AFC North Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

Browns GM John Dorsey said they’re open to all options at the top of the draft including trading the No. 1 overall pick.

“You have to explore all options. You never know until you know,” Dorsey said, via ClevelandBrowns.com. “We have to do that as an organization. To get us better I’ll explore every opportunity there is up until it comes time to make that pick.”

Dorsey added he has “clarity of thought” after spending last week with the top-four quarterbacks in this year’s draft class.

“Anytime you get a chance to be together as an organization and kind of go and see the top four players at their respective position, you get a chance to meet them as a person, you get a chance to kind of watch them and their depth of X’s and O’s and then you get a chance to actually physically work them, see them work out,” Dorsey said, via Ohio.com. “But I thought it was good. You get to see them back to back to back, so it’s all fresh in your mind. I think there’s some things that it worked out. I think there’s clarity of thought, but there’s still five weeks until the draft. So we still have a lot more planning to go along, but it’s another check on the box.”

Browns HC Hue Jackson told reporters on Tuesday that he believes the team’s franchise quarterback is in this year’s draft class.

“I think the guy’s in there,” Jackson said, via Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I really do.”

Jackson added that he believes they’re close to settling on their preferred quarterback.

“I think we’re very close,” Jackson said. “Yeah, I think we’re close. We just haven’t had the chance to be together. I gave the staff the week off. They’re vacationing. We’re here at the owner’s meetings and we’ll get together here soon and put our heads together and see what’s best.”

Jackson spoke highly of Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield.

“I think he’s outstanding,” Jackson said at the NFL Annual Meeting coaches’ breakfast, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I have a different appreciation for Baker. Spending that time with him, what a leader, tremendous person. There is a young girl (Mackenzie Asher) that he spent some time with. That was a tragic story, but I truly believe that’s who Baker Mayfield is. He is important in the community. I think he’s important to his teammates. I kind of feel like he’s the Pied Piper of Oklahoma football.”

“I will share this with you — when we walked into the building, he made this sound. He just kind of came out of nowhere. He kind of went, ‘Hee, hee!’ And all the players in the building started going, ‘Hee, hee!’ And here they go. It’s the most unbelievable thing I’ve ever seen,” said Jackson. “That shows you something about what he means to young men and how he leads them. And that’s who Baker Mayfield is.”

Ravens

• Ravens HC John Harbaugh said expects CB Jimmy Smith (Achilles) to be ready for the start of the regular season and perhaps for training camp: “I think he’s ahead of schedule.” (Jamison Hensley)
• Harbaugh mentioned that he envisions Alex Lewis playing left guard for them in 2018 with Matt Skura getting the first shot to replace Ryan Jensen at center. (Jamison Hensley)

Steelers

• Steelers HC Mike Tomlin said WR Eli Rogers‘ recovery from ACL will be “critical” for their offense, which is interesting considering that he’s a free agent. Tomlin added he’d like to have Rogers back in 2018. (Jeremy Fowler)