Sporting News, The: NFC reports

ARIZONA CARDINALS Two of the top offensive players will switch positions. G Leonard Davis is moving from the right side to the left, and Anquan Boldin is switching from the flanker spot to split end, or "X" receiver. Coach Dennis Green thinks moving Davis will improve a spotty run game, and Davis is more comfortable on the left side. Boldin's move is a bigger risk. He caught 101 passes in his rookie season as a flanker, but Green thinks he'll see less double coverage at the "X" spot. Boldin, however, probably won't be used to stretch the field. He'll do most of his damage on shorter routes and crossing patterns. The other receiver spot is up for grabs. Bryant Johnson, Nato Poole or a new player could man that spot. DRAFT BUZZ: Team officials are smiling broadly. They can stay at No. 3 and likely get an elite quarterback, perhaps Ben Roethlisberger, or one of the top receivers such as Larry Fitzgerald or Mike Williams. The early bet is the team snaps up Fitzgerald if he's there. Trading down also is an option. Green thinks there are nine elite players in this draft. If the team can receive ample compensation, it might be willing to trade down a few spots and still get Miami S Sean Taylor, Oklahoma DT Tommie Harris or Miami TE Kellen Winslow. Then, it could pick a receiver at the top of the second round.--Kent Somers

ATLANTA FALCONS Because RB Warrick Dunn is rehabbing torn roe ligaments, T.J. Duckett will have the upper hand entering the veteran minicamp. Duckett, though, must improve his conditioning. He needs to tone up his upper body and reduce his weight from 254 to about 245, thereby reducing the stress on his legs. But Dunn takes a ferocious approach to conditioning and will pass Duckett on the depth chart if Duckett doesn't intensify his efforts.... LT Bob Whitfield and DL Travis Hall indicate they are unwilling to accept big reductions in salary, so look for them to be released. Hall still could help as a pass rusher, but Whitfield's skills have deteriorated. While Whitfield was injured last season, LT Kevin Shaffer helped the line make dramatic improvement in run blocking and pass protection. DRAFT BUZZ: The team might trade down because there might not be a player of value in the areas it needs to address--defensive back and offensive and defensive line--at the eighth spot. If Miami S Sean Taylor or Iowa OT Robert Gallery is still on the board, the Falcons will keep their top pick. Otherwise, they could trade down with one of the teams drafting in the Nos. 9-14 positions and try to land a player who can contribute immediately: DE Kenechi Udeze, DT Tommie Harris, DE Will Smith or CB Chris Gamble.--George Henry

CAROLINA PANTHERS The team has a solid starter in FB Brad Hoover, but it needs to find a quality backup who can be an effective blocker in the run-dominated offense. The team is hoping Casey Moore, who spent his rookie season on injured reserve, is the answer. But it also may look for a fullback in the free-agent market and the draft.... Despite his disastrous kickoff that went out of bounds in the Super Bowl, K John Kasay was re-signed to a long-term contract.... RB DeShaun Foster has made great strides, and the staff will look for ways to get him more involved in the offense. DRAFT BUZZ: A late draft pick means the team really can't afford to draft for need this year. It must take the best player available with the 31st pick. Though the free-agent market could change the wish list, the areas that need the most help are wide receiver, cornerback, offensive line and linebacker. There might not be any shutdown corners available at No. 31, but the coaches would like to upgrade the talent level. Guard could be addressed early if free agent Jeno James leaves, and the team needs another young tackle. The team also could look for a developmental quarterback late in the draft. One scenario would be to release veteran Rodney Peete, let Chris Weinke back up Jake Delhomme and have a young player work as the third QB.--Pat Yasinskas

