AFC North Breakout Candidates 2015

Cincinnati Bengals

Jeremy Hill, RB: Hill had a great rookie season. He's going to establish himself as a top 5 running back next season. Hill showed every single trait of a top running back last season, and even was a very good blocker too, but he will be in a "timeshare" with Gio Bernard for the foreseeable future. I'm quoting "timeshare" because even though Gio Bernard is very good too, they will have a tough time justifying taking Hill off the field. Hill is a great blocker as I mentioned earlier, and he is also a very good receiver in the backfield. He's just a more complete runner than Bernard too, and that will show this season. Hill is the best back Andy Dalton has ever had, and even though I don't think Dalton will take any strides in development, Cincinnati has a star in the making with Jeremy Hill. I'm predicting 1300 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns, which truth be told aren't that different from his 2014 numbers, but it's only because they will get in their own way with the RBBC idea. He WILL establish himself as a star RB though, and if he gets more carries, he will do a lot more damage.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ryan Shazier, MLB: Another player who barring injury, should be in for a big season. Part of me wanted to go with Martavis Bryant to breakout, but that is almost expected and I think that Shazier will actually make the bigger jump in 2015. He is an athletic freak that can physically do anything on the football field. He's also an incredible playmaker, and if he improves his technique and instincts, he can have a NaVorro Bowman type impact on this defense. He's not perfect, he's still very raw, but his ceiling is high. I have faith in Pittsburgh's defensive staff to coach up Shazier in areas where he needs it, but alongside Lawrence Timmons he will wreak havoc on opposing offenses. I'm predicting 95 total tackles for Shazier, 3 interceptions, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries and quite a few jaw-dropping athletic plays.

Cleveland Browns

Barkevious Mingo, OLB: This is a risky breakout candidate. Not as risky as me predicting Johnny Manziel to break out, but nevertheless he might not shape out to what I believe he can. Mingo hasn't developed into the pass rusher the Browns were hoping for, and they also drafted Nate Orchard in the second round to add some depth on the edge. So why does Mingo get breakout candidate love? Simple, he improved a lot last season even if the stats don't necessarily show it, and he is still an athletic freak with a high ceiling. The Browns defense should be even better in 2015, and Mingo should be in line for a bigger role and more snaps too. I'm predicting 7 sacks for Mingo in 2015, which would be a huge increase from his 2 sacks in 2014. I also think he'll continue to develop a well rounded game, and improve in his technique, which is vital for his growth.

Baltimore Ravens

Jimmy Smith, CB: Jimmy Smith is a player that if he stays healthy, he will be a star. He was well on his way to stardom last season, but a foot injury prematurely ended his year. He has the size, athleticism and technique to go toe-to-toe with any wide receiver in the NFL and he's still only 26 years old. The Ravens secondary really struggled in 2014, and they should be in for a resurgence in 2015 with Smith being healthy and Webb being another year removed from his big injury. Everybody knows about the Ravens deadly front seven, and if you didn't know, now you do. They will be able to bring pressure to opposing QB's, which means Smith will have an easier time defending receivers (not that he needs it). Smith is in a position to thrive with Baltimore in 2015, and if he stays healthy, he could be a top 5 cornerback in the entire NFL. I'm predicting 3 interceptions, but what's most important is that he will constantly give opposing WR's a hard time and he will rarely be burned too.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Cincinnati Bengals

