AFC Unit Comparisons

[The Gipper]

Quarterback:

Browns:  Tyrod Taylor,  Baker Mayfield,  Drew Stanton

Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger,  Landry Jones, Mason Rudolph

Ravens: Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson,  Robert Griffin III

Bengals:  Andy Dalton, Matt Barkley, Jeff Driscoll

So...here is my breakdown here:

While the Steelers have the clear leader at this position,  can anyone here argue that Joe Flacoo and Dalton are far better or more proven than Tyrod Taylor? Yes, Flacco has a Super Bowl under his belt...but it seems that he has slid downhill ever since, fair to say?   And you have 3 rookies on here....all unknown quantities at this point.  And I don't think that Stanton is any worse than the other "backups" on this list. 

Ranking:  1. Steelers ..due to BR  2. Ravens...will give Flacco his past due...but I think he is in prove it mode  3. Bengals...only because Dalton has more playoff experience...so:  3 Browns.   I am giving Taylor as much due as Dalton.   And I am calling basically a draw on all backups and rookies at this point.

[The Gipper]

Running Backs:

Browns: Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson, Nick Chubb

Steelers: Leveon Bell, James Conner,  Fitzgerald Toussaint

Ravens: Alex Collins,  Javorius Allen, Kenneth Dixon

Bengals: Giovanni Bernard, Joe Mixon, Brian Hill

My breakdown here:

While Leveon Bell also seems to be the best all around back.....would you trade our 3 for the Steelers 3?  I don't think I would.  Same for the Bengals,  Bernard and Duke Johnson seem potentially a match....but the Browns potential overall seems higher than Bengals.  And the Ravens list reminds me of the line from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid:  "Who are those guys"?

Ranking:  1. Steelers...only because of Bell...but:   1. Browns, I am giving a tie for the overall unit.   3. Bengals  4. Ravens

Update:  Bell still a holdout.  If he does not play this year, (and cannot imagine that happening, Steelers fall to last here.

[The Gipper]

Wide Receivers:

Browns:  Josh Gordon, Corey Coleman, Jarvis Landry, Ricardo Louis, Rashard Higgins, Anthony Calloway

Steelers:  Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Shuster, James Washington, Darius Heyward Bey,  Justin Thomas, Justin Hunter

Ravens: Willie Snead,  Michael Crabtree, Chris Moore, Breshard Perriman, John Brown, Tim White

Bengals:  AJ Green, Brandon LaFell, Cody Core, Tyler Boyd, Josh Malone, John Ross

My breakdown:

Antonio Brown seems to be the best of this total bunch. (but he is also helped by having the best QB throw to him)   But that was not always the case.  Before his issues, Gordon was better than Brown, and so was AJ Green.  It seems that Green has been around forever, but actually he turns just 30  later this month.   JuJu seems a good #2 receiver...but is he better than Landry? Or LaFell?  

Ranking:  1. Steelers,  for the AB/JuJu combo.   2. Browns....If Gordon, Coleman, Landry live up to potential....could even be better overall.  3. Bengals...AJ still productive   4. Ravens....pretty much has beens and never was.

Update:  Coleman gone for Browns...does not change my assessment. Substitute Calloway.

[The Gipper]

Tight Ends:

Browns:  Darren Fells,  David Njoku, Seth DeValve

Steelers: Jesse James, Vance McDonald,  Xavier Grimble

Ravens:  Nick Boyle, Maxx Williams, Hayden Hurst

Bengals: Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, CJ Uzomah

My breakdown:  

I think at this point that Eifert is the #1 TE in the division.  But I think Njoku has the most innate talent.  He just needs to start showing it.  Jesse James could have been a steal for the Steelers (yes...yuck it up)

1. Bengals...for the 2 Tylers   2. Browns  3. Steelers  4. Bengals.

Bottom line for the whole thread:  Steelers at this point have the edge at skill positions, not really news.  Browns ARE coming on though.  Bengals are the the Gerry Rafferty teams:   Browns to the left (at #2),  Jokers to the right (Ravens #4).  Ravens....in my opinion seem to be extraordinarily deficient at offensive skill players.  Perhaps that is why it seems that Flacco's play has deteriorated.

[mjp28]

A few notes on mr. Instant offense A. Brown he recently signed a contract extension through 2021 -but- if you look at his 9 year career numbers he might have peaked in 2013-2014 and has actually sat out a few games recently......I've had him in my FLs the past few years. Diminishing returns soon?

Current Contract

Antonio Brown signed a 4 year, $68,000,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including a $19,000,000 signing bonus, $19,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $17,000,000. In 2018, Brown will earn a base salary of $915,000, a signing bonus of $2,900,000 and a restructure bonus of $12,960,000, while carrying a cap hit of $7,955,000 and a dead cap value of $28,160,000.

[The Gipper]

@mjp28 said:

A few notes on mr. Instant offense A. Brown he recently signed a contract extension through 2021 -but- if you look at his 9 year career numbers he might have peaked in 2013-2014 and has actually sat out a few games recently......I've had him iny FLs the past few years. Diminishing returns soon?

