Lewis a Brown; Changes to Follow

Last night, former Baltimore Ravens tailback Jamal Lewis (right) signed a one-year deal to be the starting running back for the Cleveland Browns. The veteran runner will immediately give the Browns a proven commodity and help Romeo Crennel establish the power run game he couldn't muster with Reuben Droughns last season. (Click on the picure of Lewis for the story of his signing.)

With Lewis leaving a gaping hole at running back in Baltimore, there is expected to be a flurry of activity today as teams scramble to fill the position. Here is a rundown of all the teams who could make moves in the coming days:

Baltimore - the Ravens will be the first team to make a move. The team today will send two draft picks to the Buffalo Bills for the rights to Willis McGahee. According to reports, the two picks involved are a second-rounder and a fifth-rounder in this year's draft. I will correct and/or provide an official link when the deal goes down today.

Buffalo - the Bills have been preparing for McGahee's departure over the past two days. Dominic Rhodes and Chris Brown have each visited One Bills Drive as free agents, and veteran Corey Dillon will make the trip to Buffalo today. The thinking is that the Bills will sign either Brown or Dillon and then use one of their two second-round picks to draft a back in April. It's not totally out of the picture for the team to sign two of the above running backs as well. Stay tuned...

Tennessee - the Titans have lost Travis Henry to Denver already, and are poised to lose Brown as well. The team had been rumored to be interested in acquiring McGahee, but his trade to Baltimore will end those thoughts. The Titans would like to pick up a veteran to use in conjunction with second-year player LenDale White. Brown is still on their radar, and players such as Dillon and T.J. Duckett could be next.

Detroit - With the future of current starter Kevin Jones in doubt, the Lions have been busy courting running backs this off-season. The team has already acquired former Bronco Tatum Bell, but they are reportedly looking to ship him once more. Detroit has been in contact with Brown and Duckett, so expect them to target those two guys. I expect Duckett to sign there when all is said and done.

Green Bay - the Packers are currently struggling to replace Ahman Green, who signed with the Texans. The team has been mentioned in the Tatum Bell trade talks, and has also shown interest in Chris Brown. Corey Dillon could be on their radar as well. The team will likely end up adding a bigger back (likely Dillon if he does not sign with Buffalo) to complement the speedy Vernand Morency.

NY Giants - once considered the front-runners to land McGahee via trade, the Giants are now left scrambling to find an alternative. The Giants are considered the front-runners to sign Rhodes - he gives the team the type of versatility they want to complement Brandon Jacobs. Tatum Bell is on their radar as well. One of those two will be in New York in the coming days.

Philadelphia - the Eagles are looking for a bigger back to complement the slight and speedy Brian Westbrook. The team has made contact with both Brown and Dillon, but may lose out on both as the two runners seek more playing time elsewhere. Duckett could be the next target of theirs. I expect Philly to make a move quick if they're going to make a move at all - these backs are going fast.

Oakland - the team recently restructured the contract of LaMont Jordan, but the thinking is that the team would like to acquire another runner to push him. With all of the teams looking to sign the veterans available, it's likely that Oakland would pursue an answer to their running problem in the draft. The team could make a play for Brown or Dillon though.

Cleveland - the Browns, as mentioned at the top of this post, have already found their starter in Lewis. Why do they make this list, then? They're not going to sign another veteran. But don't think that the Lewis signing means that Adrian Peterson is going to fall past them in the draft. The team could still draft Peterson as their "RB of the future", although Brady Quinn is going to tempt them much more now that Lewis is in the fold. I digress; the point is that the Brownies are still players at running back, especially when considering Peterson.

Any news regarding the running back landscape and these nine teams will be posted as soon as I can make it available.

Signings Update
Here are the latest signings around the league:

- Patrick Ramsey, QB, Denver (NY Jets) - 2 year deal
- Jamal Lewis, RB, Cleveland (Baltimore) - 1 year deal
- Travis Minor, RB, St. Louis (Miami) - 1 year deal
- Darian Barnes, FB, NY Jets (Miami) - TBA
- Jay Feely, K, Miami (NY Giants) - 3 year deal