AFC North Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals WR A.J. Green said he’s excited for training camp to get the chance to practice fully. The veteran receiver said there was no need to push himself during OTA’s to learn HC Zac Taylor’s offense hands-on, but that it will be good to practice one or two unfamiliar routes during training camp.

“I’ve been doing this a long time, so Zac pretty much knows what I can do,” Green said, via ESPN’s Laurel Pfahler. “That’s great not to rush me back. I would love to be out there (doing everything), but I respect the decision. It felt good just to get out there.”

Ravens

New Ravens OC Greg Roman is building Baltimore’s offense completely from scratch to highlight QB Lamar Jackson and his unique skillset.

“We get to throw a lot of things on that canvas,” Roman said via the Baltimore Sun’s Childs Walker. “Test this out and say, ‘Eh, that might not be us,’ or, ‘Wow, that really is us.’ We’re really not competing against our defense as much as we’re competing against ourselves. We’re trying to get everybody prepared for training camp; that’s the goal. And I think we’re accomplishing that.”

• Ravens DC Don Martindale is ready to put DT Michael Pierce‘s poor conditioning in the past: “Of course you’re disappointed. Like I said to him, life is about choices… we piled on enough yesterday. Let’s not forget what a great football player he is. He’ll get back there.” (Jeff Zrebiec)
• First-round WR Marquise Brown won’t be cleared to fully participate until training camp, but he did some individual drill work at Ravens minicamp Wednesday. (Jamison Hensley)

Steelers

Steelers’ veteran QB Ben Roethlisberger said he is still confident that his team can reach the Super Bowl despite losing Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell this offseason. 

“I’m been here a long time. We’re still the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Roethlisberger said, via Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. “We’re still going to go out and try to win every football game. It’s been a long time since we’ve been to the big one. But, if everyone puts forth the effort we all think we can, with the talent we have in this room, we feel pretty confident we can be pretty good.”

Steelers G David DeCastro feels there have been positive changes around the team this offseason. 

“I think things have changed pretty well around here,” DeCastro said. “Just coming back and seeing it, talking to people. I’m excited, I really am, just to play football.”