AFC North OTA Roundup

Even though all the attention in Baltimore has been focused on the Ravens’ minicamp and Organized Team Activity (OTA) over the past few weeks, that doesn’t mean their AFC North division-mates are laying quiet.

In fact, those teams are just as busy as the Ravens.

For a quick update, here is a look at how the other teams around the division are doing, and some early questions and answers:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Top Questions: Can the new wideouts – Matt Jones, Antonio Bryant, Jordan Shipley – bring back the Carson Palmer of old?... Who is going to be the Bengals’ dynamic tight end?... Will Adam “Pacman” Jones finally make the grade?

Answers: By all accounts, Jones is the leading candidate in the clubhouse to break out. Bryant had a stellar 2008 campaign, but couldn’t produce the same numbers in an injury-marred 2009. And Shipley, the third-round draft pick, should be solid in the slot, but has yet to turn heads… The Bengals drafted Jermaine Gresham in the first round, a player the Ravens coveted, but he’ll have tough competition from last year’s highly-touted prospects Chase Coffman and Reggie Kelly. Kelly spent the 2009 season on IR with a ruptured Achilles. Put it this way, the veteran Kelly will not relinquish his starting spot without a fight… Jones, who is strictly going by the name “Adam,” has looked good, prompting Palmer to lightly compare him to Pittsburgh’s Troy Polamalu.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Top Questions: Can the much-maligned Jake Delhomme quarterback a team again, and how long will it be before Colt McCoy takes the reins?... What does the Wildcat hold for the Browns?... Since D’Qwell Jackson and Abe Elam are staying out of OTAs and Matt Roth wants a trade, will the Browns' defense be happy?

Answers: The early returns on Delhomme, fresh off an abysmal season with the Carolina Panthers, are positive, prompting Eric Mangini to compare him to Brett Farve. But, McCoy is nipping on his heels, no doubt… Seneca Wallace and Josh Cribbs make for intriguing possibilities in the Wildcat. Cribbs has run it before, and Wallace has the athletic ability to take control in the odd offensive set… Jackson and Elam want long-term contracts, but that's not likely to happen. Chalk it up to their restricted free agent designation. As for Roth, he's not likely to get traded at all. If all of those leaders stay away from offseason camps, that's not a good sign for the Browns' chemistry.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Top Questions: How will the Steelers cope without Ben Roethlisberger for four and possibly six games?... How will the Steelers convert to more of a running attack instead of the pass-happy offense they’ve shown in the past few years?... LaMarr Woodley is one of the most-productive members of the Steelers’ defense, so will he get that long-term extension he’s been aiming for?

Answers: At this point, the Steelers are going forward with Byron Leftwich as their surrogate starter, with Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch playing cleanup. Even if Roethlisberger gets his six-game suspension down to four games with good behavior, the Ravens’ first matchup with Pittsburgh in Week 4 will still be without their general… The Steelers have put out a mandate to run the ball more, with 2009 first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall taking the bulk of carries. It is a return to the classic Steelers’ game plan… Woodley is coming off a 13 ½-sack season, so he is certainly a priority, but his contract status – he is probably due an extension as he enters his final year – hasn’t been a problem yet.