Teams looking for a quarterback could have the Philadelphia Eagles on speed dial before the NFL draft.
The inability to trade Kevin Kolb because of the lockout doesn't mean the Eagles aren't an attractive partner for a club that needs a quarterback. That's because Philadelphia holds the No. 23 pick in the first round in a draft where several QBs are projected to go around that spot.
The Eagles are known for their wheeling and dealing at the draft. They've made 29 trades during the draft over the past eight years, including six last year.
Around the league
DALLAS: The Cowboys are about to get their reward for a lousy 2010 season: the ninth overall pick in next week's NFL draft.
How they use it could be a window into the world Jerry Jones and his new coach, Jason Garrett.
Garrett's background is all offense, and this team's biggest weakness on offense is clearly the line. The Cowboys need better, younger blockers to protect Tony Romo and open holes for the running backs, which is why most mock drafts have Dallas taking the guy widely deemed the top lineman available, Southern Cal tackle Tyron Smith.
MINNESOTA: After all that waiting for Brett Favre, the Minnesota Vikings are accustomed to quarterback uncertainty.
One year later, the Vikings are again in an awkward spot.
The NFL lockout froze trading activity and free agency, making the draft - Minnesota has the 12th overall pick - the first opportunity to address the team's most critical of many needs.
The 2011 quarterback class is deep, with seven prospects pegged by most draft analysts as first or second round selections. The quandary for the Vikings, though, is that most of them are viewed as longer-term projects.
ST. LOUIS: Here's evidence that the NFL draft works, eventually. The St. Louis Rams are not, repeat not, on the clock.
Last April the Rams clicked with the No. 1 overall pick, taking quarterback Sam Bradford. Offensive tackle Jason Smith in 2009 and defensive end Chris Long in 2008 were both No. 2s overall.
All three are building blocks for a franchise that appears to be on the rise. The Rams made a six-victory leap last season, going 7-9 and just missing out on a playoff bid in the weak NFC West.
This year they'll be picking 14th, right in the middle of the pack.
TAMPA BAY: The Buccaneers need a pass rusher.
Statistics suggest it, NFL draft analysts believe it, and general manager Mark Dominik concedes it.
Tampa Bay ranked 30th among 32 teams in sacks with 26 a year ago, despite using their first two picks in the 2010 draft on defensive tackles.
Gerald McCoy, the third overall pick, got off to a slow start in an injury-shortened rookie season and finished with three sacks in 13 games. Second-rounder Brian Price played sparingly in five games before going on spending the second half of the season on injured reserve.
