The Good

In Joe Burrow’s rookie season, he had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. He was constantly under pressure and ultimately went down with an ACL injury. Finally coming into next season Burrow will have a respectable offensive line with newly acquired LT Orlando Brown Jr. leading the way. The Bengals were able to pry Brown Jr. away from the Chiefs giving them an advantage over their rival. If Jonah Williams can successfully make the switch to RT and bounce back from a rough year this o-line could be a top-10 group.

Despite only playing in 12 games last season due to injury, Ja’Marr Chase was still able to surpass the 1,000 yards mark. Chase has solidified himself as one of the best wide receivers in the NFL in just 2 seasons. He is now fully healthy and you can expect big numbers for Chase in 2023. The chemistry between Chase and Burrow will only improve going forward. Also, expect more deep shots to Chase as this improved o-line should give Burrow more time in the pocket. Chase could end up chasing Justin Jefferson for the league lead in reception yards.

The Bad

While it’s hard to find a true weakness on the Bengals roster, there are two areas of concern. Cincinnati took a hit to their secondary when they lost safeties Von Bell and Jessie Bates III. They will now rely on their former 1st round pick Daxton Hill to step up into the starting safety role. To me losing these two will have a pretty significant impact on the Bengals secondary. Bates III was an anchor at the free safety position and was underrated during his time in Cincinnati. Bell had an impressive 2022 campaign and had 4 interceptions at the strong safety spot. I will be watching closely how this impacts the Bengals defense going forward.

The other area of concern is running back depth. Cincinnati lost running back Samaje Perine to the Broncos this offseason. Perine was a tank for the Bengals and offered a nice 1-2 punch with Joe Mixon. With Perine no longer there, the Bengals will look to 5th-round rookie Chase Brown to fill the backup role. Brown was impressive during his time at Illinois but I am not expecting the same amount of production that they had with Perine. If Joe Mixon goes down Cincinnati could be in serious trouble.

The Prediction

Cincinnati has all the ingredients of a Super Bowl team. They do have some minor concerns as I previously pointed out but overall they are in the conversation as one of the league’s best. Joe Burrow gave us all a recent scare when he went down during a training camp practice. It looks as if that was just a minor calf injury and he will return by the start of the season. Obviously, Burrow’s health is the key for the Bengals to make a deep run and if he stays healthy Cincinnati will be a threat in the AFC.

2023 Record: 13-4 (1st in the Division)

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Cincinnati Bengals: Is Their Defense Super Bowl Worthy?

The Cincinnati Bengals were a field goal away from consecutive Super Bowl appearances. One of the biggest reasons for their success has been the defense, especially in the second half of the season. After the bye in Week 10, they had six games where opponents failed to score 20 points. In the Championship game, they only allowed 23 points to the Chiefs. The offense is one of the league’s best so a lot of blame goes on their defense. The Bengals lost some pieces in Jessie Bates III, Vonn Bell, and Eli Apple. The secondary is now shorthanded and lost key pieces in their two playoff runs. In the draft, they went Myles Murphy, DJ Turner II, and Jordan Battle with the first three picks. Only time will tell if the rookies can overcome the losses on defense. If the defense is lacking, other teams in the AFC will pounce for their spot.

Baltimore Ravens: What’s The Ceiling Of This Team With The New Look Offense?

The Baltimore Ravens were on the news the most this offseason with all the Lamar Jackson drama with his extension. Before the draft day, they were able to secure the deal and Lamar got his bag. Other than this, they added OBJ, and Agholor, and drafted Zay Flowers. This looks like the fastest WR core in the league. Mark Andrews is always reliable and Lamar is dynamic. The Ravens will probably be the most-watched team because of the immediate results of the offseason. On paper, they look competitive and a Super Bowl contender. The main concern will be the health of Lamar from his injury last season and OBJ. Take one of them out and their ceiling drops significantly. Stats-wise, if all are healthy for the majority of the season, Lamar could have his second MVP. If not, they’ll be battling for the last Wild Card spot.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Which Player On Offense Will Take The Leap?

The Pittsburgh Steelers had a late run where they won seven out of their last nine games after the bye. In this run, we saw the growth of their young offensive core, especially Kenny Pickett who had game-winning drives. Currently, they have a lot of good young pieces, but none are sure-fire Pro Bowlers. They were always considered a favorite when they had the Killer B’s of Ben, Bell, and Brown. Now, someone will need to step up in order for the Steelers to reclaim their throne in the AFC North. Being able to make the postseason will be a big help to the growth of these young players.

Cleveland Browns: Was Deshaun Watson Worth The Trade?

Deshaun Watson finally made it back to an NFL field after all the drama over the past few years. With the restrictions on his suspension, he didn’t have much time to gel with his teammates on the field. So we’ll give him a pass for last season. Now this season will be interesting as he gets a full training camp and there will be no excuses for lack of time with teammates. The Browns are a talented team and have some elite pieces on both sides of the ball. Deshaun doesn’t have to do everything, unlike his days with the Texans. If he can lead the Browns to the playoffs, Cleveland will be fine with him. The noise will be very loud if they miss it.

