NFL free-agency grades: AFC North
With the most important transactions now complete, theScore's NFL editors hand out their initial grades for how teams fared during free agency.
NFC
EAST | SOUTH | WEST | NORTH
AFC
EAST | SOUTH | WEST | NORTH
Baltimore Ravens
| Additions | Losses |
|---|---|
| S Earl Thomas | LB C.J. Mosley |
| RB Mark Ingram | LB Za'Darius Smith |
| TE Nick Boyle (re-signing) | LB Terrell Suggs |
| QB Robert Griffin III (re-signing) | S Eric Weddle |
| WR John Brown | |
| QB Joe Flacco | |
| WR Michael Crabtree |
The addition of Thomas, a future Hall of Fame safety, makes the Ravens' secondary that much scarier, though the team also lost four integral members of its top-ranked defense. Equally concerning is that Thomas is coming off a leg fracture - his second in three years - and it's unknown how many elite seasons the soon-to-be 30-year-old has left in the tank.
On offense, Baltimore landed Ingram, who should stop the revolving door at running back and serve as a nice upgrade over Gus Edwards and Alex Collins. However, the Ravens also drastically overpaid to keep a blocking tight end in Boyle just one year after drafting two tight ends, including one in the first round.
The major question facing Baltimore now is what to do at receiver. Brown and Crabtree are both gone after one-year experiments, leaving Willie Snead as the top returning wideout. General manager Eric DeCosta said he'll add to his receiving core at the draft, but leaning on rookie pass-catchers hasn't worked out well for Baltimore in the past.
Grade: B-
Cincinnati Bengals
| Addition | Losses |
|---|---|
| CB Darqueze Dennard (re-signing) | LB Vontaze Burfict |
| TE Tyler Eifert (re-signing) | TE Tyler Kroft |
| LB Preston Brown (re-signing) | |
| RT Bobby Hart (re-signing) | |
| G John Miller | |
| CB B.W. Webb |
If you're a Bengals fan and spent the last three weeks under a rock, you really didn't miss much. They did almost nothing to either improve or hurt their chances of contending next season, which is puzzling given they just hired a new head coach.
Cincinnati's most notable move was to release Burfict, who's rapidly declined over the past two campaigns. The biggest addition was Miller, a very average guard who still managed to score a three-year deal with dead cap tied to all three seasons.
Grade: C+
Cleveland Browns
| Additions | Losses |
|---|---|
| WR Odell Beckham Jr. (trade) | S Jabrill Peppers (trade) |
| DT Sheldon Richardson | G Kevin Zeitler (trade) |
| DE Olivier Vernon (trade) | LB Jamie Collins |
| LB Adarius Taylor | WR Breshad Perriman |
| TE Demetrius Harris | |
| DB Phillip Gaines | |
| OT Greg Robinson (re-signing) |
It's still hard to fathom that Cleveland acquired Beckham, a superstar receiver in the middle of his prime, without surrendering a king's ransom. Beckham and close pal Jarvis Landry give the Browns a dynamic duo who should dominate multiple levels of the field. Second-year quarterback Baker Mayfield now has all the necessary weapons to take his game to new heights.
Richardson figures to fit in nicely at defensive tackle, while the pass-rushing combination of Vernon and Myles Garrett provides Cleveland with one of the most feared tandems in the league.
The departure of Zeitler is notable, but the Browns have ample depth on the offensive line and should overcome it without too much hardship. And while Peppers is coming off a solid sophomore campaign, he isn't nearly a difference-maker on defense like Beckham is on offense.
Grade: A
Pittsburgh Steelers
| Additions | Losses |
|---|---|
| CB Steven Nelson | WR Antonio Brown (trade) |
| LB Mark Barron | RB Le'Veon Bell |
| WR Donte Moncrief | OT Marcus Gilbert (trade) |
| G Ramon Foster (re-signing) | S Morgan Burnett |
| TE Jesse James |
On paper, the free-agency period went as poorly as possible for Pittsburgh. The Steelers were forced into trading Brown, the best receiver of the last decade, and only netted a pair of mid-round draft picks in return. They also watched Bell take his talents to the New York Jets, ensuring they'd get absolutely nothing in exchange for the Pro Bowler after two years of contract disputes.
The additions to the roster could be decent gets, but none are anything to write home about. Nelson is a competent cornerback, but hardly the ball hawk Pittsburgh desperately needs. Barron could be a nice fit in the safety/linebacker hybrid role that Burnett struggled in last year, but he's not a game-changer. And Moncrief is just another guy at receiver, as he's totaled more than 700 yards just once in his career.
Grade: D
NFC
EAST | SOUTH | WEST | NORTH
AFC
EAST | SOUTH | WEST | NORTH