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Yes, the start of training camps is two months away, but it’s never too early to consider the coming season. A look at the best-case and worst-case scenarios for the Browns in 2012.

Dream scenario (8-8): The Browns reap the rewards of a third straight successful draft and produce their first non-losing season since 2007. Team president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert are vindicated for making the right moves, and head coach Pat Shurmur shows what he can do when he has a full offseason with a team. While this isn't a playoff team yet, this season proves that the team is headed in the right direction.

First-round running back Trent Richardson becomes the centerpiece of the Browns' offense, providing a tough and mean attitude. He lives up to expectations of being the No. 3 overall pick and is the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. First-round pick Brandon Weeden makes an immediate impact with his big arm, convincing everyone that he is a franchise quarterback. He is also the mature leader that the offense needs.

On defense, tackle Phil Taylor returns earlier than expected from his pectoral muscle injury and misses only a handful of games. Middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson proves he's worth his new five-year, $42.5 million deal and leads the NFL in tackles. Linebacker Scott Fujita wins the appeal of his three-game suspension from the Saints' bounty scandal and starts the season opener. The addition of defensive end Frostee Rucker significantly improves a run defense that ranked 30th in the NFL last season.

Nightmare scenario (3-13): The Browns hit rock bottom, struggling against the NFL's third-toughest schedule. The hot seat is scorching for Shumur, and there are constant questions whether Holmgren and Heckert will be around when the Browns select first in the 2013 draft.

The biggest problem is a lack of playmakers on offense. Richardson is a physical runner but he can't break tackle after tackle. Defenses load the box with eight and nine players because they don't fear any of the wide receivers. Greg Little continues to drop passes and Mohamed Massaquoi continues to underachieve. Rookie Travis Benjamin brings speed but doesn't have the size to get off the line. That is all compounded by Weeden making too many mistakes when pressured, which was the knock on him coming out of college.

The defense's biggest weakness -- run defense -- gets exploited even more when Taylor takes longer than expected to recover. Rookie defensive linemen John Hughes and Billy Winn play like rookies in trying to replace him. Defensive end Jabaal Sheard isn't as disruptive as he was as a rookie, and Rucker is a disappointment as the team's top free-agent signing.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South | East
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South | East

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Cleveland Browns and why.

Hot seats in the NFL are typically reserved for head coaches and general managers. For the Browns, the heat is on team president Mike Holmgren.

The Browns added hope when they hired Holmgren as their top executive after he returned the Packers to prominence and guided the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Rebuilding has been more of a challenge with the Browns, who have won nine games in Holmgren's two seasons. Instead of turning into a winner, the franchise has spun its wheels under Holmgren and the fan base is becoming skeptical.

This is a big year for the Holmgren regime because a potential franchise quarterback (Brandon Weeden) and star running back (Trent Richardson) were drafted in the first round to go with a top-10 defense. Holmgren has promised a "pretty good jump" for the Browns, so another four- or five-win season isn't going to cut it. It's time for Holmgren to erase past mistakes like keeping Eric Mangini around as head coach for a year and failing to trade up for quarterback Robert Griffin III in this year's draft.

Holmgren had a more immediate impact at his other stops. In Green Bay, he inherited a four-win team and led the Packers to the playoffs by his second season. In Seattle, he took over a team that hadn't been to the playoffs in 10 years and guided the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first season. The pressure is on Holmgren to show signs of a similar turnaround in Cleveland.

The Browns weren't able to draft an impact wide receiver in the first three rounds, but team president Mike Holmgren hasn't ruled out signing one over the next couple of months.

"There’s a chance between now and the time ... we tee up that there will be an addition to the wide receiver group," Holmgren told a Cleveland radio station, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "But if there isn’t, then honestly I feel pretty good about our guys."

Holmgren continues to express faith in Greg Little, the team's second-round pick from a year ago who led the team in receptions -- but also averaged one drop for every five passes thrown his way, according to Pro Football Focus.

"I said this last year and I will say it again, I think Little proved he can play in the league," Holmgren said, "and he’s going to get nothing but better after his first year."

Holmgren called Mohamed Massaquoi "the wild card" of the wide receiver group. He set career lows last season in catches (31), receiving yards (384) and yards per catch (12.4).

