ESPN AFC North Blog

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

This is just another friendly reminder of how much difference one year can make in the AFC North for the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Below is another sample of what ESPN.com readers were saying about the division last summer.

Enjoy.

• "Big, big year with Ben Utecht. He gives the Bengals a 2WR + TE formation that will put up a TON of yards."
• "Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Ben Utecht, Antonio Chatman, second-rounder Jerome Simpson, third-rounder Andre Caldwell, a healthy Rudi Johnson, a healthy Chris Perry and the best pass blocking O-Line in the NFL... Cincinnati's offense will be in the top 10 -- no question."
• "If Martin Rucker translates his college game into the pros then Braylon Edwards, Donte' Stallworth, Kellen Winslow and Rucker would be the sickest combination of receivers in the league!"
• "Look up the road to the Dawg Pound for the best o-line in football."
• "I love Steeler fans. They talk as though what happened in 1988 (a year the Browns happened to make the playoffs, by the way) has any relevance on what will happen in the 2008 season. Similarly, your Super Bowl rings mean absolutely jack to what will happen this year."
• "Kyle Boller will start against the Bengals [in Week 1]. Troy Smith is a hoax and even Lloyd's of London won't insure Joe Flacco is he goes behind the Ravens putrid offensive line."
• "It really doesn't matter who starts at quarterback for the Ravens. There isn't a quality tackle on the offensive line, and whoever is back there is going to get killed."
• "As a Bengals fan, I hope the controversy in Baltimore over their sorry list of QBs continues until the day before opening day. With a terrible offensive line and two aging corners and one suspended [Fabian Washington] the Bengals will be toasting them all day long in the passing game. The Ravens are a few years away from contending for our [Bengals] AFC North crown this year."
• "Flacco may start later in the season, but he is not ready yet. It would be a big mistake to get him under center so early."
• "I have had the opportunity to watch Braylon Edwards at two practices this season, including Friday's Family Night at Browns Stadium. I can't help but notice there is something different about Edwards this year, an intangible. His performances so far that I have witnessed have been exceptional. Also, looking surprisingly solid has been reserve quarterback Ken Dorsey."
• "It's extremely unlikely anyone in the AFC North will win 11 games this year."
• "I will tell you what, let's play some Madden and then talk trash later."
• "Enjoy your No. 1 schedule. I'll enjoy watching the league pound Pittsburgh into the ground."
• "Where are all these Browns fans coming from? I'll give it two more years."
• "The Browns do not have a single rookie starting this year!! The Steelers will be lucky to go 6-10 this year. I just hope the Browns win the North by four games over the Steelers because I don't want to read about all the good teams the Steelers had to play. BROWNS 11-5, BUNGLES 8-8, RATBIRDS 8-8, STEELERS 6-10."

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Earlier this week, we revisited Chad Ochocinco's prediction that the Cincinnati Bengals are going to the playoffs this year. So in our latest version of "Take your pick," the AFC North blog wanted to hear from our community on Ochocinco's bold statement.

Here are the best responses in our AFC North inbox, along with a final say on this topic:

Ochocinco, Bengals make postseason!

Ochocinco

Nick from Cincinnati writes: I do think Ochocinco's prediction is correct. With a great defense that could make the top 10 this year and with Carson Palmer and Chad Ochocino back to full form there's no reason why the Bengals shouldn't be a top contender in our division and go to the playoffs.

Mike Newberry from Cincinnati writes: Take your pick: "Is Cincinnati a playoff team in 2009?" The answer is YES. Bengals had a sneaky good defense last year ranked at #12 overall while enduring mass injuries. We had over 20 players on IR by the end of the 09 season. With the additions of Tank Johnson, Roy Williams, and Rey Maualuga, there's no reason why our D couldn't be ranked in the top 10. We also upgraded our O-line with arguably the best OT (Andrea Smith) through the draft along with center Jonathon Luigs who was a three time Remington Award (nations top college center) nominee, winning the award his junior season. Add to this the addition of WR Laveranues Coles in free agency and our WR core is once again very deep and capable of spreading the field. Cedric Benson turned it on towards the end of last season and our offense will be stoked to have a big season this year as long as Carson Palmer stays protected. Barring injuries...our beloved Bengals will be in playoffs this year.

