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When Steelers offensive tackle Mike Adams signed his contract Wednesday, the second-round pick received a $1.01 million signing bonus.

There had been speculation that Adams would defer a signing bonus to show he could remain drug-free. Adams reportedly tested positive for marijuana at the NFL combine in February.

The reason why the Steelers put Adams back on their draft board wasn't an offer to defer a bonus. The team considered him again after he showed how much he wanted to wear the Black and Gold.

By now, everyone knows the story of how Adams requested a face-to-face, pre-draft meeting with general manager Kevin Colbert, Art Rooney II and coach Mike Tomlin to explain himself. He then had to meet certain stipulations which included counseling.

Adams grew up in Farrell, Pa., about 70 miles north of Heinz Field. How much of a Steelers fan was Adams growing up? According to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he had Steelers sheets on his bed and a Jerome Bettis clock on the wall of his bedroom.

It's now up to Adams to make sure there is a happy ending to his childhood dreams coming true. He has a chance to become the team's starting left tackle this season, but that's not his priority at this point.

“I think step one is proving myself off the field because that’s where my issues have been,” Adams told the Tribune-Review at rookie minicamp. “I haven’t had any issues on the field. To prove myself to the people in this organization, the people in this city, that’s what I’m here for.”

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

Free-agent outside linebacker Manny Lawson officially reached an agreement to return to the Bengals, owner Mike Brown confirmed to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

No details of the agreement were reported. Lawson, 27, started telling teammates Tuesday night that he was coming back to Cincinnati.

In his first season with the Bengals, he finished fifth in tackles with 78. A first-round draft pick by the 49ers in 2006, Lawson signed with the Bengals in 2011 less than a week into training camp and started 15 games for them.

“We’re glad to have him back and keep going along,” head coach Marvin Lewis said.

Hensley's slant: This is a solid signing for the Bengals because Lawson exceeded expectations last season. He missed just two tackles against the run and did not have a penalty called against him all season, according to Pro Football Focus. What also stands out is his play against the top two teams in the division. Lawson averaged 9.5 tackles in games against the Ravens and Steelers.

BROWNS: Rams coach Jeff Fisher considers the Browns "a potential trade partner" in the first round of the draft even after St. Louis turned down Cleveland's offer to move up to the No. 2 pick and selected quarterback Robert Griffin III. The Rams, who are now at No. 6, are interested in moving up to presumably take Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. "Again, I don't see anything happening until draft day," Fisher said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Hensley's slant: The Browns, who own an NFL-best 13 draft picks already, could acquire more by moving back two spots. The risk, however, is missing out on two offensive playmakers. If the Rams take Blackmon at No. 4, the Buccaneers are expected to select Alabama running back Trent Richardson at No. 5.

RAVENS: How long will the Ravens' AFC championship loss to New England sting? "It will be there forever," owner Steve Bisciotti told the team's official website. When asked what the Ravens need to do to reach the Super Bowl, Bisciotti suggested praying before adding, "We didn’t have a glaring weakness last year. We should have been in the Super Bowl. We believe we would have beaten the Giants, of course." Hensley's slant: Bisciotti knows how tough it is to win a Super Bowl because he followed Art Modell as the team's majority owner. Modell had to deal with "The Drive" and "The Fumble" while he was in Cleveland. Bisciotti has to live with whatever you want to call the crucial mistakes made by Lee Evans and Billy Cundiff.

STEELERS: The Steelers' overtime proposal -- making playoff rules apply to all games -- passed at the NFL owners meetings. But their attempt to make the horse-collar tackle illegal on a quarterback in the pocket was rejected. The Steelers were the only team to vote against a new rule that allows every turnover to be reviewed by replay, the way scoring plays were added last year. "As far as we're concerned, that's why you have the coaches' challenges," team president Art Rooney II said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Now you're going to have coaches challenging [a spot] -- a gain of 5 yards instead of 4 yards, stuff like that." Hensley's slant: While I'm in favor of using technology to make sure the correct calls are being made, I'm strongly against slowing down the game. Not only will there be more stoppage of play to review turnovers but coaches can use their challenges more liberally (as Rooney explained). This is the unfortunate price of accuracy.

Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin insisted Tuesday he made the call to replace offensive coordinator Bruce Arians with Todd Haley and wasn't told to do so by team president Art Rooney II.

"I don't know where some of these perceptions come from," Tomlin told reporters at the NFL owners meetings in Palm Beach, Fla.

Where did these perceptions come from? Maybe we should ask where to begin.

There are so many questions that remain unanswered by Tomlin, who spoke to reporters for the first time since Jan. 9. Why did he say that he anticipated Arians would return only to ask him to leave 11 days later? Why did Tomlin announce Arians was retiring? If Tomlin was the one who made the call to fire Arians, why was Rooney the one who actually made the phone call?

Tomlin, though, was asked if Rooney had any influence in Arians leaving.

"He didn't," Tomlin said. "I don't know where some of these perceptions come from. I don't break my neck to try to combat them in any way. I don't know where they come from."

Tomlin added, "And I hired Todd Haley as well, which is your next question, which is another funny one to me. And don't get me wrong, of course, Art Rooney owns the football team, he can do what he wants to do, but those directives did not happen."

Here's the timeline of what happened, and just like the old segment on "Monday Night Football" ... You Make the Call:

• On Jan. 9, a day after the Steelers' playoff loss at Denver, Tomlin said he anticipated both of his coordinators would return, although he added, "we all understand what the end of the season is about and movement is a part of it in today's NFL for both players and coaches."
• On Jan. 17, Rooney indicated that some members of the coaching staff were considering retirement.
• On Jan. 20, Tomlin announced in a statement that "Bruce Arians has informed me that he will retire from coaching."
• On Jan. 23, Arians told the York Daily Record that Rooney informed him that his contract wasn't being renewed.
• On Jan. 28, eight days after his "retirement announcement" by the Steelers, Arians joined the Indianapolis Colts as their offensive coordinator.

The following should not come as a surprise: The Steelers still want to keep wide receiver Mike Wallace long-term.

Team president Art Rooney II reaffirmed his desire to sign the NFL's top restricted free agent to a multi-year contract to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Friday. Well, Rooney needs to get in an increasing long line that wants Wallace to stay in Black and Gold.

General manager Kevin Colbert said last month that he wants Wallace to finish his career in Pittsburgh. Wide receiver Hines Ward urged Wallace to stay with the Steelers during his retirement press conference. And quarterback Ben Roethlisberger begged over the radio for Wallace to stay with the Steelers.

It seems like it's not a matter of if it will get done but when it will get done.

"The sooner the better as far as we're concerned but there's two parties to it," Rooney told the Tribune-Review. "We'll have to see what we agree on so I don't want to put any particular time frame on it or restrictions on it because these things take time and I wouldn't want to box myself in on it."

The biggest obstacle to a deal getting done is Wallace's contract demands -- which have reportedly scared interested teams away from him in free agency -- and the Steelers' salary-cap space. Pittsburgh is reportedly $6 million to $8 million under the cap. Next on the list to get restructured are linebacker James Harrison and safety Troy Polamalu.

"It's something you have to adjust as time goes on but I think we feel like we are where we need to be at this point," Rooney said of the Steelers' salary cap situation. "Probably more decisions are going to have to be made this offseason and some contract decisions are going to have to be made. There's certainly more to come in terms of putting all of the pieces together on this team. I think we're comfortable where we are and looking forward to the draft."

There were differing opinions in the AFC North over the unprecedented punishment given to the New Orleans Saints for their bounty system.

Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, who is also the team's player representative, told the team's official website that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's ruling was "too harsh."

Whitworth seemed to take exception to the year-long suspension without pay for Saints coach Sean Payton. As a matter of full disclosure, Whitworth, a Louisiana native, has become good friends with Payton, who is the main speaker for Whitworth's charity foundation dinner March 30.

