2 Of The Steelers AFC North Rivals Receive Poor Offseason Rankings As They Plummet After Horrendous Springs

The Pittsburgh Steelers went into the 2023 offseason with the momentum of a 7-2 run to finish the season, but they also knew that the team needed to be retooled and upgraded to make the a big jump. Now, as the various offseason camps begin across the NFL, Pittsburgh sits proudly as one of the most improved teams from 2022. As the Steelers prepare to harvest the fruits of a productive few months, two of their divisional rivals will be going into the season on the other side of that spectrum.

Steelers' Baltimore Rivals In Bottom Half Of NFL

Bill Barnwell of ESPN ranked the Ravens 21st for their offseason progress. You would have to be hiding underneath a rock to not know about the Lamar Jackson contract situation that fluttered in limbo for quite a while before Baltimore and their dual-threat quarterback came to an agreement that gave Jackson $185 million guaranteed. It takes more than just a quarterback to win in the NFL, though, so how did Barnwell see the rest of Baltimore's offseason going?

While the return of Jackson to the team was met with fanfare, Baltimore's decision to bring Odell Beckham Jr. onto the team brought a bit more skepticism. Beckham's name is what allowed him to request such a high payday from the Ravens ($15 million for 2023), but Beckham is now on the wrong side of 30, he didn't play in 2022 due to an ACL injury and is banking on the one-year deal to still be a "prove it" contract for 2024 and beyond. 

With the receiving corps ready to rely on Beckham and Nelson Agholor, someone with the potential to be a number-one guy without the statistics to back it up may end up being rookie receiver, Zay Flowers. Despite these concerns, Barnwell actually listed the receiving position group as one of the primary strengths of the Ravens heading into 2023.

"With Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely at tight end, Jackson suddenly has one of the league's deepest receiving corps."

Steelers Hope To Enjoy A Weakened Baltimore Defense

The Ravens' defense is what Barnwell sees as the reason for the low ranking. If it was just the players that Baltimore chose or were unable to retain then perhaps this wouldn't be as much of a knock on the team, but it becomes a real issue if the player who left is not properly replaced. The Steelers found this out when TJ Watt went down early in 2022 and a 2-6 record revealed an unprepared linebacker depth and a Watt-reliant defense.

Calais Campbell is no longer with the team, they have yet to re-sign Marcus Peters at cornerback and their sack leader for 2022, Justin Houston, isn't in Baltimore anymore. Those are three big names for Baltimore to find replacements for, and as it stands today they have Angelo Blackson to fill Campbell's spot, they signed Rock Ya-Sin to a one-year deal at cornerback despite an unproven resume and six missed games in 2022 and they have their hopes set on David Ojabo and Odafe Oweh to complete their pass rush. 

This is the NFL and you see unknown players rise to greatness every year, but for the Ravens to bring a defense in which Houston led with less than ten sacks, and a thin cornerback room, you would expect more activity surrounding the mix of players the Ravens will be putting their faith in. It sounds strange, but for Baltimore to succeed in 2023, they will need to rely on an aging receiving corps and a quarterback who wants everyone to trust that his injury issues are behind him. Those are big asks in a proud AFC North.

Steelers Unfazed As Browns Trust Watson

Perhaps one of the reasons that Barnwell has the Browns two spots higher than the Ravens is because Baltimore watched as three talented players left the roster, but Cleveland recognized dead weight and made the moves to clean up the roster of their own accord.

The Browns had high hopes for John Johnson III and Jadeveon Clowney, but after two disappointing years, they decided that the best choice was to cut ties and find other options on defense. To double down on their focus of rebuilding the defensive side of the ball, they also let their defensive coordinator, Joe Woods, go. This is where the Browns stood out in comparison to Baltimore because, with the spot left by Woods, Cleveland brought in Jim Schwartz to take over Defensive Coordinator duties. 

Schwartz brings with him extensive NFL coaching experience, including his five-year stint as the Head Coach of the Detroit Lions. A new face for a new defense. They didn't stop there as a new coordinator needs some new pieces to work with, thus from the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland brought in Za'Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson to help bolster a defense that is yearning to get back to an elite place.

The offense is a toss-up outside of Nick Chubb, who should be the focal player for the entire unit to run through. Deshaun Watson was a shell of himself when he took over near the end of 2022, Amari Cooper has been a respectable starter, but never lived up to the high-tier expectations when he came over from the Las Vegas Raiders. Their newly traded-for receiver, Elijah Moore, cost them draft capital they could hardly afford this year, and for a player of Moore's level, it's a big risk for them to have given up any of their slim draft picks at all.

That is what the Browns' concerns come down to: risk. Smith and Tomlinson have high-end potential, but if their best years were with the Vikings then it's a rough move for Cleveland. Moore never showed much outside of flashes that say he could carry a slot spot properly, and Donovan Peoples-Jones has yet to determine where he deserves to be on this depth chart. 

The moves made by Cleveland, as Barnwell puts forth, look like they could mesh well and work on paper, but it's been years of mediocrity and disappointment in Cleveland so will this year be the one that finally gets them into the rarified air of consistency in the NFL, or will we see more of the same?

What do you think about the way Cleveland and Baltimore have conducted their offseasons? How correct are these rankings in your opinion?

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