Despite losing Pernell McPhee to the Bears in free agency, the Ravens probably won’t look to sign a veteran replacement at pass rusher, writes Jamison Hensley of ESPN.com. Instead of adding someone like Dwight Freeney or Osi Umenyiora, per Hensley, Baltimore will likely turn to internal options — such as Courtney Upshaw or rookie Za’Darius Smith — to fill the void left by McPhee. Of course, if Terrell Suggs or Elvis Dumervil were to suffer an injury, the club could very well turn to the open market to search for help.
Here’s more from the AFC North:
- Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel was involved in an incident at a PGA event on Saturday, but the episode seems relatively minor, and no charges or arrests will be filed, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. Per Ulrich, Manziel reportedly threw an water bottle at a fan who had been harassing him for an autograph. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN (Twitter links) adds a bit more clarity, saying that the fan had been consistently grabbing at and heckling Manziel.
- As team activities get under way, it’s clear that the Steelers roster is getting younger, writes Scott Brown of ESPN.com. The club is fielding just 11 players over the age of 30, and following the departure of defensive stalwarts Troy Polamalu, Ike Taylor, and Brett Keisel, it seems that Pittsburgh is making a concerted effort to undertake a youth movement.
- Jeremy Hill expects the Bengals backfield split to be a bit more balanced this year, as he explains to Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Following Giovani Bernard‘s injury in Week 9, Hill dominated backfield snaps, even when Hill returned, but the latter expects those responsibilities to distributed a bit more evenly in 2015.