Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:00 PM)

Hello everyone. Welcome to our post-draft chat. We're officially heading into the part of the offseason where the players actually take the field. It will only be light workouts, but it helps in preparation for training camp in late July. Let's kick off the chat.

Shane (Chillicothe, Ohio)

I believe the Bengals draft better then anytime right now! Who would of thought? Is Mike Brown finally coming into the 21st century?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:01 PM)

Shane: It's a matter of letting Marvin Lewis, the coaches and the scouts have more control of the process. The past two drafts for the Bengals have been impressive. How impressive? We'll see if they can close that gap on the Ravens and Steelers.

Chris Fiegler (Latham,NY)

Who do you think did the Best in the NFL Draft in the AFC North?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:03 PM)

Chris: I thought the Steelers and Bengals were the clear winners of the draft in the AFC North. The Ravens were solid but you could tell they were disappointed that more players didn't fall to them. The Browns started off great with Trent Richardson and I like the Mitchell Schwartz pick in the second round. But Cleveland took Weeden too high and ignored the WR position.

Rahim aka rah-steam (hackensack, N.J.)

Pitts o-line will be top 3 in NFL in ___ years?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:05 PM)

Possibly two years. Gilbert really progressed as a rookie and Pouncey is already established. DeCastro should make an immediate impact as well. The question marks are Mike Adams, who has talent but off-the-field issues, and at right guard. Do the Steelers stick with Ramon Foster or go with a banged-up Willie Colon.

Mitch (Seville, Oh)

Of all the draft picks in the AFC North, which player outside of the first round do you see making the biggest impact in their rookie year?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:07 PM)

Let's focus on the second round. In terms of impact, I would put them in this order: Upshaw, Schwartz, Adams and Still.

Andy in Hagerstown (Hagerstown Maryland)

Which Ravens line combination do you see going into the 2013 season? LT-Oher, LG-Reid, C-Gradkowski , RG-Yanda, RT-Osemele. LT-Osemele, LG-Reid, C-Gradkowski , RG-Yanda, RT-Oher. LT-Oher, LG-Osemele, C-Gradkowski , RG-Yanda, RT-Reid.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:08 PM)

Andy, I would go with the last one. I see Gradkowski being the starting center next season and Oher moving back over to left tackle (McKinnie is in the final year of his deal). There will be a decision whether Reid or Osemele should be the right tackle, though.

Caleb (Ohio)

Who will be the Browns number 2 cornerback? What about number 3?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:09 PM)

No. 2 CB will be Dimitri Patterson. No. 3 will either be Sheldon Brown (who could convert to safety) or Buster Skrine.

Ruskin (Grand Forks, ND)

Do you think Vontaze Burfict signing with the Bengals is a good move? Their locker room probably isn't the most stable to be in, with all of their "red-flag" players, especially the one who is supposed to be mentoring him, Ray Maualuga. Won't that be like "the blind leading the blind"? I still think Baltimore was the best fit for him, and he ends up with them.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:10 PM)

I would classify it as a low-risk move. If Burfict didn't go with the Bengals, another option was Baltimore. The Ravens were in the mix for him.

Brad (Berkeley, CA)

I feel stupid for asking this, but is Spence an OLB or ILB? He's listed as OLB on the draft list but everyone's talking about him playing inside or moving to Safety.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:11 PM)

Don't feel stupid. He seems to be a good football player without a natural position. The Steelers will try him out on the inside, backing up Lawrence Timmons. I see him being a core special teams player for many, many years.

Anthony (Cleveland)

Do you see Brandon Tate making the cut this year for the Bengals? Hawkens may have a better shot at it then he does.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:11 PM)

I like Hawkins a lot. I just get a sense that Marvin Lewis likes Tate and will try to get him on this roster.

Adam (DC)

From everything I have read, it seems inevitable that the Steelers will have to choose between Wallace and Brown next season. Is there any chance we can keep both players?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:13 PM)

It really depends on the cap. The Steelers are going to have to be creative to get Wallace signed to a big contract next offseason, when Pittsburgh is going to be tight against the cap again. If the cap increase in 2014, I wouldn't rule out the Steelers keeping Brown. So, it's possible but it will be a challenge.

Brad (Berkeley, CA)

Do you keep a troll file with the craziest posts, tweets, comments, etc.? I'd probably do that as a coping mechanism if I was in your shoes.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:14 PM)

Not enough time in the day to do something like that.

