With the bulk of free agency in the rear-view mirror, we finally have a clear picture of where teams stand heading into May's draft.
Every organization still has holes to fill, and beyond this year's crop of rookies and free-agent additions, teams are counting on their own homegrown talent to step it up come September.
Brandt: Second-year step up
Gil Brandt names 10 rising stars who are primed to break out in a major way in their second season playing in the NFL. **READ**
Here's a look at five in-house, supporting cast members ready for bigger roles in 2014:
1. Kenny Stills, WR, New Orleans Saints:Lance Moore and Darren Sproles combined for 108 catches and more than 1,000 yards receiving last season. Neither will be back, leaving Stills as the stand-alone No. 2 wideout alongside Marques Colston. Stills played 708 snaps last season, but saw just 51 targets from Drew Brees. He made the most of his opportunities as a rookie, ranking second in the NFL with an average of 20 yards per catch. Stills can take the top off a defense, but he's more than just a one-dimensional pass catcher. He'll be given a chance to do it all for New Orleans.
2. Ladarius Green, TE, San Diego Chargers: After playing just 450 snaps in 2013, Green is ready for a bigger piece of the pie. We got a taste of his speed and sticky hands during a two-week stretch in November that saw Green haul in seven balls for 161 yards and a touchdown. His 22.1 yards per reception topped all qualifying tight ends last season, while his 9.3 yards after the catch ranked third. His late-season production led coach Mike McCoy to acknowledge self-critically that he should have gotten the tight end involved "a little earlier" in the year.
3. Rueben Randle, WR, New York Giants: With Hakeem Nicks out the door, Randle is the top option for No. 2 duties alongside Victor Cruz. Wideout looms as a draft need for New York, but Tom Coughlin in March expressed high expectations for Randle. "You've seen the plays the guy can make," the coach said. "We have a lot of belief and stock in his development." Giants skill players are starting fresh under new coordinator Ben McAdoo, and young receivers tend to emerge in Year 3. Randle's under pressure to deliver.
4. Travaris Cadet, RB, New Orleans Saints: Sproles can't be replaced by one guy, but coach Sean Paytonsingled out Cadet last month as a guy he's counting on. I went back and watched all of the third-year back's preseason snaps from last season. He needs to do a better job holding onto the ball, but Cadet made tough catches out of the backfield and showed some wiggle in open space. He'll face competition in camp -- and we like Khiry Robinson -- but Cadet earned praise from Payton as "someone that is very comfortable in that (Sproles) role, and I think he can run."
5. *Adrien Robinson, TE, New York Giants: Big Blue is bound to target a tight end in the draft, but Robinson is worth watching. Giants coaches, per The Star-Ledger, see him "as the Jason Pierre-Paul of tight ends due to his combination of raw size and speed." Foot and knee injuries derailed Robinson's 2013 campaign, but McAdoo's presence is a plus after what we saw in Green Bay, where Packers tight ends combined for 133 catches over the past two seasons. Keep an eye on this one.
** Gregg "The Boss" Rosenthal suggested I deep-six Robinson off this list, but I've got a notion he'll break out -- and I want to be able to link back to this on a rainy day.
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