Post by Cincinnati Bengals (Chris) on Sept 3, 2020 3:30:57 GMT -5
AFC NORTH
Last year brought a sea of change to the AFC North, as not only did a non-Pittsburgh team win the division for the first time since 2013, but the vaunted Steelers fell to last in the division, going 0-3 against the North, and missing the playoffs. While the Bengals took home the crown, and repeated their 2018 trip AFC Championship, almost exactly (Losing once again to the same team, in Houston), it is by no means certain that they develop a stranglehold on this division in the way that Garrett did previous to 2019. Can Chris make it two in a row though? Can Garrett reclaim the throne? Will Kevin build on another middle of the table finish? Or can Baltimore lay claim to his first division title since 2013? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Baltimore Ravens (Goose)
Last year’s finish: 24th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: 2019 was a repeat of the 5-7 performance that Baltimore experienced in 2018, but also ended on an upswing, with a 2-game winning streak to end the season—and that was after trading away his best running back/player in Devin Singletary, so it felt a little more like Goose was putting the league, and the North, in particular, on alert, that the Ravens are a team to be taken seriously going forward. Added to his 2019 team are Cameron Heyward (UFA 1st), Rookie 1st rounders J.K. Dobbins, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Devin Duvernay, as well as Adam Trautman, Terrell Lewis, and Jabari Zuniga. Offensively, Sam Darnold returns, and Goose is hoping that he’ll finally result in the value that he had in mind when he made him a high pick in our 2018 Rookie Draft. At running back, Dobbins is the only name of note, with Patrick Laird, probably the third member of the Dolphins’ RBBC, the only other back on the roster. At wide receiver, John Brown and Sterling Shepard return, and should be key contributors once again. DaeSean Hamilton, Jalen Hurd, and Seth Roberts also return, but they are all fading from fantasy relevance (Hurd due to his continual inability to stay on the field to start his career). At tight end, Baltimore has up-and-comer Dallas Goedert, who is as talented as the day is long, but is stuck behind one of the league’s best tight ends in his own right in Zach Ertz. It’s unclear if he’ll ever develop a full-time role in that situation. Adam Shaheen is also rostered, but hasn’t carved out much of a role for himself in three NFL seasons. Trautman may also factor in, but that seems more likely down the line, rather than this year. Defensively, there are a lot of key contributors, but also some glaring holes. On the line, Derek Barnett, Cameron Heyward, and Mike Purcell return to form a formidable DL. Zuniga, similar to most of Baltimore’s rookies, feels like more of a long-term consideration. Linebacker, however, is a different story, as it involves Patrick Onwuasor, who was injured and will miss the early part of the season (And as NYJ is essentially a five-man LB rotation, there’s no guarantee he earns his job back when he returns), and Haason Reddick, who is has been displaced from his starting job, and now running third at inside LB for the Cardinals. Behind them, are Von Miller, fresh off his lowest full-season sack total of his career, and Tyus Bowser, who had his best season in 2019, but still appears to be a below average option. Also, Chaisson, who may get to start in 2020, and Lewis, who is the definition of buried on the LAR depth chart, are part of the equation. At defensive back, it’s back to a strength, as the Ravens sport starters Tre Boston, Malcolm Jenkins, Ronnine Harrison, and Rock Ya-Sin. Overall, the weakness is in the middle (The most important part in our league), and the strong parts are everywhere else.
