Buffalo: QB Trent Edwards out, Ryan Fitzpatrick in - No drop off. Neither are starter types but Fitzpatrick has a little more consistency throwing the ball accurately than the erratic Edwards.
Carolina: Matt Moore out, Jimmy Clausen in - Upgrade! Clausen could have some early struggles but definitely has much more innate talent throwing the ball than Moore, who is really no better than a “fringe” league back up.
Detroit: Matt Stafford out, Shaun Hill remains starter - Big drop off. Doesn’t help that the Lions are playing one of the league’s top teams in Minnesota. They need to get Stafford healthy fast! Hill has never been a consistent passer and can throw momentum changing interceptions.
Houston: Duane Brown out, Rashad Butler in at Left OT - Drop off. You never want your best offensive tackle out of the game, especially with the Cowboys and Demarcus Ware coming to town. Rashad Butler is very athletic but lacks the core strength of Brown and will be susceptible to Ware’s bull rush ability. The Texans better give him some help with the TE.
New Orleans: Reggie Bush out, Chris Ivory in - No drop off short term. Pierre Thomas is an accomplished receiver and Chris Ivory is one of the better RB “finds” of the last few years. I feel Ivory can be a productive starter in the NFL and the Saints still have Drew Brees under center.
New York Jets: Darrell Revis out, Kyle Wilson in - Some obvious drop off but as I’ve said before, this Jets defense is good enough to overcome a couple “key” injuries and still win games. This is why drafting DC’s early is always a smart thing to do.
Pittsburgh: Dennis Dixon out, Charlie Batch in - Upgrade. Never been a fan of Dixon. He just makes too many mistakes throwing the ball. Batch is a wily veteran who can lead the Steelers just fine in the short term.
San Diego: Ryan Mathews out, Mike Tolbert in - No drop off. As long as Rivers stays healthy this offense will be productive. Tolbert has a similar style to Mathews, a north/south runner who finishes strong. It helps playing a poor defense like Seattle.
Tampa Bay: Tanard Jackson out, Sabby Piscatelli or Sean Jones in - Drop off. This defense will lose some attitude in the back end with the loss of the hard hitting Jackson. Expect the Steelers to challenge the Bucs defense down the middle of the field.
Washington: Trent Williams out, Stephon Heyer in - Big drop off. Never good to lose your Left OT, especially a talented rookie like Williams. Heyer lacks the athletic ability to be on the left side. It does help playing the lowly Rams, who lack elite pass rushers.
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Dave Razzano is a former NFL scout and Playmaker Mobile correspondent with more than 22 years of professional scouting experience with the San Francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams and Arizona Cardinals under NFL coaches including Bill Walsh, George Seifert, Chuck Knox and Dick Vermeil. He's been a part of five Super Bowls with three Super Bowl wins (49ers, 1989, 1990; Rams, 2000).
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