AFC North Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

• Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns and Ravens are the “frontrunners” to sign free agent DT Gerald McCoy.
• According to Cabot, McCoy had dinner with Browns’ coaches and personnel executives Thursday night and while he had some questions about the team, Cleveland was able to answer them and make him feel better about joining them by the time he left on Friday. 
• Cabot says that McCoy “loves the idea of playing with fellow Pro Bowlers Myles Garrett, Oliver Vernon and Sheldon Richardson on the defensive line, and has never been surrounded with that caliber of talent.”
• In the end, Cabot mentions that McCoy could sign a one-year “prove-it” deal with the hopes of catching on long term. McCoy reportedly has one offer of $11 million, but Cabot says this isn’t from a winning team and he’s likely to sign for less than $10 million if he joins the Browns.

Ravens

Ravens second-year QB Lamar Jackson was critical of his practice performance during OTAs. 

“I’d say, my first day, I sucked. Second day, I did better. Today, it was all right but it could’ve been better,” Jackson said, via ESPN.com. “I’m always trying to be perfect in practice.”

Jackson has reportedly thrown a number of wobbly passes and he’s working on his mechanics to adjust. 

“It’s been crazy. It’s been everywhere,” Jackson said of his throws. “I feel like my hand is a little too high on the football and that makes the ball go out of whack a lot.”

Steelers

Steelers’ second-year RB Jaylen Samuels mentioned that he could lineup with RB James Conner in a “dual threat” package this season. 

“We did a little bit of it [last season], but we didn’t really run it in a game, so I guess this year we’re going to try and put that a little more in the offense,” Samuels said, via Sarah K. Spencer of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I think that could be kind of special with me and [Conner] in the backfield. Me and him in the game, period. We’re just building on from that right now… He’s more of a runner and a catcher, as well, but I can get outside and run routes, as well. To have that dual threat with me and him in the game, it could be really scary for defenses.”

Conner confirmed that the Steelers will pair him with Samuels in the backfield “a little more” this season. 

“Oh, man, Jaylen?” Conner said. “He’s super talented. It’s something we’ve had in for a little while, but I think we’re going to use it a little more this year, and I’m excited about it because we’re both really talented. So it kind of puts the defense in a mix of who they really want to pay attention to because he’s shown what he can do.”