What To Look Out For This NFL Offseason

Just like any other hardcore football fan, I too am depressed that the season is over. Sure, it ended with one of the greatest games ever, but it ended nonetheless. Nevertheless, this NFL offseason should prove to be interesting as teams work on filling gaps in their rosters and snap up rising talent. This is a short list of possible things that could happen this offseason in football teams' quest for continuous improvement.

1) Rise of the defensive line. As the New York Giants just showed, one of the most crucial components of a successful football team is a strong defensive line. Having four players who can pressure quarterbacks without blitz is key to shutting down even the best of offensives. Watch for other teams to realize this fact and adjust their defenses as necessary.

2) Watch the Patriots, again. Last year, the New England Patriots realized their biggest weakness-their receivers-and made an amazing fix with the pick up of Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth, and Randy Moss. This season, the Patriots' weakness lies in their secondary. Cornerbacks Asante Samuel and Randall Gay are free to leave as free agents. Safety Rodney Harrison is considering retirement. So look for the Patriots to address these defensive holes through the draft and free agency. If these weaknesses are addressed, the Patriots could be once again striving for a perfect season next year.

3) The Bills with keep Losman. Buffalo Bills quarterback J.P. Losmas was supposed to be the next Jim Kelly. That has not happened yet. Now with 2007 thrid-round pick Trent Edwards as starter, Losman wants out of Buffalo. However, he is under contract for one more year and the Bills will likely keep him for fear of Edwards being injured.

4) Midnight for McNabb? The Philadelphia Eagles could very well trade quarterback Donovan McNabb. They picked up Kevin Kolb during last year's draft and are looking to play him soon. McNabb has been less than spectacular lately and a new, fresh quarterback will certainly help this underrated team.

5) Watch the Rams. The St. Louis Rams did not deserve a 3-13 record this season. The major reason for this year's failure was injuries. This team suffered many major injuries throughout the season. Next season, the Rams will surely be a team to contend against with good first-round draft picks and the return of a healthy Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson. Expect a turnaround for this team.

J.P. Losman Wants To Leave The Bills Because They Did Him Wrong

Bills quarterback J.P. Losman wants out of Buffalo, unhappy with how he lost his starting job to rookie Trent Edwards this past season.

Losman's agent, Gary Wichard, told The Associated Press on Friday that his client would prefer to be traded, but added Losman would play out the final year of his contract if necessary. Wichard said he has not yet spoken to the Bills because the team is seeking a new general manager after Marv Levy stepped down earlier this week.

Whether the Bills choose to keep Losman, Wichard said he didn't see any chance of Losman remaining with the team after next season.

"That ship has sailed, my friend," Wichard said. "Hopefully, they do something this year. And if not, we'll just walk away after next year."

Wichard said he spoke out now because he knew how unhappy his client is. He said he and Losman didn't want to air their views during the season so not to cause a distraction to the team.

Losman declined numerous interview requests over the final weeks of the season, and also after Bills players cleaned out their lockers Monday after a 7-9 finish, in which Buffalo missed the playoffs for a franchise record eighth consecutive season.

"I give him credit for handling this thing the way he has," Wichard said. "But at the end, he said, 'I'm out of here.'"

The Bills were not immediately available for comment.

Bills owner Ralph Wilson has previously said the team has not made a decision on Losman's future, and didn't rule out the possibility of the player returning for one more year.

Noting the number of starters hurt this season, Wilson told The AP last month that it might be important for the Bills to keep two experienced players.

The Bills, however, are high on Edwards, the third-round draft pick out of Stanford, who is expected to return as the starter despite an up-and-down season.

Edwards went 2-3 to finish the year after reclaiming the starting job for a second time from Losman. Edwards took over the first time in Week 3 after Losman sprained his knee during the first series of a 38-7 loss at New England.

Losman reclaimed the starting job after Edwards sprained his throwing hand five weeks later in a 13-3 win at the New York Jets. Losman, who rallied the Bills to beat the Jets, went 2-2 in his next four starts before losing the job again.

Wichard said Losman was unhappy by the lack of support the team provided him.

"He knows they bailed on him," Wichard said. "Nobody would ever say, 'J.P., you're our quarterback.' They said it was a week-to-week job. He was waiting to be yanked. And that's what eventually happened."

It's typical for a quarterback who is full of himself to blame his players when he isn't producing good results. The fact of the matter is Losman is a terrible quarterback and I'm one of those people who kept saying to start Trent Edwards every game. I can't see Losman gaining his starting job back again in Buffalo, or anywhere else for that matter.

The Buffalo Bills Do Something Right

Rookie Trent Edwards was announced as the starting quarterback instead of the awful J.P. Losman. Edwards was chosen the team's starter by coach Dick Jauron on Monday, a day after J.P.Losman was ineffective in a 36-14 loss at Jacksonville. Jauron said he hopes Edwards can give the sputtering offense a spark against Washington on Sunday.

Losman turned over the ball three times against Jacksonville and has looked shaky in each of his last three starts. Although Losman engineered fourth-quarter comeback wins against Cincinnati and Miami, his play has been inconsistent. In his four starts since taking over for Edwards, Losman averaged only 209 yards passing and had three touchdowns and five interceptions.

There is no contest between Edwards and Losman. The bottom line is when Losman plays, the Bills lose and when Edwards plays, the Bills win. The Bills were horrible the first few games of the season with Losman. Then, when they put in Edwards, they won 4 games and were becoming a surprising team. However, Losman came back in and the Bills started losing again. Edwards is the Bills' future quarterback, not Losman. Why can't they realize that?

NFL Updated News For Week 12

Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson was ruled out of Sunday's game against the New York Giants, leaving Chester Taylor to start in his place.

Quarterback Donovan McNabb will miss the Philadelphia Eagles' game Sunday against New England because of a sprained ankle and injured thumb. A.J. Feeley, who led the Eagles to a win over the Dolphins, will make his first start since 2004.

Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu and wide receiver Santonio Holmes won't play Monday against Miami after missing practice Friday for a third consecutive day.

Bills rookie running back Marshawn Lynch will miss his second consecutive game because of a badly sprained left ankle when Buffalo plays at Jacksonville on Sunday.

For Miami, middle linebacker Zach Thomas has been ruled out for his fourth consecutive game and will not play on Monday night.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Vinny Testaverde was ruled inactive for Sunday's game against New Orleans, a day after he awoke with a stiff back. David Carr will be in the spotlight for this week.