At the end of the Baltimore Ravens' minicamp, quarterback Lamar Jackson couldn't hide his excitement when asked about his reaction to Myles Garrett no longer being in the AFC North.
Jackson pumped both fists and exclaimed: "I was like, 'Yes! I don't have to see him!'"
This has been an offseason of change in the usually stable AFC North, from the Cleveland Browns sending Garrett, a two-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year, to the Los Angeles Rams in a blockbuster trade to the departure of two of the longest-tenured head coaches (Mike Tomlin and John Harbaugh). The one team that's returning its head coach -- the Cincinnati Bengals -- has revamped its defense.
"It's a transition year for the division, I would say," Ravens coach Jesse Minter said. "It's going to be a grind."
AFC North reporters Jamison Hensley (Baltimore), Ben Baby (Cincinnati), Daniel Oyefusi (Cleveland) and Brooke Pryor (Pittsburgh) address the most significant moves, the biggest questions about the quarterbacks, the greatest areas of improvement and what it will take for each team to win the division.
Cincinnati Bengals
Move that will have the biggest impact on next season
Trading for DT Dexter Lawrence II. The Bengals made the defensive line, particularly the middle of the defense, a true position of strength by adding Lawrence, a three-time Pro Bowl player, alongside veteran Jonathan Allen. Their additions should help a defense that was next to last in yards allowed per rush. But the off-field impact is tangible, too.
"We've become reenergized, I think, in some ways," offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher said. "And when you feel that way, it's like, 'Well, s---, let's go do it now. We're not waiting."