(AP Photo/Dave Einsel)

Even though the Texans (12-4) seemed to struggle at the end of the season, missing out on a bye in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, the Texans were still a top team in most major categories but one — pass yards allowed. Most of the Texans free agents are on defense (including starters Connor Barwin, Shaun Cody, and Glover Quinn) with potential depth issues for both the line backers and the defensive backs. The team’s starting right tackle was an unrestricted free agent. 

Free-Agency Signings 

The signing of free agent, safety Ed Reed was a big one. Besides the obvious talent Reed brings to the table, it allowed the Texans to focus on some bigger needs the team had. The Texans were expected to address all of their needs in the draft. The addition of Pro Bowl punter Shane Lechler was a big one too.

When all was said and done, the Texans still had quite a few areas of need on their roster on the eve of the draft. The Texans have the right number of picks, nine, to address each position of need.

Draft Picks

Top-Positional Needs:T, DT, LB | G, S, WR, TE, RB, CB

The Texans did a nice job addressing the team’s needs through the draft even though there could only be one instant starter in the group. The Texans may have found their compliment to Andre Johnson with their first pick, WR De Andre Hopkins (Clemson). Hopkins was a 3-year starter who has run a 4.46-forty. He’s a versatile and dynamic player that is no stranger to scoring TDs. Hopkins can catch the ball and score! In 2012, he was good for 82 receptions, leading to 1,405 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns! With 17.1 yards per catch, Hopkins reeks of big-time, big-play receiver. Hopkins should be a great compliment to Andre Johnson. 

While free safety DJ Swearinger (So. Carolina) was likely drafted a little early, he is still a good player who will learn behind one of the best, FS Ed Reed. Defensive end Sam Montgomery (LSU) fell to the Texans in the third round and offensive tackle David Quessenberry (San Jose St.) fell to the Texans in the sixth. Both play at a higher level than drafted. Montgomery could push to start this season. OLB Trevard Williams (Connecticut) is backing up a good group of linebackers and should see some playing time this season. All in all, while the Texans reached with a few of their picks, this ended up being a solid draft for the team. Depth issues remain at the offensive guard position. Still, you can’t help but feel that the Texans have done a good job trying to assemble the pieces that make a championship team. Now, it’s all about making it happen. 

Free-Agency Signings

During free agency, the Buccaneers did a nice job filling their positional needs while leaving a couple of key positions to be filled vis-à-vis the draft. Safety Dashon Goldson was the Bucs biggest signing and should make an immediate impact on a pass defense that has struggled. Defensive end George Selvie made for a nice addition as a player that could start for Adrian Clayborn if Clayborn was unavailable for the start of the season. The Bucs needed to shore up their offensive line, especially with the loss of Jeremy Trueblood. Cornerback and linebacker were the next two positions of need. 

The Buccaneers landed one of the best players in all of football in a player-for-draft-picks-trade, New York Jets corner back, Darrelle Revis. For Revis, the Jets get the Buccaneers first round pick (No. 13 overall) this year, and a conditional pick in 2014. Was Revs worth it? According to ESPN Stats & Info, (@ESPNStatsInfo on twitter), from 2011 to 2012, when Revis was on the field during 1,066 plays, the team allowed 15 touchdowns and posted 23 interceptions. By comparison, without Revis (945 plays), the team allowed 20 touchdowns but intercepted the football just seven times. The Bucs then traded LeGarrette Blount to the Patriots. Dallas Clark was let go. The Buccaneers have seven draft picks after the Revis trade. The team should be able to have a solid draft.

Draft Picks

Top-Positional Needs:  T, DT, LB | TE, KR, RB

Because of the trade for Darrelle Revis, the Buccaneers didn’t pick for the first time until Round 2, giving up the thirteenth overall pick to get Revis. In Round 2, the Bucs drafted CB Jonathan Banks (Mississippi St.), who was a player that could have been drafted in Round 1. Despite having just created what is arguably the best secondary in football  (Revis, Goldson, Barron, Wright), the Bucs passed on top defensive tackles Johnathan Hankins and Kawann Short, as well as top offensive tackle Terron Armstead, to pick Banks. Not only does the Bucs secondary look like one of the best in the league, it’s also one of the deepest. This is a good thing in the high-flying NFC South.

