This the seventh part of our series breaking down each team’s needs (by division)  headed into the draft tomorrow evening. In case you missed our previous posts, feel free to take a look here.

As always, we want to hear what you think, so don’t hesitate to leave us your thoughts in the comment thread.

Atlanta Falcons (9-7)

Analysis: Last season was definitely a big letdown for the Falcons, who were expecting big things after a strong season in 2008. The acquisition of future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez definitely helped the offense, but mediocre performances and injuries at other key positions caused Atlanta to falter at all the wrong times last year. That said, winning nine games gave them back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in their history, which is definitely something to be proud of. Look for more of the same this year, with essentially the same cast of characters back to push for a Super Bowl run. Read the rest of this entry »

Just when the fans in Cleveland thought things we’re relatively settled at the quarterback position, the Browns have come in and shaken up the process once more.

According to Jason LaCanfora of the the NFL Network, Cleveland has signed former Carolina Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme to a two year contract. The transaction comes in the same week that Cleveland traded for backup passer Seneca Wallace with Seattle, altering the entire position for the 2010 season.

Delhomme was surprisingly cut by the Panthers earlier in the free agency period, and was one of the more experienced quarterbacks on the market.

In seven solid seasons with Carolina, Delhomme threw for just under 20,000 passing yards and held a career record of 58-40 when in the starting lineup. Prior to his tenure with Carolina, Delhomme manned a reserve role on the Saints’ roster for several years.

Not long ago, Jake Delhomme was on top of the world, leading Carolina to a stellar season and getting a major contract as a reward. But as in life, glory in the NFL is often fleeting, and Delhomme is now looking for work after being released from the Panthers earlier tonight.

Fox Sports’ Jay Glazer first reported that Delhomme had been cut loose, and while it will come as a shock to some, Carolina reached their decision some time ago, after fellow QB Matt Moore showed he could handle the starting role down the stretch last year. Delhomme will now become the top free agent available at the position this off-season, although it’s doubtful he’ll find any takers willing to give him a legitimate shot as a starter.

The rumors of where Michael Vick might be playing in the 2010 season are sure to start heating up when the new league year is welcomed in on March 5th and the trading  period begins.

However, the Eagles’ quarterback might have stirred up the serious speculation a little early with some statements he made on an Atlanta radio show appearance. After being asked by the host to answer a listener’s question regarding where he would like to play if he could choose anywhere in the NFL, Vick said it would be the Carolina Panthers.

Here’s his response:

“Well, you know, it’s close to home. I like the uniforms. You get to play against Atlanta twice a year. Ain’t nothing better than playing against your former team, right? So, yeah, that would be a good look, it would be a good look.”

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One of the prime potential landing spots for Carolina defensive end Julius Peppers could be out of the picture this off-season, thanks in large part to a free agent bust at a similar position.

According to Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com, New England’s front office staff may be a bit leary of bringing in another high priced free agent, after linebacker Adalius Thomas’ production dropped off precipitously over the past two seasons. 

Thomas came to the Patriots from Baltimore as a premier free agent acquisition in 2007, and many felt he would be an impact player for the remainder of his career in New England. But while his play was servicable for the most part, Thomas struggled to fit in with the Patriots, culminating his troubles last season with a public feud over his dismissal from practice by head coach Bill Belichick.

Peppers currently plays defensive end for the Panthers, but is scheduled to be a free agent and has made it fairly clear that he would like to transition into a 3-4 rush linebacker role with his new team if possible. New England has long been speculated has being enamored with Peppers, but could choose to spend their money elsewhere, especially in light of the pending free agents they already have in guard Logan Mankins and defensive tackle Vince Wilfork.

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The past few off-seasons have been frustrating at best for Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers, with the Carolina brass choosing to keep him in the fold one season at a time with the dreaded franchise tag. Obviously, the money that’s come along with that tag hasn’t been all that bad for Peppers, but there’s little doubt that the All-Pro pass rusher has been ready to leave town for a long time, and this year he just might get his wish.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Panthers are not expected to keep Peppers around via the franchise tag this time, in light of the likely $20 million a season cost it would bring. But if they choose not to use that label on Peppers, it’s doubtful that he would stick around to see if a long term deal is in the works, opening him up to a free agent market that is likely to be a thin one given the potential uncapped season looming.

“I think most people who have looked at the situation have understood the complexity of it for the Panthers. What I’m more surprised by is the silent treatment that they’re giving Julius at this time. We have had a very respectful relationship with the organization and this is very much unlike what I’m used to seeing from them.”

– Agent Carl Carey

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Over the past two seasons, Carolina running back DeAngelo Williams has asserted himself as one of the league’s premier offensive weapons, rushing for over 2,600 yards and 25 touchdowns. He’s also become a leader in the locker room, pushing his teammates to be better and leading them by example on the field.

But all of that could become a moot point if the Panthers decide that their other needs are too great to address without parting with one of their star players in an effort to obtain the draft picks necessary to upgrade other positions. According to Darin Gantt of the Rock Hil Herald, Carolina is likely to discuss this topic in depth over the coming weeks leading up to the free agency period and eventually the draft, setting the stage for a potential deal to be made next spring.

