Why Do You Like This Draft!

[Whatever]

(05-01-2022, 10:11 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: The Ravens are still a good team and variance happens. Yes, Cincinnati demolished them last year but that doesn't speak for this year. Did the Bengals improve enough to overcome the deficits they apparently had against the Jets and Bears? What about the Jaguars? They barely scraped by them. Perhaps a better question would be did the Bengals do enough to overcome the Browns? Cleveland banished Cincinnati to the shadow realm, in Cincinnati, with a mediocre & injured QB. Now, they have added a Pro-Bowl and an All-Pro contender type player at QB.

My point is that it isn't linear like this. I think Cincinnati is the best team in the division, but they could go 2-4 just as easily as they could go 6-0. Baltimore and Cleveland are good teams and just because Cincinnati is better doesn't mean they will win. 

The thing with the Ravens is that they have lost a number of solid veterans this off-season and are relying on a number of rookies to come in and produce at a high level.  That's not really realistic.  They also have a gaping hole at WR.  Because of that, they are not a team that can afford to fall behind and they will also have to rely on Jackson's running to supplement their offense. That leads to an increased risk of injury that they will have a difficult time overcoming.  And honestly, trading away a WR1 that you still have under contract for two years(including 5th year option) is not a move a that a team with designs on contending in a division with the defending AFC champs makes.  The Ravens moves are more like the moves a team trying to rebuild makes.  

The Bengals struggled against teams with strong DL's last year.  That was a pattern we saw over and over again.  Losses to the Bears, Jets, Browns, 49'ers, and ultimately the Rams were proof of it.  That's why they rebuilt the OL in FA with proven veterans.  On paper, teams should not be able to exploit the OL like they did last year, but time will tell.

The Browns added Watson, which is a big upgrade from Baker.  However, how many games does he play this year and how much of a distraction do his off field issues become for the Browns?  They also lost a ton of players and draft picks acquiring him and trying to clear cap space to accommodate his contract demands.  They are also a team that perennially underachieves based on their talent level.  They are a wild card.