"I believe in that young man, I really do," Holmgren said. "I think he’s finally gotten over that concussion thing he’s had, and it kind of changed his game just a little a bit in my opinion. But he is a talented guy and I’ve had great talks with him and I think he can be a really, really fine player. So we will see."

Holmgren added, "If that happens and with the addition of [fourth-round draft pick Travis] Benjamin who is fast on fast, I mean he can really run, I think we’re going to be OK there. Did we go into the draft thinking we could pick up another one? Yes we did but it didn’t happen.”

The pressure is mounting on Browns president Mike Holmgren and the rest of his regime after producing nine wins in two years in Cleveland.

The Browns addressed the NFL's 10th-ranked defense with a couple of free-agent additions and made sweeping changes to their lackluster offense by drafting a new quarterback (Brandon Weeden), running back (Trent Richardson) and right tackle (Mitchell Schwartz).

Another four- or five-win season isn't going to cut it for the Browns in 2012.

"I would not be particularly happy if we had the same record or close to it," Holmgren told a local Cleveland radio station, via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "Every season is its own season and there are reasons and I know this, I believe in my coach, I believe in the people here and you just have to persevere and get through the tough stuff when you’re building it. I know that the people in Cleveland and you guys and everybody have heard this before and it’s hard, it’s really hard but I believe in this group and I think we’re on track. I really do."

Holmgren added, "I think if you look at last season as an example the record was what it was, but we had if you remember say the snaps from center, kicked field goals, or PAT’s, if we had made three of those instead of missed three of those we would’ve won seven or eight games or something like that. Now you’re 5-11, 8-8, then you take the next step and boom, in the fourth year you are where you should be. That’s what I’m thinking. I would hope and I would be very disappointed if we didn’t take a pretty good jump this year.”

It's true that you could make a case for the 4-12 Browns being 8-8 last season based on four losses by four points or fewer. But you could also make the case for the Browns winning one game last season, which would have allowed them to take Andrew Luck in the draft. Cleveland's four wins were by a margin of 16 points, including three victories by four points or fewer.

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.

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."

BEREA, Ohio -- The Colt McCoy era is over. A new one -- make that older one -- began Thursday night when the Cleveland Browns selected Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden with the 22nd overall pick.

The Browns have gone from a weak-armed quarterback to a geriatric one by NFL standards. At 28 years, 195 days, Weeden is the oldest player ever to be taken in the first round of the Common Draft era, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Weeden is only two years younger than Ben Roethlisberger. He's one year older than Brady Quinn, the last quarterback taken by the Browns in the first round.

Drafting running back Trent Richardson in the first round was a no-brainer. And, even though I think Weeden can be a quality starter in this league, taking him in the first round makes little sense for a team that is not a quarterback away from contending for a Super Bowl.

The Browns have too many other needs on offense to reach for a failed minor-league pitcher. The Cleveland front office believes it found a franchise quarterback in Weeden, but you have to wonder who is going to block for him at right tackle and who is going to catch the long passes from Weeden's big arm. The Browns are right that Weeden will be an upgrade over McCoy. But, like McCoy, he might have trouble reaching that potential with the holes surrounding him.

In a span of a few hours, the Dawg Pound went from high-fiving over the selection of Richardson to scratching their heads over Weeden.

Why didn't the Browns take a wide receiver like Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill? Why didn't Cleveland pick up Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff or Stanford guard David DeCastro? Why did a rebuilding franchise select an older quarterback?

"We went through the process of evaluating him, we became very fond of him," Browns coach Pat Shurmur said. "We all did, from Randy [Lerner, owner] to Mike [Holmgren, team president] to Tom [Heckert, general manager] to myself. I came away saying this is a guy we'd like to have on our team. That's where we're at right now."

It was interesting that Shurmur pointed out that the owner had input on this decision. The pressure is on, and the clock is ticking.

At his age, Weeden has to start immediately. There's no time to let him sit and learn. And, because of his age, the expectation is to win immediately.

Browns officials shrugged off Weeden's age as being an issue. The number they concentrated on is 22, which is Weeden's wins in 25 starts in college.

"We feel like the kid's a winner," Shurmur said. "I wasn't concerned about his age."

The arrival of Weeden could mean the end of McCoy's days in Cleveland. The Browns gave McCoy a major vote of no confidence when they aggressively tried to trade up for Robert Griffin III last month.

