Question of the Day: Who needs most draft help?
After a free-agency period in which millions of dollars were spent on potential saviors, a number of teams are still in need of major help. Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole, Charles Robinson and Michael Silver give their takes on which teams they believe have the biggest needs.
MOST IN NEED OF GOOD DRAFT?
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Cole: The Dolphins, coming off a 1-15 season, are No. 1 in this draft for a good reason. Seven years of bad drafting, most of it under the work of former coach Dave Wannstedt (Jamar Fletcher, anyone?), has left the Dolphins with a ridiculously bad roster. The roster is not only bereft of good starters but even some decent backups. The Dolphins currently have nine picks in this draft. They could use 15 and each one of those players would pretty much be assured of jobs. Outside of the Dolphins, the Jets better be really good this year because there's a lot of pressure on coach Eric Mangini following a bad 2007 campaign and an offseason of splurging on free agents.
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Robinson: While losing Steve McNair last week puts the Baltimore Ravens in a terrible spot, I still think the Atlanta Falcons are the team that needs the biggest influx of draft help. Unlike the Ravens, this Falcons draft has wider implications than usual. After losing Michael Vick and seeing the team fall apart in '07, the team needs a top draft choice that excites the fan base. And frankly, a great deal of the roster lacks both talent and depth. Two of the three most important positions in the game are huge voids: quarterback and left tackle. The Chris Redman/Joey Harrington combination isn't a long-term option, and there isn't a single tackle on the roster with Pro Bowl skills. With Joe Horn on a rapid decline and Michael Jenkins simply too inconsistent, Atlanta also needs a reliable No. 2 wide receiver opposite Roddy White. Finally, with the departure of Rod Coleman, the Falcons could use a live – if not dominant – defensive tackle. New general manager Tom Dimitroff has his work cut out for him.
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Silver: The Ravens. Sixteen months ago, Baltimore was one of the league's most surprising success stories. Spurred by an offseason trade for McNair, the Ravens had rolled through a 13-3 regular season in '06 and had their fans dreaming of a second Super Bowl. Since then, Baltimore has lost 11 of 17 games, as well as coach Brian Billick (fired after the '07 season) and McNair – with perennial All-Pro left tackle Jonathan Ogden likely to follow suit and hang it up soon. Ray Lewis and some of his fellow defenders are getting old, and the franchise needs an instant infusion of young, productive blood. Now here's the good news: General manager Ozzie Newsome and his team of sharp scouts are among the NFL's shrewdest talent evaluators. This team needs a great draft, from top to bottom – and the Wizard of Oz is capable of making it happen.