"I would imagine there should be some kind of sanctions, but this is ridiculous," Whitworth said. "To give a guy the same suspension that you give a guy that went to jail for a felony doesn't make sense. A guy who gets suspended for steroids can come back in four or eight games and make money and we applaud that.

"They weren't gambling. They weren't drinking or driving. If you want to make an example of someone, make an example of someone who commits a crime."

Unlike Whitworth, Steelers president Art Rooney II supported the actions of Goodell.

"I think the commissioner is sending a very loud and clear message here," Rooney told the team's official website. "Hopefully, the effect is going to be that we will get these kinds of things out of the game. We don't need this in our game."

The NFL is still reviewing player involvement in the bounty program, and Browns linebacker Scott Fujita could be subject to punishment.

Fujita, who is a member of the union's executive board, acknowledged earlier this month that he made contributions to the pay-for-performance pool when he was in New Orleans. He said he handed reward money to Saints teammates for big plays but not for intentionally injuring players.

According to Sports Illustrated's Peter King, disciplining players could be "extremely sticky for the league" because the NFL Players Association would defend Fujita and other players accused by the NFL.

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

Steelers president Art Rooney II shot down speculation that he hired offensive coordinator Todd Haley, saying it was head coach Mike Tomlin's decision.

"I think the bottom line is, Mike was comfortable that's who he wanted to come in," Rooney told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "It may be fair to say that when he started the discussions and Todd's name was on his original list, I don't think he expected that Todd was the guy he was going to wind up hiring. But as he had more conversations with him, he became more comfortable that he was the right guy for the job."

According to Rooney, Tomlin had all of the initial talks with the offensive coordinator candidates on the phone before bringing in Haley and Jim Caldwell for interviews. Rooney said he spoke with Haley and Caldwell, describing it more as conversations than actual interviews.

"I wouldn't want my role in it to be overestimated because Mike has to decide who he wants on the staff," Rooney told the paper. "Even though there's always a discussion between me and Mike about who he's hiring and how much we're paying him and those kinds of things, it's normally a discussion of the business side of the arrangement than, 'Are we going to hire a guy who's going to run the ball so many times a game.' It was a fairly normal process as far as I'm concerned in terms of how we've done those kinds of hirings in the past."

Hensley's slant: No one is going to compare Rooney to Jerry Jones anytime soon. But I still have a question on who actually decided to part ways with former offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. The Steelers have never disputed a Post-Gazette report that Tomlin told Arians right after the season that he wanted him back and told staff members that Arians would be back. And no one has shot down a report that Rooney forced out Arians against Tomlin's wishes.

BENGALS: The free-agent wide receiver that best fits the Bengals is Buffalo's Steve Johnson, according to CBSSports.com's Pete Prisco. "Jerome Simpson is a free agent and has some legal issues, and they need a weapon opposite A.J. Green," Prisco wrote. "Johnson would be the perfect complement to the taller Green." Hensley's slant: The Bengals need to add a veteran to take over the No. 2 wide receiver role, but I don't think Johnson's personality would mesh in the Cincinnati locker room. Johnson's antics are too reminiscent of Chad Ochocinco. The Bengals waited too long to get rid of one distraction just to add another too soon.

BROWNS: Aston Villa soccer manager Alex McLeish is visiting Browns coach Pat Shumur to pick up coaching tips amid fan protests, according to the Associated Press. Randy Lerner, who owns the Browns and the English professional soccer team, suggested that McLeish should go to Cleveland and spend two days shadowing Shurmur. Hensley's slant: Shurmur has only one year of head coaching experience, but he certainly can share some of the lessons learned from a tumultuous first season. If the Browns end up with another double-digit loss season, Lerner might want Shurmur to make a similar trip and go over to England. But this time, a return flight won't be included.

