AFCE

The AFC North Afternoon Buzz

The AFC North Afternoon Buzz
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Happy π-Day. Miraculously an NFL player/pie eating Google search came up empty, so this oldie but goodie should represent well enough.
 




 
Baltimore Ravens
 
You wouldn’t think opening up a whopping 7.4% of cap space would lead to so much excitement, but it has with the Ravens media and front office.
 
My Take: The Ravens are apparently eying wide receiver Mike Wallace and safety Eric Weddle. At both positions the Ravens currently have a plethora of mediocrity, so at face value it makes sense. It has also been a trend for the Ravens who annually grab a 1-2 year rental at safety, and a wide receiver who is an inexpensive, older and slower version of their former self. They haven’t done a bad job with this philosophy recently, but the big difference with Wallace is, the previous WRs were notoriously hard workers.
Edit: Ravens have just signed Weddle.
 
Cleveland Browns
Salary cap issues are the opposite in Cleveland as they have over $40M to spend with their adjusted cap due to non-spending, which has everyone questioning the team’s direction
 
My Take: With $40M to spend, the Browns can take this in any direction. With no clear franchise quarterback on the horizon, they may want to start by building a top 10 defense and offensive line. Things normally workout much better when the team’s core is solid regardless of who is throwing the ball.
 
Cincinnati Bengals
 
The Bengals still have $30M to spend after coming out on the short end during the early free agent signing spree, with six more Bengals to stay or go.
 
My Take: They will likely address wide receiver position in free agency AND the draft, but will certainly have plenty of holes to fill when is all said and done. The question is how much money will they actually spend? The rules say they are obligated to take on most of the salary cap, but whether that spending is in the form of an actual player, or cash handout to the players salary fund remains to be seen.
 
Pittsburgh Steelers
 
The Steelers have about $9M to spend, and they too may be looking at wide receive after the Martavis Bryant suspension (if upheld), but currently they have their eyes on offensive lineman Russell Okung.
 
My Take: Yes, even the Steelers brass use “6x” when discussing their team to others. This also explains Okung’s visit to San Francisco even though he would rather play left tackle. That said, he would be a welcome addition to a Steelers line that performed admirably despite being decimated by injuries last season.

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