AFC North: Thaddeus Gibson
Morning take: Blame Bengals coaches?
October, 27, 2010
10/27/10
8:00
AM ET
By
James Walker | ESPN.com
Here are the most interesting stories Wednesday in the AFC North:
- Should the Cincinnati Bengals' coaching staff get a bulk of the blame for the team's lack of execution?
- Baltimore Ravens rookie tight ends Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta could see more playing time after the bye.
- Cleveland Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi, who is recovering from a concussion, says he has no hard feelings towards Steelers linebacker James Harrison.
- Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers will keep defensive end Aaron Smith on the 53-man roster, who will they cut?
Morning take: Steelers sign another rookie?
June, 15, 2010
6/15/10
7:30
AM ET
By
James Walker | ESPN.com
Here are the most interesting stories Tuesday in the AFC North:
- Although nothing has been made official, third-round pick Emmanuel Sanders tweets that he's reached a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
- One of your favorite Baltimore Ravens alums is getting a tryout with the Houston Texans.
- The Cincinnati Bengals are ready to kick off their 2010 minicamp.
- Incumbent starting tailback Jerome Harrison is one of five Browns now under contract.
The Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to terms with rookies Thaddeus Gibson and Doug Worthington, the team announced Friday. Gibson and Worthington were taken in the fourth and seventh round, respectively, out of Ohio State.
Pittsburgh has 10 total draft picks and eight remain unsigned, including first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey from the University of Florida.
Gibson and Worthington are the first two rookies to agree to contracts in the AFC North.
Pittsburgh has 10 total draft picks and eight remain unsigned, including first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey from the University of Florida.
Gibson and Worthington are the first two rookies to agree to contracts in the AFC North.
I'm not big on grading an NFL draft 24 hours after it's complete. But I know a lot of people are.
So we bring in ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper to do the heavy lifting and provide his evaluations for the AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens
Kiper's draft grade: A
Analysis: Only two teams received the highest grade possible from Kiper, and the Ravens were one of them. To fully appreciate what Baltimore did in the draft, you have to consider the team began the week with just five draft picks. Then the Ravens shrewdly traded out of the first round with the Denver Broncos for three picks later in the draft, and that's when the Ravens went to work. Kiper loves the second-round selections of linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive tackle Terrence "Mount" Cody. Kiper also believes the team grabbed a pair of quality tight end prospects in Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Baltimore acquired as much talent as anyone without having a single selection in the first 42 picks.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kiper's draft grade: B
Analysis: Kiper doesn't believe the Steelers drafted any huge impact players. But he liked the solid acquisitions, which resulted in a solid grade. I haven't seen anyone so far who doesn't like the choice of first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey. The former Florida center seems like a perfect fit in Pittsburgh's interior offensive line and should bring toughness to that unit. Linebackers Jason Worilds and Thaddeus Gibson were risky in terms of need, but Kiper believes they can help for now on special teams. Kiper highlighted running back Jonathan Dwyer as a possible sleeper.
Cincinnati Bengals
Kiper's draft grade: C
Analysis: Outside of the opening pick of tight end Jermaine Gresham, Kiper wasn't all that impressed with the Bengals' draft. Kiper, like most draft experts, believes defensive end Carlos Dunlap is a boom-or-bust player who underachieved despite great physical tools. Third-round cornerback Brandon Ghee potentially could help in sub packages against multiple-receiver sets, where Cincinnati struggled last season. No mention of receiver Jordan Shipley from Kiper. But he does think former Kansas receiver Dezmon Briscoe, who was taken in the sixth round, might surprise.
Cleveland Browns
Kiper's draft grade: C
Analysis: The first draft of the Mike Holmgren era in Cleveland also received an average grade from Kiper. He praised the pick of cornerback Joe Haden at No. 7 overall. But otherwise Kiper felt safety T.J. Ward and tailback Montario Hardesty were drafted too high and considered them reaches. Cleveland traded up in the second round to get Hardesty, who Kiper likes but didn't think the move up was necessary. Kiper also questioned why the Browns drafted Ward and Larry Asante, who are both considered "in-the-box" safeties. Kiper feels quarterback Colt McCoy at the end of the third round was a good value pick.