Current Contract

Antonio Brown signed a 4 year, $68,000,000 contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, including a $19,000,000 signing bonus, $19,000,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $17,000,000. In 2018, Brown will earn a base salary of $915,000, a signing bonus of $2,900,000 and a restructure bonus of $12,960,000, while carrying a cap hit of $7,955,000 and a dead cap value of $28,160,000.

So, how do you rank him  and/or his Steeler WR unit within the division?

[mjp28]

@the-gipper said:

So, how do you rank him  and/or his Steeler WR unit within the division?

Right now I'd still put him as #1 in a weakening division overall. AJ Green is getting up there, oddly Josh Gordon could end up as the top performer by years end.

The steelrz paid a steep price to keep A. Brown there until the 2022 season starts. Worth it? Time will tell.....

Oh for comparison  my favorite WR GOAT J. Rice peaked around season 11 and never had double digit TD receptions after that.

[The Gipper]

What it seems is that I have given THE definitive analysis of the Skill position units in the AFCN, seeing that no one else but mjp has commented on it.  I must have done such a great job!!

[gumby73]

@the-gipper said:

Here, I will list the  Unit Depth Charts for the AFC North.  Starting with Offensive skill positions.   Give your opinions of the relative strengths of each of these units:

Quarterback:

Browns:  Tyrod Taylor,  Baker Mayfield,  Drew Stanton #3

Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger,  Landry Jones, Mason Rudolph #1

Ravens: Joe Flacco, Lamar Jackson,  Robert Griffin III #2

Bengals:  Andy Dalton, Matt Barkley, Jeff Driscoll #4

Running Backs:

Browns: Carlos Hyde, Duke Johnson, Nick Chubb #3

Steelers: Leveon Bell, James Conner,  Fitzgerald Toussaint #1

Ravens: Alex Collins,  Javorius Allen, Kenneth Dixon #2 (Alex Collins maybe 2nd best back in division) 

Bengals: Giovanni Bernard, Joe Mixon, Brian Hill #4

Wide Receivers:

Browns:  Josh Gordon, Corey Coleman, Jarvis Landry, Ricardo Louis, Rashard Higgins, Anthony Calloway #2(Louis will be spelled Janis/Higgins on bubble)

Steelers:  Antonio Brown, JuJu Smith-Shuster, James Washington, Darius Heyward Bey,  Justin Thomas, Justin Hunter #1

Ravens: Willie Snead,  Michael Crabtree, Chris Moore, Breshard Perriman, John Brown, Tim White #4

Bengals:  AJ Green, Brandon LaFell, Cody Core, Tyler Boyd, Josh Malone, John Ross #3

Tight Ends:

Browns:  Darren Fells,  David Njoku, Seth DeValve #3(barely over #4)

Steelers: Jesse James, Vance McDonald,  Xavier Grimble #1

Ravens:  Nick Boyle, Maxx Williams, Hayden Hurst #4

Bengals: Tyler Eifert, Tyler Kroft, CJ Uzomah #2

Give your ranking for each unit.

^^^steel-queers have no question mark starters on their OL..the other 3 divisional teams can't say this..hold down the 3 B's on their offense? Their LB'ers & Secondary are still beatable..   

[The Gipper]

@gumby73 said:

^^^steel-queers have no question mark starters on their OL..the other 3 divisional teams can't say this..hold down the 3 B's on their offense? Their LB'ers & Secondary are still beatable..   

Alex Collins may be a decent player, but the overall Ravens running game seems to me to be the worst in the division.

I also think you overrate the Steelers TEs.  Jesse James is OK...but not as good as Tyler Eifert, and I think the Browns TE corps will prove better.  The difficulty in assessing the Steelers WR and TE corps is the fact that they do have the best QB throwing to them....and that can skew things in their favor.   Let Landry Jones be throwing to  Brown/Smith/James et al...and it could be a different story.

[The Gipper]

Now that the season is nigh upon us, I am reviving this thread, as it now seems clearly more relevant.  I have to go back and make a edit few corrections, as because of cuts, trades etc, there have been several changes to the  depth charts of the AFCN teams.

See the first post for the revisions to each teams Offensive skill player depth charts.

See subsequent posts for updates/edits.

[The Gipper]

I think, at some point, we should also look at the other units:  DL,  OL, LBs, DBs.   But, having looked them over a bit, I cannot say that I am perfectly qualified to rank these units.   So many names get lost. 

I will only make these points:  

A.  Bengals lost All Pro  Andrew Whitworth to the Rams,  that would weaken them as a unit.

B.  Besides Brown and Bell   Cam Heyward, DT Steelers, David DeCastro  OG Steelers  and CJ Mosley LB Ravens  are the only ALL pro players from the AFCN from last year. 

C.  Players named to the Pro Bowl from last year that return:

Browns:  Joe Schobert LB, Landry WR....while with Miami

Ravens:  Mosley LB, TJ Suggs DE,  Eric Weddle  FS

Bengals:  Geno Atkins DT

Steelers:   Ben R. QB,  Bell RB, A. Brown WR, Villanueva, DeCastro, Pouncey OL,  Heyward DE...(Shazier was given honorary position)