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Michael Lombardi: What we learned on draft weekend
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April 28, 2008

What We Learned: Jets like their QBs and Bills will be tough in 2008

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Five things we learned about teams during and after draft weekend ...

When the Jets traded into the tail end of the first round, I thought for certain they were headed for a quarterback. However with the extra pick, the Jets selected tight end Dustin Keller from Purdue and sent a powerful message to all the Kellen Clemens doubters.

Keller has very good pass receiving skills and can challenge a defense down the field, but who is going throw him the ball? The Jets will start training camp with an open competition between Chad Pennington and Clemens -- fifth-round pick Erik Ainge of Tennessee will be the No. 3, at best -- meaning the Jets success in 2008 will reside solely in their hands.

Now, I know that Clemens is a young quarterback and half a season of starting is not enough to evaluate his long-range skills. But based on the tape I watched last season, he did not demonstrate the arm strength and body to be a starting quarterback in the NFL . The Meadowlands is a very difficult place to throw the ball because of the constant wind that prevails inside the stadium. Clemens ' arm is not strong enough to cut down the wind. When the slick defensive minds (like Bill Belichick ) have to defend a weak-armed quarterback, it makes for an easy day of defense.

The Jets are rebuilding their line in free agency and seem to have addressed the tight end need in this draft, but until they fix the quarterback position they will struggle to beat the Patriots . It might be wise for the Jets to call Tampa Bay and make an offer for Chris Simms , who is available and in need of a fresh environment. He clearly knows who to ask about those awful Meadowlands winds.

What happens when your team leads the NFL in field-goal attempts and still makes the playoffs? You draft a home run hitter who can get the ball into the end zone and help you score points. Chris Johnson of East Carolina fit the bill for the Titans . The former East Carolina rusher is a multi-purpose player and was the fastest running back in the draft.

Tennessee quarterback Vince Young is a dynamic player but he struggled in former offensive coordinator Norm Chow 's version of the West Coast offense. Chow was not retained and in comes Mike Heimerdinger from Denver to open the offensive attack. Heimerdinger is an excellent coach who can utilize the skill set of Young -- much like he did with a young Steve McNair .

With Johnson in the backfield, the Titans have a player who can take a 5-yard gain and turn it into a 40-yard touchdown. LenDale White , their second-round pick in 2006, is the pounding back, the inside-the-tackles runner who will pick up the tough yards. Johnson is the back who allows Heimerdinger to open up the formation and get Young back to his college roots.

Young works best out of the spread attack, much like he did while he played at Texas . Spreading the formation forces the defense to spread out and this will allow seams for Johnson to exploit. Young needs to have a versatile back around him, who has wide receiver skills, but running back power. Trying to get a wide receiver may have been the popular idea for the Titans before the draft, but getting a multi-dimensional runner was the best move.

Jacksonville had a very good team last year and made great progress in its quest to beat the Colts for the AFC South title. The one element the defense lacked was the lack of athleticism of its ends. Based on the Jags ' actions this draft weekend, I believe they have closed the gap even more on the Colts .

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