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

Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall vowed to play this season and didn't rule out being ready for the Sept. 9 season opener in Denver.

“There’s always the possibility,” Mendenhall told Pittsburgh reporters, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “I’ll be back at some point. It’s just a matter of what point that is.”

Mendenhall, who tore the ACL in his right knee on Jan. 1, is entering the final year of his contract. Asked if there was any chance he wouldn't play in 2012, Mendenhall said, “I don’t see that happening at all.”

Hensley's slant: There's really no chance that Mendenhall will be ready for the season opener. Even if he tried, he wouldn't be effective. The presumed timetable is putting him on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) and seeing if he can play after six weeks. Mendenhall wants to play as soon as possible because he doesn't want to go into free agency with teams questioning his health.

BENGALS: With the Bengals seeking a replacement for safety Chris Crocker, defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has joked that they'll be the first team in history to play with three corners. Former Bengals defensive back Artrell Hawkins says don't laugh. "A lot of these guys are interchangeable and Marvin (Lewis) has moved more that way," Hawkins told the team's official website. "It's a matter of getting value with one guy at a couple of spots. It's like a defensive tackle playing fullback on the goal line. It's harder to game plan for and in this day and age, it's the more you do, the more you stay around. Because other teams have been successful that have tried it, other teams are willing to try it." Hensley's slant: The biggest question mark on defense remains safety. If they did go with three corners, Jason Allen does have experience at safety. But most expect the Bengals to go with Taylor Mays.

BROWNS: The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Terry Pluto thinks the Browns should keep Colt McCoy as the primary backup to Brandon Weeden. "If there is a choice between a 31-year-old (Seneca) Wallace making $3 million a year and McCoy at $550,000 -- remember, these contracts are not guaranteed -- why not go with McCoy?," Pluto wrote. "He is younger, cheaper and far more likely to take a step forward in his career than Wallace. If McCoy is smart, he will 'compete' for the starting job, embrace the backup role if that's his assignment, and the Browns would be wise to give him the chance to do so." Hensley's slant: As regular readers of the blog know, I've been saying the Browns should go with McCoy as the backup since the Browns drafted Weeden.

RAVENS: Linebacker Terrell Suggs is expected to start rehabbing his Achilles injury in mid-June ... Rookie second-round pick Courtney Upshaw was working at Jarret Johnson's linebacker spot, and Paul Kruger was filling in at Suggs' position. ... Rookie second-round pick Kelechi Osemele worked at left guard with the first-team offense. Hensley's slant: Osemele still has to work on his technique in switching from college tackle to NFL guard. But he definitely looks the part. At 6-foot-5, 333 pounds, Osemele is a space-eater on the interior.

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

Nearly a month after the Browns drafted quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first round, Colt McCoy didn't complain about his likely fate and remained a team player.

"This is the card that's been dealt," said McCoy, who took the first snaps in team drills Tuesday. "I can just say that I'm working as hard as I can. You never know what to expect. One of my favorite quotes by the NAVY Seals is, 'The only easy day was yesterday.' That's just kind of how I have to live right now."

He said he has not asked to be traded because "they told me I had a chance to compete."

"I don't want this to be a situation where it's me vs. him or him vs. me," McCoy said. "I want it to be a situation of -- and I think we can all agree to this -- let's help our team the most. Let's make it about the Cleveland Browns being a great football team next year. And if that's the case, I'm all in."

Hensley's slant: Many are predicting that the Browns will still try to trade McCoy or ultimately release him before the season starts. Based on his comments, McCoy won't be a distraction as a backup. Last season would become an even bigger wasted year if the Browns parted ways with McCoy.

BENGALS: Andy Dalton didn't bristle at speculation that there are members within the organization concerned about his arm strength. “I’m comfortable with it. Everyone knows what they are going to get out of me,” Dalton told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “I don’t think it held us back last year and I don’t think it is going to hold me back in my career. Arm strength is one thing, there’s a lot to throwing. It’s timing, consistency and making sure everyone is on the same page. I’m going to keep working but I don’t think arm strength is an issue.” Hensley's slant: Dalton ranked third in the AFC North as far as arm strength last season but finished tied for eighth in the NFL with 10 completions over 40 yards. Sometimes your arm looks better when you're throwing to playmakers like A.J. Green.

