AFC North: Randy Lerner

There are mixed feelings about the Browns getting rid of Mike Holmgren as team president, based on the results of the SportsNation poll. Of the 7,053 votes, 42 percent say it was the right move and 41 say it was not.

Here are some comments from the AFC North blog readers:

Tony from Columbus, Ohio: Mike Holmgren should have been the coach, not the de facto owner.

Michael from Cincinnati: At a time the Browns were in need of a decisive leader, Holmgren proved to be indecisive from the start. From keeping Eric Mangini as coach to failing to even muster up a legitimate offer in the Robert Griffin III sweepstakes, Holmgren should never have been.

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Mike Holmgren
AP Photo/Mark DuncanPoll voters were mixed in their opinions of Mike Holmgren's time with the Cleveland Browns.
Joe from Columbus, Ohio: The people who voted to keep Holmgren must not be Browns fans. He is building at a glacial pace. He had no defined job, no passion and let his rookie coach hang himself. Why be here if you're not going to use your coaching experience to help the guy and the team out? He was overpaid, underworked, and underachieved. In Jimmy (Haslam) we trust.

Rich from Charlotte, N.C.: Yes, I'm excited about the new owner. However, here we go again with more turnover. The GM and head coach will soon be gone and with that a whole new phylosophy of the game will come in. New offense, maybe back to the 3-4 defense. So that means starting over with new players. At most there should be turnover at the coaching level. The Packers and Seahawks didn't start winning overnight. It took at least, If I recall, it took three or four years before they were contenders in games. I wish they would have given Holgrem and the GM at least another year.

Aaron from Cleveland: No, the Browns did the right thing by letting Holmgren go. His role with the team under Randy Lerner was as de facto owner. Under the new regime, the owner will be active in the operation of the team. Further, Holmgren was never good at being a GM or president of a team. When he had the dual role of GM and coach in Seattle, he was quickly stripped of the GM role. Lerner never wanted to be involved with the Browns and was terrible at making personnel decisions relating to running a football program. Holmgren was his last, best testament to that failure as an owner.

Mark from Fredericksburg, Va.: I think that you can see that the Browns are on the right path to becoming relevant in this league. I think we can thank Mike Holmgren and the personnel he brought in for what looks to be bright days ahead for the franchise. However, Jimmy Haslam absolutely has the right to bring in the personnel he feels comfortable with leading his franchise. If the Browns turn this thing around with the players they have in place right now, then all credit can go to Mike Holmgren and Tom Heckert. Sustaining it will be the job of Joe Banner.

Paul from Lake Helen, Fla.: No, Mike failed. He should not have been kept on because of three big mistakes. 1. Waiting too long to fire Eric Mangini and then re-booting and installing a new system. 2. (The Cleveland fans called this right away) Hiring Pat Shurmer, a rookie head coach. The Browns have had way too many inexperienced head coaches. Cleveland has been Coaching 101. 3. Not attracting any high-profile free agents to fill holes and not drafting any Pro Bowl talent with their high draft picks. Goodbye Big Show, time to close the curtain on the No Show.

Matt from California: I'm really split on the Holmgren firing. On one hand, we definitely started to develop a good defense under him and drafted very well. I'm still holding out hope Heckert stays, but I really think Pat Shurmur was just not the right choice as coach. That was Holmgren's biggest decision and has not worked out well at all from a win perspective.

Kevin from Chicago: Holmgren's record speaks for itself. No one expected him to turn the Browns into a Super Bowl contender immediately, but a 10-30 record is indefensible. He made a number of critical mistakes, including bringing Jake Delhomme in as the starting quarterback, and neglecting the wide-receiver position. Pat Shurmur often appears befuddled on the sidelines, and is on his way to cementing his reputation as one of the worst head coaches in the franchise's history. Mike Holmgren was paid king's ransom to turn a long suffering franchise into a winner, but his actions and questionable work ethic have instead further relegated the Browns to irrelevance. Jimmy Haslam demonstrated to the team and the fans that losing will no longer be tolerated in Cleveland.
The Browns are looking to avoid setting a new team low in futility Sunday.

After dropping 11 consecutive games, the Browns need one more defeat for the longest losing streak in team history. This is a franchise that began playing in 1946. Cleveland, which hasn't won since Nov. 20, 2011, could set the mark in the final game with Randy Lerner as owner. On Tuesday, the NFL has scheduled a vote to approve the sale of the Browns from Lerner to Jimmy Haslam III.

