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

The Steelers released cornerback Bryant McFadden and special teams player Arnaz Battle, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

These moves freed up $3.5 million in salary-cap room. McFadden played six of his seven NFL seasons for the Steelers, and Battle joined Pittsburgh in 2010.

Pittsburgh officially announced the signing of safety Myron Rolle, who was a 2008 Rhodes Scholar. He had been on the Tennessee Titans practice squad in 2010 and in their training camp last summer.

Meanwhile, the St. Louis Rams requested permission to speak to Steelers director of administration Omar Khan for their general manager position, sources told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Khan, the team's salary-cap manager and chief contract negotiator, has been with the Steelers since 2000. He was a finalist in the Seattle Seahawks' general manager search two years ago.

BENGALS: The Bengals dropped to 10th in the AFC this season with 22 takeaways. Their 10 interceptions were the fewest in coach Marvin Lewis' nine seasons in Cincinnati. "If there’s one thing we have to get … figure out a way to create more. Teams that create the most turnovers play in this game," Lewis told the team's website while at the Super Bowl. "More recently we have declined [in interceptions] and we have to find out why. We play more man concepts. That is part of it. We started very good and then we hit a lull. You have to look at that but conceptually that’s the difference." Hensley's slant: That was the biggest season-long weakness for a defense that consistently overachieved. How important are turnovers? Like Lewis said, you just need to look at the two teams who played in the Super Bowl. New England led the AFC with 34 takeaways, and the New York Giants were fourth in the NFC with 31.

BROWNS: Quarterback Colt McCoy was medically cleared from a head injury that sidelined him for the final three games last year, team president Mike Holmgren told ESPN 850 WKNR-AM in Cleveland (via the Akron Beacon Journal). "He passed all his tests and he’s feeling fine," Holmgren said. "He has no residual effects from the play. I know no one will work harder this off season than Colt McCoy. So I’m happy we got through all that and he’s fine and he appears to be.” Hensley's slant: Now, the only question that remains at quarterback is who will be competing against McCoy for the starting job. At this point, it would be a letdown if the Browns failed to draft Baylor's Robert Griffin III or sign Matt Flynn in free agency.

RAVENS: The team's website speculated that offensive tackle Jah Reid might shift to left guard if Ben Grubbs leaves in free agency. Reid, a third-round pick from a year ago, was drafted to be the team's future right tackle. "The thing that Steve [Bisciotti, team owner] pushed John [Harbaugh] and I the last couple of years is, ‘Don’t be afraid to play young players,’” general manager Ozzie Newsome said when asked about the potential position change. “We’ve had Jah now for a year, and now we’ve got him for a full offseason ... so John and I are not afraid.” Hensley's slant: The Ravens need to make contingency plans because it appears that the odds are against Grubbs returning. Replacing a Pro Bowl guard with a converted tackle seems like a major step backward to me. Baltimore would be better off adding a stop-gap veteran guard if it can't draft a quality one in the first three rounds.

AccuScore, ESPN's predictions machine, has the Ravens winning at Seattle 64 percent of the time.

Beating the teams they're supposed to beat used to be a strength for the Ravens. But Baltimore is 2-2 when playing teams with losing records this year. "We realize that's been our Achilles' heel so far this year," coach John Harbaugh said. "That's something if we want to win this game, we have to overcome that. It's definitely a factor. We don't want to win one and then give one back."

Thoughts on the Cincinnati Bengals' 34-12 win at the Seattle Seahawks:

What it means: The Bengals surpassed last year's win total and it's not even the midway point of the season. Cincinnati improved to 5-2 to remain tied with the Ravens for second place in the AFC North, a half-game behind the Steelers. This is the Bengals' fourth consecutive win and third victory on the road, which is significant for such a young team.

Thumbs up: Defense and special teams. After the Seahawks had closed to within 17-12 in the fourth quarter, the Bengals scored 17 points in the final five minutes without getting a touchdown from the offense. Brandon Tate returned a punt 56 yards for a touchdown (breaking a tackle late to reach the end zone), and Reggie Nelson brought back an interception 75 yards for another score. It was Cincinnati's first punt return for a touchdown since 2003.

Dalton watch: Andy Dalton guided the Bengals to a 17-3 lead when he hit Jerome Simpson for a 14-yard touchdown on a deep slant and dropped a 43-yard touchdown into the arms of rookie A.J. Green, who got behind the defense with a double move. Dalton did throw multiple interceptions for the first time since Oct. 2 against Buffalo, however.