Steve from Loveland, OH writes: As a Bengals fan, I'm hopeful my team will make the playoffs. This all comes down to: 1) the quality of the O-line; 2) the health of Carson Palmer; 3) the attitude of the team - especially Chad Johnson. The defense is a sleeper NFL top-10. If the offense scores, this team will be 10-6 to 11-5 as in '05.They need - at a minimum - a split with the Steelers and Ravens and a sweep of the woefully inept Brownies.

Matt from Columbia, MD writes: Regarding the Bengals' playoff hopes, I believe that the Bengals have a decent shot of making the playoffs. Why? The Ravens look like a super franchise one year, terrible the next, and again super last year. The Browns looked legitimate in 2007 but most years are incompetent. The Steelers are somewhat more stable but even they had an 8-8 season in 2006. The real question is, why can't Cincinnati win the North? I certainly don't expect them to, but they have some talented players (Rivers, Palmer) who didn't play much last season, and some fresh new faces. I wouldn't be surprised if they go 12-4 or 1-16.

Ochocinco, Bengals watch playoffs from home!

Ed from Atlanta writes: I don't think Ochocinco is going to cash in on this one. Though their offense will be much improved over last year with his determination and Palmer's good health, they will not be able to stifle Pittsburgh's and Baltimore's defense enough for it to matter. Add to that, their defense will not be able to keep either Ben Roethlisberger or the sophomore [Joe Flacco] down long enough to take away the W's. They will knock on the door, but watch from home again this year.

Michael from North Hollywood, California writes: James, no, the Bengals won't make the playoffs. They will be a better team than last year, but that won't be enough to get past Baltimore and Pittsburgh. And as you said, getting three teams from a division into the playoffs is very rare. They'll come up short, but they could very well affect the seeding by beating a team or two.

Earl from Southern Pines, NC writes: Ocho-stinko needs to just shut up and sit back and watch a real football team play, one like the Pittsburgh Steelers. Every year he and Carson Palmer say they're better than the Steelers and that they are going to do this and that, and every year they are the Bungles, one playoff appearance in 15 years? Maybe Chad should change his name to Ocho-choke-o!!!

Erik from Cincinnati writes: While I love everything I have seen this off season, I still can't see the Bengals making the playoffs. They have been going the wrong way since 2005, and while I expect a lot more from them this year, I don't see 8-8 or 9-7 making the playoffs this year. The AFC is going to be brutal again this year with Tom Brady back. The Steelers have learned from their last post-Super Bowl slump, and I expect them to be great...again. The Ravens could go either way. Flacco is a year smarter (good or bad?), but they had some HUGE losses on D, and that is how they have been winning lately. In closing, I would do a back flip if the Bengals gave me a playoff season. But as of right now, they have a lot to prove.

AFC North final say

Because I'm not making any firm predictions until the end of the preseason, I recruited regular AFC North contributor Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. to close out this interesting topic.

Matt Williamson: Chad is incorrect. I see the Bengals improving. They're vastly improved on paper, and I expect No. 85 to have a much better season. He's going to be more dedicated and has a lot to prove, and Palmer is coming back. So, overall, I like their passing game, but it keeps coming back to me with their offensive line. I don't trust them to run the football consistently, especially with Benson up the gut. I don't think they're going to have any interior running game to speak of. They're very week at the center position and they play three dominating nose tackles within their division. They are really going to have a hard time in the middle of the field offensively. I think they're a six- or seven-win team but probably still the third-best team in the division. One more note: I do like their defense a lot more than people realize. Their defense is a lot better than people think.

If you have any future "Take your pick" ideas, feel free to send them to our AFC North inbox.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

When it comes to respect and popularity on a nationwide scale, the Cincinnati Bengals are very low on the NFL totem pole.

With that said, will a national audience tune in this summer to watch HBO's "Hard Knocks" series when it records the ups and downs of Bengals training camp?

Former NFL cornerback and ESPN analyst James Hasty has his doubts.

"I just want to know why we would even want to watch the Cincinnati Bengals?" Hasty said this week on ESPN's NFL Live. "I think we're going to watch them for one reason and one reason alone: How not to run a professional franchise."

Ouch!

Many league observers agreed with Hasty and felt Cincinnati was a curious choice by HBO, especially coming off last summer when the network filmed the Dallas Cowboys, also known as "America's Team."

The Bengals are anything but America's Team. But they do have an interesting mix of personalities led by top receiver Chad Ochocinco, who should be in rare form.

Besides actually living it this summer during my time in Georgetown, Ky., I will be curiously watching "Hard Knocks" on a regular basis when visiting the AFC North's other three camps.

