Kentucky Jet Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 NFL spotlight: position battles Posted: June 14, 2008 Sporting News correspondents The starting quarterback job in Baltimore is Kyle Boller's to lose, but he has very little upside and panics inside the red zone. Second-year pro Troy Smith has improved his accuracy and grasped the offense and has other intangibles such as leadership that Boller lacks. Smith could make a run at beating out Boller. Strong-armed rookie Joe Flacco, the team's first-round pick out of Delaware, is the quarterback of the future, but the Ravens won't use him unless both Smith and Boller get hurt. ... Stacy Andrews, who has been tabbed as the Bengals' franchise player, and four-time Pro Bowl pick Willie Anderson can both stake worthy claims to Cincinnati's right tackle job. Andrews started 11 games there in place of Anderson (left knee, right heel) in 2007, but the now-healthy Anderson is making a strong bid to win his spot back. Andrews is a bruising blocker who has improved in pass protection. Anderson is a road-grading run blocker, shutdown pass protector and the most respected player on the team. If Anderson reclaims his job, Andrews could play either guard spot. ... Chiefs MLB Napoleon Harris must lift his play a notch to avoid getting pushed to the bench. He led the team in tackles last season but was inconsistent and made too few plays. The Chiefs signed free agent Demorrio Williams and won't hesitate to start him on the outside, with Donnie Edwards moving into the middle. Williams is a good athlete who covers a lot of ground. ... Jets QB Kellen Clemens' obvious advantage in arm strength gives him a major edge over Chad Pennington in practices, where quarterbacks can't be touched. But Clemens needs to work on his pocket presence, which the Jets won't be able to judge until they play preseason games. If coach Eric Mangini makes a decision early in training camp, Clemens likely will be the starter. But if Mangini waits until after one or two August games, Pennington may have the advantage. ... Lawrence Timmons, a 2007 first-round pick, will get a chance to challenge incumbent Larry Foote for the Steelers' outside linebacker job. Timmons is fast, quick and athletic but must show he is capable of handling all his assignments, especially in coverage. Foote takes good angles to the ball but can get moved out of position. ... If Rex Grossman emerges as the starting quarterback this season, it won't be because the Bears handed him the job. He'll have to earn it. Grossman's performance sank last season, and he hasn't been on top of his game since he was NFC offensive player of the month in September 2006. Kyle Orton had a solid three-start audition at the end of last season and has been the sharper of the two through spring drills. Orton is far more advanced than he was in 2005, when he led Chicago to a division title as a rookie, and is the safer choice at this point. Don't expect a decision until midway through preseason at the earliest, but look for Orton to win out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Lawrence Timmons, a 2007 first-round pick, will get a chance to challenge incumbent Larry Foote for the Steelers' outside linebacker job. Timmons is fast, quick and athletic but must show he is capable of handling all his assignments, especially in coverage. Foote takes good angles to the ball but can get moved out of position. ... If Timmons can earn the starting job the Steelers LB's can easily be among the elite in the league again. Timmons, Woodley, Harrison, and Farrior should wreak havoc this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 Lawrence Timmons, a 2007 first-round pick, will get a chance to challenge incumbent Larry Foote for the Steelers' outside linebacker job. Timmons is fast, quick and athletic but must show he is capable of handling all his assignments, especially in coverage. Foote takes good angles to the ball but can get moved out of position. ... If Timmons can earn the starting job the Steelers LB's can easily be among the elite in the league again. Timmons, Woodley, Harrison, and Farrior should wreak havoc this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 BTW, Timmons is challenging Foote for the starting INSIDE LB job, not outside backer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StillerPaul Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 BTW, Timmons is challenging Foote for the starting INSIDE LB job, not outside backer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drago Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 BTW, Timmons is challenging Foote for the starting INSIDE LB job, not outside backer. I'm not sure what to think of the steelers. Good receivers, good QB, solid defense, a soft starting RB coupled with a tough back up RB and a deteriorating offensive line. They got destroyed by the pats and lost to the jets. The steelers could have 6 wins or 12 wins and neither would shock me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drago Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 BTW, Timmons is challenging Foote for the starting INSIDE LB job, not outside backer. I'm not sure what to think of the steelers. Good receivers, good QB, solid defense, a soft starting RB coupled with a tough back up RB and a deteriorating offensive line. They got destroyed by the pats and lost to the jets. The steelers could have 6 wins or 12 wins and neither would shock me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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