The AFC North had a down season in 2013, according to the last decade’s standards. The division only produced one playoff team, the Cincinnati Bengals, and they failed to reach the Divisional round. Needless to say, this offseason was a crucial one for all four teams.
The Bengals and Cleveland Browns kicked off their minicamps of June 10, while the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers had their minicamps a week later. Here are the winners and losers through the two-day camps.
Winners
Steelers secondary
The Steelers have the task of acclimating safety Mike Mitchell with longtime starter Troy Polamalu in an attempt to beef up a pass defense that ranked ninth in the league last year. Mitchell and Polamalu worked well together in minicamp, giving Steelers fans a glimpse of what could be another fearsome Steelers defense.
Ravens’ edge
Signing Steve Smith this offseason, the Ravens knew that they were getting a feisty receiver with a major chip on his shoulder. However, Smith and Lardarius Webb braking out into a shoving match in minicamp was unexpected. It shows how much each player is ready to play and it seems as though the Ravens have an attitude they didn’t last year.
Browns WR Anthony Armstrong
Armstrong joined the Browns during an active offseason for the team, so the addition was overshadowed. However, Armstrong showed that he has potential to be a reliable receiver for whatever quarterback takes snaps for the Browns this season. He’ll be up against a deep receiving corps for the Browns, though, so he’ll need to keep competing at a high level.
Losers
Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick had the tasks of covering key Bengals receiver like A.J. Green and Brandon Tate. He didn’t fare nearly as well as the Bengals had hoped, missing many opportunities to break up passes. Instead, Green and others had strong showings against the cornerback.
Ravens S Terrence Brooks
Brooks, a third round pick for the Ravens, was drafted in hopes that he could start Week 1 in place of James Ihedigbo, who left for the Indianapolis Colts. Brooks, however, was not even practicing with the second team defense for the Ravens. This is not a good sign for Baltimore, which needs to fill the hole that Ihedigbo filled nicely in his time there.
Johnny Manziel
Manziel came into minicamp with all the hype surrounding an MVP quarterback, yet he took reps with mostly the second team. Browns safety Donte Whitner told the media that quarterback Brian Hoyer asks him about opposing defenses frequently, but Manziel has not done so yet. Also, presumable third-string quarterback Connor Shaw looked to be the mobile quarterback they hoped for, finding seams in the defense and passing well. Shaw and Hoyer both had good camps, so whether or not Manziel did, his competition is strengthening.
Ravens WR Marlon Brown
After the signing of Steve Smith, Browns’s role on this Ravens team took a hit. He needs to have a strong preseason to maintain the production he saw last year. However, he need numerous dropped passes in minicamp, hurting his stock and potentially moving himself down the depth chart.