Darron Cummings / AP

Edgerrin James will be a hot commodity in free agency, NBCSports.com contributor Don Pierson writes.

Q: Are the Falcons a player or two away from being a strong team week in and week out, or are there bigger problems with the franchise? What does the team need to do to get into the playoffs on a regular basis?
--Parker Gilbert, Marietta, Ga.

A: Putting together back-to-back winning seasons would be a good start. That was the plan this yea,r and everybody thought it was a joke coming off an NFC South title in 2004. But sure enough, the Falcons slid from 11-5 to 8-8 and completed their 40th year in existence having never enjoyed consecutive winning seasons. So getting to the playoffs on a regular basis is quite a lofty goal. As we have said before, the first step is to make sure they are getting the most out of quarterback Michael Vick. So far, coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp have neither adapted their system to Vick's unique talents nor forced Vick to fit their system. It looks like a square peg-round hole predicament, and Vick himself recently wondered aloud whether Knapp's ways are best suited for him. That appears to be the first sign of bigger trouble on the horizon. Improving the defense from 22nd, and especially stopping the run, is Mora's immediate concern. The Falcons were 31st in average run against them. Not even a fully-developed Vick can overcome that sorry statistic. The Pittsburgh Steelers, not so coincidentally, were No. 1 in this vital category. 

Q: What about the Detroit Lions? Never having won a Super Bowl and only making it to the NFC Championship in 1991, the fans are tired of losing, so where should the Lions start rebuilding? From the front office, a.k.a. Matt Millen, to the starting quarterback, Joey Harrington, what do you think?
--Lou Rangel, Bay City, Mich.

A: It looks like you're stuck with Millen and Harrington for another year at least, but the Lions have rebuilt the coaching staff with darkhorse candidate Rod Marinelli, who surprised everybody by hiring Mike Martz as offensive coordinator. The combination is certainly intriguing. Martz said after studying Harrington initially, he is looking forward to working with him. If anybody in football can resurrect a quarterback’s career, it's Martz, who turned Kurt Warner and Marc Bulger into better-than-good players. Marinelli is expected to provide the no-nonsense discipline and hard work that has been missing on a team with impressionable young players and few leaders.

Q: Just how legitimate are the chances of Daunte Culpepper being traded? His health is questionable and he carries a high dollar figure for a player who may not be able to play at all this upcoming season.
--Michael Charmoli, Plymouth, Minn.

A: I think if the Vikings get a decent offer, he's gone. I don't think it will take a blockbuster deal for the Vikings to pull the trigger. When he was healthy, he wasn't anywhere near the same quarterback he was when he could throw the ball up and watch Randy Moss get it. New coach Brad Childress hasn't gone out of his way to sing Culpepper's praises, saying his health is the first priority. Childress might be just as happy to let Brad Johnson carry the load his first season, even though Johnson is going to be 38, the age when quarterbacks traditionally hit the wall. The Vikings have to pay Culpepper $6 million in March and teams like the Miami Dolphins are gambling that the quarterback might be cut. The Vikings claim that won't happen, but they appear to be ready to head in another direction. First ownership, then head coach, then quarterback. It's a natural progression.

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