ESPN INSIDER : What does your favorite NFL team still need to improve?

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[h=2]Baltimore Ravens[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Defensive line depth

Baltimore did a very good job of filling some of its biggest needs in the draft. Joe Flacco needed young receivers, and the Ravens obliged with tight end Maxx Williams and wide receiver Breshad Perriman. Both should see plenty of action right away, supplying an answer at every position for the offense.

The secondary sunk Baltimore's 2014 season thanks to six defensive backs finishing on injured reserve. Better health, especially for cornerback Jimmy Smith, should help fix that problem, and the Ravens have also added veterans Kyle Arrington and Kendrick Lewis to the group.

The biggest loss remains Haloti Ngata, a potential Hall of Fame defender who was traded to Detroit. Ngata brought plenty of versatility and leadership to this unit, two qualities that are hard to replace with young players. Brandon Williams has secured one starting position on the line, but second-year end Timmy Jernigan will hope to replace Ngata after he flashed with four sacks last year. Jernigan had six quarterback hits, which was one more than Williams, Ngata and Chris Canty combined.

Canty is going on 33 years old, and he did not register a single quarterback hurry last season, according to Football Outsiders game charting. The ship has sailed long ago on Terrence Cody (released in January) replacing Ngata, so it's really up to what Jernigan and the other young players can do this season -- including third-round pick Carl Davis (Iowa), who has very good physical tools but slipped in the draft for his lack of pass-rushing production and a questionable motor.

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[h=2]Cincinnati Bengals[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Slot receiver

You could almost see the Bengals marking off their checklist of needs in the draft, with back-to-back selections on the offensive line followed by needed depth at the positions where injuries or disappointing play have hurt them: tight end, inside linebacker, cornerback and defensive end.

That still leaves the passing game as the area where the Bengals need to improve the most, but there is no improving on Andy Dalton at quarterback this offseason. What the Bengals can do is enhance what's around him, and this offense is currently lacking a quality slot receiver. Dalton tends to overthrow his receivers and force high catches, so if the Bengals have someone capable of running underneath routes that are easy to complete, then Dalton's efficiency should pick up and it would help keep the offense on schedule.

Cincinnati signed deep threat Denarius Moore, but he has caught just 46.9 percent of his career targets -- the exact opposite of a high-percentage receiver. A.J. Green is a great receiver, but he is not one of those high-percentage slot weapons. With the help of ESPN Stats & Information, we tracked 30.2 percent of Dalton's throws to Green as being uncatchable in 2014. That is largely on the quarterback, but it also speaks to the types of routes the receiver runs in the offense. Tyler Eifert and Marvin Jones are coming off injury-plagued seasons and Mohamed Sanu disappeared down the stretch. Sanu averaged 7.8 targets per game thru Week 12, but had just 12 targets and 71 receiving yards in the final five games. Sanu also had the third-highest rate of dropped passes among wide receivers, according to ESPN Stats & Information game charting.

Slot receiver Wes Welker is still a free agent. In 2014, Welker had the lowest rate of uncatchable targets among wide receivers (9.4 percent). It's hard to miss a guy who rarely runs more than eight yards down the field. Welker has had his share of concussion problems, but he could be a value signing at this stage. Third-and-5 would be a bit easier for Dalton if a quality underneath option were an alternative to forcing another high ball to Green 15 yards down the field.

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[h=2]Cleveland Browns[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Pass-catchers

The 2015 draft was considered another deep class for wide receivers, but the Browns continued to build in the trenches instead. Fourth-round pick Vince Mayle (Washington State) was Cleveland's only wide receiver choice. With Josh Gordon suspended for the year, Josh McCown and Johnny Manziel have to make plays with Dwayne Bowe, Brian Hartline, Taylor Gabriel, Andrew Hawkins and Travis Benjamin. Bowe infamously played in a Kansas City offense with zero touchdowns to wide receivers in 2014, while Hartline has one of the lowest touchdown rates in NFL history at his position (4.0 percent).

The problems may be even deeper at tight end after Jordan Cameron left for Miami. The trio of Gary Barnidge, Rob Housler and Jim Dray combined for 39 catches in 2014. Was Jeff King not available? Cleveland drafted Malcolm Johnson (Mississippi State) in the sixth round, but go figure, he's a blocking tight end not expected to make a receiving impact. (That's assuming there even will be a passing game in Cleveland this year.)

Zach Miller failed a physical for Seattle in March, but if he's healthy this summer, that is definitely a signing for the Browns to make. In his career with the Seahawks and Raiders, Miller has been a reliable target when healthy.

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[h=2]Pittsburgh Steelers[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Safety

Pittsburgh's 2014 defense ranked outside of the top 20 in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric for the first time in the entire history of that metric, which currently goes back to 1989. The decline to 30th made it obvious the draft would focus heavily on that side of the ball. Six of the eight picks were used on defense, but the Steelers continued to load up on first-round linebackers instead of retooling the secondary. Cornerback Senquez Golson was chosen in the second round and should see plenty of snaps this year, but the Steelers passed on taking a safety like Damarious Randall or Landon Collins in the first round.

If the pass rush is still shaky and the cornerbacks are learning on the fly, then the safeties could be really exposed down the field. In his first season with the Steelers, Mike Mitchell did not provide the splash plays that led to a career season in 2013 with Carolina. He ranked 62nd in adjusted success rate in pass coverage (out of 71 qualifying safeties) one year after ranking 28th, according to Football Outsiders' game charting.

Troy Polamalu was clearly on his last legs in 2014, but his retirement still left a big void in the defense that was really not addressed in free agency or the draft. Gerod Holliman was selected out of Louisville in the seventh round, but picks that late rarely work out, let alone produce a starter in Year 1.

Third-year safety Shamarko Thomas is likely the guy to replace Polamalu in the starting lineup, but he only played three defensive snaps in 2014. As a rookie, Thomas played 189 defensive snaps, but he struggled in pass coverage, with a 38 percent adjusted success rate. Thomas essentially has to be the Steelers' most improved player in 2015 for new defensive coordinator Keith Butler to return the Pittsburgh defense to its long history of being above average.

 

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[h=2]Miami Dolphins[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Cornerback

Top corner Brent Grimes may already be in decline. In 2013, Miami ranked seventh in the NFL against opponents' top receivers. Last season, Miami fell to 21st in that category as part of the Dolphins' second-half defensive swoon. Improvement in 2015 is unlikely. Grimes will turn 32 in July, an age past which very few corners sustain a high level of play. It is certainly in play for Grimes to have his falling-off-a-cliff season. It has happened somewhere around his age for almost every cornerback not named Darrell Green. While the Dolphins have been in decent shape at the top corner position with Grimes in recent seasons, they may be in trouble as early as this season.

