[Chief Rum]

AFC North

BALTIMORE RAVENS

OFF: 20 RUSH: 6 PASS: 25
DEF: 20 RUND: 10 PASD: 23

Cap Room: $43,010,000
1st Need: Start DE
2nd Need: Start WR
3rd Need: Start DT

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Marcus Robinson      WR     7   Start WR  65 rec, 864 yd, 9 td
Travis Taylor*       WR     5   Start WR  71 rec, 812 yd, 6 td
Frank Sanders*       WR    10   B-Up WR   30 rec, 481 yd
Mike Flynn        #18 C     7   Start C   14 krb, 24.1 krb%, 4 ska, 0.8 sk%
Orlando Brown         T    11   Start T   17 krb, 26.9 krb%, 9 ska, 1.7 sk%
Matt Stover        #7 K    14   Kicker    31-41 FG, 32-34 PAT
Kelly Gregg          DT     5   Start DT  19 tkl, 3.5 sk
Edgerton Hartwell   ILB     8   PT St LB  44 tkl
Bernardo Harris     ILB    10   PT St LB  42 tkl, 1.5 sk, 5 hurr
Cornell Brown*      OLB     9   Start LB  38 tkl
Chris McAllister  #6 CB     6   Start CB  80 tkl, 9 int, 11 defn
Corey Fuller*        CB    10   PT St CB  29 tkl, 4 int, 7 defn
Tommy Knight         CB     8   PT St CB  28 tkl, 2 int, 8 defn
Gary Baxter*         FS     4   B-Up S    27 tkl
Tyrone Carter        SS     5   PT St S   30 tkl, 3 int, 4 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency

Comments: The Ravens have the third most cap room going into the first stage of free agency, but it sure likes they will need it. The offensive backfield is fine with the developing Boller and Lewis at RB, but they had to cut pretty much their entire receivers corp. They also won't be helped by the loss of solid tackle Brown, and Flynn, one of the best centers in the game. All of this pales in comparison to the defense, though, which was the worse half of the Ravens this year. Despite cutting some eight players on defense who started significant time last year, the Ravens' top need is still the DE position, which wasn't touched at all. For all the line problems, though, it has to be a huge concern in the secondary that they cut McAllister, one of the best corners in the league. Thank goodness they still have Ray Lewis and Boulware. The Ravens are going to need to be active in this one.


CINCINNATI BENGALS

OFF: 15 RUSH: 13 PASS: 12
DEF: 23 RUND: 20 PASD: 20

Cap Room: $39,720,000
1st Need: Start RB
2nd Need: Start DE
3rd Need: Resrv DE

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Corey Dillon*    #10 RB     8   Start RB  981 yd, 5 td, 35 rec, 268 rec yd, 3 rec td (inj/Achilles)
Chris Edmonds        FB     5   Start FB  41 yd, 14 rec, 69 rec yd, 7 krb
Peter Warrick*       WR     5   B-Up WR   51 rec, 533 yd, 2 td
Rich Braham           C    10   Start C   22 krb, 26.1 krb%, 8 ska, 1.4% sk%
Matt O'Dwyer          G    10   Start G   16 krb, 34.0 krb%, 6 ska, 1.4 sk%
Oliver Gibson*       DT    10   Start DT  32 tkl, 7 sk, 10 hurr
Duane Clemons*       DE     9   Start DE  41 tkl, 10 sk, 29 hurr
Artrell Hawkins*     CB     7   Start CB  50 tkl, 1 int, 12 defn
Jeff Burris*         CB    11   B-Up CB   45 tkl
Mark Roman           FS     5   Start S   63 tkl, 5 int, 6 defn
Rogers Beckett       SS     5   Start S   67 tkl, 7 int, 3 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency
(inj)- has major injury which may affect his skills in future

Comments: The standout loss here seems to be Dillon and two key members of the line. The offense was the better part of this team, and while a decent passing attack remains untouched, the rushing game is going to need help. The big hole ona poor defense seems to be at DE, where the computer deemed the Bengals thin enough to have a starting and reserve end as two of its top three needs. The team had to cut pass-rush-happy Clemons and will need to replace him on an already thin line. The game doesn't say it, but I have to think cutting three-fourths of your starting defensive backfield can't be a good thing. Of course, these guys weren't too good, so maybe this isn't such a bad thing.


