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2026 Offseason Thread

rmcjacket23 said:
So I generally agree with this. I'd mostly just point out that this entire paragraph applies to most of the high-end teams in the AFC. The Chiefs, Bills, and Patriots don't have a league average #1 WR on their roster, and don't have a #2 WR better than Bateman on their roster either.
I'd say the Ravens had a better WR core, overall, than the Steelers did last year, and pretty much on-par with the Texans. I personally don't think the gap between the '25 Ravens and the '25 Broncos WR rooms was that wide either.

That pretty much covers the entire list of teams you'd be competing with in the AFC. Some of those teams, like the Steelers and Broncos, have much huge upgrades. Some of them haven't done anything.
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Bills have dj moore id definitely argue he’s league average
 
rmcjacket23 said:
Absent some sort of a trade, a Hopkins-level player is the ceiling for the vet addition. And that player isn't taking snaps or targets away from Flowers or even Bateman.
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Yep that’s what I’m driving at. It’s a lot more name value than actual value
 
rmcjacket23 said:
So I generally agree with this. I'd mostly just point out that this entire paragraph applies to most of the high-end teams in the AFC. The Chiefs, Bills, and Patriots don't have a league average #1 WR on their roster, and don't have a #2 WR better than Bateman on their roster either.
I'd say the Ravens had a better WR core, overall, than the Steelers did last year, and pretty much on-par with the Texans. I personally don't think the gap between the '25 Ravens and the '25 Broncos WR rooms was that wide either.

That pretty much covers the entire list of teams you'd be competing with in the AFC. Some of those teams, like the Steelers and Broncos, have much huge upgrades. Some of them haven't done anything.
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Given that the Patriots will be trading for AJ Brown I would take their WR room. The Broncos and Bills both have dramatically better OLInes so its not like they have nothing going on. On paper I would probably wager even the Patriots have a better OLine.

I dont view the Chiefs and Steelers as competition in the AFC. The Steelers have not been relevant contenders 5 or 6 years now. Their ceiling is making the playoffs and losing in round 1. The Chiefs, and I know this is a hot take, were a 6 win team last year and I dont know how they are better. I can argue in fact that they are worse in several areas and better only at RB.

Basically I think the tier 1 contenders going into the year are: Bills, Broncos, and Patriots. They will be teams that as constructed can make the Super Bowl. The Ravens are in that group of tier 2 contenders who basically are going "if certain players develop or rookies stand out or we dont have injuries (like the Chargers do every year) then we can go for a Super Bowl".
 
Simba said:
Is there a WR2 available though? I can buy Diggs but there's a host of off field stuff that is working against him there.

That's why I don't buy that we're a guy short yet. We can add someone to the room but it's just someone in a similar position with different concerns.
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I did not say there was a guy available. Only that they are a guy short of being an average WR room.
 
Adreme said:
Given that the Patriots will be trading for AJ Brown I would take their WR room. The Broncos and Bills both have dramatically better OLInes so its not like they have nothing going on. On paper I would probably wager even the Patriots have a better OLine.

I dont view the Chiefs and Steelers as competition in the AFC. The Steelers have not been relevant contenders 5 or 6 years now. Their ceiling is making the playoffs and losing in round 1. The Chiefs, and I know this is a hot take, were a 6 win team last year and I dont know how they are better. I can argue in fact that they are worse in several areas and better only at RB.

Basically I think the tier 1 contenders going into the year are: Bills, Broncos, and Patriots. They will be teams that as constructed can make the Super Bowl. The Ravens are in that group of tier 2 contenders who basically are going "if certain players develop or rookies stand out or we dont have injuries (like the Chargers do every year) then we can go for a Super Bowl".
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Yeah so couple problems with this:
1. The Pats haven't traded for Brown yet, and the Pats would jizz all over themselves to acquire the entire WR core of the Ravens in exchange for the entire Pats receiving core (with Brown). Brown is not significantly better than Flowers by any possible standard, and Bateman is best WR of the remaining guys by a comfortable margin.
2. I know the Bills and Broncos have better Oline (the Pats didn't last year and don't now). That's why the Oline is more important than the receiving core. The difference between them and the Ravens isn't weapons. It's D and Oline, with maybe coaching as a third factor.
3. I don't think the Steelers are a contender for the SB, but they're certainly a contender to beat the Ravens whenever they play them, because by and large, with or without Lamar, the Steelers own that rivalry for many, many years now. So if you can't consistently beat teams that are non-contenders, that would suggest that maybe you're not the contender you think you are.
4. Chiefs aren't just going to fade into oblivion. From a personnel perspective, it'd be hard to conjure up an argument where the Bills have a better roster than the Chiefs.
 
Adreme said:
I did not say there was a guy available. Only that they are a guy short of being an average WR room.
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They're already an average WR room. Fans haven't done the research on what league-wide average WR rooms look like to be able to afford the opinion they have.
 
rmcjacket23 said:
They're already an average WR room. Fans haven't done the research on what league-wide average WR rooms look like to be able to afford the opinion they have.
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That’s because you are drastically overrating Bateman. I am generous by saying if you look at every teams roster he would be in the bottom 1/3 for a WR2. WR3 is a giant game of “well maybe him” but that part isn’t that unusual.

Most teams have a Bateman. That guy who can make a couple plays but is too inconsistent to really be relied on. For most teams though that is WR3 not WR2.
 
