The Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to win their third straight AFC North division crown in 2018. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns all tried to made improvements in the offseason in order to try to dethrone them.
According to CBS Sports, Las Vegas lists the Steelers at -550 to be a playoff team (meaning that much would have to be wagered in order to win $100). The Ravens are listed at +135, Bengals at +400, and Browns at +600 to be postseason participants (meaning that much would be won on a $100 wager).
Here are the key additions and subtractions in team personnel for each AFC North team this offseason.
Baltimore Ravens
- Key additions: Willie Snead, WR (signed), Michael Crabtree, WR (signed), John Brown, WR (signed), Hayden Hurst, TE (first round), Lamar Jackson, QB (first round), Orlando Brown, OT (third round), and Mark Andrews, TE (third round).
- Key losses: Danny Woodhead, RB (retired), Jeremy Maclin, WR (released), Mike Wallace, WR (Eagles), Benjamin Watson, TE (Saints), Austin Howard, OT (Colts), Ryan Jensen, C (Buccaneers), and Lardarius Webb, S (released).
With quarterback Joe Flacco feeling pressure after the team drafted Lamar Jackson in the first round, the Ravens surrounded him with an entirely new receiving corps. Gone from last year’s team are receivers Jeremy Maclin and Mike Wallace as well as tight end Benjamin Watson.
The team added three wide receivers in free agency, highlighted by former Raider Michael Crabtree. He averaged about 848 yards per year and scored 25 total touchdowns in his three seasons with Oakland.
The Ravens also drafted two tight ends in the first three rounds: Hayden Hurst out of South Carolina in the first round and Mark Andrews out of Oklahoma in the third round.
Hurst totaled 92 catches for 1,175 yards in his sophomore and junior seasons.
Cincinnati Bengals
- Key additions: Preston Brown, LB (signed), Cordy Glenn, OT (trade), Chris Baker, DT (signed), Bobby Hart, OT (signed), Billy Price, C (first round), Jessie Bates III, S (second round), Sam Hubbard, DE (third round), and Malik Jefferson, LB (third round).
- Key losses: Andre Smith, OT (Cardinals), Adam Jones, CB (unsigned), Kevin Minter, LB (Jets), Russell Bodine, C (Bills), AJ McCarron, QB (Bills), and Jeremy Hill, RB (Patriots).
After making the playoffs for five straight years from 2011-15, the Bengals missed out on postseason play for the second straight year last season.
They spent the offseason looking to make improvements on an offensive line that allowed 40 sacks and helped their running backs only average 3.6 yards per carry. They acquired Cordy Glenn from the Bills who made 77 starts for them at left tackle from 2012-17.
The Bengals also selected center Billy Price out of Ohio State with the 21st overall pick in the first round. He won the Dave Rimington Trophy last year as the nation’s top center.
Cleveland Browns
- Key additions: Mychal Kendricks, LB (signed), Jarvis Landry, WR (trade), E.J. Gaines, CB (signed), Terrance Mitchell, CB (signed), T.J. Carrie, CB (signed), Carlos Hyde, RB (signed), Chris Hubbard, C (signed), Darren Fells, TE (signed), Tyrod Taylor, QB (trade), Damarious Randall, S (trade), Baker Mayfield, QB (first round), Denzel Ward, CB (first round), Austin Corbett, OT (second round), Nick Chubb, RB (second round), and Chad Thomas, DE (third round).
- Key losses: Jason McCourty, CB (Patriots), Joe Thomas, OT (retired), DeShone Kizer, QB (Packers), and Isaiah Crowell, RB (Jets).
Wholesale changes were made to a Browns team that went 0-16 last season and 1-15 in 2016.
They finished dead last in scoring in 2017 and second-to-last in points allowed, so both sides of the ball needed to be addressed.
There is a lot of optimism for improvement for a Browns team that will be featured on HBO’s "Hard Knocks." NFL.com reports that a teaser trailer has recently been released for the show.
They traded for former Bills starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor and three-time Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry, previously of the Dolphins. Carlos Hyde and second-round pick Nick Chubb take over for Isaiah Crowell to form a solid running back crew, along with Duke Johnson. Quarterback Baker Mayfield out of Oklahoma was taken with the first overall selection and will likely start the year backing up Taylor.
Cleveland redid nearly their entire secondary with the only notable mainstay being 2017 first round pick Jabril Peppers. Cornerback Denzel Ward of Ohio State was taken with the fourth overall pick after he was a Consensus All-American in 2017. E.J. Gaines, Terrance Mitchell, TJ Carrie, and Damarious Randall also join what is now a deep secondary.
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Key additions: Morgan Burnett, S (signed), Jon Bostic, LB (signed), Terrell Edmunds, S (first round), James Washington, WR (second round), Mason Rudolph, QB (third round), and Chukwuma Okorafor, OT (third round).
- Key losses: William Gay, CB (Giants), Martavis Bryant, WR (Raiders), Mike Mitchell, S (released), Sean Spence, LB (unsigned), and Chris Hubbard, C (Browns).
At 13-3, the Steelers are coming off their best record since the 2004 season.
Unfortunately for them, they suffered a 45-42 loss in their first playoff game in the Divisional Round against the Jaguars.
Pittsburgh largely will be returning most of their core pieces from last season. They have six players who were named to the NFL’s ‘Top 100 Players of 2018’ list that came out last month.
They did sign linebacker Jon Bostic away from the Colts to replace Ryan Shazier in the lineup, as he will miss all of the upcoming season. Bostic recorded 97 tackles in 14 games with Indianapolis in 2017.
They also looked to address the safety position by signing Morgan Burnett and drafting Terrell Edmunds out of Virginia Tech in the first round.