Backup plan: Bernard Scott was more than adequate in filling in for Cedric Benson, who is serving a one-game suspension. Scott had 76 yards on 22 carries, showing good burst and the ability to break tackles. His 3.5-yard average might not be impressive, but it came against the Seahawks, who were giving up 3.1 yards per carry.

What's next: The Bengals go back on the road for a game at Tennessee before facing Pittsburgh and Baltimore.

Let's see who's falling and rising after Week 3 of the preseason.

Falling

1. Cleveland Browns' ball security: The Browns were efficient for the most part during the first two weeks of the preseason. But something got into this team in last week's loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Cleveland was sloppy and turnover-prone in Week 3. The Browns fumbled three times (lost two on special teams), and quarterback Colt McCoy threw an interception to Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel. The Browns don't have enough talent to overcome so many mistakes in the regular season. The Browns need to get back to playing smart, mistake-free football.

2. Torrey Smith, Baltimore Ravens receiver: So far Smith doesn't appear ready to contribute right away to the Ravens. The rookie second-round pick has suffered some early drops and is thinking too much on the field. The hesitancy also is taking away Smith's biggest asset, which is his speed. Receivers often take time to adjust to the NFL. Smith has shown a few flashes but still has a ways to go.

3. Adam Jones, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback: When a significant trade is made in the NFL, that often means the team isn't confident with the player(s) currently on the roster. That's likely the case with the health of Jones, who continues to rehab from two offseason neck surgeries. The Bengals acquired former Seattle Seahawks corner Kelly Jennings this week. Jones missed all of training camp and the preseason. The Bengals were hoping Jones could make it back for Week 1. But Jones could be a candidate for the physically unable to perform list (PUP).

Rising

1. Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers receiver: Brown exploded against the Atlanta Falcons last week. He recorded four receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, Brown has been the most impressive AFC North player in the preseason, according to our recent poll. He’s the favorite to land Pittsburgh’s No. 3 receiver role.

2. Tyrod Taylor, Baltimore Ravens quarterback: Taylor is another player whose stock continues to rise. The rookie had another solid outing against the Washington Redskins. Taylor threw for 125 yards and one touchdown and he led the game-winning drive in the fourth quarter. The Ravens haven't officially named their No. 2 quarterback. But Taylor is making a very strong case.

3. Crezdon Butler, Steelers cornerback: Butler made a big impression on Pittsburgh's coaching staff with nine tackles and a 95-yard interception return for a touchdown against Atlanta. The Steelers need answers in their secondary before their Week 1 showdown against Baltimore. Starters Ike Taylor and Bryant McFadden have been out with injuries. Younger players like Butler and Keenan Lewis need to step up.

The Cincinnati Bengals made another trade, acquiring former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Kelly Jennings. Cincinnati shipped defensive tackle Clinton McDonald to Seattle.

Here are some thoughts on the move:

• Jennings is fast, and that's the most important part of this deal. Cincinnati lacks speed on defense and in the secondary. The Bengals lost their best pure athlete in Johnathan Joseph in free agency. Jennings can be the speedster in the secondary Cincinnati needs.
• Jennings is a former first-round pick with a lot of starting experience. Therefore, he can step in if Leon Hall or Nate Clements is injured. Cincinnati doesn't have a lot of experience on its bench behind the starters. Adam Jones is a former starter but is out with a neck injury.
• You also wonder what this means for Jones. The Bengals traded for an experienced veteran less than two weeks before the regular season. That could be a sign they're not optimistic about Jones' chances early in the season. Jones had a second neck surgery in June. He may be a candidate for the physically unable to perform list (PUP) to start the season.

A lot of Cleveland Browns fans are asking me what the holdup is with Browns rookie defensive tackle Phil Taylor? The first-round pick is the only AFC North rookie who remains unsigned and isn't in training camp.

From what I'm hearing behind the scenes, the biggest issue is the fourth-year guarantee. Signed picks from No. 1-20 received guaranteed money in the first four years of their contracts. But Taylor is the No. 21 overall pick, and I'm told the Browns right now are only offering the first three years guaranteed.

The interesting part is pick No. 25 -- James Carpenter of the Seattle Seahawks -- did accept three years of guaranteed money. So that's currently the bar in the first round. If Taylor settles for the same at No. 21, that would set a new standard following the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement.

Things can change rapidly in contract negotiations. So it's unknown if Taylor will accept the current offer, or the Browns will eventually guarantee the fourth year. But as of Monday afternoon, that is where things stand.