RAVENS: Quarterback Joe Flacco is planning to attend the team's offseason workouts despite not having a new contract. Flacco is entering the final year of his deal and could have opted to skip the voluntary practices as a protest. “It’s always fun to get back to doing what you love,” Flacco told the team's official website. “It’s good for the young guys. I think every little bit helps.” Hensley's slant: The real test of Flacco's "love" for the game would come next offseason if he doesn't have a new deal and the Ravens decide to put the franchise tag on him. I still wouldn't be surprised if Flacco chose to miss some practices in early June this year. His first child is expected to be born around that time.

STEELERS: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ron Cook said it's no big deal that wide receiver Mike Wallace is missing offseason workouts and expects the restricted free agent to attend training camp. "Don't believe those who say Wallace will be unhappy, moody, even disruptive if he has to play the season under the tender," Cook wrote. "He's not that much of a fool. He will be playing for big money in his next contract. He has to play well to get it. Teammate LaMarr Woodley should be his inspiration. He was in the same situation as Wallace in 2010, had a great season and signed a six-year, $61.5 million deal before last season." Hensley's slant: It would be beneficial for Wallace to be in Pittsburgh to learn Todd Haley's new offense, but it's not essential. It would be more important for Wallace to be here if the Steelers were changing quarterbacks instead of coordinators. Whenever he returns, whether it's the start of training camp or the middle of it, he will still have the same chemistry with Roethlisberger.

Here are some quick hits from the first day of offseason training activities in the division:

BENGALS: Brandon Tate lined up as the No. 2 wide receiver in the first day of OTAs, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. This shows that the Bengals have been impressed with Tate's training this offseason. He didn't have a catch last season, but I think he will have an impact beyond being a returner. He came from a totally different offense in New England and needed a full season to adjust. Tate will compete against Jordan Shipley, Andrew Hawkins, Ryan Whalen, Armon Binns and rookies Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones.

BROWNS: Colt McCoy took the first snaps in most drills, including team ones, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. But the favorite to win the job remains rookie first-round pick Brandon Weeden. The more interesting tidbit was how McCoy addressed a report that the Browns told him they wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first round. No "he said, she said," McCoy told reporters in his first comments since Cleveland drafted Weeden.

RAVENS: No media access for the opening of Baltimore's workout. I will be attending the open practice Wednesday.

STEELERS: As expected, wide receiver Mike Wallace didn't attend the workouts today. He has yet to sign his restricted free-agent tender. But there was a surprise. Safety Troy Polamalu, who usually skips these practices, was in attendance and plans to be at all the OTAs. "It's my time to be around the team a little more," Polamalu said.

General manager Tom Heckert clarified the Browns' quarterback competition Monday night, saying the team drafted Brandon Weeden with the intention of him starting as a rookie.

"The best guy is going to play and we fully expect Brandon to be that guy," Heckert said. "That's our goal is to have him be the guy. I think when we say, open competition, the best guy's going to play, that's just the way it is. But we drafted Brandon Weeden to be that guy. [You] draft a guy 22nd in the draft, you think he's going to be that guy."

This is what the Browns should have been saying all along. Team officials have been trying to present this as an open quarterback competition when it's clearly not.

The Browns should say they expect Weeden should be the starter. If Weeden is going to succeed in this division, he's going to have to get used to feeling pressure. He's going to have to battle more than expectations when he sees the defenses of the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals twice every season.

The Colts and Redskins have already given the starting jobs to Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. The Browns have been reluctant to do the same, and I understand the merits of wanting a quarterback to earn the starting job.

But the team isn't fooling anyone. Even if the Browns aren't saying it, the expectation of every Browns Backer is that Weeden will start and should start. The Browns already put that pressure on Weeden when they decided to draft him in the first round and not wait until the second. His arm strength, accuracy and size puts him ahead of Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace.

It doesn't matter if McCoy is the quarterback who takes the first snaps today when organized team activities begin. By the end of the preseason, this should be Weeden's offense unless he can't handle the pressure. But it's better to find out if Weeden can handle the pressure now than on Sept. 9 against the Eagles.

ESPN's Chris Sprow provides three reasons why the Cleveland Browns should consider signing quarterback Donovan McNabb. Here's my rebuttal: No, no, no.

McNabb has nothing left. He was beaten out by mediocre Rex Grossman in Washington and rookie Christian Ponder in Minnesota. In six starts last season, McNabb threw four touchdown passes and lost five times.

McNabb has no value as a backup. Even Eagles coach Andy Reid, who needs a No. 2 passer, isn't touching his former franchise quarterback. Also, if McNabb was such a good mentor, the Vikings wouldn't have cut him in early December.

In his article , Sprow argues that adding McNabb would allow the Browns to bring rookie first-round pick Brandon Weeden along slowly. He also suggests McNabb would play better in Brad Childress' offense, which is familiar to him from his days with the Eagles. His final point is McNabb is an upgrade over Colt McCoy. Here's what Sprow has to say about McNabb and the Browns:

Succession plans are just NFL corporate-speak, a nod to organizational purpose. In reality, another sub-.500 year as Cleveland breaks in yet another new QB could be cause for organizational turnover. McNabb is a buffer. He doesn't need a five-year deal. Bring him in; see if he can play. His upside is a chance to win a little more now while strengthening Weeden's chance to succeed. Really, what do the Browns have to lose?

The answer that keeps coming to mind is what do the Browns have to gain from signing McNabb. Drafting Weeden gives the Browns a chance to start a new era. Adding McNabb would look like a desperate move from this regime's old one.

The AFC North quarterbacks received no love from NFL.com, which ranked the division's passers fifth in the league.

This is a little low in my estimation. Ben Roethlisberger, Joe Flacco, Andy Dalton and Brandon Weeden (or Colt McCoy) should at least be No. 4. Here's how NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah assessed the division:

It was a tough call putting this group behind the AFC West QBs. Big Ben has two Super Bowl rings and is arguably the best in the league at extending the play. Last season, Flacco was a dropped pass away from making his Super Bowl debut, while Dalton would've been the talk of the league if not for Cam Newton's amazing rookie year. I'm not the biggest Weeden fan, but he does have size and a live arm.

For those reasons, I would put the AFC North ahead of the AFC West, which ranked fourth despite featuring a banged-up Peyton Manning and a struggling Philip Rivers, along with two quarterbacks on the hot seat (Matt Cassel and Carson Palmer). Roethlisberger has to be considered better than Manning at this point. Flacco outplayed Tom Brady in the AFC title game, and Rivers threw the third-most interceptions in the NFL (20). And Dalton made more of an impact on his team as a rookie than veterans Cassel and Palmer did last season.

The AFC North falls short of No. 3 with the NFC East, which has Eli Manning, Tony Romo, Michael Vick and Robert Griffin III. Roethlisberger has as many rings as Manning, but it's difficult to argue that Flacco had a better season than Romo (31 touchdowns and 10 interceptions). The nod goes to the NFC East in Dalton-Vick and Weeden-RG3.

Cole from Ontario, Canada, writes: I'm a huge Ravens fan and though I like Jacoby Jones as a player we all know that Cam Cameron's offense barely acknowledges the third wide receiver. With that being said, why would they pay a two-year, $7 million deal to a guy who is going to be a return specialist? I just don't understand the move.

Jamison Hensley: I didn’t know the Ravens’ fandom crossed the border. As for your question, I don’t think Cam Cameron has ignored a third wide receiver. I get the feeling that the Ravens want to become a more pass-oriented team as Joe Flacco progresses. The problem has been Baltimore catching veterans at the end of their careers -- T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Lee Evans -- who never lived up to expectations as the No. 3 receiver. You saw toward the end of last season that the Ravens put more of a focus on getting Evans the ball. Baltimore showed that it wanted to spread the ball around. And while Jones will never be a primary target, he has more years left than Houshmandzadeh and Evans. The reasons for the size of the contract are: Baltimore needed more experience at the receiver position and it had to pay that much so it wouldn’t lose Jones to the Panthers.

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Zach from Ohio writes: Looking at all the players drafted by AFC North teams, what three offensive and defensive players do you think will have the best season and biggest impact on their team?

Hensley: For offense, Browns running back Trent Richardson is a no-brainer. He is my pick for offensive rookie of the year. The easy picks for the other two would be the two guards, the Steelers’ David DeCastro and the Bengals’ Kevin Zeitler. If you want to go beyond the first round, I would keep my eye on Steelers running back Chris Rainey and Bengals wide receiver Marvin Jones.

On defense, Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw will have to step up in place of the injured Terrell Suggs. The same goes for Browns defensive tackle Billy Winn, who has a chance to fill in for the injured Phil Taylor. Those two likely will make the biggest impact on their teams. While many will point to Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, I can see defensive tackle Devon Still playing a big role in Cincinnati’s rotation up front.