X-factor: Linebacker. As I correctly predicted last year, it was a short-term and became a long-term need. Baltimore addressed it to some degree by drafting Chaisson in the Rookie Draft, but also, he profiles more of a pass rusher, and may have been a reach with a bevy of inside LB options going around that time. That can be mitigated, to some degree, by his playing and making an impact early, but it probably is the reason Baltimore is going to have a tough time staying with most playoff teams in the AFC. It’s more likely that he’s a year or two away with this roster, as it’s composed now.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Cincinnati Bengals (Chris)
Last year’s finish: 3rd (Division: 1st)
Outlook: 2019 was a repeat result for Chris in every way but one—he was finally able to crest the hill and win a division championship. Cincinnati’s roster from last year’s iteration mostly remains unchanged, but he does have several additions (Particularly on the defensive side of the ball) of note. At quarterback, Baker Mayfield had a disastrous year-2 under head coach Freddie Kitchens, after parlaying his tutelage into the best rookie quarterbacking season in league history, statistically. His ability to get over his sophomore slump and return to his rookie form is key to his being a viable option for a contending team, rather than holding him back. At running back, Cincinnati returns Christian McCaffrey, fresh off of the best season in fantasy football history. There’s not much else to say about that. Zack Moss, an under-the-radar add in the Rookie Draft, has been jetting up analysts’ boards, as he projects to take the majority of the goal line and 3rd down work in Buffalo as a rookie. He may help give Chris his first 1-2 punch at running back in years—but it remains to be seen, as CIN has done a terrible job identifying running backs over the last few years. At wide receiver, the same five from a year ago return, with Cooper Kupp, Julian Edelman, Emmanuel Sanders, Alshon Jeffrey, and Dede Westbrook all still in the fold, and Josh Gordon now the sixth WR, after he was re-signed and activated by Seattle last week. At tight end, it’s still the lone option in Mark Andrews, who established himself as Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s top receiving option in 2019, and enters 2020 healthy for the first time in over a year. Defensively, Chris is as overloaded as any team in recent memory, with 5 DL, 9 LB, and 3 DB. Starting on the defensive line, Chris added consensus top-20 DL Kenny Clark, and former Vikings’ star and now Cowboys starter Everson Griffen to a group that was among the better units in 2019 (Javon Hargrave, Lawrence Guy, and Emmanuel Ogbah). All five should be in the top-50 options at the position in 2020, health provided. At linebacker, the Bengals return starters Blake Martinez, Tremaine Edmunds, Zach Cunningham, Bobby Okereke, and Josh Bynes at the position. In addition, he was able to add Tahir Whitehead and Mychal Kendricks to the equation in the UFA Draft, and Jordyn Brooks and Zack Baun in the Rookie Draft. The secondary is, objectively speaking, the weak spot of the defense as of now, but still presents annual top-20 DB Kevin Byard, and last year’s average to above average starters Jimmie Ward and Devin McCourty. Chris could probably stand to add to this group, but if this defense isn’t the best in league history (After last year’s unit was 4th All-Time in scoring, only 30 points behind the All-Time mark), it’ll be a major disappointment.
X-factor: Health and DB. In a repeat of last year, Chris’ weakest position is at the back end of the defense. While it’s arguable that quarterback may be the biggest X-factor, there’s not a lot that Chris can do there. Either Baker Mayfield returns to his rookie form, or he doesn’t. At DB, at least there’s a chance to add, as it’s perhaps the easiest position to fill once the season begins. That said, as I said last year, “A fill-in at that spot could prevent what the Bengals are trying to accomplish from coming to fruition. If Chris can manage to add quality depth at the position without sacrificing elsewhere, it looks like the Bengals will be the class of the AFC North, if not the entire conference.” Nothing has changed there.
Projected division finish: 1st
Cleveland Browns (Kevin)
Last year’s finish: 17th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: Kevin made a big gamble last year by taking Kyler Murray 1.1 (As QBs rarely return the value of being drafted with that pick in our league’s history), and jettisoning Drew Brees. Ultimately, the year-1 result was a slightly net-negative for Kevin (Roughly -6 PPG), though Brees’ contract was untenable. At running back, Phillip Lindsay was quite a bit off of his 2018 mark, and that figures to amplify this year with Melvin Gordon now apart of his backfield—supposedly as the lead back, despite not really being better in 2019. Wide receiver is a major problem area for Cleveland—despite the fact that Kevin currently has eight of them in the fold. To start, top-projected WR Albert Wilson opted out of the season, and Cody Latimer was arrested and released. Beyond those, Taylor Gabriel, the Browns’ second-best receiver last year, is not currently rostered, nor is Jarius Wright. Additionally, it appears that Tyler Johnson, who seemed to be ticketed for snaps as the Bucs’ third WR after the draft, but apparently Scotty Miller will be taking that role. There is some good news, as Hunter Renfrow’s role probably grew more into something resembling last year’s with Tyrell Williams’ season-ending injury, and Chris Hogan resurfaced out of nowhere to, according to recent Training Camp puff pieces, look like the best receiver the Jets have, right off the street. At tight end, Kyle Rudolph is an average starting option, and good for a touchdown here and there. Jordan Thomas dropped off the map in 2019, seemingly ceding his role as #1 to Jordan Akins. Defensively, there are some fantastic options, and some less than stellar ones. On the line, Joey Bosa and Josh Allen form a tremendous twosome, and Takkarist McKinley can curse as good as anyone—though I fail to see how that applies to this league. At linebacker, T.J. Watt had his best season so far in 2019, eclipsing the 10 PPG threshold. Kyle Van Noy, whom Cleveland traded for before last year, is also back, and is an average starting option. Markus Golden, who had a breakout year in 2019, may end up being the second-best LB on Kevin’s D, as long as he can keep his sack count up. Neville Hewitt, however, is unlikely to replicate his 2019, as he is now part of a five-way timeshare in New York (Though it could be a four-way timeshare for the first month or so, while Avery Williamson is away). At defensive back, Cleveland sports such options as top-corner Tre’Davious White, and slightly below average option Jaire Alexander, along with two others William Jackson, and Montae Nicholson.