ESPN.com's NFL writers rank the top 10 safeties in the league today. Next week: top 10 owners.

When it comes to rating NFL safeties, there's Troy Polamalu and Ed Reed followed by a huge gap before everyone else.

As expected, the star safeties for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens dominated ESPN.com's positional Power Rankings this week. No other safety received a vote higher than third place.

But what is surprising is that Polamalu -- the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year -- became the first player in this year's series to sweep all eight first-place votes. Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots did the same among head coaches.

This should finally put to rest the "Troy Reed" debate that has been raging for years between these two great safeties. According to our panel, there is a clear separation between the two. Reed received all second-place votes to finish with 72 points.

"Polamalu and Reed are the secondary's version of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. They are the gold standard of safety play," AFC West blogger Bill Williamson said. "While Reed is great, Polamalu is stunning. I've never seen him play and not make a jaw-dropping play."

Both safeties have different styles. But our panel preferred Polamalu's versatility to play closer to the line of scrimmage. Steelers defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau uses Polamalu all over the field to help defend both the run and the pass.

Reed is more of a ballhawking safety who defends the deep portion of the field. He led the NFL with eight interceptions last season despite missing six games because of offseason hip surgery.

"Taking nothing away from Ed Reed, who is a great player in his own right, but Troy Polamalu is the first guy I think of when I think of safeties," NFC South blogger Pat Yasinskas said. "He's been a huge force in Pittsburgh's recent championships. He's just a great all-around player and still in the prime of a career that's going to land him in the Hall of Fame on the first ballot."

Don't fret, Reed supporters. Someone is in your corner.

Earlier this year I interviewed former five-time Pro Bowl safety and current ESPN analyst Darren Woodson, who said he would choose Reed over Polamalu.

"As far as changing the game, I would probably start my defense with Ed Reed, to be honest with you," Woodson explained. "I know I can put him in any situation. I know I can put him on any team, and he will be the free safety in the middle of the field who makes plays on the ball. Now, Troy, it will be a little different. If you put him in a conventional defense, he's probably not going to be the same guy."

The best of the rest: There wasn't much of a consensus after Polamalu and Reed.

Fresh off a big interception return for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLV, Nick Collins of the Green Bay Packers finished third with 56 points. But Collins received votes as high as third and as low as seventh. He was a distant 24 points behind Polamalu and 16 points behind Reed.

Adrian Wilson of the Arizona Cardinals finished fourth, but he drew the widest range of votes among safeties in the top 10. ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton and Bill Williamson ranked Wilson No. 3, and NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert ranked Wilson No. 10.

In the final tally, Kansas City Chiefs upstart Eric Berry was fifth, Michael Griffin of the Tennessee Titans placed sixth and Donte Whitner of the Buffalo Bills finished seventh. New England Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather was eighth, Antrel Rolle of the New York Giants was ninth and the Indianapolis Colts' Antoine Bethea and LaRon Landry of the Washington Redskins tied for 10th.

"There is a pretty wide gap for sure after the top two," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "Nick Collins would be my third safety, but the gap is pretty large. I think it is because Troy and Reed are just so good."

Seventeen safeties received votes, which was the second-highest total to date in our Power Rankings. Last month, 23 cornerbacks received votes for our top 10.

In addition, every voter had at least one player on his ballot who failed to make the cut. For example, NFC West blogger Mike Sando and I both voted for longtime St. Louis Rams safety and current Redskin Oshiomogho Atogwe, who finished 14th.

"I really struggled putting together the list after Polamalu and Reed," Sando said. "I kept shuffling around names and eliminating various guys, only to revive them out of necessity. This wasn't a list to feel good about."

What about Bob? It was not long ago when Bob Sanders was mentioned in the same sentence as Reed and Polamalu. When healthy, Sanders was a game-changing safety and helped lead the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl title after the 2006 season.

But for the past three seasons, Sanders has been injured and spent more time off the field than on it. The Colts cut Sanders, and he was picked up this offseason by the San Diego Chargers.

It's dramatic how fast and how far Sanders has fallen out of the conversation. He didn't receive a single vote from our panel.

"Sanders just hasn't played," AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky explained. "In his prime and healthy, he's fantastic. But who knows if we will see that again. He's played nine games in the last three years. There is no reason to even consider him for a list like this at this point."

