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Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden hears it all the time. He would be a first-round pick if not for his age.

Weeden, who delayed his football career for five years to play minor-league baseball, turns 29 on Oct. 14. That's a big difference from Andrew Luck, who will be 23 when the regular season begins.

But Trent Dilfer, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst, disagrees that Weeden's age is a negative:

His age (and accrued wisdom) has given him great perspective in life and as a player. Nothing is too big for Weeden and although old in age, he has plenty of time to be a good NFL QB. Think about it: who thinks of their QB on a 10-year plan? If he starts well, he can easily be solid for 7-8 years.

Judging by many mock drafts, Weeden won't slide too far into the second round. The popular pick has been Weeden going to the Browns at No. 37.

In Dilfer's insider piece, he analyzes the seven quarterbacks projected to go in the first three rounds. Of those quarterbacks, Dilfer rates two as immediate starters (Luck and Robert Griffin III) and one other (Weeden) as "able to start soon."

The Browns would send a message by taking running back Trent Richardson in the first round and Weeden in the second. This says that the Browns want players who can make immediate impacts. This also says they aren't concerned about the risks associated with taking a running back in the top-five and an older quarterback in the second round.

In order for the Ravens to reach the Super Bowl, Joe Flacco has to take them there.

He has to strong-arm Baltimore to victory over New England in Sunday's AFC Championship Game because that's how you beat the Patriots this season. New England has lost three games, and every time, the quarterback has been the deciding factor. Ryan Fitzpatrick, Ben Roethlisberger and Eli Manning exploited the AFC's worst defense by throwing for 984 yards (an average of 328 yards passing) and a total of six touchdowns.

So it's time for Flacco to step up in the playoffs. It's time for Flacco to prove he deserves that new contract. It's time for Flacco to quash his critics, as well as a critical teammate.

A feisty Flacco entered the playoffs saying if the Ravens win the Super Bowl, "I'll have nothing to do with why we won, according to you guys."

On Sunday, let's take the chip off the shoulder and put the team on his back -- because that's exactly how this game will play out.

Tom Brady and the Patriots are averaging 32.8 points per game. That means scoring three points in the final three quarters won't cut it in this playoff game.

New England will direct its focus on stopping running back Ray Rice, especially after Bill Belichick plays that 83-yard touchdown run from two years ago about 100 times this week. That means the Patriots are going to force Flacco to beat them.

"We're going to have to make sure we prepare well all week and bring our A-game up there," Flacco said.

There's no question that Flacco is a winner. His 44 victories are the most ever by an NFL starting quarterback in his first four seasons. He's also the only quarterback in NFL history to win a playoff game in each of his first four years.

But there have been very few "A-games" when it comes to the postseason. In eight playoff games, Flacco has completed 53 percent of passes and has averaged 153.3 yards passing. He's thrown six touchdowns and seven interceptions for a quarterback rating of 31.5.

In last Sunday's 20-13 victory over Houston, Flacco completed 14 of 27 passes (51.9 percent) for 176 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. It wasn't just the media that criticized Flacco after this performance. Ravens safety Ed Reed said Flacco "was kind of rattled a little bit" Sunday.



“They had a lot of guys in the box on him and they were giving it to him. I think a couple of times he needed to get rid of the ball. It just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense,” Reed told SiriusXM satellite radio Monday. “I don’t know how much of [that was] the play calling … but it just didn’t look like he had a hold on the offense, you know, of times past."

Reed added, "It was just kind of like they [were] telling him [what] to do -- throw the ball or get it here, you know, get it to certain guys.”

Reed believes Flacco needs to improve his play for the Ravens to win at New England.

“He can’t play like that,” Reed said.

It's never a good sign when a teammate is talking about his quarterback this way. Just ask Mark Sanchez.

The Ravens are entering a crucial time, and this goes beyond the current postseason. Baltimore is going to have to make a decision on its level of commitment to Flacco. Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti said last March that he expects to sign Flacco to a long-term contract extension sometime in 2012. Flacco later responded that he doesn’t think he should have to wait that long.

The problem is, Flacco's statistics say he regressed this season. He completed a career-worst 57.6 percent of his passes. His touchdowns went down, from 25 in 2010 to 20 this season. His interceptions went up, from 10 to 12.

