The AFC North blog will conclude its rankings of each position this week with defense. This is a projection on how the group will fare this season. It's not an evaluation based on last year. For Tuesday, let's look at the linebackers.
The Baltimore Ravens will officially start the defense of their Super Bowl championship in about four months. This week, however, the next chapter for the Ravens' defense truly began. In the same offseason Baltimore said goodbye to two future Hall of Fame players in linebacker Ray Lewis and safety Ed Reed, the Ravens used their first two draft picks on Florida safety Matt Elam and Kansas State inside linebacker Arthur Brown.
The wake-up call is being posted a little later than usual. It's not because I had a long weekend, although I can say I had a quieter one than Rolando McClain, whose days as a Baltimore Raven may be numbered.
The top edge pass-rusher in the AFC North is Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. That's the opinion of the voters in this week's SportsNation poll, but it's not an overwhelming one. Of the 8,569 votes, Suggs received 30 percent even though he was limited to two sacks last season because of injuries.
Other than the Ravens' two signings this week, it's been a relatively quiet period for the division in free agency. The Steelers play host to running back Ahmad Bradshaw today, so something could materialize from that.
There's little debate that Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins is the best interior pass-rusher in the AFC North. Picking out the best edge rusher is more difficult, especially after the Ravens' recent addition of Elvis Dumervil.
It's officially 30 days until the NFL draft. But there is also another date to remember, especially for Steelers fans. We'll get to that in the wake-up call ... RAVENS: Linebacker Terrell Suggs told The Baltimore Sun that he declined have surgery on torn right biceps for a reason.
With one move Sunday, the Baltimore Ravens alleviated concern over the rebuilding of their defense and caused opposing quarterbacks to worry a little more. The Ravens agreed to terms on a five-year, $35 million contract with Elvis Dumervil on Sunday, beating out the Denver Broncos for the best pass-rusher available in free agency.
For those who are scrutinizing Jarvis Jones' disappointing pro day results, just think back to Terrell Suggs. A decade ago, Suggs ran slower than expected in the 40-yard dash, which caused him to fall from a top-five prospect to No.
Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs has long referred to Ray Lewis as the team's general and Ed Reed as the lieutenant. When asked about his title, he considered himself the captain. Well, it's time for Suggs to move up a few ranks.
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