The question now isn't whether McCoy will compete for the job. It's whether McCoy will even be on this team. Heckert didn't deny the possibility that the Browns could trade McCoy this weekend.

"To be honest, we haven't thought about that. We really haven't," Heckert said. "That's something we'll talk about tonight and tomorrow."

If it wasn't for Weeden's age, he would have been a top-10 pick. He has a strong arm. He's got a quick release. He is a hard worker. He is a respected leader.

There's a good chance that Weeden will be a productive quarterback and might end the string of other "franchise" quarterbacks like Tim Couch, Derek Anderson and Quinn. The problem is, teams draft quarterbacks in the first round to be the starter for the next decade. The odds are against that with Weeden, who will turn 30 in October next year.

The Browns have done such a great job in rebuilding the defense in the past two drafts that you want to give them the benefit of the doubt that they'll do the same on offense. When it came time for the Browns to pick at No. 22, Heckert said there was no decision to make especially after Baylor wide receiver Kendall Wright was drafted by Tennessee at No. 20.

"Brandon was by far the best player for us," Heckert said. "There wasn't really even an afterthought. As soon as a couple of guys went, we knew we were going to take him."

Weeden might have been the best player available at that point. He was just not the right player for the Browns.

This is the final part of our series in which we feature one player from each AFC North team who is "On the spot" leading up to the NFL draft. That's a player who is holding a starting job now, but could lose it depending on how his team drafts.

Colt McCoy, Browns quarterback

Offseason recap: The Browns made it known that McCoy wasn't the top choice to be the starting quarterback this season. Team president Mike Holmgren said the Browns aggressively tried to trade up in the draft to take Baylor quarterback Robert Griffin III. Head coach Pat Shurmur hasn't formally named McCoy the starter for 2012, but he indicated that McCoy will take the first snaps when the offense lines up this offseason.

NFL résumé: McCoy was a third-round pick in 2010 by the Cleveland Browns. In his first full season as a starter, McCoy ranked 26th in completion percentage (57.2), 25th in passing yards per game (210.2), 32nd in yards per attempt (5.9), 25th in passer rating (74.6) and 25th in QBR (39.8).

Analysis from Matt Williamson, of Scouts Inc.: If it were me, I would take running back Trent Richardson at No. 4. He is just too good of a football player to pass up. But I wouldn't kill the Browns for grabbing Ryan Tannehill, whom I see as a potential franchise quarterback. McCoy is not a potential franchise quarterback, and franchise quarterbacks make the NFL go round.

Potential draft replacement: Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M and Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

Recent "On the spot" blogs: Bengals safety Taylor Mays on Thursday, Ravens linebacker Paul Kruger on Friday and Steelers cornerback Keenan Lewis on Tuesday.

At least four teams have called the Cleveland Browns about the fourth overall pick in the upcoming draft, sources told the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

One of the teams believed to be in the mix is the St. Louis Rams. That would mean dropping to No. 6. Just say no. Why? The Browns can say goodbye to an elite offensive playmaker in running back Trent Richardson if they trade down. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers would immediately grab Richardson at No. 5.

Another potential trade partner is the Philadelphia Eagles. This would require the Browns to fall to No. 15. Cleveland really has to say no to this one. Why? It's a pipe dream to think wide receiver Michael Floyd is going to be available at this spot. He's going to get drafted by Buffalo (No. 10) or Arizona (No. 13).

The top offensive prospects who should be on the board in the middle of the first round are guard David DeCastro and wide receiver Kendall Wright. Two additional second-round picks are not worth this dropoff. Plus, general manager Tom Heckert indicated 17 days ago that the Browns would consider falling back as far as No. 8. The Eagles' spot is out of that range.

As I mentioned earlier this week, the Browns shouldn't trade back. They need playmakers, not picks. Their draft should be based on quality, not quantity.

Still, there's a good chance that the Browns will trade back. Heckert's track record shows he likes to acquire extra picks. And, as ESPN Insider Bill Polian pointed out, Mike Holmgren's teams often find their running backs later in the draft or through free agency.

But Richardson is one of those special types of backs. He has the toughness to excel in a division like the AFC North and he has the potential to immediately affect an offense like Adrian Peterson did.

If Holmgren doesn't believe me, he should consult with his good friend and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden before thinking of trading back.

