ESPN NFL

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

Browns president Mike Holmgren insisted first-round quarterback Brandon Weeden has to beat out Colt McCoy to be Cleveland's starting quarterback.

"We drafted a young quarterback that we think can come in and play right away, but we're not just going to hand him the football," Holmgren told 92.3 The Fan on Tuesday, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I still love Colt McCoy [but] we had a chance to get a mature quarterback who has a chance to come in and contribute right away. Whether that happens or not we have to let it play out."

Holmgren added, "We have to let them compete. We have to let them play and see what happens. The fact that we drafted him so high means that we like him, but we also like Colt McCoy and we like Seneca [Wallace] as well."

Hensley's slant: Not buying this at all. When you draft a 28-year-old quarterback with the 22nd overall pick, the expectation is that he will be the starting quarterback. It's not his job to win. It's his job to lose.

BENGALS: Guard Jacob Bell explained why he chose to retire only 32 days after signing with the Bengals. “In the NFL we’re modern-day gladiators and we sell our soul to the game of football for a price, but what is that price?" Bell told the Cincinnati Enquirer in phone interview. "Everyone has a price and for me I wanted to make sure that I don’t have any regrets about my future in regards to what I’ve done in the NFL. At this point I can walk away with no regrets and left on my own terms where the NFL didn’t force me out and I made that decision on my own. There were a lot of factors and discussions with my family and myself and I think it was the right decision to be made.” Hensley's slant: There was a chance that Bell would have been forced out by the end of the preseason. Bell's play declined last season and he wasn't a lock to make the roster. The Bengals are going to start Travelle Wharton and Kevin Zeitler at guard, which meant Bell would have to compete against Otis Hudson and Clint Boling for the final two spots.

RAVENS: It was a busy night for the Ravens on Tuesday. Check out the blogs on the successful surgery for Terrell Suggs, the three-year extension for safety Bernard Pollard and the free-agent signing of wide receiver-returner Jacoby Jones.

STEELERS: There could be another starting job that's up in the air for the Steelers. In an online chat, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette said left defensive end is not settled at this point. " I believe [Cameron Heyward] will give Ziggy Hood a run for his money," Bouchette wrote. Hensley's slant: I still think Hood has the edge because of his experience. He's started 23 games the past two seasons. But Heyward showed he deserved more playing time in his dozen or so snaps per game last season. Either way, it's a luxury to have two first-round picks fighting for a spot.

The Ravens provided little information on linebacker Terrell Suggs other than to say the NFL Defensive Player of the Year had successful surgery on his Achilles' tendon and is expected to make a full recovery.

Baltimore left out two important pieces of information in its announcement: the severity of the injury and the timetable for his return.

Suggs told ESPN last week he partially tore his Achilles tendon during a conditioning drill in Arizona but believes he can return by the middle of the 2012 season. The team, however, has yet to comment on the specifics of the injury.

If it's a partial tear, Suggs could return this season. If it's complete tear, he likely would be out for the season.

“After some recovery time, ‘Sizzle’ will begin the process of rehabbing the area," Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. "We know he will work hard to get back on the field with his teammates as soon as the doctors and trainers allow. We’re confident that he can make a full recovery.”

Suggs is known for his durability and has only missed three games in his nine-year career. He recorded 19 sacks in his past 18 games (including playoffs). His impact went beyond hitting the quarterback. Suggs is the team's all-time leader in forced fumbles with 29, which is 10 more than anyone else in the history of the Ravens.

Pardon the pun, the Baltimore Ravens and Bernard Pollard were a hit from the start.

Baltimore's defense wants physical players, and Pollard thrives on physical play. That's why no one was surprised when the Ravens announced a three-year extension with the 27-year-old Pollard, who was entering the final year of his contract. His new deal goes through the 2015 season.

Signed during training camp last year, Pollard didn't need too much time to take the starting job from Tom Zbikowski. He finished fourth on the team in tackles (75) and recorded two sacks, one interception, three forced fumbles and a career-high 13 passes defended. Pollard made 12 stops in the AFC championship game.

"Bernard showed last year that he is a Raven,” Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said in a statement. “He's smart, tough and brings a passion to the games, our practices and in the weight room. His physical presence on the back end is very important to the way we play defense."

