NFL Teams with the Biggest Gaps to Fill in 2013

From season to season, rosters never remain the same in the NFL.

And 2013 will be no different.

But what teams lost the most at any certain position? And what have they done and/or what are they doing to rectify the situation?

Here are just a handful of clubs with some very obvious holes due to free agency, trade or a team opting to head in a different direction. Have each done enough this offseason to remedy things? Or will these areas for a season-long issue for these squads?

Only time will tell. And with training camp just around the corner, there’s not much time remaining at that.

Atlanta Falcons: Pass Rush

It’s been the topic of the offseason for the Atlanta Falcons.

Where will the pass rush come from in 2013?

The team parted ways with defensive end John Abraham (10.0 sacks) during the offseason. Defensive tackle Vance Walker (3.0 sacks) signed with the Oakland Raiders and cornerback Dunta Robinson (1.5 sacks) was also released and eventually signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.

That means exactly half (14.5) of the team’s 29 sacks in 2012 are elsewhere at the moment.

Atlanta did add defensive end Osi Umenyiora (New York Giants) via free agency. And in May, the team reportedly tried to get Abraham to return to the team.

The bottom line is that barring a trade, defensive end Kroy Biermann is just one of numerous players that must step up when it comes to getting to the opposing quarterback.

Baltimore Ravens: Wide Receiver

The Baltimore Ravens are defending Super Bowl champions and intend on holding onto that title in 2013.

But can they and quarterback Joe Flacco get the job done without a pivotal piece of their title team?

That would be wide receiver Anquan Boldin, who was the team’s leading pass catcher last season during both the regular season and the postseason.

However, Boldin is now a member of the San Francisco 49ers, dealt to the team in the offseason when it appeared he wouldn’t be back in Baltimore regardless.

Two pivotal receivers are returning in speedster Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, both who made their presences felt during the Ravens’ championship run,

But how effective will Jones be as a starting wideout? And will his pass-catching duties affect his ability to change a game via punt and kickoff returns?

Stay tuned.

Buffalo Bills: Linebackers

It’s been quite a while since the Buffalo Bills defense has made an impression on the field.

The team has struggled to stop opponents, especially on the ground. Last season, only the New Orleans Saints gave up more rushing yards per game.

Prior to 2012, the team bolstered its pass rush and front four with the signings of defensive end Mario Williams and Mark Anderson.

Now the front four is a front three as new defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, late of the New York Jets, brings the 3-4 to Orchard Park. Mario Williams and Kyle Williams will man the ends, Marcell Dareus lines up at nose tackle and Anderson now shifts to outside linebacker.

What about the rest of this linebacking corps? Kelvin Sheppard was dealt to the Indianapolis Colts for Jerry Hughes and veteran Nick Barnett was let go by the club. The team did add Manny Lawson via free agency at the other outside spot. Inside, there is second-year performer Nigel Bradham and rookie Kiko Alonso, a second-round pick in April.

That’s a lot of changes for a team that hasn’t found itself in quite a long time.

Detroit Lions: Offensive Line

The Detroit Lions have enjoyed just one winning season since 2001 and made only one playoff appearance since 2000.

The last thing that Jim Schwartz’s team needs is more question marks, especially when it comes to the most vital area of the offense.

Yes, the Lions are secure at quarterback with Matthew Stafford. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is arguably the best player at his position in the league and the addition of free-agent running back Reggie Bush should help the ground attack.

But who’s blocking for them this season?

Veteran left tackle Jeff Backus retired after 12 seasons. Right tackle Gosder Cherilus is now with the Indianapolis Colts. Right guard Stephen Peterman was released by the team and signed with the New York Jets.

The replacements are 2012 first-round pick Riley Reiff at left tackle and Corey Hilliard at right tackle, while rookie Larry Warford takes over for Peterman.

Can this group come together and get the job done? In a division which features defensive ends Julius Peppers (Chicago Bears), Jared Allen (Minnesota Vikings) and outside linebacker Clay Matthews (Green Bay Packers), the answer needs to be a resounding yes.

Miami Dolphins: Tackles

There’s the matter of investing in your future and the matter of protecting that investment.

In the case of Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill, he is part of the team’s immediate future.

But can the team keep the second-year signal-caller out of harm’s way in 2013?

General manager Jeff Ireland and head coach Joe Philbin once had four-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jake Long at their disposal. And the club would add right tackle Jonathan Martin in the 2012 draft.

But Long wasn’t long for Miami. His final two seasons with the club were interrupted by injuries and this offseason, he signed with the St. Louis Rams. His spot has now been filled by Martin.

As for right tackle, the Dolphins finally settled on former Atlanta Falcons starter Tyson Clabo. He figures to be a solid addition to the line.

Then again, if Martin and Clabo don’t come through in 2013, the signings of wide receiver Mike Wallace and tight end Dustin Keller, among others, will be a moot point.

Minnesota Vikings: Wide Receiver/Kick Returner

Percy Harvin is one of the league’s top return artists. And somewhat ironically, he won’t be returning this season to the Minnesota Vikings.

As we all know, courtesy of a trade in March, Harvin is now a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Just look at Harvin’s career numbers with the Vikings. In four seasons in the Twin Cities, the former first-round pick totaled 280 receptions for 3,302 yards and 20 scores and ran 107 times for 683 yards and four touchdowns.

