The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in the news frequently since free agency started. They upgraded their linebacker group, added some great options on the offensive line and re-signed some of their key free agents. Pittsburgh also lost some players, however, no one bigger than Cam Sutton, who signed a three-year deal with the Detroit Lions. The Steelers have made the most noise out of the AFC North during free agency, so how are their moves compared to the rest of the division?
Screenshot from Steelers press conference
Pittsburgh Steelers free agency signing, Nate Herbig speaks to the media about joining the team
The Cleveland Browns
Among the three teams that Pittsburgh sees twice a year, Cleveland has done the most in free agency. They signed defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson from the Minnesota Vikings to a big four-year deal worth $57 million. It was no secret that the Browns were targeting defense, adding two more players on that side of the ball. Safety Juan Thornhill and defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo also signed fresh contracts with Cleveland. Just like the Steelers, the Browns appear to have gotten better on paper, especially on defense. Cleveland was quiet on adding pieces on offense, that was until Wednesday.
Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Elijah Moore Traded to Browns; Jets Land 2nd-Round Draft Pick
The Browns made their first big splash on the offensive side, trading for New York Jets’ young and speedy wide receiver Elijah Moore. Moore was a second-round pick in 2021 who had a great rookie year before getting placed on IR with a quad injury. After racking up 538 receiving yards in just 11 games in 2021, Moore only managed to put up 446 yards in 16 games in 2022. Poor quarterback play and limited touches made him request a trade halfway through the season, which was initially shut down. Fast forward to now and Moore got his wish, packaged with a Jets third-round pick for the Browns’ second-round pick. With their three most prominent signings focused on defense as well as trading for Moore, the Browns are having a solid start to the new year.
The Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati has seen some key pieces leave in free agency. Tight end Hayden Hurst signed with the Carolina Panthers and running back Samaje Perine signed with the Denver Broncos. Adding on to those two players, the Bengals saw both of their starting safeties leave during free agency. Jessie Bates III and Vonn Bell both signed with new teams, Bates to Atlanta and Bell to Carolina. Those two have been a top safety duo for years, but the back of the Bengals' secondary will now look very different next season.
Another player that might be on the way out of Cincinnati is offensive tackle, La'el Collins. Collins signed a three-year deal with the Bengals in 2021 but announced on Thursday, they are planning to "move on' from the offensive lineman. Another name linked with Cincinnati on Thursday was Ezekiel Elliot, who listed the three teams that he would like to play for in 2023. On the list were the Bengals, who could look to sign the powerful running back to a cheap deal after losing Perine. Zeke is coming off of a down year but could be a good blocker and goal-line option for the Bengals.
Cowboys’ RB Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed down his options about where to play to the Eagles, Jets and Bengals, and he would like to make his decision about where to sign by the end of next week, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 23, 2023
Cincinnati has re-signed a plethora of depth pieces back to their team on cheap, one-year deals. They have also spent some good money on improvements, most notably, offensive linemen Orlando Brown Jr. The Steelers reportedly showed interest in the 26-year-old tackle, who was signed to a big, $64 million contract over four years. Linebacker Germaine Pratt was re-signed, and safety Nick Scott signed a three-year deal with Cincinnati as well. Those three players are great moves, but losing their two starting safeties among others makes them worse overall.
The Baltimore Ravens
Gene J. Puskar / AP
Ravens quarterback, Lamar Jackson (#8) attempts to evade Steelers edge rusher, TJ Watt during a regular season matchup in Pittsburgh, PA.
The Ravens' main news is still Lamar Jackson and if the former MVP will be playing for Baltimore in 2023. It appears that his contract struggles are hindering the Ravens, who have yet to sign an outside free agent. Offensive lineman Ben Powers and tight end Josh Oliver have both signed elsewhere. Baltimore still has some big-name free agents that have yet to sign with a team such as Marcus Peters. Will the Ravens lose even more players while they wait out the Lamar situation?
How Do The Steelers Compare?
Pittsburgh has brought in the most players out of the three teams. Losing Sutton to the Lions was a blow to the defense, but bringing in Patrick Peterson and using a cornerback heavy draft will have that area improved. The Steelers managed to sign multiple players at multiple positions to upgrade the team before heading into the NFL Draft in April. Amidst all of the talent in the AFC, Pittsburgh is looking to keep the winning record streak alive and get back to the playoffs.
Do you think the Steelers improved the most from the AFC North over the last two weeks? Let us know in the comments below.
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