Fantasy Football Roundtable: AFC North Edition

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

It's already late June, which means time to really start gearing up for the fast-approaching 2009 fantasy football season.

Over here at Bruno Boys headquarters that means discussions of events happening around the NFL are in full-force. Today, Bruno Boys Larry and Bruno Boys Ziza are breaking down the AFC North.

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AFC North Burning Questions!

1. With all of the injury concerns revolving around Carson Palmer, not to mention downgrading from T.J. Houshmandzadeh to Laveraneus Coles at the wide receiver postion, what type of year do you expect from the quarterback?

Bruno Boys Ziza:  Larry, the most important thing at this point is to make sure that Carson Palmer remains healthy. According to reports, Palmer is gaining strength and has rediscovered the zip on his passes. If he continues to progress like that until training camp, he will be a very solid quarterback; one that you can trust as a QB1 option in deeper leagues.

He definitely still has some legitimate talent around him, headlined by star wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. He should be just fine.

Bruno Boys Larry: Ziza, you couldn’t be more right. The most important thing will be making sure that Carson Palmer remains healthy in 2009, but if he does (and I believe he will) I look for Palmer to return to form quickly.

This is a quarterback who heading into last season had three consecutive seasons with over 3,800 passing yards with at least 26 touchdowns in each season. As you said, Ziza, he is progressing well and he should be ready to start training camp on time. Barring any setbacks, Palmer could vault back into the top ten in quarterbacks in 2009.

2. After a pretty successful 2007 season as a group, the Cleveland Browns offense completely flopped in 2008. During the offseason, they traded tight end Kellen Winslow to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. What do you see from the offense this season?

Bruno Boys Larry:  I have to say there was not a more disappointing team to me in 2008 than the Cleveland Browns and, Ziza, that includes our beloved Detroit Lions who went 0-16.

The Lions did not have high expectations heading into last season, but after finishing 10-6 in 2007 expectations were soaring for the Browns. They finished the season 4-12 and were just plain awful at times.

Their offense which exploded in 2007 went stagnant last season. And what might be even more puzzling is what this team did in the offseason: After bringing in a new coaching staff with Eric Mangini at the helm, they trade one of their best offensive players in tight end in Kellen Winslow.

I have to say I am completely baffled by this team, and I do not have high expectations for any of the Browns players from a fantasy football standpoint for 2009.

Bruno Boys Ziza:  In all honesty, this offense went through a horrible funk last season and is entering 2009 having traded away their star tight end in Kellen Winslow and is still willing to trade Braylon Edwards if they get the right package deal for him. That is not encouraging considering that their running back Jamal Lewis is getting older.

I don't see much that is positive to elaborate on, but I do see plenty of negative. That is why I would not touch any of the Cleveland Browns this year.

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