In this instance, the Browns are hoping that history repeats itself. The only other time that the Browns lost 11 games in a row was 1974-75. That streak ended with a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals at home. Who do the Browns play Sunday? It just so happens to be the Bengals at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Cleveland is now 68-145 (.319) since re-joining the NFL as a franchise in 1999. The Browns (0-5) are the NFL's only winless team this season.
Based on this week's SportsNation poll, the sale of the Cleveland Browns to Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam is a positive move.

Of the 4,651 voters, 55 percent said they were in favor of Randy Lerner selling the Browns to Haslam. Only 18 percent voted against it.

Here are some of your thoughts on the change in ownership:

Steve from Toledo, Ohio, writes: "I am all for the sale of the Browns to Jimmy Haslam. Yes, I know he said he is an "1,000 percent Steeler's fan," but what do you expect when you buy into a team that's not from your hometown? You need to make yourself sound good to the fans. Randy Lerner never really got this, being that he never really wanted the team. The only thing I am concerned about is Tom Heckert. I am 1,000 percent (see what I did there?) confident in his decision making. I hope that since he worked under Joe Banner (rumored to be coming along with Haslam), he would be allowed to stay. I'm not too worried about Holmgren and Shurmur, but Heckert is the one who needs to stay."

Mark from Allentown, Pa., writes: "I think it is a great thing. I won't fault Lerner for effort, but poor execution and luck. He spent, so it has nothing to do with him being a cheapskate owner. He just had no idea who to hire to run the club. The bad luck part has to do with things like Courtney Brown. I mean no one could predict the health issues he had. The funny thing is him selling now. I think [general manager Tom] Heckert has the Browns headed in the right direction in terms of talent. I do question some of [Mike] Holmgren's moves though. I mean keeping [Eric] Mangini another year was stupid if you weren't going to keep him. I still don't like the hiring of [Pat] Shurmur."

Drew from Akron, Ohio: "I am glad that the Browns are being sold to what should be a much more engaging and involved owner. However, I am worried, as many Browns fans are, that the new owner will scrap everything again after we have begun to see some momentum with the last few drafts. I believe Heckert has done well drafting, and Shurmur should be given time to develop this very young team. If there is another overhaul of the coaching staff after this season it will be very disheartening for Cleveland fans."

Sharfy from Columbus, Ohio: "I am in favor of this move but with reservations. As a season ticket holder, I want a owner who has his heart with the team and will do all he can to support the team on the field and the fans in the stands. I am hesitant because we do not know what his plans are for the team. The team just invested in a lot of young talent and changing leadership yet again would put the Browns at yet again rebuilding. I would like to see this group get at least this season and next to see what they can do with this group of talent now that they have some."
There have been varying opinions on the impending sale of the Browns from Randy Lerner to Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam.

SportsNation

What's your reaction to Randy Lerner selling controlling interest of the Browns to Steelers minority owner Jimmy Haslam?

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    55%
  •  
    18%
  •  
    27%

Discuss (Total votes: 4,651)

This would mark the first time since the Browns returned to the NFL in 1999 that team ownership would change (although Lerner is still expected to hold onto 30 percent of the team).

Lerner has been criticized for never having his heart fully invested into owning the Browns. Haslam has created a stir for being a minority owner in the Steelers (he'll have to sell his 5 to 10 percent in the team before purchasing the Browns).

Go ahead and register your vote. Let me know your reaction to the sale, whether you're in favor of it or against it, by dropping me some mail. Your comments could get published on the blog later in the week.
Team president Mike Holmgren confirmed owner Randy Lerner is selling controlling interest of the Cleveland Browns to businessman Jimmy Haslam. He confirmed that the Browns aren't moving.

What he couldn't confirm was his future with the team. "That will be answered probably down the road," Holmgren said, "and you control the things you can control and do the best you can. I think we’ve done a lot of great things here in getting to this point, but we will see.”

By the sounds of this comment, Holmgren either knows now that he's out or has been given no guarantee that he's staying from the new owner (which could be a sign that he's out, too). Holmgren told Cleveland reporters that he has yet to speak to Haslam.