Mike (New Kensington, PA)

Jamison could this draft have fell into the lap of the Steelers any better?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:16 PM)

Not really. DeCastro in the first, Ta'amu in the fourth and Rainey in the fifth is pretty good. I think Adams has good value in the second, but the Steelers were probably hoping a better tackle was available there. The Steelers would've taken a running back earlier but all the good ones went late in the first or early in the second. Overall, strong draft.

stpalmisano (Cleveland)

Do you think James Harrison has participated in a bounty program while delivering clearly illegal hits?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:17 PM)

Not at all. He just loves hitting. Harrison wasn't getting any money from teammates but he certainly has given enough cash to the NFL.

ian (toronto canada)

Let's assume that both DeCastro and Adams play well, and Colon comes back strong from his injury and moves inside to guard. Does this give the Steelers the best o-line in the division (if not the league)?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:18 PM)

Best in division, clearly. Best in the NFL, let's wait on that one.

Eric (New York)

Will the Browns release Fujita now that the suspension penalties have been released? Or is their currently not enough depth in the LB position to do so.Thanks!

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:19 PM)

The Browns will stick with Fujita. He's in the final year of his contract and they didn't go after a replacement in free agency or the draft. That says to me that he's staying.

Andrew (College Park)

With the Ravens drafting Upshaw it seems we have a surplus of pass rushers with Kruger, McPhee, Kindle and Upshaw. Why didn't the Ravens draft a big bodied receiver or move up to pick up Stephen Hill?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:20 PM)

You can never have enough pass rushers, especially with the QBs that the Ravens are facing this year: Brady, Peyton Manning, Roethlisberger, Eli Manning, Romo, Vick and Schaub.

chuck (Pittsburgh)

When Rex Ryan was the defensive coord. with the Ravens, they did well. The defense played well again under Chuck Pagano. How do you feel that the Ravens new defensive coord. will do in keeping the aggressive play that the Ravens like to play??

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:21 PM)

That's a big question and I honestly don't have the answer. When Pees was the DC in New England, it's hard to tell whether he was running the defense or it was Belichick. But the Ravens have to know the aggressive style is the way to go. It worked under Ryan and Pagano.

Dennis (MI)

From top to bottom, is the AFC north the most competitve division in the NFL today?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:22 PM)

It's between the two Norths: AFC and NFC.

Trey (Portland, OR)

Is it just me or did the Browns for get that they needed receiver help in the draft as well?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:23 PM)

The plan was to get Baylor's Kendall Wright with the 22nd pick. But he was taken No. 20 by Tennessee. He was the one receiver that the Browns thought they would get. No one really intrigued them after that.

Chris (Holmdel)

Why all the backlash against John Harbaugh for speaking the truth?The Pats superbowls were tainted by their cheating and this talk of loyalty by Teddy Bruschi is completely irrelevant.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:24 PM)

The problem I have is that Harbaugh steered the question to the Patriots and using the word "stained" is very strong. He could have saved himself by just saying the Ravens don't use bounties and don't condone it. The question was more focused on the Saints.

SweetWeaz (Bay City, Mich)

Will young guys like LB Stevenson and Worilds get a chance to really show what they can do for the Steelers this year

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:24 PM)

Stevenson has a better shot than Worilds. I get the feeling that the Steelers are not as high on Worilds right now.

Mike (New Kensington, PA)

Love the Rainey pick for Pittsburgh, I'm imagining Ben having a Sproles like weapon to add to his arsenal, am I dreaming or is that a fair comparison?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:25 PM)

As long as they can keep Rainey out of trouble, he has that type of potential. You won't get 100 yards per game out of him but Rainey will provide big plays.

Greg (Dayton)

Love what the Bengals did in the draft. I am just wondering who they cut on the DL and at CB? I would guess Pat Simms on the DL, but which of the many first round CB's do you see them cutting?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:26 PM)

That will become clearer in training camp and the preseason. And injuries happen all the time, which make those decisions easier. But having decisions is a plus for any organization. It says there is a lot of talent.

Michael H (Baltimore)

Call me crazy, but I just don't see the Browns throwing Weeden in right away. If Holmgren had his way, Colt won't start for a full year. I don't see them pushing the Panic button for changing that philosophy and throwing Weeden in for Game 1.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:28 PM)

If you wait another year, you have a 30-year-old quarterback being a first-year starter. You take a quarterback with the 22nd overall pick after an offseason where you were clearly looking to replace McCoy. The only way Weeden doesn't start is if he flops. It's his job to lose.

