[h=1]Plugging the Holes: AFC North[/h][h=3]Identifying biggest remaining needs for Ravens, Bengals, Browns, Steelers[/h]
By Scott Kacsmar | Football Outsiders
ESPN INSIDER
In this post-draft edition of Plugging the Holes, Football Outsiders will look at the largest remaining personnel needs of every team, going division by division.
Tuesday's edition examines the AFC North.
[h=3]Baltimore Ravens: Secondary depth[/h]
Baltimore has done a fine job of replacing the massive amount of talent lost after winning Super Bowl XLVII. This offseason has been much quieter for Ozzie Newsome, but he did add the vocal Steve Smith to a talented receiving corps that should be better by health alone. Last year, both Jacoby Jones and Dennis Pitta suffered injuries. Pitta especially should rejuvenate the tight end position, and Owen Daniels was a good insurance signing. While the offensive line might be shaky, last year's in-season trade with Jacksonville for tackle Eugene Monroe will start paying dividends when he's not trying to learn the offense on the fly and has a full offseason under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
The heart of the team is still on defense, even without Ray Lewis. The front seven is led by a strong core of veterans, including Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Daryl Smith and Elvis Dumervil. Newsome has gone defense-heavy in the past two drafts, and getting Lardarius Webb back last year (ACL injury in 2012) was a big boost.
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The problem is that the secondary is razor-thin once you get past the four starters: Webb, Jimmy Smith, Matt Elam (last year's first-round pick) and possibly third-round rookie Terrence Brooks at free safety. Elam had his adventures last season, allowing 11.2 adjusted yards per pass (ranked 73rd out of 78 safeties) according to the FO game-charting project. Adding another inexperienced safety could hurt the defense on big pass plays. Corey Graham was last year's slot corner, but he's with Buffalo now. After Webb and Smith, the Ravens are likely looking at Asa Jackson and Chykie Brown for nickel and dime responsibilities. Both have been with Baltimore the past few years, but neither has much playing experience. In a league that loves spreading the field with four or five receivers, the Ravens are putting a ton of pressure on the front seven to cover up weaknesses that will be exposed in this limited secondary.
[h=3]Cincinnati Bengals: Cornerback[/h]
The following sentence has rarely been written, but the Bengals have a really solid roster in place. If we weren't focusing on players, the coaching staff might be the choice here after Marvin Lewis lost both coordinators, Mike Zimmer (Minnesota) and Jay Gruden (Washington), to head-coaching jobs. The Bengals promoted from within and have kept many of the same players from last year. Andy Dalton's progression gets the majority of attention, but he's proven he can be successful enough (in the regular season) to lead the team to the playoffs. There's a young core of skill players in place with Giovani Bernard, Tyler Eifert, and A.J. Green, and most of the offensive line is solidified. The defense will return its best player, Geno Atkins, from a torn ACL.
Cincinnati's roster was complete enough that the 2014 draft was practically a luxury event in which they could add pieces that might fill only supporting roles (think second-round back Jeremy Hill splitting time with Bernard) or take time as development projects (quarterback AJ McCarron in the fifth round).
If there's a position that could be the team's 2014 downfall, cornerback might still be the choice even after Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard was added in the first round. Rookie corners rarely have a huge impact. Even the most talented ones, such as Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson, generally are mediocre as rookies as they get used to the NFL game. The worst-case scenario is someone like Dre Kirkpatrick, whom the Bengals drafted 17th overall in 2012. He still hasn't justified his draft status. And the rest of the Bengals' depth chart? Leon Hall's a good player, but he'll turn 30 in December and has been seriously injured in two of the past three seasons. Terence Newman has his moments, but he'll be 36 come Week 1. Even Adam Jones will be 31 in September.
Many teams right now want to emulate Seattle's secondary success, but the Bengals do not have a "shutdown corner" (youthful or experienced), and they certainly don't have a safety duo like Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor to make things so much easier. If Atkins is not dominating up front and the defense fails to adjust without Zimmer, who was credited for turning this unit around back in 2008, then the secondary could be exposed by the plethora of talented AFC passers the Bengals have to deal with as they seek that elusive first playoff win since the 1990 season.
[h=3]Cleveland Browns: Quarterback[/h]
Let's start with a disclaimer. If Josh Gordon gets slapped with a significant suspension, then the biggest hole defaults to wide receiver. The ship has sailed on Miles Austin and Nate Burleson being big-time contributors. Earl Bennett is a No. 3 receiver at best. Even with Gordon's incredible season, the Browns were 28th in offensive points per drive. It takes more than one receiver to have a great offense.
It also takes at least one quarterback. The Browns have had 20 of them since 1999, but that's far too many. As much as I hate to fuel the Johnny Manziel Madness, this team's biggest hole is quarterback.
