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deliver on draft day




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10-pack: GMs who need to deliver on draft day
April 4, 2008

Mike Florio



With the 2008 draft barely three weeks away, more general managers
likely are feeling a little more antsy than their counterparts in
other cities. For various reasons, these 10 GMs are (or at least
should be) feeling a little tight in the collar as the time period for
making picks gets closer and closer.

1. Mike Tannenbaum, Jets: Owner Woody Johnson recently said that
Tannenbaum and coach Eric Mangini will be back in 2009. Their bigger
concern could be 2010. The team's free-agent spending spree suggests a
strong desire to win now, but the quarterback position might need some
serious attention in order to allow this team to compete with the
likes of the Patriots. If Matt Ryan is on the board when the Jets pick
at No. 6, Tannenbaum will be popping Tums like they were Tic-Tacs.

2. Phil Savage, Browns: Expectations are high in Cleveland, and it's
already causing Savage to crack. He caved in negotiations with
quarterback Derek Anderson because Savage feared an unlikely three-way
deal that would have left him with only one starting quarterback.
Savage overpaid for Donte' Stallworth, a receiver whom no one else
seriously was pursuing. And Savage coughed up too much in trade, and
way too much money, for defensive tackle Shaun Rogers. Though the
Browns have only four picks, and none in the first three rounds,
Savage will be tempted to reach in the hopes of getting someone who
can help the team win now.

3. Mike Shanahan, Broncos: With Ted Sundquist gone and Shanahan's
Kevlar suit suddenly converted into Kleenex, Shanahan needs to impress
the critics, the media, the fans and the owner with a solid draft.
More important, Shanahan needs to not acquire any more off-field
problem children. Given that the Broncos have nine picks, odds are
that they'll get at least one guy who is eventually wearing orange,
without the blue.

4. Jerry Angelo, Bears: Under Angelo, the Bears have whiffed on
several high-profile picks. Marc Colombo. Rex Grossman. Tank Johnson.
Cedric Benson. This time around, Angelo needs to find a solid running
back, a high-end receiver, and a quarterback of the future. (Or,
preferably, the present.) Though Angelo isn't close to the hot seat,
sooner or later the powers-that-be are going to realize that the
team's sporadic successes have little to do with his drafts.

5. Andy Reid, Eagles: After last year's decision to trade down with
the Eagles' arch-rivals in Dallas then to use a second-round pick on a
quarterback who might not see the field before he's a free agent,
Philly's football poo-bah needs to come up big. The distraction caused
by Reid's kids puts even more pressure on him; Reid must come out of
the weekend at a minimum with a receiver that makes the fans forget
about the fact that they almost had Randy Moss. Good luck with that.

6. Matt Millen, Lions: Millen won't draft a receiver in the top 10
this year. But only because he doesn't have a top-10 pick. This time
around, Millen seems to be delegating more of his authority to coach
Rod Marinelli, which means that Marinelli will be the one to take the
fall if the Lions continue to perform like they have since Millen
arrived seven years ago.

7. Scot McCloughan, 49ers: The good news for McCloughan is that he has
acquired final say over personnel. The bad news is that McCloughan has
acquired final say over personnel. He's now squarely in the
crosshairs, and if the team doesn't improve he won't last long --
especially after the embarrassment to the franchise resulting from the
tampering fiasco involving the Bears.

8. Carl Peterson, Chiefs: Time is running out for Peterson to improve
a roster than has disintegrated over the past few years. The offensive
line is in shambles, the receiver position is an embarrassment. Though
Peterson seems to be above reproach, he'll find himself on the outside
looking in if the Chiefs end up with another 4-12 record.

9. Jeff Ireland, Dolphins: Even first-year general managers sometimes
feel the heat right out of the gates. For Ireland, he needs to show
that he's in charge, if of course, he really is. And Ireland needs to
use the No. 1 overall pick on a guy who helps the team, or he might
not be around for long after his boss, Bill Parcells, finishes his
four-year stint.

10. Ozzie Newsome, Ravens: With coach Brian Billick finally out the
door, the accountability shifts squarely to Newsome. Though Newsome
has drafted incredibly well, he needs to solve the quarterback problem
once and for all. Now is the time to begin to develop a guy from
scratch, and Newsome needs to guess right.

Mike Florio writes and edits ProFootballTalk.com and is a regular
contributor to Sporting News.

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