Of even greater concern for the Dolphins is depth at corner. Getting little from 2013 second-rounder Jamar Taylor and 2014 fourth-rounder Walt Aikens, the Dolphins ranked 30th in the league last year against opponents' third, fourth, and fifth wideouts. Entering the offseason with just Grimes, Taylor and Aikens on the cornerback depth chart, Miami has taken two paths to try to address its weaknesses.

First, they dipped at the low end of the free-agent market, signing Brice McCain and Zack Bowman. Neither player is particularly young (McCain is 28, Bowman 30), and neither has provided much value above replacement level in recent years. In the draft, they waited until the fifth round to add two corners, Bobby McCain and Tony Lippett (the latter of whom primarily played wide receiver in college). While they have cornered the market for McCains in the NFL (with linebacker Chris, the Dolphins currently have every McCain to play since 1950), the Dolphins have not filled their hole at corner so much as papered it over by acquiring low-level veterans and mid-round picks.

After addressing their receiver weakness with the smart trade for Kenny Stills, the Dolphins might have been better off using their first-round pick to address their hole at corner instead of selecting Louisville WR DeVante Parker. Instead, Miami's pass defense will depend on Grimes holding up for another year and a breakout from one of their unproven players.

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[h=2]New York Jets[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Quarterback

All the improvements that the Jets have made this offseason are window dressing until they find a quarterback. Even after just two seasons, the chances that Geno Smith is the guy are small. In those seasons, Smith ranked 40th and 31st, respectively, in DVOA. Over the past 25 years, here are the 10 quarterbacks whose DVOA ratings in their first two seasons with at least 100 attempts came closest to Smith's numbers.

[TABLE=class: inline-table, cellpadding: 0, cellspacing: 0]

QBs Most Similar to Geno Smith by DVOA in First Two Years, 1989-2014 [TR]

Player Years Y1 DVOA Y1 Rank Y2 DVOA Y2 Rank [/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Geno Smith[/TD]

[TD]2013-2014[/TD]

[TD]-23.6%[/TD]

[TD]40[/TD]

[TD]-12.5%[/TD]

[TD]31[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Kyle Boller[/TD]

[TD]2003-2004[/TD]

[TD]-26.0%[/TD]

[TD]41[/TD]

[TD]-14.6%[/TD]

[TD]28[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Jake Locker[/TD]

[TD]2012-2013*[/TD]

[TD]-23.6%[/TD]

[TD]32[/TD]

[TD]-5.7%[/TD]

[TD]22[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Tim Couch[/TD]

[TD]1999-2000[/TD]

[TD]-28.4%[/TD]

[TD]44[/TD]

[TD]-15.1%[/TD]

[TD]34[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Rick Mirer[/TD]

[TD]1993-1994[/TD]

[TD]-15.7%[/TD]

[TD]33[/TD]

[TD]-12.5%[/TD]

[TD]34[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Joey Harrington[/TD]

[TD]2002-2003[/TD]

[TD]-20.9%[/TD]

[TD]42[/TD]

[TD]-18.2%[/TD]

[TD]39[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Trent Dilfer[/TD]

[TD]1994-1995[/TD]

[TD]-31.0%[/TD]

[TD]38[/TD]

[TD]-11.3%[/TD]

[TD]34[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Charlie Frye[/TD]

[TD]2005-2006[/TD]

[TD]-21.4%[/TD]

[TD]36[/TD]

[TD]-18.9%[/TD]

[TD]37[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Billy Joe Tolliver[/TD]

[TD]1989-1990[/TD]

[TD]-21.4%[/TD]

[TD]36[/TD]

[TD]-5.9%[/TD]

[TD]21[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Steve Walsh[/TD]

[TD]1989-1990[/TD]

[TD]-20.6%[/TD]

[TD]35[/TD]

[TD]-5.9%[/TD]

[TD]22[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR=class: last]

[TD]Jake Plummer[/TD]

[TD]1997-1998[/TD]

[TD]-17.7%[/TD]

[TD]38[/TD]

[TD]-8.4%[/TD]

[TD]29[/TD]

[/TR]

[TR]

[TD=colspan: 6]Locker was a rookie in 2011; these are his first two seasons with 100 attempts.[/TD]

[/TR]

[/TABLE]

While these and most examples of similar quarterbacks do not look good, there are a couple of counterexamples Jets fans could look to. Troy Aikman struggled his first two seasons even more than Smith, and if we look back before DVOA ratings (which start in 1989), so did Terry Bradshaw. Unlike Smith, however, scouts saw enough potential in Aikman and Bradshaw to make each of them the No. 1 overall pick. Lacking that pedigree, Smith's early-career struggles have been bad enough to make him a very poor bet to break out. Ryan Fitzpatrick does not exactly fill the Jets' hole at quarterback, but he is likely to be the better short-term option.

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[h=2]New England Patriots[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Cornerback

After losing Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner in free agency, the Patriots appeared likely to take a corner early in the draft. Instead, perhaps scared off by the ghosts of Ras-I Dowling and Terrence Wheatley, Bill Belichick waited until the seventh round to draft a corner. The Patriots now have Bradley Fletcher, signed from the Eagles in free agency, as their No. 1 cornerback.

If all you know of Fletcher are 2014 lowlights like this and this, then this sounds like an untenable situation. It's not quite as bad as it seems. No cornerback in football gets a bigger boost in his numbers when we account for the opposing receivers he had to face. If we adjust for Fletcher's schedule -- including five games lining up across from Dez Bryant (fifth in receiving DVOA), DeSean Jackson (sixth), and Jordy Nelson (eighth) -- Fletcher actually ranked 36th in adjusted success rate, making Fletcher an above-average corner. He is also an excellent value at the price the Patriots paid for him.

The fact that Fletcher is underrated and came at a bargain rate would make him an excellent No. 2 corner. He's still not a desirable option as your team's top corner. Even adjusting for opposition, the Eagles were still just 24th against opponents' top wideouts in 2014. Perhaps the only other potential choice on the roster is Super Bowl hero Malcolm Butler, and then only because his small sample size as a rookie leaves his ceiling undefined. Barring a midseason trade like the one that brought Aqib Talib to Foxborough in 2012, the Patriots will most likely have to scheme around lacking a true top cover corner.

 

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[h=2]Houston Texans[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Quarterback

As we chronicled before free agency began, Ryan Fitzpatrick was a reasonably effective quarterback for the Texans in 2014 despite his obvious limitations. The team chose to part ways with him, though, and instead re-signed Ryan Mallett and added Brian Hoyer.

