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Unsolved mysteries Several teams still have issues to address after the draftPosted: Monday April 22, 2002 11:44 AM
As NFL draft weekend comes to an end, there are still a couple of open questions that need to be answered: 1. Washington still has work to do up front. Yes, the Redskins did a lot of good things in free agency to turn their linebacker group into one of the finest in the NFL (adding Jeremiah Trotter and Jessie Armstead to a mix that already had LaVar Arrington). They did a good job during the draft of trading down in the first round, picking up Tulane quarterback Patrick Ramsey and some extra choices. But the defensive line needs help. Bruce Smith and Marco Coleman are getting a bit long in the tooth, and Kenard Lang has moved on to Cleveland.
2. Cincinnati's quarterback situation is still unsettled. The Bengals would have loved a shot at selecting Joey Harrington but it never materialized. They didn't trade for Drew Bledsoe and they didn't draft a quarterback. Their only hope now is to pick up a veteran like Gus Frerotte or Shane Matthews, but neither will really change the offense. I say give Akili Smith one more legitimate chance. 3. Speaking of quarterbacks, what is Baltimore thinking? The Ravens still need to find someone to compete with Chris Redman. Meanwhile, the Chiefs need a solid young understudy for Trent Green. I bet a year from now the Lions will be getting a lot of calls about Mike McMahon. 4. Some players may find themselves on the move:
5. And finally, some players fell way past their perceived value but may well become excellent bargains.
When players fall out of favor I always wonder if they were overrated early in the process or if teams simply overreact when the players aren't perfect during the long evaluation process. Pat Kirwan, who spent 12 years as a pro football coach, scout and personnel administrator, is an NFL analyst for CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNNSI.com.
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