Looking Forward to the 2019 AFC North

Naw, they've just had more time together. Over the past several weeks, no one has touched the Browns line as far as QB protection is concerned.

But, you definitely got your answer right.

As for the RB itself, I believe that Chubb is the best in our division right now, as a rookie. The fact that Chubb can do it with or without the help of the line moves him ahead of all the others in the division.

Mixon might have some skills, but I have a hard time believing someone that would punch a woman has the ball sack to make himself into a perennial top tier player...just something I believe in...or don't believe in, I guess. I know people can change, I know they can be better and learn from mistakes, but there is also something inside that allowed them to do it in the first place.

 

I can hate a guy for something he did and still separate that from his work in whatever field he excels in enough to see it for what it is.

What Mixon did was wrong but it doesn't change my assessment of his play.

With that said - I understand completely where you are coming from.

 

One thing everyone on this thread is failing to remember is that the Steelers are going to have 15, million extra because Bell didn’t sign his offer. The Steelers don’t usually have a nice wad of cash to spend on FAs, but they could make a couple of big splashes in FA or trading.

 

No argument. Joe Mixon has skills. But so does Nick Chubb. And I believe Duke Johnson is better than Bernard. And all four of those guys can catch. Pittsburgh can also run the ball. But, IMHO, their running game is more a testament to their O-line than to the running back (sans LeVeon Bell). Right now, if I had to rank each running GAME, it would be 1. PIT 2. CLE 3. CIN 4. BAL

 

We'll get there, Gid. Patience, Grasshopper.

 

I think it has been a LOOONNGGG time since the Steelers had an extra $15M lying around...it doesn't go nearly as far as it did a decade ago....

By the way, I see your $15M and raise you the Browns $80.6M, which is what they are slated to have come free agency...

 

Current slated salary cap money, without the raise of salary cap which is being reported will be significant...

Browns $80.6M
Bengals $54.26M
Ravens $36.9M, not sure they will get any relief unless they a) they trade Flacco or b) designate him a June 1st cut..either way, they will move on from him in 2019
Steelers $20.7M, I do believe this includes Bell's $15M since he is not signed in 2019.

 

Oh.... do you have any in-house guys that are slated to be free agents that you want to retain? This money also doesn't include re-signing them... Again... $15M doesn't go nearly as far as it once did.... $80M on the other hand....

 

Oh..and you need to use some of that money to sign your draft class...

 

currently signed 2019 players per team:

Browns 47
Bengals 49
Ravens 45
Steelers 37

So the Browns HAVE to sign 6 players with their $80M
The Bengals have to sign 4 players with their $54M
The Ravens have to sign 8 players with their $37M
And the Steelers have to figure out a way to sign 16 players with their $20M...oh yeah, and they have to take about half of that to sign their rookie class...

 

Sorry to rain on your parade Gid...

 

I'm sure they will move around some money in order to get some contributors, Beach knows how easily that is done. But I don't think you are going to get a splash player like you were planning with that Bell money.

 

Getting back to position groups since the asset argument became pretty one sided...

Wide receivers, really shouldn't be much of an argument here. This could change drastically, but right now it's:

1. Steelers
2. Bengals
3. Browns
4. Ravens

Browns have gotten a little closer to the Bengals this year, but we don't have anyone near AJ Green developed. I like our supporting cast though. If one of these guys develop or we acquire a true #1 in the off season, we could move ahead of them. Especially with Baker Mayfield being the catalyst behind that development.

 

I truly believe Baker would have guided us to the playoffs, and possibly division title, in his rookie season had he been given the opportunity to start from game one...

 

#Hue factor.

 

Maybe. Maybe not with Todd Haley calling plays.

 

Well at least Haley brought us Freddie Kitchens...No doubt in my mind that odds of playoff run would have been better if Hue had been fired after 0-16, like he should have been...

Oh well. No more wondering what could've been, this thread is about looking forward.. Cleveland is out of the abyss, and that's the main thing. AFCN has officially been put on notice. The Browns are back.

 

I think we might give Haley too much credit for this hire...after all he was only with Haley for 1 year in Dallas and 2 years in Arizona, then they spent a decade apart.

Haley had an opportunity to bring Kitchens with him to KC when he became HC and didn't....

I think Dorsey recognized his potential and added an "associate HC" moniker to his name to lure him here.

EMPHATICALLY AGREE!!!

Have I mentioned a Thank You to @Lyman for starting this thread? This is some fun conversation.

 

DeCosta's been with Newsome since the early 2000s, so I don't expect his approach to be dramatically different than Ozzie's.

 

AFC North Rankings (projected 2019)

Offense
QB: CLE, PIT, BAL, CIN
RB: CLE, CIN, PIT, BAL
WR: PIT, CIN, CLE, BAL
TE: CLE, PIT, BAL, CIN
OT: PIT, CLE, BAL, CIN
OG: CLE, BAL, PIT, CIN
C: CLE, PIT, BAL, CIN

Defense
EDGE: CLE, PIT, BAL, CIN
DLI: CIN, PIT, CLE, BAL
LB: CLE, BAL, PIT, CIN
CB: CLE, BAL, PIT, CIN
S: CLE, BAL, PIT, CIN

Special Teams
K: BAL, CLE, PIT, CIN
P: BAL, CLE, PIT, CIN

As @IrishDawg42 noted, Browns have a ridiculous amount to spend (hello, Dee Ford) and I think are one of the most attractive locations for players to come to. Cincinnati is second in cap space, but notoriously cheap and not likely to splurge in free agency, and then Baltimore and Pittsburgh relatively close behind.