Around the AFC North: Ravens lose key front-office member, Steelers and Browns make OC hires

Some significant movement in the division.

The Cincinnati Bengals were the only team in the division to miss out on the NFL Playoffs following the 2023 regular season, which allowed the team to take care of their offensive coordinator hire quickly.

Of course, it helps that the new offensive coordinator was already on the payroll, but I digress.

Now that all of the other AFC teams are out of the playoffs, the other teams are beginning to catch up.

Steelers tab Smith as OC

The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to hire Arthur Smith to be their new offensive coordinator in hopes that he can turn Kenny Pickett into something other than….. Kenny Pickett. He was most recently the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons but was fired following their 2023 season. Before that, he was the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers hiring him to lead an offense with major questions at the quarterback position was probably not a coincidence.

Ravens lose Hortiz

The Baltimore Ravens lost a front office member to the LA Chargers just a day after they lost the AFC Championship game to the Chiefs. The Chargers hired Joe Hortiz to be their new general manager. Hortiz has been with the Ravens since 1998, working his way up from personnel assistant to Director of Player Personnel, and was partially responsible for some of the best teams the Ravens have been able to field over the last two decades.

Browns hire embattled Dorsey

The Cleveland Browns also grabbed an offensive coordinator, hiring former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey. Dorsey was the play-caller for Josh Allen and one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.

However, after an up-and-down start to the 2023 season, the Bills relieved Dorsey of his duties late in the regular season. That move helped reignite the Bills offense under interim OC Joe Brady of LSU lore. Brady has since been hired as Buffalo’s permanent OC.

Now, the Browns are hopeful Dorsey can help Deshaun Watson and the Browns be something other than what they have been with him as the franchise QB, which is mediocre at best.