AFC Notes: DeAndre Hopkins, Elijah Moore, Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Browns

  • Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot mentions Browns RB/WR Demetric Felton is firmly on the bubble heading into the season. Felton’s cross-trained at both positions the past two seasons and Cabot thinks that’s actually hurt his development, but he does still have a chance to grab the third running back slot. 
  • Cabot says 2021 fourth-round OT James Hudson will be the primary backup, with 2023 fourth-round OT Dawand Jones someone the coaching staff plans to bring along slowly. This is an area the Browns will keep an eye on during camp, however, per Cabot. 
  • Cabot writes Browns HC Kevin Stefanski is not on the hot seat heading into the season, explaining the team isn’t thinking negatively and Stefanski has not been given any kind of ultimatum by ownership. 
  • She adds the expectation of everyone in the organization is for the team to be highly successful and make the playoffs. If that doesn’t happen, she notes everything will be taken into account in evaluating Stefanski at the end of the season, like health for instance. 
  • Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer says it seems like the Browns are happy with their current receiving corps and “probably won’t” pursue former Cardinals WR DeAndre Hopkins and a reunion with QB Deshaun Watson.
  • A few other reports have said similar things about where things stand between Cleveland and Hopkins after some early buzz shortly after Arizona released the veteran wideout. Breer adds that the Browns love what they’ve seen from WR Elijah Moore during OTAs and feel like the position is in good shape. 

Ravens

Ravens HC John Harbaugh has good things to say about veteran WR Nelson Agholor, who has been working hard this offseason despite his signing being overshadowed by the additions of WR Odell Beckham and first-round WR Zay Flowers.

He has been on point,” Harbaugh said, via Jamison Hensley of ESPN. “He’s a talented guy. [He’s a] former first-round pick; he looks it — rangy, big catch radius.”

Steelers

Steelers OLB T.J. Watt said during a recent podcast appearance that he sees the defense making positive strides heading into 2023.

“I think it’s still too early to have a true sense of ‘This is the year,’ because they always say you don’t want to be the guy who’s just crushing it with no pads on — you don’t really know the personality of everybody yet,” Watt said on Ben Roethlisberger’s podcast. “So it’s too early for that, but I’m very encouraged with the direction we’re going, especially on the defensive side of the ball, which is what I can speak for. Guys are flying around, having a lot of fun, communicating and making a lot of those splash plays, and that’s all you can really ask for this time of year.”

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