ESPN.com presents AFC North James Walker http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth 60 en-us Sun, 19 May 2013 07:06:52 webmaster@espn.go.com http://assets.espn.go.com/i/espn/teamlogos/lrg/trans/espn_dotcom_black.gif 110 110 The Pittsburgh Steelers will have competition at running back and outside linebacker this year, although I believe rookies Le'Veon Bell and Jarvis Jones will win those jobs. The most wide-open battle in Pittsburgh is in the return game. The release of Chris Rainey in January forces the Steelers to find another kickoff returner, and the promotion of Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders to the No. 1 and No. 2 wide receiver spots, respectively, likely means Pittsburgh will go with a new punt returner.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70513/wide-open-race-for-steelers-returner-job Sun, 19 May 2013 10:00:50 EDT 70513 Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden told The Plain Dealer that he wasn't given any advance warning that the team was going to sign Brian Hoyer, and that he hasn't been told of Hoyer's role. "It's part of this business, and if you start worrying about it, that's too much to worry about," Weeden said. "That's my mentality going forward." What you won't hear Weeden say -- but you know he has to be thinking -- is that he likes his chances of remaining the Browns' starting quarterback.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70503/brandon-weeden-still-has-to-like-his-chances Sat, 18 May 2013 10:00:19 EDT 70503 ESPN's Jeffri Chadiha takes the stance that linebacker Rolando McClain made the "smart" move by announcing his retirement this week. "This is a man who needed many things to go right just to have a chance at success in Baltimore," Chadiha wrote. "He deserves credit for realizing when enough really is enough. The easy choice for McClain would've been to continue pursuing an NFL career that started with him being the eighth overall selection in the 2010 draft.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70494/did-mcclain-make-the-smart-move Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:03 EDT 70494 For the past two weeks, the AFC North blog has ranked the positions in the division. Some positions were easy (running back was straightforward) and others were not (wide receiver and secondary were the toughest for me). To review all of the positions, I asked ESPN's Matt Williamson to provide his rankings, which we can compare to mine. Surprisingly, they were very similar. We only disagreed on the top rankings at two positions: wide receiver and tight end.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70460/reviewing-afc-north-position-rankings Fri, 17 May 2013 14:30:48 EDT 70460 A look at key players for each AFC North team who are coming back from injuries: Baltimore Ravens: Cornerback Lardarius Webb. The Ravens need their top cornerback to return to his old form, especially with Cary Williams going to the Eagles in free agency. Webb tore his ACL in October and missed the final 10 games of the regular season. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Webb "should be ready to roll" by training camp. Baltimore could bring him along slowly and limit his playing time in the preseason.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70431/eight-in-the-box-key-medical-concern Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:07 EDT 70431 By now, everyone knows the Cleveland Browns agreed on a two-year contract with quarterback Brian Hoyer. The question that remains is Hoyer's role. My take on Hoyer is he's a notch below backup quarterback Jason Campbell but probably better than most teams' No. 3. Unless Brandon Weeden struggles mightily in training camp and the preseason, the only spot Hoyer is competing for is the backup one. Do I know this for certain? No. There's reason to think Hoyer will be given an opportunity to have a significant role, based on an old quote from Browns general manager Mike Lombardi when he was an NFL Network analyst.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70476/how-does-hoyer-figure-into-browns-plans Fri, 17 May 2013 10:00:29 EDT 70476 While the other teams in the AFC North are preparing for minicamps next week, the Cleveland Browns have been busy on and off the field during their workouts this week. The Browns signed two players (see below) and welcomed guard Jason Pinkston back to the practice field after a blood clot cut short last season for him. Let's see how the other division teams are faring in today's wake-up call ... RAVENS: Everything is going well with left tackle Bryant McKinnie, according to The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70463/wake-up-browns-sign-hoyer-jackson Fri, 17 May 2013 08:00:37 EDT 70463 Here are some highlights from our weekly AFC North chat ... Jesse [via mobile]: Is Antonio Brown a No. 1 receiver? Jamison Hensley (ESPN): There are different levels of No. 1 receivers in the league. Calvin Johnson and A.J. Green are 1A. Vincent Jackson would be 1B. And I would put Antonio Brown more in the 1C category. He'll have his chances to prove he's worthy of being labeled a No. 1 receiver with Mike Wallace gone. Scott (Northglenn, CO): I agree with what you said about Antonio Brown.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70410/chat-rewind-is-antonio-brown-a-no-1-wr Thu, 16 May 2013 17:30:48 EDT 70410 This is a statement issued by linebacker Rolando McClain to explain why he decided to retire Wednesday: "Clearly, my decision to retire has raised some questions. Quite simply, I love football, but I have decided at this time it is in my best interest to focus on getting my personal life together. Beyond that, I'm not sure what the future holds for me, including football. This was entirely my decision, and the Ravens have been very supportive during this process.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70439/what-to-take-from-mcclains-statement Thu, 16 May 2013 16:23:04 EDT 70439 I know everyone was holding up their plans for the summer until the dates and kickoff times for the preseason games were finalized. All times are ET. So here you go: CINCINNATI BENGALS Thursday, Aug. 8: at Atlanta, 8 p.m. (ESPN) Saturday, Aug. 17: vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24: at Dallas, 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 29: vs. Indianapolis, 7 p.m. CLEVELAND BROWNS Thursday, Aug. 8: vs. St. Louis, 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15: vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.]]> http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/70400/afc-north-preseason-schedule-finalized Thu, 16 May 2013 15:10:36 EDT 70400