Atlanta Falcons
Quandary: Michael Vick is in a federal penitentiary. And can anybody expect
Joey Harrington or
Chris Redman (who can become a free agent) to be the long-term answer?
Solution: Owner Arthur Blank is known for his patience, and he signed off on the Falcons' chopping a bunch of veteran players. That signaled a lengthy rebuilding process. New coach
Mike Smith is going to have some time, so it makes sense to use a top-five pick on a potential franchise quarterback who can grow with a young team.
Baltimore Ravens
Quandary: Steve McNair might be washed up, and
Kyle Boller can't put points on the board. Alleged offensive guru Brian Billick never got much out of this offense, and that is why he is gone. Successor John Harbaugh needs a legitimate attack.
Solution: The
Philadelphia Eagles say
Donovan McNabb isn't on the market, even though
Kevin Kolb is waiting in the wings. McNabb-to-Baltimore rumors are out there, but in the long run, the Ravens might be better off just drafting a quarterback early.
Carolina Panthers
Quandary: The assumption is that
Jake Delhomme will come back as good as or better than before. But there are no guarantees with Tommy John surgery.
Matt Moore showed some promise late last year, and
Brett Basanez has the potential to be a nice backup. But the Panthers need an insurance policy for Delhomme, because coach John Fox won't survive a third straight season without making the playoffs.
Solution: Amazingly,
David Carr remains on the roster. But he won't for long. The Panthers need a veteran with some starting experience.
Chicago Bears
Quandary: The Bears have been wasting a potentially great defense by trying to scrape by with
Rex Grossman and
Brian Griese at quarterback. You can't win a Super Bowl like that.
Solution: Maybe the Bears can twist the Eagles' arms -- or wings, if you prefer -- and bring home McNabb, an Illinois native, for instant respectability.
Kansas City Chiefs
Quandary: Coach Herm Edwards makes it sound like
Brodie Croyle is his guy. He also doesn't seem to be a big fan of
Damon Huard. But what has Croyle done to earn anybody's confidence?
Solution: Maybe Croyle, who started nine games in 2007, will work out. But in case he doesn't, the Chiefs need to take a shot on a quarterback sometime after the first round.
Miami Dolphins
Quandary: Trent Green is gone.
John Beck, who didn't show much in four starts as a rookie, still is around. After their 1-15 season, the Dolphins hold the No. 1 overall pick, giving themselves a choice of rookie quarterbacks.
Solution: Miami needs more than a quarterback. The Dolphins would be wise to deal the top choice and get more picks to help elsewhere. Beck has some potential, and a free-agent veteran could hold down the fort for the short term. Keep in mind, Bill Parcells is running the Dolphins, and Phil Simms used to play for him with the Giants. Parcells might be inclined to take a chance on Chris Simms.
Minnesota Vikings
Quandary: They have one of the game's most explosive players in running back
Adrian Peterson but nothing else on offense.
Tarvaris Jackson is not the answer.
Solution: McNabb's name also gets floated here because Minnesota coach Brad Childress used to work in Philadelphia. That could be a great solution. But the Vikings are a team that can afford to draft a rookie because Peterson will take away a lot of the pressure.
New York Jets
Quandary: Chad Pennington was in and out of the lineup last year, and
Kellen Clemens received a lot of playing time. It might be too late for Pennington to revive his career with the Jets, and it's too early to say Clemens is the answer.
Solution: This will be a crucial season for coach Eric Mangini, but he could buy himself some time by adding a young quarterback to the competition.
Pat Yasinskas covers the NFL for ESPN.com.
, but I think we have stronger needs on the OL and DL that we need to address before QB. I don't think any of these QBs (Ryan included) have shown enough to warrant the #3 pick and I think we'd be better long-term by drafting Jake Long (OT), Glenn Dorsey (DT) or Sedrick Ellis (DT) (or even better yet, trying to trade down!). We'd be better off picking up Henne, Flacco or Josh Johnson in the 2nd-3rd round and sitting them behind Chris Redman for a year. Everyone knows the Falcons aren't going to make the playoffs in Mike Smith's first year anyway...better to plan for the long-term.
