Offseason Storylines

It’s been an active offseason. Lots of coaching moves. The Browns (yes, the Browns!) improved dramatically. QB Josh Rosen moved from the desert to South Beach. And Gronk says he’s done.

- Heath Cummings

We talk every year about how the term ‘offseason’ is a misnomer in the NFL. Is there ever a time when this league doesn’t have the spotlight? 2019 has been no different. We’ve got coaching changes, monster trades, and one offensive juggernaut falling apart while a new one forms. We lost the greatest tight end of all time and an offensive genius came out of retirement. Did another come out of college?

The 2019 ‘offseason’ has been a blast. Now it’s time to figure out what it means for Fantasy.

THE KILLER B’S BROKE UP

This didn’t come as too much of a surprise, but it’s shocking when you put it in perspective. From 2013 through 2018 Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown accounted for 15,195 yards and scored 109 touchdowns for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 2019 they’ll both be in different uniforms. The Fantasy implications of this are massive and far reaching. In Pittsburgh and beyond.

For the first time in years, it’s tough to trust Ben Roethlisberger as a surefire No. 1 quarterback. In the past six years he’s only played one game without either Brown and/or Bell on the field.

At the same time, this presents an opportunity and a challenge for both James Conner and JuJu Smith-Schuster. They both have the potential to finish in the top five at their position this season, but they’ll both see more attention than they ever have. Smith-Schuster will have to deal with consistent double teams for the first time in his young career. Conner will either have to do more in the passing game or face more eight-man boxes, somethings teams wouldn’t have dared to do with Brown on the field.