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By: Jake Rajala

The New Orleans Saints free safety Marcus Williams has arguably been the most underrated player on his team and one of the most under-the-radar defenders in the entire NFL. Williams, who was once hailed as the defender that was responsible for the “Minneapolis Miracle”, has been cemented as a Top 5 FS in the league. Pro Football Focus proudly named Williams a second-team All-Pro player for his production in 2021.

Williams has 15 interceptions, 38 pass deflections, and 320 combined tackles in five seasons in a black and gold uniform. The scary part is that he is only 25 years old (drafted at age 20) at this point in his career. Williams has plenty of potential and he is quietly working towards obtaining a Hall of Fame type of career. He is at a fascinating part in his tenure, as he faces free agency in the 2022 offseason. So, the question is: where will Williams sign as a free agent? Here are a few destinations that make the most sense.

New Orleans Saints

The Saints clearly have a lot of praise for Williams, as they franchise tagged him in the 2021 offseason. They know that he’s one of their best young players and he’s playing in a position that holds the 33-year-old Malcolm Jenkins. They could realistically lose Jenkins to retirement next offseason or even this offseason. The Saints secondary should still have safety Chauncey Gardner-Johnson long term, who is a legendary trash talker, but he isn’t quite the deep-range safety that the Saints need. Williams was drafted to be that player and he should remain that profile with the Saints long-term. I expect Jameis Winston to be prioritized, but Williams should be second in line to get paid.

In reality, It would make sense if the Saints treat Williams as a higher commodity than Alvin Kamara. They could be able to keep stars like Kamara while paying Williams. If they need to free up money for Williams, I expect the likely suspended Kamara to be one of the players that could be potentially dealt away for William’s place on the team.

Cincinnati Bengals

It would be poetic if Williams followed former Saints defensive backs Von Bell and Eli Apple (also former Saints pass rusher Trey Hendrickson) to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals had a stud in Jessie Bates playing FS for them in 2021, but he will face free agency this offseason. They could look to upgrade at the position and the interest between Williams and Cincy could be strong.

Williams will want to chase a Super Bowl trophy and have a big payday. The AFC Champions last season, who carry the third-most cap space, could tempt Williams to join his long-lost brothers. The Bengals pose the best combination of success and money to attract Williams, but the Saints familiarity with Williams could overrule his temptation to flee to the dark side of the AFC.

Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks free safety Quandre Diggs is heading into free agency after breaking his leg in the final week. It’s a slightly dim look for the 29-year-old’s chances to remain with Seattle long-term. The Hawks could have their replacement with the young Williams. The safety tandem of Marcus Williams and Jamal Adams would be a breathtaking scene in the NFC West and they could wreak havoc together for many years to come. Adams needs to have a fire lit up under him, but I expect him to benefit from more motivation and a defense that will supply more talent around him. He was himself early on in Seattle, but he often struggled in coverage (ranked 90th and below for much of 2021) and fared poorly against the run last season.

The Seahawks carry the 8th most cap space (roughly $36.5 million) and they could likely choose to give Williams a bigger offer than almost any modest team interested in his talents. The Seahawks wouldn’t have the Legion of Boom with Williams and Adams, but it would be a massive step in the right direction. The Seahawks gave up the second-most passing yards per game in 2021. They absolutely need to ink one or two elite defensive backs in free agency.

Honorable mention:

Los Angeles Chargers

The Los Angeles Chargers are one of the borderline playoff contenders (9-8 in 2021) that have a boatload of money (fourth in cap space) and could choose to get fancy this offseason. They will probably look to add a couple of weapons for their young QB that threw for 5,000+ yards in 2021. They could use a quality, young TE to join Justin Herbert’s lethal offense. Profiles like Eric Ebron or Zac Ertz would make sense for LA. On the defensive side of the ball, they need more juice to complement their ascending offense. They have Joey Bosa and Derwin James, but they need more pieces to fill in the puzzle. The safety combination of Derwin James, Marcus Williams, and Nasir Adderley would be a phenomenal defense against Patrick Mahomes for the next decade in the AFC West.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs are a fascinating wildcard team to land Williams in my opinion. The Chiefs are like the old version of the Drew Brees-led Saints. They can score at will, but they also surrender countless points to their opponents. To make matters worse, the Chiefs could lose a crucial pass defender in 2022. Tyran Mathieu, also known as the “Honey Badger”, is a free agent in 2022. The Chiefs might be happy with replacing the Honey Badger with Williams. The Saints free-agent safety is also four years younger than their soon-to-be free agent. The Chiefs would struggle to pay Williams a king’s ransom, but he could take less money to chase Super Bowl rings with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid. It also wouldn’t be a total shock if the Honey Badger returned home to the Saints, while Williams went to the Chiefs. Williams could help the Chiefs prevent Joe Burrow and Josh Allen from torching the Chiefs defense in pivotal postseason matchups.

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