So we bring in ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper to do the heavy lifting and provide his evaluations for the AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens
Kiper's draft grade: A
Analysis: Only two teams received the highest grade possible from Kiper, and the Ravens were one of them. To fully appreciate what Baltimore did in the draft, you have to consider the team began the week with just five draft picks. Then the Ravens shrewdly traded out of the first round with the Denver Broncos for three picks later in the draft, and that's when the Ravens went to work. Kiper loves the second-round selections of linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive tackle Terrence "Mount" Cody. Kiper also believes the team grabbed a pair of quality tight end prospects in Ed Dickson and Dennis Pitta. Baltimore acquired as much talent as anyone without having a single selection in the first 42 picks.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Kiper's draft grade: B
Analysis: Kiper doesn't believe the Steelers drafted any huge impact players. But he liked the solid acquisitions, which resulted in a solid grade. I haven't seen anyone so far who doesn't like the choice of first-round pick Maurkice Pouncey. The former Florida center seems like a perfect fit in Pittsburgh's interior offensive line and should bring toughness to that unit. Linebackers Jason Worilds and Thaddeus Gibson were risky in terms of need, but Kiper believes they can help for now on special teams. Kiper highlighted running back Jonathan Dwyer as a possible sleeper.
Cincinnati Bengals
Kiper's draft grade: C
Analysis: Outside of the opening pick of tight end Jermaine Gresham, Kiper wasn't all that impressed with the Bengals' draft. Kiper, like most draft experts, believes defensive end Carlos Dunlap is a boom-or-bust player who underachieved despite great physical tools. Third-round cornerback Brandon Ghee potentially could help in sub packages against multiple-receiver sets, where Cincinnati struggled last season. No mention of receiver Jordan Shipley from Kiper. But he does think former Kansas receiver Dezmon Briscoe, who was taken in the sixth round, might surprise.
Cleveland Browns
Kiper's draft grade: C
Analysis: The first draft of the Mike Holmgren era in Cleveland also received an average grade from Kiper. He praised the pick of cornerback Joe Haden at No. 7 overall. But otherwise Kiper felt safety T.J. Ward and tailback Montario Hardesty were drafted too high and considered them reaches. Cleveland traded up in the second round to get Hardesty, who Kiper likes but didn't think the move up was necessary. Kiper also questioned why the Browns drafted Ward and Larry Asante, who are both considered "in-the-box" safeties. Kiper feels quarterback Colt McCoy at the end of the third round was a good value pick.
» NFC draft analysis: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South
This season is expected to be a close race in the division. So the drafts of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns could go a long way toward determining who comes out on top.
With that said, here is a look at the decisions made this week in the AFC North:
Best move
The "Wizard of Oz" was at it again. After trading out of the first round for the first time in franchise history, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome came back strong in the second round by grabbing two first-round talents in linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive tackle Terrence "Mount" Cody.
Baltimore passed over some good players in the first round when the team traded its No. 25 overall pick to the Denver Broncos, who surprisingly selected former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow. In return the Ravens got three valuable picks and selected two potentials steals on defense in Kindle and Cody.
"Well, I think the biggest thing that we did [is] we got guys that we wouldn't want to play against," Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta said. "You know, these guys all have, really, a dominant trait in some respect. They do different things very well, and that's intriguing in our situation to get a linebacker that can really rush the passer -- a very explosive guy. And then we've had a lot of success over the years with these massive run-stuffers. Terrence Cody is that guy."
The Ravens had Kindle rated very high on their board and weren't scared off by injury concerns about his knee. That was the reason he fell to the second round. Cody has weight issues. But if he's able to keep that under control, Cody can be a force alongside Pro Bowler Haloti Ngata to create one of the biggest pairings of defensive tackles in the league.
Riskiest move
It's hard to doubt the Steelers with their stellar track record. But they did ignore more immediate needs in the top half of this year's draft.
Pittsburgh passed over help in other areas early to grab pass-rushers Jason Worilds and Thaddeus Gibson. Barring injuries, this pair of outside linebackers will have a very hard time getting on the field while sitting behind Pro Bowlers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
Worilds and Gibson could turn out to be productive players at some point. But if I had rated positions of need for the Steelers entering this draft, outside linebacker would have been last.
In particular, there were plenty of quality defensive linemen available in the first three or four rounds who could've provided a more immediate impact in Pittsburgh's defensive rotation. But the team did a solid job addressing another immediate need at cornerback by trading with the Arizona Cardinals for former Steelers starter Bryant McFadden.
