I saw where Mark Sanchez completed 10 of his first 15 passes in minicamp the other day, and my first thought was: You must be kidding. People actually tracked his accuracy in what was essentially a touch-football drill?
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| Mark Sanchez: Minicamp non-contact phenom? (AP) |
And we won't. Instead, let's look at the big picture and see who made the biggest jump this offseason. The Eagles are in there. So are the Giants. And so are the Jets and Mark Sanchez. Basically, I want to know what teams got better after Super Bowl XLIII, and how they did it. Here are my top five candidates:
Philadelphia Eagles
What I Like: Virtually everything. The Eagles were vulnerable at tackle last year, with Tra Thomas and Jon Runyan worn down by season's end. Now they add Jason Peters and Stacy Andrews, with Andrews expected back by training camp from a serious knee injury. Perfect. The key here is Peters, whom coach Andy Reid called the best left tackle in the business. Last year he wasn't. But he has a new contract, and guys with new contracts are happy. Having Peters in camp, concentrating on football instead of his next pay day, is huge for Donovan McNabb, who now has someone to hold up against DeMarcus Ware and Osi Umenyiora.
But there is more ... a lot more. Leonard Weaver is the first legitimate fullback the Eagles have had in years. Cornelius Ingram could be a fifth-round steal at tight end. Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was highway robbery at the 19th spot. He is a taller, heavier version of DeSean Jackson and is the playmaker McNabb had in mind when he went public earlier this year with his shopping list of needs. Rookie running back LeSean McCoy is a Brian Westbrook clone who should take some of the pressure -- as well as the load -- off the shoulders of the club's most indispensable player.
I know, the Eagles lost a lot in Brian Dawkins, but he turns 36 this season, and they acquired safety Sean Jones to cushion the blow. All I know about Jones is that he led the Browns' defensive backs in tackles last season, had four interceptions and is nearly a decade younger than Dawkins. I don't know that he starts, but he will play a prominent role in Jim Johnson's defense. Getting Ellis Hobbs gives them depth at cornerback, where I wouldn't count out Jack Ikegwuonu. He was a first-day draft pick a year ago until tearing up his knee. The Eagles got him in the fourth round, and they may cash in this season.
What I Don't Like: They lost safety Dawkins to free agency, and it's bad enough that the guy was coming off a Pro Bowl season. But he was the voice of the locker room, too, and a leader who will be hard to replace.
Bottom Line: On paper, the team to beat in the NFC.
New York Giants
What I Like: First of all, they resolved the Plaxico Burress issue, and hallelujah. Guess that means they're not going to the Run-N-Shoot. Expelling Burress allowed them to move forward and add wide receivers Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden in the draft. Nicks is the guy to watch here. He's not as tall as Burress and doesn't have stopwatch speed, but he has great hands and is quick and productive. Barden is 6-feet-6, and, in his own words, "a complete receiver." The Giants can only hope. They were a different team without Burress, and they had no choice but to plug the holes left behind by Burress and Amani Toomer. They may have succeeded.
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| Fans approve as the Giants fill a need by drafting wideout Hakeem Nicks. (Getty Images) |
Some people think they needed to replace Derrick Ward, too, but I'm not one of them. The Giants have Ahmad Bradshaw as a safety net, and he's a perfect change-of-pace to Brandon Jacobs. Nevertheless, adding Andre Brown in the fourth round makes Big Blue deeper at a critical position.
Losing defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo hurts, but the Giants should be ... no, will be ... better on defense because of the players they added. One is Umenyiora. He's a premier pass rusher who missed all of last season with a knee injury. Another is defensive end Chris Canty, who can hold up against the run and move inside in obvious passing situations. Rocky Bernard gives them depth inside, and Michael Boley fills a huge hole at outside linebacker. The Giants are strong and deep along their front seven, with Mathias Kiwanuka part of a rotation that includes Umenyiora and Justin Tuck. Good luck defending those guys. Getting linebacker Clint Sintim at the 45th spot was a steal. The Giants had considered him a possible late first-rounder.
What I Don't Like: I still worry about them at tackle. Kareem McKenzie is wearing down, and Dave Diehl is more suited to guard. Diehl is tough and a relentless worker, but he can be overmatched when facing some of the division's top pass rushers, like Ware.
Bottom Line: They're a half-length behind the Eagles and should battle them for the NFC East title.
New York Jets
What I Like: They identified Sanchez as a quarterback who can make them better; then put together a package to acquire him. Nice. I like clubs that know how to get what they want. The next question, of course, is what they have in Sanchez. One NFC general manager I trust thinks Sanchez's limited arm strength is suited more for an indoor venue than it is the Meadowlands. Maybe. I worry more about his limited experience. In the end, of course, it comes down to this: He either has the talent or he doesn't. In any case, the Jets did something about improving themselves at their most vulnerable position.