Third-round draft pick, QB Mike Glennon (No. Carolina St.) was drafted at the right time, for the right situation. Glennon will push incumbent Josh Freeman and should Freeman falter, Glennon could get an opportunity to start.  DT Akeem Spence (Illinois) should push for some playing time early. DE William Gholston (Michigan St.) may get the same opportunity should Da’Quan Bowers not be ready for the start of the 2013 season. With a roster that only had six needs, the Buccaneers did not meet all of their positional needs in the draft.

Post-draft, it’s looking like the Bucaneers are going to rely on their current set of linebackers to get them through the 2013 season. Recognizing a potential weakness along the right side of the offensive line, the Bucs traded for tackle/guard Gabe Carimi, formerly of the Bears. Initial reports are that he has fit in fine with the offense.

One can’t help but look at the Buccaneers team, and believe that they are awfully close to being the best team in the NFC South. Players like Josh Freeman and the promising young, tight end Luke Stocker will need to step it up of course. But, much of the personnel is in place. The team has a strong running game, strong passing game, and what is shaping up to be a stifling defense. It’s starting to, come together.

Free-Agency Signings

Besides the signing of defensive tackles Sen’Derrick Marks and Roy Miller, none of the other Jaguars free agent signings were necessarily of the type whereby the Jaguars fully addressed their needs at the position. There is much work for the Jaguars to do. As the draft approached, it looked like the Jaguars would rely heavily on the draft to build their roster. It was expected that the Jaguars would be able to satisfy each and every need they had on their roster with one of their eight draft picks.  

Draft Picks

Top-Positional Needs:QB, T, G | S, CB, LB, RB 

The Jaguars had a healthy eight picks entering the draft. After the Chiefs picked OT Lane Johnson with the first overall pick, there was absolutely no issue in the Jaguars passing on a quarterback with their first overall pick, and picking (former No. 1 draft pick) OT Luke Joeckel (Texas A&M). Joeckl provides an anchor for the offensive line well into the future. Still, to some degree, it was a shocker given that the Jaguars biggest need was at quarterback. Indeed, Geno Smith(WVU) (who many considered the best available quarterback in the draft) made sense for such a quarterback-needy team. Having passed on Smith, one would think the Jaguars next pick — the first pick of the second round — would be a quarterback, right? As luck would have it, Geno Smith was still on the board when the Jaguars picked again in Round 2. However, rather than draft Smith, the Jaguars selected SS Jonathan Cyprien (Fla. Int’l.) in Round 2, and CB Dwayne Gratz (Conneticut) in Round 3, to replenish a secondary that lost several key personnel in free agency. So far, the Jaguars drafted three starters but not one quarterback. After Smith was drafted with the seventh pick of Round 2 by the Jets, and after Mike Glennon (No. Caro. St.) was drafted with the eleventh pick of Round 3 by the Buccaneers, one hundred and eighty-three picks went by without the Jaguars addressing their team’s greatest need — quarterback. Indeed, five of the Jaguars seven picks were spent on cornerbacks and safeties. In drafting WR Ace Sanders (So. Carolina), a projected sixth-rounder by some, the Jaguars passed on several higher-ranked wide receivers.  While the Jaguars got some value in selecting Denard Robinson (Michigan) with their next pick in Round 5, there were still several higher ranked wide-receiver and running back options available at the time. Even after the draft, the Jaguars look like the same team from last season, for the most part.

Since the draft, the Jaguars have added several players all released by the Patriots: WR Jeremy Ebert, DT Kyle Love, DT Brandon Deaderick, and QB Mike Kafka. In addition, CB Marcus Trufant, formerly of the Seahawks, was signed. These are players that come from a good pedigree who should all push the people in front of them to start. Trufant should start and Ebert could see his fair share of game action.

There is no question that the Jaguars are a team in transition. There is also no question that the Jaguars have suffered, in part, due to injuries to some key players. However, there are several players who have underperformed. To some degree, the Jaguars will have to rely on some of these players to turn things around (or at least hold things steady), while the team attempts to collect players that can get the team back to being dominant in the division. Offensively, the Jaguars have a great set of receivers who showed they could produce if they can get the ball. Otherwise, genuine questions abound as to the quarterback and running back positions. Defensively, the Jaguars should be able to stay in games. This is an organization at least one season, but more likely at least two seasons away from potentially turning things around. It’s all about the personnel.