Asked whether it's difficult to measure Flacco's impact by statistics, coach John Harbaugh said: "I've done that many times, and I don't really feel like running down all those things right now. I can just tell you in this last game, he won, and his quarterback rating was 97. That's a winning performance, and Joe -– I told him [Sunday] night -– I thought he played very, very well. In a lot of situations in this game when he was under duress, he handled himself really well. There were plenty of things he'd like to have back and could have done better, and he'd be the first to tell you that. So, you just try to get better, you try to improve and you try to play winning football, no matter what position you play. And that's what we value around here."

The path to this season's playoffs wasn't an easy one for Flacco, who finished 15th in QBR for a reason. He played 12 games against defenses ranked in the top 10, throwing 14 touchdowns and six interceptions in those games.

There's no such excuse when it comes to taking on the Patriots' defense. New England ranked 31st in yards allowed in the regular season and gave up the most passing yards in the AFC.

"A quarterback has to do what his team needs him to do to win, and Joe has done that," Belichick said. "I don’t know how to improve much on 11-5 and 12-4, and they just keep doing it. He's been a solid guy since his rookie year in terms of managing the game and using the clock and making good decisions and those types of things."

A game manager isn't going to get the Ravens past the Patriots on Sunday. Baltimore needs Flacco to play like Brady, not like Trent Dilfer.

New England gave up the most 20-yard passes in the NFL this season: 79, which was eight more than any other defense. Patriots cornerback Devin McCourty has allowed 1,115 yards and six touchdowns this season (according to Stats LLC), and cornerback Kyle Arrington has given up 827 yards and five touchdowns.

It's clear that Flacco has to attack a vulnerable Patriots secondary and help out a Ravens defense facing Brady, Wes Welker and Rob Gronkowski.

The stage is yours, Joe Flacco.

Trent Dilfer, the Super Bowl winning quarterback for the Ravens who later played for the Browns, offered some interesting insight when he evaluated the "ceilings" for NFL quarterbacks under the age of 27. In his Insider piece, Dilfer ranked the Ravens' Joe Flacco and the Browns' Colt McCoy near the bottom of his top-8 list. His rankings are based on how high a quarterback can ascend and not necessarily where they rank today.

Some might say Flacco has nearly reached his ceiling, but he has already shown more growth this year than last. He is throwing over the middle instead of exclusively outside the numbers. With better pass protection, Flacco is displaying more patience in going through his progressions. All of that improvement allowed him to get over his latest career hurdle -- beating Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

It's more difficult to give a fair evaluation of McCoy because he lacks the supporting cast. Unlike Flacco, McCoy doesn't have the experience at wide receiver or the talent along the offensive line, especially with injured left guard Eric Steinbach out for the season and right tackle Tony Pashos sidelined. Cleveland's growing pains as a team could cloud the evaluation of McCoy.

Dilfer mentioned Bengals rookie Andy Dalton but placed him in the "Too Soon to Tell" category.

BEREA, Ohio -- It felt as if there was a changing of the guard at the Cleveland Browns' training facility this week. After talking it over with president Mike Holmgren and offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, Browns head coach Eric Mangini named rookie quarterback Colt McCoy the starter for the remainder of the 2010 season.

Mangini gushed about McCoy's work ethic, quick learning curve and how the rookie wouldn't accept it when everyone in the organization -- from Holmgren on down -- said they didn't plan for McCoy to see the field this year. Instead, McCoy is projected to play eight games, which is half of the Browns' season.

McCoy landed his initial opportunity through injury, but he's regaining the starting job with solid play in five starts. He threw for 975 yards, completed 63.8 percent of his passes and had an 85.3 passer rating. The rookie proved to be the best quarterback on the roster and essentially forced the team into this decision.

"I wasn't really looking at this as just being the case where we're throwing a young guy in to see whether or not a young guy can do it," Mangini said. "I think Colt really did a good job with the opportunities that he had. I think he's earned the chance to play these three games."

Is McCoy the long-term solution in Cleveland? It's too early to tell.

But the Browns (5-8) and the rest of the NFL are about to learn a lot more about McCoy in the next three games against AFC North opponents. The first test is Sunday, a road game against the Cincinnati Bengals (2-11) and then there's back-to-back home games against the playoff-bound Baltimore Ravens (9-4) and Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3).

The training wheels are officially off for McCoy.

"It's no landmark day," McCoy said Thursday. "Today is the day that I know I'm the starter and I have to go out and play. I have to go out and get better and I have to go out and help us win."

McCoy's play down the stretch will affect a lot with the Browns, starting with the NFL draft. Quarterback is the league's most important position, and Cleveland has lacked stability there since returning to the NFL in 1999.

