NFL focus: hard truths

Giants TE Jeremy Shockey is a better blocker than many give him credit for, but that doesn't mean he should be doing as much blocking as he did last season. He has the receiving skills of a big wideout and is at his best when he lines up split from the line. To free him for that role, the team must find a top-notch blocking tight end who is reliable as both a run blocker and pass blocker....

The Steelers should release QB Tommy Maddox and re-sign veteran Charlie Batch to be Ben Roethlisberger's backup. Batch would like to remain with the team, but not as a No. 3 quarterback. And Maddox likely would get a chance to start with another team. Batch missed the 2004 season with a knee injury, but, like Roethlisberger, he can make plays on the run. Plus, Batch would be cheaper to retain. ... Patriots QB Tom Brady will have to make some adjustments next season. Former coordinator Charlie Weis' voice is the only one Brady has heard in his helmet since 2000, and the two had developed a rhythm in terms of play-calling.... Don't expect the Packers to overpay for LG Mike Wahle, who will become a free agent in March if his contract isn't restructured. New G.M. Ted Thompson comes from a West Coast school of thought that believes guards can be replaced and shouldn't be among the highest-paid players on the team. Even though Wahle is one of the league's best blockers on the move, his price will be high. The team might be better off spending its money elsewhere. The club can shuffle players around and still field a good offensive line.... Jaguars OT Mike Pearson insists he is making a speedy recovery from a major knee surgery he had last fall, but the team can't afford to wait and see. The club will have plenty of salary cap room, so signing Seahawks free-agent LT Walter Jones should be a priority if the Jaguars intend to protect QB Byron Leftwich's blind side this fall.... The Buccaneers soon might regret their decision to not play QB Chris Simms more last season. Simms was kept on the sideline long after he had recovered from the shoulder injury that cost him the starter's job he was given after Week 4. Consequently, the Bucs have no idea whether Simms is capable of moving the team and running the offense as well as Brian Griese, which has given Griese extra leverage in contract negotiations. Griese won't settle for anything less than a contract that pays him as a starter for the length of the deal.... The Texans need another big-time playmaker at receiver. At times last season, opponents took Andre Johnson out of the mix with double coverage, and the team's other receivers didn't do a good job of making defenses pay. The Texans should take a hard look at free agents Jerry Porter (Raiders) and Plaxico Burress (Steelers).... The Redskins' offense struggled so much last season that it's going to take more than a few small tweaks and a year of familiarity with the system to improve it. QB Patrick Ramsey has to show significant signs of progress in the offseason. The middle of the line must be strengthened, and the receiving unit might have to be rebuilt entirely. Perhaps most important, the team has to find the best way to use RB Clinton Portis, even if that means redesigning the running game.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Sporting News Publishing Co.
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning