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OFFENSE
Quarterbacks
Matt Cassel, New England Patriots Expect team to use franchise tag and then trade him
Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans Talks with Titans off to a slow start
Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Bucs Only real fits for Garcia are Tampa and Philadelphia
Byron Leftwich, Pittsburgh Steelers Bears have champions’ backup on their short list
Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals Expected to return with two-year deal
Running backs
Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants Giants will do their best to keep their backfield hammer
Kevin Jones, Chicago Bears If healthy, former first-rounder is worth a flyer
Maurice Morris, Seattle Seahawks Probably would work best in committee situation
Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers Might stay put in 20-touch role if L.T. is phased out
Derrick Ward, New York Giants Might look for feature role elsewhere
Fullbacks
Tony Richardson, New York Jets Jets must keep this key to Thomas Jones’ big season
Terrelle Smith, Arizona Cardinals Might want to go to a team that uses a fullback more often
Leonard Weaver, Seattle Seahawks Is a valuable runner, receiver and blocker
Wide receivers
Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Bucs With Joey Galloway unlikely to return, Bucs need him
Jabar Gaffney, New England Patriots Can contribute as a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver
Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints Big-play receiver works best as No. 3 from the slot
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati Bengals Surehanded, savvy route-runner is the ideal No. 2 receiver
Bryant Johnson, San Francisco 49ers Was a disappointing free-agent bust last offseason
Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints Team won’t let speedy restricted free agent get away
Amani Toomer, New York Giants Doesn’t want to return to New York; would fit with Titans
Nate Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers Likely will be cheap enough to retain as a No. 3
Reggie Williams, Jacksonville Jaguars Some team will go after big red-zone target
Tight ends
Owen Daniels, Houston Texans Skilled receiver is coming off Pro Bowl breakout
Bo Scaife, Tennessee Titans Titans’ offense is probably perfect for him
L.J. Smith, Philadelphia Eagles Injury-prone receiver likely won’t be re-signed
Offensive tackles
Stacy Andrews, Cincinnati Bengals Big right tackle is coming off knee surgery
Vernon Carey, Miami Dolphins Dolphins want to bring back right tackle
Jordan Gross, Carolina Panthers Carolina needs to keep its Pro Bowl anchor
Jon Runyan, Philadelphia Eagles Aging star probably won’t draw much interest elsewhere
Max Starks, Pittsburgh Steelers Coming off a disappointing, injury-riddled season
Jon Stinchcomb, New Orleans Saints The Saints must keep Drew Brees’ right-side protection
Mark Tauscher, Green Bay Packers Is one of the league’s better right tackles at 30
Guards
Harvey Dahl, Atlanta Falcons Good young lineman isn’t going anywhere
Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints Look for Saints to keep underrated interior lineman
Mike Goff, San Diego Chargers Remains a steady starter
Chris Kemoeatu, Pittsburgh Steelers Likely won’t be re-signed
Centers
Matt Birk, Minnesota Vikings Cerebral blocker isn’t going anywhere
Jake Grove, Oakland Raiders Likes playing for new coach Tom Cable
Jeremy Newberry, San Diego Chargers Aging lineman will be looked at as backup
Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis Colts Colts will make re-signing him a priority
DEFENSE
Defensive ends
Bertrand Berry, Arizona Cardinals Remains a fine situational pass-rusher
Chris Canty, Dallas Cowboys Is the ideal end for 3-4 scheme
Kevin Carter, Tampa Bay Bucs Can provide experienced depth at end and tackle
Chauncey Davis, Atlanta Falcons Must continue to develop as a pass rusher
Igor Olshansky, San Diego Chargers Is another sound end for a 3-4
Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers Done in Carolina; based on inconsistent effort
Antonio Smith, Arizona Cardinals Stood out among Cards’ linemen during Super Bowl run
Defensive tackles
Rocky Bernard, Seattle Seahawks Play has dropped off the past two seasons
La’Roi Glover, St. Louis Rams Might not fit in Jim Haslett-less Rams defense
Kedric Golston, Washington Redskins Might turn out to be the best value at the position