Holmgren's two-plus years with the Browns have been disappointing, but cleaning house again would be even more disappointing. It's understandable that a new regime would want its own people in place. The huge amount of money being spent on this transaction certainly gives Haslam the right to do so. Still, one of the reasons for the Browns' perpetual losing has been a lack of continuity. There has never been a long-term vision for the franchise.

If Holmgren is removed as president, this could be his last job in the NFL. He's 64 years old, and teams often want a five-year commitment when hiring.

Asked if he plans on fulfilling his five-year contract with the Browns, Holmgren said, “To me, a contract is a contract. I have said that before and I try to be honest with you about that. We’ll deal with those things as we go down the road. Right now I am the president of the team and that’s how I am operating.”

Note: The blog has been down for an extended period, so I was unable to post for a few hours. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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It's no surprise that Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner is in talks to sell all or a portion of the team.

There has always been chatter that his heart wasn't into owning the team. It was his father, Al Lerner, who bought the team. Randy Lerner inherited it when his father died, along with the responsibility of trying to get the Browns out of the AFC North cellar.

The unexpected part of Friday's news is the potential buyer/investor. Lerner confirmed in a statement that he is negotiations with Tennessee businessman Jimmy Haslam, a minority owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2008. Yes, the Browns' despised division rival. If that upsets Browns fans, then they shouldn't read Haslam's investor profile on the Steelers' website where he proclaims: "I am 1,000 percent a Steelers fan!"

I totally understand the backlash this has caused from fans in Cleveland. It was only 16 years ago when your team was ripped away and moved to Baltimore. Now, it looks like a man waving the Terrible Towel is coming to take over the team.

This is probably futile, but let me try to calm your fears on this matter. First, Lerner didn't specify whether he'd be willing to sell the team outright or just a portion of it. So, the notion that Haslam is taking the entire team from Lerner is just speculation at this point (although you would have to think he is looking for a majority share).

And second, Haslam isn't a lifelong Steelers fan who grew up drinking Iron City beer. He is a billionaire who was a fan of the Cowboys and Colts before investing in the Steelers. He reportedly tried to buy the Titans a few years ago, which tells you how strong his ties are with the Steelers. If Haslam would gain a stake in the Browns, I'm sure he would change his allegiance to the Dawg Pound.

Let's see how this plays out. There is a lot of optimism about the future of the Browns with the likes of Trent Richardson and Brandon Weeden. Now, those hopes comes with questions about who will be owing the team down the road.
The Cleveland Browns addressed rumors of being sold by issuing this statement from owner Randy Lerner:

"In connection with current rumors and press inquiries, I can report that I’ve been approached by Mr. Jimmy Haslam, who is interested in making an investment in the Cleveland Browns. We are currently in negotiations and both sides have agreed to keep that dialogue and its details private. Given that any transaction would require League approval, care has been taken so that this process will not be disruptive to the organization, in particular the football team, as it prepares for the upcoming season. We will share further details or make an announcement if it becomes necessary.”

Haslam has been a minority owner of the Browns' rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, since 2008. On the Steelers' website, where you can see a picture of Haslam, he talks about how he was originally a Cowboys fan and then became a Colts one. That has now changed. "I am 1,000 percent a Steelers fan!," Haslam said.

Rumors that the Browns were for sale began last month, when a Philadelphia radio station reported former Eagles President Joe Banner was interested in putting together a group to buy a team. A Browns spokesman shot down the speculation at that time.

The Browns have been owned by the Lerner Family since 1999. Randy Lerner inherited the team in 2002 when his father, Al Lerner, died.
Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

A Cleveland Browns spokesman says the team is not for sale, refuting a radio report that the NFL franchise might be on the market.

Neal Gulkis, the team's vice president of media relations, said Thursday that "the Browns are not for sale." The only statement from the Browns on this matter wasn't attributed to owner Randy Lerner, whose father purchased the expansion franchise for $530 million in 1998.

Gulkis was responding to a report by Philadelphia radio personality Howard Eskin, who posted on his Twitter page that former Eagles president Joe Banner is putting together a group to buy the Buffalo Bills and that the Browns and St. Louis Rams may also be for sale.

"My understanding is that the Bills are (Banner's) first priority,'' Eskin told 92.3 The Fan in Cleveland. "I was also told by an NFL source that Cleveland and St. Louis may be for sale, but Joe's first order of business from what I was told was Buffalo, if in fact he can get that money together and do all of those things. Cleveland and St. Louis were secondary in the information that I got. ... I was told by somebody I truly, truly respect with information, but outside of that, I know nothing further.''