The next generation: Polamalu (30) and Reed (32) will not play forever. Therefore, someone needs to step up as the next great safety to carry the torch Polamalu and Reed will leave behind.

Berry, 22, is the most likely candidate. The 2010 first-round pick was voted in the top five after helping lead the Chiefs to the postseason. Berry recorded 92 tackles, two sacks and four interceptions his rookie season.

"I think it's safe to project that Berry will be the premier safety in the NFL in the second half of this decade," Bill Williamson said. "He became the signature player on a surprise playoff team as a rookie. Soon, he will be the face of a rising organization."

Other up-and-coming candidates include Whitner (25), Bethea (26) and Landry (26). Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas, 21, also garnered votes from two panelists.

"Eric Berry and Earl Thomas should lead the next wave of top safeties," Sando said. "Berry's peers voted him among the top 100 players in the game for 2011, but I think it's premature to say Berry or any other second-year player is going to become the next Polamalu or Reed. Those guys have set such a high standard."

As the NFL remains in serious jeopardy of a lockout, the Cleveland Browns made one last move at quarterback. Cleveland signed backup Seneca Wallace to three-year deal Thursday evening, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.

Here are some thoughts on the signing:

Seneca Wallace
#6 QB
Cleveland Browns
2010 STATS
• Att101
• Comp64
• Yds694
• TD4
• Int2
• Rat88.5




• The Mike Holmgren connection is definitely at work here. The Browns' president brought Wallace to Cleveland from the Seattle Seahawks last year and now he is signed to a three-year extension. The length of the contract is somewhat surprising, considering the team is fully committed to 2010 third-round pick Colt McCoy. But Wallace played decently in four starts last season, and every team could use an experienced backup.
• Wallace's value increased when rookie head coach Pat Shurmur was hired and confirmed the Browns would switch to a West Coast offense. Wallace knows the system well and ran it under Holmgren in Seattle. Cleveland needs at least one quarterback in the meeting rooms and on the sideline who knows the nuances of the offense and won't go through growing pains of learning it for the first time.
• Finally, you have to wonder what this signing means for veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme. Cleveland is committed to McCoy as the starter and just gave a three-year extension to Wallace as a backup, leaving Delhomme's future with the Browns up in the air. Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert also plan to draft a quarterback to develop in the middle or later rounds. Delhomme was signed last year to be a bridge to McCoy, but the rookie was ready sooner than expected. Now without a role, Delhomme could be the odd man out.

Here are the latest happenings Thursday evening in the AFC North:

• Should the Cleveland Browns go receiver or defensive line in the first round of the NFL draft?
• The Baltimore Ravens are expected to lose a fifth-round pick in this year's draft to complete the Josh Wilson trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
• Here are more mock drafts on the No. 4 pick of the Cincinnati Bengals.
• The Pittsburgh Steelers signed seven players to offseason contracts.
• Steelers defensive end Brett Keisel will shave his beard for charity.

Here are seven notes and observations from Week 17 in the AFC North:

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Jason Miller/US PresswireEric Mangini has likely coached his last game in Cleveland.
• Let's start with the Cleveland Browns and their coaching situation. President Mike Holmgren is expected to meet with Browns head coach Eric Mangini at 9 a.m. ET Monday where all indications are that Mangini will be fired. Mangini entered the year on the hot seat and won just five games for the second straight year. He's 10-22 in two seasons and Cleveland ended on a four-game losing skid, capped by an embarrassing, 41-9 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Holmgren probably made up his mind a couple of weeks ago when the Browns lost back-to-back games to the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals. But the past two weeks against Pittsburgh and the Baltimore Ravens proved to be further confirmation Cleveland hasn't made enough progress to bring Mangini back for a third season.
• If Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis expects major changes in the organization, then he's probably not coming back for a ninth season. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Lewis will not stay with the Bengals unless significant upgrades are made. Lewis hinted at similar demands last offseason, but the Bengals finished 4-12 and he has no leverage this time. Coming off a Coach of the Year award and a playoff appearance in 2009, Lewis still didn't get what he wanted and, thus, didn't sign an extension. The AFC North blog reported earlier this season that one point of contention was the lack of an indoor practice facility. Bengals owner Mike Brown is extremely difficult to budge when it comes to spending millions of his dollars when, in his mind, it isn't necessary. That's been Brown's history, and it seems very unlikely he would suddenly change in the next couple of days. Therefore, both sides appear headed for a mutual parting this week.
• Looking ahead to both coaching searches, neither job is very attractive. Cleveland is more desirable than Cincinnati because Browns owner Randy Lerner is willing to pour a lot of money and resources into his team. Cleveland also has a solid front office and scouting department led by Holmgren and general manager Tom Heckert. Also keep in mind, both jobs have the brutal task of trying to beat the Steelers and Ravens twice a year, which will certainly weigh heavily in the minds of potential candidates. Therefore, even if the Browns tried to make a run at a top-tier coach like Jon Gruden, he will probably have better options and decline. That would make Holmgren and former Carolina Panthers coach John Fox among the early favorites. As president, of course, Holmgren has the first shot at the job if he wants it. In Cincinnati, the Bengals also have an in-house favorite lined up in defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who received a three-year extension last year. He will come relatively cheap and the players are familiar with his system.
• For those looking forward to the NFL draft, the Bengals will have the No. 4 overall pick in April, and the Browns hold the No. 6 pick. Both teams will have a chance to land an impact player in these slots.
• I have mixed feelings about altering playoff seeding, because winning your division is a solid accomplishment and teams deserve to be awarded. But when a seven-win team (Seattle Seahawks) gets a home game and a 12-win team (Baltimore) is on the road probably for the entire playoffs, something is wrong. The Ravens are just one of four teams with 12 victories this season. They had significantly better seasons than Seattle (7-9), Indianapolis (10-6), Philadelphia (10-6) and Kansas City (10-6). Yet all of these aforementioned teams will host playoff games. The Ravens are being penalized for having another powerhouse (Pittsburgh) in their division, while these other teams do not.
• Here is an early wild-card angle to watch: Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin will face Todd Haley, Boldin's former offensive coordinator in Arizona and current head coach with Kansas City. Boldin got into a much-publicized shouting match on the sidelines with Haley during the playoffs two years ago with the Cardinals. Both parties have since moved on, but there could be some attention drawn to it since their first reunion comes in a must-win game. Expect Boldin to brush off the topic. But I'm sure deep down he would rather send Haley home packing this season than have it the other way around.
• The Steelers will host a divisional-round game on Jan. 15 at Heinz Field as the No. 2 seed, and it could be one of three opponents. Here is the breakdown: If the Colts beat the Jets Saturday night, Indianapolis will go to Pittsburgh regardless of the outcome of Sunday's wild-card game. If the Jets win, Pittsburgh will await the winner of Baltimore and Kansas City. The Steelers matchup well with all of those teams. But I'm sure most followers of the AFC North would prefer Baltimore and Pittsburgh to meet in the AFC title game, not in the second round.

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

• Through four games, Cincinnati Enquirer columnist Paul Daugherty cannot figure out the Bengals (2-2).

Morning take: Cincinnati is talented enough to beat the first-place Ravens and sloppy enough to lose to the last-place Browns. The Bengals have to decide which team they want to be.

• Cleveland Plain Dealer columnist Terry Pluto breaks down the Browns' first win of the Mike Holmgren era.

Morning take: Interestingly, the win was highlighted by Holmgren's former quarterback in Seattle and a trade for Peyton Hillis that Holmgren helped orchestrate. These are good, early signs for the rebuilding Browns (1-3).

• Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com believes Ravens (3-1) quarterback Joe Flacco answered his critics with a last-minute win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Morning take: Flacco needed a game like this to help in his maturation process. His game-winning touchdown was a big-time throw.

• Columnist Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette believes the possibilities for the Steelers (3-1) are endless once quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returns.

Morning take: This Steelers proved they're solid without Roethlisberger. But with him, they might be the most complete team in the league.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 2:

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer needs to shine once again against the Baltimore Ravens. With the exception of Peyton Manning, no quarterback has given Baltimore's defense more trouble than Palmer the past several years. Palmer is 8-3 in 11 career starts against Baltimore, which includes a two-game sweep of the Ravens last year. He has thrown for 2,730 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions against Baltimore in 11 games. Cincinnati receivers Chad Ochocinco, Terrell Owens, Jordan Shipley and tight end Jermaine Gresham will be a stern test for the Ravens' secondary, which held up well in Week 1 against the New York Jets.

The Bengals, who have playoff aspirations, do not want to fall to 0-2 in the competitive AFC North. Last year, nine teams started 0-2 and none made the playoffs. Since the playoff format extended to 12 teams in 1990, only 13 percent of teams with 0-2 starts have made the postseason. Cincinnati has a seven-game winning streak against AFC North opponents dating to 2008. The Bengals' last division loss was to Baltimore on Nov. 30, 2008.