Jordan (Casper, Wy)

JH, I love what the Bengals did this weekend, unfortunatley I think the Steelers had a very solid(possibly just a notch below the Bengals) draft as well. Throw in a pass rusher opposite T-Sizzle and a young work horse by Lake Eerie and this division is going to beat some people up this year.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:29 PM)

Every team improved in the draft. Some executed their plans better than others, though.

Kyle (Minneapolis)

Do you think the Browns should try to pick up either Jabar Gaffney or Jacoby Jones?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:31 PM)

Gaffney is too old but Jones is a classic underachiever. Not sure either one significantly helps the Browns, who are looking to build with younger talent (well, except at quarterback).

Greg (Dayton)

I have not watched near the tape that NFL scouts do, but why is everyone hating on Zietler's pass blocking? He gave up 0 sacks at Wisconsin. Also, who has a better career, Zietler or Decastro?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:33 PM)

Scouts look at him and say he labors a bit in his blocking. He has the power to take on size but he seems to stress a bit against quicker linemen. It's a different challenge in the NFL than the Big 10. I think Zeitler will have a solid career but DeCastro is the better overall talent.

scott (dilliner,pa)

do steelers draft a rb next year?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:35 PM)

That has to be in the plans unless Redman really shows he can be the featured back.

Adam B (Columbus)

Hensley. Why is it that any player the Bengals pick up has a negative connotation with it from you, but if the Ravens trade back or pick up a has been you praise them for doing so? Get off your homer high horse.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:37 PM)

Funny, I thought I began the chat saying the Bengals and Steelers were the clear winners of the draft. Didn't know that was so negative. You can check the chat transcript if you like.

Pink (Seattle)

Id Redman the clear #1 RB going into camp?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:37 PM)

Don't know who else it would be.

18whodey (ohio)

Rey Maualuga said that he was worried about the bengals drafting a MLB and watched the first several rounds of the draft to be sure they didn't. How much should this worry bengals fans (or could it possibly be a good sign that he knows he needs to step up his play)?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:38 PM)

I think it's a sign that Maualuga knows he underperformed last season. I say give him another year at MLB.

Matt (ffresno ca )

Do you still believe the ravens are number 1 post draft?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:39 PM)

Bengals and Steelers both had better drafts. So, we'll see.

Michael (Cincinnati)

Does Sheldon Browns tackle well enough to convert to saftey?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:40 PM)

His tackling can't be worse than his covering skills at this point.

Ben (DSM)

Why not cut Medenhall, bring in some LB depth and Depth WR and a swing tackle. Thoughts??

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:42 PM)

No reason to cut Mendenhall. You'll have to pay him in some form of injury settlement anyway. Best play is to see when he can come off PUP and go from there.

Tony (Columbus)

If the Browns have another 4-12 or 5-11 season could you see them blowing it all up again and going with new management?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:44 PM)

NFL history shows the coach goes before the GM and president.

Gary Stines (Eglin AFB, FL)

I love the pick of Marvin Jones for the bengals! Do you think he has sleeper potential and what kind of WR do you think he could turn into?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:46 PM)

I agree with you about Jones. He could get more playing than Sanu as a rookie.

Nick W (Harrison, OH)

Weeden is too old not to start right away

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:47 PM)

Agreed

jon (dayton)

True or False Cleveland will be the Worst Team in the League!

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:47 PM)

False.

Kovacs (Dallas)

The Browns will go 8-8 if _________

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:48 PM)

Richardson is the next Adrian Peterson, Weeden doesn't make rookie mistakes and the run defense improves.

Ruben (Ft Lee, VA)

How long do you see kirkpatrick as a back up before he starts or do you see him starting right from the begining.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:49 PM)

A lot depends on whether Leon Hall is healthy and whether Kirkpatrick outplays Nate Clements in training camp.

Chris (San Francisco)

You wrote that you traveled to Cleveland for the three days of the draft. What types of insights into their draft did you get from being on site that you wouldn't have through phone calls and the internet?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:51 PM)

I got to hear the full explanations from Heckert and Shurmur on their picks. Heckert is pretty upfront with the reasons why he made the picks. I came away impressed with his candor.

Jamison Hensley (ESPN)

  (2:52 PM)

Thanks for the chat. Appreciate all the good questions. We'll do this again next week. Hope everyone has a great rest of the week.