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Speaking for the first time about Terrell Suggs' injury, Ravens coach John Harbaugh offered no timetable on the return of the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, but he stressed the team won't dwell on the loss.

Suggs told ESPN that he partially tore his Achilles tendon during a conditioning drill in Arizona, but believes he can return by the middle of the 2012 season.

"He will be okay, Terrell Suggs will be fine. He will be back," Harbaugh told a local Baltimore television station Friday, via the Baltimore Sun. "He will go to work on that rehab like no other. He will continue to be a huge part of what we are doing, continue to be a leader and then the young guys will step up. They will step forward, and you are a football team first, you are a team, team is not one guy."

It will likely take a team of players to replace the production of Suggs, a five-time Pro Bowl linebacker who has the fourth-most sacks (30) in the NFL since 2010.

Suggs seemed defiant when telling reporters Thursday that he would come back this season. Harbaugh, though, painted a different picture of Suggs after his injury.

"My heart went out to Terrell because he was so down about it, it was so hard for him to actually spit out what had happened," Harbaugh said. "He didn’t want to tell me because he felt so bad about it. Once we got past that, then I felt bad about it. Once I got past feeling bad about how he felt bad about it, then I felt bad about it. We are going to be fine. I got a chance to talk to Ray [Lewis, Ravens linebacker] and a lot of the players and you move forward, that’s what it’s all about, you just move forward and the next guy steps in."

It's getting close to the end of the work day. But, before you run out the door and hurt yourself like Terrell Suggs, take a moment to see what we talked about in our weekly and always controversial AFC North chat:

Chris Fiegler (Latham, NY): Who do you think did the cest in the NFL Draft in the AFC North?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I thought the Steelers and Bengals were the clear winners of the draft in the AFC North. The Ravens were solid but you could tell they were disappointed that more players didn't fall to them. The Browns started off great with Trent Richardson and I like the Mitchell Schwartz pick in the second round. But Cleveland took Weeden too high and ignored the wide receiver position.

Rahim aka rah-steam (hackensack, N.J.): Pitts o-line will be top 3 in NFL in ___ years?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Possibly two years. Gilbert really progressed as a rookie and Pouncey is already established. DeCastro should make an immediate impact as well. The question marks are Mike Adams, who has talent but off-the-field issues, and at right guard. Do the Steelers stick with Ramon Foster or go with a banged-up Willie Colon.

Andy in Hagerstown (Hagerstown Maryland): Which Ravens line combination do you see going into the 2013 season? LT-Oher, LG-Reid, C-Gradkowski , RG-Yanda, RT-Osemele OR LT-Osemele, LG-Reid, C-Gradkowski , RG-Yanda, RT-Oher OR LT-Oher, LG-Osemele, C-Gradkowski , RG-Yanda, RT-Reid.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I would go with the last one. I see Gradkowski being the starting center next season and Oher moving back over to left tackle (McKinnie is in the final year of his deal). There will be a decision whether Reid or Osemele should be the right tackle, though.

Caleb (Ohio): Who will be the Browns No. 2 cornerback? What about No. 3?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): No. 2 CB will be Dimitri Patterson. No. 3 will either be Sheldon Brown (who could convert to safety) or Buster Skrine.

Ruskin (Grand Forks, ND): Do you think Vontaze Burfict signing with the Bengals is a good move? Their locker room probably isn't the most stable to be in, with all of their "red-flag" players, especially the one who is supposed to be mentoring him, Ray Maualuga. Won't that be like "the blind leading the blind"? I still think Baltimore was the best fit for him, and he ends up with them.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I would classify it as a low-risk move. If Burfict didn't go with the Bengals, another option was Baltimore. The Ravens were in the mix for him.

stpalmisano (Cleveland): Do you think James Harrison has participated in a bounty program while delivering clearly illegal hits?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Not at all. He just loves hitting. Harrison wasn't getting any money from teammates but he certainly has given enough cash to the NFL.

Eric (New York): Will the Browns release Scott Fujita now that the suspension penalties have been released? Or is their currently not enough depth in the LB position to do so?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): The Browns will stick with Fujita. He's in the final year of his contract and they didn't go after a replacement in free agency or the draft. That says to me that he's staying.

