Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Each NFL season can only have one champion, and in 2009, the New Orleans Saints claimed that title. The good news, though, is that right now for the 2010 season, every team is sitting even. With that in mind, the Bruno Boys got to thinking about what each NFL team needs to do in order to hoist the Lombardi Trophy next year. Thus, was born the Bruno Boys latest series which will examine the key needs that need to be addressed by all 32 NFL teams. Bruno Boys Cory will take a look at the AFC North in the final part of this 8-part series.

AFC NORTH

The AFC North looks primed for a good season in 2010, except for that abomination in the northern part of Ohio that calls itself the Cleveland Browns. The Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals were playoff teams last year and the Pittsburgh Steelers are always a threat to win the whole thing. Though we poke fun at the Browns, new general manager Mike Holmgren is turning things around there in a big way, though they still have a long way to go. Three of the teams are gearing up to make a run to the playoffs and one is in the middle of rebuilding so let’s take a look at the team needs for the teams in the AFC North.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

The Ravens feel they are just a few pieces away from a trip to the Super Bowl having been to the playoffs each of the last two years. The development of quarterback Joe Flacco has brought about the need to improve the offense. They did just that by trading for wide receiver Anquan Boldin from the Arizona Cardinals. The defense, while still good, is aging and could be susceptible to injuries or a drop off in play so building depth there will be key. The key components, a strong running game and a great defense still exist in Baltimore and they will ride those as far as they can.

Team Strengths:

- Strong Running Game (Ray Rice is emerging as a playmaker, Willis McGahee is good when healthy and Le’Ron McClain is a good fullback who’s been great when called upon to handle the ball)
- Terrific Defense (Linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed highlight a defense that was third in the league in points allowed last season)
- Up and Coming Quarterback and Head Coach (Joe Flacco looks like a franchise quarterback under the direction of offensive coordinator Cam Cameron and John Harbaugh has led the Ravens to the playoffs both years he’s been there)

Team Needs:

1. Some Good Cornerbacks — Last year the Ravens had a plethora of guys that played at cornerback and none of them did too well. Chris Carr, Dominique Foxworth and Fabian Washington were the main culprits as they were terrible in man coverage. If the Ravens want to continue to be a dominant force on defense they’ll need to bring in some cornerbacks that can handle being left on an island.

2. Wide Receiver Production — Trading for Boldin, signing Donte Stallworth and Derrick Mason deciding to return gave the Ravens a huge boost at their biggest position of need. It will be all for naught if these guys don’t step up and contribute. Boldin and Stallworth are new to the team and new receivers tend to pick up the system a little slower than you’d like. It will also be key for Flacco to manage these three talented players accordingly.

3. Better Pass Rushing — Terrell Suggs is a great player but not when he’s out of shape, and he can’t do it all by himself. Though the cornerbacks weren’t good for the Ravens last year not having a good pass rush didn’t help them at all. If the Ravens could rush the passer better it would free up the playmakers in the secondary.

CINCINNATI BENGALS

The Bengals won the division last season and went to the playoffs for the second time in head coach Marvin Lewis’ tenure. And they did so in typically AFC North fashion, by some strong defense and a good running game. A lot of high drafts picks on the defensive side of the ball, such as linebackers Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga and cornerbacks Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph, are starting to realize their full potential. Cedric Benson found a new lease on life with his performance for the Bengals last year. A former first-round draft of the Chicago Bears had his first 1,000-yard season last year. With so many young and talented players it appears the Bengals are on the rise but they do have some key holes to fill this offseason. The Bengals recently made a key move on offense, signing wide receiver Antonio Bryant to pair him opposite Chad Ochocinco. Will they do enough to prove that 2009 was not a fluke?

Team Strengths:

- Good Running Back Tandem (Benson is a workhorse of a back and gets the tough yards for the Bengals, something the team has been lacking since Corey Dillon left. Second-year player Bernard Scott flashed his potential near the end of the 2009 season, ripping off some huge runs as well as returning a kick for a touchdown)
- Young Playmakers on Defense (The aformentioned Hall, Joseph, Maualuga and Rivers are turning the defensive side of the ball, which used to be an afterthought in Cincinnati, into a true AFC North power)
- Quarterback Carson Palmer (Palmer’s stats last season were less than impressive but he manages the team very well, and that includes the talented but animated Ochocinco)

Team Needs:

1. Tight End — Cincinnati currently has four tight ends on their roster and those four have a combined 30 catches for their careers. Daniel Coats has all 30 of those, but he also sees time at fullback and is often limited to blocking. J.P. Foschi hasn’t been resigned yet and Chase Coffman is looking like a bust. The Bengals need an elite, pass-catching tight end who can take the pressure off of the receivers. Jermaine Gresham of Oklahoma and Aaron Hernandez are the top two tight ends available in the draft this year and the Bengals would be wise to select one of them.

2. Safety — The Bengals recently resigned Roy Williams and still have the serviceable, but not good, Chris Crocker, as well as the young Chinedum Ndukwe and Tom Nelson. But none of those guys are ball-hawking playmakers like Baltimore’s Ed Reed. Opposing teams knew they could pass on the Bengals last season because of the safeties. Finding one who is good in coverage and has a nose for the ball will be difficult but it would go a long way towards making a good defense into a great one.

3. Continued Offensive Line Development — The Bengals offensive line was considered a huge weakness heading into the 2009 season but as a unit they played surprisingly well. Now they will have to continue their development and prove their good play last year wasn’t an aberration.