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It comes as no surprise that the Cleveland Browns have the largest rookie pool. With 11 draft picks, including two first-rounders, the Browns were allowed to spend $9.7 million to sign their selections.

The league determines the numbers for the rookie pool by how many picks a team has and where those picks were located in each round.

The rest of the AFC North is in the middle of the NFL in terms of the rookie pool: Cincinnati Bengals ($6.8 million), Pittsburgh Steelers ($5.1 million) and Baltimore Ravens ($4.3 million).

The Ravens were the first team in the NFL to sign all of their draft picks. There's only two unsigned picks for the Steelers (guard David DeCastro and linebacker Sean Spence) and the Browns (running back Trent Richardson and quarterback Brandon Weeden).

The Bengals still need to sign six of their draft picks: cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, guard Kevin Zeitler, wide receiver Mohamed Sanu, defensive tackle Brandon Thompson, tight end Orson Charles and running back Dan Herron.

Willie Colon confirmed what has been speculated since the NFL draft -- the Pittsburgh Steelers intend to have two rookies start on their offensive line this year.

Colon told WDVE in Pittsburgh that he is officially moving from right tackle to left guard. "I like it," Colon said. "It's just a matter of learning the verbiage."

This move allows first-round pick David DeCastro and second-rounder Mike Adams to start immediately. Based on what Colon said, the Steelers' offensive line likely will look like this: Adams at left tackle, Colon at left guard, Maurkice Pouncey at center, DeCastro at right guard and Marcus Gilbert at right tackle.

The end result is the Steelers are much stronger with this lineup as long as Adams shows he's strong enough to start right away. There's no doubt that DeCastro, the best guard in the draft, is ready to start from Week 1. The key to keeping this offensive line this way is the development of Adams. I'm in favor of not waiting to make the switch. The Steelers drafted these linemen to add stability and get away from what happened last season. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Steelers used a league-high 25 different offensive line combinations in 2011.

In making the move, Pittsburgh is bumping two formerly undrafted guards (Doug Legursky and Ramon Foster) in favor of its top two picks in this year's draft (DeCastro and Adams). That's a major upgrade in talent level.

The Steelers showed their commitment to making this move by how long it took for them to make it. The team called Colon right after the draft to inform him of the change. "My only issue would have been don't move me midway through camp," he said.

Colon also revealed more about the scheme with him and DeCastro at the guard positions. "You should expect both of us pulling," Colon said. "I think we're going to be a lot more balanced."

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Pittsburgh Steelers and why.

The Steelers talked about running the ball more after parting ways with offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. It remains to be seen how the offense will look under Todd Haley, but the responsibility of the running game falls squarely on Isaac Redman.

An undrafted rookie out of Bowie State in 2009, Redman gets the first crack at being the Steelers' featured back this year. Rashard Mendenhall, the team's leading rusher for the past three seasons, is expected to miss at least the first six games of the season after having knee surgery in January, and Pittsburgh didn't draft a running back until the fifth round this year. At this point, the Steelers are saying this is Redman's job to lose.

The pressure is on Redman because this is more than holding onto the job for a season. Mendenhall is in the final year of his contract, so Redman is auditioning to be the primary runner for next year as well. Redman has earned this opportunity by his play after Mendenhall tore his ACL in the regular-season finale. He ran for 92 yards in the final regular-season game and 121 yards in the playoff loss at Denver.

The challenge for Redman is to prove he can handle the workload for a full season. He's had double-digit carries in only four of 36 career games (including the playoffs). Unless the Steelers sign a veteran before the regular season, there's no experienced safety net at running back. The backups behind Redman are Chris Rainey, Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay and Baron Batch. They have a combined 35 NFL carries. That's why the Steelers need Redman to step up and take charge of the position.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Baltimore Ravens and why.

Four of the the Ravens' five defensive coordinators in their history have gone on to become head coaches. Baltimore's defense has ranked in the top six in eight of the past nine years. So, there's tremendous pressure on new defensive coordinator Dean Pees to uphold the standard of excellence.