A lot of quarterbacks have passed through Cleveland's revolving door, including Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Jeff Garcia, Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Derek Anderson, Brady Quinn and now Jake Delhomme. Poor quarterback play is one of the biggest reasons Cleveland has just one playoff appearance in more than a decade.

McCoy showed promise, going 2-3 in five starts. But five games do not make a solid season. Three more contests will provide a half-season's worth of film to evaluate the rookie.

"The No. 1 goal of the Cleveland Browns right now has to be finding out what they have in McCoy," said Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. "They like what they've seen from him, but can he be the guy? Or do the Browns need to draft a guy or bring in a free agent? I think the Browns need to have a clear picture of that going into the offseason."

The Browns also need to find out whether McCoy can play in inclement weather. Garcia, Frye and Quinn didn't have the arm strength to throw against the heavy winds that come off Lake Erie in Browns Stadium during the winter.

McCoy's biggest asset is his accuracy, not arm strength, which raised some red flags when the Browns drafted the University of Texas product in the third round. McCoy didn't see a lot of bad weather as a four-year starter in the Big 12.

"I've played in the snow and wind in Kansas a couple times. I've played in Nebraska," McCoy explained. "We had some real wet games back home [in Austin]."

McCoy believes playing in bad weather is more mental than physical. But when he was pressed by the media this week regarding his arm strength, a confident McCoy fired back.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we?" McCoy scoffed.

Running the carousel in the AFC North also will be a great learning tool for McCoy. If Cleveland is to turn the franchise around and make a run at the postseason, it first has to win within the division.

The past three seasons the Browns are just 3-12 against AFC North opponents. It's a major reason former head coach Romeo Crennel was fired in Cleveland and Mangini is currently on the hot seat. If McCoy can get hot and pick up two or three wins against Cleveland's biggest rivals, everyone in the organization looks better heading into the offseason.

It's obvious the Browns have a lot riding on McCoy's performance in these final three games.

This is a historic day for our community as the AFC North is dominant atop ESPN.com's latest Power Rankings.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) and Baltimore Ravens (4-1) are No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. This is the first time two AFC North teams have occupied the top spots in my three seasons doing the division blog.

Here is how the entire division fared:

Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)

Cumulative vote: No. 1

Walker's vote: No. 1

Analysis: With the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints losing, there is no debate which is the No. 1 team this week. The Steelers received three first-place votes from our panel. ESPN.com senior writer John Clayton ranked Pittsburgh No. 3 behind the New York Jets and Ravens. I've received plenty of e-mails saying I'm jumping on Pittsburgh's bandwagon, but I disagree. For a month I explained that as soon as franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger returns and the team is at full strength, my vote will go up. After five weeks Pittsburgh is currently the NFL's most complete team with Roethlisberger under center.

Baltimore Ravens (4-1)

Cumulative vote: No. 2

Walker's vote: No. 2

Analysis: Baltimore got a big push in the Power Rankings after pummeling the Denver Broncos 31-17. I thought the Ravens were underrated at No. 6 last week, and now the panel is finally catching on. Still, I'm sure Baltimore fans will complain that this ranking is too low after the Ravens beat the No. 1 team (Steelers) and the No. 3 team (Jets) on the road. It's a valid point. But the "Roethlisberger factor" was too big in the final vote.

Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)

Cumulative vote: No. 22

Walker's vote: No. 23

Analysis: The Bengals have playoff talent but too often they execute like a five-win team. Therefore, a No. 22 ranking is about right for this group. Penalties, turnovers and head-scratching coaching decisions are reasons this group is below .500 heading into the bye. I agree with ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer that Cincinnati is one of the NFL's biggest disappointments. It's a long season, but the Bengals are quickly approaching "pretender" status. A tough slate of upcoming games against Atlanta, Miami, Pittsburgh and Indianapolis after the bye will determine if the Bengals are a legit contender for a playoff spot this year.

Cleveland Browns (1-4)

Cumulative vote: No. 29

Walker's vote: No. 30

Analysis: In what I think will be a season-long struggle, the Browns failed to string together consecutive wins with a loss to the Falcons. The Browns dropped two spots to No. 29 this week. With the Browns down to Colt McCoy and Brett Ratliff as the only two healthy quarterbacks, I placed them at No. 30. Cleveland has been competitive, but there aren't many teams it could beat right now with a rookie quarterback. Sunday's game against Pittsburgh could get ugly.

Trent Dilfer says you have to include the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the discussion of the league’s most complete teams.

