Fantasy Football

In honor of the Bengals being named this season’s Hard Knocks team, we’re reviewing the AFC North’s draft this week for fantasy football. It’s the AFC North, so that means two of these teams will have players you want to draft and the other two are in Ohio. So be it, it lessens our workload. Onto the inconsequential synopsis of what all went down for your beloved rust belt teams, you can find our preview of the NFC east here.

Baltimore Ravens
Who they drafted: I absolutely loved who they took with there first pick in Michael Oher, the two time All-American offensive tackle from Ole Miss. As noted during the draft, he has an absurd survivalists background and his response when getting drafted, something along the lines of “I didn’t care when I went so long as I went” was refreshing in the ridiculously hyper-competitive atmosphere that accompanies the draft. If they had a running back who could stay healthy or a quarterback who wasn’t the luckiest first round pick on the face of the earth I would actually consider drafting one of their backfield players. But yeah, it’s still their defense. Otherwise, it was a tight end from East Carolina, a running back from Virginia and defense the rest of the way home, baby.

Prognostication: There is absolutely no way the Ravens win eleven games again next year, but if they do the offense will be the reason why. Willis McGahee should be lethal, but you have to worry about Ray Rice and Le’Ron McClain eating up carries. Which they will on a regular basis. The receiving corps. is solid and the offensive line will be too, it’s just a matter of how much faith you have in Joe Flacco, and we don’t really have any. It’s one thing to go from being a serviceable quarterback who only throws the ball fifteen times a game and doesn’t turn the ball over, too being an actual play-maker. This draft didn’t really do him any favors at the skill positions. We will say this: expect all their receivers to have improved seasons (Mason and Clayton especially).

Cincinnati Bengals

Who they drafted: A behemoth of a wobbly offensive lineman in Andre Smith, a stud linebacker who fell further than he ever had any business falling in Ray Malaluga, some other defensive players that will make an immediate impact and a couple offensive scrubs that I’ve never heard of in the later rounds.

Prognostication: All told? Not half bad for the Bengals, who should be significantly better as a team next year with Carson Palmer coming back (though I have my reservations about how effective he’ll actually be, he’s a damn sight better than Fitzgerald). But they still have Cedric Benson/Chris Perry as their running backs and they lost their best play-maker at wideout when Houshmenzadeh bolted for the pacific Northwest to play for Seattle (who I like as a psuedo-dark horse). They did replace him with Laverneus Coles though that strikes me more as Coles went there because no one else would have him. But you make of it what you will. Not to mention there is the small detail that just about any Bengals roster spot is tenuous, as the front office cut so many backroom deals to get active players out of the clink from Saturday night’s festivities. Personally, I’m probably steering clear of all Bengals unless I can get some after I’ve drafted all my starters sans kicker. It’s a bold move, I know.

Cleveland Browns
Who they drafted: The Browns traded down about four times to gain extra draft picks in the first round, by the end of the first they had ten picks for the next six rounds and somehow ended up with…eight total draft picks? I didn’t watch a millisecond of the second round on so I’m not sure how this all worked out, but with the picks they had, they managed to acquire Alex Mack, Brian Robiskie, Mohommad Massaqui and James Davis on the offensive side.

Prognostication: Well, I like how they continued to trade down…but I don’t really know what they got out of it other than a heavier wallet. I mean, reportedly Mangini is a big fan of the two defenders they got from New York for the 5th overall pick, but the value doesn’t seem that high for a quarterback that was so sought after. That said, I always like beefing up at the offensive line and since it looks like LeCharles Bentley isn’t going to pan out, they replaced him with a first rounder they obviously have a high opinion of. And while I’m not a huge Robiskie fan, they need receivers as much as anyone with their only remaining starter hating the team/city, Winslow being dealt to Tampa and Stallworth being in the clink. Massaqui is also a decent value pick in the third and I can’t believe James Davis was still available in the seventh. In all, this team is laden with players people might end up taking from free agency, because they seem deep but average at all skill positions.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Who they drafted: An offensive lineman from Wisconsin, a receiver from Ole Miss, a running back from UNLV and some scrubs in the sixth and seventh round. I’d question the first round pick of Evander Hood if it was anyone other than Pittsburgh drafting him but they kind of have a successful track record with these things, so we’ll let it slide.

Prognostication: Well, what have we come to expect from the Steelers during a football season? They’re efficient, well-managed, selfless (or as much as any professional athlete can be) and mild-mannered. The aggregate of these qualities results in several 4th-10th round picks (Ward, Miller, Washington, Holmes, Roethlisberger) and Willie Parker, who depending on his inconsistent health status might be worthy of first round pick when draft time rolls around. I don’t want to commit too staunchly to that position because there’s enough time for him to end up needing his feet amputated, but I like his potential with the slightly improved offensive line (which was probably the worst ever to win a Super Bowl). Mike Wallace will only clock minutes in garbage time and that’s assuming he makes the roster. He’s behind a lot of capable hands in the four listed above and Limas Sweed, Dallas Baker and Dennis Dixon who they might try to run at the position. Basically, nothing changed from this draft.

Back tomorrow with our assessment of….the AFC West.