Intro: For each team, for the next month or so, we’re going to look at the key offseason moves each team has made via trade, free agency, coaching and GM changes, and their NFL Draft to see if we scout/analyze these teams have improved or regressed or stayed flat, essentially – looking at it from a 2024 impact only...not long-term, just what could impact this season’s results.
We’ll judge these teams two at a time, pitting them against each other head-to-head to determine a ‘winner’ (which team we think impacted 2024 the best), and the winning teams will move on to the next round and compete until we get to the finals/Super Bowl.
We’re going division-by-division, seeded by 2023 order of finish.
Today we have an AFC North matchup of #1 BAL and #4 CIN...
BALTIMORE
Key Adds: RB Derrick Henry (from TEN)...that’s it. The only real FA they signed.
Key Losses: LB Patrick Queen (to PIT), DL Jadeveon Clowney (to CAR), SAF Geno Stone (to CIN), OG John Simpson (to NYJ), WR Devin Duvernay (to JAX), CB Ronald Darby (to JAX), RB Gus Edwards (to LAC), OG Kevin Zeitler (to DET), OBJ (to MIA)
Key Draft Adds: CB Nate Wiggins, OL Roger Rosengarten, DE Isaac Adisa, CB T.J. Tampa
Key Coaching Changes: Lost D-C Mike Macdonald (to SEA as HC), promoted Zach Orr to D-C.
Outlook: If you minimize any upgrade at RB as ‘no big deal’, because it’s a running back (and who cares about RBs anymore), then the Ravens didn’t get any bump from free agency...and they had a bad draft, in my opinion (I think Wiggins is more ‘bust’ than not) – if all that is true, then you look and see all the talent they lost in free agency...you can only conclude that this was a BAD offseason for Baltimore.
I didn’t realize the count of 2023 starters that were lost to free agency until I typed it all out here and re-looked at things. I’m pro-Derrick Henry. I don’t think RBs matter much anymore either, but Henry is one of the few exceptions – so that is an improvement...but then everything else is hit-after-hit to their lineup from last year.
It’s not SO bad...because Patrick Queen is overrated, as is Clowney...as is OBJ. Really, the worst ‘loss’ is losing D-C Mike Macdonald to Seattle.
Looking at everything, as a whole, I don’t think the Ravens radically improved themselves in the 2024 offseason...but they didn’t lose as much quality as they lost more ‘quantity’, per se. So it looks scary when you see the count of key things coming and going, but its impact is debatable.
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CINCINNATI
Key Adds: DT Sheldon Rankins (from HOU), SAF Geno Stone (from BAL), Zack Moss (from IND), OT Trenton Brown (from NE) SAF Vonn Bell (from CAR)
Key Losses: CB Chidobe Awuzie (to TEN), OT Jonah Williams (to ARI), DT D.J. Reader (to DET), WR Tyler Boyd (to TEN) RB Joe Mixon (to HOU).
Key Draft Adds: OL Amarius Mims, DT Kris Jenkins, WR Jermaine Burton, DT McKinley Jackson
Key Coaching Changes: Lost O-C Brian Callahan (HC TEN) and promoted Dan Pitcher to O-C
Outlook: Some nice adds but also hurtful losses this offseason + a bad NFL Draft = the Bengals are probably worse for the wares after all the changes for 2024.
Rankins is a downgrade from Reader at DT.
Stone is a good add at DB, but the Awuzie loss is worse at the more critical DB spot of corner.
Trenton Brown add is good...the Jonah Williams loss is not good. Brown better...if he can be healthy.
Mixon v. Moss = neutral, no grand improvement.
Overall, a bunch of names changing but no great improvement and that draft is a real dud, so that hurts...and losing O-C Brian Callahan is not great for things either.
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Winner (most improved for 2024)...
Kind of a weird decision to render here...a lot of similarities between CIN and BAL’s offseason. Both lost key coordinators. Both had really bad drafts in our judgment...both took high probability 1st-round busts on top of a bad draft the rest of the way.
I could go any number of ways to judge this one, but I am going to tip it to the Ravens on the Derrick Henry event as the key move for them...maybe the single best fit/move of the 2024 offseason. He’s a perfect player for them and one of the best, most impactful players in the game.
The Ravens move on to the AFC North finals in our tournament.
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