 

Mallett is heading into the fifth year of his career and is still very much an unknown quantity. He played just 22 regular-season snaps in three seasons as Tom Brady's backup in New England and managed only two starts in Houston in 2014 before suffering a season-ending pectoral injury. In those two games, his Total QBR was a below-average 48.2, but a career sample size of less than 80 attempts does not let us predict his future with confidence. The best -- and only -- argument in his favor right now: Coach Bill O'Brien wanted him.

Replacing Fitzpatrick with Hoyer was a curious move, considering Hoyer has some of the same demerits as Fitzpatrick -- less-than-ideal height and arm strength -- yet Fitzpatrick has a much more accomplished track record. Hoyer's only significant playing experience came last season in Cleveland, when he posted a below-average 43.1 Total QBR, worse than Fitzpatrick's in the past five seasons (50.4). The Texans could be worried about Fitzpatrick's age -- he turns 33 during the season -- but Hoyer turns 30 in October, and should not be considered a developmental quarterback.

The Texans are obviously hoping Mallett stays healthy for a full season and justifies the faith O'Brien has in him. The coach did manage to get the best out of Fitzpatrick, so it's not out of the question that he does the same with Mallett. But if the Texans have to turn to Hoyer, they seem unlikely to improve on last season's 9-7 mark -- even in a still-down AFC South.

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[h=2]Indianapolis Colts[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Offensive line

Owner Jim Irsay once spoke of his wish that the current edition of the Colts not be built entirely around an outstanding quarterback who's repeatedly asked to bail out the offense. Turning that hope into a reality usually starts with building a good offensive line -- and the Colts do not have one.

The Colts fared well by our adjusted sack rate metric, ranking seventh in 2014, but that was mostly the result of quarterback Andrew Luck proving difficult to bring down for a loss. The problem? For the third time in as many years, Luck led the league in hits while getting the ball away. He was knocked down 91 times, including plays canceled by penalty, far more than second-place Matt Ryan, who finished with 65 in Atlanta.

And those hits, for the most part, were the fault of Indy's offensive linemen. According to our game charting project, no Colts lineman had an above-average blown block rate for his position. In fact, most ranked among the worst in the league. Gosder Cherilus had one every 26.9 snaps, second-worst among right tackles. Lance Louis had one every 31 snaps, third-worst among left guards. Hugh Thornton had one every 32.3 snaps, second-worst among right guards. Jonathan Harrison had one every 32.2 snaps, second-worst among centers.

The Colts signed Todd Herremans to help keep Luck upright, but he's barely an upgrade. His blown block rate ranked 30th among 34 right guards with at least 400 snaps. Herremans also turns 33 during the season, so Indianapolis may not want to count on him suiting up for more than the eight games he played in 2014. The only other help comes in the form of Donald Thomas -- who missed all of 2014 with an injury -- and rookie Denzelle Good from Mars Hill (N.C.) University, chosen one pick before Mr. Irrelevant. Barring significant improvement, Luck will again go to the ground too many times while doing the same thing Peyton Manning did for so many years in Indy: carrying an offense and a team on his own.

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[h=2]Jacksonville Jaguars[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Pass rush

The biggest question mark for the 2015 Jaguars is how much Blake Bortles improves after posting by far the worst Total QBR last season (21.9). But because he's locked in as the starter and Chad Henne is a reasonable backup, we can't call that a weakness; it's a plan for the future that may or may not work out.

Instead, let's focus on the pass rush. The Jaguars ranked second in our adjusted sack rate metric and sixth overall with 45 sacks. But a lot of those came from flooding the zones with coverage, not from consistent pressure. They led the league with 12 coverage sacks according to our game charting (the NFL average is five), and according to ESPN Stats & Information, they ranked 31st with a 20.1 total pressure rate.

So Jacksonville drafting edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. third overall made plenty of sense, but he's expected to miss the entire season with a torn ACL suffered in rookie minicamp. That leaves Jared Odrick and Dan Skuta as the only new blood, which is a problem. Odrick is primarily a run-stopper, with just one sack and 6.5 hurries in 2014, while Skuta's 2014 pass-rush performance mirrors that of his new teammates. His four hurries last season suggest that his decent sack total (five) is overinflated. Expect a regression in 2015 -- for both Skuta and his new squad.

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[h=2]Tennessee Titans[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Outside linebacker

This is a familiar sore spot for the Titans. Derrick Morgan led the group with just 6.5 sacks in 2014, and no other player had more than two. The Titans hit the position in free agency, re-signing Morgan and adding Brian Orakpo. But the lack of depth remains a concern, especially because new defensive maestro Dick LeBeau counts on the outside linebackers to be the core of his pass rush.

While Morgan and Orakpo will start and play a lot, NFL teams generally need a few quality backup edge rushers to play 15-20 snaps a game. The Titans plan on filling those roles with Jonathan Massaquoi, cut loose by pass-rush needy Atlanta early in the offseason, and sixth-round pick Deiontrez Mount, who was not even a starter at Louisville.

And don't forget: Orakpo has missed a total of 22 games during the past three years. A torn pectoral muscle ended his 2012 and 2014 seasons, and even before hitting IR last season, he was limited with finger and ankle issues -- and held to 0.5 sacks -- in seven games. His offseason comments about his pectoral muscle are predictably optimistic, but take those with a grain of salt. Any recurrence of Orakpo's injury issues or an absence by Morgan would force Massaquoi and Mount into bigger roles and likely see the position group faring even worse than it did in 2014.

 

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Biggest post-draft weakness: Offensive line

Denver has one of the most talented rosters in the league, so there were not many holes to fill in what was a relatively quiet offseason for John Elway and Co. One of last season's problems that was not solved with a high-priced free agent or premium draft pick is the offensive line. Ryan Clady and Louis Vasquez are the known commodities up front, and both should perform better this season. Clady is another year removed from his 2013 Lisfranc injury, and Vasquez should stay at right guard after last year's failed experiment at tackle.

 

That still means Denver could be looking at three new starters to fill out a line that must keep a 39-year-old Peyton Manning healthy for the full season. If the Broncos can do that, then the line is in great shape with Manning and new coach Gary Kubiak running the show. Manning has led the NFL in the lowest rate of pressure (credit to ESPN Stats & Information for pressure data) four times since 2010. He rarely needs his linemen to block for longer than 2.5 seconds after the snap, and he consistently puts Denver in the right plays. Meanwhile, Kubiak has taught numerous offenses the zone-blocking scheme that has produced huge rushing production from many unheralded backs, which is great news for C.J. Anderson. Just last year in Baltimore, Kubiak coordinated an offense that went from 32nd in adjusted line yards (a stat that measures run blocking separate from what a back does in the open field) to third in 2014.

Gino Gradkowski learned under Kubiak last season and may be the new center in Denver. Ben Garland and Michael Schofield have zero career starts, but both could see significant action this season. Guard Shelley Smith and tackle Chris Clark, who replaced an injured Clady in 2013's record-setting offense, are veterans who will compete for starting jobs. Continuity will have to be forged this preseason, but if anyone can coach up this line so that it works well immediately, it's Manning and Kubiak.