His job became much more difficult when linebacker Terrell Suggs, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, tore his Achilles. He also faces the delicate situation of how to handle team leaders Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, both of whom showed their age toward the end of last season. Then, add in the season-ending stretch where Baltimore faces seven Pro Bowl quarterbacks in its final eight games (they also account for five Super Bowl rings).

Pees is familiar with strong defenses. He spent the past two seasons as the Ravens’ linebackers coach after a six-year stint helping run Bill Belichick’s defense in New England. During Pees’ four-year tenure as defensive coordinator (2006-09), the Patriots were the only team in the NFL to finish in the top 10 in scoring defense each season. He now gets the keys to an aggressive Baltimore defense that ranked third in the NFL in sacks (48) and first in forced fumbles (21) last season.

In taking over the Ravens' defense, Pees called it a "humbling" opportunity. It's also a challenging one to follow in the footsteps of Marvin Lewis, Mike Nolan, Rex Ryan and Chuck Pagano.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Cleveland Browns and why.

Hot seats in the NFL are typically reserved for head coaches and general managers. For the Browns, the heat is on team president Mike Holmgren.

The Browns added hope when they hired Holmgren as their top executive after he returned the Packers to prominence and guided the Seahawks to the Super Bowl. Rebuilding has been more of a challenge with the Browns, who have won nine games in Holmgren's two seasons. Instead of turning into a winner, the franchise has spun its wheels under Holmgren and the fan base is becoming skeptical.

This is a big year for the Holmgren regime because a potential franchise quarterback (Brandon Weeden) and star running back (Trent Richardson) were drafted in the first round to go with a top-10 defense. Holmgren has promised a "pretty good jump" for the Browns, so another four- or five-win season isn't going to cut it. It's time for Holmgren to erase past mistakes like keeping Eric Mangini around as head coach for a year and failing to trade up for quarterback Robert Griffin III in this year's draft.

Holmgren had a more immediate impact at his other stops. In Green Bay, he inherited a four-win team and led the Packers to the playoffs by his second season. In Seattle, he took over a team that hadn't been to the playoffs in 10 years and guided the Seahawks to the playoffs in his first season. The pressure is on Holmgren to show signs of a similar turnaround in Cleveland.

» NFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)
» AFC pressure points: West | North | South (5/17) | East (5/18)

Examining who faces the most challenging season for the Cincinnati Bengals and why.

It would be easy to say Marvin Lewis faces a pivotal season because the Bengals coach is in the final year of a two-year extension. But, by all accounts, owner Mike Brown has approached Lewis a handful of times about a new deal, and it's Lewis who hasn't found time for a sitdown.

While it looks like there is no fear with job security, there is still a great amount of pressure on Lewis to take the Bengals to the next level. In his nine years as Bengals coach, Lewis has yet to win a playoff game or guide the team to consecutive winning seasons. If the Bengals want to elevate themselves to the ranks of the Steelers and the Ravens, Lewis has to get the Bengals to make noise in the postseason. During Lewis' tenure in Cincinnati, he has watched the Steelers win two Super Bowls and the Ravens reach the AFC Championship Game twice.

There's no question that Lewis is a good coach. He's done what others have failed to do in Cincinnati. Lewis has become the franchise's winningest coach, holding the team together through the death of a player (wide receiver Chris Henry), an extended holdout by his franchise quarterback (Carson Palmer) and numerous arrests. But Lewis' track record is his team wins when expectations are low but disappoints when the anticipation is high. And the buzz has never been higher in recent years than the 2012 season.

The Bengals surprisingly went to the playoffs last season and improved in most areas this offseason. Cincinnati upgraded at running back (BenJarvus Green-Ellis), guard (Travelle Wharton and Kevin Zeitler) and cornerback (Dre Kirkpatrick, Terence Newman and Jason Allen). The Bengals' top two offensive players from a year ago, quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green, are having their first full offseason with the team after last year's lockout.

