Tuesday, June 25, 2002

ProFootballWeekly.com asks personnel expert Joel Buchsbaum for his thoughts on the hottest topics in football. 

• With Elvis Grbac gone, Ravens head coach Brian Billick is going back to the shotgun offense with Chris Redman at quarterback. Grbac never liked the offense, but Redman is familiar with it and will have more time to scan the field.

• If the Bills can’t find a good veteran defensive lineman, they may ask Shawn Price to come back. Price is a very good special-teams player, a good team player, a marginal starter and a solid backup. He is getting up in age but appears to be recovered from last year’s injuries.

• The Bengals are handing rookie FS Lamont Thompson the starting job. They love his hands and speed and want to move Cory Hall to strong safety.

• The Browns feel their offensive line will be much improved this year with more aggressive blockers. The key was getting OT Ryan Tucker, who came over from the Rams. Tucker is a very aggressive, physical player who has been on winning teams.

• The Broncos are wondering if they should move Ben Hamilton, who looked good at center in NFL Europe, to left guard, where the team wants to challenge Lennie Friedman because it feels he didn’t play that well last year.

• Houston is delighted with the play of FS Kevin Williams. Williams was a starter for the Jets before suffering an illness but never has been the same again. He’s starting to regain that form now.

• The Colts are toying with the idea of starting two of last year’s draft picks, Ryan Diem and Rick DeMulling, at guard. That would give them 675 pounds of muscle in the middle to go along with undersized C Jeff Saturday. The question becomes: Do they have quick enough feet to get the job done in pass protection? QB Peyton Manning makes such good use of the pocket and can unload quickly, and that will work to their advantage.

• Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil always likes gutty, small, tough underachievers. That includes his nephew, Louie Giammona, a former Utah State running back who played for him with the Eagles. Now, Vermeil may have found a similar player in Pete Rebstock from Colorado State. Don’t be surprised if Rebstock makes the team as a fifth wide receiver and versatile, jack-of-all-trades type of player.

• The Saints are working closely with QB Aaron Brooks on his setup and delivery, trying to teach him to get rid of the ball quicker and with a higher release point. They are also working with him on reads, which were too slow last year and led to many sacks.

• If the Eagles can’t find a veteran defensive end, look for Derrick Burgess to start at left defensive end. A 2001 draft pick, he was impressive as a rookie but undersized. He has added some weight and plays with good leverage and gives Philadelphia tremendous quickness on the defensive line.

• The Vikings are toying with starting two rookies at safety. Third-round pick Willie Offord is almost a lock to start at one spot, and rookie free agent Kyries Hebert (Louisiana-Lafayette) is a very good size-speed guy who has had a very good preseason and may get the nod on the other side.

• The Seahawks are delighted with the progress CB Ken Lucas has made in the offseason and feel he is ready to turn the corner and be a very solid starter opposite Shawn Springs. If that is the case, with CB Doug Evans as the third corner, Seattle will be in very good shape at a position that has hurt it in the past.

• The 49ers picked up QB Cade McNown because their brass liked him a great deal when he was at UCLA and scouting director Bill Rees was part of the Bears' team that drafted him in the first round. The cost to the 49ers was just a conditional seventh-round pick.

• Right now, because of a shortage of defensive linemen, the Redskins are in a position to play DE Bruce Smith on every down. Smith is perfectly willing and wants to play as much as possible. On the other hand, the Redskins are not happy with DT Dan Wilkinson, who hasn’t spent much time at the practice facility and wants his number of snaps limited except on game day because he feels practices take such a toll on his legs.

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