But will that make me the exception or the rule?

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Friday in the AFC North:

• Quarterback John Beck says he's "very excited" about joining the Baltimore Ravens this season.

Morning take: Beck is in a good spot reuniting with offensive coordinator Cam Cameron. The former Miami Dolphins head coach didn't get enough time to mold Beck before and now gets another opportunity.

• Can the Pittsburgh Steelers be an even better team in 2009?

Morning take: Only time will tell. But going into the season, I feel Pittsburgh is better prepared to repeat than any team in the past four years.

• By the way, the Cleveland Browns ranked No. 114 in ESPN's Ultimate Standings for sports franchises.

Morning take: The Cavaliers were rated much higher (No. 5). But Cleveland remains a football-crazed city, so it doesn't have the same level of impact.

• Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Andre Smith says he doesn't want to hold out.

Morning take: No rookie wants to hold out of training camp. It just seems possible because of the team involved, Smith's agent troubles and the lofty draft position as the No. 6 overall pick.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Let's see what's on the minds of AFC North readers this week.

Ryan from Kalamazoo, Mich., writes: James, the Pittsburgh Steelers special teams have been shaky for several seasons; any reason to expect different this season?

James Walker: Yes, there are several reasons, Ryan. The first reason is Pittsburgh punter Daniel Sepulveda is healthy again. If he returns to form, that would be a huge boost for the Steelers after just getting by on special teams last season. Second, the Steelers drafted several players who are versatile enough to return kicks, such as receiver Mike Wallace and cornerback Joe Burnett. Therefore, if the team doesn't find a better return game this year it won't be for a lack of effort.

---

Warren Johnson from Baltimore writes: I have not heard a lot being said of the open kicker spot for the Baltimore Ravens. Is this Graham Gano's job to lose, or is there still a chance we will see Matt Stover before the end of the summer?

James Walker: Gano and Steve Hauschka are being given every chance to win the job, while Stover remains on call. Ideally, the Ravens hope one of the two kickers currently on the roster wins the job in training camp, because Baltimore doesn't want to spend (waste?) two roster spots on a kicker and a kickoff specialist. Stover is 41 and struggles on deep kickoffs, which is ultimately why he wasn't brought back this year. Like most teams, the Ravens prefer both duties to be filled by one player.

---

Austin Blunt from Charleston, SC, writes: James, please save and letters or quotes that say the Cincinnati Bengals will finish better than the Ravens. They will be great for the feature you run at the end of the year that has all of the dumb stuff Bengals and Browns fans were saying during the offseason.

James Walker: No problem, Austin. I run a very accountable AFC North blog. Our community is extremely knowledgeable and rightfully holds me to a high standard. So it's only natural that I do the same with my fellow bloggers.

---

Nick from Cincinnati, Ohio, writes: With the Bengals drafting inside linebacker Rey Maualuga, will he sit behind starter Dhani Jones or be moved to left outside linebacker so he can start?

James Walker: Because Jones is one of the most important pieces to Cincinnati's defense, the Bengals have worked Maualuga primarily as an outside linebacker this offseason. Although he may return to his natural position of middle linebacker later in his career, Maualuga's best chance to see the field as a rookie is on the outside. There is really no left or right outside linebacker in the NFL. It's more so strongside and weakside as the tight end shifts back and forth. The Bengals have been playing Maualuga on the strong side, opposite of Keith Rivers. The problem is Maualuga may struggle in coverage when he faces tight ends and running backs in open space.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Based on the responses in our AFC North inbox, readers are very interested in who made the Football Outsiders' list of underrated and overrated players of this decade.

Because this is only available to subscribers of ESPN Insider, I'm only allowed to reveal players from the AFC North division. There were three underrated players and three overrated players chosen by the Football Outsiders.

Here is the list:

Underrated

1.Derrick Mason, WR, Baltimore Ravens

4. Aaron Smith, DE, Pittsburgh Steelers

16. Kelly Gregg, NT, Baltimore Ravens

Analysis: These were all great selections, with Smith and Mason deserving of being in the top five. These two are in a rare category in the NFL of being very good, consistent players who still won't get to many Pro Bowls. On top of that, they've played for winning programs all of their careers, which earns points in my book. Gregg also has been an underrated player for a long time, but after missing all of last year with a knee injury, he needs to return to form to regain that label.

