Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Each NFL season can only have one champion, and in 2009, the New Orleans Saints claimed that title. The good news, though, is that right now for the 2010 season, every team is sitting even. With that in mind, the Bruno Boys got to thinking about what each NFL team needs to do in order to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next year. Thus, was born the Bruno Boys latest series which will examine the key needs that need to be addressed by all 32 NFL teams. Bruno Boys Cory takes a look at the NFC East in Part 4 of this 8-part series.

NFC EAST

Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys do not feel like they are far away from a trip to the Super Bowl. Owner Jerry Jones likes a lot of the pieces that are in place, including head coach Wade Phillips, and will like use the off-season to refine the offense and build depth on defense. Despite it being an uncapped year, and Dallas having an unlimited amount of money to spend, don’t look for the Cowboys to be big players in the free-agent market. Look for them to try and lock up wide receiver Miles Austin to a long-term deal while addressing some of their needs through the 2010 NFL Draft.

Team Strengths:

- Tony Romo (Entering 2009, everyone thought Romo would struggle with the loss of Terrell Owens; however, he enjoyed his most efficient season to date)

- Good Core of Running Backs (Marion Barber and Felix Jones provide the Cowboys with a solid 1-2 punch that makes opponents tough to game-plan against. Barber is the bruiser while Jones makes big plays. The team also has Tashard Choice, though he could be traded during the off-season)

- Miles Austin (Came out of nowhere to put together 81 receptions, 1,320 receiving and 11 touchdowns in 2009. Will once again be the primary big play target for Romo and is still developing as an every down receiver)

- Jason Witten (The tight end only has six touchdowns over his last 32 games, but you can’t argue against his 271 receptions over the last three years)

- Solid Core of Linebackers (DeMarcus Ware is one of the best outside linebackers in all of football and has 45 sacks since 2007. Keith Brooking adds veteran leadership and still plays at a high level while Bradie James has four straight seasons of 100+ tackles.)

Team Needs:

1. More Talent at Wide Receiver - Austin is starting to realize his potential as a wide receiver but the rest of the group is not so intimidating. The Cowboys need somebody to put opposite of Austin and it isn’t likely they’ll attempt to do so through the draft. Currently the big wide receiver names floating around in free agency and in trade talks are Brandon Marshall and Terrell Owens. A reuniting of Owens and Dallas won’t happen so we’ll see if the Cowboys make a run at Marshall. If they were to attempt to find a receiver in the draft they would be wise to target more experienced guys like Golden Tate of Notre Dame.

2.  Improve the Offensive Line - The offensive line needs work. Flozell Adams no longer can cut it at left tackle as the Cowboys often had to assign him help in blocking. If the Cowboys can’t protect Romo then their season is over. We would expect the Cowboys to address this area through the draft. A guy like Oklahoma’s Trent Williams or Rutgers’ Anthony Davis would look good in a Dallas uniform.

3. Shoring up the Safety Position - Between Gerald Sensabaugh and Ken Hamlin the Cowboys are decent at safety but it remains a weak spot on an otherwise solid defense. An upgrade at this position would also take less pressure off of corners Terence Newman and Mike Jenkins. Taylor Mays from USC will likely draw a lot of attention from Jones and the Cowboys, especially after running a 4.24/4.43 (unofficial/adjusted) 40-yard dash at the scouting combine.

New York Giants

The New York Giants were known for their elite defense during their recent title run but entering 2010 that side of the ball needs a little bit of loving after they were 30th in the league in points allowed last season. Aging and injured players at linebacker and underdeveloped players at cornerback and safety have left the secondary in a bit of doldrums the past couple of seasons. Team owner John Mara has said publicly he doesn’t think the Giants need to go on a spending spree; however, he did address their issue at safety by signing Antrel Rolle to a five-year, $37 million deal. Look for New York to add a couple more pieces to the puzzle while using the draft to bring in more talent on defense.

Team Strengths: 

- Eli Manning (He had a career high in completion percentage and touchdown passes a season ago and should continue to make progress as he enter his seventh NFL season)

- Depth at Running Back (Brandon Jacobs struggled in 2009 but has shown potential. The emergence of Ahmad Bradshaw has the Giants ready to enter 2010 with a RBBC approach. Danny Ware, Gartrell Johnson and Andre Brown all have a shot to get touches in New York)

- Smart Wide Receivers (When Plaxico Burress went to jail it looked like the Giants were going to struggle in this department, but that wasn’t the case. Steve Smith, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks created quite the tandem and should continue to get better this season)

Team Needs:

1.Finding an Elite Linebacker - Antonio Pierce has been released, leaving guys like Michael Boley and Chase Blackburn as the top players at the position. Needless to say the Giants will look to pick up an elite linebacker early in the draft and they’ll likely look for a middle linebacker. The Giants would love to be able to get Alabama’s Rolando McClain, who is a guy that could step in right away and produce. Unfortunately, McClain may not be there when they pick at No. 15.

2. Improve at Cornerback  - Corey Webster and Aaron Ross are recent high draft picks by the Giants but neither has lived up to his potential. The Giants would love to get their hands on a true shutdown corner. Florida’s Joe Haden may be available when the Giants pick. Though he was considered a top-10 pick his sub-par 40 times may allow the Giants to snag him. If not then Boise State’s Kyle Wilson is a guy the Giants could target instead though they may try to trade down a few picks to get him but pay less.

3. Adding Depth at Defensive Tackle - The Giants are thin at defensive tackle but they would also like to upgrade the position to take the heat off of ends Justin Tuck, Mathias Kiwanuka and Osi Umenyiora. Boosting this position would also help the rest of the defense. Better pressure from the defensive line would allow more room for the linebackers to make plays as well as not put the defensive backs in poor position on passing plays. The Giants may be able to use a second round pick to target Penn State’s Jared Odrick, Terrence Cody of Alabama or Georgia’s Geno Atkins.