NFL Trade Rumors: Biggest Holes for All 32 Teams & Which Players Could Fill Them
Some teams have more holes than others, but every team, even the two in the Super Bowl, has holes it will try to fill in the offseason.
Some of the holes are filled through the draft, and some are filled through trades and free agency.
Usually, trading and free agency come before the draft, but if the powers that be can't come to a new collective bargaining agreement soon, it will be the draft first, free agency and trading later once a new deal is signed.
Let's run down the 32 NFL teams and examine what their biggest needs to be filled outside of the draft will be.
Green Bay Packers
1 of 32
The Packers will go after Nnamdi Asomugha in the offseason. Asomugha wants to go to a team like the Packers, and he upgrades their secondary from "good" to "great."
Pittsburgh Steelers
2 of 32
The Steelers offensive line, weak at the beginning of the season, lost key men early.
Next year will see the return of a healthy Maurkice Pouncey, but Max Starks and Willie Colon both had very severe injuries this year. The Steelers will do whatever they can to draft Pouncey's brother, Mike, but Logan Mankins would solidify the left side of the line.
Since Mankins appears done with New England, the Steelers would be a great fit for him.
Arizona Cardinals
3 of 32
The Cardinals need a starting quarterback, and Donovan McNabb could fit that bill. John Skelton is the future of that franchise—I'm making that bold prediction right now—but he's not ready yet. He needs more seasoning.
McNabb still has one or two serviceable years left in him, and if he falters down the stretch, the Cardinals haven't lost much.
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Washington Redskins
4 of 32
What do the Redskins get in return for McNabb?
Whatever they can get.
The Cardinals, in exchange for an aging McNabb, send them Derek Anderson, who, despite his Arm of Doom, is a very serviceable backup quarterback.
The Redskins also would get draft picks for McNabb in the deal.
However, the big signing would be Braylon Edwards.
The Redskins will need good receivers to throw to, and Edwards is just good enough to fool the league into giving him a big contract.
Plus, if Anderson has to play, he already has good chemistry with Edwards.
Carolina Panthers
5 of 32
The Panthers need to upgrade their defense, and Shaun Rogers looks like he's on his way out in Cleveland.
Rogers is likely to get moved, and Carolina would be a good trade partner because it has somebody the Browns may want.
Who could that be...?
Cleveland Browns
6 of 32
The Browns need wide receivers, and Steve Smith would represent an upgrade over anyone currently on the Browns roster.
Whatever knock you want to make against Smith, ask any Browns fan if they feel comfortable going into 2011 with Mohamed Massaquoi, Brian Robiskie and Chansi Stuckey at wide receiver.
Smith has hinted he wants out of Carolina, and new coaches mean those wishes usually are granted.
Denver Broncos
7 of 32
The Broncos are going to address their defense through the draft. They're smart enough to take care of those kinds of problems where they should, developing in-house.
But the Broncos do need help at tight end. Richard Quinn isn't the answer, and Daniel Graham is 32 years old.
Signing Marcedes Lewis makes the most sense if the Broncos are going to make any big moves in free agency.
Buffalo Bills
8 of 32
The Buffalo Bills need some offensive linemen. While Ryan Fitzpatrick most likely is the starter next season, barring a "Didn't See That One Coming" first-round draft pick of a quarterback, whoever gets the start needs protection.
Jermon Bushrod will find himself going north to help rebuild the Buffalo Bills.
Cincinnati Bengals
9 of 32
Chad Ochocinco Johnson Esquire Junior is on the outs with Marvin Lewis, so the Bengals will go after one of the Chargers' deep threats, in this case Malcom Floyd.
New England Patriots
10 of 32
Chad Indiana Jones Luigi Ochocinco Johnson the Third will go to New England in a trade.
The Patriots need a deep threat for Tom Brady, and if Bill Belichick can rehab Randy Moss for a few seasons, the Chadster will be a walk in the park.
San Francisco 49ers
11 of 32
The 49ers are going to need a new quarterback, and I think Carson Palmer is serious about wanting out of Cincinnati. Once the Bengals realize Palmer is serious, they have to trade him. You don't let this guy retire and get nothing for him, even if he isn't the quarterback he used to be before injuries.
Off to San Francisco for Palmer, and the 49ers can sit back and develop another quarterback.
Tennessee Titans
12 of 32
With Jeff Fisher out, Titans owner Bud Adams gets to keep his favorite quarterback, Vince Young, which now fills their biggest hole. Never mind that the hole still will be there since Young is an emotional wreck who cracks under pressure.
But on to other things. The Titans will sign Brodney Pool from the Jets, who just can't afford to keep everybody who is a free agent this year, to replace Chris Hope, who was terrible.
New York Jets
13 of 32
Yes, Santonio Holmes currently is a member of the Jets, but since half the team is eligible for free agency this year, re-signing Holmes qualifies as filling a hole.
Holmes has to be the Jets' No. 1 free agent signing priority this offseason. Holmes made Mark Sanchez look better, and he largely is responsible for much of the Jets offense being as successful as it was.