After a rough start to the season, the Packers (11-5) pulled it together to win the division. The Packers continued to struggle at times in pass defense, and their rush defense was ranked towards the middle of all teams. Notwithstanding the fact that several of the Packers top wide receivers missed several games, the unit finished top ten in passing. In free agency, the Packers only have ten free agents, five of which are restricted. The Packers have a quality team that could take the field tomorrow. That said, the Packers will likely look to add a high impact defensive end. Besides needing a Charles Woodson replacement, the Packers need help in pass defense. Four linebackers are free agents, two restricted. While Cedric Benson could be brought back, the Packers will likely look to add a top running back in the draft. Also, believe it or not, Aaron Rodgers was sacked an alarming fifty-one times, second most in the league! If there was an opportunity to add a top offensive lineman, the Packers might do it in order to help protect their most important asset. The Packers have the twenty-fifth pick in the draft this season.

Free-Agency Signings

As expected, the Packers re-signed only their own players. The Packers lost WR Greg Jennings (Vikings), and OLB Erick Walden (Colts), in free agency. The Packers will address their roster needs in the draft. The Packers are poised to have a solid draft with few positions of great need, but eight draft picks. The Packers can sit back and nab left-overs as they trickle down their draft board, filling all of their roster needs. 

Draft Picks

 Top-Positional Needs:  RB,T, DE | S, WR, TE,DB, G

Good teams can take chances (not a lot) and reach with some (not all) of their draft picks. DE Datone Jones(UCLA) was a great addition to the team and is an instant starter. OT David Bakhtiari(Colorado), a second round talent, fell to the Packers in round four. The Packers made a statement drafting not just one but two running backs in RB Eddie Lacy (Alabama) and RB Jonathan Franklin (UCLA), both of whom could start for the team. Lacy needs to stay healthy and his play will depend on the offensive line’s ability to open holes. Franklin needs to improve his receiving. Having expended top draft picks on the running back position, Cedric Benson is likely not going to be returning to the team. The rest of the Packers running backs are on notice that no one’s job is secure. The Packers probably took some players a little early with four of their six other picks. But, when you already have a pretty good roster, adding developmental players is a little easier to do. This was a solid draft for the Packers having addressed their most pressing needs first. The Packers continue to be the favorite to win the NFC North!

Free Agency Signings

The trade of Percy Harvin to the Seahawks blind-sided many in the football community. It also almost derailed the strides the Vikings had made improving a roster that was missing certain key pieces. However, the Vikings salvaged all their hard work by signing Greg Jennings, the last of the elite wide receivers available in free agency.  Quarterback Matt Cassel to the Vikings was a bit of a surprise too given the fact that the Vikings have a promising young quarterback in Christian Ponder.  Expect Cassel to push Ponder for the starting job but for Ponder to win out in the end — at least initially.  

The Vikings had some choices to make in the draft. Improving their pass defense should have been first and foremost, at the top of their list. With eleven draft picks, the Vikings were expected to have a solid draft and be able to draft several players to help their team.

Draft Picks 

Top-Positional Needs:CB, SS, DT | LB, DE, WR, G, RB, TE

With their first three picks, the Vikings didn’t mess around, drafting three players that should all be starting come Week 1. Defensive tackle Shariff Floyd (Florida), arguably one of the top-two defensive tackles in the draft (some might say the No. 1), fell to the Vikings with the twenty-third overall pick and addressed an immediate need. With Pat Williams retiring, this seems like good karma. Floyd is quick and can be difficult to block. For the Vikings to take a top defensive back like Xavier Rhodes (FSU) at pick twenty-five made all the sense in the world with the Vikings ranked twenty-fourth in pass yards allowed per game. For some, Rhodes was the second rated defensive back in this draft. Rhodes is a big, athletic cover corner with 4.4-forty speed.Both Floyd and Rhodes were top ten draft picks in this draft, and the Vikings got them.  