Hensley's slant: This report likely comes from the fact that there are many in the league who think Lerner never wanted to be the Browns owner. He didn't purchase the team. He inherited it from his father. But there are others who believe Lerner won't sell the team until he turns it around.

BENGALS: Dontay Moch has displayed a very quick and athletic pass rush in the team's offseason team activities that gives offensive tackles problems, according to the Bengals' official website. "He can definitely get upfield," linebackers coach Paul Guenther said. "He's got value to us as a pass-rusher, but we have to have confidence that we can play him on first and second down, too." Moch, a third-round pick from a year ago, is still trying to make the transition from college end to strongside linebacker. Hensley's slant: The Bengals would like Moch to make an impact on the pass rush this season because they need a presence opposite Carlos Dunlap. But the more pressing question with Moch is whether he'll be able to play for the Bengals in their first four games. He is reportedly appealing a suspension for using a banned substance. "It's out of my hands," he said.

RAVENS: Linebacker Courtney Upshaw, the team's top pick from this year's draft, isn't worried about any hazing from the veterans. “I kind of built up a reputation as a football player as one of those guys not to mess with," Upshaw told Comcast SportsNet in Baltimore, via the team's website. "Hopefully they feel the same way, ‘We’re not going to mess with Courtney.'” The website noted that nose tackle Terrence Cody referred to his teammate as "a mean dude." Hensley's slant: The best way for Upshaw to gain the respect of the veterans is to step up to the challenge of being a starter. He is expected to take over for Jarret Johnson, who went to San Diego as a free agent, as Baltimore's strongside linebacker. He reportedly dropped about seven pounds since the team drafted him in April, which should help with his transition to being an NFL linebacker. Unlike his time at Alabama, Upshaw is being asked to drop back in coverage during the Ravens' OTAs.

STEELERS: Defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau still doesn't have an answer for how the NFL's top-ranked defense gave up 316 passing yards to Tim Tebow in the playoffs, which included an 80-yard winning touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in overtime. "If I had an answer for that, it wouldn't have happened," LeBeau told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "But I can tell you this, in the National Football League, a game like that can happen every Sunday, and does happen somewhere around the league. And I don't care what your stats are. I don't care who you have out there, the other people have skilled people, too. It only takes a couple plays as we saw, and it's a lot of yards and a lot of points and you end up losing." Hensley's slant: LeBeau faces a bigger challenge when the Steelers return to Denver in this year's season opener. Something tells me LeBeau won't be stacking the box against Peyton Manning. LeBeau, though, has to decide whether he'll be starting Keenan Lewis, Cortez Allen or Curtis Brown at cornerback for that first game.

AFC North links: Ravens lose McAdoo, too

June, 2, 2012
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Baltimore Ravens
Linebacker Michael McAdoo, one of the candidates to fill in for the injured Terrell Suggs this season, will likely miss the season himself after suffering a torn Achilles tendon during organized team activities. McAdoo, who was entering his second season after spending his first on injured reserve, underwent surgery Friday, the Carroll County Times reports; Suggs partially tore an Achilles tendon during an April workout.

Cincinnati Bengals
Andrea Hangst pegs quarterback Andy Dalton and receiver A.J. Green as two of the four Bengals most likely to take a step backward in 2012.

Cleveland Browns
Not content to rip general manager Mike Holmgren and first-round draft pick Trent Richardson, former Browns star Jim Brown lit into team owner Randy Lerner during an interview with the NFL Network. "There's always a question mark when your owner is in England," Brown said.

Scott Fujita denied a charge from the filmmaker who leaked audiotape in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal that the linebacker knew about the bounty program and that he pushed for the release of the audiotape.

Pittsburgh Steelers
Hines Ward broke his silence in the wake of news Thursday that he'd signed on as an analyst with NBC. "I'm looking forward to starting the next chapter of my life and working on the other side of football," the retired receiver wrote.


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

Browns owner Randy Learner stressed that he does care about the team despite a reputation of being an "absentee owner."

"I do care. Of course I care," Lerner told WTAM-AM radio in Cleveland, via The Chronicle-Telegram. "I don't know ways of showing you care are clear to me other than to provide support and show up. It sickens me when we lose games. It sickens me when we have a season like we’ve just had."