Can Baltimore's defense continue its dominance on third down? The Ravens were lights out last week, holding the Jets to 1-for-11 on third-down conversions. Dominating third down helped the Ravens control the tempo and kept their offense on the field. The Bengals were much better than New York on third down offensively last week, converting 8-of-15 against the New England Patriots.

Is Seneca Wallace ready? The Cleveland Browns' backup quarterback is the favorite to make his first career start Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs. Although he hasn't been ruled out as of Friday, Browns starter Jake Delhomme (ankle) missed all of practice this week with an ankle injury. Wallace was a part-time starter with the Seattle Seahawks and went 5-9. Despite the different strengths of the QBs, Cleveland says it doesn't have to change its offense much under Wallace, who is more mobile in the pocket.

Who is Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Jonathan Scott? For better or for worse, the Tennessee Titans are about to find out. Following last week's ankle injury to Max Starks, Scott is expected to start Sunday at left tackle, which is an important role to protect inexperienced quarterback Dennis Dixon. Scott, 27, has 14 career starts and is a favorite of new Steelers offensive line coach Sean Kugler, who helped bring the offensive tackle over from the Buffalo Bills. Scott filled in fairly well last week after Starks was hurt against the Atlanta Falcons.

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

• Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger tells Scott Brown of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review he intends to train in Pittsburgh during his conditional six-game suspension.

Morning take: It's probably best that Roethlisberger stays in town and keeps his focus on football. The most important thing for him is to stay sharp and in shape.

• Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times shares some insight on the Baltimore Ravens' trade for former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Josh Wilson.

Morning take: I like this move. It improves the secondary and doesn't require another player (Willis McGahee?), which hurts depth elsewhere. Wilson will help immediately, and Seattle gets a conditional draft pick.

• Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports Bengals coach Marvin Lewis defends his team's medical staff after a bad week involving former players Antonio Bryant and Rashad Jeanty.

Morning take: This is a smart move by Lewis, because the Bengals cannot afford to lose the trust and confidence of their players.

• Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal takes a look at Sports Illustrated's 5-11 prediction for the Cleveland Browns.

Morning take: The Browns won five games last year with less talent. But the AFC North will be brutal this year.

BEREA, Ohio -- Former Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren admits that he still thinks about the outcome of Super Bowl XL. Seattle lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 21-10, in a game filled with questionable calls that went against the Holmgren-led Seahawks.

More than four years later, referee Bill Leavy put Super Bowl XL back in the spotlight by recently admitting he blew some calls in the game. On Tuesday Holmgren, now president of the Cleveland Browns, reacted to the news.

"Of course I was disappointed at the time, and because it was the Super Bowl, I still think about it on occasion," Holmgren said. "But like anything in this business, if you let it linger it's going to have an adverse effect on what you do moving forward.

"We didn't play our best football that day. Had we played better and coached better, those calls might not have made a difference. Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, and you can't hold one person accountable for the final outcome of that game."

Several former Seahawks applauded Leavy's admission but said the loss still stings.

"On a whole, unless they're going to come out and say 'Hey, here's the trophy and here's your ring,' it's not going to make a difference," Browns quarterback and former Seahawk Seneca Wallace said.

Added former Seahawk Bobby Engram: "I hope [Leavy] feels better about himself. He's human and we all make mistakes. I'm sure he was trying his hardest, but it was difficult for us to overcome some of those missed calls."

Holmgren led two different franchises -- Seattle and Green Bay -- to Super Bowls and is now in his first year attempting to turn around the Browns, who finished 5-11 last season.

This has been a sore topic for Steeler Nation in recent years -- and now it's coming to the surface once again.

NFL referee Bill Leavy publicly admits that he made bad calls that contributed to the Pittsburgh Steelers' 21-10 victory against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL.

"It was a tough thing for me," Leavy said. "I kicked two calls in the fourth quarter and I impacted the game, and as an official you never want to do that."

Leavy never explained which two calls he blew in the Super Bowl. But the chatter over the years often point out several controversial plays in the game, including a holding call that negated a long reception by Seattle tight end Jerramy Stevens, and an illegal blocking call against Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck. There are also questions of whether Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger got in on his 1-yard touchdown run in the first half, but we won't go too deep into the particulars.

Either way, it's an interesting development from Leavy despite the fact that it comes several years later. I covered that game in Detroit and felt at the time it was poorly officiated, especially for a Super Bowl.

What's your take?