Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker
Here are the top stories Monday in the AFC North:
- Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun reports Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Le'Ron McClain "looks about 20 pounds over his playing weight." That would put McClain at approximately 280 pounds.
Morning take: When recently attending Baltimore's mandatory minicamp, I cannot say I noticed anything different with McClain. But I also wasn't paying much attention to weight issues, so this is an interesting note.
- Allen Wilson of the Buffalo News says Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is driven to stay atop the AFC North.
Morning take: Last year proved that great AFC North teams are built to thrive in the playoffs. Home-field advantage also is important, so winning the division is key.
- Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com writes Georgetown (Ky.) College is making early preparations for HBO's "Hard Knocks" series.
Morning take: Georgetown is not a very big or exciting city. But the quaint atmosphere could create an interesting backdrop for the show this summer.
- Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer likes the attention to detail from new Browns coach Eric Mangini.
Morning take: The Browns should be a smarter, more efficient football team in 2009. This means opponents will have to beat Cleveland on a weekly basis, instead of the Browns often beating themselves.
Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted
ABOUT THIS BLOG
James Walker
Walker joined ESPN.com in 2008 after three seasons covering the Cleveland Browns for the Columbus Dispatch. He also covered the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Cavaliers at the Dispatch. Walker grew up in Hyattsville, Md., before attending Temple University, graduating in 2001 with a B.A. in communications and mass media. He resides in the Cleveland area.