AFC Notes: Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

• Jake Trotter of ESPN thinks that in a best-case scenario, the Browns are able to acquire a veteran quarterback such as Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, or Kirk Cousins without having to give up any of their core of young stars.
• Trotter notes that another disaster would be for the team to not re-sign journeyman pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, who was seemingly able to turn things around for himself last season in Cleveland.
• When it comes to veterans the team could move on, Trotter says to keep an eye on WR Jarvis Landry and C J.C. Tretter.
• Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon-Journal reports the Browns have not asked Landry to restructure his contract at this point in time.
• Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger writes the Browns may want to use the franchise tag on TE David Njoku while working toward a long-term deal. He has proven to be a capable tight end and the franchise tag for Njoku would cost the team $10.9 million. 

Ravens

• According to ESPN’s Jamison Hensley, the Ravens’ top cut candidates in the offseason include T Alejandro Villanueva ($6 million), CB Tavon Young ($5.845 million), and WR Miles Boykin ($2.54 million).
• The Ravens announced they’ve hired Adrian Dixon as their new head athletic trainer. Dixon recently worked for the Titans as the director of physical therapy and sports rehabilitation. (Jeff Zrebiec)

Steelers

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert said after speaking with Steelers owner Art Rooney and his family, now was the right time for him to take some time and step away as the team’s general manager. He also thinks it’s a prime time for the Steelers to make a hire outside the organization to replace him. 

“It’s something my family and I have discussed, really over the last few years, and that’s why we’ve been asking to do the year-to-year contracts. Art has been great in allowing us to do that,” Colbert said, via the team’s official website. “But we just think it’s time. It’s time I think from a personal standpoint, I think it’s time from a professional standpoint. We always have to be open to new ways to do things and more current ways to do things quite honestly, and I encourage our younger scouts to push me in that regard. But the better solution may be outside the organization. We don’t know, but I just think from a personal side for sure it’s time. Even from a professional side we have to be open to trying to stay ahead of the game.”

In recent years, the Steelers have utilized free agency as a means to address needs so that the team could focus on the best-player-available approach in the draft. While Colbert didn’t conclude that he will utilize that strategy again, he didn’t rule out that being the focus.

“Again, we’ll sort through all of that over the next two months,” said Colbert. “We have preliminary ideas going into it. Every step we learn something new. We come out of the college season, we go to the Senior Bowl, we’ll go to the Combine, we’ll go to Pro Days, and then we’ll look at what we did in free agency. That could change it. If you spend millions on a position (in free agency), you may not draft that position even though (the draft is) the best option prior to free agency. There are so many questions we’ll be answering to ourselves over the next two months that I really can’t nail it down at this point.”