Pundit Includes Ravens Among Losers of Steelers' Blockbuster Trade
The Pittsburgh Steelers pulled off a blockbuster trade Monday, acquiring cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith from the Miami Dolphins in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
The move spells trouble for the Steelers' rivals, according to CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan, who listed the Ravens and the rest of the AFC North among the losers of the trade.
"The Pittsburgh Steelers are seemingly getting better by the day as we inch closer to training camp, which is bad news for the rest of the AFC North," Sullivan wrote. "Over the last month or so, they've added a future Hall of Fame quarterback [in Aaron Rodgers] and just now traded for a top corner and dynamic tight end to bolster the rest of the roster. Clearly, the Steelers are making these moves to seriously contend in 2025, which makes the road that much more difficult for their division rivals.
"While it may not entirely tip the scales away from teams like the Baltimore Ravens (the betting favorite to win the AFC North) or Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh is no longer a sure-fire win like they were when it was projected that Mason Rudolph could be their starter. On top of the division race heating up, Pittsburgh adding Ramsey and Smith could further put a dent in the overall playoff hopes of Baltimore and Cincinnati, and hurt the chances of any of them rivaling for the No. 1 seed in the conference."
Pro Football Focus' Dalton Wasserman said Ramsey joining Darius Slay and Joey Porter Jr. gives the Steelers perhaps the best cornerback trio in the league.
The Ravens, whose top three cornerbacks are Marlon Humphrey, Jaire Alexander, and Nate Wiggins, might have something to say about that. Ravens Wire’s Glenn Erby ranked the AFC North cornerback trios after the trade, and he gave the Ravens the nod at No. 1 ahead of the Steelers.
The Steelers' offseason moves clearly indicate they are going all in, but The Ringer’s Diante Lee isn't convinced Pittsburgh significantly strengthened its Super Bowl chances. While the Steelers upgraded at cornerback, they lost a five-time Pro Bowler and defensive leader in Fitzpatrick, who is expected to be replaced by Juan Thornhill next to DeShon Elliott at safety.
"This team is clearly designed to win right now, and right now only. Yet for all the player movement into and out of Pittsburgh, Rodgers is (optimistically) the only guy this franchise brought in that introduces a new dynamic to the roster," Lee wrote. "Swapping out [wide receiver] George Pickens for DK Metcalf, Fitzpatrick for Ramsey, and Jonnu Smith taking snaps away from Pittsburgh's third-best receiver [tight end Pat Freiermuth] all feel like solutions to non-issues.
"This isn't just my pessimism, either: the Steelers' Super Bowl odds only marginally improved on FanDuel after this deal, and their over/under on wins still stands at 8.5 games."
ESPN's Field Yates Says Isaiah Likely Could Become One of NFL's Best Tight Ends
Isaiah Likely appears poised for a breakout season, and ESPN's Field Yates believes he has the potential to be one of the best tight ends in football in the near future.
"I think there's a chance that we're talking about Isaiah Likely is one of the eight or 10 best tight ends in football in the next couple of years," Yates said on "NFL Live." "He's got all the talent in the world, but the Ravens don't throw the football as much as other offenses do. And of course, Mark Andrews is still there."
Baltimore has an abundance of talent on offense and thus several mouths to feed, but Yates mentioned Likely in the same sentence as two Ravens players who are among the NFL's biggest stars.
"I think at some point we see that segue [from Andrews] and Isaiah Likely becomes a part of an offense that defensive coordinators begin the week and they say, 'We have to find a way to slow down Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson,'" Yates said. "But Isaiah Likely is not that far down the pecking order of responsibilities."
Head Coach John Harbaugh also has high expectations for Likely, who enters his fourth season after posting career highs in receptions (42), yards (477), and touchdowns (six).
"I want to see him be an All-Pro," Harbaugh said earlier this offseason. "That'd be my goal for him, and he's capable of it."
Bucky Brooks Names Alexander His Long-Shot Pick for Comeback Player of the Year
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks made his long-shot picks for the NFL's major awards, and Alexander was his choice for Comeback Player of the Year.
Alexander's odds to win the award are +7500 on DraftKings Sportsbook.
"A two-time Pro Bowler in seven seasons with the Packers before being released this offseason, perhaps a change of scenery will help Alexander shake the injury bug and rediscover what once made him the highest-paid corner in the league," Brooks wrote. "His talent meshes with a Ravens scheme that puts a lot of pressure on defensive backs to win their one-on-one matchups on the perimeter.
"As a versatile corner with lock-down skills utilizing bump-and-run or shadowboxing technique, the eighth-year pro could give Baltimore the CB1 needed to compete against the AFC's high-powered offenses. Divisional battles against Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, DK Metcalf and Jerry Jeudy are on the horizon, so Alexander will have a chance to show he's still an elite corner with a bounce-back season."
Alexander, 28, had a career-high five interceptions and was a second-team All-Pro in 2022. Injuries limited him to seven games each in 2023 and 2024.
Ravens Are No. 2 in Ryan Clark's Power Rankings
Speaking of Alexander, he is one of the main reasons ESPN's Ryan Clark put the Ravens at No. 2 in his power rankings.
"Adding Jaire makes me more comfortable with what they'll do in the sub packages," Clark said on "The Mina Kimes Podcast." "Having Jaire on the outside, having Nate Wiggins on the outside, Marlon Humphrey in the slot, now you can use Kyle Hamilton as a dime, and play with Ar'Darius Washington and Malaki Starks on the back end.
"I think they have so much flexibility now defensively, and we know what they are offensively with Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson."
The only team Clark ranked above the Ravens was the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Have Ravens Improved in the Trenches?
Even teams as talented as the Ravens have questions at this point in the offseason. Regarding the Ravens, The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec said the question is whether they have done enough to improve in the trenches.
"The Ravens' season-ending loss to the Bills can largely be attributed to their three turnovers, but they also were handled at the line of scrimmage. That's been a common theme in their playoff disappointments," Zrebiec wrote. "The Ravens lost starting left guard Patrick Mekari and swing guard/tackle Josh Jones in free agency, nose tackle Michael Pierce retired and defensive lineman Brent Urban wasn't re-signed.
"They drafted three offensive linemen and one interior defensive lineman, but the only one taken before Day 3, third-round OT Emery Jones Jr., needed shoulder surgery and won't be ready for the start of training camp. Their outside trench free-agent signings were oft-injured G/T Joseph Noteboom and journeyman NT John Jenkins. General Manager Eric DeCosta has had a nice offseason, but the Ravens are still relatively thin in the offensive and defensive interior."