“The easiest thing to do is turn around and hand the ball to somebody 300 times a year,” Gruden said in a conference call. “Everybody says, ‘Don’t take a running back. You can get those guys in the fifth, sixth or seventh round.' You go try to find Trent Richardson in the fifth, sixth or seventh round."

Gruden added, “He’s a beast. He broke all of Emmitt Smith’s high school rushing records in Florida. I’ve seen him run over people, run around people, he protects the ball, he can catch it, can pick up blitzes. He might be the strongest human being on the planet."

Just because teams are interested in the No. 4 pick doesn't mean the Browns should be interested in giving it up. Just say no.

» AFC Assessments: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Cincinnati Bengals

Key additions: RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis, S Reggie Nelson, G Travelle Wharton, CB Jason Allen, CB Adam Jones, DE Jamaal Anderson, DE Derrick Harvey

Key losses: DE Frostee Rucker (Browns), G Nate Livings (Cowboys), G Mike McGlynn (Colts), DE Jonathan Fanene (Patriots), WR Andre Caldwell (Broncos)

Grade after first wave of free agency: B. The Bengals were the most active team in the division and they should have been. Cincinnati entered free agency with more than $50 million in salary-cap space, which was more than the rest of the AFC North combined. The Bengals upgraded at running back and left guard while bringing back their top free-agent priority in safety Reggie Nelson. The biggest knock against the Bengals is they didn't make a splash by signing a high-profile free agent like guard Ben Grubbs or wide receiver Robert Meachem.

The prize of the Bengals' signings is running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who is an improvement over Cedric Benson. Green-Ellis isn't known for breaking long gains, but he is a force in the red zone and has never fumbled in the NFL. Wharton is a step up from Nate Livings at left guard because he is a strong run-blocker who will open holes inside. The biggest losses came on the defensive line, where Cincinnati will miss Frostee Rucker on run defense and Jonathan Fanene in the pass rush.

What’s next: The Bengals can still close the gap between the Ravens and Steelers because they have two first-round picks in the draft (No. 17 overall, which came from Oakland in the Carson Palmer trade, and No. 21). Even with the signing of Wharton, Cincinnati needs a right guard and could have a shot at the top interior offensive lineman coming out of college. Stanford's David DeCastro is one of the safest picks in the draft and would start immediately for the Bengals.

The second first-round pick could be used on a wide receiver or a cornerback. The Bengals surprisingly didn't add a free-agent wide receiver to pair with A.J. Green. Georgia Tech's Stephen Hill or Baylor's Kendall Wright should be available in the bottom third of the draft. Another need is cornerback because Cincinnati could use an eventual replacement for Nate Clements, who is entering his 12th season. Alabama's Dre Kirkpatrick, the second best corner in the draft, has a chance of sliding to the Bengals.

Cleveland Browns

Key additions: DE Frostee Rucker, LB D'Qwell Jackson, CB Dimitri Patterson, DE Juqua Parker

Key losses: RB Peyton Hillis (Chiefs), S Mike Adams (Broncos), G Eric Steinbach, OT Tony Pashos

Grade after first wave of free agency: C. Browns president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert said they were building this team through the draft and they weren't joking. The Browns desperately needed to improve at quarterback, wide receiver and right tackle. But Cleveland's offense came out of the initial wave of free agency empty-handed. Blame the Washington Redskins. The Browns attempted to move up in the draft to take Robert Griffin III, and the Rams instead traded the second overall pick to the Redskins. Cleveland reportedly pursued wide receivers Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan, and both took high-priced deals from Washington.

The Browns provided more help to the defense in free agency. Frostee Rucker will make an impact in stopping the run, which was the biggest weakness on the NFL's 10th-ranked defense. Juqua Parker, who has 31.5 sacks over the past six seasons, will team with Jabaal Sheard to give Cleveland a strong rush coming off both edges. The Browns didn't try to keep Peyton Hillis and Mike Adams from going elsewhere.

What’s next: Offense, offense and offense. Did I mention offense? The Browns need a quarterback but there's no one worthy of the fourth overall pick. Cleveland could trade down to select Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill or wait until the second round for Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden. The big decision comes if the Browns stay put at No. 4. Cleveland's choices are Alabama running back Trent Richardson or Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon. The Browns could use either one because they don't have a starting running back or a No. 1 wide receiver.