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Michael from Oldenburg, Indiana, writes: What do you think about the Bengals potentially adding Braylon Edwards to their suddenly crowded wide receiver position?

Hensley: I'm not saying it would be a move that would definitely work out, but it's a move Cincinnati should explore. Unlike a lot of teams, the Bengals have the cap room to take a chance on Edwards. Cincinnati needs a No. 2 wide receiver and a target with experience. As I pointed out in a "Wake-up Call" this week, no wide receiver on the Bengals has more than 65 career receptions. Edwards has 341 catches (but just 15 last season) and has averaged 15.6 yards per reception for his seven-year career. One question is whether he would ready for the season. He is still rehabbing a knee injury and expects to participate in training camp.

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Frank from Poughkeepsie, N.Y., writes: As a regular follower, I was a little nervous about the changing of the guard at first, but you have done a fine job since taking over our division's blog. Keep it up. My question revolves around the best rivalry in football, the Steelers and Ravens. As a Steelers fan, last year’s rivalry games were miserable for us: A Week 1 blowout making me want to cry, and a Week 9 loss that the Ravens stole from us with eight seconds to go. With the additions to the offensive line for the Steelers, and not any "significant" additions to the Ravens, do you see the sweep going the other way, in favor of the Steelers, this year? Also, since the two games are played in a span of 15 days, do you think momentum will be a force here? If Suggs is back in time, will he be the difference maker?

Hensley: To start off, I think it’s absolutely crazy that the NFL schedule makers put the Steelers-Ravens games so close together. There should be a rule where they play one game early and one game in December. That will allow the teams to gauge where they stand in the first half of the season and to fight for a playoff spot (or division title) at the end of the season. As far as predictions go, I usually say it will be a split. It’s tough for these teams to sweep one another. The health of Suggs is a major factor. He plays some of his best games against Pittsburgh. Suggs also has the distinction of sacking Ben Roethlisberger more times than anyone else.

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Kenneth from West Salem, Ohio, writes: Just had a question involving the statement of Colt McCoy being able to compete for his starting role. If Brandon Weeden struggles early does it open the door for a quarterback controversy? My thoughts are a resounding yes. The Browns should have just released him. We gave a third rounder [for McCoy], but gave a first for Weeden. The fans would not be chanting Seneca nearly as quickly.

Hensley: If Weeden gets the starting job -- and I believe everyone can agree this is going to happen -- it would take a major rut for the Browns to turn back to McCoy. Browns fans can chant for McCoy all they want, but the team knows the importance of Weeden playing this season. Weeden would have to throw a lot of interceptions, lose composure and look lost in the offense for the Browns to pull him.

Head coach Pat Shurmur would have to be convinced that Weeden’s confidence would be damaged if the Browns left him in there. Just remember that Cleveland averaged 13 points per game with McCoy as the starter last year and the Browns didn’t bench him. And, just like last year, Cleveland has to figure out if Weeden is the franchise quarterback. I don’t see the Browns sitting down Weeden unless there is an injury.

Like all of the Browns' officials, coach Pat Shurmur made it clear in a conference call Thursday that rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden has to beat out Colt McCoy and Seneca Wallace to be the team's starter in 2012.

I understand that the Browns want to make Weeden feel like he has to earn the job. But here's the reality of the situation: it's not his job to win. It's his job to lose.

The Browns will have a major problem if a first-round quarterback can't beat out the 25th-rated quarterback last year (McCoy) or a career backup (Wallace). A team doesn't draft a quarterback with the 22nd overall pick to sit for a season. A team doesn't select a 28-year-old rookie to hold a clipboard for a year.

Still, Shurmur doesn't want to publicly give the job to Weeden yet.

“I’ll decide who the starter’s going to be when we play against Philadelphia,” Shurmur said.

When rookie minicamp begins for the Browns on Friday, Weeden will begin to address the challenges of going from college to the NFL. He will have to adjust to a new offensive system, more complex looks from the defense, and a different viewpoint when the ball is snapped.

At Oklahoma State, Weeden orchestrated a fast-paced, spread attack from the shotgun. With the Browns, he will be expected to take more snaps from under center.