RAVENS: The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston suggests that the Ravens should replace recently retired Ricky Williams with Le'Ron McClain, who played last season for the Kansas City Chiefs after spending four years in Baltimore. McClain went to the Chiefs last year after the Ravens signed fullback Vonta Leach. "He worked as hard as [Ray] Rice during the offseason in his last two years here, and he always had swagger," Preston wrote. "He intimidated people. He was -- and still deserves to be -- a Raven." Hensley's slant: The Ravens have previously gone with more experienced ball carriers as backups with Williams and Willis McGahee. But adding McClain would be a very sound move. McClain is the right player (he can back up at running back and fullback as well as play special teams) for the right price (he only made $1.5 million with the Chiefs last season). It would be a mistake if the Ravens went with Anthony Allen and Damien Berry as their backups because both young players need another year before stepping into that role.

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

Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert shot down the perception that team president Art Rooney II has taken a more active role in football decisions.

Some believe it was Rooney's decision -- and not coach Mike Tomlin's -- to part ways with Bruce Arians as offensive coordinator and hire Todd Haley to replace him.

"Art Rooney obviously is the owner of the team and the president of the team," Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Of course he's going to be in the loop on every decision as any chief operating officer would be of any corporation. I think to say he is meddlesome or dictating every decision I think is very inaccurate."

Colbert said, "A lot of decisions are made around here with a collective effort and, in our end, when we're talking about players, it's a collective effort between myself, coach Tomlin and Art, and that's the way we do business."

Hensley's slant: I'm not sure Colbert would have acknowledged Rooney as being meddlesome even if he has been asserting more influence. It was telling that Rooney was the one who first informed Arians that his contract wasn't not being renewed and not Tomlin. You can't fault Rooney for making decisions that he thinks is best for his team. I certainly would do the same. The only concern is whether he is taking away Tomlin's power in doing so.

BENGALS: Former Raiders cornerback Stanford Routt is scheduled to visit Cincinnati on Friday, according to NFL Network. Routt remained in Kansas City for a second day of meetings and is still talking to the Buffalo Bills. Routt was released last week just one year into a five-year, $54.5 million contract, ending his seven-year tenure in Oakland. Hensley's slant: The Bengals are in need of cornerback depth because Kelly Jennings and Adam Jones are both free agents and Leon Hall is coming off a season-ending Achilles injury. It was assumed that the Bengals would address cornerback in the draft. But Routt would be an upgrade over Jennings and Jones and could press Nate Clements for his starting job.

BROWNS: Cleveland remains uncertain on Peyton Hillis' future with the team, according to CBSSports.com. Some in the organization want to re-sign the running back, but others want to go in a different direction and draft Alabama's Trent Richardson, the website reported. Hensley's slant: I've said for months that I think it's in the Browns' best interest as far as team chemistry to part ways with Hillis. But, even if the Browns keep him, they should still look to address running back in the draft. The Browns wouldn't be signing Hillis to a long-term deal and they can't have much faith in backup Montario Hardesty, who is constantly injured.

RAVENS: The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston says wide receiver Randy Moss wouldn't be bad for the Ravens for a year or two. "At the right price, I wouldn't mind seeing him line up opposite Torrey Smith with Anquan Boldin in the slot," Preston wrote. "The Ravens had similar plans for Lee Evans last year, but he spent most of 2011 on the sideline with a high ankle sprain." Hensley's slant: If Moss is motivated, there is no doubt that he would help the Ravens. But that's a big "if." I'm not sure he can bounce back like he did in 2007. Remember, three teams gave up on Moss in 2010. He reportedly wore down the patience of Tom Brady in New England, undermined then-head coach Brad Childress in Minnesota and never showed up on the field in Tennessee.

Former Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians' "retirement" lasted eight days. And Arians has landed in an unlikely destination.

Arians has agreed to become the Indianapolis Colts' new offensive coordinator, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. Why is that so unlikely?

Well, this move means last year's Steelers offensive coordinator will join last year's Ravens defensive coordinator. Chuck Pagano was named the Colts' head coach two days ago. Guess there is more respect than hate in the Steelers-Ravens rivalry, at least on the coaching end.

Arians' five-year run as Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator was disappointing considering the talent he had at the skill positions. But he will be a good fit for the Colts' in terms of scheme.