CHICAGO BEARS The decision to dump WLB Warrick Holdman in a salary-cap move means Lance Briggs will move over from the strong side. Coach Lovie Smith wants his two best linebackers in the middle and on the weak side. Joe Odom and Bryan Knight will compete for the strongside job. The team also will try to draft speedy linebackers who can play special teams.... The team is interested in Chiefs OT John Tait, a restricted free agent. If it can't pry him from Kansas City, look for it to try to re-sign RG Chris Villarrial. RT Marc Colombo will not be ready for minicamp and may have to retire because of a serious knee injury suffered in 2002.... Running back is a free-agent priority, with Thomas Jones expected to head the list. The team needs a different style of runner than the straight-ahead Anthony Thomas, who could be made available in a trade. DRAFT BUZZ: G.M. Jerry Angelo says the team could move up from No. 14, but probably not into the top 10. It will not move down. The Bears are looking at four or five positions depending on the free agents they sign. They may pull a surprise and grab a wide receiver, especially if one of the top prospects falls to them. Running back and tight end are other possibilities. Tackle is the biggest need on defense, and Miami (Fla.)'s Vince Wilfork (6-2, 344), a run-stuffing force, is an option at No. 14. Smith wants the unit to be smaller and faster than it was in 2003, except at tackle, which makes Wilfork a possibility.--Mike Mulligan

DALLAS COWBOYS The team is expected to test C Al Johnson's ability to run at full speed and his lateral movement this month. Johnson, a 2003 second-round pick, had microfracture surgery last summer, and it's unknown whether he'll play again. He has excellent size and speed, and the team wants to use him to pull on sweeps and screen passes.... If WR Keyshawn Johnson joins the Cowboys, the team will expect him to be a mentor for Antonio Bryant. Johnson and Bryant have average speed, and Bryant could learn from how Johnson compensates by positioning himself and using his size to his advantage. DRAFT BUZZ: The team is focusing its attention on taking a defensive tackle or running back. It also needs a pass-rushing end but would prefer to get a proven veteran at that spot instead of gambling on a rookie. Dallas needs a runner to take pressure off QB Quincy Carter. Michigan RB Chris Perry should be available at No. 22. He is the type of hard-nosed inside runner with good feet who could have success under coach Bill Parcells. Virginia Tech RB Kevin Jones also could be available. Still, Parcells believes games are won on the offensive and defensive lines. So if there is a quality defensive tackle available in the first round, don't be surprised if Dallas drafts him. The team might look at a right offensive tackle in the second round because Hyan Young lost his job in the final two months of the season, and there's a good chance he'll be released.--Jean-Jacques Taylor

DETROIT LIONS Although he wasn't one of the team's best starters, the re-signing of unrestricted free-agent LG Eric Beverly is key. That would allow the team to search for only one starting guard, and not two, in a very thin guard market. Beverly (6-3, 300) is very athletic and mores well, but he's a little undersized to handle the running game. Still, Beverly is as good or better than some of the guards who have played on Super Bowl-winning teams the past couple of years.... The Lions still could make a run at a running back such as Charlie Garner or Garrison Hearst if they don't target that need in the draft. Both played under Stove Mariucci in the past and are versatile West Coast backs.... The team is looking to sign a free-agent wide receiver to add depth. DRAFT BUZZ: The team will resist the temptation to take a wide receiver with the sixth overall pick and fill a need at safety (Sean Taylor), running back (Kevin Jones) or tight end (Kellen Winslow)--or it will trade down for additional picks. Then, in the second and third rounds, the focus will be on adding receivers who can step in and start next season. The Lions must use the draft to add depth at safety and linebacker, where the need to get faster is paramount--especially for special teams coverage. The offensive line also will be a target in the later rounds. Because the team has six picks, it will try to make deals throughout the draft to acquire more, which wouldn't be wise. The Lions need quality, not quantity.--Tom Kowalski

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GREEN BAY PACKERS With the franchise tag placed on LT Chad Clifton, the club probably will have too much cap money invested in the line to keep both LG Mike Wahle and RG Marco Rivera when their deals expire after next season. Wahle will be coveted because he is young, athletic and one of the league's best at pulling. The club will be hard-pressed to keep him, unless Clifton plays for the one-year tender and leaves next offseason.... The only way LE Joe Johnson will be back is if he cuts his $4 million base salary to the league minimum of $760,000. It's risky to keep him even at a lower salary because he has had season-ending injuries each of the past two years and would count against the cap if he got hurt again. But the club could use his run-stuffing ability as a backup. DRAFT BUZZ: The team needs help on defense and would be best served adding help at end of safety. It's essential the Packers add someone who can rush the passer and complement RE Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila on third down. There probably won't be a safety worth taking with the 25th overall pick, so that position might have to be addressed with a free agent. Depth in the secondary is suspect, so the Packers likely will draft one of more cornerbacks. The team needs to build a more athletic, reliable dime package because that unit is expected to play a lot of man-to-man coverage under new coordinator Bob Slowik.--Tom Silverstein