While this doesn't seem like a major transition, Weeden will have to work on his footwork. The advantage is you don't have to take your eyes off the defense under center like you do when you catch the ball in shotgun.

Asked if he was looking forward to seeing Weeden under center, Shurmur said: "Yeah, I am looking forward to him executing as a quarterback, whether we are under center or in the shotgun, all of which happens in the NFL. I am looking forward to watching him operate.”

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.

You can say Colt McCoy isn't a franchise quarterback. You can say McCoy doesn't have the accuracy or arm strength to succeed at this level.

But you can't say anything negative about McCoy's attitude. He remains a class act at a time when others might not be.

McCoy attended the Browns' voluntary offseason conditioning program just days after the team drafted a quarterback to replace him, according to the Associated Press.

There are other players in the league who are skipping these workouts even though they will be getting paid millions of dollars under the franchise tag. McCoy is participating in these voluntary sessions even though his job was essentially handed to Brandon Weeden, the 22nd overall pick of the draft.

This is why I believe McCoy would be fine with being the Browns' backup this season. I can see McCoy and Weeden coexisting as teammates, and team president Mike Holmgren feels the same way. "Of course he wants to play, they all want to play," Holmgren said of McCoy. "Again, nothing has been done yet, we don’t know how it is going to sort itself out. But, if that were to be the case, at some point, I think we have the best chance of making that work because of who the people are."

It's been a rough four months for McCoy ever since he suffered a season-ending head injury from James Harrison's hit. He got a vote of no confidence in March when Holmgren told season-ticket holders that the Browns were aggressively trying to trade up for quarterback Robert Griffin III in the draft.

The Browns tried to smooth things over by putting their support behind McCoy. Team officials even told ESPN's Bob Holtzman before the draft they expected McCoy to take "a big leap forward" in 2012. Then, the Browns selected Weeden in the first round and didn't rule out the possibility of trading McCoy.

But McCoy was at the team facility this week just like he was last week. In his first full season as the Browns' starter, McCoy proved he could take a hit. This week, McCoy proved his mental toughness by taking another blow and getting right back up.

Let's break down the Cleveland Browns' 2012 draft:

FIRST-ROUND SPOTLIGHT: RB Trent Richardson and QB Brandon Weeden. The Browns made the right move to trade up to No. 3 for Richardson. Whether an actual threat existed or not, the Browns couldn't risk another team leapfrogging them for the best playmaker in this draft outside of Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. As far as Weeden, my biggest problem is taking him at No. 22. The Browns could've traded back in the first round and still got Weeden along with an extra pick. But, if Weeden becomes the franchise quarterback, it doesn't really matter where the Browns picked him.

IN HINDSIGHT: The Browns had targeted Baylor's Kendall Wright as one of the top-tier wide receivers in this draft. Cleveland would've had Wright if it moved up three spots in front of the Titans, who picked Wright at No. 20. Under that scenario, the Browns could have taken Weeden at No. 37 or moved back into the first round for him.

BEST VALUE: OT Mitchell Schwartz, California. Some might say this was a bit of a reach because Schwartz was considered a third-round pick (that was my initial reaction as well). But I think this pick will look much better five years from now than it did Friday. The Browns filled their biggest need with the best natural right tackle prospect in this draft. He's physical and has good bloodlines (his brother Geoff played guard for four years with the Panthers before signing with the Vikings this year).

TOP LATE-ROUND PICKUP: DL Billy Winn, Boise State. The second-round prospect fell to the sixth round because of concerns about his work ethic. He has the size to play defensive tackle and the speed to play defensive end. As a three-year starter, Winn recorded 105 tackles and 13 sacks.

SOMEONE WHO DIDN'T LIKE THIS DRAFT: Colt McCoy. The Browns used the 22nd overall pick on a 28-year-old quarterback. That signals the end of McCoy's run as the team's starting quarterback. McCoy never had the arm to be a starter in this league, but he has a lot of intangibles that impress you. He could find his niche as the backup.

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

Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger gave a thumbs-up to the team using its first two draft picks on offensive linemen.

Pittsburgh drafted guard David DeCastro in the first round and offensive tackle Mike Adams in the second round. Roethlisberger said the team kept him "in the loop a little bit" about the selections.

"I'm excited,'' Roethlisberger told the Altoona (Pa.) Mirror before the Blair County Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony. "You know, at least on paper, it looks awesome. But, you never know until you take the field and the bullets start flying.