Michael H (Baltimore): Call me crazy, but I just don't see the Browns throwing Brandon Weeden in right away. If Mike Holmgren had his way, Colt McCoy won't start for a full year. I don't see them pushing the panic button for changing that philosophy and throwing Weeden in for Game 1.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): If you wait another year, you have a 30-year-old quarterback being a first-year starter. You take a quarterback with the 22nd overall pick after an offseason where you were clearly looking to replace McCoy. The only way Weeden doesn't start is if he flops. It's his job to lose.

The AFC North blog is continuing its series on projecting the starting lineup for each team in the division. The last team to cover is the Baltimore Ravens:

OFFENSE

QB Joe Flacco: Only Tom Brady has more playoff wins by a quarterback in his first four years than Flacco.

RB Ray Rice: Has 31 games of 100 total yards since 2009, two more than any other NFL running back in that span.

FB Vonta Leach: Lead blocker for NFL leading rusher in 2010 (Arian Foster) and the league's second-leading one (Rice ) last season.

WR Anquan Boldin: Caught 57 passes last season, his fewest catches since the 2004 season.

WR Torrey Smith: Five of his seven touchdown catches were for 25 yards or longer.

TE Ed Dickson: His five touchdown catches ranked second on the team.

LT Bryant McKinnie: Allowed the most sacks on the team last season (8.5).

LG Kelechi Osemele: Second-round pick is competing against Jah Reid for Ben Grubbs' old spot.

C Matt Birk: Has started 96 straight games, second-longest active streak among centers.

RG Marshal Yanda: Graded out as the NFL's third-best guard behind Evan Mathis and Carl Nicks, according to Pro Football Focus.

RT Michael Oher: Has committed 30 penalties, including 18 false starts, in his first three seasons.

DEFENSE

LDE Art Jones: Battling Pernell McPhee for the spot left by Cory Redding, who signed with the Colts.

NT Terrence Cody: Ravens ranked second against the run in Cody's first full season as a starter.

RDT Haloti Ngata: Went to third Pro Bowl after 65 tackles (led Ravens' defensive line), five sacks, two forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.

LOLB Courtney Upshaw: First-round pick is the leading candidate to take over for Jarret Johnson.

LILB Ray Lewis: In Lewis' 16 seasons, the Ravens have held teams to less than four yards per rush every year.

RILB Jameel McClain: Free agent re-signed with the Ravens for $10.5 million over three seasons.

ROLB Paul Kruger: Logical replacement for this spot until Terrell Suggs recovers from his Achilles injury.

LCB Lardarius Webb: Best season in NFL led to a six-year, $50 million deal from the Ravens.

SS Bernard Pollard: Fourth-leading tackler in the regular season had 12 stops in the AFC title game.

FS Ed Reed: Three interceptions were his fewest ever in a 16-game season for eight-time Pro Bowl safety.

RCB Jimmy Smith: Last year's first-round pick expected to surpass Cary Williams for the other starting cornerback spot.

Do the Pittsburgh Steelers still have the best defense in the NFL?

That depends on three factors: the health of nose tackle Casey Hampton, the ability to replace inside linebacker James Farrior, and the emergence of a No. 2 cornerback. The most pressing issue is Hampton, who had ACL surgery in January. It's unknown whether the 35-year-old veteran will be lining up against Denver in the season opener, or starting the season on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. His absence could force Ziggy Hood to shift from defensive end, or push rookie fourth-round pick Alameda Ta'amu into the starting lineup.

The Steelers already know they must replace Farrior, who was cut March 2. Some would dismiss this as a challenge, because Farrior was a part-time player last season and contributed a career-low 78 tackles. Still, he was a 10-year starter and the top leader on defense. Many expected the Steelers to draft Dont'a Hightower as his replacement, but they chose guard David DeCastro in the first round instead. Now, Pittsburgh will fill that spot with either Larry Foote, who was previously released so Lawrence Timmons could start, or Stevenson Sylvester, who has 21 career tackles.

The other question is at cornerback, where Pittsburgh must fill William Gay's starting spot. It's up in the air right now, and should come down to a three-player race between Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen and Curtis Brown. Lewis and Allen played on the team's nickel defense last season, but the dark horse to win this battle is Brown, a tenacious defender who led the Steelers in special teams tackles last season. The Steelers' defense ended last season ranked first in fewest yards and points allowed after being criticized early for being too old. So, it's hard to predict much of a falloff as Pittsburgh goes through some transition at a couple of positions.