He was responsible for the Steelers going from a run-first to a pass-heavy offense. Whether the Colts are sticking with Peyton Manning or drafting Andrew Luck, Indianapolis will rely heavily on the passing game. The hiring of Arians certainly points in that direction.

At this point, it's assumed that the Colts and Manning are headed for a split. But, as one of our blog readers (SteelBlitz27) pointed out, this is a reunion for Arians and Manning. Arians was Manning's first quarterbacks coach, serving that role from 1998 to 2000.

Arians' return to coaching was a quick one. On Jan. 20, the Steelers sent out an official statement saying Arians had informed coach Mike Tomlin that he was retiring. A few days later, Arians revealed that he was pushed out after team president Art Rooney II informed him that his contract was not being renewed.

The Steelers and Colts don't play each other in the regular season in 2012.

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

A shocked Ben Roethlisberger wants answers from team president Art Rooney II following the "retirement" of offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.

"When I get back, I'm going to go up to Mr. Rooney's office and ask him what he wants from me, what he wants from this offense, because I think that's a viable question for him," Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review at the Pro Bowl in Honolulu. "He's our owner and our boss, so I really would like to know kind of what he wants and where he sees our offense going because I'd like to tell him where I see us going."

The Steelers announced Arians had retired, but he later said his contract wasn't renewed by the team. Arians had been the only offensive coordinator in coach Mike Tomlin's five seasons as Steelers head coach.

Roethlisberger, who is close with Arians, invited him to Hawaii as his guest for the Pro Bowl, but Arians decided not to go after he was no longer with the team.

Roethlisberger was described as being "miffed" by the timing of the Steelers' move with Arians.

"We feel like we are really close to being an elite offense," Roethlisberger told the Tribune-Review. "For your leader to be gone is kind of a shocker for us, but you've got to be ready for it, and whatever the Rooneys and coach Tomlin decide is our next step. I think the [Steelers'] mind was made up, and B.A. was kind of ready to move on as well."

Hensley's slant: Roethlisberger has to be worried about the direction of the offense. Team sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Rooney wants the offense to go back to its blue-collar identity of the past. The trouble is, the Steelers are built to throw the ball with one of the best young and fast receiving groups in the league. You can criticize Arians' play calling. But it's hard to argue that the Steelers should go back to a run-first offense.

BENGALS: Mike Zimmer is returning for his fifth season as the Bengals defensive coordinator, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported, after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Rutgers' Greg Schiano as their head coach. Zimmer also had been in the running for the Miami Dolphins job before Joe Philbin was hired. While Zimmer is coming back, defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle is expected to be named the Dolphins' defensive coordinator. Hensley's slant: If the Bengals had their way, this is how it would have played out. Cincinnati didn't want to lose Coyle, but it was more important to keep Zimmer. The Bengals defense will remain a top-10 one under his direction.

BROWNS: Brad Childress is close to becoming the Browns' offensive coordinator, sources told The Plain Dealer. For more, click on the AFC North blog posted last night. Hensley's slant: My take on the probable hiring will be posted shortly.

RAVENS: In his introductory news conference as the new Colts head coach, former Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said he went from an all-time low -- the loss in the AFC championship game was his most devastating one ever -- to an all-time high. “As fate would have it, I’ve got to be honest with you, I thought for sure that I was going to be coming to Indy to play for a world championship," Pagano said, via The Indianapolis Star. "That’s what I thought I was going to be coming here for, and certainly not standing before you today as the next head football coach of the Indianapolis Colts." Hensley's slant: Don't be surprised if Pagano takes some Ravens with him. Pagano's first target should be outside linebacker Jarret Johnson, who will be a free agent, because he'll need a leader who can explain the defensive system to the other players. It would be like when Rex Ryan brought Bart Scott along to the New York Jets. Defensive line coach Clarence Brooks could also follow Pagano to Indianapolis.

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

The Pittsburgh Steelers are about $25 million over the salary cap and need to cut about 20 percent of their payroll by the March 13 deadline, according to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

But the Steelers aren't panicking, at least not publicly.

