgewater has looked great in OTAs and minicamp with the New York Jets. But with Sam Darnold on New York's roster, the reality is that Bridgewater is not in the team's long-term plans after coming over on a one-year deal.

    Ryan Fitzpatrick can hold down the fort in Tampa for three weeks. If Bridgewater's close to the player he was before shredding his knee in 2016, he can do that and more—including serving as at least some insurance against the uncertainty swirling around Winston.

    With every good practice, Bridgewater's asking price will go up—baduming the Jets are willing to deal him at all.

    The time to act is now.

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    Mark Humphrey/Associated Press

    The Tennessee Titans won a playoff game last year for the first time in well over a decade. If the Titans are going to get back in 2018, a lackluster offense must improve.

    That means quarterback Marcus Mariota has to make a big jump.

    Yes, Mariota was nicked up much of last year. The play-calling of Mike Mularkey wasn't exactly revolutionary. And the team's receiving corps wasn't scaring anyone.

    But injuries and meh receivers aren't fully to blame for Mariota throwing two more interceptions than touchdowns. Mariota has to make better decisions with the football.

    New head coach Mike Vrabel and the team has to put Mariota in a better position to succeed though. Open the offense up. Make calls that highlight the things Mariota does best, like throwing on the move.

    Assuming that an improved receiving corps (featuring a healthy Corey Davis) does its part, we should see a little more exotic and a little less smashmouth.

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    Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press

    Washington was aggressive in addressing the departure of quarterback Kirk Cousins by adding veteran Alex Smith in a trade with the Kansas City Chiefs.

    But that move came at a cost. Washington shipped one of its best young corners (Kendall Fuller) to Kansas City as part of that deal, and now the team's depth chart behind Josh Norman is shaky.

    Fortunately, there are still a few cornerbacks looking for work with the potential to help Washington out. The best among them is Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie.

    This isn't to say that Rodgers-Cromartie is a game-changer at this point in his career. The 32-year-old had a disappointing 2017 season for the Giants in which he didn't record a single interception.

    But as recently as 2016, DRC picked off half a dozen throws. His arrival would allow Washington to kick Orlando Scandrick (another new face in DC in 2018) to the slot, where he's much more comfortable.

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