AFC North Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

The Browns signed LB B.J. Goodson this offseason after losing Joe Schobert to the Jaguars. 

Goodson says he’s “very confident” he’ll be able to step in replace Schobert. 

“Like I said earlier, I feel very confident in my game,” Goodson said, via Cleveland.com. “If you ask me, I will just tell you that I prepare and I’m able to perform as well as any other linebacker in the league, not just to point out one guy. I feel very confident in that with the opportunity given. . . . As a middle linebacker and especially as long as I’ve been playing, that leadership role is something that you just inherit. It’s something that I’m definitely looking forward to being an addition there for those guys.”

Ravens

• The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec says regarding Ravens S Earl Thomas that it’s pretty clear Baltimore’s decision-makers weren’t happy how he handled the legal situation with his wife by not informing them and with his curious Instagram post to try and get ahead of the news. 
• Zrebiec adds his sense is the team already knows the big deal they gave to Thomas in free agency won’t age well. While Zrebiec wouldn’t characterize Thomas as a headache last season, he did tend to “march to the beat of his own drum” and frustrated the team at times. 
• There’s also little ground, in Zrebiec’s opinion, from the situation for the Ravens to void Thomas’ guarantees for conduct detrimental to the team. 
• Regarding Ravens LB Matt Judon, who’s on the franchise tag currently, Zrebiec doesn’t expect anything to happen until closer to the July 15 deadline for a long-term deal. 
• If the Ravens wanted to add another tight end, Zrebiec agrees it would be easy to connect the dots to veteran TE Delanie Walker, who worked with OC Greg Roman in San Francisco. 

Steelers 

• Ed Bouchette of The Athletic thinks the Steelers offensive line should be okay following the retirement of LG Ramon Foster and the departure of G/C B.J. Finney.
• Bouchette mentions that the left guard spot will likely be a position battle between former Eagles G Stefen Wisniewski and rookie G Kevin Dotson. He also believes that tackles Matt Feiler or Chukwuma Okorafor could end up playing guard as well.
• As for who will take the biggest jump forward for Pittsburgh this season, Bouchette lists S Terrell Edmunds, LB Devin Bush, and WR Diontae Johnson.