"It's not a situation where we're looking to tear things apart and start over," team president Art Rooney II told Pittsburgh reporters yesterday.

Rooney, though, acknowledged there will be "some tough decisions."

"I would say it's probably as big an issue as we've had to face," Rooney said. "There will probably have to be some contracts that get restructured and things like that. No question, there's a lot of work to be done."

In the half-hour state-of-the-team interview, Rooney said wide receiver Mike Wallace will be among the priorities this offseason. He becomes a restricted free agent March 13.

The Steelers will also add 3,000 seats to Heinz Field after the 2012 season.

Hensley's slant: Those "tough decisions" will likely come down to players such as nose tackle Casey Hampton ($4.8 million salary in 2012), wide receiver Hines Ward ($4 million), guard Chris Kemoeatu ($3.5 million), inside linebackers Larry Foote ($3 million) and James Farrior ($2.8 million) and cornerback Bryant McFadden ($2.5 million). If these players don't take a pay cut, they probably will be released. The good news for the Steelers is that they bring back their core with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, three young receivers (unless Wallace goes elsewhere as a restricted free agent), two top-notch pass rushers and Pro Bowl safety Troy Polamalu.

BENGALS: Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was considered one of the front-runners for the Dolphins head coaching job earlier this week. Now he is out of the running for it, according to the Miami Herald. The search has been narrowed down to Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, Broncos offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and Dolphins interim coach Todd Bowles, the paper reported. Hensley's slant: Based on the candidates remaining, it appears that the Dolphins want an offensive-minded coach, which eliminated Zimmer from consideration. This is bad news for Zimmer but a good development for the Bengals. While Zimmer still has a chance to get the head-coaching position with the Buccaneers, the Dolphins job was considered his best shot.

BROWNS: The Akron Beacon-Journal's Marla Ridenour was envious of the playoff teams' tight end play over the weekend. This is what Ridenour wrote: "Against Denver, the Patriots got 261 yards (200 receiving) and four touchdowns out of [Rob] Gronkowski and [Aaron] Hernandez. The Browns’ four tight ends — Ben Watson, Evan Moore, Alex Smith and rookie Jordan Cameron — totaled seven touchdowns all season. Hernandez also had a 43-yard run against the Broncos, longer than any Browns’ rush in 2011." Hensley's slant: The Browns are also trailing the rest of the division when it comes to tight ends. Cleveland was the only AFC North team not to have a tight end catch more than 50 passes. The Bengals' Jermaine Gresham (56 catches, six touchdowns), the Ravens' Ed Dickson (54 catches, five touchdowns) and the Steelers' Heath Miller (51 catches, two touchdowns) are all important pieces in the passing game.

RAVENS: I will be at the Ravens' facility where I will post blogs this afternoon. There will be a Joe Flacco column posted at some point today, and the featured blog yesterday was the Double Coverage segment.

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

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin described the team's meeting with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last week as "very productive," according to the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Tomlin and team president Art Rooney II went to league headquarters in New York to talk to Goodell about player safety and fines given to Steelers players. While Tomlin declined to reveal any specifics about the conversation, he likely brought up Ryan Clark's $40,000 fine for hitting Baltimore's Ed Dickson (which Tomlin called "excessive" at the time).

"We exchanged some ideas, and I think the meeting was born out of a conversation with Art and the commissioner," Tomlin said Tuesday. "They thought it would be productive for all of us to sit down and talk. It (was) good bye-week stuff."

Hensley's slant: While I don't think the NFL is targeting the Steelers -- they rank 24th in the NFL in penalties -- Pittsburgh is obviously doing something wrong in the league's eyes. The Steelers have been fined a reported 13 times this year totaling $182,500 (according to the Tribune-Review). It reflects well on the Steelers organization to be proactive on such a touchy -- and expensive -- subject.