CLEVELAND BROWNS

OFF: 31 RUSH: 32 PASS: 27
DEF: 32 RUND: 32 PASD: 27

Cap Room: $41,130,000
1st Need: Start QB
2nd Need: Start ILB
3rd Need: Start CB

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Tim Couch*           QB     6   B-Up QB   528 yd, 57%, 3 td, 4 int, 66.3 QBR
Kelly Holcomb*       QB     7   Start QB  2683 yd, 51%, 17 td, 18 int, 65.5 QBR
James Jackson*       RB     4   B-Up RB   401 yd,2 td, 24 rec, 176 rec yd, 1 rec td
Aaron Shea*          TE     5   B-Up TE   9 rec, 99 yd, 2 td
Dennis Northcutt     WR     5   B-Up WR   31 rec, 399 yd, 3 td
Shaun O'Hara          G     5   Start G   14 krb, 26.9 krb%, 10 ska, 1.9 sk%
Craig Osika*          G     3   Start G   11 krb, 25.0 krb%, 13 ska, 2.8 sk%
Ryan Tucker*          T     8   Start T   7 krb, 15.9 krb%, 8 ska, 2.1 sk%
Phil Dawson*          K     6   Kicker    16-20 FG, 28-28 PAT
Chris Gardocki        P    14   Punter    109 pnt, 41.2 avg, 29 In20
Orpheus Roye*        DT     9   Start DT  52 tkl, 1.5 sk, 11 hurr
Tyrone Rogers        DE     6   B-Up DE   17 tkl, 0.5 sk, 2 hurr
Brant Boyer         ILB    10   Start LB  102 tkl, 2.5 sk, 1 int, 4 defn
Barry Gardner*      OLB     6   Start LB  61 tkl, 2 sk, 2 int, 4 defn
Daylon McCutcheon*   CB     6   Start CB  67 tkl, 1 int, 5 defn
Anthony Henry*       CB     4   Start CB  47 tkl, 1 int, 5 defn
Lewis Sanders        CB     6   B-Up CB   48 tkl, 2 sk, 3 int, 2 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency

Comments: Like the Ravens and Bengals, the Browns have a lot of cap room to play with. Unlike those other two teams, though, the Browns were utterly atrocious this year. They finished dead last in defense and second-to-last in offense. It's no surprise that their cut list is just huge. It's hard to pin it all down to any one areas--they just need help everywhere, and this figures to be as good a way to do it as any. Just cut your losses and try again. The scary thing is that I am not sure there is a single person they cut that could become a star for anyone else.


PITTSBURGH STEELERS

OFF: 2 RUSH: 1 PASS: 13
DEF: 8 RUND: 24 PASD: 5

Cap Room: $24,820,000
1st Need: Start DE
2nd Need: Start QB
3rd Need: Start T

Key Free Agents From Team

Name                Pos   Exp   LY Role   Key Stats

Tommy Maddox*        QB     8   Start QB  3834 yd, 66%, 34 td, 10 int, 495 rush yd, 5 rush td
Amos Zeroue*         RB     6   B-Up RB   51 yd, 1 td
Dan Kreider          FB     5   Start FB  55 yd, 25 rec, 143 rec yd, 2 rec td, 12 krb
Freddie Milons*      WR     4   B-Up WR   40 rec, 573 yd, 3 td
Todd Fordham*         T     7   Start T   9 krb, 25.7 krb%, 5 ska, 1.1 sk%
Marvel Smith*         T     5   PT St T   9 krb, 33.3 krb%, 1 ska, 0.5 sk%
Jeff Reed             K     5   Kicker    25-32 FG, 49-51 PAT
Josh Miller*          P     9   Punter    75 pnt, 38.1 avg, 29 In20
Aaron Smith*         DE     6   Start DE  39 tkl, 10.5 sk, 11 hurr
Deshea Townsend*     CB     7   PT St CB  23 tkl, 3 sk, 4 int, 2 defn
Mike Logan           SS     7   Start S   59 tkl, 2 sk, 11 defn

*- team released player just prior to free agency

Comments: For the most part, the world champion Steelers did a good job of keeping the roster together. The problem is that there a handful of gaping holes they will need to fill, and they don't have a lot of cap room to do it. The biggest hole is very obvious, as they had to cut Maddox. They need to fill that hole pronto, preferably with Maddox, who likely doesn't have the outward talent to land a big contract, but has just the skills that are perfect for Pittsburgh. The rest of the offense seems fine except for the need to grab a good tackle. On defense, the big issue is at DE, where Smith will need to be replaced. They could use an overall upgrade of talent in the front seven, though, considering run defense was really their lone weakness last year.

CR