The draft and free agency might be over, but every NFL team still has work to do if it wants to compete for a deep playoff run. No team, nor any player currently available, is picture-perfect. The key to finding talent at this point of the offseason lies in defining the player’s role and developing his specific skills for that role — which, of course, is much easier said than done.
As I’ve mentioned in previous articles, most teams counting on their draft picks to fill their needs will be disappointed. Most rookies drafted after the third round can fill a small role during their inaugural seasons, but their real impact will come in the following years. The months of May and June are the time for player development, and a key part of that is finding an experienced player to help the team for 16 games as the young players hone their skills. Below is a list of each NFL team and the position it must address sooner rather than later.
Arizona Cardinals:…