Notable players: LB Ray Lewis, OT Jonathan Ogden, S Rod Woodson, TE Shannon Sharpe, RB Jamal Lewis, LB Peter Boulware, CB Chris McAlister, DT Sam Adams

Analysis: The 2000 Ravens are the clear choice for a franchise that's only been in existence for 14 years. It was the only team to win a Super Bowl and also had arguably the most dominant defense of all time.

Baltimore was far from a perfect Super Bowl team in 2000. Most notably, the team had issues at quarterback. The Ravens started with Tony Banks under center but finished with Trent Dilfer, who played efficiently enough for Baltimore to make an incredible run to end the season.

At one point, the Ravens were a middle-of-the-pack, 5-4 team. Then Baltimore got hot, winning seven straight to end the regular season and four more postseason games, including a victory over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XXXV.

Led by middle linebacker Ray Lewis, the Ravens set several defensive records in 2000, including fewest points (165) and fewest rushing yards (970) allowed in a 16-game season. Baltimore also pitched four shutouts.

There were seemingly no weaknesses on defense. Baltimore's defensive line was stout with Adams and Tony Siragusa, the linebackers were elite, and the secondary had stud playmakers at safety (Woodson) and cornerback (McAlister).

Then-rookie tailback Jamal Lewis anchored the offense with 1,364 rushing yards. Tight end Sharpe was the team's most dependable receiver, recording 67 receptions for 810 yards.

Most impressive win: Although the Super Bowl win over the Giants will go down as the biggest game of the season, the most impressive was Baltimore's dominance in the AFC Championship Game, a 16-3 road win over the Oakland Raiders. The Ravens' defense smothered Oakland's high-powered offense led by quarterback Rich Gannon. Baltimore forced five Oakland turnovers.

Research Room: Longtime Ravens kicker Matt Stover made the only Pro Bowl of his 19-year career in 2000. With an inconsistent offense, Stover was clutch in connecting on 35 of 39 field goals. He led the NFL in both field goals made and field-goal attempts that season. Stover also converted all 30 extra-point attempts.

Lone ranger: Ray Lewis remains the only player currently with the Ravens from their Super Bowl team in '00. Now 35, the future Hall of Famer is still playing at a Pro Bowl level. Lewis signed a multi-year deal in '09 to make certain that he retires a Raven.

Several key members from Baltimore's Super Bowl team left the organization in the past several seasons. Jamal Lewis last played for the Ravens in '06, Ogden retired after the '07 season, and McAlister and Stover last played for Baltimore in '08.

Honorable mentions (in order):

2006 (tie): Baltimore finally got solid quarterback play from former NFL MVP Steve McNair, and the Ravens won 13 regular-season games. But in the postseason they ran into nemesis Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, who eventually won the Super Bowl.

2008 (tie): The Ravens became the first NFL team to win two road playoff games with a rookie quarterback (Joe Flacco). But their run was stifled in fourth quarter of the AFC title game to another eventual Super Bowl champion: The Pittsburgh Steelers.

2001: Baltimore's attempt to defend a Super Bowl title ended with a second-round playoff exit. The Elvis Grbac experiment was a disaster. After signing a big free-agent deal with Baltimore, he had more interceptions (18) than touchdowns (15).

BEREA, Ohio -- Veteran quarterback Jake Delhomme made no secret about his intentions this year with the Cleveland Browns.

"I play this game for one reason and one reason only -- to win," Delhomme said. "That's what this game is about. There's something about walking into a locker room after a game with those 10 minutes when it's just the coaches and the players. There's nothing greater than seeing a mission accomplished for the work you put in."

The Browns are hopeful they finally have a proven starting quarterback this year. Since returning to the NFL in 1999, Cleveland has had a plethora of rotating quarterbacks that included Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Trent Dilfer, Charlie Frye, Brady Quinn and Derek Anderson.

Delhomme looked good in Wednesday's practice that was open to the media. He hit receivers Brian Robiskie and Chansi Stuckey for a pair of diving touchdown receptions to the outside. Delhomme also was accurate and in command of the huddle throughout Wednesday's organized team activities.

"The things that we have heard about his leadership and our research is definitely showing up since he's been here," said Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini.

The Browns have a quiet confidence about Delhomme.

Expectations are fairly low, because Delhomme is 35 and coming off the worst season of his NFL career. Last year Delhomme threw for 2,015 yards, eight touchdowns and 18 interceptions before being benched by the Carolina Panthers.

