AFC North
Pittsburgh Steelers: Banking on Aaron Rodgers
The entire Pittsburgh Steelers offseason seems to be hanging on an Aaron Rodgers-sized thread at this point. The Steelers brought back Mason Rudolph this offseason, but that move isn’t moving the needle for anyone except a small sect of Steelers fans who are Rudolph truthers. The trade to acquire DK Metcalf and subsequent contract extension make the Steelers' passing on QBs in the 2025 NFL Draft even more curious. This is a team clearly missing a piece of the offseason puzzle.
Baltimore Ravens: Choosing DeAndre Hopkins over other veteran WRs
There were a lot of interesting veteran receivers available this offseason, but the Baltimore Ravens decided to go with a guy in DeAndre Hopkins, who has really not shown himself to be anywhere near the difference maker he used to be. After getting traded to the Kansas City Chiefs last year, Hopkins caught a respectable 41 passes with four touchdowns. The Ravens didn’t need a super dynamic addition to the receiver room but even someone like Keenan Allen would have been better.
Cleveland Browns: Not getting a king’s ransom for Myles Garrett
The Browns needed to strip their operation down to the studs this offseason, even if they believe in the duo of GM Andrew Berry and head coach Kevin Stefanski. The idea of trading away Myles Garrett is a difficult one to grapple with, but throwing a ton of cash at Garrett instead of using him to replenish draft assets you lost in the ugly Deshaun Watson trade is a bizarre choice given where this Browns roster is currently at. Cleveland missed an opportunity to get a king’s ransom in a trade bidding war.
Cincinnati Bengals: Not paying Trey Hendrickson what he’s worth
The good news for the Bengals with this one is that they can rectify the issue by paying Trey Hendrickson what he wants. They obviously are willing to cut checks as an organization, so why would they draw a line in the sand for a legitimate Defensive MVP candidate? The presence of Trey Hendrickson off the edge is crucial for the Bengals to maximize their current window and playing hardball with him to save a couple of million is a rough look.