The main objectives for the Ravens, Bengals, Browns, and Steelers are either signing a quarterback from the AFC West or keeping hold of important free agents.
The off-season is upon us. A moment for signings, swaps, releases, and gossip.
It’s the land of difficult choices in the AFC North.
The Baltimore Ravens may have the league’s largest collection of well-known free agents. It is anticipated that the Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers will exceed the pay cap. The only club with plenty of cap room is the Cincinnati Bengals, which will help them in the upcoming months.
But which action is best for each team? It’s evident in various situations. In other situations, it’s far from that.
So let’s examine each scenario and see what the AFC North has in store for us.
Baltimore Ravens
One move they should make: Retain Justin Madubuike at all costs.
There are many tough decisions ahead for the Ravens to make.
Many Baltimore players, including Odell Beckham Jr., Kevin Zeitler, Geno Stone, Gus Edwards, J.K. Dobbins, Patrick Queen, Jadeveon Clowney, and others, are set to become free agents this offseason. The AFC North champions would suffer if they lost any of them, but Madubuike is the one player they just cannot afford to lose.
Following a breakout year in which he recorded 12.5 sacks, Madubuike is expected to sign a lucrative free-agency deal. But the Ravens can keep their bargaining rights by using their franchise tag, which general manager Eric DeCosta should know is certain.
The only problem? Baltimore’s anticipated space is barely $7.3 million, which puts them right up against the salary ceiling. To prevent a mass departure of Ravens players over the next few months, DeCosta will need to be adaptable and inventive.
Cincinnati Bengal
One move they should make: Use the franchise tag on Tee Higgins.
If the Bengals decide to part with Higgins in exchange for draft selections later on, they have no justification for doing so.
Cincinnati has the fourth-most cap room in the NFL heading into the offseason, only behind the New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and Washington Commanders. Despite signing a large deal last year, Joe Burrow’s big money hasn’t started to flow in. Ja’Marr Chase is still inexpensive but is now eligible for an extension.
GM Duke Tobin finds this to be a simple decision. Despite having a difficult season in 2023—42 receptions for 656 yards and five touchdowns—Higgins is still a very good player. It makes sense to assign a predicted value of $20.5 million to him. Should Higgins refuse a long-term contract, Tobin may always move him and get one or two premium draft picks to somewhat replace his skill set.
It makes sense to tag Higgins given the Bengals’ cap situation.
Cleveland Browns
One move they should make: Extend, trade, or release Nick Chubb.
This is the unpleasant but true aspect of the industry.
Throughout the previous six years, Chubb has been among the league’s top backs. Chubb had played five seasons and never ran for less than 996 yards, with three seasons surpassing 1,250 running yards, when a horrific knee injury ended his 2023 campaign.
But Chubb is 28 years old and coming off two torn ligaments; he costs $15.8 million against the cap for a club already projected above the threshold, and he has one year left on his contract.
GM Andrew Berry needs to give Chubb a fair contract extension to reduce his 2024 cap charge if he thinks of him as a component for the next two to three years. Berry may attempt to trade Chubb and his basic salary of $11.775 million if he thinks the player is headed down. He could save $11.825 million and, as a last option, release Chubb.
In a perfect scenario, the Browns might wait a year to decide after seeing how Chubb handles the injury. However, the NFL is hardly a utopia.
Pittsburgh Steelers
One move they should make is to sign Russell Wilson.
The Steelers will likely exceed the cap, which means they will have to make some difficult choices. When the Denver Broncos decide to cut Wilson, signing him should be among the simplest.
No, Wilson hasn’t been the same player for the Seattle Seahawks since then. He isn’t the same player we saw in 2022 either. Wilson was a capable quarterback in the previous year, passing for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. Few teams worthy of the playoffs need more assistance under center than the Steelers, and Wilson should still be able to contribute at the age of 35.
In addition, Wilson may be signed by Pittsburgh for the veteran’s minimum since the Broncos, who will probably let him go before his five-year agreement expires, are still paying him a large salary. Wilson is a cheap, short-term addition for the Steelers that will provide them an instant improvement over Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett.
