32. Buffalo Bills
Notable Arrivals: C.J. Spiller (RB), Torrell Troup (DT), Naaman Roosevelt (WR)
Notable Departures: Terrell Owens (WR)
No one circles the wagons quite like the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately for their fans, that doesn't seem to be a good thing, as the Bills haven't qualified for the playoffs since the Music City Miracle in 1999. Between 2008's misleading 5-1 start, Leodis McKelvin's fumble to squander both a fourth-quarter lead and an upset bid against the perceived powerhouse New England Patriots last year, and questions surrounding the team's future in Buffalo, or lack thereof, the Bills organization has certainly seen better days. What's worse, things seem like they could get worse before they get better, as Buffalo failed to address their most glaring weakness in the offseason. The carousel of ineptitude that is the Bills quarterback situation showcases a largely ineffective de facto starter in Trent Edwards, a young project that hasn't shown much through limited opportunity in Brian Brohm, and Levi Brown, a seventh-round draft pick out of Troy University. Although Buffalo looks formidable in the backfield with the addition of C.J. Spiller to complement Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson, the strengths pretty much end there. Rumored to be heartbroken when the Broncos surprised most by drafting Tim Tebow late in the first round, Buffalo will struggle until one of their quarterbacks can raise their game to the professional level, or until they successfully draft one to be the future of the franchise.
***Projected Finish: 2-14 ; 4th in AFC East ; No Playoffs***
31. Carolina Panthers
Notable Arrivals: Jimmy Clausen (QB), Brandon LaFell (WR), Ed Johnson (DT)
Notable Departures: Julius Peppers (DE), Jake Delhomme (QB), Muhsin Muhammad (WR), Ma'ake Kemoeatu (DT)
Runner-up to the slot for the worst team in the league may be a little harsh for a Carolina Panthers club that won four out of its last five games to close out the '09 campaign, especially considering that two of those victories came against the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New Orleans Saints, and the team they defeated to get to the big game, the Minnesota Vikings. Undrafted quarterback Matt Moore and superstar wideout Steve Smith looked to be building a strong rapport, which led to substantial success on a team level. That being said, this Panthers team is drastically different from the one that suited up Week 17 against those Saints. I, just like you, witnessed Jake Delhomme transcend the limits of incompetence before he was benched in favor of Moore (or he got hurt, I don't remember. I was going to look it up, but then I remembered I was writing about Jake Delhomme). But, the fact remains that Delhomme was the leader of the team for the better part of seven years, including a surprising trip to the Super Bowl following the 2003 season. Losing him, along with one of the most fierce pass-rushers in the league in Julius Peppers, will certainly shake up a roster that may not quite jell right away. But back off the ledge, Panther nation, for there is a lot to be excited about here. After almost every NFL team chose to pass on Fighting Irish quarterback Jimmy Clausen for reasons ranging from stupid to just plain silly, the Panthers nabbed him with the 48th overall pick. Despite uncertainties about Clausen's attitude, his talent is very real, which is why many NFL experts and idiots who decided to make a sports blog when they were bored one day alike tend to agree that the Notre Dame product could catapult Carolina back to relevance sooner rather than later. Hell, it could even happen this year. Probably not, though.
Clausen (above) was probably the steal of the draft. Unless he's actually terrible.
Image courtesy of Jacobx's Weblog (http://jacobx.files.wordpress.com)
***Projected Finish: 3-13 ; 4th in NFC South ; No Playoffs***
30. St. Louis Rams
Notable Arrivals: Sam Bradford (QB), Mardy Gilyard (WR), Bobby Carpenter (LB), Chris Hovan (DT), A.J. Feeley (LOL)
Notable Departures: Marc Bulger (QB), Isaac Bruce (WR), Alex Barron (OT)
The Rams are going to suck. Moving on.
***Projected Finish: 3-13 ; 4th in NFC West ; No Playoffs***
29. Cleveland Browns
Notable Arrivals: Jake Delhomme (QB), Seneca Wallace (QB), Colt McCoy (QB), Joe Haden (CB), Sheldon Brown (CB)
Notable Departures:
Not included above is probably the most notable arrival of all for tortured Cleveland...The Walrus. Mike Holmgren's title within the organization is technically 'president', but I personally think 'emperor' is more accurate. They hired GM Tom Heckert to help out in addition to deciding to keep Mangini on the sidelines, but make no mistake; This is Holmgren's show. The Browns did exactly what they needed to do during the offseason by cleaning house and stockpiling draft picks. They secured a temporary solution to their quarterback problem by bringing in Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace, both of which could be halfway decent. They drafted Colt McCoy in hopes that after a season or two of tutoring from the veteran newcomers, he will be the future of a Browns organization that has been painfully irrelevant since it's reinstatement to the NFL in 1999. The Browns know that to make any kind of noise this season will be highly unlikely, but the addition of McCoy and the stellar play from running back Jerome Harrison last season instills hope that the team isn't many years away from morphing into a contender. The Indians traded away reigning AL Cy Young winners in back-to-back years. And you certainly reserve the right to be incensed over the LeBron debacle, Cleveland fans. But as for the Browns...try cautiously optimistic.
***Projected Finish: 4-12 ; 4th in AFC North ; No Playoffs***
Look for Part II later this week.
-TJ
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