While the Vikings did give up four draft picks to move up to draft Cordarelle Patterson (Tennessee), Patterson was thought to be (by at least some) a (if not the) top wide receiver prospect in the draft, until right before the draft. While not a top need, the Vikings recognized that Christian Ponder needed another receiving weapon to help the offense. Cordarrelle Patterson is fast and can stretch the field. Patterson has run a 4.36-40. He can make the amazing catch and at times make mistakes. Still, he looks like a big play wide receiver the Vikings need. Patterson should learn much from top wide-out Greg Jennings. Patterson was likely the No. 1 wide receiver on some draft boards.

The Vikings didn’t draft again until Round 4. Even though OLB Gerald Hodges (Penn State) could use some work, he will likely be pressed into service and he may have to contribute immediately. Jeff Baca (UCLA) and Travis Bond (No. Carolina) are solid prospects along the offensive line. With the addition of top-prospect P Jeff Locke (UCLA), Chris Kluwe’s days with the Vikings were numbered. At no point did the Vikings reach in the draft.

As a result of some strong free agency signings, and some strong daft-picks, the Vikings are primed to have another good season. It’s now all on Christian Ponder to ignite a Vikings passing game which struggled last season. Certainly, the Vikings have provided him the talent to do so.

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

The Cardinals (5-11) had the second-worst scoring offense in the league last season. Besides being last in total yards, the Cardinals were last in rushing yards and the fifth worst in passing yards. In large part, this was due to an underperforming offensive line that had its share of protection problems, allowing 58 sacks, the most in the NFL! Also, the offensive line had problems opening up holes for an injury ridden running back group. The expectation is that this will all change in 2013.

New head coach Bruce Arians was brought in to make the Cardinals a better team, just like he helped to do with the Colts. Arians pedigree is long and distinguished. In 2012, he helped turn the worst team in the NFL in 2011, the Colts, into a team that made the playoffs as a Wildcard contender. When the 2013 off-season began, it was expected that Arians could make some wholesale changes to the offensive line. Plus, the quarterback position was going to be addressed one way or the other, this season or next. As mentioned, the Cardinals were dead last in rush yards per game and their group of running backs were decimated by injury. Adding another running back through the draft was a strong likelihood.

The Cardinals defense started strong, but struggled as the season progressed. While the Cardinals were tops in the league defending the pass, the Cardinals were top-five in most rush yards allowed. This needed to change. The Cardinals were expected to address the gut of the defense this off-season. On defense, the roster issues involved depth as well. One more touchdown a game was likely the difference between the Cardinals finishing 5-11 or 7-9.

Free Agency Signings

The Cardinals biggest off-season move was not to bring in any one player, but to hire Bruce Arians as head coach and allow him to re-tool the roster through some key free agency moves. By adding both quarterback Carson Palmer and quarterback Drew Stanton, Arians took a lot of pressure off the Cardinals to add a quarterback in the first round of the draft. This is especially important in a draft where none of the quarterbacks looked like sure-fire starters. Palmer gets a fresh start and Stanton knows the Arians-offense from their time together on the Colts. The winner of these moves should be Larry Fitzgerald. Running back Rashard Mendenhall, who is hopefully fully recovered from his knee injury of 2011, has a lot of upside if healthy. Mendehall is young and has a lot of treads left in the tires, and could end up being a great long term addition, if all pans out health-wise. The Cardinals spent the remainder of free agency re-solidifying a defense that lost some key players in free agency. The Cardinals seemed to do a good job of it. Their pass defense looks to remain solid. The Cardinals have to improve their offensive line play for Carson Palmer to have a chance. The Cardinals should do this in the draft.

With five, or even six tackles possibly being drafted before the Cardinals get to pick at No. 7, the Cardinals sounded like a team that was considering trading to get one of the top-three available left tackles. One way or another, the Cardinals were expected (by The Fantasy Greek at least) to get a top-three left tackle or a top-two guard in this year’s draft with the seventh overall pick without trading up.