Offense

The Bengals might have the strangest team in all of football. On paper, their offense looks terrific, except for at quarterback, which isn't necessarily bad, just inconsistent. At QB they have Andy Dalton, and I personally am not a fan of his. He is extremely inconsistent, and even though he shows a lot of promise in certain games, he hasn't stepped up enough to prove to me he can be a franchise quarterback. The Bengals have surrounded him with a ton of talent too. In the backfield, the Bengals have one of the best running back tandems in Jeremy Hill and Giovanni Bernard. Hill is a big, bruising back, while Bernard is a quick, agile, receiving back. They complement each other really well, and together give the Bengals two players that are huge problems for opposing teams. On the offensive line, the Bengals have possibly the best left tackle in all of football. Andrew Whitworth won't get the press of Tyron Smith or Joe Thomas, but he was just as good as them last year. Alongside Whitworth, the Bengals have a lot of talent. They drafted Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher with their first two picks in this draft respectively, and they already have a very good right side of the line to go along with their star LT. Kevin Zeitler is a very underrated right guard, and he is approaching star status. Andre Smith is a mauler in the run game, and had another good year as their right tackle when he was healthy, although he missed 7 games. At center, they have Russell Bodine, a sophomore this season. He was inconsistent last year, but he should get a further grasp on their offense and elevate his game. At left guard, Clint Boling should see some work unless one of the drafted O-linemen beat him out. Either way, they have solid options at the position. At tight end, the Bengals will let Tyler Eifert take the reigns. Jermaine Gresham is no longer in the picture, and Eifert will finally be in a position to reach his potential. Eifert has a high ceiling, and could be a great red zone target for Andy Dalton, and also help spread the field too. At wide receiver, the Bengals are sitting pretty. A.J. Green is a star. Period. He may be the only reason that Andy Dalton is still the Bengals quarterback. Athletic, great route runner, physical, has size, he's pretty much everything you want in a receiver. Opposite Green, Marvin Jones has developed into a great receiver in his own right. Everybody knows him from his 4 touchdown game in 2013, but he was very solid the rest of the year too. Unfortunately he couldn't build off of his breakout season as he was out with an injury for all of 2014, but expect big things from the Robin to A.J. Green's Batman. The Bengals also have Mohamed Sanu for added depth, and he is a good wide receiver in his own right. This is a very balanced Bengals attack. They can hurt you through the air, or in the run game too. The questions I have about this offense remain from the questions I have had over the last couple years. Can Andy Dalton be their guy? I don't think he can, but I am wrong a lot, so maybe this is the year he puts it all together. The Bengals had a middle of the pack offense last season, and with the pure talent they have, it should have been even better. I think they are stuck with Dalton, so their ceiling is a middle of the pack offense, not bad enough to lose them games, but not enough to win them any either.

Defense

This is a good defense. If all goes well, this could be a great defense. They have a very good defensive line as their anchor. Geno Atkins is a great defensive tackle, and he is the heart of their D-line. Being another year removed from his injury could help his game move back to elite status this season. Beside Atkins, the Bengals keep rolling out Domata Peko. He was fine a few years ago, but at this point, they need to find a replacement for him because he is not playing well enough to be a starter. Cincinnati will be reuniting a pair of defensive ends this season, as Michael Johnson was signed back to be the right end to Carlos Dunlap's left end. Johnson was a good value signing, and if he can be a percentage of the player he originally was with the Bengals, then this could be a steal. Carlos Dunlap has developed into a very good defensive end. He is incredible against the run, but has also developed into a solid pass rusher too. At linebacker, the Bengals have another star in Vontaze Burfict. What they have surrounded him with is... Well, it's not great, but they play nickel a lot so it's not horrible. They have Rey Maualuga, A.J. Hawk, Emmanuel Lamur, and Paul Dawson. The only player that intrigues me out of that group is Dawson. He has incredible instincts, and could be the next Chris Borland (Boring comparison heard all the time, but it's true). In the secondary, Cincinnati has a lot of good talent. Not really any star power, but both safeties and all three starting cornerbacks are coming off of good seasons. At safety, they have the tandem of Reggie Nelson and George Iloka. Nothing flashy about either player, but they do get the job done, and are very reliable and consistent. At cornerback, the Bengals have a lot of depth. They have Leon Hall, Dre Kirkpatrick, Adam Jones, Darqueze Dennard, and the recently drafted Josh Shaw (Although he may be better at safety in the long run). The first four players I mentioned are all very talented, and they give the Bengals a lot of options on what to run on defense. Dennard has a chance to take a big step forward after a quiet rookie season that saw him play scarcely. The only issue for him will be playing time, as it is still a very talented secondary. This is a very good defense that could take a step forward permitting health. They have stars in Atkins, Burfict, and Dunlap. They have depth in their secondary, and very good supporting players too. There isn't a lot to pick apart here, they may not have the overall talent level of some of the upper tier defenses, but they are just under them. I expect a top 10 defensive finish, and for them to keep forcing a lot of turnovers, just like last year.