X-factor: Wide Receiver. Could Renfrow and Hogan carry Cleveland back to the playoffs? Honestly, no, it’s not likely. Linebacker could also become a concern, but is likely to hold up to the rest of the team. But if he’s not getting 100 points from any of his receiving options, alongside other developments, it’s hard to see the Browns having the season they had in 2019.
Projected division finish: 4th
Pittsburgh Steelers (Garrett)
Last year’s finish: 19th (Division: 4th)
Outlook: For a litany of reasons in 2019, Garrett took a major tumble, finishing with his first losing record since 2012, and missing the playoffs for the first time in that span too. What originally looked like a retooling on the fly, became a bit more of a hiccup than expected—to all parties, including this one. There is a fair amount of optimism for recovery, as Garrett was quite a bit unlucky last year, as he profiled more like a solid playoff team. At quarterback, Pittsburgh currently has two options: Drew Lock, and Ben Roethlisberger. Either option should suffice—Ben with better short-term value, and Lock with more long-term. At running back, Le’Veon Bell returns to Garrett’s backfield for the seventh season--including his skipped 2018—and it showed in 2019, as Bell looked nothing like the back we had seen from 2013-2017. Now, he has more competition for carries, and a coach who has questionable admiration for him, and a downright love affair with his direct backup. Chase Edmonds continues to pick off work from Arizona’s top back, but may have to take more of a backseat to Kenyan Drake than he did to David Johnson, as Drake dominated the work down the stretch last year. Giovani Bernard is also part of the equation, but is no longer fantasy relevant short of a Joe Mixon injury. Wideout is in excellent short-term shape, with Marvin Jones, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and T.Y. Hilton making among the most-formidable top-threes in the league. Behind them are Golden Tate, and rookie Tee Higgins (Tajae Sharpe, the Vikings’ No. 4 is also in the fold). All-in-all, it’s one of the most superior units in the league. At tight end, Colby Parkinson is the only player on the roster, though it’s questionable if he’ll see 2020 snaps in Seattle’s hyper-crowded TE room. Defensively, it’s a little more of a mixed bag than the offensive unit. The defensive line is in excellent shape, with Melvin Ingram, Brandon Graham, and Jeffery Simmons. At linebacker, Pittsburgh isn’t what it once was, but it still has multiple quality options, starting with Myles Jack, and Todd Davis. Behind them are rookie Malik Harrison, Ryan Connelly, Jermaine Carter, and Justin spelling error Strnad. It’s effectively two high-quality starting options, and some high-upside/opportunity bets. At defensive back, Karl Joseph leads the way, and hopes to establish himself in Cleveland. Mike Edwards, and now Nasir Adderly, after Derwin James went down. It’s impossible to know what role Adderly will play, but he should have more snaps to prove himself in his sophomore campaign, after receiving next to none as a rookie.
X-factor: Tight End and Defense. Garrett must acquire a tight end to have any opportunity at serious contention, but the middle and back end of his defense could also become problematic. It’s a time will tell situation, and we shall have our answer sooner, likely, than later. Perhaps the Steelers can trade from their wide receiver depth to shore up those back end defensive options.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Thank you for reading this, the fourth in the series of Divisional Previews. I will publish the fifth installment later this week, this time the AFC East.