Cleveland has a second first-round pick as a result of last year's trade with the Atlanta Falcons. The Browns need to target a wide receiver (if they don't take one earlier in the first round), right tackle or outside linebacker with the 22nd overall pick. Baylor receiver Wright, Mississippi offensive tackle Bobby Massie and Nebraska outside linebacker Lavonte David have been linked to Cleveland.

Baltimore Ravens

Key additions: C Matt Birk, ILB Jameel McClain, OLB Brendon Ayanbadejo, CB Corey Graham, S Sean Considine

Key losses: G Ben Grubbs (Saints), OLB Jarret Johnson (Chargers), DE Cory Redding (Colts) and CB Domonique Foxworth

Grade after first wave of free agency: D. The Ravens lost three starters (Ben Grubbs, Jarret Johnson and Cory Redding) from last season's AFC North champion team and have yet to add anyone to replace them. It was a rough start to free agency for Baltimore, which didn't sign any of its first three visits (guard Evan Mathis, defensive end Mark Anderson and receiver-returner Ted Ginn Jr.). The toughest part of free agency was when the Ravens failed to sign Mathis, who re-signed with the Eagles, after Baltimore had just lost Grubbs.

Baltimore was able to keep two free-agent starters, Matt Birk and Jameel McClain, and boost a struggling special-teams group that allowed three touchdowns last season. The Ravens signed Cory Graham, a Pro Bowl special-teams player from the Bears; Brendon Ayanbadejo, a three-time Pro Bowl special-teams standout; and Sean Considine, who played special teams for three seasons under John Harbaugh in Philadelphia.

What’s next: The Ravens' biggest need is at left guard, but there might not be one that warrants being taken at No. 29. Wisconsin center-guard Peter Konz's stock has slipped recently even though he can play guard right away before switching to center in future seasons. It's hard to pin down a player for Baltimore, which can go in a lot of different directions in the first round.

The Ravens could take the best wide receiver available (especially if he's a returner) because they need a third target who can eventually take Anquan Boldin's starting spot. They could take a safety because Ed Reed turns 34 at the start of the season and Bernard Pollard is a free agent next year. And they could take an offensive tackle because they don't have a reliable backup and Bryant McKinnie is a free agent in 2013.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Key additions: None

Key losses: CB William Gay (Cardinals), LB James Farrior, NT Chris Hoke, G Chris Kemoeatu, DE Aaron Smith, WR Hines Ward

Grade after first wave of free agency: D. It's been a quiet free-agency period so far for the Steelers. Then again, it's usually quiet for the Steelers at this point in the offseason. The only team that consistently does less than the Steelers in free agency is the Green Bay Packers.

The Steelers avoided a failing grade because they've lost only two starters from last season's playoff team. James Farrior was cut in the team's salary-cap purge, and William Gay left as an unrestricted free agent. What Pittsburgh really lost in trimming $25 million to get under the cap was veteran depth and leadership. Injuries would force young players to step up into starting roles.

What’s next: There are question marks at running back, guard, inside linebacker, nose tackle and cornerback. Despite all of those needs, the consensus has been Pittsburgh will draft Alabama inside linebacker Dont'a Hightower if he's available at No. 24. He has a great combination of size and speed and excelled in a 3-4 defense in college. It seems like Hightower would be the perfect fit for Pittsburgh.

There's no chance that Memphis' Dontari Poe falls to the Steelers, but there some quality nose tackles in the draft. Those who should be available after the first round are: BYU's Loni Fangupo (second round), Washington's Alameda Ta'amu (third round) and Alabama's Josh Chapman (fourth round). The Steelers likely will become active later in free agency, especially in retaining their own players. Wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery, running back Mewelde Moore and quarterbacks Byron Leftwich and Charlie Batch could potentially return to the team.

Browns coach Pat Shurmur told the Cleveland Plain Dealer on Tuesday that "we're moving forward" with Colt McCoy as the Browns starting quarterback.

"At this point, he's our quarterback," Shurmur said at the NFL owners meetings. "We're looking forward to him being our guy and I'm looking forward to seeing him improve. We believe he has a chance to be a fine player in this league."

Does Shurmur even need to qualify this with "at this point"? Just come out and say McCoy is the Browns' starting quarterback for 2012. It's clear that Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III was your first choice. Now that RG3 looks to be headed to the Redskins, make it clear that McCoy is your second choice.