Another great roster built by the front office, and another year that, for the most part, rests on Andy Dalton's shoulders. This entire roster is one of the deepest in the NFL, but everything I say about them will always come back to Dalton. Until I'm proven wrong, I can't predict them winning a playoff game. In fact, this season I'm predicting them to miss the playoffs entirely. The sad part is, I think it's good for them if they miss the playoffs this year. Chances are, if that happened, they would move on from Dalton, and that would be for the best. The 2016 QB class looks awesome at this point in time, and if the Bengals could pick up Cardale Jones, or Jared Goff, then they could make a lot of noise the following year. Sorry Bengals fans, from what I've seen I just don't think you can win with Andy Dalton.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Pittsburgh Steelers

Offense

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a terrific offense, and the biggest reason for that is Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben has for the most part been a really good quarterback all throughout his career. Last year though, he was elite. The Steel Curtain has fallen off in recent years, and Ben has raised his game to carry the Pittsburgh Steelers. His pocket presence and movement is absolutely stunning to watch, and Pittsburgh fans should credit him for keeping them relevant as their defense has gotten older. Ben has gotten help though, most notably from one of the best receivers in football, Antonio Brown. Antonio Brown is the best route runner in football, and even though he doesn't have Calvin Johnson type size, he can beat any cornerback in the game. The Steelers should feel lucky that they have him locked up for a while, because he is still pretty young and might be this dominant for many years to come. Aside from Brown, the Steelers got some solid work out of Markus Wheaton as the 2nd guy. He may not have put up the stats that a lot of people were hoping for, as he was a fan favourite as a sleeper WR this past offseason, but he still played some good football. Speaking of sleeper wide receivers, Martavis Bryant seems to be the one everyone is hollering for, and it's hard to blame them. He proved to be a huge red zone target for Ben, and even with his limited route running skills, he had a great rookie year. I'm sure the Steelers expect him to develop his route running, and combined with his physical presence, he could turn into a terrific wide receiver. Next year, double digit touchdowns should almost be expected, and he has a shot to lead the entire NFL in receiving touchdowns. At tight end, the Steelers have been lucky enough to have a franchise TE for the past decade. Heath Miller has been the definition of consistency, and his play showed that last year as he put forth another solid effort and helped stretch the seam for Big Ben. With an explosive passing attack like this, you would expect their weakness to be in the run game. Wrong. Pittsburgh has arguably the best running back in all of football, in Le'Veon Bell. I don't like to suggest this for a lot of players, but watch his tape. Even go to Youtube and watch 5 minutes of his highlights, they are ridiculous. He has power, speed, evasiveness, and he makes terrific one cut decisions behind his O-line. Oh and did I mention he is one of the best receiving backs in the game? Well he is. Enough with my man crush on Le'Veon Bell, let's move on to the offensive line. The Steelers have really transformed this O-line over the past couple years, because up until recently, it was really bad. Last season though, it was actually great. Pittsburgh has transformed Kelvin Beachum into, dare I say, a franchise left tackle. That might be going a little far, but if we're just talking about last season, he was incredible protecting Ben's blindside. At left guard, they have Ramon Foster who was decent last year, nothing special, but definitely not bad. At center, they have a great player in Maurkice Pouncey. He had a good year last year, but when he is playing his best, he is one of the best centers in the NFL. At right guard, they have one of my favourite young guards in David DeCastro. He was great last year, and I think he could potentially take another step forward and become an elite guard this season. He's strong at the point of attack, a mauler in the run game, and has good hand placement too. At right tackle, the Steelers close out their O-line with another very solid player in Marcus Gilbert. He's not flashy, but he gets the job done. So to answer your question, yes this offense is good. They have very few glaring holes if any, and if Martavis Bryant or Wheaton can be a consistently reliable second option, look out opposing defences. For those of you who are interested, I don't think Bell's suspension will impact them in a huge way. They signed DeAngelo Williams to be their number 2 back, and he can take the load for the first couple games. In fact, this might help Bell stay fresh come seasons end. I would say that this is a top 5 offense, maybe even top 3 by years end. People need to realize that the Steelers identity is no longer a shutdown defense, it's a punch you in the face and blow you out offense.