Last year brought a sea of change to the AFC North, as not only did a non-Pittsburgh team win the division for the first time since 2013, but the vaunted Steelers fell to last in the division, going 0-3 against the North, and missing the playoffs. While the Bengals took home the crown, and repeated their 2018 trip AFC Championship, almost exactly (Losing once again to the same team, in Houston), it is by no means certain that they develop a stranglehold on this division in the way that Garrett did previous to 2019. Can Chris make it two in a row though? Can Garrett reclaim the throne? Will Kevin build on another middle of the table finish? Or can Baltimore lay claim to his first division title since 2013? Let me know what you think about my projections and post you own comments. Also, DON’T FORGET to vote in the poll, as that’s the whole point.
Baltimore Ravens (Goose)
Last year’s finish: 24th (Division: 3rd)
Outlook: 2019 was a repeat of the 5-7 performance that Baltimore experienced in 2018, but also ended on an upswing, with a 2-game winning streak to end the season—and that was after trading away his best running back/player in Devin Singletary, so it felt a little more like Goose was putting the league, and the North, in particular, on alert, that the Ravens are a team to be taken seriously going forward. Added to his 2019 team are Cameron Heyward (UFA 1st), Rookie 1st rounders J.K. Dobbins, K’Lavon Chaisson, and Devin Duvernay, as well as Adam Trautman, Terrell Lewis, and Jabari Zuniga. Offensively, Sam Darnold returns, and Goose is hoping that he’ll finally result in the value that he had in mind when he made him a high pick in our 2018 Rookie Draft. At running back, Dobbins is the only name of note, with Patrick Laird, probably the third member of the Dolphins’ RBBC, the only other back on the roster. At wide receiver, John Brown and Sterling Shepard return, and should be key contributors once again. DaeSean Hamilton, Jalen Hurd, and Seth Roberts also return, but they are all fading from fantasy relevance (Hurd due to his continual inability to stay on the field to start his career). At tight end, Baltimore has up-and-comer Dallas Goedert, who is as talented as the day is long, but is stuck behind one of the league’s best tight ends in his own right in Zach Ertz. It’s unclear if he’ll ever develop a full-time role in that situation. Adam Shaheen is also rostered, but hasn’t carved out much of a role for himself in three NFL seasons. Trautman may also factor in, but that seems more likely down the line, rather than this year. Defensively, there are a lot of key contributors, but also some glaring holes. On the line, Derek Barnett, Cameron Heyward, and Mike Purcell return to form a formidable DL. Zuniga, similar to most of Baltimore’s rookies, feels like more of a long-term consideration. Linebacker, however, is a different story, as it involves Patrick Onwuasor, who was injured and will miss the early part of the season (And as NYJ is essentially a five-man LB rotation, there’s no guarantee he earns his job back when he returns), and Haason Reddick, who is has been displaced from his starting job, and now running third at inside LB for the Cardinals. Behind them, are Von Miller, fresh off his lowest full-season sack total of his career, and Tyus Bowser, who had his best season in 2019, but still appears to be a below average option. Also, Chaisson, who may get to start in 2020, and Lewis, who is the definition of buried on the LAR depth chart, are part of the equation. At defensive back, it’s back to a strength, as the Ravens sport starters Tre Boston, Malcolm Jenkins, Ronnine Harrison, and Rock Ya-Sin. Overall, the weakness is in the middle (The most important part in our league), and the strong parts are everywhere else.
X-factor: Linebacker. As I correctly predicted last year, it was a short-term and became a long-term need. Baltimore addressed it to some degree by drafting Chaisson in the Rookie Draft, but also, he profiles more of a pass rusher, and may have been a reach with a bevy of inside LB options going around that time. That can be mitigated, to some degree, by his playing and making an impact early, but it probably is the reason Baltimore is going to have a tough time staying with most playoff teams in the AFC. It’s more likely that he’s a year or two away with this roster, as it’s composed now.