But Shurmur's announcement does come with that asterisk because he hasn't ruled out drafting a quarterback that will come in and compete for the starting job. If you don't think veteran backup Seneca Wallace has a chance to beat out McCoy in a competition -- which is what Shurmur is saying with his statement today -- you shouldn't believe a college quarterback with only 19 starts (Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill) or a 28-year-old rookie (Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden) can beat out McCoy.

The Browns have repeatedly shown they lack confidence in McCoy. On Jan. 5, team president Mike Holmgren announced McCoy will face competition for the job this year, saying he was "not ready to anoint Colt yet." On March 15, Holmgren revealed to season-ticket holders that they were aggressive in trying to trade up in this year's draft for RG3, which sent the message that the Browns don't think McCoy is a franchise quarterback.

Browns officials have tried to smooth over the situation with McCoy. Holmgren revealed Monday that he phoned McCoy to reassure him of the organization's support.

“I just wanted to remind him there’s been a lot spoken and a lot written about our situation and other situations around the league, quite frankly,” Holmgren told the team's official website. “There’s a lot mentioned about the draft and potentially what we’re going to do. And all he can really control is what he does. All he can really do is become the best player he can be and try and block out all of the rest of the stuff."

Holmgren added, “And that’s easier said than done, because we’re all human. But that was my message to him.”

McCoy is a quarterback with limitations, especially arm strength. In his first full season as a starter, McCoy ranked 26th in completion percentage (57.2), 25th in passing yards per game (210.2), 32nd in yards per attempt (5.9), 25th in passer rating (74.6) and 25th in QBR (39.8).

While McCoy has given no indication that he can become a franchise quarterback, the only way the Browns can truly evaluate him is to put quality talent around him. In a perfect draft, the Cleveland's first three selections would be (in no order): running back, wide receiver and right tackle. And, unlike last season, McCoy will have a full offseason in Shumur's offense.

"I want to see him have an offseason," Shurmur said. "It takes awhile to really learn an offense. Now he's had a chance to look at all of the cut-ups and have a better understanding of it."

If McCoy fails to show improvement, there will be no more excuses or chances for him.

It doesn't matter what you think of Colt McCoy as a quarterback. You have to feel for a guy whose season ended with a nasty shot to the head by James Harrison, and whose offseason started with a blow to the ego by Browns president Mike Holmgren.

Last week, Holmgren told season-ticket holders that the Browns' aggressive attempt to trade up and draft Robert Griffin III was rebuffed because of a close relationship between the Rams and Redskins. In other words, the Browns wanted their franchise quarterback to be RG3, not McCoy.

In his first public comments since that conference call with fans, Holmgren sought to put the best face on an uncomfortable situation now that his second-choice at quarterback could very well end up being his starting quarterback this season.

"I know Colt as a person. He’ll respond as well as anyone in the world to this,'' Holmgren told Seattle radio station KJR on Monday, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I think he's a competitive guy. He understands this business. He and I had a really good talk before he left in the offseason. And he knew there was going to be competition coming into this next offseason and next training camp."

Holmgren added, "I think if you’re just honest with him, then they’ll be able to handle most things. Is there a little side to any of the players that gets touched by something like that? In all honesty, there probably is. But, you know what? It’s a business and you got to bounce back. And how you bounce back determines what kind of a guy you are."

If Holmgren really wants to help McCoy "respond," he needs to give him answers to some important questions. Who is his starting running back? Who is his No. 1 receiver? Who is his right tackle?

The Browns decided to pass on those positions in free agency, allowing Pierre Garcon, Mario Manningham and Eric Winston sign elsewhere. They can address some of these questions in the draft if they take wide receiver Justin Blackmon or running back Trent Richardson with the fourth overall pick.

"I like Colt McCoy as a player,'' Holmgren told the radio station. "I think he’s a fine player, and has a chance to be a fine player in this league. Last year, I thought one, he got beat up pretty good. We didn’t protect him quite as well. I thought our running game after Peyton Hillis got hurt wasn’t helping him enough in my opinion. And then we had the lockout."

