Pittsburgh Steelers
Biggest Question: |
| Vince Williams had 8 sacks last season, which was second on the team. |
Ryan Shazier, unfortunately, suffered a potentially career-ending spine injury last season on Monday night vs. the Bengals. Shazier was an impact player for the Steelers last year, as his all-around quickness led him to grab 3 turnovers, as well as his 2nd pro bowl appearance. The question is, who is going to replace Shazier, and can he adequately fill the void left by Shazier's absence? Vince Williams is a good shout, as he had 8 sacks last year, and he is very effective in run defense. However, he is quite shaky in coverage, as he allowed the most receptions by a Steelers defender. Veteran LB Jon Bostic comes over from Indianapolis to help out the linebacker depth, and he should be a key role player on third down. However, it will be challenging for any of these players to fill the gap by Shazier. "We don't have another Ryan Shazier on our team," Vince Williams told ESPN, "But we do have very capable, starter-ready middle linebackers."
Key Player to Watch:
WR Juju Smith-Schuster. Juju had an outstanding rookie season, racking up 58 catches for 917 yards and 7 TDS, not terrible for a slot receiver. He also proved his versatility by returning a kickoff for a touchdown. Juju has incredible agility and speed, which has made him one of the top slot receivers going into the 2018 NFL season. One of the more unbelievable stats about Juju is his passer rating while targeted by Big Ben. Ben had a 134.8 passer rating while targeting Smith-Schuster, which was the highest in the league. With uncertainty at the #2 WR, Juju has a great chance to break 1000 receiving yards this season as a slot receiver.
Cincinnati Bengals
Biggest Question:
The Bengals started out of the gate last season very slowly, as exhibited by them scoring a whopping 9 points in their first 2 games. The offense would not get that much better throughout the season, finishing 26th in scoring offense and LAST in total yards. QB Andy Dalton did not have a bad TD/INT ratio, but he failed to lead a struggling Bungles team to postseason contention. It was not just Dalton's fault, however, as the run game was unable to produce, with only 1,366 yards (31st in NFL) and 6 TDs (29th in NFL) on the ground. Rookie RB Joe Mixon had a somewhat disappointing season, only rushing for 626 yards and 4 TDS. For the Bengals to be in the playoffs again, he is going to have to have a big season, and that all starts with training camp.
Key Player(s) to Watch:
The entire offensive line. Cincy's o-line was hindered last offseason when pro bowlers Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth left for greener pastures (and Cleveland). Nonetheless, their offensive line struggled to protect Dalton or block for the run game. This offseason the Bengals traded for Bills LT Cordy Glenn and drafted highly ranked C Billy Price with their 1st round pick. However, questions remain on the right side of the offensive line, particularly at RT, where Jake Fisher and former Giant Bobby Hart will battle for the starting spot. If the Bengals o-line excels during camp, then management might be more reluctant to run the ball more, which is a culture change needed for the Bengals to succeed.
Key Player(s) to Watch:
The entire offensive line. Cincy's o-line was hindered last offseason when pro bowlers Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth left for greener pastures (and Cleveland). Nonetheless, their offensive line struggled to protect Dalton or block for the run game. This offseason the Bengals traded for Bills LT Cordy Glenn and drafted highly ranked C Billy Price with their 1st round pick. However, questions remain on the right side of the offensive line, particularly at RT, where Jake Fisher and former Giant Bobby Hart will battle for the starting spot. If the Bengals o-line excels during camp, then management might be more reluctant to run the ball more, which is a culture change needed for the Bengals to succeed.
Baltimore Ravens
Biggest Question:
Baltimore has had some "issues" at WR for a couple of years now. The only receiver that looked decent last season was Mike Wallace, who had 748 yards and 4 TDs, and he's off to Philadelphia. The Ravens did not hold back in Free Agency, however, signing 3 new WRs to the roster, and they're not a bunch of scrubs either. John Brown was productive at Arizona, cracking 1000 receiving yards in 2015, before injuries limited to a couple games last season. Willie Snead put up 1879 yards and 7 TDs as a slot receiver from 2015-2016 before injuries limited playing time in 2017. And finally, Michael Crabtree comes over after a productive 3-year stint with the Oakland Raiders. The question is, can these players produce on the field, and can they replicate their form from previous seasons? They clearly have talent, but how they bounce back from injuries will be essential to prove in training camp and in the preseason. Flacco has shown that with a comparable receiving corps the Ravens instantly become playoff contenders, maybe even AFC contenders.
