AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens

Bengals

• The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. doesn’t think Cincinnati will add a veteran passer. 
• Dehner believes there’s a much better chance WR A.J. Green is still with the Bengals than WR John Ross in 2021. 
• Both are entering the final year of their contract this year — Green on the franchise tag and Ross after Cincinnati declined his fifth-year option. Dehner says a strong season with No. 1 QB Joe Burrow could convince Green to stay, while Ross is more likely to either test the open market or be allowed to leave by the Bengals. 
• Dehner adds the Bengals love RB Giovani Bernard and there’s little chance they do anything with him. 

Browns

• According to Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot, the Browns are confident first-round OT Jedrick Wills will be ready to start Week 1 at left tackle. Wills was a right tackle at Alabama.
• If Wills isn’t ready, the Browns’ backup plan is moving free-agent acquisition RT Jack Conklin over to the left side.  
• Cabot expects Browns GM Andrew Berry to finalize the hire of former Colts GM Ryan Grigson soon, as well as making other changes to the scouting and personnel department. 
• While Cabot says Berry is always open to upgrading, she thinks the combination of Wyatt Teller, Drew Forbes, Chris Hubbard and fifth-round rookie Nick Harris is sufficient at right guard. 

Ravens

An NFL executive tells Mike Sando of The Athletic that the Ravens once again benefited from letting the board come to them in the second round when they grabbed RB J.K. Dobbins.

“They are always in position to get the guy who has fallen a little bit because they don’t reach and come up,” the executive said. “That is why they are solid.”

Baltimore used their first- and third-round picks to address arguably their biggest roster need. 

“Both (first-rounder) Patrick Queen and (third-rounder) Malik Harrison are speed linebackers who can cover backs and tight ends in space,” an evaluator tells Sando. “You could argue this was their biggest need coming into the draft and they addressed both in the top 100 picks. I’m also a big fan of (fourth-round guard) Ben Bredeson and (sixth-round receiver) James Proche. Both are really good football players who I felt were undervalued in the draft.”