Dallas Cowboys
14 of 32
Mike Jenkins is awful. Champ Bailey is good.
This seems like a no-brainer for Jerry Jones if Bailey wants out of Denver.
Houston Texans
15 of 32
James Anderson could be on the way out of Carolina. The Panthers don't seem to want to spend a lot of money at the moment, and with that in mind, Anderson would make sense for the Houston Texans, who are looking at an almost complete rebuild of their defense for 2011.
Minnesota Vikings
16 of 32
The Vikings will poach from their division rival again, taking Daryn Colledge, a guy who is considered great in pass protection.
This will be a huge signing, and it will give the Vikings better pass protection moving forward. While Brett Favre was old, he still was pretty mobile and still took a beating this past year.
The new quarterback will get better protection in 2011.
Chicago Bears
17 of 32
Like with Julius Peppers last year, the Bears will end up with one of the biggest free agent coups of the offseason when they sign Jared Gaither.
The Bears offensive line was atrocious last year, and they obviously have to keep Jay Cutler's jersey clean or he might have to leave the game.
Detroit Lions
18 of 32
The Lions could use some depth behind Jahvid Best, and Williams would make a great third-down or short yardage option.
Williams wants out of Miami, and they're going to go younger anyway, so Williams makes sense for Detroit.
St. Louis Rams
19 of 32
Washington seems to have soured slightly on Carlos Rogers, and Mike Shanahan seems to be in the business of blowing everything up and starting over, so Carlos Rogers ends up in St. Louis.
Rogers doesn't make a lot of interceptions, but he breaks up a lot of plays, and at the end of the day, the result is the same: the team's offense getting back out on the field.
Miami Dolphins
20 of 32
Kyle Orton begins his new life in Miami so that Tim Tebow can lead the Broncos to the Super Bowl...at least that's the plan in Denver.
Stay tuned.
Jacksonville Jaguars
21 of 32
Eric Weddle represents a definite upgrade for the Jaguars at the safety position.
The Chargers have a lot of free agents to try to sign this offseason, and Weddle will be one of the unfortunate losses in that battle.
Oakland Raiders
22 of 32
You try to predict what Al Davis will do. His team finished 8-8, its best season in years, and Davis still fired the head coach because of issues that now pretty much are resolved.
He declined to pick up the option on a ridiculous contract he agreed to with Nnamdi Asomugha, and there's no telling what Davis will do next.
Signing Batman seems about as reasonable as anything Davis might do in the future.
Raiders fans are awesome, and Al Davis continues to beat them down by refusing to relinquish control of the team to someone in touch with reality.
San Diego Chargers
23 of 32
Like the Jets, the Chargers have so many free agents to sign this year that filling a hole means keeping a guy on the roster in 2010.
The Chargers need Vincent Jackson, and Jackson will remain in San Diego.
New York Giants
24 of 32
Plaxico Burress will return to the Giants and give Eli Manning a great target with fresh legs—even the one with the bullet hole in it.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
25 of 32
With all the changes going on in Tennessee, Stephen Tulloch will depart for greener pastures and the rising Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tulloch will be a huge addition to the team and make the defense that much better.
Kansas City Chiefs
26 of 32
The Packers, despite making a Super Bowl, will have some decisions to make, and James Jones may be one of those players not brought back.
The Chiefs need another receiver opposite Dwayne Bowe and would be willing to offer Jones more money than the Packers would.
So Jones will be moving south and catching passes from a new quarterback.
Indianapolis Colts
27 of 32
Ronnie Brown will be the big pickup for the Colts in the offseason. The injuries this year just proved how much depth matters in the backfield, and Brown will make for a great one-two combination with Joseph Addai behind Peyton Manning.
Philadelphia Eagles
28 of 32
Richie Incognito probably doesn't want to hang around Miami with how much rebuilding is going on, and the Eagles need some better linemen to protect Michael Vick.
Incognito becomes an Eagle.
New Orleans Saints
29 of 32
Aubrayo Franklin didn't like getting slapped with a franchise tag this year and will be asking for some pretty big money going into 2011.
Expect the Saints to pay that money, as the playoffs showed they need an upgrade of the defensive line.
Seattle Seahawks
30 of 32
The Browns are turning a new page, and cornerback Eric Wright had a pretty bad year. That being said, there still will be a market for his services, and Wright will find a new home in the Pacific Northwest as part of the Seattle Seahawks, who need serious upgrades on both sides of the field.
Baltimore Ravens
31 of 32
The Ravens have one of the biggest free agents on the market in Haloti Ngata. They cannot afford to lose Ngata, so keeping him becomes the largest priority.
If the Ravens lose Ngata, that creates a big hole that could take years to fill.
Atlanta Falcons
32 of 32
The Falcons need another receiver opposite Roddy White, and Santana Moss fits that bill. With the changes in Washington, Moss is more likely to see his way out of town and start over.
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