Did the Cincinnati Bengals address the right spot in the secondary?

The Bengals' major focus this offseason was cornerback. Cincinnati used the 17th overall pick on Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick after signing Adam Jones, Terence Newman and Jason Allen in free agency.

There's no arguing that cornerback was an area of need for the Bengals. No one knows if Leon Hall will be ready to start the season after last year's Achilles injury, and Nate Clements will be 33 by the time the season ends. But Cincinnati went overboard at this position. The Bengals now have six cornerbacks who were originally drafted in the first round. Not everyone is going to make the final cut.

The position in the secondary that the Bengals failed to address early in the draft was safety. After cutting starter Chris Crocker in early April, the team is putting a lot of faith in Taylor Mays, a 2010 draft pick of the San Francisco 49ers who has very little on-field experience in Mike Zimmer's defense.

Last season, Mays played 57 out of a possible 648 defensive snaps while missing seven games because of injuries. The biggest knock on Mays has been his coverage skills. But judging by their moves this offseason, the Bengals were more concerned about their depth at cornerback than Mays' ability to step up as a starter.

What are the Cleveland Browns doing at wide receiver?

The short answer: nothing. That is, unless you believe fourth-round pick Travis Benjamin is the next Steve Smith. The Browns ignored wide receivers in free agency and didn't address the position in the draft until the 100th pick (that was Benjamin).

What Cleveland is left with is perhaps the worst wide receiver group in the NFL with Greg Little, Mohamed Massaquoi, Josh Cribbs, Jordan Norwood and Carlton Mitchell. There are simply no elite playmakers in this group. Some of the wide receivers' ineffectiveness last season can be blamed on Colt McCoy and his lack of arm strength. But the Browns' wide receivers didn't help him out, either. Cleveland had the most drops in the NFL last season (33) and ranked second-to-last in average yards after the catch (4.4), according to ESPN Stats & Information. Little, who led the team in receptions, also averaged one drop for every five passes thrown his way, according to Pro Football Focus.

The Browns wanted to address wide receiver this offseason, but they didn't want to overspend on free agent Pierre Garcon, and all of their coveted draft prospects (Justin Blackmon, Michael Floyd and Kendall Wright) were gone by their second first-round pick. Team president Mike Holmgren insisted the Browns aren't panicking and stressed that the wide receivers will catch the ball better. If not, rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden will have a rough initiation into the NFL.

Are the Baltimore Ravens set on the offensive line?

That remains to be seen. The other teams in the division improved their offensive lines in the draft. The Steelers got the top-rated guard (David DeCastro) in the first round, the Bengals added the best run-blocking guard (Kevin Zeitler) and the Browns grabbed the best right tackle prospect (Mitchell Schwartz). The Ravens bring back four starters from a line that got better as the season progressed, but there's been a significant downgrade at one spot.

At left guard, the Ravens are going from a Pro Bowl player in Ben Grubbs to a lineman who played tackle in college (either Jah Reid or Kelechi Osemele). By looking at Baltimore's moves, it doesn't seem like the Ravens are sold on Reid, a third-round pick in 2011, starting there. After failing to keep Grubbs (who signed with New Orleans in free agency), Baltimore tried to lure free agent Evan Mathis away from the Eagles and then used a second-round pick on Osemele. The Ravens have had only one rookie start a full season on the offensive line in the previous four seasons (Michael Oher in 2009).

There are other issues on the line beyond left guard. The Ravens need left tackle Bryant McKinnie to lose weight and cut his sacks allowed (he led the team with 8.5). They need right tackle Oher to reduce his penalties (four for false starts and five for holding). And they need Matt Birk, 36, to continue his streak of 96 straight games played. While the offseason focus will remain on the contract status of Joe Flacco and Ray Rice, the real storyline on offense entering the 2012 season is the state of Baltimore's line.

It looks like fans are split on whether the Browns' drafting of quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first round was the right move.

In a SportsNation poll, 48 percent disagreed with Cleveland using the 22nd overall pick on Weeden, 35 percent approved and 17 percent voted "not sure." I'm guessing you're waiting to watch a few games before deciding whether Weeden is the next Bernie Kosar or Brady Quinn.