Hensley's slant: There's a good reason for Roethlisberger's excitement. He has ranked in the top five in getting sacked for five of the past six seasons. The only time he didn't was 2010, the year he was suspended for four games. It was clear that the Steelers' draft focus was protecting Roethlisberger.

BENGALS: Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict was disappointed that he didn't get drafted but it apparently didn't hurt his confidence level. “I know that I’m a first-, second-round pick and the Bengals got a steal in the draft because nobody drafted me," Burfict told the Arizona State Press. Hensley's slant: Burfict was once considered a first-round prospect until maturity concerns and a terrible NFL combine performance caused him to plummet down draft boards. In previous years, the Bengals might have used a draft pick on a player with maturity issues like Burfict. Signing him as an undrafted free agent is a low-risk, high-reward move by the Bengals, who are thin at linebacker.

BROWNS: The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Bud Shaw thinks the Browns should part ways with quarterback Colt McCoy after drafting Brandon Weeden in the first round. "The Browns can't be expected to win immediately with Weeden under center in the West Coast offense, particularly since he's unaccustomed to both -- being under center and the West Coast offense," Shaw wrote. "The last thing Weeden needs is dealing with McCoy's incumbency in a sentimental football city housing convincing arguments claiming he never really got a chance." Hensley's slant: The Browns don't have the luxury right now to make football decisions based on public relations. The team must believe McCoy is a better quarterback than Seneca Wallace or else it wouldn't have started McCoy last season. That's why the smart decision is to keep McCoy as the backup to Weeden.

RAVENS: The Ravens' draft board got uncharacteristically wiped out, according to the team's official website. By the end of the three-day event, all but three of the team's top 150 players were selected. And Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta said those three remaining players had medical concerns. “Things don’t always happen the way you want them to,” DeCosta said. “Some drafts, every player that you want kind of comes to you, and then other drafts – this year comes to mind; 2010 was very similar to this year -- sometimes you just get wiped out. You have four players, and all of a sudden, boom they are gone.” Hensley's slant: The Ravens' 2010 draft won't go down as one of their best, but the team did find productive players in nose tackle Terrence Cody and tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta and defensive tackle Art Jones. That's also the draft where Baltimore gambled on linebacker Sergio Kindle, who had several pre-draft red flags. He has yet to contribute since fracturing his skull in 2010 when he fell down two flights of stairs.

CLEVELAND -- I'm headed back to AFC North headquarters after three long (but exciting) days here for the NFL draft. I'm hoping to return soon to see the start of a new Browns' offense with running back Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden. The plan is to recharge the batteries today after posting Mel Kiper's grades for each AFC North team and come back Monday with blogs filled with opinions and analysis.

Here are some of my impressions from the Browns' press conference with team president Mike Holmgren that wrapped up the draft:

• Holmgren doesn't want the Browns to look foolish. On a question whether Richardson and Weeden are the foundation toward winning, Holmgren went out of his way to dispute reports that the Browns were duped into trading up for Richardson when they didn't have to do so. Some have suggested that the Vikings bluffed Cleveland into thinking there were other teams interested in making the move when there were none. The Browns gave up three draft picks (ones in the fourth, fifth and seventh rounds) to move up one spot. "We didn’t want to lose him and I guess my conversations with Pat [Shurmur, head coach] and Tom [Heckert, general manager] in particular were if you even think someone is going to hop over there, if you even think someone is going to jump us then what are we going to do to prevent that from happening and get up in there. Contrary to what was written and what was said, we weren’t the lone ranger in that deal. We had to compete."

• [+] Enlarge
  AP Photo/Amy SancettaMike Holmgren said he had a conversation with the Colts about trading for the No. 1 pick. "It wasn't very long," he said.
  Perhaps the biggest shock came when Holmgren said he spoke to the Indianapolis Colts about trading up to the No. 1 spot to draft Andrew Luck. Asked how long the conversation went with Indianapolis regarding the top pick, Holmgren said with a smile, “Probably about five minutes. Actually I had two conversations. I had a conversation with Mr. [Jim] Irsay and also with their new general manager. I believe I was in the swimming pool at the owners meetings and I had a drink in my hand, on the second one. It wasn’t very long.”