Baltimore has had some "issues" at WR for a couple of years now. The only receiver that looked decent last season was Mike Wallace, who had 748 yards and 4 TDs, and he's off to Philadelphia. The Ravens did not hold back in Free Agency, however, signing 3 new WRs to the roster, and they're not a bunch of scrubs either. John Brown was productive at Arizona, cracking 1000 receiving yards in 2015, before injuries limited to a couple games last season. Willie Snead put up 1879 yards and 7 TDs as a slot receiver from 2015-2016 before injuries limited playing time in 2017. And finally, Michael Crabtree comes over after a productive 3-year stint with the Oakland Raiders. The question is, can these players produce on the field, and can they replicate their form from previous seasons? They clearly have talent, but how they bounce back from injuries will be essential to prove in training camp and in the preseason. Flacco has shown that with a comparable receiving corps the Ravens instantly become playoff contenders, maybe even AFC contenders.
Key Player to Watch:
QB Lamar Jackson. Flacco has done a fair job in Baltimore, leading them to the playoffs six times since he became a starter as a rookie in 2008. However, they have not made the playoffs since 2014, and Flacco had one of his worst statistical seasons in 2017. The Ravens seemed to take note as they selected former Heisman winning QB Lamar Jackson. His speed rivals defensive backs, and his arm was among the best in the 2018 draft. He needs a lot of work in the accuracy department, and he needs to adapt to a pro-style offense, as Jackson ran the spread offense at Louisville. Jackson is a polarizing prospect, with many saying he can be the next Micheal Vick. Those are lofty expectations, but he can show some of his magic in training camp. Although he is not likely to start this season, if he performs well in the preseason, then the Ravens can confidently go forward with him at QB in the coming seasons.
QB Lamar Jackson. Flacco has done a fair job in Baltimore, leading them to the playoffs six times since he became a starter as a rookie in 2008. However, they have not made the playoffs since 2014, and Flacco had one of his worst statistical seasons in 2017. The Ravens seemed to take note as they selected former Heisman winning QB Lamar Jackson. His speed rivals defensive backs, and his arm was among the best in the 2018 draft. He needs a lot of work in the accuracy department, and he needs to adapt to a pro-style offense, as Jackson ran the spread offense at Louisville. Jackson is a polarizing prospect, with many saying he can be the next Micheal Vick. Those are lofty expectations, but he can show some of his magic in training camp. Although he is not likely to start this season, if he performs well in the preseason, then the Ravens can confidently go forward with him at QB in the coming seasons. Cleveland Browns
Biggest Question:
When former Chiefs GM John Dorsey took over the Browns, he complained about the lack of talent on his new team. He stated that the Browns didn't get any "real players" before and that he would go get them real players. Well, Dorsey was certainly not messing around, as the GM made a surplus of moves to try and get the Browns "real players." He started off by getting not one, but two QBs, trading for Buffalo Bills' Tyrod Taylor and drafting the impressive Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield number 1 overall in the NFL Draft. He also added WR Jarvis Landry and RB Carlos Hyde, who Dorsey hopes can be key contributors on the Browns. The Browns also drafted DB Denzel Ward from Ohio State, who was perceived to be the top defensive back in the draft. The question is, can this young and talented Browns team turn into wins? The Browns have gone 1-31 over the past 2 years, which if you have a brain, you know it's not good. These players will have to prove in training camp that they have the chemistry and work ethic to turn the Browns around. Jarvis Landry is very high on his new team telling Sports Illustrated "If we get everyone playing to their potential, we can win the Super Bowl this year." Woah there, let's see if they can win a game first, huh Landry?
Key Player to Watch:
QB Baker Mayfield. There are a lot of new faces in Cleveland, but Baker is probably the most interesting. The college star will look to translate his success to the NFL, and that starts with training camp. If Mayfield excels in training and in the preseason, he could land himself the starting job in week 1. Head coach Hue Jackson has stated that it is likely that Mayfield will see action at some point during the season, even if it is not opening day.
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