Jovan Haye, Tampa Bay Bucs Would be a good fit for Indianapolis
Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans Team has made official offer to keep him
Tank Johnson, Dallas Cowboys Will be looked at as a 3-4 nose tackle
John Thornton, Cincinnati Bengals Aging; is more of a rotation player now
Darwin Walker, Carolina Panthers At this point is only a backup
Outside linebackers
Eric Barton, New York Jets Still can been a serviceable, hard-working starter
Michael Boley, Atlanta Falcons Went from playmaker to one-dimensional cover linebacker
Channing Crowder, Miami Dolphins Dolphins likely won’t be able to keep him
Angelo Crowell, Buffalo Bills Probably will be let go for younger replacement
Karlos Dansby, Arizona Cardinals Stock shot way up during Cardinals’ Super Bowl run
Clark Haggans, Arizona Cardinals Is in that 3-4 edge rusher mold
Leroy Hill, Seattle Seahawks One of the NFC’s better weakside starters
Rashad Jeanty, Cincinnati Bengals Most teams will see him as backup/special teamer
Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens Disruptive edge rusher will look for another home in 3-4
Inside linebackers
Keith Brooking, Atlanta Falcons Has lost range for middle; better off outside
Andra Davis, Cleveland Browns Fits well in 3-4 for Eric Mangini era
Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens Cowboys already have shown a lot of interest
Mike Peterson, Jacksonville Jaguars Has fallen out of favor with coaching staff
Bart Scott, Baltimore Ravens Solid starter but is helped by top linebacker corps
Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans Saints After rebound, team needs him in Gregg Williams’ scheme
Cornerbacks
Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders Raiders can’t shell out enough to keep elite corner
Fakhir Brown, St. Louis Rams Another player hurt by Haslett’s departure
Phillip Buchanon, Tampa Bay Bucs Can be decent starter but safer as nickel back
Domonique Foxworth, Atlanta Falcons Got comfortable as starter under Mike Smith
Andre’ Goodman, Miami Dolphins Probably won’t be re-signed; team needs upgrade
Jabari Greer, Buffalo Bills Solid starter will draw plenty of interest
DeAngelo Hall, Washington Redskins Physical talent is there, but state of mind a concern
Kelvin Hayden, Indianapolis Colts Must stay in a cover-2 scheme to be effective
Bryant McFadden, Pittsburgh Steelers Stock helped by playing on top defense
Dunta Robinson, Houston Texans Team wants to re-sign him; will be tough
Safeties
O.J. Atogwe, St. Louis Rams Rams need to keep one of few defensive playmakers
Yeremiah Bell, Miami Dolphins Dolphins should consider keeping starter at strong safety.
NFL free-agent watch RealScouts, Sporting News Today’s team of former NFL scouts, rated the top free agents on
the market and staff writer Vinnie Iyer will track their movement. The free-agent period opens
Feb. 27, a week after the deadline to designate “franchise” and “transition” players.
Atari Bigby, Green Bay Packers He lights up ballcarriers but needs to be more consistent
Mike Brown, Chicago Bears A medical concern who never seems to stay healthy
James Butler, New York Giants Would be a good value as a starting free safety
Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles Team will look to keep duo of Dawkins, Quintin Mikell intact
Sean Jones, Cleveland Browns Browns likely will keep underrated playmaker
Dawan Landry, Baltimore Ravens Ravens have tough decision with play of Jim Leonhard
Lawyer Milloy, Atlanta Falcons Can’t do much more than support the run late in career
Jermaine Phillips, Tampa Bay Bucs Hard hitter is solid all-around player
James Sanders, New England Patriots Is above average at free safety
Darren Sharper, Minnesota Vikings New Orleans is a possible destination
Anthony Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers Would need to find home in nickel or dime
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kickers
Rob Bironas, Tennessee Titans Titans considering using franchise tag on him
Matt Stover, Baltimore Ravens Original Raven likely will be back
Shaun Suisham, Washington Redskins Although not a boomer, has a steady leg
Punters
Sam Koch, Baltimore Ravens Baltimore has found a punter to keep
Shane Lechler, Oakland Raiders Can’t beat the money he’s likely to get with Raiders
Hunter Smith, Indianapolis Colts At this point, is just about average
ROSS D. FRANKLIN