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[h=2]Kansas City Chiefs[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Vertical passing game

Kansas City had a solid team last season, ranking 10th in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric, with big wins over both Super Bowl participants. However, something held this team back from making the playoffs at 9-7. Jamaal Charles is indisputably one of the best running backs in the league. Travis Kelce showed us he can be a good receiving tight end. The offensive line is below Andy Reid's usual standards, but we are willing to give Eric Fisher another chance to improve, and Ben Grubbs should be better at left guard. The front seven, led by Justin Houston, is one of the best out there, and cornerback Sean Smith charted well in pass coverage in 2014.

What the Chiefs still do not have is a vertical passing game that scares defenses down the field. Yes, Jeremy Maclin was a good signing, but this offense is still threatening to start someone like Jason Avant, Albert Wilson or Frankie Hammond opposite him. Maclin is just one guy, and if you're not talking about Randy Moss, then it's unlikely that one receiver is going to significantly change this offense. Everyone knows the Chiefs' wide receivers had zero touchdown catches last season, but even if Maclin matches his career-high 10 scores, will that mean the Chiefs score more points as a team? Or will it just change the distribution of the 18-24 touchdowns they can expect to get in the passing game?

Alex Smith is still the quarterback, and that's really where a lot of the problems originate. His conservatism is the double-edged sword that results in few turnovers and few big plays. On passes thrown more than 20 yards beyond the line of scrimmage in 2014, Smith was 4-for-21 with three interceptions. In Philadelphia last season, Maclin caught eight of 29 passes thrown more than 20 yards, including five for touchdowns. Not only does the quarterback have to be reasonably accurate with the throw, but he has to be willing to give the receiver the opportunities to make those plays.

In his 11th season, it's hard to see Smith changing who he is as a quarterback.

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[h=2]Oakland Raiders[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Secondary

Oakland has tried to rebuild practically its entire roster, and the secondary is the unit that has gotten the least attention so far. Charles Woodson had four of the team's nine interceptions last season, but the 38-year-old safety also missed 21 tackles, the second-highest total in the league, according to Football Outsiders game charting. Despite what he has lost athletically in his old age, Woodson is still likely the best free safety on a roster filled with inexperienced defensive backs.

Improvement in this secondary in 2015 rests heavily on two young cornerbacks: D.J. Hayden and T.J. Carrie. Hayden has had some health issues and has not shown much skill for making plays on the ball despite his first-round pedigree. He has two interceptions in 18 games and has been targeted heavily by opposing passers. Carrie came on late last year and could be the best cornerback in Oakland right now, but that's not saying much given the competition.

The Raiders said goodbye to injured safeties Tyvon Branch and Usama Young and signed Nate Allen from Philadelphia. In the past two years Allen has ranked 65th and 64th among safeties in adjusted success rate, which is based on Football Outsiders' charting of pass coverage. At least by not bringing back some stopgap veterans, Jack Del Rio's Raiders can take a closer look at Keith McGill, Brandian Ross and Larry Asante in the secondary.

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[h=2]San Diego Chargers[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Offensive line

The move to trade up for running back Melvin Gordon was criticized by many statistically oriented analysts, but at least we know who will be carrying the ball most often for the Chargers. The next question is, who will block for Gordon? San Diego had the highest total of games lost to injury by an offensive line in any year in the Football Outsiders' injury database (which goes back to 2000). Simple healing will not fix the problem, since Nick Hardwick and Jeromey Clary both retired this offseason. Hardwick had been a rock at center for Philip Rivers, but he was the first of five centers to start for San Diego in 2014.

It was surprising to see San Diego not draft any offensive linemen, given that last season turned sour after news of a rib injury to Rivers saw a sharp decline in his play. Protecting the pocket passer has to be San Diego's top priority, but the strategy seems to be that a better running game will substitute for better pass protection. That's very questionable.

Orlando Franklin was San Diego's big free-agent signing from rival Denver. He'll slide in at left guard, though our game charters marked him with 9.5 blown blocks that led to runs for a loss last season, second among all guards. King Dunlap had a strong year at left tackle, ranking third at left tackle in fewest snaps per blown block according to Football Outsiders charting. But the rest of the line looks like a weakness.

The Chargers have three potential starters who ranked in the bottom 10 at their positions in our snaps per blown block metric last season (rankings based on minimum 400 snaps). D.J. Fluker, a first-rounder in 2013, has had at least 34.5 blown blocks in both of his seasons and actually fared worse in 2014 than he did as a rookie, ranking 36th out of 39 right tackles. Next to him at right guard, Johnnie Troutman ranked 27th out of 34 players at his position. And Chris Watt seems to be the last center standing in San Diego, though the third-round rookie was clearly overwhelmed at times in 2014. He ranked 30th out of 37 centers in snaps per blown block. Watt certainly deserves time to grow and should play better this year.

More importantly, this whole line needs to play much better if this offense is going to keep Rivers healthy, help Gordon make a run at rookie of the year and return to its past lofty standards.

 

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In a series of articles over the next few days, Football Outsiders will be looking division-by-division at the biggest weakness left on each team's roster after free agency and the 2015 NFL draft.

This edition examines the NFC North.

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[h=2]Chicago Bears[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Secondary

You can really pick your poison with either cornerback or safety here, and unfortunately the Bears will have to. They have little in the way of surefire foundational pieces at defensive back. In fairness, switching to Vic Fangio's multiple 3-4 scheme requires a multiyear commitment to overhauling the old personnel.

 

Most of the carryovers from last season are now misfit toys (we're looking at you, Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston) and, given the equally pressing turmoil in the offensive passing game, there simply weren't enough resources to fix everything in a single offseason. Chicago chose to address the front seven this year, drafting Eddie Goldman in the second round and pouring their free-agent dollars into Pernell McPhee, Mason Foster, Ray McDonald and Jarvis Jenkins.

Of course, that means the Bears will bring back virtually the same secondary that spearheaded the 29th-ranked pass defense in 2014, according to Football Outsiders' DVOA ratings. Kyle Fuller was a legitimate defensive rookie of the year candidate at the end of September but tailed off significantly after tallying three interceptions in his first three games. By the end of the year, our charting ranked him as the most-targeted cornerback in the league, and his 9.6 adjusted yards allowed per pass ranked 68 out of 77 qualifying corners.

