First of all, Happy Easter to our readers. Regardless of what you may believe or what traditions you may hold, I hope that you all have a nice dinner planned for later in the day.
But the sports world is a business, and time is money, so the NFL doesn’t necessarily come to a stop during holidays, and thus there is still plenty of news to report about the goings on through the AFC North division.
As we are now less than four weeks out, at long last from the 2015 NFL Draft, there is no surprise that the news to report becomes increasingly focused on which teams are meeting with which players, or which position coaches are being spotted at which Pro Day. And that is the theme that today’s news largely follows.
It was reported, for example, that the Cleveland Browns intend to bring in offensive tackle Ereck Flowers for a pre-draft visit. The Browns wouldn’t seem to have an obvious need at the tackle position, but some view him as potentially a Pro Bowler if he moved to the right side, and the Browns clearly value their offensive line.
Another draft candidate that the Browns have met with, though not at their team facilities, is pass rusher Bud Dupree. This, again, may not seem like an obvious need, if only because they believe they have two starters here, but either one of their starters could be improved upon.
On the Johnny Manziel front, it was reported that he was seen out golfing, but this was later confirmed to be a part of his recovery process, and that he is not yet out of rehab.
Meanwhile, the Cincinatti Bengals sent their wide receiver and tight end coaches, respectively, to the William & Mary and Iowa Pro Days. At William & Mary, the likely target was Tre McBride, who has been gaining attention leading up to the draft. Iowa has no obviously impressive tight end candidates, but it’s possible that the Bengals were actually getting a look at offensive lineman Brandon Scherff.
In non-draft news, the Bengals recently worked out free agent wide receiver Denarius Moore, who would provide depth, but he did not sign a contract. Also visiting recently was tight end Rob Housler, who, again, did not sign a contract.
Another division team, the Baltimore Ravens, have expressed interest in Housler. The Ravens have already lost one tight end in free agency and whether or not their starter will even be able to play this year is up in the air.
Meanwhile, the Ravens are coming out saying that they’re ‘not desperate’ for a wide receiver, all the while bringing in some of the top players in for visits. They are also reportedly focusing on the tight end class as well.
As for the Pittsburgh Steelers, there was basically nothing to report. The only item really worth pointing out is that with Antwon Blake signing his free agent tender, the team is still waiting on Will Johnson and Robert Golden to do the same.