• BENGALS: After watching film, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden came away more impressed with Andy Dalton despite the rookie quarterback's three interceptions and a second consecutive loss to an AFC North team, according to Bengals.com. “He had a [heck] of a game. Three mistakes and all three of them I can live with,” Gruden told the website. “He did a great job. For the most part having to come from behind and throw that many times ... he kept us in it. They tried to rattle him and blitz him and he stood in there like a champ.” Hensley's slant: Gruden isn't the only one who was impressed. Once Dalton eliminates his second-half mistakes, he's going to give these defenses fits for years to come. What I've been most impressed with Dalton is his anticipation when making throws. He doesn't look like a rookie with that awareness. As Ravens coach John Harbaugh said after the game: "He's a guy we're going to have to learn to deal with."
• BROWNS: As the team's website put it, it was another typical day at the office for the Browns defense last Sunday. Of the Browns' four victories this season, only one has been decided by more than 7 points. The defense held the Jaguars out of the end zone in the final minute last Sunday despite being backed up at the Browns' 1-yard line. “When games are put in our hands to win, we’ve shown up," cornerback Dimitri Patterson said. Hensley's slant: Yes, the Browns rank first against the pass. But the statistic that jumps out to me is the Browns are eighth in red-zone defense. Cleveland has given up 12 touchdowns on 28 drives inside its own 20-yard line. In the Browns' four wins, they've allowed 12 points in those situations. Pretty impressive.
• RAVENS: Baltimore is gearing up for a physical matchup with 49ers running back Frank Gore. "This one, he is very special," outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said, via the Carroll County Times. "He runs angry. He runs very aggressive. We like that. We like the rough stuff." Hensley's slant: Lapses in run defense have cost the Ravens this season. In its past two losses, Baltimore has given up 100 yards to Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew and Seattle's Marshawn Lynch. So stopping Gore is a priority for the Ravens.

Do you think the Steelers aren't as physical as recent years? Former NFL safety Darren Woodson has an explanation -- the new practice rules.

Under the new collective bargaining agreement, there can only be one padded practice per day in training camp and players can't be on the field for more than four hours per day. During the regular season, there can be just 14 padded practices for the entire season, and 11 of those must be held in the first 11 weeks. Teams can't hold more than two padded practices per week.

These changes in practice have affected how the Steelers play, according to Woodson, an ESPN NFL analyst. Pittsburgh currently ranks lower than usual in two areas — 21st in running the ball and 22nd in stopping the run.

"They're always a battle-hardened unit," Woodson told the Scott Van Pelt Show . "With having these limited practices, where you can't put the pads on and be physical, I think it hurts a team that it's within them to be physical. They're (blue-collar) guys. They have to practice at a certain level for it to transfer on over."

The Steelers didn't embrace the new rules when they were announced this summer.

"It is something, I must say, I think I have mixed feelings about," Steelers president Art Rooney II told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in July. "It's probably fair to say that if it were up to us, we probably would've had a little different approach to some of the practice rules."

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

• Following their pending release, the Baltimore Ravens reportedly want receiver Derrick Mason and tight end Todd Heap back at a lower price.

Morning take: Both are among quarterback Joe Flacco's favorite targets. But with a tight salary cap, the Ravens were willing to cut some age and high salaries. It will be a matter of whether or not Mason and/or Heap will take less to stay in Baltimore.

• Is Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco next to be released?

Morning take: As you can see with the Ravens, you can't put anything past teams during this crazy period. The difference is Cincinnati is more than $35 million under the cap and can easily absorb Ochocinco's salary. So there's at least a chance he stays.

• Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II said he isn't sure at this point if his players will receive NFL discipline.

Morning take: Rooney confirmed that troubled players can be subject by league punishment, even during the lockout. But don't expect James Harrison or Hines Ward to miss any games for their transgressions.

• The Cleveland Browns are set to open training camp on Friday.

Morning take: Cleveland needs to get to work ASAP, because it has a lot of ground to make up. A solid training camp could help them avoid a slow start.

Here's a July prediction: The Baltimore Ravens will win the AFC North this season.

Yes, I said it -- and I will be sticking with that statement through January.