Reaching an extension only solves half of the Ravens' predicament at safety. Ed Reed is entering the final year of his deal, and the Pro Bowl safety said he's been unable to get a new deal from the team.

Jacoby Jones' fumbled punt in last season's playoffs set up a touchdown for the Baltimore Ravens in their 20-13 win over the Houston Texans. Now, Jones is going to try to help Baltimore this time as a member of the Ravens.

Jones, 27, reached a two-year, $7 million deal with the Ravens on Tuesday, according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

While Jones failed to reach his potential in Houston, he is a great fit for the Ravens. He becomes the No. 3 target on an unproductive wide receiver group and takes over as the primary punt returner.

The Ravens have been looking at wide receivers who can also be the team's primary returner, but they didn't sign Ted Ginn Jr. or Eddie Royal in free agency. Baltimore has been wanting to take the punt return duties away from Lardarius Webb, who recently signed a six-year, $50 million deal. Jones ranked 14th in the NFL in punt returns last season with a 10.6-yard average, which was two spots higher than Webb.

A third-round pick in 2007, Jones never developed into a consistent receiver and only caught 31 passes last season when Andre Johnson was sidelined for a large part of the season with injuries. Jones was scheduled to make $3 million this season before the Texans cut him on May 1.

Jones frustrated the Texans because he showed flashes and then made costly mistakes. The Ravens are right to take the risk considering the state of their wide receiver group. Baltimore only had two wide receivers (Anquan Boldin and Torrey Smith) who caught more than four passes last season. Jones underachieved with the Texans by averaging 36 catches over the past three seasons, but the Ravens would gladly take that production from a backup receiver.

The Ravens have needed a No. 3 wide receiver since cutting Lee Evans, who failed to hold onto the winning touchdown catch in the AFC Championship Game. They can only hope Jones can hold onto the ball better, especially after what Baltimore saw first-hand from him in the playoffs.

Jacob Bell has retired, according to Yahoo! Sports.

For many of you, I'm sure your first response is: Who?

Bell, who turned 31 in March, was a backup guard for the Cincinnati Bengals. Well, sort of. Bell signed a one-year, $890,000 deal (included $65,000 signing bonus) with the Bengals as a free agent on April 6. So, he was on the team for 32 days. I'm not sure that really qualifies you for being an ex-Bengal.

Some suggested that Bell decided to retire after the Bengals drafted Kevin Zeitler in the first round. But Bell had to know the Bengals were going to draft a guard early when he joined the team. I even called him "a safety net" when he signed with the Bengals.

Bell, though, was a starter for 100 of his 109 career NFL games with the Titans and Rams and possibly wasn't happy with becoming a backup. It's still stunning to think of someone turning down $890,000 because they couldn't handle a demotion.

Here are some moves involving division teams on Tuesday:

BENGALS: The team acquired two players off waivers, G Chris Riley (Tampa Bay) and DT Vaughn Meatoga (Washington). Riley signed with the Bengals as an undrafted rookie last season before spending last season on the Buccaneers' practice squad. Meatoga was released Monday by the Redskins after joining them as an undrafted rookie from Hawaii this year.

RAVENS: The team signed its first draft pick, CB Asa Jackson, according to the Carroll County (Md.) Times. Jackson is a fifth-round pick from Cal Poly who returned three of his eight career interceptions for touchdowns. He is also a returner.

STEELERS: Pittsburgh agreed on a three-year deal with WR Toney Clemons, a seventh-round draft pick. He led Colorado in receiving yards (680) and was second in receptions (44) last season. Clemons is the third Steelers draft pick to sign, joining NT Alameda Ta'amu and RB Chris Rainey.

As I discuss in the Blogger Blitz video above, the biggest hole in the Cincinnati Bengals' starting lineup is the No. 2 wide receiver position.

With Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell gone, Cincinnati returns the fewest amount of catches (96), receiving yards (1,361) and touchdowns (seven) by a wide receiver group in the AFC North. Besides Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green, the only other receiver currently on the roster who caught more than four passes last year was Andrew Hawkins.

The other candidates for the job include: Jordan Shipley, whose season ended after two games because of a knee injury; Brandon Tate, who is in his first full offseason with the Bengals; and two draft picks, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones.

