After every season since free agency began, the NFL teams shuffle the deck
in an effort to get ready for the next season. This year is no
different.
By Bill Smith
This week, we look at the status and 2008
prospects of former Buckeyes for the upcoming season in the AFC East. Over
the next few weeks, we will look at those in the other divisions of the NFL.
Buffalo
Fox, Dustin S 3y
Whitner, Donte SS 3y
Youboty, Ashton CB 3y
After the 2005 season, the Bills stocked
up on ex-Buckeye defensive backs. Whitner was a surprise 1st
round choice and Youboty was drafted as well. Whitner has established
himself as a hitter and will continue to start at SS. Fox was resigned as
a restricted free agent and should make the team as a reserve.
However, this year the pressure on all
holdover DB's will is heavy. The Bills, not known as big spenders of the
NFL, signed 2 UFA
DB's (CB Jason Webster NE, and CB Will James: UFA Eagles) The team has told
Youbody this is THE critical year for his future with the Bills. Then the Bills
drafted 3 more CB, Leodis McKelvin in the first round, Reggie Corner and
Kennard Cox on Sunday. Youboty will have to show a lot to make the team as
a backup.
Youboty started a couple of games last
year due to injury but then fell victim to an injury himself. That allowed
Jabari Greer to start and he never gave up the spot. In his two years with
the team, Youboty has had several injury problems. He has the skill set to
be a starting CB in the league but has never produced the big plays he made for
the Buckeyes.
Miami
Ginn, Ted WR/KR 2y Ted in under
some pressure as well. The surprise announcement of Ginn as the first
round pick in the 07 draft was met with boos from the Dolphin faithful who
wanted QB Quinn. Before the 07 season, the Dolphins traded Wes Welker to
the Pats and during the season they traded Chris Chambers to the
Chargers. Ginn was pressed into starting before he was really
ready. He had missed a lot of the preseason work because of the injury
sustained in the Championship game.
Starting 9 games, he preformed fairly
well on a really bad team catching 34 passes for 2 TDs. He also averaged 22.7
yards per kick return and 9.6 yards on punts. The coach and GM were fired
after the 1-15 season. Now Ginn faces a new administration that has no
emotional attachment to the former 9th overall pick. The
Dolphons have signed two veteran WR—Former starter Ernest Wilford, a UFA
Jaguars to a $13M/4 year deal and Tab Perry an untenderd RFA from the Bengals.
Ginn is now health and with a full
preseason under his belt, he should begin to produce the results that his
athletic ability indicates he is capable of.
New England
Vrabel, Mike LB/DE 12y
Vrabel is the most versatile player on
any defense in the NFL. Vrabel has been all-pro at the flex position
standing up as a OLB and getting down into a 3 point stance as a DE. Last
year he forced 5 fumbles and totaled 77 tackles and 12.5 sacks. During his
career, he has also caught 8 passes for the Pats all of which were TDs.
Help is on the way for vet. The
Pats drafted 2 outside linebackers Jerod Mayo out of Tennessee
with the first pick (10) and Shawn Crable from Michigan
and inside candidate Bo Ruud from Nebraska. Vrabel
will need help because the one younger starter LB Rosevelt Colvin was released
because he failed the team physical. In addition, Vrabel's surviving
running mates are all as old as he is. He will start this year but get a
chance to rotate with the younger players. He has also proven himself to
be a great mentor to younger players and will help them develop.
New York
Jets
Mangold, Nick C 3y
Nugent, Mike K 4y
Vernon
Gholston OB R
Mangold, the second round pick of the
Jets in 06, immediately took control of the center position and has become a
probowl level player. He has helped stabilize what had been a very shaky
line.
Nugent has been consistent and has shown
a bigger leg than scouts gave him credit for prior to the 05 draft. In 3
years he has hit more than 82% of his attempts.
The Jets were holding their breaths
hoping that Gholston would fall to the 6th choice. He is being
counted on to improve a pass rush that produced only 29 sacks in 07 and couldn't
get away from a lamp post. Gholston had 14 sacks in fewer games last
year. He had a very good first rookie camp. He was assigned #56 which
carries negative connotations from the past players that wore it including
former Buck Anthony Schlegel, a third round pick that was cut after his
rookie year. Gholston, who has said he is not superstitious, looks forward
to changing the reputation of 56.
He should beat out Bryan Thomas, the
2002 first round pick that has never performed to justify that pick. Thomas
started 14 games last year and had 2.5 sacks. The only question is how
soon the change will happen. If Gholston signs early, he will be the
starter on opening day.
Bill Smith is a former coach of several semi-pro teams and has scouted
talent. He is a senior writer for http://BrutusReport.com. He has
also published several novels on http://ebooks-library.com/index.cfm
and edits http://fryingpanpolitics.blog.com