Fatal Flaws And The Solution For Every Team
Matt Harmon NFLcom
4/02/18
With the primary and secondary waves of free agency in the rearview mirror, the NFL world turns its eye almost exclusively to the 2018 NFL Draft. Outside of trades, teams will mostly need to finish their efforts to improve through the college selection process.
While many organizations took steps forward in free agency, every team is left with some number of holes. No one is perfect. Here we'll look at the fatal flaw remaining for each NFC franchise as we head toward the draft. If not addressed by rookies or internal improvement, these are the issues that could stall hopes for progress when the regular season begins in September.
NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, any advanced metric used in this article comes from the Next Gen Stats tracking data gleaned from the chips embedded within every player's shoulder pads.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Running back
The Buccaneers' passing offense didn't take the leap many expected in 2017, but an ineffective ground game was also a culprit in the team's disappointing campaign. Doug Martin returned from an early-season suspension as more of an anchor than a lifeboat tossed to a sinking running game. Tampa Bay's running backs averaged 3.17 yards gained after defenders close within 1 yard last season, ranking 31st in the NFL. No one on the team could evade tacklers. On the other hand, the Bucs' offensive line posted the 10th-highest average yards gained (0.35) before defenders closed within 1 yard of their backs. Thus, an ecosystem exists for a productive running game in Tampa Bay.
Solution: A long-shot scenario exists where Saquon Barkley is still on the board when the Bucs pick at No. 7. If he's there, he'd be a near impossibility to pass up and would bring the added benefit of his receiving chops to the team. It's more likely Tampa finds its man in Round 2 or 3. The top of the second round will still hold a bevy of tempting options in what is a strong class of runners.
For every team.....
http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000923587/article/afc-fatal-flaws-patriots-blindside-hole-jaguars-aerial-issue