Projected division finish: 3rd
Cincinnati Bengals (Chris)
Last year’s finish: 3rd (Division: 1st)
Outlook: 2019 was a repeat result for Chris in every way but one—he was finally able to crest the hill and win a division championship. Cincinnati’s roster from last year’s iteration mostly remains unchanged, but he does have several additions (Particularly on the defensive side of the ball) of note. At quarterback, Baker Mayfield had a disastrous year-2 under head coach Freddie Kitchens, after parlaying his tutelage into the best rookie quarterbacking season in league history, statistically. His ability to get over his sophomore slump and return to his rookie form is key to his being a viable option for a contending team, rather than holding him back. At running back, Cincinnati returns Christian McCaffrey, fresh off of the best season in fantasy football history. There’s not much else to say about that. Zack Moss, an under-the-radar add in the Rookie Draft, has been jetting up analysts’ boards, as he projects to take the majority of the goal line and 3rd down work in Buffalo as a rookie. He may help give Chris his first 1-2 punch at running back in years—but it remains to be seen, as CIN has done a terrible job identifying running backs over the last few years. At wide receiver, the same five from a year ago return, with Cooper Kupp, Julian Edelman, Emmanuel Sanders, Alshon Jeffrey, and Dede Westbrook all still in the fold, and Josh Gordon now the sixth WR, after he was re-signed and activated by Seattle last week. At tight end, it’s still the lone option in Mark Andrews, who established himself as Lamar Jackson and Baltimore’s top receiving option in 2019, and enters 2020 healthy for the first time in over a year. Defensively, Chris is as overloaded as any team in recent memory, with 5 DL, 9 LB, and 3 DB. Starting on the defensive line, Chris added consensus top-20 DL Kenny Clark, and former Vikings’ star and now Cowboys starter Everson Griffen to a group that was among the better units in 2019 (Javon Hargrave, Lawrence Guy, and Emmanuel Ogbah). All five should be in the top-50 options at the position in 2020, health provided. At linebacker, the Bengals return starters Blake Martinez, Tremaine Edmunds, Zach Cunningham, Bobby Okereke, and Josh Bynes at the position. In addition, he was able to add Tahir Whitehead and Mychal Kendricks to the equation in the UFA Draft, and Jordyn Brooks and Zack Baun in the Rookie Draft. The secondary is, objectively speaking, the weak spot of the defense as of now, but still presents annual top-20 DB Kevin Byard, and last year’s average to above average starters Jimmie Ward and Devin McCourty. Chris could probably stand to add to this group, but if this defense isn’t the best in league history (After last year’s unit was 4th All-Time in scoring, only 30 points behind the All-Time mark), it’ll be a major disappointment.
X-factor: Health and DB. In a repeat of last year, Chris’ weakest position is at the back end of the defense. While it’s arguable that quarterback may be the biggest X-factor, there’s not a lot that Chris can do there. Either Baker Mayfield returns to his rookie form, or he doesn’t. At DB, at least there’s a chance to add, as it’s perhaps the easiest position to fill once the season begins. That said, as I said last year, “A fill-in at that spot could prevent what the Bengals are trying to accomplish from coming to fruition. If Chris can manage to add quality depth at the position without sacrificing elsewhere, it looks like the Bengals will be the class of the AFC North, if not the entire conference.” Nothing has changed there.
Projected division finish: 1st
Cleveland Browns (Kevin)
Last year’s finish: 17th (Division: 2nd)
Outlook: Kevin made a big gamble last year by taking Kyler Murray 1.1 (As QBs rarely return the value of being drafted with that pick in our league’s history), and jettisoning Drew Brees. Ultimately, the year-1 result was a slightly net-negative for Kevin (Roughly -6 PPG), though Brees’ contract was untenable. At running back, Phillip Lindsay was quite a bit off of his 2018 mark, and that figures to amplify this year with Melvin Gordon now apart of his backfield—supposedly as the lead back, despite not really being better in 2019. Wide receiver is a major problem area for Cleveland—despite the fact that Kevin currently has eight of them in the fold. To start, top-projected WR Albert Wilson opted out of the season, and Cody Latimer was arrested and released. Beyond those, Taylor Gabriel, the Browns’ second-best receiver last year, is not currently rostered, nor is Jarius Wright. Additionally, it appears that Tyler Johnson, who seemed to be ticketed for snaps as the Bucs’ third WR after the draft, but apparently Scotty Miller will be taking that role. There is some good news, as Hunter Renfrow’s role probably grew more into something resembling last year’s with Tyrell Williams’ season-ending injury, and Chris Hogan resurfaced out of nowhere to, according to recent Training Camp puff pieces, look like the best receiver the Jets have, right off the street. At tight end, Kyle Rudolph is an average starting option, and good for a touchdown here and there. Jordan Thomas dropped off the map in 2019, seemingly ceding his role as #1 to Jordan Akins. Defensively, there are some fantastic options, and some less than stellar ones. On the line, Joey Bosa and Josh Allen form a tremendous twosome, and Takkarist McKinley can curse as good as anyone—though I fail to see how that applies to this league. At linebacker, T.J. Watt had his best season so far in 2019, eclipsing the 10 PPG threshold. Kyle Van Noy, whom Cleveland traded for before last year, is also back, and is an average starting option. Markus Golden, who had a breakout year in 2019, may end up being the second-best LB on Kevin’s D, as long as he can keep his sack count up. Neville Hewitt, however, is unlikely to replicate his 2019, as he is now part of a five-way timeshare in New York (Though it could be a four-way timeshare for the first month or so, while Avery Williamson is away). At defensive back, Cleveland sports such options as top-corner Tre’Davious White, and slightly below average option Jaire Alexander, along with two others William Jackson, and Montae Nicholson.