What hangs over the franchise is the NFL's longest playoff win drought (21 seasons). It's up to Lewis to get this team to end that.

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

Browns fans who attended Ozzie Newsome's speaking engagement in Cleveland on Monday don't consider the current Ravens general manager/former Browns tight end "a traitor," according to those interviewed by the Akron Beacon Journal.

Newsome enjoyed 13 seasons and a Hall of Fame career with the Browns. He didn't play for another team, but he left with owner Art Modell when the Browns relocated to Baltimore in 1996.

Newsome, who became the NFL's first African-American general manager, said he isn’t sure he would have received the same opportunity if he had remained in Cleveland when the Browns returned in 1999.

“I don’t know if that would have happened because a whole new administration came in with Carmen [Policy] and Dwight [Clark], a San Francisco crew,” Newsome told fans, according to the Beacon Journal. “I don’t know if I would have had a chance to be part of that. A lot of you would have wanted that to happen, but when Carmen came in, he had the keys to the car and he wanted to build the front office the way he wanted.”

Hensley's slant: Newsome is right. He probably wouldn't have ascended to the general manager's role as quickly if he chose to stay in Cleveland. But just think of how the fortunes of the two franchises would have changed if Newsome didn't leave with the Ravens and eventually worked his way up to being the Browns' top decision-maker. Baltimore probably wouldn't have won a Super Bowl in 2000, and Cleveland likely wouldn't be a perennial last-place team.

BENGALS: Jacob Bell acknowledged that his contract influenced his retirement, along with the risks of playing the sport. Bell, 31, who was a Bengals guard for a little over a month before announcing his retirement last week, signed with Cincinnati this offseason for $890,000 after being released by the Rams. Sports Illustrated's Peter King asked Bell if he would have retired under his previous $6 million contract with the Rams. "That's a very good question,'' he said. "And therein lies the problem. How can you say when you're being offered so much money, the kind of money that can secure your future, to play football? So of course it played a role." Hensley's slant: A majority of hardcore football fans didn't even know Bell was in the league despite making 100 starts. Now, his name will be remembered as the player who decided to quit the game because of health concerns. But, as Bell acknowledged, you should also remember that it would have been difficult for him to walk away from a $6 million paycheck no matter what the risks.

RAVENS: Pro Bowl defensive tackle Haloti Ngata told the team's official website that he stayed away from the game and workouts for a month after the Ravens' AFC championship loss at New England. “This year was probably the hardest, the worst I’ve felt at the end of the season,” Ngata said. “We went further and I think I played more snaps this year than other years. This past season took a lot out of me. And that loss just kind of sucked, so it took a little bit more.” Hensley's slant: The strange part of the article is that the team's website referred to Ngata undergoing a "procedure" after the season, but there are no details given to what was repaired or whether it will sideline him for offseason workouts. Ngata previously said he played with a thigh injury for the majority of the 2011 season and didn't play in the Pro Bowl because of the injury. He has been one of the most durable defensive tackles in the NFL, missing two games in six seasons.

STEELERS: No new news is still not good news for the Pittsburgh Steelers. ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter said on Tuesday's "NFL Live" that "it may be awhile" before wide receiver Mike Wallace reports to Steelers headquarters, which essentially was Wallace's stance last month. Wallace has yet to sign his $2.7 million restricted free-agent tender. The Steelers could reduce that tender to $577,000 if he doesn't sign it by June 15. Hensley's slant: It would be a surprise to see Wallace show up for the offseason workouts. It would also be a surprise to see the Steelers reduce his tender. Pittsburgh would like to see its top receiver learning Todd Haley's new offensive scheme, but the Steelers also don't want to create a rift with a player they want to sign long-term. Wallace will probably report to the Steelers for the start of training camp.

There's a feeling the AFC North doesn't get the respect it deserves, and I am among those who believe that at times. Well, not this time. Someone from the Big D is putting the division on the Cowboys' radar for this season.