Let's face it, defense wasn't the problem last season; offense was, with the Jets producing 51 point in their last four losses -- or 12.75 per game -- as Brett Favre dissolved. Maybe Sanchez changes that, or maybe Kellen Clemens responds to a wake-up call. Me? I don't see how Sanchez isn't the opening-game starter. The Jets made a bold play to get him, and they didn't do it to have him sit. He will need support, and I'm not talking about the offensive line. That's solid. The running backs may not be, with Shonn Greene a potential answer for veteran Thomas Jones, who turns 31 this summer. I know a handful of scouts who were sour on Greene, but so what? I could line up a dozen who wouldn't vouch for Tom Brady in the 2000 draft, too.
The Jets ranked 16th in defense last year and that improves under Rex Ryan. First, because he has the resume, with his defenses ranked no lower than sixth in his four years as coordinator with the Baltimore Ravens. Second, because he brought over Bart Scott, Marques Douglas and Jim Leonhard from Baltimore. Third, because former Pro Bowler Lito Sheppard checks in at cornerback. Fourth, because he may, just may, get something out of Vernon Gholston. Anyway, the Jets are better on defense, with Scott the big free-agent get.
What I Don't Like: Their wide receivers. Jerricho Cotchery, and then what? Dustin Keller? He's a pass-catching tight end. That they're even considering Burress is an indictment of just how desperate they are.
Bottom line: They're poised to make another run at the top in the AFC East.
New England Patriots
What I Like: They get Tom Brady back, and that alone puts them on this map. There is no quarterback I trust more in big games than Brady, and having him healthy makes the Patriots, not Miami or the Jets, the team to beat in the AFC East. Brady knows how to win, and I don't give a rip that the Patriots gave away Matt Cassel. He wasn't going to play anyway -- not if Brady is as healthy as the Patriots seem to think. Anyway, there is no way you can overstate the importance of Brady's return. In the seven seasons he's been the starter the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl four times.
Brady's return is one of many changes. The Patriots filled in around their star quarterback, specifically on defense, where their biggest upgrades were at cornerback. They picked up Leigh Bodden and Shawn Springs, with Bodden likely to make an immediate impact, before adding Darius Butler in the draft. Some people thought Butler might have been the second-best cornerback out there. All I know is the Patriots had no business stealing him where they did in the second round. Rookie Patrick Chung is perfect to start working in at safety. Joey Galloway is another option for Brady at wide receiver, where the Patriots can beat you with Randy Moss or Wes Welker. Fred Taylor is perfect for them as a complement at running back ... provided, of course, he stays healthy. I think you get the idea. There are new faces everywhere.
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| Stafford; Hope, change for Detroit. (AP) |
What I Don't Like: They could still use an outside pass rusher, but that could be Jason Taylor. He seems perfectly suited as the next role player here, but stay tuned. He hasn't made up his mind where he will play next.
Bottom Line: Get ready, Pittsburgh. The Patriots will challenge for conference supremacy.
Detroit Lions
What I Like: They eviscerated the roster as new coach Jim Schwartz wasted no time trying to shake up the league's sorriest franchise. The biggest move, of course, was drafting Matthew Stafford. Detroit hasn't had a Pro Bowl quarterback since 1972, and maybe that run of futility stops here. Stafford has a chance to become another Matt Ryan, but give him time. Ryan was an overnight success because he had support in all the right places, starting with Michael Turner. Stafford does not.
There's a reason this team didn't win a game last year -- the same reason it will stay down another season: There just aren't enough good players on the roster. But the outlook is improving, with Stafford, tight end Brandon Pettigrew and defensive back Louis Delmas the most important draft-day acquisitions. Julian Peterson is a strong-side linebacker who can cover or rush the passer effectively. Phillip Buchanon is an upgrade at cornerback. Grady Jackson will plug the middle of the defense. Bryant Johnson can serve as a complement to Calvin Johnson. And Maurice Morris is a good partner/relief pitcher for running back Kevin Smith.
Yeah, I know, it's not the '62 Packers, but it's a start. The Lions look a lot better now just because there's a franchise quarterback in place, and it's about time. Maybe Ford does have a better idea.
What I Don't Like: The offensive line is nothing more than ordinary, and that may be generous. Here's hoping Stafford doesn't become the next David Carr.
Bottom Line: The Lions have a long way to go before catching the rest of the division. They will be better, but that's not saying much. They couldn't be worse. Look for these guys to win five or six games, and while that doesn't sound like much, it is here. In the past eight years the Lions never won more than seven games in one season and only twice won more than five.