X-factor: Wide Receiver. Could Renfrow and Hogan carry Cleveland back to the playoffs? Honestly, no, it’s not likely. Linebacker could also become a concern, but is likely to hold up to the rest of the team. But if he’s not getting 100 points from any of his receiving options, alongside other developments, it’s hard to see the Browns having the season they had in 2019.
Projected division finish: 4th
Pittsburgh Steelers (Garrett)
Last year’s finish: 19th (Division: 4th)
Outlook: For a litany of reasons in 2019, Garrett took a major tumble, finishing with his first losing record since 2012, and missing the playoffs for the first time in that span too. What originally looked like a retooling on the fly, became a bit more of a hiccup than expected—to all parties, including this one. There is a fair amount of optimism for recovery, as Garrett was quite a bit unlucky last year, as he profiled more like a solid playoff team. At quarterback, Pittsburgh currently has two options: Drew Lock, and Ben Roethlisberger. Either option should suffice—Ben with better short-term value, and Lock with more long-term. At running back, Le’Veon Bell returns to Garrett’s backfield for the seventh season--including his skipped 2018—and it showed in 2019, as Bell looked nothing like the back we had seen from 2013-2017. Now, he has more competition for carries, and a coach who has questionable admiration for him, and a downright love affair with his direct backup. Chase Edmonds continues to pick off work from Arizona’s top back, but may have to take more of a backseat to Kenyan Drake than he did to David Johnson, as Drake dominated the work down the stretch last year. Giovani Bernard is also part of the equation, but is no longer fantasy relevant short of a Joe Mixon injury. Wideout is in excellent short-term shape, with Marvin Jones, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and T.Y. Hilton making among the most-formidable top-threes in the league. Behind them are Golden Tate, and rookie Tee Higgins (Tajae Sharpe, the Vikings’ No. 4 is also in the fold). All-in-all, it’s one of the most superior units in the league. At tight end, Colby Parkinson is the only player on the roster, though it’s questionable if he’ll see 2020 snaps in Seattle’s hyper-crowded TE room. Defensively, it’s a little more of a mixed bag than the offensive unit. The defensive line is in excellent shape, with Melvin Ingram, Brandon Graham, and Jeffery Simmons. At linebacker, Pittsburgh isn’t what it once was, but it still has multiple quality options, starting with Myles Jack, and Todd Davis. Behind them are rookie Malik Harrison, Ryan Connelly, Jermaine Carter, and Justin spelling error Strnad. It’s effectively two high-quality starting options, and some high-upside/opportunity bets. At defensive back, Karl Joseph leads the way, and hopes to establish himself in Cleveland. Mike Edwards, and now Nasir Adderly, after Derwin James went down. It’s impossible to know what role Adderly will play, but he should have more snaps to prove himself in his sophomore campaign, after receiving next to none as a rookie.
X-factor: Tight End and Defense. Garrett must acquire a tight end to have any opportunity at serious contention, but the middle and back end of his defense could also become problematic. It’s a time will tell situation, and we shall have our answer sooner, likely, than later. Perhaps the Steelers can trade from their wide receiver depth to shore up those back end defensive options.
Projected division finish: 2nd
Thank you for reading this, the fourth in the series of Divisional Previews. I will publish the fifth installment later this week, this time the AFC East.