MINNESOTA VIKINGS Versatile Nick Rogers is a defensive end again. He has been shifted between end and linebacker several times, but it appears he'll stay at right end for a while. He's fast and active and one of the team's top pass rushers, and he works well from a three-point stance.... Chris Claiborne likely will replace Rogers at strongside linebacker. Claiborne has played all three linebacker positions, and now the team will need a replacement for him on the weak side. One possibility is Raiders free agent Eric Barton. With Claiborne on the strong side, the team believes the defense will be faster and more physical. DRAFT BUZZ: The Vikings are confident about the draft strategy they implemented a year ago. The keys are putting as much thought into their seventh-round pick as their first and never selecting for need. All seven picks made the roster a year ago and contributed. This year, the team is in good shape because the draft is deep in the positions it needs to address: cornerback, linebacker, wide receiver and offensive line. If the Vikings can fill defensive needs with free agents, they can consider adding a receiver at No. 19. They would jump at the chance to take Reggie Williams or Roy Williams, but it's unlikely they will be on the board. But Wisconsin speedster Lee Evans could be available. If the team decides to take a defensive player in the first round, the possibilities include CBs Chris Gamble, Will Poole and DeAngelo Hall, LBs Jonathan Vilma and D.J. Williams and DE Will Smith.--Bill Williamson

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS During their postseason film evaluation, the coaches noticed how much progress DT Johnathan Sullivan made throughout his rookie season. One thing that stood out: Sullivan showed a nasty streak late in the season that had been missing early in the year. Sullivan still needs to improve his hand technique and not rely so much on his athleticism, but he's on target to become an impact player.... WR Joe Horn is scheduled to have knee surgery next week. He injured the knee in pregame warmups in Week 1, and it robbed him of his explosiveness coming in and out of cuts. He expects to be 100 percent for the start of training camp. DRAFT BUZZ: The team desperately needs defensive playmakers and would love to find a ballhawking cornerback. Coach Jim Haslett loves big, physical cornerbacks who can run; he isn't likely to take a player under 5-11 in the first round. The team likely will get a shot at one of the top three corners on the board: Virginia Tech's DeAngelo Hall, Ohio State's Chris Gamble or South Carolina's Dunta Robinson. All three possess the size, speed and playmaking abilities the team has been lacking for years. The lack of depth at receiver and the club's growing displeasure with Horn could lead it to target that position. And don't be surprised if the club takes a shot at a quarterback late in the draft. The Saints would like to find a diamond-in-the-rough type who could compete with J.T. O'Sullivan for the No. 3 spot.--Jeff Duncan

NEW YORK GIANTS The release of RBs Brian Mitchell and Dorsey Levens clears the way for Ron Dayne to gain a substantial role. He will get a clean slate from coach Toro Coughlin after spending the 2003 season on the inactive list. Dayne, who skipped the offseason program last year, has been working out at Giants Stadium and says he is lighter and in better condition than usual for this time of year. Dayne could help ease the burden on Tiki Barber, as he did earlier in his career.... Coughlin will not hold minicamps until May, in part to give injured players more time to heal. The big concern is LG Rich Seubert, who broke his right leg. There are doubts he will be ready for the start of training camp. His status makes it more likely the team will pursue a free-agent interior lineman. DRAFT BUZZ: The team has no plans to trade up from No. 4 to grab QB Eli Manning or QB Ben Roethlisberger and is content that it will get a fine player. Iowa OT Robert Gallery is the logical pick. WR Larry Filzgerald could be the choice if Gallery goes in the top three. The real intrigue will come if Manning or Roethlisberger slips to No. 4. QB Rerry Collins is under contract through 2004, but there has been little progress on an extension. If the Giants don't select a quarterback in the first round, they probably will in the next three. Backup Jesse Palmer is not expected back. The team figures to draft a back as an alternative to Dayne and a possible successor to Barber. The defense also will get attention.--Neil Best