And Fuller is the most promising hope for the unit. Even after letting longtime starter Charles Tillman leave, the Bears still employ four defensive backs older than 30, all of whom are feasible bets to make the final roster. Antrel Rolle and Tim Jennings are firmly in their twilight years and no locks to hang around past this season. Ditto for Ryan Mundy and Alan Ball, who could carve out roles in sub packages. As for youth, nickelback Demontre Hurst came out of our charting with a horrid 13.5 adjusted yards allowed per pass. And Brock Vereen received plenty of reps filling in for the perpetually dinged-up Chris Conte but didn't distinguish himself and will receive competition from fifth-rounder Adrian Amos for the starting free safety spot.

Even if you want to chalk up Fuller's second-half struggles to the injury cocktail he played through, the 2014 first-rounder might be the only defensive back on the roster worth keeping past 2015.

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[h=2]Detroit Lions[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Defensive tackle

If you step back, it's pretty remarkable that neither Ndamukong Suh nor Nick Fairley garnered a second contract in the Motor City. The duo anchored a dominant front seven that ranked first in run defense DVOA and adjusted line yards, both by fairly wide margins. With both former first-rounders departed, Detroit loses the core foundation of its defensive roster. Trading for Haloti Ngata was a shrewd short-term decision that only cost the organization fourth- and fifth-round selections, which they figure to recoup through compensatory picks next year.

But Ngata has been on a steady decline from his All-Pro peak, and he is no longer capable of creating the type of ripple effect that elevates an entire unit, much like Suh did. A bigger question is who plays next to Ngata. Tyrunn Walker, an interesting pass-rusher who has been productive in spurts for the New Orleans Saints, signed a modest one-year, $1.75 million deal in free agency. Ngata and Walker both arrive from 3-4 systems, something that might augur more hybrid fronts from Teryl Austin's defense, even if Austin still employs four down linemen.

C.J. Mosley also remains available in free agency, though a return to Detroit appears unlikely. Mosley was a serviceable starter the second half of the season after Fairley went down with a sprained MCL. Assuming Mosley doesn't return, the defensive tackle rotation currently consists of Ngata, Walker, Caraun Reid, rookie Gabe Wright and other assorted pieces.

In some ways, it's not necessarily a concern if this position is Detroit's biggest personnel hole. Unless the Lions magically conjured J.J. Watt onto their roster, no one in the league was really capable of fully replicating Suh's impact. Rather than throwing too many darts at a fruitless proposition, the cap-strapped Lions resisted the temptation to carry out another massive loan and mortgage their future for Suh.

Detroit addressed many of its most pressing 2014 needs in the draft, retooling its interior offensive line, adding an explosive backfield option in Ameer Abdullah and supplementing the cornerback depth with Alex Carter and Quandre Diggs. With proper development, the Lions might be better off in the long run, but the retooling leaves legit short-term issues.

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[h=2]Green Bay Packers[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Edge rusher

Truthfully, Green Bay didn't enter the draft with many holes. Most observers highlighted cornerback and inside linebacker as the Packers' two biggest areas of need, and Ted Thompson used three of his first four picks on those positions.

We're also assuming here that Clay Matthews plays the majority of his snaps at inside linebacker in 2015. Matthews was actually more productive as a pass-rusher when he moved inside, with 9.5 of his 12 sacks last season coming during the final eight games. Moreover, he produced nearly as many combined sacks, hits and hurries in the second half of the season (20.5) as he did in the first half (23.5), despite dropping into coverage much more frequently. However, there's no guarantee Matthews will continue to produce from a nontraditional rushing spot in 2015, and he'll likely need to remain inside on prime passing downs. It's certainly not out of the question that either third-year man Sam Barrington or rookie fourth-rounder Jake Ryan could emerge as a viable three-down option in 2015, but counting on both seems like a long shot.

Julius Peppers was still productive last season, generating a league-high 11 disruptions (a stat combining batted passes and incompletions caused by hitting the quarterback), but the 35-year-old alone wasn't able to keep the Packers from experiencing an overall pass-rushing drop. After finishing in the top five in adjusted sack rate each of the previous two seasons, the Packers dipped to 14th last year. Apart from Peppers and Matthews, most of Green Bay's pressure came from interior linemen Mike Daniels and Datone Jones, who ranked 75th and 85th, respectively, in total hurries. With nine career sacks, 2012 first-rounder Nick Perry is teetering toward the bust label, as evidenced by Green Bay's decision to decline his fifth-year option. Mike Neal is fine as a supplementary contributor, but it's probably not ideal that the Packers have given him 700-plus snaps each of the past two seasons.

It says a lot about Green Bay that an average pass rush profiles as its biggest problem, but if the callow cornerback corps doesn't shake out as expected, this could become a bigger issue than it appears at the moment.

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[h=2]Minnesota Vikings[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Left guard

Is Rick Spielman slowly building a powerhouse? The Vikings' past three drafts have received rave reviews from draftniks, and apart from Matt Kalil and Cordarrelle Patterson, the returns have largely been encouraging. Quarterback is the most important position, of course, and Teddy Bridgewater's rookie season suggested that he was clearly the top passer in an otherwise shaky 2014 class. With the Adrian Peterson saga looking like it will end with the 2012 MVP begrudgingly wearing purple, the Vikings have the core of a legitimately exciting contender in place.

However, protecting Bridgewater was an issue for Minnesota, which ranked 27th in adjusted sack rate. Much of that stemmed from Kalil's struggles and season-ending injuries to Brandon Fusco and Phil Loadholt, but all three will be back and presumably starting in 2015.

Depending on how Kalil bounces back after offseason surgeries on both knees, the Vikings' biggest hole along the offensive line may actually be at left guard, as four-year starter Charlie Johnson was released in the offseason. Johnson had largely earned apathy for subpar play, and while he's someone you'd hope to upgrade from in the long run, the 31-year-old was one of the few Minnesota linemen who was both consistently available and passable. Last season, our game charters marked Johnson down for a blown block once every 62.4 snaps, fourth-best among Minnesota linemen and a general middle-of-the-pack rate among all offensive linemen. Veteran journeyman Joe Berger was slightly better at 72 snaps per blown block at right guard, and he could compete with 2014 fifth-rounder David Yankey for Johnson's old spot.

The left guard battle belies a general lack of interior line depth as a whole. Minnesota did extract nice value from a pair of tackles in the draft, nabbing T.J. Clemmings in the fourth round and Tyrus Thompson in the sixth. However, the loser of the Berger-Yankey battle is probably the top interior backup, along with rookie seventh-rounder Austin Shepherd. For a team that ended last season rolling out the likes of Vlad Ducasse and Mike Harris, it might have been a wiser idea to slightly overinvest in the offensive line to provide maximum insurance for Bridgewater's development.

 

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[h=2]Dallas Cowboys[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Safety

It would be nice if Dallas could add a runner to replace DeMarco Murray, but it's clear that you don't need a dominant running back to win a championship in today's NFL. You do, however, need great play from your defense -- or at least better play than what the Cowboys got last year when their defense finished 22nd against the run, the pass, and overall by Football Outsiders' DVOA metric.