Give Gordon his "this is your last straw" speech, and Cleveland has built a roster that a good quarterback could take to the playoffs. Joe Thomas and Alex Mack provide stability up front, and guard Joel Bitonio was another high draft pick (second round). There's more talent in the backfield now with Ben Tate and rookie Terrance West. Jordan Cameron had a breakout year at tight end. Phillip Taylor mans the defensive line. Linebackers Karlos Dansby and Paul Kruger have been key free-agent additions in the past two years. The secondary locked up Joe Haden and drafted Justin Gilbert in the first round, and while they lost T.J. Ward, the Browns did a reasonable job of replacing him with veteran Donte Whitner. There's something at every level but quarterback.
The fact that many people believe Brian Hoyer played "so well" last season shows just how starved Cleveland is for good quarterback play. Hoyer had a nice game-winning drive against a porous Minnesota defense he still threw three interceptions against. He played well against Cincinnati. He was hurt very quickly against Buffalo, and that was his 2013 season. His 47.5 Total QBR was below the league average (50.0). The long-term answer is not Brian Hoyer. At some point in 2014, the 21-year-old Manziel has to become the 21st starting quarterback for Cleveland 2.0. Now, there's no way to know if he'll succeed or be a complete disaster, but the latter is all the Browns will be anyway until they find a good quarterback.
[h=3]Pittsburgh Steelers: Offensive tackle[/h][h=3][/h]
The Steelers entered this offseason dangerously thin at several positions and with little cap space to buy solutions. Safety Mike Mitchell (Panthers) was the big signing on defense, but cornerback was surprisingly not addressed by general manager Kevin Colbert until the fifth round of the draft. The trio of Ike Taylor, William Gay and Cortez Allen all return, hoping for better results after a rough 2013 campaign. Pittsburgh did find a good backup for Le'Veon Bell in LeGarrette Blount, and Lance Moore should play slot receiver and battle with youngsters Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant for catches. They are a Heath Miller (tight end) or Cameron Heyward (defensive end) injury away from death at those positions, but at least the Steelers know what they're getting from those guys, if healthy.
As always, there are more questions than answers along the Pittsburgh offensive line. Center Maurkice Pouncey and guard David DeCastro have rarely played together due to injuries the past two years, but they look to solidify the interior. The biggest problem remains at tackle, where Max Starks has been the only quality starter acquired in the past several years. Projected 2014 starters Kelvin Beachum and Marcus Gilbert are still young but have not proven to be reliable blockers. Guy Whimper's purely a backup, and Mike Adams pitifully averaged one blown block every 25.1 snaps last year -- according to Football Outsiders' game charting, the worst rate for any offensive lineman with at least 400 snaps. It's no wonder Adams was benched for Beachum last year.
When it comes to a premium position like offensive tackle, the Steelers continue to field two turnstiles that provide opponents easy access to stuffing the run and pressuring Ben Roethlisberger.
By Scott Kacsmar | Football Outsiders
ESPN INSIDER
In this post-draft edition of Plugging the Holes, Football Outsiders will look at the largest remaining personnel needs of every team, going division by division.
Tuesday's edition examines the AFC North.
[h=3]Baltimore Ravens: Secondary depth[/h]
Baltimore has done a fine job of replacing the massive amount of talent lost after winning Super Bowl XLVII. This offseason has been much quieter for Ozzie Newsome, but he did add the vocal Steve Smith to a talented receiving corps that should be better by health alone. Last year, both Jacoby Jones and Dennis Pitta suffered injuries. Pitta especially should rejuvenate the tight end position, and Owen Daniels was a good insurance signing. While the offensive line might be shaky, last year's in-season trade with Jacksonville for tackle Eugene Monroe will start paying dividends when he's not trying to learn the offense on the fly and has a full offseason under new offensive coordinator Gary Kubiak.
The heart of the team is still on defense, even without Ray Lewis. The front seven is led by a strong core of veterans, including Haloti Ngata, Terrell Suggs, Daryl Smith and Elvis Dumervil. Newsome has gone defense-heavy in the past two drafts, and getting Lardarius Webb back last year (ACL injury in 2012) was a big boost.
<OFFER></OFFER>
The problem is that the secondary is razor-thin once you get past the four starters: Webb, Jimmy Smith, Matt Elam (last year's first-round pick) and possibly third-round rookie Terrence Brooks at free safety. Elam had his adventures last season, allowing 11.2 adjusted yards per pass (ranked 73rd out of 78 safeties) according to the FO game-charting project. Adding another inexperienced safety could hurt the defense on big pass plays. Corey Graham was last year's slot corner, but he's with Buffalo now. After Webb and Smith, the Ravens are likely looking at Asa Jackson and Chykie Brown for nickel and dime responsibilities. Both have been with Baltimore the past few years, but neither has much playing experience. In a league that loves spreading the field with four or five receivers, the Ravens are putting a ton of pressure on the front seven to cover up weaknesses that will be exposed in this limited secondary.
[h=3]Cincinnati Bengals: Cornerback[/h]
The following sentence has rarely been written, but the Bengals have a really solid roster in place. If we weren't focusing on players, the coaching staff might be the choice here after Marvin Lewis lost both coordinators, Mike Zimmer (Minnesota) and Jay Gruden (Washington), to head-coaching jobs. The Bengals promoted from within and have kept many of the same players from last year. Andy Dalton's progression gets the majority of attention, but he's proven he can be successful enough (in the regular season) to lead the team to the playoffs. There's a young core of skill players in place with Giovani Bernard, Tyler Eifert, and A.J. Green, and most of the offensive line is solidified. The defense will return its best player, Geno Atkins, from a torn ACL.