As I've written before, Weeden is an upgrade over Colt McCoy, but it was a reach to take a 28-year-old quarterback at that point in the first round. It would have been better to wait until the second round or trade back a few spots to get Weeden and an additional pick.

Here's what some blog followers had to say about taking Weeden in the first round:

Matt (Columbus, Ohio): A promising draft turns into another joke. A quarterback the Browns could have taken 15 picks later taken ahead of two glaring needs. I can no longer support a losing business or ask my two children to support such incompetence. NFL folks refer to this sport as a business, this one needs to go belly up. I will raise my children as STEELERS fans. They should not be subjected to this idiocy.

Kovacs (Dallas): Don't you think you're being a little critical of the Browns pick of Brandon Weeden? Since when are quarterbacks evaluated on a 10-year career arc? If the guy is good and can win (which the Browns clearly think) Browns fans aren't going to be upset if the guy plays only eight years. Furthermore, he doesn't have the normal wear and tear of a 28-year-old so comparisons to Brady Quinn and Ben Roethlisberger aren't quite apt. In wear-and-tear terms, he has only two years of playing football in the last decade. His body is young even if his birth certificate says otherwise.

Rory (Cleveland): I need to understand the Brandon Weeden pick. I just can't wrap my head around drafting a 29-year-old quarterback when we have so many needs.

Doug (Oklahoma City): Your logic on Weeden is failed. Those of us who understand Brandon Weeden understand that riding on buses for several years in Double-A baseball and two years of FBS doesn't produce much wear and tear. Weeden is more like a 25-year-old. Think Dennis Rodman, Staubach and many others. Whether he will become a star or not is yet to be determined. But if he can produce two years of success, it beats the last 10 years of failure the Browns have experienced.

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

As the Pittsburgh Steelers begin their rookie minicamp today, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac predicts first-round pick David DeCastro will be a Pro Bowl guard by 2013 but has lower expectations for second-round pick Mike Adams, at least for this season anyway.

Some have speculated that Adams will start immediately at left tackle for the Steelers. Dulac is not among them.

"Adams is not ready to be a starter in the NFL because he needs to get stronger," Dulac wrote. "He did only 19 reps in the 225-pound bench press at the combine, a low and disappointing number for an offensive lineman. Adams should be a starting tackle for a long time and, with DeCastro, automatically elevates the talent on the line. But not right now."

Hensley's slant: How the Steelers' offensive line will look this season depends on whether Adams is ready to start or not. If Adams needs another year before starting, Marcus Gilbert is the left tackle and Willie Colon is the one on the right. If Adams can start immediately, Gilbert goes back to the right side and Colon likely pushes guard Ramon Foster out of the lineup.

BENGALS: Secondary coach Mark Carrier reflected on the death of Junior Seau, who was a teammate at USC and was selected one pick ahead of Carrier in the 1990 draft. "He loved to play," Carrier told Cincinnati reporters, via the team's official website. "No matter where you went to play or who you were playing, you wanted him to be with you. You knew he had your back and that he was going to be the best athlete on the field. His love of the game was contagious." Hensley's slant: This isn't the first time that Carrier has had to deal with the suicide of a former teammate. In February 2011, Dave Duerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Carrier said Duerson helped him get acclimated to the NFL as a rookie even though the Bears picked him to replace Duerson.

BROWNS: First-round pick Brandon Weeden believes he can be the starting quarterback this season for Cleveland. "I feel like I'm ready," Weeden told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I have a long way to go, but I feel like I've taken the right steps to get to where I can play at that level. If I'm asked to be the guy Day One, I'm going to do everything on my part to put our team in position to win games and score points. I'm really anxious to get going and the season will be here before you know it." Hensley's slant: The Browns haven't officially given the job to Weeden, but they didn't draft a 28-year-old quarterback in the first round to sit for a season. The only question at quarterback is whether Colt McCoy or Seneca Wallace will be backing up Weeden this year.