The additions of free agent Greg Hardy (pending his suspension, which is currently slated for 10 games) and second-round draftee Randy Gregory should boost the pass rush, while first-round cornerback Byron Jones will help Brandon Carr and Orlando Scandrick handle spread formations. At safety, though, the Cowboys are stuck with the eminently mediocre duo of J.J. Wilcox and Barry Church.

 

Safeties are hard to analyze statistically because their assignments can vary wildly from team to team. By and large, though, we can say they are asked to prevent opposing offenses from making big plays, and the Cowboys' pair didn't offer much help there, especially in the running game. Church was 25th among safeties in run stops (tackles that stopped an offense from gaining 45 percent of yards to go on first down, 60 percent on second, and 100 percent on third or fourth); Wilcox was 61st. That would be fine if their conservative play was taking away home runs, but Dallas gave up 1.03 open-field yards per carry last year, third-worst in the league. (Open-field yards are rushing yards gained at least 10 yards beyond the line of scrimmage.) The Cowboys also struggled to stop deep passes, ranking 20th in pass coverage on throws that traveled at least 16 yards past the line of scrimmage.

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[h=2]New York Giants[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Linebacker

The Giants were trampled on the ground last season, finishing 27th in Football Outsiders' DVOA metric for run defense. A look at our front-seven statistics shows that aside from a mediocre ability to prevent short-yardage conversions, they struggled in virtually all areas of run defense. They didn't tackle opponents for a loss very often (27th in stuff rate), gave up too many medium-length runs (31st in second-level yards), and were burned by long runs, too (29th in open-field yards).

Giants linebackers also failed in pass coverage, ranking 20th in coverage against running backs, 25th against tight ends, and last by a wide margin in passes thrown to the short middle area of the field.

Jacquian Williams, perhaps the team's best linebacker when healthy last year (he missed seven games with a concussion), was not re-signed after the season. That leaves the middle linebacker spot to either Jon Beason, who missed most of 2014 with a toe injury, or Jameel McClain, whose average run tackle last year came 4.2 yards downfield. That ranked 72nd among qualifying linebackers. Both Beason and McClain will be 30 years old by the time the season starts.

The top option outside will be J.T. Thomas, who was effective at times for Jacksonville last season, but there's a reason the Giants will be his third team in four years. On the opposite side, possible starters include 2014 fifth-rounder Devon Kennard, longtime backup Mark Herzlich, or new arrival Jonathan Casillas, who played primarily on special teams for Tampa Bay and New England the last couple of seasons.

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[h=2]Philadelphia Eagles[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Safety

Malcolm Jenkins will return to start at one safety position, but Nate Allen signed with Oakland in free agency. To replace him, the Eagles did, uh -- nothing. They did not add a safety in free agency. They did not make a trade. They did not take one in the draft. They didn't even add a pure safety as an undrafted free agent. At the time of this writing, here is a full list of pure safeties on Philadelphia's roster, besides Jenkins:

• Earl Wolff: A fifth-round pick in 2013, he started six games as a rookie and one last year, but at times was a healthy scratch in 2014, and ended the season on injured reserve with a knee injury.

• Chris Prosinski: Jacksonville drafted him in the fourth round in 2011. He started nine games in his first three seasons, then was waived last September and picked up by the Eagles, playing eight games for Philadelphia.

• Chris Maragos: Veteran special-teamer for San Francisco, Seattle, and Philadelphia, he has never started a game in five NFL seasons.

• Jerome Couplin III: An undrafted rookie last season, when he played one game for Buffalo, eight for Detroit, and one for Philadelphia.

• Ed Reynolds: A fifth-round pick out of Stanford last year, he never made the active roster.

 

Second-round pick Eric Rowe played some safety at Utah, but is expected to be a cornerback for Philadelphia. Stacy Revere/Getty Images Seriously, that's it. As for the rookies, second-round pick Eric Rowe played safety for three years at Utah, but he was a cornerback in his senior season. Both he and Chip Kelly have strongly suggested that corner will be his position this fall. Sixth-rounder Randall Evans played both corner and safety in college, as did undrafted free agent Denzel Rice, but it's hard to imagine a sixth-rounder or a UDFA stepping in and starting on opening day. The Eagles gave up a league-high 72 20-yard completions last year, and could be worse at defending the pass in 2015.

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[h=2]Washington Redskins[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Secondary

Give the Redskins credit here. They recognized a weakness -- their pass defense was dead last in Football Outsiders' DVOA ratings a year ago -- and did all they could find new players to patch that weakness up. The only problem is there's no guarantee the new players will be an improvement over the guys they've been brought in to replace.

We'll start at safety, where Ryan Clark has retired and Brandon Meriweather was not re-signed after the season. Dashon Goldson arrives from Tampa Bay, where according to Football Outsiders game charting he gave up 10.5 yards per target last season, ranking among the bottom 10 safeties in the league. Washington also signed Jeron Johnson, formerly a backup in Seattle. As you're probably aware, backup safeties in Seattle don't get a lot of playing time, and Johnson has only one start in four NFL seasons. He's a complete mystery. All we know for sure is that he's worse than Kam Chancellor and Earl Thomas, and while there's no shame in that, you'd like to see him accomplish something before anointing him a starter.

At cornerback, DeAngelo Hall returns from injury, but he turns 32 this season, he's coming off of two Achilles tendon tears, and even in his best years his pass-coverage numbers never lived up to his reputation. The other corner will be Chris Culliver, a free-agent signee from San Francisco. Culliver should be Washington's best defensive back if he can stay on the field, but he has had off-field behavioral issues in the past, and he missed all of 2013 with a torn ACL. There is also talk that Hall will be moved to free safety, opening a starting spot for either Bashaud Breeland (64th in adjusted success rate among cornerbacks last season) or David Amerson (75th). (Adjusted success rate, a stat from Football Outsiders game charting, is explained here.)

 

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[h=2]New Orleans Saints[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Receiver depth

Kenny Stills caught 63 passes for 931 yards last year, leading the Saints in receiving yards. Jimmy Graham was right behind him with 889 yards and caught 10 receiving touchdowns, twice as many as anyone else in New Orleans. The Saints traded Stills to Miami and Graham to Seattle, and then replaced them with very little. The Saints did not draft a single player at wide receiver or tight end and signed only one free agent: Josh Morgan, a 30-year-old veteran who caught just 10 passes for 70 yards in Chicago last year.

