No longer do teams in the AFC North play ground and pound. Big arms like Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco have changed the division, as have the talents of Antonio Brown and A.J. Green.
As offseason work continues, it's worth pondering which AFC North team did the best in helping its quarterback. ESPN's AFC North reporters discuss just that:
Pat McManamon, Cleveland Browns: I'm not sure how much the Browns and Bengals helped their quarterbacks. The Browns did very little to replace what they lost when Josh Gordon was suspended and Jordan Cameron left via free agency. Cleveland added a third running back and a fourth-round receiver to go with two not-so-fast free agent signees at the position. The Browns still lack a tight end, though they appear intent on minimizing the position down the field. Not exactly the way to surround Johnny Manziel with talent. Cincinnati added no new offensive starters, though theirs are still better than the Browns. Pittsburgh's selection of Sammie Coates and addition of DeAngelo Williams were sound pickups for a team that makes a habit of doing just that. But it's not like Roethlisberger needed a lot of help. With Brown, Martavis Bryant and Le'Veon Bell, Roethlisberger finished with a 103.3 rating, 32 touchdowns and 3,952 passing yards. Baltimore needed to add offensive talent, and it did with rookies Breshad Perriman at wide receiver and Maxx Williams at tight end. Ozzie Newsome (once again) drafted well. He also retained running back Justin Forsett, who was excellent last season. Combined, the scales tip toward Baltimore, which gave Flacco a tight end and receiver and retained his running back from last season.
Jamison Hensley, Baltimore Ravens: This is an easy call. Roethlisberger received the big contract this offseason, but Flacco was rewarded with the upgraded supporting cast. You could make an argument that it was the "Joe Flacco draft" for the Ravens this year. Baltimore used six of its nine picks on offensive players, giving Flacco two wide receivers, two tight ends and a pass-catching running back. Flacco got a faster receiver than Torrey Smith when the Ravens selected Breshad Perriman in the first round. He got the draft's best tight end, Maxx Williams, in the second round. The Ravens were quiet in free agency because of limited cap space, but they still were able to hold onto the NFL's fifth-leading rusher in Forsett. All the Steelers did was sign Williams and draft a raw deep threat in Coates. The Bengals didn't add a starter to the offense this offseason. And the Browns took a step backward -- if that's possible -- by losing Gordon and Cameron.
Coley Harvey, Cincinnati Bengals: While the Bengals may not have added any offensive starters, they still took steps to try to ensure that Andy Dalton will play better, start to finish, this season. With starting talent returning at all but one position on offense, the Bengals didn't have to do anything in the way of free agency or the draft to replace players. The lone offensive standout who did get replaced was tight end Jermaine Gresham, and his job goes to a player who already was on Cincinnati's roster -- Tyler Eifert. His promotion definitely can help Dalton. Like receiver Marvin Jones, Eifert wasn't healthy all of last season (Eifert took just eight snaps), meaning the Bengals view their returns akin to signing veteran free agents who already know the playbook. Dalton also should be benefited by a more competitive room with AJ McCarron finally healthy and former NFL starter Terrelle Pryor also pushing him. Regardless, Pat and Jamison are right. The Ravens best helped their quarterback by bringing in the receiver and tight end they needed to complete an offense that ranked second in the AFC North last season, and that came in 12th overall. Cleveland still needs a viable quarterback -- not to mention receivers for him. Pittsburgh's addition of Williams certainly raised eyebrows, although Roethlisberger may now have the best pass-catching weapons in the division.