This appears to be an open competition, and the Bengals could rely on a receiver by committee this season at the No. 2 spot.

Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice still hasn't signed his franchise tag and apparently doesn't plan to do so for a while. He is not alone.

Of the 21 players who received the franchise tag, 12 remain unsigned. Raiders safety Tyvon Branch signed his franchise tender Monday, becoming only the sixth player to do so. Three players (Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, Colts defensive end Robert Mathis and Giants punter Steve Weatherford) did what all franchise players hope to do -- reach long-term deals with their teams.

Franchise players have until July 16 to sign new deals with their teams or they'll play the season under their tag. Here's the updates on the 21 players who received the franchise tag:

QB Drew Brees, Saints: Remains unsigned. Reportedly no progress in talks for long-term deal.

RB Matt Forte, Bears: Remains unsigned. Skipped first voluntary workouts.

RB Ray Rice, Ravens: Remains unsigned. Missed start of voluntary workouts.

WR DeSean Jackson, Eagles: Signed five-year, $47 million contract that includes $15 million guaranteed.

WR Wes Welker, Patriots: Remains unsigned. Welker said he's "probably not going to" attend mandatory minicamp in June.

WR Dwayne Bowe, Chiefs: Remains unsigned. Chiefs reportedly have no intentions of trading him.

TE Fred Davis, Redskins: Signed his franchise tender of $5.446 million on March 16.

DL Cliff Avril, Lions: Remains unsigned. Sides reportedly are at an impasse in contract talks.

DE Calais Campbell, Cardinals: Remains unsigned. Missed start of voluntary workouts.

DE-LB Robert Mathis, Colts: Signed four-year, $36 million contract that includes $15 million signing bonus.

LB Anthony Spencer, Cowboys: Signed his franchise tender of $8.856 million last month.

CB Brent Grimes, Falcons: Signed his franchise tender of $10.281 million last month after reports surfaced that the Falcons were interested in trading for Asante Samuel.

S Tyvon Branch, Raiders: Signed his franchise tender of $6.212 million on Monday.

S Dashon Goldson, 49ers: Remains unsigned.

S Michael Griffin, Titans: Remains unsigned. Plans to sign injury waiver and attend offseason workouts.

K Connor Barth, Buccaneers: Remains unsigned. Didn't attend start of voluntary workouts.

K Phil Dawson, Browns: Signed franchise tender of $3.81 million on March 13.

K Mike Nugent, Bengals: Signed his franchise tender of $2.654 million last month.

K Matt Prater, Broncos: Remains unsigned.

K Josh Scobee, Jaguars: Remains unsigned. Talks have reportedly stalled between the two sides.

P Steve Weatherford, Giants: Signed a five-year, $12.75 million contract.

Each day, we'll look at the draft for one team in the AFC North and ask you to put a grade on it. Either post a comment below or send me one to the AFC North mailbag. At the end of the week, I will post a fans' report card that includes all the division teams, along with selected commentary.

Next up is the Cleveland Browns. Here's what they did in the 2012 draft:

First round: Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama. The Browns traded three picks to move up for Richardson, who scored 24 touchdowns in 2011. The Browns scored 20 on offense last season.

First round: Brandon Weeden, QB, Oklahoma State. Cleveland didn't want to risk losing him, so it drafted the 28-year-old quarterback late in the first round instead of early in the second.

Second round: Mitchell Schwartz, OT, Cal. He was considered the best right tackle prospect in the draft.

Third round: John Hughes, NT, Cincinnati. He gives the Browns depth behind starters Ahtyba Rubin and Phil Taylor.

Fourth round: Travis Benjamin, WR, Miami. Small but quick, Benjamin can play slot receiver and contribute on returns.

Fourth round: James-Michael Johnson, LB, Nevada. He's a versatile linebacker (can play inside or outside) who will make an impact on special teams.

It's not a newsflash that the Pittsburgh Steelers wanted David DeCastro. Pittsburgh selected the Stanford guard with the 24th overall pick, taking him over Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower.

But how much the Steelers coveted DeCastro will probably surprise you. According to NFL Network, the Steelers had a draft-day trade in place with the New York Jets to move up to No. 16, one spot ahead of the Bengals, and take DeCastro.