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES DE Derrick Burgess, who sat out the past two years with injuries, is not being counted on for 2004. He had a good rookie season in 2001, showing good pass-rush ability. He was expected to become a starter; now anything the team gets from Burgess will be a bonus.... One player to watch in minicamps is CB Rod Hood, who made the team as undrafted free agent last year. Hood (5-11, 196) has good size and above-average cover ability. With the expected departure of free-agent CBs Trey Vincent and Bobby Taylor, Hood could be a part of the dime defense and maybe the nickel. DRAFT BUZZ: The team needs a linebacker, wide receiver, interior offensive lineman and pass-rushing defensive end. In the middle or late rounds, the Eagles will take a quarterback to develop as a No. 3. The team wants size at linebacker. D.J. Williams (6-2, 249) of Miami (Fla.) would be ideal, but the team won't more up from No. 28 to get him. Another possibility is Oklahoma's Teddy Lehman (6-2, 230). Receivers who could interest the Eagles include Oklahoma State's Rashaun Woods (6-2, 195), who has good size and hands, and Ohio State's Michael Jenkins (6-4, 217). If the team settles on an offensive lineman, Vernon Carey of Miami (Fla.) will be a possibility. Coach Andy Reid likes versatile linemen who can play more than one position, and Carey can play guard or tackle.--Mark Eckel

ST. LOUIS RAMS Coach Mike Martz openly questioned DT Jimmy Kennedy's commitment as a rookie, and Kennedy apparently has gotten the message. At a time when many players are taking time off, Kennedy has been working out regularly at the team's facility. If he improves his strength and technique, Kennedy figures to have a more pronounced role next season.... The team gave CB Jerametrius Butler a tender offer at a level where it will receive only a fifth-round pick if he leaves as a restricted free agent. Butler had some mental lapses last year that caused him to get beat on occasion, but he largely held up well. He's athletic, competitive and fairly physical. His modest price could make him attractive to other teams. DRAFT BUZZ: The team doesn't have any pressing needs. Martz looked at a lot of quarterbacks, including Virginia's Matt Schaub, Tulane's J.P. Losman and Michigan's John Navarre, at the Scouting Combine. The Rams plan to bring in Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett for a predraft visit. Clarett lacks the receiving skills the team wants its backs to have in a pass-oriented system, but those skills could be improved with coaching. The Rams also like Oklahoma State RB Tatum Bell, who is a speedster. With only three proven linebackers, it would be hard for the team to pass on Jonathan Vilma of Miami (Fla.) if he were on the board at No. 26. His speed and instincts would make him a natural fit in the scheme.--Jim Thomas

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS The team could keep WR Terrell Owens at a below-market cost after his agent's failure to file free-agent paperwork on time, but it likely will trade him for a high draft pick or a package of picks. No matter how desperate the team is for a high-level receiver, Owens has burned too many bridges.... The team used the franchise tag on OLB Julian Peterson. Contract talks are at an impasse, but he's not likely to be a training camp holdout.... RB Garrison Hearst's release officially turns the starting duties over to Kevan Barlow. Barlow made a convincing argument he could assume the feature role by starting the final four games and rushing for 433 yards. DRAFT BUZZ: Though almost every position could be addressed in the draft, the defensive line likely will be the focus when the team picks 16th. USC E Kenechi Udeze, Ohio State E Will Smith and Miami (Fla.) T Vince Wilfork are among the linemen who have caught the team's eye. The strong class of wide receivers bodes well for the 49ers, who are expected to add a big body to play flanker-Owens' old spot--and complement split end Brandon Lloyd. Adding depth in the offensive line, especially at guard, is another need. The team has to find a replacement for RG Ron Stone and a capable backup for LG Eric Heitmann. Finding a cornerback who could double as a return man would be ideal, and Virginia Tech's DeAngelo Hall would fill that bill if the 49ers decide to draft a corner with their top pick.--Cam Inman