For months I've been going back-and-forth between Baltimore and the reigning AFC champion Pittsburgh Steelers. Both teams are talented, but this week's events put me over the top in favor of the Ravens.

I simply don't like what I'm seeing from Pittsburgh this offseason. Whether it's Rashard Mendenhall's tweeting, Hines Ward's recent arrest or James Harrison ripping everyone -- including his own teammates -- there's too many warning signs that suggest this isn't the Steelers' year.

Keep in mind, this is not a new phenomenon in Pittsburgh. Self-implosion is what the Steelers do best following Super Bowl appearances.

In 2006, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got into a motorcycle accident and the Steelers finished 8-8. In 2009, Pittsburgh had to deal with Roethlisberger's first sexual assault allegation and Troy Polamalu's knee injury to finish 9-7. Both years they missed the playoffs.

This offseason reminds me too much of 2006 and 2009. The difference is that this year the leaks are coming from various places. Pittsburgh's controversies involve three starters who are among the most important members of the team. In addition, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin and president Art Rooney II have been unable to address these issues during the NFL lockout.

What will Rooney say to Mendenhall, who is no longer a fan favorite, about questioning the events of 9/11? What will Ward -- a team captain -- say to the front office about getting busted on charges of driving under the influence this past weekend? How will Tomlin address Harrison for ripping star players in his own locker room?

And this is before the Steelers hold their first practice in training camp.

Health permitting, Pittsburgh certainly is good enough to make the playoffs. But the odds are stacked against their winning a seventh Super Bowl title this season.

The Buffalo Bills were the last runners-up to make it back to the big game (Super Bowl appearances in 1991-1994), and they lost in each trip. It takes a tremendous amount of focus, togetherness and luck. The Steelers haven't displayed any of that so far in their quest to complete one of the hardest journeys in professional sports.

Harrison has never been called a bad teammate. But when you do an interview as explosive as he did with Men's Journal, it has the potential to divide a locker room.

Harrison may have exposed some underlying tension between Pittsburgh's offense and defense. He crossed the line by lambasting Roethlisberger and Mendenhall. Harrison later spoke with Roethlisberger. But there is no word at this juncture if Harrison is rescinding his "fumble machine" comment toward Mendenhall.

So what happens the next time Mendenhall fumbles? Will Harrison and the defense snicker about it? When Roethlisberger throws a pick deep in Pittsburgh's territory, will the defense focus and just play football? These things happen during the course of a season, and the Steelers need to pick each other up and play like one unit, which has been their strength in previous seasons.

Last year, Pittsburgh had one distraction, which was Roethlisberger's four-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy. That was easier to resolve, especially because Roethlisberger wasn't allowed around the team for the first month of the season. This year, the Steelers tripled the amount of distractions, and it will take more effort to get through each case.

The Steelers also have several personnel questions to address.

With the team expected to be more than $10 million over the salary cap, it's likely that No. 1 corner Ike Taylor won't return. He's not interested in offering a discount to stay in Pittsburgh. That leaves a major void in its secondary, which was exposed by the Green Bay Packers and several other teams last season.

The contracts of veterans Antwaan Randle El, Flozell Adams and Aaron Smith also will be up for discussion as the team tries to get under the cap. Their potential departures will hurt depth and leadership.

In contrast, the Ravens have it more together. Their biggest issue this offseason is opponents criticizing fourth-year quarterback Joe Flacco. And, if anything, that's been a rallying point that's motivated the Ravens and brought them closer together.

Baltimore has been unable to beat Pittsburgh in big games recently. But the talent is so close between these heated rivals that any additional edge can shift the balance in the AFC North.

Consider the Ravens the new favorites in the division in 2011. The Steelers are too busy dealing with self-inflicted wounds.

Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II issued a brief statement Wednesday afternoon following the controversial comments made by Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison.

"I have not yet seen the article in Men's Journal nor have I spoken to James Harrison about his comments. We will discuss the situation at the appropriate time, when permitted once the labor situation is resolved."