The Biggest Weakness for Every NFL Team Heading into the 2012 Season

The NFL is the best professional sports league in America because of the parity that exists.  

No matter how good a team is, there's always a hole they're looking to fill.  

Some teams will chose to address their holes in free agency while some teams will just use the draft.

Here's a look at the biggest hole each team has heading into the 2012 season.

Arizona Cardinals: Offensive Line

The Arizona Cardinals invested a lot in Kevin Kolb before the 2011 season.  Now, they need to invest in some guys to protect him.

Arizona has a lot of talent at the skill positions on offense.  They could be a juggernaut in 2012 if they can add some protection up front.

Atlanta Falcons: Cornerback

The Falcons are loaded on the offensive side of the ball.  They have their franchise quarterback, an outstanding running back and two Pro Bowl caliber receivers.

They're also very good against the run on defense.  They were sixth in the league this year against the run.  Their biggest weakness is against the pass.  They were 20th in the league in that category.

They need to add a shutdown cornerback to their defense.  That's not something they're going to be able to do through the draft without a first-round pick. 

Their best bet would be to find that guy in free agency.

Baltimore Ravens: Quarterback

Joe Flacco is a serviceable NFL quarterback. He's the type of quarterback who could win a Super Bowl with an outstanding defense and running game. 

The Ravens have the outstanding running game, but the defense is not as good as it was when they won the Super Bowl.  It probably never will be again because that was one of the best defenses in the history of the league.

Baltimore will not move on from Flacco this offseason, but they should.

Buffalo Bills: Defensive Line

The Bills' season went south in a hurry. 

They lost seven straight games in the middle of the season.  They have to be concerned about Ryan Fitzpatrick, but there's reason to believe that he can turn it around.

Buffalo needs help on the defensive line. Marcell Dareus was very good this season, but he cannot do it alone.  They will have the opportunity to get a very good defensive lineman with their first pick in the draft. 

They might even be able to add another former Alabama player in Courtney Upshaw to help Dareus.

Carolina Panthers: Defense

The Panthers got more than even they expected out of Cam Newton this season. 

He solidified that position, and they look like they will have a really good offense for the immediate future.

Carolina needs a lot of help on defense.  They ranked 28th in total defense in 2011.  While they probably need another receiver to complement Steve Smith, they should spend most of their draft picks on guys who can step in immediately and make their defense better.

Chicago Bears: Offensive Line

Jay Cutler has gotten punished in his time with the Bears. 

Part of that is because Mike Martz loves seven-step drops and part of that is because the offensive line there is not very good.

Martz is gone, so that problem is solved.  That should not deter the Bears from investing in their offensive line.  They saw how bad it gets this season when Cutler goes down. 

While making the offensive line better does not guarantee that will not happen again, it sure would help him get hit less.

Cincinnati Bengals: Offensive Weapons

A.J. Green has all the tools to develop into one of the best receivers in the game over the next couple of years, but the Bengals do not have a lot of other playmakers on the offensive side of the ball. 

That's why they were 18th in the league in points scored and 20th in yards per game.

There are going to be a lot of good receivers available in free agency, and the Bengals have the extra first-round pick from the Carson Palmer trade to help address the need.

Cleveland Browns: Offensive Weapons

The Browns need a couple of guys who can stretch the field. 

This is an offensive league, and right now, the Browns do not have anyone on the offensive side of the ball that's a difference maker.

Peyton Hillis was a great story in 2010, but he disappeared in 2011, and even at his best, he was a grind-it-out guy. 

They need to find a running back and a wide receiver capable of taking the top off the defense.

Dallas Cowboys: Secondary

You do not need to look any further than the last game of the season to know that the Cowboys need help in the secondary. 

Eli Manning torched them in that game and will continue to do so until they get some better players back there.

Jerry Jones said after the season that the talent on his team just was not good enough. 

Cornerback and safety are both good positions to start the overhaul.

Denver Broncos: Quarterback

The Broncos have already said that they are going forward with Tim Tebow as their quarterback. 

That's a mistake because he's not an NFL quarterback.

