Baltimore Ravens
There has been chatter amongst the Sideline Report community regarding compensatory picks, and this article spells out some detail as well as the 2016 Ravens strategy.
My Take: The Ravens have been known to value these picks because they had been drafting so well… until recently. They are either losing confidence in the draft process, or they know they can’t compete in the short term without changing their philosophy. Otherwise, 2016 would not be the year to tinker with a different strategy considering compensatory picks can now be traded, giving the picks even more value. No chance they would have signed TE Benjamin Watson if they new Crockett Gilmore would heal so quickly.
Cleveland Browns
I was going with this story today before this happened.
My Take: On the latter story, look at the plus side: The Browns paid little for RGIII, a player that cost the Redskins 3…THREE first round picks and a second. He is a dynamic player with his legs when healthy, and has a strong arm. The big question is what happens between his ears (like his predecessor) when reading defenses. Either way, it will give writers and message boards plenty to discuss in 2016. Regarding the former story, the Ravens went through the same issue as Matt Stover beat out the likes of Johnathan Ogden, Ed Reed, and Ray Lewis in a similar poll. Trolls can outnumber fans when motivated enough. I wouldn’t put this on Browns fans as some knee-jerkers in the media have done already.
Cincinnati Bengals
Not much going on in Bengal land today other than roster and player production guesswork.
My Take: So far this offseason the team has kept some pieces in place and has lost others. Its been a net subtraction to date, but I assume other players will be signed, and they will hit on a draft pick or two. There is no point to be overly optimistic at this time, but they are still in the best shape when combining talent and cap space.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Not much going on in Pittsburgh either, highlighted by the abundance of offensive tackle news coming out of the Steel City.
My Take: Although the Steelers have a good number of tackles on their current roster for depth purposes, the question will be how well they actually perform on the field. Adams even if healthy would grade at the bottom of the bunch, so his loss would not change the makeup of the team either way.
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