Draft Picks

Top-Positional Needs: T, G, LB | WR,CB, FS, TE, RB

Offensive tackle was the biggest need the Cardinals had, and they missed getting one in this draft. But, the Cardinals hit on almost every one of their other needs. The Cardinals drafted the next best available offensive lineman, OG Jonathan Cooper (No. Carolina) with their first pick (the second best offensive guard in the draft), and added some solid depth in OG Earl Watford (James Madison), a top-five guard who could start this season. The Cardinals made excellent picks when they drafted ILB Kevin Minter (LSU), who will likely be pressed into duty early, and DE Alex Okafor, a late first round talent that fell to the Cardinals in the fourth round. Okafor is slated for the OLB position but is a unique pass-rushing talent the Cardinals should find a place for. CB Tyrann Mathieu (LSU) was a perfect pick in Round 3, and should help bolster the secondary.  In terms of the offensive skill positions, the Cardinals made great picks in drafting Stepfan Taylor (Stanford), WR Ryan Swope (Texas A&M), and RB Andre Ellington (Clemson) in the fifth and sixth rounds. All three are players that could have been drafted two to three rounds earlier. Indeed, Taylor or Ellington could push to be the Week 1 starter at running back. Both posted amazing college stats with Taylor leading the way with 1,817 APY and 15 TDs.

Except for one pick, the Cardinals did not reach in this draft. The Cardinals may be the team that got the most value in this draft given the number of picks (9) the team had. One way or the other, Bruce Arians, the coaching staff, and the personnel staff, left an indelible mark in terms of the high quality, high value personnel they brought in to help the team this off-season. The key is improving what has been an anemic offense. This should happen in 2013. While the Cardinals will likely not be a Super Bowl contender in 2013, they will definitely be a better team. In a tough division like the NFC West, The Fantasy Greek likes the Cardinals chances of turning things around.

Free Agency Signings

The Browns made their big, splashy signing on Day 1 of free agency. The Browns were looking to fill their need for an outside linebacker, pass rusher and they got their man in Paul Kruger. It addressed an immediate need. The OLB Quentin Groves and DE Desmond Bryant signings addressed immediate needs too, and helped re-prioritize the Browns roster needs going forward. It was expected that QB Jason Campbell would at least push Brandon Weeden to start on opening day. Unfortunately, the Browns were unable to sign a high impact wide-receiver in free-agency. Still, the Browns had many options in the draft with the No. 6 overall pick.  

On the eve of the draft, the Browns added RB Dion Lewis in a trade with the Eagles for LB Emmanuel Acho. Lewis provided additional depth at the position. Otherwise, the Browns biggest need remained at wide-receiver and at linebacker. As to the latter, the Browns were looking for personnel that fit their new 3-4 defense. Wide receiver David Nelson, a former starter for the Bills, was a strong addition to the offense. While the Browns could still consider a wide receiver with one of their seven draft picks, it’s not as great of a need as it was at the beginning of free agency. While the Browns added a couple of tight ends in free agency, the Browns could easily add one in the draft as the offense is expected to become more tight-end-centric under new OC Norv Turner.

Draft Picks

Top-Positional Needs:  LB, CB, DE | TE, WR, S, PR-KR, QB

The Browns only had five draft picks, two of which were in the top-100. The other three picks were in Rounds 6 and 7. So, the Browns first two picks needed to count. OLB Barkevious Mingo (LSU) is an instant starter on the side opposite Paul Kruger in the Browns new 3-4 base defense. Mingo is a force on the outside who is athletically built. He is fast and explosive.

While third-round pick CB Leon McFadden (San Diego St.) looks like a developmental player because of his third-round status, he should start opposite Joe Hayden because of his ability to stick receivers. Both DE Armonty Bryant and OT Garett Gilkey could have been drafted one to two rounds earlier. In any case, both are going to need some work. The Browns did what they needed to do with the minimal picks they had. The lack of opportunity to draft in rounds 2, 4, and 5 may have hurt them in this draft if any of the players drafted fail to develop and/or start. Otherwise, the Browns did well addressing their top positional needs with their limited picks. Interestingly, with the two game suspension of Josh Gordon to start the season, the addition of David Nelson has become all the more important.

