2022 Offseason Assessment Tournament: 1st-Round (PIT v. CLE)
Same intro everyday: Our annual series taking a look at each NFL team’s offseason (free agency, draft, trades) moves and assessing their impact for the upcoming season – simply speaking, 'did all of the offseason moves, en masse, project to make the team better or worse for just the upcoming campaign (not worried about the long-term effect)'?
We’ll list the key adds and losses for each team competing and then comment on them and anoint a winner that will move on to the next round, until we get down to the final two (the 'Super Bowl') and we name a winner for the top offseason (to date). Our way to review and judge what each of these teams have done halfway through the offseason.
1st-Round Matchup…
PITTSBURGH STEELERS
Key Adds:
OL James Daniels (FA), LB Myles Jack (FA), OC Mason Cole (FA), QB Mitchell Trubisky (FA), CB Levi Wallace (FA), CB Ahkello Witherspoon (FA)
QB Kenny Pickett (pick #20), WR George Pickens (pick #52), DL DeMarvin Leal (pick #84), WR Calvin Austin (pick #138), RB Connor Heyward (pick #208)
Key Losses:
QB Big Ben (retired), WR Ray-Ray McCloud (FA), WR JuJu Smith-Schuster, CB Joe Haden (likely loss FA)
vs.
CLEVELAND BROWNS
Key Adds:
QB Deshaun Watson (trade), WR Amari Cooper (trade), LB Chase Winovich (trade)
WR Jakeem Grant (FA), QB Jacoby Brissett (FA), DT Taven Bryan (FA)
CB M.J. Emerson (pick #68), LB Alex Wright Pick #78), WR David Bell (#99), DL Perrion Winfrey (pick #108), PK Cade York (pick #124), RB Jerome Ford (pick #156)
Key Losses:
QB Baker Mayfield (eventually gone), CB Troy Hill (trade), QB Case Keenum (trade), LB Mack Wilson (trade)
TE Austin Hooper (FA), FB Andy Janovich (FA), WR Jarvis Landry (FA), CB M.J. Stewart (FA), OL J.C. Tretter
The Steelers had a void at QB and terrible O-Line and a horrific run defense last year. To fix those issues, they brought in a rookie QB, added one talented O-Lineman and picked up a cast-off linebacker…and burned good picks on the one thing they didn’t need right now – wide receivers.
Pittsburgh dips at QB for 2022. An upgrade a bit at O-Line with James Daniels coming in. A neutral +/- move at CB. For 2022, the Steelers are not ‘the Steelers of old’…they are rebuilding but still throwing half an effort at 2022.
The Browns gave up their soul for Deshaun Watson…one of the most franchise crushing trades and contracts for the years ahead, but we’re focused on 2022 here…and Watson is not much of an upgrade over Baker, but then consider Watson will likely miss 2-4-8 games…so the Browns are not better at QB overall for 2022. They definitely upgraded their WR bodies. No vast improvements anywhere else but at kicker.
If you consider the Browns and Steelers were about the same roster/abilities in 2021, then who would you bet on to have the better 2022 season based on all the offseason moves they’ve made? I think the Steelers are not making a ton of progress for this season, and a rookie QB is unlikely to carry them in 2022. The Browns inched their way better with all their moves overall – a better WR group and possibly a solid QB situation if Watson is his old self and is only out 2-4 games…but that’s a huge ‘if’.
On a neutral field, with these rosters as is, Week 1, everyone healthy and playing – I’d bet on Cleveland’s roster (even considering Watson suspended/not there).
WINNER = Cleveland, who goes on to face Cincinnati in the AFC North finals.
1ST-ROUND RESULTS:
NYG defeats DAL
PHI defeats WSH
LAR defeats SEA
SF defeats ARI
DET defeats GB
MIN defeats CHI
ATL defeats NO
TB defeats CAR
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NYJ defeats BUF
MIA defeats NE
DEN defeats KC
LAC defeats LV
CIN defeats BAL
CLE defeats PIT