ESPNDallas.com's Calvin Watkins put together a list of five troublemakers for Dallas this season while excluding the obvious stars like Ben Roethlisberger and Ray Lewis. Of those five players to watch, two come from the AFC North: Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and Ravens linebacker Courtney Upshaw. As a matter of full disclosure, I worked with Watkins at the Baltimore Sun, so he has a familiarity with the division.

Here's what Watkins had to say about Dalton, who was the best rookie quarterback in the AFC in 2011 and would've been the top one in the NFL if not for that quarterback named Cam. A second-round pick in 2011, Dalton became the only rookie in NFL history to throw for 20 or more touchdowns passes while winning eight or more games as a starting quarterback.

The former TCU standout proved last year he can play in this league. When the Cowboys visit Cincinnati on Dec. 9, they will take on the second-year quarterback who compiled a 78.1 quarterback rating but threw eight touchdowns and six interceptions in home games in 2011. NFL teams aren't waiting on quarterbacks to develop, they're playing them now and getting results. Dalton is another example of this.

The other player who could cause some problems for the Cowboys is Upshaw. A second-round pick this year, Upshaw is expected to replace Jarret Johnson and is is eager to prove himself after watching four Alabama teammates get selected in the first round. He has a high motor and should make an impact as a pass rusher (15.5 sacks the past two seasons in college). This is Watkins' take on Upshaw:

Terrell Suggs' Achilles injury might keep him out for the Oct. 14 matchup between Baltimore and Dallas. If he's not available -- and it appears he won't be -- the rookie from Alabama will show the Cowboys what he can do. Jason Garrett saw him at Alabama's Pro Day. There's a thought that Upshaw is no different than Anthony Spencer in terms of skill set from the outside linebacker position. Early in the draft process, the Cowboys were linked to Upshaw as a mid-first round pick. But Upshaw dropped to the second round. We'll see what he can do against Dallas.

The AFC North has had moderate success against the Cowboys. Since becoming the AFC North in 2002, the division has gone 5-3 against Dallas (including a combined 4-0 by the Steelers and Ravens).

It's going to be a challenge for the Cleveland Browns to absorb the loss of defensive tackle Phil Taylor, who tore a chest muscle last week. I explain the impact in this week's Blogger Blitz video.

The Browns' run defense was easily the worst in the AFC North last season. Cleveland allowed 147.4 yards rushing per game last season, which ranked 30th in the 32-team NFL. No other team in the division gave up more than 104.7 yards on the ground, and no other AFC North team ranked lower than 10th in run defense.

What could help Cleveland's run defense this year is the teams on the schedule. The Browns play three games against teams who had rushing attacks ranked in the top nine last season. One date to remember is Dec. 9, when running back Peyton Hillis makes his return to Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Bill Cowher wants to teach men about melanoma, a form of skin cancer that led to the death of his wife in 2010. But Cowher's name is in the headlines for another reason as well.

NFL analyst Boomer Esiason recently speculated on a couple of landing spots for Cowher, the former Pittsburgh Steelers coach who is his CBS Sports colleague.

“The only two coaching spots that I think that he would ever come out of retirement for ... one would be the New York Giants and the other one would be the Chicago Bears, because he’s that type of guy,” Esiason told WSCR-AM 670, via the Chicago Tribune. “Being so close to him over the last few years and watching him go through his total personal-life upheaval with the death of his wife and watching how he’s handled that with great dignity and professionalism, I’m just telling you, there is no dirt on that man. This guy is as good as he seems. He’s everything that you’d expect him to be.”

Cowher would instantly become the NFL's hottest coaching commodity if he makes it known he wants to coach again. But I'm not sure we'll ever see that jutting jaw on the sideline ever again. This will mark his sixth season out of coaching.

It was only December when Dan Marino, another one of Cowher's pregame show colleagues, said he didn't think Cowher would coach again.