The most important of those needs is clearly at quarterback, where Jake Delhomme has aged rapidly and deteriorated even faster. His backup Matt Moore seems to be a nice player, but there are still significant questions as to whether he’s capable of being the permanent starter in the future. And seeing as the Panthers are currently lacking their first round pick after trading it away last season to San Francisco for the right to select defensive end Everette Brown, getting a good quarterback in next year’s draft seems unlikely at this point.

Trading away Williams would not be without its pitfalls, as he is a proven commodity at the running back spot, and losing him may cause a drop in production for the Panthers offense. That said, any trade of Williams would be mitigated by the presence of fellow running back Jonathan Stewart, who is equally dangerous and capable of handling the lead rusher role by himself if need be.

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There is a growing consensus around the league that believes that former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher is ready to make a return to the sidelines next fall, and while there have been several speculative reports with him potentially landing in Chicago, Carolina, and Washington, thus far Cowher isn’t talking.

But according to Redskins beat reporter Chris Russell, sources close to Cowher have indicated that he would not be interested at this point in working for Redskins owner Dan Snyder, taking Washington out of the mix for his services and increasing the likelihood of a deal to coach the Panthers in the future (H/T to Football News Now)

We previously discussed a Cowher to Carolina deal last month, breaking down a multitude of factors that could positively impact the Panthers chances of landing Cowher, if they decide to remove current head coach John Fox from his position. At the time, it seemed as though all the right things were falling into place for Cowher to make his come back with Carolina, but depending on what the Bears decide to do with Lovie Smith, Chicago could definitely make a strong push to get Cowher into the fold and running the show.

As always, we’ll keep you posted when more information breaks on this and the other stories we’re following.

The Bills in-season coaching search took another turn tonight, this time in the wrong direction, as former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher rebuffed Buffalo owner Ralph Wilson and his overtures to bring Cowher in for an interview with the club.

This comes on the heels of reports that indicated a push by the Bills to bring in former Denver head coach Mike Shanahan, along with several intriguing rumors surrounding Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis and a potential fit for him in Buffalo. For the time being, the Bills are remaining tight lipped on their search, but given all the leaks springing up across the board, there’s no doubt that something big is afoot in western New York.

Cowher has repeatedly declined offers to return to the NFL as a head coach, preferring instead to focus on his family and his position with CBS’ The NFL Today on Sunday afternoon. That said, those close to the coach have said that the desire to coach again still burns deep within Cowher, and it’s simply a matter of him wanting to find the best opportunity possible for himself and his family.

One such locale would be Carolina, as Panthers head coach John Fox certainly isn’t out of the woods as of yet in terms of retaining his job. If he is removed from the position, you can bet that the first person to be called will be Cowher, who holds strong ties to the area with his permanent home being located reasonably close to Charlotte in Raleigh, NC.

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According to Fox Sports, Kansas City has traded DT Tank Tyler to the Panthers in return for a fifth round pick in the 2010 draft.

The move upgrades Carolina’s defensive line depth significantly, while simultaneously making the Chiefs weaker in the same area, but given KC’s likelihood of finishing off the season poorly, adding another pick to deep draft next year makes more sense than keeping a role player like Tyler around to play a few snaps a week.

Tyler was a third round pick out of North Carolina State by the previous regime in Kansas City, but did not play well enough thus far in the Chiefs new 3-4 defensive scheme to keep the coaching staff in his corner. Transitioning back into the 4-3 scheme employed by the Panthers should be much easier, giving Carolina a talented player to us in their rotation.

According to the Charlotte Observer, Panthers WR Steve Smith will likely miss two weeks of practice and pre-season action after injuring his shoulder during routine drills earlier today.

Smith’s agent delivered the prognosis, stating emphatically that his client would definitely be out of action for a minimum of two weeks, despite the team’s more optimistic analysis, which showed no major damage to Smith’s shoulder.

WR Dwayne Jarrett is expected to get most of the reps with the Panthers’ first team unit while Smith is out, and Carolina’s coaching staff is hopeful he’ll make the most of the opportunity.

San Francisco hasn’t closed the door on a possible Julius Peppers addition this off-season, but for the time being they’re content to develop their pass rush in house with players that have thus far underachieved.

According to the Sacramento Bee, the Niners will be using LBs Parys Haralson and Manny Lawson in a hybrid pass rushing role within their 3-4 defense this season, and so far that move looks good on the practice field. Getting it to work in a real game situation is entirely different though, so the team still has their phone lines open to a potential trade to acquire Peppers from Carolina and may seek to bring free agent DE Jason Taylor into the mix as the summer progresses.

Getting Peppers would be extremely tricky, as San Fran would likely have to cough up a first round pick and more to pry him loose, but the return on such an investment would be huge. In Peppers, the 49ers would have a relatively young pass rusher that is experienced, determined, and has superstar caliber talent. That addition alone could vault the team into the race for NFC West supremacy, although it seems that the Cardinals currently have a stranglehold on that division.

As always, we’ll keep an eye out for anything we see on this and all the other news from around the league.