The Jets were reportedly willing to fall back to the Steelers' spot at No. 24 to get pass-rushing defensive linemen Bruce Irvin or Quinton Coples. Once the Seahawks surprisingly chose Irvin at No. 15, the Jets backed out of the trade with the Steelers and drafted Coples, NFL Network reported.

On April 26, the night of the first round, Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert was asked if the team had attempted to trade up for DeCastro after selecting him. "I’ll leave that to the imagination," Colbert said last month. "I’ll just say again, we identified several guys that we thought we would entertain trading up to get, and this kid was one of them."

You could tell the Steelers were excited to get DeCastro that night because they used the word "excited" three times in Colbert and Mike Tomlin's opening statement about DeCastro. In the end, the Steelers still got the top-rated guard in the draft by staying put and not losing draft picks.

It's not known what the Steelers were willing to give up, but they might have had to trade their picks in the third and fourth rounds to move up for DeCastro, according to the draft trade chart. Pittsburgh selected linebacker Sean Spence in the third round and moved up in the fourth for nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu. The Steelers' entire draft would have looked completely different and wouldn't have been as strong.

The reason behind the trade was getting in front of the Bengals, who had been heavily linked to DeCastro leading up to the draft. But Cincinnati was more interested in Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler than DeCastro. The Bengals passed on DeCastro at No. 17 (when they chose Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick) and No. 21 (when they traded back to No. 27). According to the Bengals' official website, the team got an extra third-round pick to fall back six spots to get Zeitler, who would've been their choice if they remained at No. 21.

The Baltimore Ravens will only lose newly signed nose tackle Ryan McBean for three games, according to the Denver Post.

McBean had his original six-game suspension cut in half in exchange for dropping his lawsuit against the NFL, two sources told the Post. He was disciplined by the league for violating the league's performance enhancement policy, and he filed a lawsuit that accused the league of mishandling the test.

McBean's suspension will begin at the end of the Ravens' preseason and last through Sept. 23. A backup to Terrence Cody, McBean will miss games against the Bengals, Eagles and Patriots.

He started 21 games for the Broncos the past three seasons, but he had his restricted free agent tender rescinded last month after Denver signed Justin Bannan.

The six-year veteran was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the fourth round of the 2007 draft.

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

The Bengals' Carlos Dunlap is looking to unseat Robert Geathers, Cincinnati's starting left defensive end for the past six seasons.

Dunlap, the Bengals' top pass-rusher, has recorded 14 sacks in two seasons. He participated in 43 percent of the team's defensive snaps last season because of a hamstring injury and wants to boost his participation to 60 percent this year.

"I'm looking to start," Dunlap told the team's official website. "I know Uncle Geathers isn't going to give it away. That's why I have to earn it in training camp."

Hensley's slant: You get the feeling that Dunlap is only scratching the surface of his potential so far. The Bengals should get Dunlap on the field more as long as it doesn't diminish his effectiveness as a pass-rusher. He had 13 quarterback hits and 29 quarterback pressures last season to finish as a top-five defensive end in the Pro Football Focus ratings.

BROWNS: Travis Benjamin, the only receiver drafted by the Browns this year, provides a different look at that position for Cleveland because he is smaller and quicker. The challenge for the 175-pound Benjamin is to get stronger, according to George McDonald, who served as the Browns’ wide receivers coach in 2009-10 before coaching Benjamin at the University of Miami. “[He needs to] get in the weight room just to develop that strength to take some of the hits that he’ll take there,” McDonald told the Akron Beacon Journal. “I think the biggest [adjustment] that most college receivers have to deal with when they come to the NFL is just to continue to work on their route-running skills and creating separation at the top of their breaks, because everything happens a little bit faster there.” Hensley's slant: Benjamin has a good chance to contribute immediately as the Browns' slot receiver as well as help out Josh Cribbs on returns. There's no question that he can stretch the field. You just have to wonder how his small frame will hold up when he takes some hits.

RAVENS: Cornerback Cary Williams told the team's official website that he's 80 percent recovered from offseason hip surgery. He expects to be fully recovered in time for the team's minicamp, which starts June 11. "That's already set in stone," Williams said. "I'm eager to get out there and run with the guys. My body is saying, 'Yeah, it's that time.' But I just can't. I'm just trying to stay within the limits and take it slow." Hensley's slant: Williams, who started all 16 games last season, knows he can't afford to miss too much time this offseason. Jimmy Smith, the team's first-round pick from a year ago, is expected to move into a starting role this season. Williams has to be on the field to compete if he wants to remain starting opposite Lardarius Webb.