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS The Seahawks still have a chance to sign DE Jevon Kearse because the Titans did not use the franchise tag on him. But Seattle also was looking at DEs Darren Howard and Adewale Ogunleye. The Saints tagged Howard, and the Dolphins made Ogunleye very expensive with a tender offer.... With 49ers WR Terrell Owens and Browns WR Dennis Northcutt off the market, WR Darrell Jackson moves to the top of the free-agent list. The Seahawks want to re-sign Jackson, and he wants to remain with the team. But he will have more suitors now.... The road to recovery for DT Chad Eaton hit a pothole. He was released last week and had the fourth surgical procedure on his right knee in less than a year. He could return if he takes the veterans' minimum deal, his troublesome knee heals and there is a need after the club explores other options. DRAFT BUZZ: The Seahawks have at least four needs on defense: a speed-rushing defensive end, a middle linebacker, a run-stuffing tackle and a third cornerback. The best speed rushers and tackles will be gone by the time the team picks at No. 23 overall, but one tackle who might be around is Maryland's Randy Starks. Jonathan Vilma and D.J. Williams of Miami (Fla.) are first-round possibilities at middle linebacker, and Teddy Lehman of Oklahoma likely will last until the second round, but starting a rookie in the middle is a risk because the position is difficult to learn.--Clare Farnsworth

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS The team has decided Kenyatta Walker is not the answer at left tackle and likely will use Walker at right tackle during offseason workouts and training camp. Walker is the starter on the right side for now, but he could lose that job if the team holds on to Cornell Green. He doesn't have Walker's mobility or talent, but he's good enough to push Walker into a swing role because he's more consistent and takes fewer penalties.... Locking up DT Ellis Wyms with a six-year contract was a brilliant more. He is one of the league's most versatile defensive linemen, capable of starting at end or tackle. If the team loses free-agent DT Warren Sapp, it could play NT Anthony McFarland at his spot and Wyms at nose tackle. DRAFT BUZZ: The team wants to get a franchise tight end, linebacker or offensive tackle with its first pick (No. 15 overall). That shouldn't be a problem. The Bucs probably can trade down and still get a tight end such as Ben Troupe or Ben Watson, a linebacker such as Karlos Dansby or Michael Boulware or a tackle such as Shawn Andrews. Another position the team is likely to bolster is running back. Tampa Bay should have a chance to pick up one of the top backs in the draft, perhaps Kevin Jones or Greg Jones. The Bucs probably will not select a wide receiver despite the depth at that position in the draft.--Roy Cummings

WASHINGTON REDSKINS Clinton Portis is the type of running back coach Joe Gibbs needs for his offense. Portis, acquired from the Broncos for CB Champ Bailey and a second-round pick, is not the big back Gibbs prefers, but Portis has more than adequate size and generates plenty of power between the tackles. He has breakaway speed once he gets past the line. He also can slip through small openings. Portis' skills will make the line better because the linemen won't have to stay on their blocks as long. His speed will allow the team to run the counter trey, a play Gibbs created.... Whoever replaces Bailey won't have Bailey's shutdown ability. Fred Smoot is not the press and cover corner Bailey is. DRAFT BUZZ: The Portis-Bailey trade leaves the team with just two selections: the fifth overall choice and a fifth-rounder. It could trade down and pick up a second- or third-round selection or stay where it is. Depending on what happens with free agents, the two most likely options at No. 5 are TE Kellen Winslow and S Sean Taylor, who both played at Miami (Fla.). Winslow could give the team a rare pass-catching threat at the position, but Gibbs prefers tight ends who are more blockers than receivers. Taylor could be an exceptional playmaker. A possible wild card is wide receiver if Pittsburgh's Larry Fitzgerald somehow slips or if Southern California's Mike Williams is judged to be one of the two best receivers in the draft.--Paul Woody