Overrated

4. Jamal Lewis, RB, Cleveland Browns

17. Willis McGahee, RB, Baltimore Ravens

22. Roy Williams, S, Cincinnati Bengals

Analysis: Lewis is the only player I question on this list. I always felt he was more on the underrated side, and if he was overrated, he certainly shouldn't be this high on the list. No complaints with the selections of McGahee and Williams, who are both solid players but probably gained more accolades than they deserved. Williams has always been a one-dimensional safety with limited coverage skills, and McGahee's career average is just 3.9 yards per carry.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here are several notes and observations this week within the division:

• Will the Pittsburgh Steelers use all of their salary-cap room provided by the recent signing of left tackle Max Starks? That is a valid question to ponder, because no team likes to go into the season with zero wiggle room. For example, when backup quarterback Charlie Batch broke his collarbone last year, the Steelers saved enough cap space and flexibility to sign a quality backup in Byron Leftwich, who proved to be a great pickup and helped win a couple of games during their Super Bowl run. The team may opt to keep some "injury protection" money again this year instead of reaching as many long-term deals as possible with its heralded 2010 free-agent class that includes players such as tight end Heath Miller and safety Ryan Clark.
  

	Al Bello/Getty Images
	Ravens running back Ray Rice rushed for 454 yards last season.

• Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times and ProFootballTalk.com reported this week that Baltimore Ravens tailback Ray Rice recently switched agents to Todd France. Naturally, this means Rice has his eyes set on his next NFL contract. He is in the second year of a four-year deal and has worked with Baltimore's starters all offseason. Houston Texans 2008 draft pick Steve Slaton made a similar business move after a great rookie year. If running backs like Slaton and Rice also have a big sophomore seasons, there could be potential contract rumblings next offseason.
• I'm not a lawyer, but I will pretend for a second and give the Cleveland Browns some brief counsel: It might be wise to settle Joe Jurevicius' staph infection case out of court. There are seven known instances of staph linked to the Browns and the former receiver is the first to turn it into a lawsuit. The organization hinted last week that it is willing to fight the claims, but perhaps the Browns don't realize all is fair in love, war and litigation. Cleveland's dirty internal laundry could be aired in court. What if the Browns had more cases of staph the media wasn't aware of? It could certainly come out, as well as every detail of Cleveland's medical practices with Jurevicius and possibly other players that led to staph. I don't know which side would win this suit. But even if the Browns were successful, many internal details and potential mistakes from the organization would be made public for the media, fans and potential free agents to see, setting up a lose-lose situation for Cleveland.
• The Cincinnati Bengals are still considering their options concerning a partnership with the city lottery, team vice president Troy Blackburn told the AFC North blog recently during minicamp. As an alternate way to make income in a tough economy, the NFL in May lifted its ban with local lotteries. A handful of teams -- including the Ravens within the division -- have already taken the plunge by allowing lotteries to bear team logos on scratch-off tickets. Blackburn said the Bengals have always had a good relationship with the Cincinnati lottery and remain in discussions for a similar deal.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Thursday in the AFC North:

• Roy Williams looks forward to competing for the starting safety job with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Morning take: Williams spent his entire career as a starter with the Dallas Cowboys, so naturally he expects that to continue in Cincinnati. But upstart Chinedum Ndukwe should give him a good run this summer.

• Is Brady Quinn ready to lead the Cleveland Browns?

Morning take: CBS analyst and former NFL quarterback Phil Simms thinks so, and that's high praise coming from a person who's been through it.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers were ranked the third-best franchise in pro sports.

Morning take: Winning championships and doing it with class goes a long way.

• Here is a preview of the "three-headed monster" of the Baltimore Ravens.

Morning take: Le'Ron McClain led the team in rushing last year with 902 yards but could see more time at fullback, paving the way for Ray Rice and Willis McGahee to get more carries than last season.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Suggs

Graham

Exactly two weeks from now, we will know for sure whether Terrell Suggs and Shayne Graham will get long-term deals or play on a one-year franchise tag they were awarded during this offseason.

The deadline of July 15 is fast approaching for teams which used to designated franchise tender. Three teams in the AFC North utilized the tag but only one team -- the Pittsburgh Steelers -- agreed to a four-year extension with left tackle Max Starks before the deadline.

That leaves Suggs with the Baltimore Ravens and Graham with the Cincinnati Bengals waiting and hoping for a similar result. Neither player is happy with the franchise tag and would prefer long-term security.