Lerner believes president Mike Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert are the right men to guide the Browns into the playoffs.

“It’s not a business where you’re going to get time,” Lerner said. “But we’re not going to get anywhere if you keep turning this thing over. Mike Holmgren is as honorable and committed a football leader as I’ve been around.”

Hensley's slant: Lerner has repeatedly shown that he cares when he has fired coaches and general managers in search of the winning combination. If he didn't care, he would keep the status quo so he doesn't have to pay ex-members of the staff even after they leave. It's not a question of whether he cares or not. It's a question of whether he'll get the right people in place.

BENGALS: Mike Zimmer is now on the radar of the Indianapolis Colts, who have asked for permission to speak to the Bengals defensive coordinator about their head-coaching position, according to ESPN and the Indianapolis Star. It's been a busy month for Zimmer, who remains in the running for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head coaching job but was eliminated from consideration for the Miami Dolphins' opening. Hensley's slant: It's hard to gauge the Colts' interest in Zimmer because it's so early in their search process. Saints offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael and Titans defensive coordinator Jerry Gray are also expected to interview with the Colts. It's still a good sign that teams are interested in speaking to Zimmer. He just has to wonder whether getting turned down by multiple teams this year would hurt his stock going forward.

STEELERS: A decision on offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is expected soon, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The paper reported this week that Arians might not return to the team. If Arians is gone, the Steelers are expected to promote from within. According to the Post-Gazette, running backs coach Kirby Wilson was Arians' likely successor, but his health, after suffering severe burns over 45 percent of his body in a fire Jan. 6 at his home, "precludes that possibility." Hensley's slant: Why shouldn't the Steelers promote from within? It's been a successful formula for the Steelers to maintain some continuity at offensive coordinator. This has worked with Tom Moore, Chan Gailey, Mike Mularkey, Ken Whisenhunt and Arians.

RAVENS: There will be continued coverage of the team today heading into the AFC Championship Game, from the prediction blog to a column on Ed Reed to the Final Word blog.
Head coach Pat Shurmur and owner Randy Lerner are working together to turn around a struggling Browns franchise.

But for a few hours Thursday, Shurmur and Lerner went head-to-head on the football field. Well, at least their 14-year-old children did.

The sons of Shurmur and Lerner are the starting quarterbacks for storied high school rivals in west side of Cleveland. Kyle Shurmur threw three touchdown passes to guide his St. Edward freshman football team past Max Lerner and St. Ignatius 37-0, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Neither father was in attendance, the Plain Dealer reported. Kyle Shurmur and Max Lerner became good friends this year after hanging out at Browns practices.

"I'm close with Max," Kyle Shurmur told the newspaper. "I hope he does really well in everything. I hope he does really well every night -- except this one night."

Who are the top NFL owners?

May, 9, 2011
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We have another interesting set of Power Rankings coming up on ESPN.com. This week we rank the NFL's best owners.

Will any teams from the AFC North make the cut?

Ownership with the Pittsburgh Steelers (Rooney family) and Baltimore Ravens (Steve Bisciotti) are highly regarded in NFL circles. Both teams provide stable, winning environments that make for attractive destinations for players and coaches. Will either of these owners make the top 10?

Also, what about the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals? Both Ohio teams have struggled for long stretches and combine for zero playoff wins since 1999, which is the year the Browns returned to the NFL. Will Cleveland owner Randy Lerner or Cincinnati owner Mike Brown make the top 10?

Find out who the best owners are in the NFL when we continue our Power Rankings series on Tuesday.

Morning take: Woodley, Adams updates

October, 29, 2010
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Here are the most interesting stories in the AFC North: Morning take: The Steelers need their best players against the reigning champion New Orleans Saints, so this is a good sign. Woodley's potential return also means fellow linebacker Lawrence Timmons can move back inside.
Morning take: This is one of the toughest things to do in the NFL. Baltimore is 3-2 in games decided by seven points or less, and continued improvement in this area would serve the Ravens well.
Morning take: Will Miami's passing game have a big day? Atlanta's Roddy White recently ran circles around Cincinnati's banged-up secondary.
Morning take: The Browns still have a long way to go. But it looks like Heckert's first draft led by cornerback Joe Haden, safety T.J. Ward and quarterback Colt McCoy could be a solid one.
Here are the latest happenings Wednesday evening in the AFC North:
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