"I love six of the seven years I had in Carolina," Delhomme said. "I'll be perfectly honest. Everything was great, [but] last season just wasn’t a lot of fun."

Much of Cleveland's success rest on Delhomme's shoulders. If he has a bounce-back year, the Browns have a good chance to improve on last year's 5-11 record. If Delhomme has another disastrous year, Cleveland could be in major trouble.

Posted by ESPN.com’s James Walker

Here is an amazing stat: The Cleveland Browns are the only NFL team to open their season at home every year since 1999.

Here is another amazing stat: Cleveland is 1-9 in those games.

Slow Out Of The Gate The Cleveland Browns are 1-9 in their past 10 home openers: Year Opp. Result Starting QB 2008 Dallas L, 28-10 Derek Anderson 2007 Pittsburgh L, 34-7 Charlie Frye 2006 New Orleans L, 19-14 Frye 2005 Cincinnati L, 27-13 Trent Dilfer 2004 Baltimore W, 20-3 Jeff Garcia 2003 Indianapolis L, 9-6 Kelly Holcomb 2002 Kansas City L, 40-39 Holcomb 2001 Seattle L, 9-6 Tim Couch 2000 Jacksonville L, 27-7 Couch 1999 Pittsburgh L, 43-0 Ty Detmer Source: ESPN Stats and Information

For the 11th consecutive season, the Dawgpound will host a season opener Sunday when the Browns face Brett Favre and the Minnesota Vikings.

Cleveland’s had the benefit of being granted a decade’s worth of home openers by the NFL but has done very little with it. The team’s only win came in 2004 against the Baltimore Ravens (20-3).

The Browns have been outscored 256-105 in their last 10 openers. And according to ESPN Stats & Information, Cleveland hasn’t scored one first-quarter touchdown in Week 1 since its return to the league in 1999.

This is also a major reason the Browns have just one playoff appearance in that same span. Cleveland rarely gets off to a fast start, where a season-opening loss usually contributes to an uphill climb the rest of the year.

The Browns are hoping for better success this week under new head coach Eric Mangini. He had some first-year magic with the New York Jets in leading them to the playoffs as a rookie coach in 2006. But few expect similar results in Cleveland.

Mangini still hasn’t named his starting quarterback but has an idea of who it’s going to be. Most expect it to be Brady Quinn, who would be the eighth Week 1 starting quarterback in the past 11 seasons. That list also includes Ty Detmer, Tim Couch, Kelly Holcomb, Trent Dilfer and Charlie Frye.

Can Mangini and (possibly) Quinn buck the trend?

Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Graham

Albert Haynesworth was not impressed. He played them twice and stopped them mostly, albeit not often enough to beat them when it mattered.

Haynesworth, the Tennessee Titans' all-world defensive tackle, couldn't believe the meager Baltimore Ravens were advancing to the AFC Championship Game.

	Larry French/Getty Images
	Joe Flacco has run the Baltimore offense efficiently his first season in the league.

"I think their offense is weak," he said after the Ravens ousted the Titans, 13-10, at LP Field in the divisional playoffs. "I don't think they have much of an offense. We shut down the run. We shut down pretty much the pass."

Bitterness stoked Haynesworth's comments. Boredom has done the same for many others.

Baltimore's offense doesn't exactly defibrillate the Sunday soul. It is based on such hardcore football tenets as ball control, field position and clock management.

"Nothing that'll make you put your seatbelt on and have a sweat towel off to the side for," said ESPN analyst and former Pro Bowl quarterback Kordell Stewart.

But the Ravens are more intricate than three runs and a visit from the long snapper. Although they'll never be described as prolific, the Ravens head into Sunday's showdown against the Pittsburgh Steelers with one of the NFL's more straightforward and efficient offenses.

Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has designed a system unassuming rookie quarterback Joe Flacco can handle mainly because a run play never is the wrong play.

Le'Ron McClain, Willis McGahee and Ray Rice propelled the Ravens to an average of 148.5 rushing yards a game, fourth-highest in the league. They ranked 28th in passing offense, trying the third-fewest throws.

The Ravens committed 21 turnovers, a decent figure. Yet when subtracted from their league-high 34 takeaways, their plus-13 turnover margin ranked third.

The Ravens came up with three takeaways deep in their own territory to beat the Titans.

"They had about two or three pass plays and that's about it," Haynesworth lamented. "We gave them a lot of stuff. The offense gave the ball away and kept them in the game."