RAVENS: Director of player personnel Eric DeCosta said DeCastro and Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower were not among the seven players the team would've traded up for in the first round. He also indicated Adams wasn't high on the Ravens' board either. “Mike Adams specifically was not a player of great interest to the Ravens because of off-field concerns,” DeCosta said on the team's official website. “We always consider moving up based on scout opinions and coaching evaluations. We didn’t see any tackles in this draft other than [USC left tackle Matt] Kalil that we would have considered moving up to take in the first round.” Hensley's slant: The Ravens will get an up-close look at the development of DeCastro and Adams, who are expected to be fixtures on Pittsburgh's offensive line for years. We'll see if Baltimore's opinion on those two players changes over the years. The Ravens won't be doing them any favors by lining up Haloti Ngata and Terrell Suggs across from them.

A look at some interesting numbers dug up by ESPN Stats & Information on Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs, who told ESPN that he partially tore his Achilles tendon running a conditioning drill in Arizona.

1 -- Suggs is the only player over the past two seasons with at least five sacks, five forced fumbles and five passes defensed (in a single season, not in both seasons combined).

3 -- Games he's missed over his nine-year career (141 out of a possible 144).

3.4 -- Yards per rush allowed by the Ravens when Suggs was on the field last season. Baltimore allowed 5.9 yards per rush without Suggs.

5 -- Combined sacks by Suggs over the past two postseasons, most in the NFL.

18 -- Combined tackles for loss the past two seasons, which ranks fifth in the NFL.

20 -- Suggs' total sacks the past two seasons when the Ravens sent four or fewer rushers.

25 -- Suggs' sacks the past two seasons. Only four players have had more.

82.5 -- Suggs' sacks (eighth among active players). Only six players have more sacks since Suggs' rookie season in 2003.

1,139 -- Snaps played by Suggs last season (including playoffs). That means he was on the field for 95 percent of the team's defensive snaps.

The AFC North blog is continuing its series on projecting the starting lineup for each team in the division. Next up is the Pittsburgh Steelers:

OFFENSE

QB Ben Roethlisberger: Only fourth quarterback who began his career in the Super Bowl era to reach 80 wins in 113 starts (Tom Brady, Roger Staubach and Ken Stabler were the others).

RB Isaac Redman: Favorite to replace Rashard Mendenhall, who is expected to start the season on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list.

FB David Johnson: Let's see how much the fullback gets onto the field in Todd Haley's offense.

WR Mike Wallace: Restricted free agent wants a long-term deal after becoming first Steelers wide receiver to start a Pro Bowl since John Stallworth in 1985.

WR Antonio Brown: Last year's team Most Valuable Player became first player in NFL history with at least 1,000 yards receiving and 1,000 return yards in the same season.

TE Heath Miller: His 12.4 yards per catch were a career high for the seven-year veteran.

LT Mike Adams: If he isn't the starter here as a rookie, the second-round pick should be at this spot by next season.

LG Willie Colon: The Steelers thought about moving Colon from tackle to guard last season. The addition of Adams makes it more viable this year.

C Maurkice Pouncey: Ankle injuries have hurt the Pro Bowl lineman in his first two NFL seasons.

RG David DeCastro: The first-round pick could flip to left guard but he played primarily on the right side at Stanford.

RT Marcus Gilbert: He continued to get better and better every week as a rookie last season.

DEFENSE

LDE Ziggy Hood: Now that Aaron Smith is gone, Hood is ready for a full season of starting.

NT Casey Hampton: Could start on PUP, which would push Hood to nose tackle and Cameron Heyward into the starting lineup.

RDE Brett Keisel: He's more than just a beard. His 37 quarterback pressures led the Steelers last season.

LOLB LaMarr Woodley: Had nine sacks in his first eight games before hamstring injury slowed him down.

LILB Larry Foote: Will compete with Stevenson Sylvester for James Farrior's spot.

RILB Lawrence Timmons: Last season showed he is more comfortable playing inside linebacker than outside.

ROLB James Harrison: Has produced at least 8.5 sacks in five straight seasons.

LCB Ike Taylor: Topped the Steelers with 20 passes defensed, which was seven more than anyone else on the team.

SS Troy Polamalu: Second among safeties in interceptions (19) since 2008.

FS Ryan Clark: Led the Steelers with 100 tackles, nine more than Lawrence Timmons.

RCB Keenan Lewis or Cortez Allen: The starting spot left by William Gay, who signed with Arizona in free agency, is up in the air at this point.

As part of the new collective bargaining agreement, teams soon will be allowed to take their players to the field for non-contract drills and practices.