Since they are committed to Tebow, they should make sure their defense is one of the best in the league next year because that's what it's going to take for them to win football games.

Detroit Lions: Cornerback

The Lions have an offense that's set up to be dominant for years to come. 

They have some young guys on the defensive line who have the ability to become dominant pass-rushers.  Now, they just need to add a corner or two to the mix.

Detroit was 22nd against the pass last year.  Most people thought they would go corner with the first pick last year, but Nick Fairley was just too good to leave on the board. 

They will have to address the position this season.

Green Bay Packers: Pass-Rusher

Everyone already knows how good the Packers' offense is, but they have some holes on the defensive side of the football.  

Their pass defense ranked 32nd in the league in 2011.  Part of that is because their secondary is aging, but the real problem is the pass rush.

Green Bay should focus on adding a pass-rusher in the offseason.  It's going to be tough for them to find that guy at the end of the draft, but they do have one of the best scouting units in all of football.

 If anyone could find him there, it would be the Packers.

Houston Texans: Wide Receiver

The Texans look like they're set up to be really good for a few years.  

The one thing they need is a receiver to complement Andre Johnson or even be able to step up when Johnson is injured.  Right now, the Texans do not have a receiver who is even a good No. 2.

The good news for Houston is that there's a plethora of really good receivers who are going to be free agents.  They should invest in one of those guys.  

If they do, they will be one of the favorites in the AFC in 2012.

Indianapolis Colts: Quarterback

There's no way the Colts can count on Peyton Manning being healthy in 2012.  

It's a good thing they were so bad in 2011 that they got the No. 1 overall pick.  That means they will be able to draft the guy that most people consider the best prospect since Manning.

It's a shame for the Colts that Manning will not be able to come back next season because they could sure use the extra picks they could get in a trade for the No. 1 pick.

Jacksonville Jaguars: Wide Receiver

There's no guarantee that Blaine Gabbert has what it takes to be a franchise quarterback, but the Jaguars are committed to finding out if the does.  

That means they're going to have to get him some receivers to throw the ball too.  Right now, they do not have a receiver who would be a No. 2 on most teams.

Jacksonville will have the opportunity to add a dynamic receiver in the first round of the draft. Odds are Justin Blackmon will be off the board, but they will have their pick of Alshon Jeffrey or Michael Floyd.

Kansas City Chiefs: Offensive Line

The Chiefs need some protection up front.  

They have the pieces in place to have a good offense if Matt Cassel and Jamaal Charles comes back healthy, and they re-sign Dwayne Bowe.

That means they need to add an offensive lineman in the draft.  Linemen, especially tackles, are usually the safest pick in any draft.  

You can draft a guy to be a left tackle, and if he does not pan out, you can always move him to right tackle or guard.

Miami Dolphins: Quarterback

Matt Moore played pretty well down the stretch, but the Dolphins are not going to win a Super Bowl with Moore calling the signals.

They're not in a spot in the draft where they'll be able to get Andrew Luck or Robert Griffin III.

Their best bet would be to add a guy like Matt Flynn or Kyle Orton (who they tried to acquire before 2011) in free agency.

Minnesota Vikings: Wide Receiver

The Vikings need to add a threat on the outside.  Percy Harvin is a good player, but he needs some help in Minnesota.

They need to give Christian Ponder some more weapons if he's going to be a success in the league.  

He's not going to have a fully healthy Adrian Peterson until the second half of the 2012 season, and teams are not going to be stacking the box to stop Toby Gerhart.

New England Patriots: Secondary

The Patriots desperately need help with the back end of their defense.  

They did get a little better as the season went along, but they still ranked 31st against the pass.

New England seems to always have something in their back pocket on draft day.  Do not be surprised to see them package some picks to move up and get a guy that they really like.

New Orleans Saints: Secondary

The Saints are another team who has a high-powered offense but holes on defense.  They were 30th in the league against the pass in 2011.

New Orleans gave up their first-round pick in the 2012 draft last year to get Mark Ingram last year.

