Inside the NFC

Sporting News, The, Feb 18, 2005

Even though an injury ended his second NFL season early, FALCONS FB Justin Griffith was able to learn while helping his replacements, Stanley Pritchett and Fred McCrary, assimilate. For instance, McCrary taught Griffith how to get a better read on defensive tackles who show an outside slant.... VIKINGS LG Chris Liwienski has been moved to right guard to replace David Dixon, 36, who will retire or return as a backup.

Dixon wore down at the end of the season, and coach Mike Tice believes Liwienski will have no trouble making the shift to the right side. Liwienski played right tackle in 2001 and is the team's best pure drive blocker.... COWBOYS LT Flozell Adams was average at best this season, and the team needs him to regain the form that made him a premier player in 2003. He can start by being more physical. He spends too much time lunging after defensive players and trying to get his hands on them instead of driving into them with his helmet and shoulders and then putting his hands on them.... New 49ERS coach Mike Nolan seriously is considering switching the base defense from a 4-3 to a 3-4. MLB Derek Smith and OLBs Julian Peterson, Jeff Ulbrich and Jamie Winborn form the team's best unit. At the very least, the 3-4 will be used in third-down packages. ... BUCCANEERS TE Nate Lawrie has a good chance to win a starting spot in his second season. Lawrie has good hands and runs good routes. If he develops a solid feel for the offense and improves at run blocking, he could alleviate the team's need to acquire a tight end.... CARDINALS DT Kenny King, who missed the season with a broken wrist, will play a significant role in 2005 if he's healthy. When King got hurt, he was battling Darnell Dockett for a starting job. Although he's not especially big, King (6-3, 285) is quick and agile and has a knack for making plays.... There are plenty of players who could successfully move to right tackle for the BEARS if John Tait flips to the left side, including Qasim Mitchell and Marc Colombo. Both are strong run blockers, making them better suited for the right side. If Mitchell regains the confidence he lost while playing left tackle last season, he could be particularly effective.... If CB Artrell Hawkins becomes a salary cap casualty, the PANTHERS will have to look for a new nickel back. Hawkins had a solid season and was the team's best cornerback against the run. Any potential replacement would have to be skilled against the run because starters Chris Gamble and Ricky Manning aren't particularly strong in that area.... The development of MLB Chris Clemons could be a big help to the REDSKINS' defense. He has exceptional speed and is a threat coming off the edge; he fits nice]y into coordinator Gregg Williams' blitz schemes.... Anthony Hargrove has all the tools to be an above-average defensive end for the RAMS, but he needs to get stronger and work on his technique. Hargrove's skills are raw, but he progressed enough to start on the right side by the end of his rookie season. The team needs him to have a strong offseason.... SEAHAWKS LB D.D. Lewis spent the season on injured reserve with a shoulder injury, but he has the speed, instincts and big-play ability the defense has lacked. Lewis is important to the team's plans for 2005 because he plays fast and aggressively, which is what coordinator Ray Rhodes wants from his linebackers.... The LIONS want to move RG Damien Woody to the left side, but the shift might be delayed. The team hopes to acquire a right guard in the offseason. However, if free-agent RT Stockar McDougle leaves and is replaced by a player with little experience, the Lions likely will keep Woody on the right side.... GIANTS WR Mark Jones has the speed to return punts but hasn't made much of an impact in that area. The team will have to decide whether the problem is Jones or the blocking he has received. The fact special teams coordinator Mike Sweatman has radically improved the kickoff return units suggests the problem likely lies with Jones.... It's doubtful WR Freddie Mitchell will finish the final year of his contract with the EAGLES. Mitchell has hinted he wants a chance to start somewhere else, and his pre-Super Bowl antics didn't sit well with the organization. Look for Mitchell to be traded before or during the draft, with a West Coast team such as the Chargers being his preference.... Given the way new PACKERS G.M. Ted Thompson covets draft picks, the club might want to consider trading RB Najeh Davenport if it can get a second- or third-round pick in return. Davenport will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, and if the club invests big money in RB Ahman Green, it won't be able to afford Davenport in '06.... SAINTS QB Kliff Kingsbury could challenge Todd Bouman for the No. 2 spot next season. Some of the team's coaches believe Kingsbury is a budding talent who eventually can become a starter. He needs to add strength but is exceptional at reading defenses and has a quick release.