Five Teams That Can't Wait

With the draft now only five days away, I felt it was time to take a closer look at some of the not-so-elite teams. I will take a look at what they have done to improve, as well as what still needs to be done. I will than assign them a grade based on their offseason performance thus far.
Miami Dolphins (2007 record 1-15): The best move the Dolphins have made in this offseason has been getting Bill Parcells in charge of personnel. He has worked wonders with teams in the past, and now can focus solely and personnel, and not coaching. He has already began bringing in players that he craves for his defense, which are big strong lineman and versatile players for the secondary. He also re-aquainted himself with NT Jason Ferguson and S Keith Davis, who who coached during his Cowboy years. So, as of right not, they look like they could win five games or so. They still need to address the offense. RB Ronnie Brown is a stud, when healthy, but they need a franchise quarterback and another solid wide receiver to be successful. They are still a ways away. GRADE: C
Atlanta Falcons (2007 record 4-12): There have been positives and negatives during the offseason for the Falcons. The obvious positive was the signing of RB Michael Turner. Turner will be a workhorse for the offence, which already boasts young star Jerius Norwood. They also worked on their secondary, by signing CB Von Hutchins and S Erik Coleman. Both are solid players and should be starters from day one. Now, the negatives. They cut fan favourites Warrick Dunn, Rod Coleman and Alge Crumbler. They traded disgruntled CB Deangelo Hall to the Raiders for a second round pick. They have done nothing to help the offensive line, and quite frankly, they have no one to put behind it. I am talking about their lack of a QB, which needs to be addressed in the draft. GRADE: C+
Oakland Raiders (2007 record 4-12): This team is in trouble, but what else is new? It all started with the $50 million contract to DT Tommie Kelly, who is not worth that kind of cash. Second, the retirement of Warren Sapp. Third, saying good bye to WR Jerry Porter. Through all this however, the team did well in acquiring Hall, as well as placing the franchise tag on CB Nnamdi Ashomugha. The problem here is: where does all the money come from? After handing out the biggest rookie contract ever to last years #1 pick JaMarcus Russell, they now have the Kelly contract, Hall's contract, and with the #4 overall selection in the upcoming draft, another huge rookie contract to pay for. Jeez.... GRADE: C-
New York Jets (2007 record 4-12): Now here is a team that appears to be taking steps in the right direction. They hit it big with the free agent signings of LB Calvin Pace, G Alan Faneca, G Damien Woody and FB Tony Richardson. Also, they re-signed their All-Pro safety Kerry Rhodes. And, if all this wasn't enough, they traded for All-Pro DT Kris Jenkins. The only major losses were S Erik Coleman and LB Victor Hobson, but both are replaceable. Now, with a strong draft and some better QB play, the Jets could soar back into the playoffs. GRADE: A
St Louis Rams (2007 record 3-13): When your best free agent signings are a kicker and a over-the-hill quarterback, you have problems. And the Rams have plenty of problems. They cut fan favourite Isaac Bruce, who will look to anvenge his release while playing for the 49ers. Now, they are faced with the second pick overall. The management team needs to decide between a plethora of options. The bottom line for the Rams is, if they don't have a very good draft, there won't be a "Greatest Show On Turf" reunion any time soon. GRADE: D-
Well, for these five teams, the offseason has been interesting. But with the draft just days away, it is a time of many choices.