 

Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston are a strong pair of starting wide receivers, but what kind of personnel will the Saints be able to put on the field when they want to go three-wide, which they did on 51 percent of plays last year? Right now the replacement for Stills is Nick Toon, who has struggled with injuries for three years in the NFL and has only 21 career receptions. The Saints' best deep threat is Joseph Morgan, a player Sean Payton was so angry at a few months ago that he cut Morgan as a scapegoat after the Week 14 loss to Carolina. (Morgan re-signed in April.) Also hoping for playing time is Jalen Saunders, a fourth-round pick of the Jets a year ago who has also been through practice squads in Arizona and Seattle during his brief time in the NFL.

Tight end presents similar issues. The Saints are expecting big things from third-year tight end Josh Hill, who was strong last year in limited playing time (176 yards and 5 touchdowns on only 14 catches). They also have veteran Benjamin Watson. But if the Saints want to use two tight ends, which they did on 35 percent of plays last year, what happens if Hill or Watson gets hurt? Behind them on the depth chart are former Cincinnati H-back Orson Charles, who spent last year on the Saints' practice squad, and two UDFA rookies -- Jack Tabb (North Carolina) and Harold Spears (New Hampshire).

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[h=2]Atlanta Falcons[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Tight end

The Falcons did an overall excellent job of addressing their roster weaknesses this offseason, and they did it in an efficient manner. An analysis by Football Outsiders' Andrew Healy suggests that the $3 million contract for Adrian Clayborn has the most expected bang-for-the-buck of any contract signed by a free-agent lineman this offseason. The Falcons also filled their depth chart with three veteran linebackers: two of those contracts are likely under value, and the third, for Justin Durant, is roughly at value. On draft day, the Falcons then selected Vic Beasley, who we projected as the top pass-rusher in this class, and added much-needed depth at cornerback and running back.

That leaves one huge gaping hole: tight end. The Falcons have not adapted well to the retirement of Tony Gonzalez last offseason. Replacement Levine Toilolo is more of an in-line blocker than a receiving threat, and finished dead last among all tight ends in Football Outsiders' DYAR (defense-adjusted yards above replacement) metric last season. In search of a better receiving option at the position, Atlanta signed Jacob Tamme away from Denver. However, Tamme finished 47th among 50 qualifying tight ends in DYAR a year ago; he's now 30 years old and this will be only his second season playing without Peyton Manning as his quarterback. The Falcons also signed Tony Moeaki, who has been limited to eight games in the past two years due to injuries, and Mickey Shuler, who played for five different teams over the past five seasons.

The remaining pool of free agents doesn't really offer many possible solutions either. Jermaine Gresham, formerly of Cincinnati, ranked 48th out of 50 tight ends in DYAR a year ago, falling right between Tamme and Toilolo. Zach Miller, formerly of Seattle, might be a good fit if his ankle can pass a physical, but Miller hasn't had 400 receiving yards in a season since 2010.

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[h=2]Carolina Panthers[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Left tackle

One of the big debates when it comes to the NFL draft is taking the best player available versus drafting for need. Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman has never hid his preference for taking the best player on his draft board, no matter what the Panthers needed at the time. Unfortunately, if the best player available never includes a player at a position where you have a huge need, you still come out of the draft with a big hole to fill. That problem is even worse when you trade away your third-round pick to move up in the second round to pick a player who doesn't fill the big need that you had going into the draft.

So while Shaq Thompson and Devin Funchess might be very talented football players, the Carolina Panthers have to ask themselves how on earth they will make it through the entire 2015 season without getting Cam Newton injured by an opposing pass-rusher.

 

Cam Newton could face pressure often this season, working behind a suspect offensive line. Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports Neither offensive tackle position is particularly strong for the Panthers, but at least they have reasonable right tackles. The problem is that they only have right tackles. Penciled in to start on that side is Mike Remmers. He's a journeyman who has been on six different teams in three years, but our game charters only charged him with two blown blocks in five starts after he took over the position for Carolina last season. Behind him on the depth chart are Nate Chandler, last year's original starter, and the one lineman the Panthers snagged in the draft, fourth-rounder Daryl Williams out of Oklahoma.

But on the left side, the Panthers are currently counting on former Baltimore and Tennessee right tackle Michael Oher. Last year, our game charters had Oher ranked 30th among 39 right tackles in snaps per blown block (minimum 400 snaps). This is at least better than Oher ranked in 2013, when he was 36th among 37 right tackles. Things are only going to get harder for Oher on the left side. Carolina's other alternative is Jonathan Martin, who ranked 26th in snaps per blown block for San Francisco last year ... and he was also playing on the easier right side.

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[h=2]Tampa Bay Buccaneers[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Defensive end

Choosing Tampa Bay's biggest weakness depends on which you find to be a bigger problem: depending on highly-drafted rookies with no NFL experience, or depending on undrafted journeymen coming off surprise breakout seasons.

History certainly teaches us that high draft picks are usually the better bet in the long-term. The Bucs now have Jameis Winston at quarterback and will likely start two second-round picks on the offensive line, Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet.

But you won't find similar young talent at defensive end after Michael Johnson was cut and Clayborn left in free agency. Currently penciled in at one starting end position is Jacquies Smith. Smith had no sacks while spending his first two years in the league with three different teams. The Bucs picked him up after Buffalo cut him early last season, and Smith ended up with 6.5 sacks and 14.0 hurries (according to Football Outsiders game charting). Both figures were second on the team to Gerald McCoy. On the other side will be George Johnson, acquired from Detroit by trade. Johnson actually began his NFL career with Tampa Bay in 2010 and had no sacks in four years with Tampa and Minnesota before breaking out with six (and 11.5 hurries) for Detroit in 2014.

What can we expect from players with sudden breakouts like this? It's hard to say, because they are so rare. I went looking for edge rushers since 2000 who were undrafted, had one sack or less in their first two seasons, and then broke out with a season of at least six sacks. There are only five, and three of them had their breakout seasons a year ago: Smith, Johnson, and Ryan Davis of Jacksonville. The fourth is Adewale Ogunleye, but unlike Smith and Johnson, Ogunleye did not bounce from team to team; the Dolphins realized what they had when they signed him and they nurtured him on their roster until he blossomed. The fifth was Mark Word, who bounced from Kansas City to the CFL to Cleveland to NFL Europe and then back to Cleveland where he had eight sacks in 2002. However, Word had only four sacks in 2003 and then headed back to Canada.

If Smith and Johnson are more like Word than they are like Ogunleye, struggling to match their breakout 2014 seasons, the Bucs don't have many notable players to replace them in the starting lineup. The second string is taken up by William Gholston, who had only two sacks last year despite nine starts, and former Chargers first-round bust Larry English, who in six years has never had more than three sacks in a season.

 

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[h=2]Arizona Cardinals[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Offensive line

This is going to create some controversy. Some observers tabbed Arizona's line as one of the most improved units in the NFL. The Cardinals signed three-time Pro Bowler Mike Iupati away from San Francisco in free agency and then spent their first-round draft choice on Florida's D.J. Humphries.