• Judging by Holmgren's comments, the Browns either thought about taking Weeden in the second round or considered trading back in the first round to take him. They ultimately drafted Weeden with the 22nd overall pick because they didn't want to risk losing him. "You got a little taste of it when he was in here of how he’s different than all the other quarterbacks that were drafted ahead of him or behind him is that his age and his maturity and what he brings immediately to the table," Holmgren said. "Now, you couple that with his skill level, which is pretty obvious on film and he has the potential I think to play well sooner because of that than other quarterbacks in the draft so he became very attractive to us."

• I get the feeling that Holmgren wants to keep Colt McCoy as the backup to Weeden. He doesn't think it would be difficult for McCoy to adjust to that role because he "is a special young man." Holmgren added, "Of course he wants to play, they all want to play. Again, nothing has been done yet, we don’t know how it is going to sort itself out. But, if that were to be the case, at some point, I think we have the best chance of making that work because of who the people are."

• Holmgren said he wouldn't be concerned about players choosing sides if McCoy remained. "Usually it's a problem if the players themselves kind of lead the charge on that," he said. "If I'm any judge at all about these young guys, that won't happen."

• Holmgren believes Richardson will be a better all-around running back than Shaun Alexander, who played under Holmgren with the Seattle Seahawks. "I love Shaun, if I could adopt Shaun I would, but he wouldn’t block anybody, nobody and I still love him," Holmgren said "The difference is Trent is an excellent pass receiver, not just a willing blocker but a very, very good blocker so when Pat’s calling the game and we’re running our offense you don’t have to be thinking, ‘Okay now how do we protect him in the passing game?’ You don’t have to do that so that’s different. But, again I have great affection for Shaun Alexander and what he did for Seattle and what he did for me. This young man, different player, and there is no reason he can’t do the same for us here.”

• Holmgren acknowledged the challenge of winning with a rookie quarterback in the NFL. "I don’t think it is easy, it is never easy," he said. "You look historically in the league. I always say, the only guy that shot lights out early was (Dan) Marino. Some of you may know someone else because you are a lot older than I am. But, I think Marino was the guy that sticks out because you talk to John Elway, Joe Montana, the guys I know, they all had these little growing pains."

The Cleveland Browns don't expect to trade quarterback Colt McCoy, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported.

There had been speculation that the Browns would move McCoy after using the 22nd overall pick on Brandon Weeden, who is expected to be the team's starter this season.

You have to wonder whether the Browns really want to keep McCoy or whether there was no interest in him from other teams. Either way, keeping McCoy is exactly what the Browns should do.

McCoy is their best option for backup quarterback. He's seven years younger than Seneca Wallace and has just as many career starts (21).

BEREA, Ohio -- Browns officials insist there's "no story" with Colt McCoy a day after they were the ones who said they would discuss trading the now-supplanted quarterback.

"I haven't talked to one person about him," said general manager Tom Heckert, who rolled his eyes after third question regarding McCoy was asked Friday night. "There's nothing to talk about."

Actually, there's a lot to talk about. This is what happens when you use the 22nd overall pick on a quarterback. These are the questions you get when Brandon Weeden is answering questions at a Friday news conference like a mature, composed starter.

Here's my suggestion on what the Browns should do with McCoy -- absolutely nothing. I don't understand why the Browns would trade a quarterback in whom they just invested a full season of starts. If anyone should go, it should be current backup Seneca Wallace. Browns coach Pat Shurmur said last month that Wallace wouldn't be given a chance to compete against McCoy for the starting job, so I'm puzzled on why he should he be the one who stays.

There are instances where it would be a bad situation to keep a starting quarterback who just lost his job. Judging by his personality, McCoy wouldn't create any problems or disruptions.

The Browns are noncommittal on McCoy's future, which isn't a sign that he's sticking around. Asked if McCoy would be here for offseason minicamps, Shurmur said, "I plan on Colt being here on Monday as part of the offseason program. There really is no story right now. There really isn't. We drafted a quarterback to come in and compete with him at this point, and that's where it's at."

The Browns, though, were very strong in denying a report that said they told McCoy they wouldn't draft a quarterback in the first round.

"That's absolutely false," Heckert said.

Shurmur added, "We don't consult our players about what we're doing in the draft. I think it's ridiculous to assume that we would say those things."

It would also be ridiculous to assume the Browns drafted a 28-year-old quarterback to sit. Unless Weeden struggles mightily in training camp, he should be the starter this season. And the best quarterback on this roster to back up Weeden is McCoy.