Most surprising move
McCoy Although it wasn't shocking the Browns landed former Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, the manner in which Cleveland did it was very surprising.
The Browns really liked McCoy, particularly his intangibles and accuracy, but felt they had more pressing needs to address early in the draft. Cleveland instead plugged holes in the secondary and at running back for three rounds as McCoy surprisingly slid further than expected.
When the Browns came up at No. 85 overall, Cleveland finally got its quarterback of the future.
"In Colt's case, I really didn't think that he would be available to us," Browns president Mike Holmgren said. "I really felt that he would go before we had a chance to pick him. But when it didn't happen, it was something I really wanted to do and [coach] Eric [Mangini] and [GM] Tom [Heckert] went along with me and there you have it."
McCoy, a projected early second-rounder, wasn't too thrilled about his slide. But it could work in his favor.
As much as the city of Cleveland tends to love its backup quarterbacks, McCoy is coming to the Browns as a low third-rounder and without a ton of pressure to perform immediately.
Veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme is the starter in 2010, and the team has an experienced backup in Seneca Wallace. So McCoy should be able to hold a clipboard, learn the offense and get used to the NFL game for a full season before Cleveland thinks about putting him on the field.
"I don't expect him to play this year," Holmgren said. "We didn't draft [McCoy] to play this year."
File it away
The Bengals' third-round selection of Texas receiver Jordan Shipley adds a tremendous amount of competition to Cincinnati's receiving corps. Out of necessity, expect a surprise cut or two at the position coming out of training camp.
Pro Bowler Chad Ochocinco and free-agent pickup Antonio Bryant are set as the two starters. But Shipley, Andre Caldwell, Matt Jones, Quan Cosby and former second-round pick Jerome Simpson also will compete for roles on the team.
There are not enough roster spots to carry everyone. Could this be the year Cincinnati cuts ties with Simpson, who has been a bust his first two seasons? Or will the controversial signing of Jones, who’s had off-field troubles and was out of football last season, be for naught? Cosby, last year's punt returner, also is a possible cut.
The Bengals have a lot of options in their passing game, which struggled at the end of last season. But they will have to make some key decisions about who will be a part of it in 2010.
This season is expected to be a close race in the division. So the drafts of the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns could go a long way toward determining who comes out on top.
With that said, here is a look at the decisions made this week in the AFC North:
Best move
The "Wizard of Oz" was at it again. After trading out of the first round for the first time in franchise history, Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome came back strong in the second round by grabbing two first-round talents in linebacker Sergio Kindle and defensive tackle Terrence "Mount" Cody.
[+] Enlarge
Harry How/Getty ImagesSergio Kindle notched 16 sacks over the past two seasons for Texas.
Harry How/Getty ImagesSergio Kindle notched 16 sacks over the past two seasons for Texas."Well, I think the biggest thing that we did [is] we got guys that we wouldn't want to play against," Ravens director of player personnel Eric DeCosta said. "You know, these guys all have, really, a dominant trait in some respect. They do different things very well, and that's intriguing in our situation to get a linebacker that can really rush the passer -- a very explosive guy. And then we've had a lot of success over the years with these massive run-stuffers. Terrence Cody is that guy."
The Ravens had Kindle rated very high on their board and weren't scared off by injury concerns about his knee. That was the reason he fell to the second round. Cody has weight issues. But if he's able to keep that under control, Cody can be a force alongside Pro Bowler Haloti Ngata to create one of the biggest pairings of defensive tackles in the league.
Riskiest move
It's hard to doubt the Steelers with their stellar track record. But they did ignore more immediate needs in the top half of this year's draft.
Pittsburgh passed over help in other areas early to grab pass-rushers Jason Worilds and Thaddeus Gibson. Barring injuries, this pair of outside linebackers will have a very hard time getting on the field while sitting behind Pro Bowlers James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
Worilds and Gibson could turn out to be productive players at some point. But if I had rated positions of need for the Steelers entering this draft, outside linebacker would have been last.
In particular, there were plenty of quality defensive linemen available in the first three or four rounds who could've provided a more immediate impact in Pittsburgh's defensive rotation. But the team did a solid job addressing another immediate need at cornerback by trading with the Arizona Cardinals for former Steelers starter Bryant McFadden.