Suggs recently told the Ravens' team Web site that he's optimistic a deal will get done soon that likely will make the Pro Bowl linebacker/defensive end one of the highest-paid players in the NFL. Meanwhile, the Bengals have said publicly that they also will try to work out an extension with Graham, but there doesn't appear to be the same level of optimism for Cincinnati's kicker.

The past two years the Bengals have used the franchise tag on defensive end Justin Smith and offensive tackle Stacy Andrews, but Cincinnati lost both players in free agency after failing to reach long-term deals.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

In case you missed it, here is a recap of this week's entertaining AFC North chat on the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers.

Thanks for all of the solid questions. Let's make sure to do it again next week.

-JW

	Getty Images
	Baltimore's Ed Reed, right, and Pittsburgh's Troy Polamalu were voted best all-around and smartest player by their AFC North peers.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Both are versatile safeties.

The two also are perennial Pro Bowlers and unique talents.

And according to their peers, Baltimore Ravens safety Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu of the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best all-around player and smartest player, respectively, in the division.

During the offseason, ESPN.com's AFC North blog surveyed 32 players and granted them anonymity -- eight from each team in the division -- on topics that will be revealed periodically during July. The players surveyed could not vote for themselves or their teammates.

This week we take a look at Reed, who was voted best all-around player, and Polamalu, who was selected the division's smartest player. As evidence of their dominance, both safeties finished second in the other category too.

Best All-Around Player: Ed Reed

When it came to choosing the top all-around player in the AFC North, Reed and Polamalu accounted for 21 votes -- more than two-thirds of the 32 players surveyed.

But Reed (14) still received twice as many votes as Polamalu (7), who was tied with teammate James Harrison (7) for second place in this category.

"I feel he's just a great player," one opponent said of voting for Reed. "You have to be aware of him at all times."

Reed received multiple votes from players of the Cleveland Browns, Cincinnati Bengals and Steelers. 

...

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here are the most interesting stories Wednesday in the AFC North:

• Pittsburgh Steelers starting cornerback William Gay is working on his endurance and says he's in top form for training camp.

Morning take: There's a significant difference being a sub/part-time starter to playing just about every down on defense. So the conditioning aspect will be important for Gay this season.

• Can the Baltimore Ravens put together back-to-back winning seasons?

Morning take: It hasn't happened since 2003-04. But the biggest difference this year is Baltimore finally has stability at quarterback with Joe Flacco.

• Former Cleveland Browns linebacker Willie McGinest, 37, still has the itch to play football this year.

Morning take: McGinest is still strong against the run, which is a quality many teams need. Perhaps that's enough to land him a one-year deal.

• It turns out the Cincinnati Bengals have the worst uniforms in sports.

Morning take: I agree with this assessment to a point. Although I'm not sure they're the worst in all of sports, the Bengals' uniforms are certainly one of the worst in the NFL.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

As I hinted last week, I have an exciting project coming to the AFC North blog for the month of July.

Over the past two months, I surveyed dozens of players in the division, representing all four teams, for an anonymous survey on the AFC North.

The cool thing about this project is these results are not mine or the opinion of some other analyst. It's coming straight from the players who go head-to-head against one another on Sundays. To make it fair, the only rule was they couldn't vote for players on their own team.

The survey blogs will run gradually throughout the next three weeks. Tomorrow we will debut who opponents believe is the best all-around football player in the AFC North and the smartest player in the division.

Until then, feel free to take your best guess on these two survey questions.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Join me for our weekly chat on the AFC North at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. So have your questions on the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers ready.

Here is the link.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

The Cincinnati Bengals' Chad Ochocinco is known to make a lot of predictions, but rarely have his bold words come so early in the season.

Ochocinco

On the first day of mandatory minicamp recently, the colorful receiver boldly claimed: "It's going to be a great year; we're going to the playoffs."

Sometimes Ochocinco is wrong with his proclamations, and sometimes he is correct. In this latest version of "Take your pick," we want to know if you think Ochocinco's latest offering is on point.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens made the playoffs last season. The pair dominated the playoffs and advanced to the AFC Championship Game, where Pittsburgh prevailed and also went on to win Super Bowl XLIII.

For the Bengals to make the postseason, they will probably have to get by at least one of these two division rivals. Technically three teams could get in from the AFC North, but that is extremely difficult.

Is Ochocinco correct? Is Cincinnati a playoff team in 2009?

We will revisit this topic later in the week with your responses from our AFC North inbox. So take your pick.