Holmgren added, "So you had a new coach, new system, new quarterbacks. You put all that together and I think it was a little bit of a short deck. So, I’m not down on Colt McCoy at all. But I will always -- and as long as I’m in a position like this -- we are always going to look for quarterbacks. Make that pile a little bit bigger. Try to create some competition. To try and bring the best out of the people you already have."

Browns president Mike Holmgren created a stir Thursday in a conference call with season-ticket holders when he said Cleveland didn't get a fair shot to trade up in the draft because of a close relationship between the Rams and Redskins.

Some are angered by the fact that the Browns were blocked at a chance to get quarterback Robert Griffin III. Others see this as sour grapes by Holmgren.

Whatever perspective you choose to take, the result is the same: Holmgren turned a personal frustration into a public embarrassment. Even if Holmgren felt slighted -- and my take was the Rams should have given the pick to the Browns if it was the best deal -- he needed to remain quiet. Take your lumps and move on. This is the NFL, not a fantasy football league with your buddies.

Holmgren's complaining about the Rams and Redskins leaves himself open to scrutiny for the times he benefited from personal relationships. As NFC West blogger Mike Sando pointed out, Holmgren used his connections to help the Seattle Seahawks acquire Matt Hasselbeck from Green Bay in 2001 when it looked like a deal was nearing between the Packers and Dolphins. Funny, I never heard Dave Wannstedt crying foul.

The worst fallout from all of this is what it does to the Browns' quarterback situation. His comments make it clear that RG3 was Cleveland's first choice. If the Browns thought Colt McCoy was a franchise quarterback, they wouldn't have been trying to trade multiple first-round picks to get RG3. Calling out the Redskins and Rams wasn't worth a vote of no confidence in McCoy.

The Browns can stick to Plan B and use draft picks to build up talent around McCoy. In the end, they're building around a quarterback that they didn't intend to start in 2012.

The other problem is Holmgren can't say Cleveland made "every bit the offer" as the Redskins and not reveal what the offer was. As NFC East blogger Dan Graziano explained: If you really think your offer was better, let's hear it and everyone can make a judgment.

It was a bad call for Holmgren to grumble about losing out on the trade. Let's see if his decision-making is better when it comes to finding a starting running back, a fast wide receiver and a starting right tackle.

The general perception is that the Cleveland Browns failed to move up in the draft to get quarterback Robert Griffin III because they didn't offer enough to the St. Louis Rams for the second overall pick.

Browns general manager Mike Holmgren believes Cleveland had no shot at making the trade.

In a conference call with Browns season-ticket holders today, Holmgren said "a very close relationship" between the Rams and Redskins prevented Cleveland from moving two spots up in the draft. Holmgren didn't go into specifics about the relationship, but it's well-known that Rams coach Jeff Fisher and Redskins coach Mike Shanahan are close friends.

This is a very serious accusation from Holmgren, and he wouldn't speak publicly about this if he didn't feel strongly about its validity. If you doubt the closeness of Shanahan and Fisher, there's an article in USA Today from five years ago about the NFL's version of bosom buddies. Fisher and Shanahan bonded in the 1990s in San Francisco, where Fisher was the 49ers' defensive backs coach for two years (1992-93) while Shanahan served as the offensive coordinator for three (1992-94).

Let's be clear about this: If this is true, Shanahan and Fisher didn't violate any NFL rule that I know about. But they are guilty of poor sportsmanship. I could understand a team trying to avoid helping out a division rival. But if the Browns gave the best offer, they deserved the pick.

The Redskins moved into the No. 2 spot by sending the Rams this year's picks in the first round (sixth overall) and second round as well as first-rounders in 2013 and 2014. There were reports that the Browns offered three first-round picks but not this year's second-round one. Holmgren said the reports about the Browns' offer were incorrect, saying Cleveland made "every bit the offer" as the Redskins.

While no one knows whether those future first-round picks would be better from the Redskins or Browns, a similar offer would favor the Browns because they were offering the fourth overall pick while the Redskins could only give the No. 6 pick.

“Honestly, when it didn’t happen -- I think there are reasons that I can’t go into right now -- but there is a very close relationship between the people getting the deal done and the people who offered," Holmgren said in the conference call. "And I’m not sure anything we offered would have been good enough. We were very, very aggressive and it didn’t work."

In other words, Holmgren says don't blame the Browns for failing to get RG3. You can point the finger -- or Dawg bone, if you prefer -- squarely at Shanahan and Fisher.