Most surprising move
The Browns really liked McCoy, particularly his intangibles and accuracy, but felt they had more pressing needs to address early in the draft. Cleveland instead plugged holes in the secondary and at running back for three rounds as McCoy surprisingly slid further than expected.
When the Browns came up at No. 85 overall, Cleveland finally got its quarterback of the future.
"In Colt's case, I really didn't think that he would be available to us," Browns president Mike Holmgren said. "I really felt that he would go before we had a chance to pick him. But when it didn't happen, it was something I really wanted to do and [coach] Eric [Mangini] and [GM] Tom [Heckert] went along with me and there you have it."
McCoy, a projected early second-rounder, wasn't too thrilled about his slide. But it could work in his favor.
As much as the city of Cleveland tends to love its backup quarterbacks, McCoy is coming to the Browns as a low third-rounder and without a ton of pressure to perform immediately.
Veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme is the starter in 2010, and the team has an experienced backup in Seneca Wallace. So McCoy should be able to hold a clipboard, learn the offense and get used to the NFL game for a full season before Cleveland thinks about putting him on the field.
"I don't expect him to play this year," Holmgren said. "We didn't draft [McCoy] to play this year."
File it away
The Bengals' third-round selection of Texas receiver Jordan Shipley adds a tremendous amount of competition to Cincinnati's receiving corps. Out of necessity, expect a surprise cut or two at the position coming out of training camp.
Pro Bowler Chad Ochocinco and free-agent pickup Antonio Bryant are set as the two starters. But Shipley, Andre Caldwell, Matt Jones, Quan Cosby and former second-round pick Jerome Simpson also will compete for roles on the team.
There are not enough roster spots to carry everyone. Could this be the year Cincinnati cuts ties with Simpson, who has been a bust his first two seasons? Or will the controversial signing of Jones, who’s had off-field troubles and was out of football last season, be for naught? Cosby, last year's punt returner, also is a possible cut.
The Bengals have a lot of options in their passing game, which struggled at the end of last season. But they will have to make some key decisions about who will be a part of it in 2010.
The fourth round of the NFL draft is in the books.
Here is a recap of the latest additions in the AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Dennis Pitta, TE, Brigham Young
Skinny: Pitta is the second consecutive tight end the Ravens selected in this draft, joining third-rounder Ed Dickson. It's apparent Baltimore is preparing for its future without former Pro Bowl tight end Todd Heap, who turned 30 in March and has a lengthy injury history.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Thaddeus Gibson, OLB/DE, Ohio State
Skinny: The Steelers have other needs (cornerback?), but that hasn't stopped them from taking as many pass rushers as possible. Despite an inconsistent college career, Gibson is another player Pittsburgh feels can convert from a college defensive end to outside linebacker.
Cincinnati Bengals
Picks: Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia
Skinny: The Bengals need depth on the defensive line and added another plugger in Atkins. Last year when Domata Peko was injured, it severely hurt the defense. Tank Johnson also battled injuries last season. Cincinnati also selected former Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy with its compensatory pick at the end of the fourth round.
Here is a recap of the latest additions in the AFC North:
Baltimore Ravens
Pick: Dennis Pitta, TE, Brigham Young
Skinny: Pitta is the second consecutive tight end the Ravens selected in this draft, joining third-rounder Ed Dickson. It's apparent Baltimore is preparing for its future without former Pro Bowl tight end Todd Heap, who turned 30 in March and has a lengthy injury history.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Pick: Thaddeus Gibson, OLB/DE, Ohio State
Skinny: The Steelers have other needs (cornerback?), but that hasn't stopped them from taking as many pass rushers as possible. Despite an inconsistent college career, Gibson is another player Pittsburgh feels can convert from a college defensive end to outside linebacker.
Cincinnati Bengals
Picks: Geno Atkins, DT, Georgia
Skinny: The Bengals need depth on the defensive line and added another plugger in Atkins. Last year when Domata Peko was injured, it severely hurt the defense. Tank Johnson also battled injuries last season. Cincinnati also selected former Texas linebacker Roddrick Muckelroy with its compensatory pick at the end of the fourth round.
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ABOUT THIS BLOG
Jamison Hensley
Hensley joined ESPN.com in 2011 after covering the Ravens for The Baltimore Sun for 11 years. A graduate of the University of Maryland, he lives in the Baltimore area with his wife and son.