Adreme said:
That’s because you are drastically overrating Bateman. I am generous by saying if you look at every teams roster he would be in the bottom 1/3 for a WR2. WR3 is a giant game of “well maybe him” but that part isn’t that unusual.

Most teams have a Bateman. That guy who can make a couple plays but is too inconsistent to really be relied on. For most teams though that is WR3 not WR2.
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We drafted 2, have Bateman and never really gave Tez a shot.
 
Tank said:
People are sleeping on Tez. He's an X factor waiting on a shot.
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I just feel he had all the opportunity to get a shot last year, and that he didn’t get a shot because he’s not that guy

Ideally he’s not higher in your depth chart than 4th and we’re not a 4 wide team
 
JoeyFlex5 said:
I just feel he had all the opportunity to get a shot last year, and that he didn’t get a shot because he’s not that guy

Ideally he’s not higher in your depth chart than 4th and we’re not a 4 wide team
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I'm not sure I'd take anything to heart with that broken ass offense from last year, for whatever that's worth. So many play calling and personnel usage question marks.

Not that I'm counting on Tez by any means, but also not sure his usage last year is really any sort of indication.
 
Not that it should be overly surprising, but the new coaching staff is earning rave reviews so far. Just sounds like the change was needed and the players are feeling renewed and have a new sense of fun. Not even really anything against Harbaugh specifically. Just feel like it's refreshing to have a new voice and a different day-to-day.
 
JoeyFlex5 said:
I just feel he had all the opportunity to get a shot last year, and that he didn’t get a shot because he’s not that guy

Ideally he’s not higher in your depth chart than 4th and we’re not a 4 wide team
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Lamar can’t chuck it deep to Tez when he got Faalele and Vorhees as his fucking protection.

Tez 40: 4.36

Pressure up the middle: 1.36
 
Thanks Davesta for the play by play. Need everybody to step up for a new coaching staff.
 
Simba said:
Not that it should be overly surprising, but the new coaching staff is earning rave reviews so far. Just sounds like the change was needed and the players are feeling renewed and have a new sense of fun. Not even really anything against Harbaugh specifically. Just feel like it's refreshing to have a new voice and a different day-to-day.
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18 years, that voice can get old and tiring after a while. Sometimes, all a team needs is a fresh new perspective on things with a new Head Coach and coaching staff. I feel like by the end of the season, we are going to wish Biscotti made the decision to fire Harbaugh sooner.
 
Simba said:
I'm not sure I'd take anything to heart with that broken ass offense from last year, for whatever that's worth. So many play calling and personnel usage question marks.

Not that I'm counting on Tez by any means, but also not sure his usage last year is really any sort of indication.
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Totally fair point and a point I’ve made in recent posts but also what has tez really shown us skillset wise? He broke wide open on 3 totally broken coverages and caught the ball.

Not to say I guarantee he won’t be shit, I just wouldn’t hang my hopes on him.
 
Adreme said:
Given that the Patriots will be trading for AJ Brown I would take their WR room. The Broncos and Bills both have dramatically better OLInes so its not like they have nothing going on. On paper I would probably wager even the Patriots have a better OLine.

I dont view the Chiefs and Steelers as competition in the AFC. The Steelers have not been relevant contenders 5 or 6 years now. Their ceiling is making the playoffs and losing in round 1. The Chiefs, and I know this is a hot take, were a 6 win team last year and I dont know how they are better. I can argue in fact that they are worse in several areas and better only at RB.

Basically I think the tier 1 contenders going into the year are: Bills, Broncos, and Patriots. They will be teams that as constructed can make the Super Bowl. The Ravens are in that group of tier 2 contenders who basically are going "if certain players develop or rookies stand out or we dont have injuries (like the Chargers do every year) then we can go for a Super Bowl".
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Agree with this. Those are only 3 teams i could see as actual contenders.. could sneak us in there too in the afc but idk if we have what it takes yet
 
Adreme said:
That’s because you are drastically overrating Bateman. I am generous by saying if you look at every teams roster he would be in the bottom 1/3 for a WR2. WR3 is a giant game of “well maybe him” but that part isn’t that unusual.

Most teams have a Bateman. That guy who can make a couple plays but is too inconsistent to really be relied on. For most teams though that is WR3 not WR2.
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Correct, most teams do have a Bateman. And for most teams, he's their #2 WR.
Where are the names? Who's the #2 WR (or even the #1) on the Bills, Patriots or Chiefs, and what metric did you use to determine they were better or worse than Bateman? Same exercise for the Steelers, the Texans, etc.

In the AFC alone (as of today):
Jets, Dolphins, Patriots, Browns, Titans, Colts, Raiders for certain don't have a second WR better than Bateman on their roster. And I'd easily suggest the Bills and Chiefs are basically "on par" in that area. So that's 9 out of possible 15 comparables where the #2 WR on that team is equal to or worse than Bateman.

The only teams that would definitively be better are the Chargers, Broncos, Steelers, Jaguars, Bengals and Texans. And I think the Texans are fringe because their second best WR is Tank Dell, who missed all of last season basically, so no idea if he's even still good or not.

In case it wasn't clear to people, the AFC is pretty weak from a WR perspective. The NFC has a ton of teams with loaded receiving cores, which largely doesn't matter for the Ravens, because they're only playing those teams once every four years, roughly.
 
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