STEELERS: The Steelers aren't voicing any concern over weight issues for rookie nose tackle Alameda Ta'amu, the team's fourth-round pick. Ta'amu weighed in at this past weekend's rookie minicamp at 346 pounds and has been as low as 320 pounds. “Here, with the nutrition plan we have in place and with working every day, that’s not going to be a problem,” defensive line coach John Mitchell told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “It doesn’t bother me.” Hensley's slant: Ta'amu probably wants to lose about 10 pounds to get down to his playing weight at Washington. One of his strengths is a burst off the snap. Extra weight could slow him down in that regard.

Pro Bowl safety Ed Reed believes quarterbacks will think differently when they play the Ravens' defense without linebacker Terrell Suggs, who partially tore his Achilles tendon last week.

Reed talked about how Suggs didn't have to make plays to affect games. Just the threat of him coming off the edge changed how quarterbacks played.

"We know what Terrell Suggs brings to the table, the fear that he puts in quarterbacks’ heads," Reed told a local Baltimore radio station, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "So he’s definitely going to be missed."

Suggs, the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, recorded 19 sacks in his past 18 games (including playoffs). His impact went beyond hitting the quarterback. Suggs is the team's all-time leader in forced fumbles with 29, which is 10 more than anyone else in the history of the Ravens.

The loss of Suggs for an extended time not only affects the pass rush but the entire defense as well. Reed said not having Suggs puts more pressure on the secondary.

"[Quarterbacks] might try to hold it now longer cause they know Terrell is not there, but like I said Paul Kruger and those guys are going to step up and make plays," Reed said. "We are going to miss Terrell ... but we are going to have to cover a little bit longer. We are going to get together as defensive backs and talk about some things now that we know the situation with Terrell going down. You know you gotta get things situated going forward.”

Scouts Inc.'s Gary Horton rated the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive line as one of the three most improved units in the AFC after the draft and free agency.

The obvious reasons are the additions of the Steelers' top two draft picks, guard David DeCastro and offensive tackle Mike Adams. But there's another reason Pittsburgh should be better up front -- the health of Maurkice Pouncey.

The Pro Bowl center said he is 100 percent following offseason surgery to remove bone spurs that made his left ankle unstable, according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. The ankle has been a nagging problem for Pouncey since he injured it in the AFC Championship Game against the New York Jets two seasons ago. It's forced him to miss the Steelers' past two postseason games.

Pouncey missed the Super Bowl against Green Bay because of the ankle injury, and he aggravated it in practice four days before last season's playoff game at Denver. He had ankle surgery in mid-January and had the cast removed in late February.

During the rookie minicamp, Adams also told reporters that he would play exclusively at left tackle. If the Steelers plan on starting him, it would mean Marcus Gilbert would stay at right tackle.

Browns linebacker Scott Fujita denied involvement in the Saints' bounty scandal and wants to see the evidence that the NFL is basing his three-game suspension upon. The league disciplined Fujita for his participation in the Saints' bounty system when he played for New Orleans.

Here's Fujita's first public comments about the suspension in an e-mail sent to the Associated Press on Monday:

"I disagree wholeheartedly with the discipline imposed. I've yet to hear the specifics of any allegation against me, nor have I seen any evidence that supports what the NFL alleges. I look forward to the opportunity to confront what evidence they claim to have in the appropriate forum. I have never contributed money to any so-called 'bounty' pool, and any statements to the contrary are false. To say I'm disappointed with the League would be a huge understatement."

This is consistent with Fujita's stance that he paid teammates for making big plays like sacks and interceptions, but not for trying to intentionally injure opponents. In announcing the suspensions last week, the NFL said in a statement that Fujita pledged a significant amount of money to the prohibited bounty pool during the 2009 NFL playoffs that rewarded for "cart-offs" and "knockouts" plays which resulted in injuries to players.

Fujita received the shortest suspension among the four players disciplined and should feel lucky that the NFL Players Association is fighting for him.