"I would love to see [Cowher] be the Dolphins' coach or if he wanted to coach again because that would be great for the NFL, but I don't think his mindset is that he wants to coach again," Marino said told the Dolphins' official website six months ago. "And he may change that over time, but my feeling is that he's a pretty straightforward guy that tells the truth most of the time ... and he said on TV that he doesn't have any plans of coming back, and I believe him."

When he left coaching at the end of the 2006 season, his 161-99-1 record ranked him fourth among current-era coaches in career wins. He won a Super Bowl in the 2005 season after six trips to the AFC Championship Game and took the Steelers to the playoffs 10 times.

Quarterback Carson Palmer said both sides won when the Cincinnati Bengals traded him to the Oakland Raiders last season.

Not sure whether we should file this under "What did you really expect him to say" or "Players are sometimes delusional about their own situation." Palmer made this comment when asked if he needed to patch things up with his former team.

"It was time to move on and it was time for them to move on," Palmer said Monday on the Dan Patrick Show, "and they're in a better place and I'm definitely in a better place."

Palmer added, "I think in the years to come both organizations will look back and say this thing was the best thing to happen."

It's fair to say that Palmer's time with the Bengals had run its course. But it's inaccurate to say both organizations are happy with the results, at least based on last season.

The Bengals went to the playoffs with new quarterback Andy Dalton and received two additional draft picks (including cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick in the first round this year) in the deal with Oakland. Palmer ended up going 4-5 as the Raiders' starter and lost the head coach (Hue Jackson) who spearheaded the move to get him to Oakland. The Bengals even ended up with Jackson as an assistant. Not sure how Palmer is counting, but this was a win-win-win for Cincinnati.

For Palmer to justify Oakland giving up a first-round pick in 2012 and a second-rounder in 2013, he has to do more than lead the Raiders to the playoffs. He has to win postseason games and a good number of them. Some might say Palmer would have to guide Oakland to the Super Bowl to validate what the Raiders gave up for him.

The AFC North blog doesn't give birthday shout-outs, but this one has special significance.

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis turns 37 today, which could be the magic number for him. In April 2011, Lewis hinted at a target date for his retirement when he told the NFL Network, "I can’t see myself playing football past 37.”

Lewis made it clear after Baltimore's AFC Championship Game loss that he was returning in 2012, but there has to be questions about whether he will play beyond this year. At some point, Lewis is going to have to say goodbye to football, although there haven't been any recent indicators he will be calling it quits anytime soon. His contract runs through 2015, and the Ravens showed confidence in Lewis when they once again didn't draft his eventual replacement in April.

Lewis started off strong last season and was among the NFL's top inside linebackers in the first half of the 2011. Then, after missing four games with a toe injury, he seemed to wear down toward the end of the year. During the playoffs, Lewis didn't sound close to retiring when asked about his future.

"Football is too fun for me, man," Lewis said in January. "Whenever God says time is enough, then it's enough. But when you're having the fun that I'm having, and you're playing at the level I'm playing at, do it until you can't do it no more."

Lewis has been one of the league's top Iron Men. His 222 games played is second-most among active players, ranking only behind a kicker (Jason Hanson). He is the longest-tenured Raven on the roster by six seasons (safety Ed Reed is second).

No other great middle linebacker has played as along as Lewis. Mike Singletary retired after 12 seasons with the Chicago Bears before his play declined. The Pittsburgh Steelers' Jack Lambert walked away after 11 years because of a severe toe injury. And the Bears' Dick Butkus stopped after nine seasons because of knee injuries.

Lewis is now entering his 17th season in the NFL. And, after turning 37 today, you have to wonder whether this will be his last.

No one knows how Browns rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden will react when James Harrison is bearing down on him or when Ed Reed is baiting him into a throw.

But what the 22nd overall pick proved in rookie minicamp this past weekend is he doesn't lack confidence.