Defense

On defense, this team is not the legendary Steel Curtain that would blanket opponents every game. They have been going through a transformation for the past couple years, and it still isn't done yet as there are some holes. On the defensive line, The Steelers will hope that Stephon Tuitt plays a bigger role for them. Last year he showed some promise as a rookie, but was overall inconsistent and will hopefully expand his game. At nose tackle, Pittsburgh has Steve McLendon who had a good year last year. They also have Daniel McCullers who is absolutely enormous (6'7/352 lbs), and the football fan in me wants him to get some playing time because his ceiling as a nose tackle is still really high. Opposite Tuitt, the Steelers have a really good defender in Cameron Heyward. He showed that he can anchor a defensive line last year, and was terrific against both rushing the passer and stopping the run. If the Steelers are going to take a big step defensively, it will be because of this young group of linebackers. Lawrence Timmons is the leader, and he is a very good ILB. Beside Timmons, they have Ryan Shazier, their 2014 1st round pick. Shazier could be a star next season if he stays healthy. He is crazy athletic, and has terrific instincts in the passing game as well. On the edge, The Steelers have a combination of James Harrison, Jarvis Jones, Arthur Moats, and Alvin "Bud" Dupree. Harrison is surprisingly putting up solid seasons at this stage of his career. Jarvis Jones has had a slow start to his career, but he was an extremely productive pass rusher in college and the Steelers are hoping he turns it around. Arthur Moats is another solid player that adds depth too. Finally, Bud Dupree has a chance to be a special edge rusher. He is extremely athletic, with grown man power when rushing the passer. In the secondary, Pittsburgh is going through their biggest makeover since the days of the Steel Curtain. A casual fan wouldn't recognize anybody in their secondary. Their starting cornerbacks will most likely be Cortez Allen and Senquez Golson, with William Gay in the slot. That group isn't particularly strong, although William Gay is coming off a good year. At safety, the Steelers have Mike Mitchell and Shamarko Thomas as their starters. This will be Thomas' first year starting, so he is a question mark as of now, but if he took advantage of learning under Troy Polamalu, then he could be a great safety. The Steelers also drafted Gerod Holliman in the 7th round, but he has the ball skills to be a factor in this defense early on. Pittsburgh is looking like a young inexperienced team on D. The loss of Dick LeBeau might hurt them, but Harrison, Timmons, and Heyward can hopefully set an example for the younger players. This defense shouldn't be expected to make much noise, but last year they were around the middle of the pack and they should be around the same this year too.

The Steelers are one of very few teams in the past few years to completely change their team identity. On top of that, they were successful in doing so. This offense is a threat in every sense of the word. They can run on you, pass on you, they have fast players, powerful players, and one hell of a QB. Mike Tomlin is a very good coach, and this team is always a threat to get to the Super Bowl every offseason. I don't love their defense at this point though, and I think the Steelers will have to rely on Ben's arm more then they ever have before. Even still, this is a competitive team that will most likely be a playoff team. 