Cincinnati's roster was complete enough that the 2014 draft was practically a luxury event in which they could add pieces that might fill only supporting roles (think second-round back Jeremy Hill splitting time with Bernard) or take time as development projects (quarterback AJ McCarron in the fifth round).
If there's a position that could be the team's 2014 downfall, cornerback might still be the choice even after Michigan State's Darqueze Dennard was added in the first round. Rookie corners rarely have a huge impact. Even the most talented ones, such as Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson, generally are mediocre as rookies as they get used to the NFL game. The worst-case scenario is someone like Dre Kirkpatrick, whom the Bengals drafted 17th overall in 2012. He still hasn't justified his draft status. And the rest of the Bengals' depth chart? Leon Hall's a good player, but he'll turn 30 in December and has been seriously injured in two of the past three seasons. Terence Newman has his moments, but he'll be 36 come Week 1. Even Adam Jones will be 31 in September.
Many teams right now want to emulate Seattle's secondary success, but the Bengals do not have a "shutdown corner" (youthful or experienced), and they certainly don't have a safety duo like Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor to make things so much easier. If Atkins is not dominating up front and the defense fails to adjust without Zimmer, who was credited for turning this unit around back in 2008, then the secondary could be exposed by the plethora of talented AFC passers the Bengals have to deal with as they seek that elusive first playoff win since the 1990 season.
[h=3]Cleveland Browns: Quarterback[/h]
Let's start with a disclaimer. If Josh Gordon gets slapped with a significant suspension, then the biggest hole defaults to wide receiver. The ship has sailed on Miles Austin and Nate Burleson being big-time contributors. Earl Bennett is a No. 3 receiver at best. Even with Gordon's incredible season, the Browns were 28th in offensive points per drive. It takes more than one receiver to have a great offense.
It also takes at least one quarterback. The Browns have had 20 of them since 1999, but that's far too many. As much as I hate to fuel the Johnny Manziel Madness, this team's biggest hole is quarterback.
Give Gordon his "this is your last straw" speech, and Cleveland has built a roster that a good quarterback could take to the playoffs. Joe Thomas and Alex Mack provide stability up front, and guard Joel Bitonio was another high draft pick (second round). There's more talent in the backfield now with Ben Tate and rookie Terrance West. Jordan Cameron had a breakout year at tight end. Phillip Taylor mans the defensive line. Linebackers Karlos Dansby and Paul Kruger have been key free-agent additions in the past two years. The secondary locked up Joe Haden and drafted Justin Gilbert in the first round, and while they lost T.J. Ward, the Browns did a reasonable job of replacing him with veteran Donte Whitner. There's something at every level but quarterback.
The fact that many people believe Brian Hoyer played "so well" last season shows just how starved Cleveland is for good quarterback play. Hoyer had a nice game-winning drive against a porous Minnesota defense he still threw three interceptions against. He played well against Cincinnati. He was hurt very quickly against Buffalo, and that was his 2013 season. His 47.5 Total QBR was below the league average (50.0). The long-term answer is not Brian Hoyer. At some point in 2014, the 21-year-old Manziel has to become the 21st starting quarterback for Cleveland 2.0. Now, there's no way to know if he'll succeed or be a complete disaster, but the latter is all the Browns will be anyway until they find a good quarterback.
[h=3]Pittsburgh Steelers: Offensive tackle[/h][h=3][/h]
The Steelers entered this offseason dangerously thin at several positions and with little cap space to buy solutions. Safety Mike Mitchell (Panthers) was the big signing on defense, but cornerback was surprisingly not addressed by general manager Kevin Colbert until the fifth round of the draft. The trio of Ike Taylor, William Gay and Cortez Allen all return, hoping for better results after a rough 2013 campaign. Pittsburgh did find a good backup for Le'Veon Bell in LeGarrette Blount, and Lance Moore should play slot receiver and battle with youngsters Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant for catches. They are a Heath Miller (tight end) or Cameron Heyward (defensive end) injury away from death at those positions, but at least the Steelers know what they're getting from those guys, if healthy.
As always, there are more questions than answers along the Pittsburgh offensive line. Center Maurkice Pouncey and guard David DeCastro have rarely played together due to injuries the past two years, but they look to solidify the interior. The biggest problem remains at tackle, where Max Starks has been the only quality starter acquired in the past several years. Projected 2014 starters Kelvin Beachum and Marcus Gilbert are still young but have not proven to be reliable blockers. Guy Whimper's purely a backup, and Mike Adams pitifully averaged one blown block every 25.1 snaps last year -- according to Football Outsiders' game charting, the worst rate for any offensive lineman with at least 400 snaps. It's no wonder Adams was benched for Beachum last year.
When it comes to a premium position like offensive tackle, the Steelers continue to field two turnstiles that provide opponents easy access to stuffing the run and pressuring Ben Roethlisberger.