"We are coming with a goal to win games," Weeden told reporters last weekend when asked about his message to Browns fans. "Obviously, our first goal is to get to the playoffs, then go as far as we can, and ultimately, before it’s all said and done to win a Super Bowl. That’s my goal as a player. Before I am done playing, I want to win a Super Bowl."

Using the words "Super Bowl" in the first weekend of putting on an NFL uniform can be chalked up to youthful exuberance. Just remember that Weeden can back up that confidence with his track record in college. He went 23-3 as a starter at Oklahoma State. Last season, he beat the three quarterbacks selected before him in the draft (Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III and Ryan Tannehill). Those were the labels on Weeden coming out of college: he's got a strong arm and he's a winner.

This should be Weeden's mindset in joining the Browns, and this is what the Browns were looking for when they used a first-round pick on him. When you draft a quarterback that high, you're looking for a new start and distance yourself from the last-place finishes and double-digit losses nearly every year. And you don't want to bring in a quarterback who simply wants to win the starting job. He should expect to win games and eventually championships.

Talking like this in May is the easy part, though. The true test to his confidence will come in four months, when he actually puts on pads and goes head-to-head against the likes of Harrison and Reed.

Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

Offensive tackle Andre Smith continues to look in "terrific shape" as the Cincinnati Bengals began their fifth week of offseason conditioning, according to the team's official website.

Smith, who reported at 330 pounds, hopes to lose another five pounds.

"Last year I wasn't in as good [of] shape as I could have been, but it was the smallest I'd been in the NFL so I was able to maintain it playing the game," Smith said. "This year I want to be in tip-top shape. Put together strength and wind so I can breathe."

Hensley's slant: Smith, the sixth overall pick in the 2009 draft, looked like a bust after starting five games in his first two seasons. But he was one of the most improved players in the AFC North last season. In 2011, Smith gave up two sacks and was called for one holding penalty.

BROWNS: Even though the Browns didn't practice with pads, quarterback Brandon Weeden called running back Trent Richardson "a freak" by the third day of rookie minicamp. "Just look at him," Weeden told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "Whatever he is, 5-[foot]-10, 225 pounds and he's 2 percent body fat. He's got a special ability when the ball's in his hands. You can tell when you hand it to him, he takes it from you. He runs hard, and I'm really anxious to see him when he puts the pads on." Hensley's slant: The most important part of camp for Richardson was that he was on the field. The third overall pick said he's 100 percent after undergoing a minor knee scope after the college season. He did practice with a rubber sleeve on his left knee, but it was considered precautionary.

RAVENS: Wide receiver Torrey Smith told the Carroll County (Md.) Times that he has fully recovered from surgery in February to repair a double sports hernia that he played through last season. He has been cleared for offseason workouts and the team's June minicamp. "Yeah, I'm good," Smith said . "I've been running routes. I'm good to go. I'll be doing everything. I played in my [charity] basketball game and had like five dunks." Hensley's slant: Smith had three catches of at least 29 yards in the month of December. That's impressive considering he did that while playing injured. Plus, the ability of Jacoby Jones (averaged 16.5 yards per catch last season) to stretch the field could free up Smith even more.

STEELERS: Rookie seventh-round pick Kelvin Beachum received his Master’s degree from SMU and delivered the commencement address for his class at SMU’s Simmons School of Education & Human Development on Saturday. The offensive lineman earned his Masters in Liberal Studies with a concentration on organizational behavior in only 16 months. “I don’t know the statistics on how many people go into the NFL with their Masters, but to be able to succeed on the football field and in the classroom go hand in hand for me,” Beachum told the team's official website. “You have to work hard on the football field and in the classroom just to be able to stay on the field.” Hensley's slant: While other teams in the division are making headlines with injuries, the Steelers continue to make news with their players earning degrees (quarterback Ben Roethlisberger attended his commencement earlier this month). Beachum's next goal is to make an improving Steelers offensive line. He could become the third rookie to earn a spot along with David DeCastro and Mike Adams, the team's top two picks of this year's draft.