They will need to identify a steal in the later rounds who can help them next year.

New York Giants: Linebacker

The Giants were 27th in the league in total defense in 2011.  

That was due in large part to the fact that they did not have a playmaker at linebacker.  That needs to be their No. 1 priority heading into the offseason.

Linebacker can be a tricky position to evaluate in the draft.  Finding a guy who can play for them right away will be key.

New York Jets: Quarterback

Mark Sanchez got exposed this year.  

He's good enough to manage a team that has a really good rushing attack and defense.  He's not good enough to win games on his own.

The Jets are not going to move on from Sanchez this season, but they should.  

At the least, they should bring in a guy like Kyle Orton or Chad Henne to compete with Sanchez in camp.

Oakland Raiders: Cornerback

The Raiders were left with a huge hole when Nnamdi Asomugha walked away in free agency. Oakland ranked 27th in the league last season against the pass.

Of course, the problem for the Raiders is that they do not have many picks over the next couple of years because they keep trading them away.  

It's hard to build a team without draft picks.

Philadelphia Eagles: Linebacker

What a disaster the 2011 Eagles season was.

They were supposed to be the favorites in the NFC. Instead, it took a strong finish to go 8-8.

They need to upgrade their linebacker corps in this offseason.  They were weak against the run in 2011, and it was mainly because their linebackers were not very good.  

If they can find a guy who can be a difference maker, they will have a good chance to challenge the Packers, Saints and 49ers in the NFC.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Offensive Line

It seems like the Steelers are weak on the offensive line every year.  

This year was no exception.  That will need to be the first thing they address in the draft.

This draft looks to be deep at tackle.  That's good news for Pittsburgh because they will be picking at the end of the first round.

San Diego Chargers: Head Coach

The Chargers announced that they are bringing back Norv Turner next season.  That's a terrible decision.  

Turner is a really good offensive coordinator, but he has proved time and time again that he does not have what it takes to be a good head coach in this league.  

His teams are always going to be pretty good, but they are never going to win a Super Bowl.

San Francisco 49ers: Quarterback

Jim Harbaugh has worked a miracle with Alex Smith this season, but he's still not good enough to quarterback a Super Bowl team.  

There's a chance they can get there on the back of their defense and running game, but they are in big trouble if they fall behind against an explosive offense.

Odds are Smith will be their quarterback again in 2012, but 49ers fans have to be anxious to see what Colin Kaepernick can do.

Seattle Seahawks: Quarterback

Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer for the Seahawks at quarterback.

They overachieved this season for the talent they had on their team, but they're never going to be much better than a .500 team as long as Jackson is calling the shots.

They're another team that should try to get in on the Matt Flynn sweepstakes. 

St. Louis Rams: Defense

The Rams defense was nothing short of a disaster in 2011.  That's why they're trying to bring in Jeff Fisher as their head coach.  

He's a guy who has a proven track record of turning defenses around.

St. Louis will look to add a playmaker on offense with the No. 2 pick in the draft, but they should pick a defensive player with every pick after that.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Pass-Rusher

The Buccaneers have a lot of holes to fill in 2012.  

They're hoping guys like Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount and Mike Williams can get it turned around.  If they do, the offense will be just fine.

On defense, they desperately need someone who can get after the passer.  They gave up a lot of yards through the air and on the ground this season.  

A pass-rusher would be a really good place for them to start.

Tennessee Titans: Offensive Line

Chris Johnson did not pass the 1,000-yard mark until the 16th game of the season.  There has to be a problem with the offensive line if it takes a back as good as CJ 16 games to get there.

Mike Munchak was the Titans' offensive line coach for a long time before becoming the head coach.  

It sure would seem like if he had the talent on the team to turn out a good offensive line, he would be able to make it happen.

Washington Redskins: Quarterback

Rex Grossman is not the answer.  

Mike Shanahan should have known that before the 2011 season.  You better believe he will do his best to get a competent starter in there before the 2012 season.

The guy he would really love to have is Robert Griffin III.  

Shanahan is a great quarterback coach, and the sky is the limit for that kid.