Offseason Outlook 2015: Cleveland Browns

Offense

Just because it's the Cleveland Browns, let me start off this article by saying an outlandish statement. I believe in Johnny Manziel. I think that he can be a solid quarterback in the NFL, and I believe that he will start putting it all together next year. There's no evidence I have to support it, but I think that his college tape actually showed a talented player, and from what I hear he is finally putting in the work. I definitely think that he is a better option at QB than Josh McCown, and even if he turns out to be a bust then the Browns can move on from him next year without any backlash. Apart from the messy quarterback situation, the Browns have an incredible offensive line, and not a lot of talent at the skill positions. Let's start with the good though. The Browns have patched together arguably the best offensive line in all of football. Joe Thomas is a rock at left tackle. He is the standard for all other LT's entering the league, and he is most likely a future hall-of-famer that still plays at an elite level today. They also have arguably the best center in the NFL too. Alex Mack was injured for most of last year, but when healthy there is nobody better. In between Mack and Thomas, the Browns have the sophomore Joel Bitonio. He had a terrific rookie season, and was one of the better guards in the league. On the right side the Browns aren't as strong, but they still have quality starters. Both John Greco (RG) and Mitchell Schwartz (RT) are good players in their own right, and should be solid this coming year too. On top of the starters, the Browns actually drafted another first round offensive lineman in Cameron Erving. He is most likely a replacement for Alex Mack in case he chooses to opt out of his contract after this season, but at worst it adds a lot of depth to an already stacked line. At the skill positions, as I mentioned before, the Browns aren't in the best scenario. At receiver, they signed Dwayne Bowe to a 2 year/$13 million deal. He will slot in as one of their outside receivers. Andrew Hawkins was their best receiver last season, and he is a threat in the slot. The Browns also signed Brian Hartline too, and he adds some depth but shouldn't be relied on to have a big season. Add to those three Taylor Gabriel and Travis Benjamin, and they are better off then last season. Even with the added depth, this is overall a weak group of receivers. There isn't a go to guy for the QB to lean on, and the free agent signings are both most likely on the downswing of their respective careers. At tight end, it doesn't look much better for the Browns. They lost Jordan Cameron in free agency to the Dolphins, and even though he was injured last season, he is still a very talented player and a big loss. As of now, their TE depth is Rob Housler, Jim Dray, and Gary Barnidge. So not great. At running back, the Browns have a bit of a logjam, but there is at least some talent there. Terrence West and Isaiah Crowell were okay last year, and they did show some flashes of brilliance at least. The Browns also drafted Duke Johnson who could end up playing a big role for them. This is looking more and more like it is going to be a ground and pound team, so if the Browns can strike lightning in a bottle with their three backs then they won't be in horrible shape. The biggest loss for the Browns might end up being Kyle Shanahan as the offensive coordinator. He adapted an offense to Brian Hoyer and made it work enough that they were actually winning games. Their new offensive coordinator has a good reputation in this league, and may wind up being even better than Shanahan, but as of now it does feel like a big loss. The Browns offense as a whole has a good core to build around with their O-line. Me (foolishly?) believing in Johnny Football doesn't change the fact that this team will be carried by their defense. The biggest thing this offense needs to accomplish is to be able to control the clock, and that can be done with this roster. Having Johnny at quarterback does open up the running game more because of his mobility. They should run a conservative rushing offense, and since their O-line is so dominant, they could be better then people think. I'm still expecting a bottom ten finish with this offense, but that shouldn't worry any fans because that could easily be enough to win games with their defense.