Podcast: Football Today Jeremy Green takes an early look at the AFC Championship Game with ESPN.com blogger James Walker.

With the Ravens' incandescent defense providing support, the need for Flacco to take chances is minimized. So often the Ravens' defense would steal the ball, perhaps score on its own and usually set up the offense with a short field.

Or, with the high likelihood of a three-and-out performance from Baltimore's defenders, a simple Sam Koch punt looked good enough that the Ravens would run on third down and be content to flip the field that way.

"It's doing all the right things to put your team in position to win," said Marc Trestman, a former offensive coordinator or quarterbacks coach for seven NFL teams and now head coach of the Montreal Alouettes.

"It would be just totally inappropriate for them to put all the weight on the shoulder of Joe Flacco at this point in his career. They don't have to because they have elements that are dynamic: Their ability to play defense, the ability to get the football, the ability to get to the quarterback, play special teams and run the football."

(Read full post)

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here is your one-stop shopping around the AFC North:

• Chick Ludwig of the Dayton Daily News is a fan of Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Johnson's latest Reebok commercial. It shows Johnson hitchhiking on a dirt road in an effort to get to training camp.

Morning take: If Johnson had his druthers, that car would take him somewhere other than Georgetown, Ky.

• As you can read here and here, reports out of Baltimore state that training camp this year under Ravens rookie head coach John Harbaugh will be much different than the easy-going Brian Billick.

Morning take: In one year, the Ravens went from a summer country-club setting to running a boot camp. Ouch!

• Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal says an annual staple is missing from Cleveland Browns training camp this year: a quarterback controversy.

Morning take: Not if it were up to Browns fans. But debating the merits of Derek Anderson versus Brady Quinn is a vast improvement of the days of Tim Couch vs. Kelly Holcomb or Trent Dilfer vs. Charlie Frye.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

 Here is a look at the interesting stories around the AFC North:

• According to an article in the USA Today, Pittsburgh Steelers fans would not be happy with the Rooney Family if they sold the team.

Walker's take: This article is dead on. People are naturally resistant to change, and the Rooneys have spoiled the city of Pittsburgh for generations by being the most stable ownership group in NFL history. A complete sale to anyone would be a punch in the stomach to Steelers fans. Plus, there would be lingering concerns of a new owner that's less committed to the city and could move at any point.

• In an attempt to pile on, The Cleveland Plain Dealer (jokingly) suggests that the city of Cleveland should purchase the Steelers.

Walker's take: If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em.

• The Baltimore Ravens held a naming contest for two birds they will use during pregame ceremonies. They settled on "Rise" and "Conquer."

Walker's take: Those are good choices. But I was thinking more on the lines of "Elvis" and "Grbac."

• In honor of Trent Dilfer announcing his retirement this week, Steve Greenberg of SportingNews.com listed the 10 worst quarterbacks to ever win a Super Bowl. Dilfer, as a member of the Ravens in 2000, was No. 2.

Walker's take: The kick-a-man-while-he's-retiring-tour continues for Dilfer, but the list was pretty comprehensive. The only real shock was that Eli Manning of the New York Giants, the most recent Super Bowl winning quarterback, was right behind Dilfer at No. 3 on Greenberg's list. Wow.

Posted by ESPN.com's James Walker

Here is a look at some of the interesting stories around the AFC North:

• Peter Schmuck of the Baltimore Sun writes an intriguing column outlining why the Ravens should not consider quarterback Brett Favre if he becomes available. Two of the biggest reasons are cap room and rookie head coach John Harbaugh trying to start anew.

Walker's take: I commend Schmuck for presenting the other side in what's become a fast-growing fantasy in Baltimore. This column won't be popular with Ravens fans, but it is thoughtful and insightful.

• The Cincinnati Bengals have yet to sign any of their 10 draft picks, with the report date for training camp looming on July 27.

Walker's take: A lot of teams (including Baltimore and the Cleveland Browns) haven't signed a majority of its picks. No need to hit the panic button just yet.

• Browns quarterback Derek Anderson is having a good time running his football camp at his high-school alma mater in Oregon.

Walker's take: Anderson obviously knows how to stay busy. In addition to running a football camp, he's also training for this upcoming season, watching game film and playing a little golf.

• Former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Baltimore Raven, Seattle Seahawk, Cleveland Brown and San Francisco 49er Trent Dilfer is announcing his retirement from the NFL.

Walker's take: After one championship season in Baltimore, a strong case can be made that Dilfer is the best quarterback in Ravens history. Think about it.