Harvin also averaged a blistering 27.9 yards on 114 kickoff returns and took five of those back for touchdowns. He’s returned at least one kickoff for a score in each of his four seasons.

Replacing such a versatile talent doesn’t figure to be easy, and it won’t be.

As far those catches, former Green Bay Packers Pro Bowler Greg Jennings more than fills the bill in terms of a pure wide receiver.

The Vikings have running back Adrian Peterson, so the ground game is set (although Harvin’s occasional appearance here will be slightly missed).

As far as the return game, cornerback Marcus Sherels has some experience. But general manager Rick Spielman traded back up into the first round to get wide receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and is hoping the decision pays off immediately.

New England Patriots: Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

A long offseason continues to get longer for the New England Patriots.

Here’s a look at the team’s leading pass catchers from a year ago. It starts with wide receivers Wes Welker (118) and Brandon Lloyd (74), followed by tight ends Rob Gronkowski (55) and Aaron Hernandez (51) and running back Danny Woodhead (40).

Welker is now a member of the Denver Broncos.

Lloyd was released by the team.

Hernandez (who was recovering from offseason surgery) was also let go by the Patriots, under extremely different circumstances.

And Woodhead signed with the San Diego Chargers.

As far as the five, that leaves only Gronkowski. And he’s out indefinitely due to his numerous surgeries.

That’s 338 receptions from a year ago.

These days, the Patriots pass-catching corps has the likes of wideouts Danny Amendola, Michael Jenkins, Donald Jones and Julian Edelman. With Hernandez gone and Gronkowski healing, the tight ends are Jake Ballard, Michael Hoomanawanui and Daniel Fells, to name a few.

Since taking over as head coach in 2000, Bill Belichick has featured an assortment of different offensive looks over the years. And all have been successful in their own way.

It’s not impossible to think that a new incarnation may be on the way again.

San Diego Chargers: Outside Linebacker

There are a lot of new faces when it comes to the San Diego Chargers in 2013.

Start with the head coach in Mike McCoy, who takes over following Norv Turner’s six-year run with the organization.

Quarterback Philip Rivers will have a lot of new faces blocking for him up front. And that was to be expected given the fact that the former Pro Bowl quarterback was sacked 49 times in 2012.

What the Chargers weren’t expecting was a little problem at outside linebacker.

It was perhaps a foregone conclusion that veteran Shaun Phillips wouldn’t be back with the team. The unrestricted free agent wound up signing with the Denver Broncos. And Antwan Barnes signed with the New York Jets.

Of course, 2012 first-round pick Melvin Ingram was slated to be a starter this season, but that all changed in the middle of May, when he went down with a torn ACL.

Now the Chargers are hoping former Indianapolis Colts Pro Bowler Dwight Freeney can fill the bill. The pass-rushing standout had his issues in the team’s new 3-4 defense a year ago. But the Bolts are hoping that the one year of experience in that scheme pays off.

We will find out soon enough.

San Francisco 49ers: Wide Receiver

Led by young quarterback Colin Kaepernick, the San Francisco 49ers are coming off their first Super Bowl appearance in nearly two decades.

Of course, they would like to win it this time around. Jim Harbaugh’s club came up short in February, 34-31, in Super Bowl XLVII to the Baltimore Ravens.

That day, 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree totaled five receptions for a game-high 109 yards and a score in a losing effort. In 2012, Crabtree led the team with 85 catches during the regular season, nine for touchdowns, and added a team-high 20 receptions (three for scores) during the playoffs.

But when or will we see Crabtree in 2013?  The former first-rounder suffered a torn Achilles in May and his availability for this season is uncertain.

The cupboard is hardly bare, but there are concerns. Veteran Anquan Boldin is now part of the team he helped beat in the Super Bowl, but who will start the season opposite him? Mario Manningham is in the mix, as is second-year wideout A.J. Jenkins. And the team has toyed with tight end Vernon Davis at the position, but that still seems like a stretch.

Given the growing rapport between Crabtree and Kaepernick, the Niners might be a little stretched when it comes to replacing that chemistry.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Defensive Line

Do the math.

When two of your starters on your four-man defensive front are no longer with the team, you had better have capable replacements.

And that’s what head coach Greg Schiano and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are counting on this season.

Defensive tackle Roy Miller was a solid performer and part of the reason the team finished first in the NFL in rushing defense last season. He’s now a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Defensive end Michael Bennett came into his own last season and led the team with 9.0 sacks. He’s now a member of the Seattle Seahawks.

Then again, the Bucs are looking for more of a pass rush and have been doing so for years. Over the last five seasons, Tampa Bay defenders have totaled just 133 sacks and given up 134 touchdown passes.

That’s not the kind of balance you’re looking for.

As for Bennett, the team really needs third-year defensive end Da’Quan Bowers to stay on the field. In terms of Miller, veteran Gary Gibson is the man on the spot while free-agent pickup Derek Landri could figure there as well.

The Buccaneers gave up the most passing yards in the league last season, and the team hopes they’ve addressed that with the additions of cornerback Darrelle Revis and free safety Dashon Goldson.

But getting to the opposing quarterback and running back could be an issue if Bowers and Gibson aren’t up to the task at hand.