Defense

This is how the Browns win games. On paper, this defense isn't as flashy as the Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, or even Ravens. With this current team it won't matter. It starts at the defensive line. They drafted the monstrous Danny Shelton, and that will help their biggest weakness on defense immediately. The Browns actually gave up the most rushing yards per game, so Danny Shelton's presence can really help prevent that from happening again. Beside Shelton, the Browns signed Randy Starks to try and shore up that problem too. Opposite Starks will most likely be Desmond Bryant who is looking to have a bounce back season after one in which he was only okay. There is some depth behind the starters too, as Phil Taylor, Armonty Bryant, John Hughes, and Ishmaa'ily Kitchen all should contribute in some fashion. At linebacker, Karlos Dansby leads what figures to be a solid group. Dansby apparently is like whiskey in a barrel in that he just gets better with age because last season was impressive. Christian Kirksey or Craig Robertson will most likely be the ILB playing beside him, and both players are solid yet unspectacular options. On the edge, this team has Paul Kruger leading a young group of rushers. Barkevious Mingo will most likely start opposite Kruger, and after a down year he is looking to improve on his consistency and hopefully start producing more. The Browns also drafted Nate Orchard who will play a key role very early on. Orchard was a dominant pass rusher in college, and he should show that same burst and quickness in the NFL. The key for this defense to be successful is their secondary. They were very good last year, but they could be even better this year. Joe Haden is an elite cornerback. He had somewhat of a down year last year (still very good, just down for him), so if he bounces back to his elite status then that will bring up the rest of the defense too. Opposite him Tramon Williams figures to be the guy. I would say Justin Gilbert, but they gave Williams a 3 year/ $21 million deal and that is starter money. Also Gilbert will get starters snaps too, as he will most likely be playing slot cornerback for them. He had a rough rookie season, but it wasn't as bad as people assume, and he still has a very high ceiling as a cornerback. They also have K'Waun Williams as a fourth cornerback and he quietly was good for them last season. At safety, the Browns will pair the veteran Donte Whitner, with Tashaun Gipson. Whitner had a stellar year for the Browns last season, so hopefully he can keep up his level of play. Gipson was on pace to lead the league in interceptions but he got hurt near the end of the season. He still was great in coverage when healthy, and he's young enough to keep developing as a player. This defense does look very threatening, and I have a feeling it will be even better than it looks on paper. Haden is the key, his downside is that he can get burned quite a bit for an elite cornerback, but when he is on his game, that's a good indication the rest of the defense will be too. I'm expecting another top 10 finish for this Browns D, and they even have a shot at a top 5 finish if they stay fairly healthy.

Cleveland is a tough team to predict. The most important position on every team is quarterback, and the Browns are a complete question mark there. Their offense is also ridiculously strong in certain places, and very weak in others. On top of that, they play in maybe the most competitive division in football. My prediction for the Browns, and this may frustrate some, is that they won't finish last in their division. I think they will be fighting for a playoff spot late in the season, and they have shot at one if their QB play is at least okay. The biggest thing the Browns need to have this season is that Dog Pound mentality. They are going to win their games in the trenches, both on offense and defense, so they need that tough, beat up the other team mindset. I actually am a fan of Mike Pettine, and I think he has done a good job of coaching up a young Browns team. Even looking past this year, the Browns have a talented roster and once they get help at the skill positions on offense, look out AFC North.

Offseason Outlook 2015: Baltimore Ravens

Offense

This is a talented Ravens offense that is coming off of a very strong year. The loss of Gary Kubiak as offensive coordinator hurts, but getting Marc Trestman is another strong option, and frankly that might not be a downgrade at all. Joe Flacco is coming off of a solid season, but more should be expected out of the former Super Bowl MVP this year because the Ravens have surrounded him with talent. Out wide, Baltimore has Steve Smith who is coming off a good year as the number one option for Flacco. Smith started out really strong and cooled off during the middle of the season, so consistency is the biggest issue here for him. The Ravens drafted Breshad Perriman to replace Torrey Smith, and Baltimore needs his speed as they don't have very many people other than him to stretch the field. I think he'll take over the number two wide receiver spot early on in training camp as he is their most talented option for that spot. Perriman is also good for this offense because his blazing speed mixes so well with Flacco's big arm. Marlon Brown will be in the slot, and he had a solid year last year. Hopefully with regular playing time this year, he can grow and become an even bigger end zone threat for Flacco. At tight end, the Ravens drafted Maxx Williams in the second round, and he should be expected to be the starting TE straight out of the gate. Baltimore lost Owen Daniels to Denver, but Maxx has higher upside and could be in for a big season behind a QB who often looks for his TE's. At running back the Ravens retained Justin Forsett's services, which was smart because they are thin at the position and he had somewhat of a breakout season last year. Lorenzo Taliaferro is penciled in as their number 2 back, and in scarce playing time last year he was solid. The Ravens offense is one that still uses a fullback, and they have a very good one in Kyle Juszczyk (I had to look up how to spell his last name). He is a versatile player and is only entering his second season of getting actual playing time, so he should continue to grow. The bread and butter of this Ravens offense is their O-line. They have the best tandem of guards in the league with Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele. These two are absolute maulers, and are also terrific in pass protection. I would say that Yanda is easily the best guard in the NFL too. At left tackle, they have Eugene Monroe who is coming off a good season protecting Joe's blindside. At right tackle, they have 2014 breakout player Ricky Wagner, who is coming off a terrific year. He took the biggest leap out of any Raven that year, and it might have been the most vital to their team too because without him they had a huge hole at right tackle. At center they also have a solid player in Jeremy Zuttah, so this O-line is absolutely stacked. I would expect another big year out of this offense. They finished top 10 last year, so another finish in the top 10 seems about right. I'm interested to see the effect of changing offensive coordinators has on this offense, as this is their third in three years. Marc Trestman did get a lot of Josh McCown and Jay Cutler, so there is no reason to believe he won't utilize Joe Flacco to his fullest abilities either.

