AFC North watch: Browns re-doing big contracts, Lamar Jackson on Odell Beckham and more
Now would be a great time to step in and look at the rest of the AFC North.
After all, fans know the deal with the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Burrow’s latest injury update was great, Jonah Williams looks good at right tackle, that sort of thing.
But what about the rest of the division? A brief glance shows the Cleveland Browns re-doing contracts while paying big for Deshaun Watson, a ton of Pittsburgh Steelers hype and the Baltimore Ravens have Odell Beckham Jr. and Lamar Jackson, which tends to create plenty of headlines.
Here’s a quick look at a handful of the most notable AFC North news items making the rounds.
Browns re-doing contracts
The Browns restructured the contracts of left guard Joel Bitonio, Myles Garrett and David Njoku. It’s Cleveland essentially kicking contracts down the road in a win-now manner, with the team boasting some of the top cap space in the league that it will roll over to get out of the red in future years. A costly, all-in gamble around Watson that could pay off.
Odell hype
Odell Beckham stirred up some controversy recently by beefing with Bengals players. But in Baltimore, he’s earning a ton of hype from Lamar Jackson. On paper, it’s one of the biggest challenges facing the Bengals in 2023.
Kenny Pickett leading a contender?
Some folks aren’t buying the Kenny Pickett hype in Pittsburgh. But others certainly are, with PFF even writing that the team has Super Bowl upside. It’s the preseason so it’s hard to say of course, but Bengals fans know all too well that their greatest foe will be consistently competitive and a thorn in the side.