According to the release by the league, clubs are permitted to hold a rookie minicamp on one of the first two weekends after the NFL draft, and conduct one mandatory minicamp for veteran players. Clubs with new head coaches, however, are permitted to conduct one additional voluntary minicamp for veteran players. There is no restriction on the number of minicamps a club may hold for rookie players.

Here's the schedule for the AFC North teams:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

• OTAs: May 22-24, May 29-31, June 4-7
• Minicamps: May 11-13 (rookies), June 12-14 (full team)

CLEVELAND BROWNS

• OTAs: May 22-24, May 30-June 1, June 12-15
• Minicamps: May 11-13 (rookies), June 5-7 (full team)

BALTIMORE RAVENS

• OTAs: May 22-24, May 29-31, June 4-7
• Minicamps: May 11-13 (rookies), June 12-14 (full team)

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

• OTAs: May 22-24, May 29-31, June 4-7
• Minicamps: May 4-6 (rookies), June 12-14 (full team)

New Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees hasn't even gotten his players on the field for one offseason workout and already faces a big issue: How do you adjust to the loss of Terrell Suggs?

Suggs said he partially tore his Achilles tendon in a conditioning drill and likely will miss half the season, which will force decisions about the Ravens' scheme this season.

Last year, Baltimore had one of the most aggressive defenses in the NFL. The Ravens ranked ninth in blitzing 36.4 percent of the time, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The question now is whether they need to blitz even more.

Suggs was the team's best pass-rusher when the Ravens didn't blitz (which means sending four or fewer players after the quarterback). He recorded 12 of his 14 sacks last season in that defensive formation, which was tied for fourth in the NFL. In fact, Suggs contributed 20 of Baltimore's 47 sacks when the Ravens sent four or fewer pass-rushers during the past two seasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Suggs' 20 sacks ranks sixth in the league and would tie him with the entire New Orleans Saints defense.

What these numbers say is Suggs generated his own pass rush. The Ravens didn't have to blitz, putting more pressure on their secondary, for Suggs to hit the quarterback. Now, without Suggs, Baltimore should think about sending five defenders more. Instead of being No. 9 in blitzes like last season, the Ravens might have to rank in the top five to produce the same amount of pressure.

In 2010, the Ravens recorded a franchise-low 27 sacks under defensive coordinator Greg Mattison, who had a more conservative style. Part of the reason the Ravens didn't blitz more that year was the lack of confidence in their cornerbacks holding up in single coverage.

Last season, Baltimore was tied for third in the NFL with 48 sacks under coordinator Chuck Pagano, who took more risks than Mattison. The Ravens also had more of a comfort zone with cornerbacks Lardarius Webb (who was another year removed from ACL surgery), Cary Williams (who was more physical than Domonique Foxworth and Chris Carr) and rookie first-round pick Jimmy Smith.

Now, Pees has to figure out how the Ravens come close to that number of sacks without Suggs. If Suggs misses the first half of the 2012 season -- which is his current timetable -- the Ravens would face these quarterbacks without him (in order of schedule): Andy Dalton, Michael Vick, Tom Brady, Tony Romo and Matt Schaub.

If Terrell Suggs has his way, the Ravens won't be without the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year for the entire season.

Suggs told ESPN's Rachel Nichols that he only partially tore his Achilles tendon and plans to play by midseason. "That's just going to make it so much sweeter when I run out of that tunnel and prove everyone wrong," Suggs said after hearing reports he was done for the year.

Suggs said he injured himself while practicing the Ravens' conditioning test, which every player needs to pass in order to suit up for training camp. While working out at his old high school in Chandler, Ariz., he felt something turn when he stopped. Suggs told Nichols that he is having surgery next week.

Durability and fighting through injuries have been a strength of Suggs. He's only missed three games in his nine-year NFL career but he acknowledged this injury is different.

"I've never had a real bad injury before. Sometimes you have to go through something like this to make you better," Suggs told ESPN.

If Suggs can return by early November, he will still be able to play four AFC North contests including both games against the Steelers. Suggs has sacked Ben Roethlisberger 15.5 times (including playoffs), the most any NFL defender has dropped the Steelers quarterback.

Here's Suggs' regular-season sack numbers against division teams (according to Pro Football Reference):

BENGALS: 7.5 sacks in 11 games

BROWNS: 13 sacks in 16 games

STEELERS: 13.5 sacks in 14 games