(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The most notable losses for the Ravens were linebacker Bart Scott and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. Both Scott and Ryan were key cogs in the Ravens defensive machine in 2008, and I believe they will be greatly missed this season. The Steelers, on the other hand, will likely finish the season as a top three defense once again.
Bruno Boys’ Quick Hits (Opinions Delivered Harder than Ray Lewis Tackles!)
1. Best addition by a team in the AFC North?
Bruno Boys Larry: The best addition to an AFC North team during the offseason to me has to be wide receiver Laveranues Coles to the Cincinnati Bengals. Coles isn’t likely more than a low-end WR2 or even a WR3 from a fantasy standpoint, but his value to the Bengals may be greater than any other AFC North offseason move.
Coles should help make up for the loss of free agent wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh to the Seattle Seahawks. He will be a reliable veteran for Carson Palmer to lean on, and he should help take pressure off both Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry.
Bruno Boys Ziza: While he was with the team last year, Rashard Mendenhall missed most of the season because of injury. In a lot of ways, this will qualify as his rookie year, which is why I am choosing him.
As long as he is healthy this year, I see him becoming the goal line back as well as getting a solid amount of carries behind Willie Parker to garner him as a solid RB4. The potential lies there as well for him to see an even bigger role in the Pittsburgh Steelers offense should Parker get hurt.
2. Biggest sleeper from the AFC North?
Bruno Boys Ziza: We talked about him earlier; my biggest sleeper for 2009 out of this division is quarterback Carson Palmer. He has just enough question marks surrounding him to where plenty of fantasy owners will be scared off in selecting him. However, he does have potential and some serious talent around him that if he does continue to heal from his elbow injury, he will qualify as a QB1 in deeper leagues.
Considering that quarterback is an important position in fantasy football and that his draft value will be low while his potential remains high, I see no one that even nears his possible impact this season as a solid sleeper.
Bruno Boys Larry: Ziza, I don’t necessarily disagree with you about Carson Palmer. Though, I do believe he will be drafted as a QB2 in many drafts this summer, and he has a chance to finish the season as a QB1. But I will go with Rashard Mendenhall as the biggest sleeper in the AFC North this season.
Mendenhall will enter the season with low expectations and minimal value, but in the Steelers' ball-control offense Mendenhall has a chance to shine. He is a big strong runner who will likely move into the role of the Steelers' short yardage back.
With Willie Parker as the team’s primary back, Mendenhall might not have huge yardage totals, but I believe he has a chance to approach double digit touchdowns and could make a nice RB3 in this offense by the end of the season.
3. Biggest possible bust for the AFC North?
Bruno Boys Larry: I will go with the Baltimore Ravens D/ST as the biggest bust in this division in 2009. Now, I am not saying that the Ravens aren’t going to be a starting fantasy D/ST this season, because they are. What I am saying is that many owners will draft Baltimore’s defense earlier than they should and this could make them a bust.
This is a defense that is getting older and with the key losses I stated earlier in the discussion in linebacker Bart Scott and defensive coordinator Rex Ryan (who are both now with the New York Jets) I believe this team will fall outside the top five or six defensive units in fantasy football.
If you spend an early pick on the Ravens as a top two or three defense this season, I believe you are setting yourself up for a bust.
Bruno Boys Ziza: This one is an easy one. Whoever starts for the Cleveland Browns at quarterback, between Derek Anderson and likely starter Brady Quinn, will be thrown into a bad situation.
They traded tight end Kellen Winslow and have been trying to move wide receiver Braylon Edwards. That alone is going to bring an iffy atmosphere into the locker room.
While everything went right in 2007, nothing will be going right in 2009. Stay away and let one of your opponents select one of these quarterbacks.
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