AFC North Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

Running back didn’t seem to be high on the Browns list of offseason needs after the successful 2018 debut of Nick Chubb and the presence of veteran Duke Johnson. However, the Browns still went out and added RB Kareem Hunt after the Chiefs released him following multiple violent off-field incidents, including kicking a woman. That shouldn’t be read as an indictment of how Cleveland feels about Chubb, though. 

“I just know Nick is everything we want in a football player, from the standpoint of how he approaches the game, how he approaches practice, how he approaches every time he has the ball in his hands, every time he is pass protecting and every time he is running routes,” Browns HC Freddie Kitchens said via ESPN’s Tony Grossi. “Nick works his tail off every time he crosses the white line.”

For his part, Chubb says he’s bonded with Hunt and the two together “are gonna be scary.” Kitchens said the presence of Chubb actually made them feel more comfortable bringing on Hunt.  

“Do you want to know what the definition of keeping your head down and just going to work is?” Kitchens said. “It is him. If Kareem learns nothing other than that, that is a benefit to Kareem and that is a benefit to our team.”

Ravens

• The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes QB Trace McSorley, CB Maurice Canady, LB Tyus Bowser, WR Jaleel Scott, WR Seth Roberts and CB Cyrus Jones as players who are trending up from the roster bubble onto the roster. 
• Meanwhile, WR Michael Floyd, LB Shane Ray, OT Greg Senat were listed as trending down, per Zrebiec. 
• Zrebiec says the Ravens will have hard decisions to make with WR Antoine Wesley, RB Kenneth Dixon, CB Justin Bethel and DL Gerald Willis.

Steelers

• Adam Schefter reports that Steelers CB Joe Haden, who was carted off during Wednesday’s practice, suffered what is being described as “a minor ankle” injury.
• Steelers S Sean Davis has missed a week of practice with what was initially reported as a dislocated finger. Steelers HC Mike Tomlin further clarified Davis had an “open wound” on his finger, via Steelers team reporter Missi Matthews.
• The Steelers have Mark Barron and Vince Williams as listed as their starting inside linebackers and first-round LB Devin Bush as a backup. (Mark Kaboly)
• Kaboly adds that it’s not worth reading too much into Bush being a backup right not, given that training camp depth charts are typically ordered by seniority.  
• Pittsburgh listed Donte Moncrief as the starting outside receiver opposite of JuJu Smith-Schuster with James Washington as Smith-Schuster’s backup. (Ray Fittipaldo)