Welcome to the NFL offseason. If you need to find me, I’ll be solemnly kicking pebbles down a dirt road, merely counting the seconds until football starts again. Luckily, I will be preparing for another great season of fantasy football, and I will be doing that when I’m not kicking pebbles down a dirt road.
So far, we have seen a few offseason moves in the NFL, which mainly consist of coaching changes and some tabloid drama. Instead of just bringing these changes up in an unorganized fashion, I will break down each division separately, letting you know what you should expect from each team, as well as giving a few personal thoughts on each team.
Baltimore Ravens
The 2018 season for Baltimore was an entertaining one to watch. The Ravens finished first in their division, with a record of 10-6. This team also had a difficult time picking their lead running back. Throughout the year, Alex Collins, Javorius Allen, Kenneth Dixon, and Gus Edwards all battled for the leading role. The only one of these running backs that isn’t up for free agency this year is Kenneth Dixon. There may have been some strategy revealing itself later in the season. Baltimore started the year with Joe Flacco as their quarterback, but transitioned to Lamar Jackson. This transition affected their offensive weapons. Wide receivers like John Brown and Michael Crabtree fell off the map when Lamar Jackson took over as starter.
Recent Changes
The Ravens released wide receiver Michael Crabtree after only one season with the team. Crabtree has a couple years left as long as he has a competent quarterback throwing him the ball. However, the transition to a Lamar Jackson-led offense means they are going to be moving to a run-first offense. The team also will be trading Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos when the 2019 season officially begins on March 13th.
Anticipated Team Adjustments
The Ravens have a number of players hitting free agency this year, but are not in a horrible position with their salary cap. I anticipate them keeping some of their “framework” players with this money. Players like CJ Mosley, Terrell Suggs, Brent Urban, and Patrick Onwuasor are players I think the team should be focused on keeping this offseason.
Running Back: This team could be dominant if they had a superior rushing option outside of Lamar Jackson. I could see Le’Veon Bell signing with this team, as I believe they would be willing to spend the money on him. This, of course, would just add to the Pittsburgh drama going on within this division.
Wide Receiver: I do not anticipate the Ravens putting much money towards the receiving position. However, there is an expectation that they will have empty positions after free agency starts. Crabtree is already off the team, and John Brown is going on free agency. I anticipate them drafting a rookie wide receiver this year.
Exterior Offensive Line: The Ravens offensive line was in the top ten at the end of the year, according to Pro Football Focus. However, they are featuring a rushing quarterback. Rushing quarterbacks are very difficult to keep healthy, especially if they are getting hit even when they don’t run the ball. The offensive line will need to be in good shape as long as Lamar Jackson is their number one guy.
Pittsburgh Steelers
I find myself questioning the reality of what is going on in Pittsburgh this offseason. This is mostly because during the season I found myself saying that this team, more than other teams, seemed so unified, even with the Le’Veon Bell drama. I am, of course, referring to the team’s energy when they were playing and the rehearsed touchdown celebration dances. Now, it seems like everyday I’m hearing about bad leadership within the team and failing coaching decisions. It makes me wonder if it is due to blame being passed around for losing some of the late season games that held them out of the playoffs.
This offseason is more than likely going to be a radical change for the Steelers. They will be losing Le’Veon Bell and more than likely Antonio Brown. Fortunately, they have depth at both positions. In fact, I fully anticipate James Washington to take over as a worthy replacement for Brown. Also, James Conner has shown that he is more than capable of taking on a lead rushing role.
Recent Changes
Le’Veon Bell has officially been granted free agency. The past two years have been a struggle to figure out proper compensation for Bell. The argument was made for him when Earl Thomas went down for the year. Thomas received a season-ending leg injury after trying to renegotiate his contract last offseason.
Anticipated Team Adjustments
Development of Mason Rudolph: This is more of an inner team adjustment, but Ben Roethlisberger is going to be 37 on March 2nd. Big Ben is a fantastic quarterback and could continue to be a high-level passer in this league. However, there are increased risks when it comes to older players. Rudolph was drafted last year and hopefully is learning from Roethlisberger.
Pass Defenders: One of their weaker areas on the team is their secondary. Fortunately, this rookie class is a defensive-heavy class. Pittsburgh will be able to add depth to an already above average pass defending squad.
Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati ended up in last place in the division after an injury- plagued season. With a record of 6-10, the team has earned the 11th pick in the draft. They have a lot of positions to fix this offseason. The defense in Cincinnati was one of the worst in the league. The offensive line was also a train wreck, coming in at 27th, according to Pro Football Focus. However, Kansas City also did not have a great defense in 2018 and they almost made it to the Super Bowl, which is why I think Cincinnati should focus on making their offense more dominant.
Recent Changes
Some may not realize that Cincinnati has a history of giving players with a checkered past positions on the team. Their leading running back Joe Mixon was charged with a misdemeanor assault for punching a woman in the face in 2014. Even on the field, Cincinnati rosters Vontaze Burfict, who has had many on-field conflicts, leading to millions of dollars in fines. Burfict is one of the least ethical players in the game and had attempted to intentionally injure his opponents. Now, Cincinnati is dealing with more off-field issues, with backup running back Mark Walton, who could be facing drug charges and assault charges.
Anticipated Team Changes
Tight End: Cincinnati has had to deal with injury-plagued tight ends. This year, Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, CJ Uzomah, and Matt Lengel are up for free agency. This is a position that Cincinnati uses when they have a talented player healthy. Getting a durable, effective pass-catching tight end should be a priority for this team.
Offensive Tackles and Guards: This team has several offensive line members hitting free agency. Plus, the players they used last year were sub par in the first place. They will need to make adjustments across the line, which is another reason why they should be looking at tight end as well.
Pass Coverage: Finishing as the last team in receiving yards allowed, the Bengals could use a player or two to begin the reconstruction of their defense.
Cleveland Browns
Cleveland is starting to become a team that Browns fans can be proud of. After coming in last place two years in a row, the Browns were able to achieve a record of 7-8-1. With the first round of the 2018 Draft, they took Baker Mayfield, which was a highly-debated pick following the draft. However, Mayfield went on to break the rookie passing touchdown record in less than 16 games. The future is really bright for this team. In this upcoming draft, they will be picking 17th in a defensive-heavy class, which is exactly what Cleveland needs to focus on.
Recent Changes
In the middle of the season last year, Kansas City released their star running back Kareem Hunt. They released him due to his involvement with a fight at a hotel. His involvement in the fight was incriminating and led to a tentative suspension for what ever team may pick him up. That team just so happens to be Cleveland. This is going to be a debate in the near future. Nick Chubb or Kareem Hunt, who will be the dominant rusher in Cleveland? Hunt will be on suspension for an undetermined number of weeks, giving Chubb an advantage. Both are dominant running backs and would be a game changer on any team, which is why I am dreading the competition between the two backs.
Anticipated Team Changes
Backup Quarterback: Tyrod Taylor started the season as their number one quarterback. Taylor was replaced early in the season by Mayfield and will now be hitting free agency. A backup quarterback will be needed to cover the position.
Pass Coverage: At the end of the year, Cleveland’s defense ranked 25th against receiving yards, allowing an average of 258 yards per game. Slowing down an opponent’s ability to throw the ball will only make them better. It will get the Cleveland offense back on the field ready to score more points.
Defensive Line: At the end of the year, Cleveland’s defense ranked 28th against rushing yards, allowing an average of 135.2 yards per game. They also have two defensive tackles entering free agency and are the perfect excuse to bring in more talent.
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