Coming off a Super Bowl run, Cardinals DE Bertrand Berry could be a coveted pass-rusher.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY [url="http://www.sportingnews.com"]http://www.sportingnews.com[/url] NFL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 05, 2009 29
Quarterbacks
Matt Cassel, New England Patriots Expect team to use franchise tag and then trade him
Kerry Collins, Tennessee Titans Talks with Titans off to a slow start
Jeff Garcia, Tampa Bay Bucs Only real fits for Garcia are Tampa and Philadelphia
Byron Leftwich, Pittsburgh Steelers Bears have champions’ backup on their short list
Kurt Warner, Arizona Cardinals Expected to return with two-year deal
Running backs
Brandon Jacobs, New York Giants Giants will do their best to keep their backfield hammer
Kevin Jones, Chicago Bears If healthy, former first-rounder is worth a flyer
Maurice Morris, Seattle Seahawks Probably would work best in committee situation
Darren Sproles, San Diego Chargers Might stay put in 20-touch role if L.T. is phased out
Derrick Ward, New York Giants Might look for feature role elsewhere
Fullbacks
Tony Richardson, New York Jets Jets must keep this key to Thomas Jones’ big season
Terrelle Smith, Arizona Cardinals Might want to go to a team that uses a fullback more often
Leonard Weaver, Seattle Seahawks Is a valuable runner, receiver and blocker
Wide receivers
Antonio Bryant, Tampa Bay Bucs With Joey Galloway unlikely to return, Bucs need him
Jabar Gaffney, New England Patriots Can contribute as a No. 3 or No. 4 receiver
Devery Henderson, New Orleans Saints Big-play receiver works best as No. 3 from the slot
T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Cincinnati Bengals Surehanded, savvy route-runner is the ideal No. 2 receiver
Bryant Johnson, San Francisco 49ers Was a disappointing free-agent bust last offseason
Lance Moore, New Orleans Saints Team won’t let speedy restricted free agent get away
Amani Toomer, New York Giants Doesn’t want to return to New York; would fit with Titans
Nate Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers Likely will be cheap enough to retain as a No. 3
Reggie Williams, Jacksonville Jaguars Some team will go after big red-zone target
Tight ends
Owen Daniels, Houston Texans Skilled receiver is coming off Pro Bowl breakout
Bo Scaife, Tennessee Titans Titans’ offense is probably perfect for him
L.J. Smith, Philadelphia Eagles Injury-prone receiver likely won’t be re-signed
Offensive tackles
Stacy Andrews, Cincinnati Bengals Big right tackle is coming off knee surgery
Vernon Carey, Miami Dolphins Dolphins want to bring back right tackle
Jordan Gross, Carolina Panthers Carolina needs to keep its Pro Bowl anchor
Jon Runyan, Philadelphia Eagles Aging star probably won’t draw much interest elsewhere
Max Starks, Pittsburgh Steelers Coming off a disappointing, injury-riddled season
Jon Stinchcomb, New Orleans Saints The Saints must keep Drew Brees’ right-side protection
Mark Tauscher, Green Bay Packers Is one of the league’s better right tackles at 30
Guards
Harvey Dahl, Atlanta Falcons Good young lineman isn’t going anywhere
Jahri Evans, New Orleans Saints Look for Saints to keep underrated interior lineman
Mike Goff, San Diego Chargers Remains a steady starter
Chris Kemoeatu, Pittsburgh Steelers Likely won’t be re-signed
Centers
Matt Birk, Minnesota Vikings Cerebral blocker isn’t going anywhere
Jake Grove, Oakland Raiders Likes playing for new coach Tom Cable
Jeremy Newberry, San Diego Chargers Aging lineman will be looked at as backup
Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis Colts Colts will make re-signing him a priority
DEFENSE
Defensive ends
Bertrand Berry, Arizona Cardinals Remains a fine situational pass-rusher
Chris Canty, Dallas Cowboys Is the ideal end for 3-4 scheme
Kevin Carter, Tampa Bay Bucs Can provide experienced depth at end and tackle
Chauncey Davis, Atlanta Falcons Must continue to develop as a pass rusher
Igor Olshansky, San Diego Chargers Is another sound end for a 3-4
Julius Peppers, Carolina Panthers Done in Carolina; based on inconsistent effort
Antonio Smith, Arizona Cardinals Stood out among Cards’ linemen during Super Bowl run
Defensive tackles
Rocky Bernard, Seattle Seahawks Play has dropped off the past two seasons
La’Roi Glover, St. Louis Rams Might not fit in Jim Haslett-less Rams defense
Kedric Golston, Washington Redskins Might turn out to be the best value at the position
Jovan Haye, Tampa Bay Bucs Would be a good fit for Indianapolis
Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee Titans Team has made official offer to keep him
Tank Johnson, Dallas Cowboys Will be looked at as a 3-4 nose tackle
John Thornton, Cincinnati Bengals Aging; is more of a rotation player now
Darwin Walker, Carolina Panthers At this point is only a backup
Outside linebackers
Eric Barton, New York Jets Still can been a serviceable, hard-working starter
Michael Boley, Atlanta Falcons Went from playmaker to one-dimensional cover linebacker
Channing Crowder, Miami Dolphins Dolphins likely won’t be able to keep him
Angelo Crowell, Buffalo Bills Probably will be let go for younger replacement
Karlos Dansby, Arizona Cardinals Stock shot way up during Cardinals’ Super Bowl run
Clark Haggans, Arizona Cardinals Is in that 3-4 edge rusher mold
Leroy Hill, Seattle Seahawks One of the NFC’s better weakside starters
Rashad Jeanty, Cincinnati Bengals Most teams will see him as backup/special teamer
Terrell Suggs, Baltimore Ravens Disruptive edge rusher will look for another home in 3-4
Inside linebackers
Keith Brooking, Atlanta Falcons Has lost range for middle; better off outside
Andra Davis, Cleveland Browns Fits well in 3-4 for Eric Mangini era
Ray Lewis, Baltimore Ravens Cowboys already have shown a lot of interest
Mike Peterson, Jacksonville Jaguars Has fallen out of favor with coaching staff
Bart Scott, Baltimore Ravens Solid starter but is helped by top linebacker corps
Jonathan Vilma, New Orleans Saints After rebound, team needs him in Gregg Williams’ scheme
Cornerbacks
Nnamdi Asomugha, Oakland Raiders Raiders can’t shell out enough to keep elite corner
Fakhir Brown, St. Louis Rams Another player hurt by Haslett’s departure
Phillip Buchanon, Tampa Bay Bucs Can be decent starter but safer as nickel back
Domonique Foxworth, Atlanta Falcons Got comfortable as starter under Mike Smith
Andre’ Goodman, Miami Dolphins Probably won’t be re-signed; team needs upgrade
Jabari Greer, Buffalo Bills Solid starter will draw plenty of interest
DeAngelo Hall, Washington Redskins Physical talent is there, but state of mind a concern
Kelvin Hayden, Indianapolis Colts Must stay in a cover-2 scheme to be effective
Bryant McFadden, Pittsburgh Steelers Stock helped by playing on top defense
Dunta Robinson, Houston Texans Team wants to re-sign him; will be tough
Safeties
O.J. Atogwe, St. Louis Rams Rams need to keep one of few defensive playmakers
Yeremiah Bell, Miami Dolphins Dolphins should consider keeping starter at strong safety.
NFL free-agent watch RealScouts, Sporting News Today’s team of former NFL scouts, rated the top free agents on
the market and staff writer Vinnie Iyer will track their movement. The free-agent period opens
Feb. 27, a week after the deadline to designate “franchise” and “transition” players.
Atari Bigby, Green Bay Packers He lights up ballcarriers but needs to be more consistent
Mike Brown, Chicago Bears A medical concern who never seems to stay healthy
James Butler, New York Giants Would be a good value as a starting free safety
Brian Dawkins, Philadelphia Eagles Team will look to keep duo of Dawkins, Quintin Mikell intact
Sean Jones, Cleveland Browns Browns likely will keep underrated playmaker
Dawan Landry, Baltimore Ravens Ravens have tough decision with play of Jim Leonhard
Lawyer Milloy, Atlanta Falcons Can’t do much more than support the run late in career
Jermaine Phillips, Tampa Bay Bucs Hard hitter is solid all-around player
James Sanders, New England Patriots Is above average at free safety
Darren Sharper, Minnesota Vikings New Orleans is a possible destination
Anthony Smith, Pittsburgh Steelers Would need to find home in nickel or dime
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kickers
Rob Bironas, Tennessee Titans Titans considering using franchise tag on him
Matt Stover, Baltimore Ravens Original Raven likely will be back
Shaun Suisham, Washington Redskins Although not a boomer, has a steady leg
Punters
Sam Koch, Baltimore Ravens Baltimore has found a punter to keep
Shane Lechler, Oakland Raiders Can’t beat the money he’s likely to get with Raiders
Hunter Smith, Indianapolis Colts At this point, is just about average
ROSS D. FRANKLIN
Coming off a Super Bowl run, Cardinals DE Bertrand Berry could be a coveted pass-rusher.
SPORTING NEWS TODAY [url="http://www.sportingnews.com"]http://www.sportingnews.com[/url] NFL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 05, 2009 29
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