 

The numbers see things very, very differently. Our game charters credited Jared Veldheer with one blown block every 46 snaps played in 2014, ranking 15th-best among left tackles and 30th among all tackles. That's not bad, just eminently mediocre. The real issue, though, is Iupati, whose recent performance has not lived up to his reputation. His rate of one blown block per 37 snaps played ranked 32nd out of 37 qualifying left guards (minimum 400 snaps) and 97th out of 108 interior linemen. This wasn't a one-year fluke, either; in 2013, he had virtually the same rate (one every 36.8 snaps). In total, we tabbed Iupati with 20 blown blocks on pass plays last season. Only one interior lineman had more: Ted Larsen, Arizona's left guard last season who will now move over to center.

At the other end of the line, all indications are that Humphries will spend a year on the bench, backing up Bobby Massie, who wasn't terrible last year (42.4 snaps per blown block, 17th among right tackles). Projected right guard Jonathan Cooper was very effective in limited action in 2014 (73.6 snaps per blown block), but he has struggled to stay healthy, with only two starts in his first two seasons.

There is upside here if Iupati can regain his dominant 2012 form, if Cooper can stay healthy, and if Humphries can develop sooner than expected. But that's a lot of "ifs."

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[h=2]San Francisco 49ers[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Linebacker

This figured to be one of San Francisco's strengths in 2015, but they were undone by a pair of surprise retirements. Five-time All-Pro Patrick Willis, 30, called it a career in mid-March. Though his 2014 season was limited to six games due to a toe injury, he was still effective when healthy, with some of the best pass coverage numbers of any linebacker in the league. In the end, Willis cited his bad feet as the biggest factor in his decision to retire.

If Willis' retirement was unexpected, Chris Borland's departure a week later was downright stunning. The rookie had 21 defeats (plays that stop an offense on third down, result in a loss of yardage, or force a turnover), ranking in the top 50 in the league, despite playing just 46 percent of the team's defensive snaps. With a full season, he might have challenged J.J. Watt's league-leading total of 43 defeats. It was a tantalizing glimpse of what Borland might have delivered in the future, but he walked away from the game, expressing concerns over possible head trauma. He goes down as one of the best one-year players ever.

So what's left? NaVorro Bowman is a three-time All-Pro and still only 27 years old, but he missed all of last season after tearing his ACL and MCL in the 2013 NFC Championship Game and only recently returned to practice. Michael Wilhoite wasn't much of a factor in his 16 starts; he had fewer run tackles than Borland despite playing more than twice as many snaps. And Nick Moody has barely played since the 49ers took him in the sixth round in 2013.

There are question marks on the outside, too. Ahmad Brooks has been a rock in San Francisco for four years now, but he missed three games last season and just turned 31. Aldon Smith was a non-factor after his suspension last season, with only two sacks (both against Washington, one of the worst pass-blocking teams in the league) in seven games.

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[h=2]Seattle Seahawks[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Offensive line

According to Football Outsiders' numbers, Seattle's rushing offense last season was the best in the league by a wide margin and one of the five best in our database going back to 1989. But that says more about the singular brilliance of Marshawn Lynch than it does about Seattle's line.

By our count, Lynch broke 29 more tackles than any other player in the league last year, and the effect of those broken tackles was significant. ESPN Stats & Information's data shows that out of the 43 backs with at least 100 runs last season, Lynch was second with 2.5 yards after contact per carry, but his 2.2 yards before contact was just 22nd. That latter ranking is much more indicative of the offensive line's run-blocking prowess, and the unit was even worse at pass blocking. Russell Wilson saw pressure on 39 percent of his dropbacks last season, the highest rate of any starting quarterback. Rookie right tackle Justin Britt somehow managed to lead the NFL in blown blocks on passing plays even though Seattle had the fewest dropbacks in the NFL.

So Seattle's line was on shaky footing anyway, and then it lost center Max Unger in the Jimmy Graham trade, while left guard James Carpenter signed with the Jets in free agency. The Seahawks have no proven options to replace them. Of the candidates on hand, Lemuel Jeanpierre has seen the most action with 11 career NFL starts (including three last year at center), while Alvin Bailey (three starts at guard last season, two at tackle) and Patrick Lewis (four starts at center) never started a game before 2014.

The Seahawks did add a couple of blockers in the fourth round of this year's draft, San Diego State's Terry Poole and West Virginia's Mark Glowinski. They also grabbed Buffalo's Kristjan Sokoli in the sixth round, but the collegiate defensive lineman looks like more of a long-term project than a first-year savior. That's a lot of question marks for a team looking to play in a third straight Super Bowl.

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[h=2]St. Louis Rams[/h] Biggest post-draft weakness: Wide receiver

The biggest move in the Rams' rebirth as a power-rushing team was the selection of Georgia running back Todd Gurley in the first round of this year's draft, but that was neither the first nor the last part of the process. The offseason trade for Nick Foles gives St. Louis a quarterback who has had success in the NFL as a play-action passer on a run-heavy team. The Rams also let three starters on last season's ineffective offensive line move on in free agency, replacing them with blockers taken in the second, third, fourth, and sixth rounds of the draft. Along the way, though, St. Louis failed to address one of the league's weakest sets of wide receivers.

No wideout currently on the Rams roster has ever caught 50 passes or gained 800 yards in a season. In fact, the only Rams wideout to see 50 targets last season was Kenny Britt. It feels like Britt has been in the league forever, but he turns only 27 in December. Britt has averaged 15.6 yards per catch in his career, sixth-best among active players, and has finished in the top 10 in that category three times, including last season when he was catching passes from Shaun Hill and Austin Davis. It's not that hard to imagine him flourishing as a long-ball specialist, exploiting defenses that are stuffing the box to stop Gurley.

After that? Well, Brian Quick led the Rams with 53.6 receiving yards per game last season, but played in only seven games. He might not be ready for training camp after separating his shoulder and tearing his rotator cuff in a Week 8 loss to Kansas City. He has only 13 starts in three years on a Rams team that hasn't exactly been spoiled with talent at the position. Tavon Austin is always dangerous on reverses and gadget plays, but he hasn't had much luck actually catching passes. In fact, he had more runs (36) than receptions (31) in 2014. Stedman Bailey was surprisingly effective on a per-target basis last season, but, like Quick, it's telling that he has been such a small part of the Rams' game plan in his first two seasons.

 

[ted sheckler]

Probably nothing, this is the year, although maybe Defense could use a little work, and we'll see how RB's do. Everything else on offense is A+, RB's questionable though.

[Sharp Square]

 

Saints moderate rebuild makes this season even a tad more interesting. Can't be worse then last season can it ...