Defense

This defense is so good. Even with the injuries and struggles of their secondary last year, they were still a top 10 D, and in fact almost top 5. Up front, the loss of Haloti Ngata should be noted, but it might not be as big of a loss on the field as many seem to think. Timmy Jernigan will take over as the left defensive end in the 3-4 defense, and he had a good year last year in spot duty last year. He may even outplay Ngata this year, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Beside Jernigan, the Ravens have a really good nose tackle in Brandon Williams. He was a key cog in their defense last year, and definitely did not get enough credit for how well he played. Chris Canty is opposite Jernigan, and he had a solid year last year too. The real threat of this defense is in their linebackers. From left to right, they have flat out talent that all had terrific years last year. Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs are both terrific pass rushers, and Courtney Upshaw provides excellent depth too. In the middle, C.J. Mosley had an incredible rookie season, and if he continues his development he will be among the elite ILB's in no time. Beside him, Daryl Smith had a shockingly good year, and even though he is getting older he should have another great year. The secondary that had so many questions all throughout last year looks a lot more solidified this season. Jimmy Smith and Lardarius Webb are a formidable duo at cornerback, and Smith especially is one to watch for a big breakout year this season if he can stay healthy. In the slot, the Ravens got a big upgrade in Kyle Arrington who will replace Asa Jackson who struggled mightily in 2014. At safety, the Ravens may finally be moving on from Matt Elam if he doesn't improve, which is definitely the smart thing to do. He is coming off of a rough season, and the Ravens can't afford the negative coverage grades he consistently gets. Beside him, Will Hill had a very strong year overall, and should look to build off of that possibly beside Kendrick Lewis if he replaces Elam as a starter. Health is the biggest question with this secondary, because it was the reason why this defense wasn't as good as it could have been last year. If Smith and Webb both keep healthy, then this secondary should bounce back to have a nice season. Overall, this defense has so much talent that it will be hard for it to have a bad year. The Ravens know how to build a team, and the roster they currently have proves just that. Suggs and Dumervil are still the key players in this defense, and as long as they continue putting pressure on opposing offenses, then expect player like Mosley, Williams, Smith and Hill to thrive. I'm going to guess a top 5 finish for this defense. Just based off of getting healthy, and how close they were to a top 5 finish last year, they should be able to achieve that goal.

Baltimore is one of the most consistent franchises in football. John Harbaugh is a terrific coach, and he has a great front office too. They know how to build a roster, coach it up, and in general get the most out of their talent. The offense has a terrific core that it has built around, and even though it isn't as strong in the skill position player department as other elite teams, it uses its dominant O-line to make smart plays and put points on the board. Their defense isn't as flashy as Seattle's, but again it is smart and deep across the board, and the Ravens scheme to minimize their weaknesses and utilize their strengths. A playoff berth is very likely for this good Ravens squad, and a Super Bowl berth is not out of the question either. I predict an AFC championship game exit, but I would not be shocked in the slightest if they went on to win it all next year. They are just that good.