This is a big season for the Browns. With new ownership and new coaches, the team needs to make an aggressive move within the division. Finishing first isn’t necessary, but finishing strong is. A playoff appearance would serve as proof that the Browns have taken the right steps to turn this storied franchise around. This is the proof Browns faithful have been waiting for. If anything, the Browns put together pieces that make this team closer to being more likely to make the playoffs than less likely to make the playoffs. That’s something.

 Much like the Ravens, the Steelers (8-8 ) looked like a team in transition mostly because big-play wide receiver Mike Wallace wasn’t expected to return, and there was no clear-cut No. 1 running back to speak of. It’s hard to see either Antonio Brown or Emmanuel Sanders as the deep threat that Wallace was. Likewise, even in a committee situation Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman struggled at times. Indeed, the Steelers offense ranked seventh in least rush yards per game.  Entering free agency, the Steelers had a need at both positions whether they cared to admit to it or not. With TE Heath Miller possibly missing the entire 2013 season, the Steelers needed to add a pass-catching tight-end. Defensively, the Steelers made a big time off-season move signing CB William Gay. It solidifies the team’s pass defense and gives the team some flexibility in addressing other positions on defense like linebacker.

Free-Agency Signings

The Steelers didn’t solve any one roster issue through their free agency signings. That said, the re-signing of Larry Foote certainly helped for the short term. In addition, bringing back tight-end Matt Spaeth was a solid move as Heath Miller recuperates from a devastating knee injury. Spaeth is familiar with the offense and can certainly catch the ball.While the Steelers still had some work to do, their roster was in better shape than many would think (or state) entering the draft. 

The Steelers matched the offer-sheet WR Emmanuel Sanders received from the Patriots. Unfortunately, Sanders has already indicated that he is uninterested in signing long term, and would rather test the market in 2014. The Steelers could be regretting matching the offer sheet as they would have gotten a third round draft pick in return and the their need to add a wide receiver remains even with Sanders back in the fold. Ideally, for matching the offer sheet, the Steelers would like to sign Emmanuel Sanders long-term. Otherwise, while the Steelers re-signed some of their own, it only served to re-prioritize the team needs. The Steelers have needs all across the board, but only eight draft picks to work with.

Draft Picks

Top-Positional Needs:  LB, G, WR | S, RB, TE, DE, DT, CB, K

OLB Jarvis Jones (Georgia) is an instant starter in this defense and arguably the third best outside linebacker available in this draft. The Steelers scored big with RB Le’Veon Bell (Michigan St.) who looks to be the most complete three-down back in the draft. Bell is a running back that looks like he can do it all. Indeed, it would be no surprise if Bell is the starter come Week 1. This gives him low RB1/high-RB2 fantasy football value especially in an offense that tends to feature the run. However, Bell will likely have to work for it just like Rashad Mendenhall had to when he entered the league. Another solid addition, WR Markus Wheaton (Oregon St.) fell to the Steelers in Round 3. Wheaton is arguably a top-five wide receiver in the draft. In 2012, Wheaton was good for 1,244 yards on 91 receptions. En route to 13.7 yards-per-reception, Wheaton scored 18 touchdowns! Wheaton could fill in nicely, the hole left by the departed Mike Wallace as he is fast. His only issue will of course be his durability. SS Shamarko Thomas (Syracuse) should eventually replace Troy Polamalu. Quarterback Landry Jones (Oklahoma) made for a solid addition as a back-up. Inside linebacker Vince Williams (FSU) was a solid pick not only because he fell to the Steelers, but he has shown immense talent through his aggressiveness and nose for the ball (Senior Bowl notes). Williams should get a chance to start someday. While a need, the fact that the Steelers did not draft a guard is okay. The need was depth base. The Steelers immediately signed some undrafted free agent guards after the draft.

Not only did the Steelers have a solid draft, but the Steelers are having a solid off-season. Yet, no one is really talking about the Steelers. The team seems to be an afterthought to the Ravens. That’s “okay” though. This is a team whose defense is still one of the best in the league. If the Steelers can improve upon their twenty-first ranked scoring offense, and their twenty-sixth ranked rushing offense, the Steelers should improve upon their 8-8 record. There is little “Talking the Talk” this off-season for Steeler nation. And, that’s just fine because it’s “Walking the Walk” that counts.