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PITTSBURGH -- Heath Miller knows his football career isn't over, just paused. When the injured Pittsburgh Steelers Pro Bowl tight end will be able to hit the "play" button again is anybody's guess.

Miller included.

While allowing there's "a chance" his surgically repaired right knee could be ready before the season opener against Tennessee on Sept. 8, Miller thinks it's too early to project just when he'll slip on his No. 83 jersey and return to his job as quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's favorite target.

"I'm just trying to get better every day, and I'm doing what I've been asked to do," Miller said Wednesday. "And I'm listening to my body, so I'll just progress that way."

Five months removed from a gruesome hit that prematurely ended the best season of his career, Miller's body is telling him to be encouraged. He's already running and walked around the practice field in a T-shirt and black shorts with his right knee wrapped in tape and ice during the second day of organized team activities.

It's a far different view than the last time Miller was on a field. He made a leaping catch in the first quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals on Dec. 23 and took a low shot from Bengals safety Reggie Nelson. Miller hobbled to the sideline only to return later only to have the damage become more extensive. He ended up tearing the ACL in the knee and injuring the medial collateral ligament and posterior collateral ligament too.

The road back hasn't been easy. Miller is on an aggressive lifting program to get his right leg back into shape. Just as important is Miller's peace of mind. The pain he can deal with, the uncertainty of what his next step will hold is something else entirely. Miller figures getting a handle on the former will help him with the latter.

"That's the big thing now, the main thing, because after surgery you lose a lot of strength," Miller said. "And then there's some atrophy. So, I want to get it back to where it's as strong as my other leg."

For the full story, click here.

Baltimore Ravens

Rookie outside linebacker John Simon signed a four-year deal with the team.

Jacoby Jones finished third in his stint on "Dancing with the Stars."

Cincinnati Bengals

Quarterback Andy Dalton wasted little time in working on his deep throws during Tuesday's first OTA session.

Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu is excited to be back on the field with his teammates.

Cleveland Browns

Signing rookie safety Jamoris Slaughter was one of several personnel moves the Browns made on Tuesday.

Quarterback competition or controversy? Vic Carucci shares his thoughts on the situation in Cleveland.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Count quarterback Ben Roethlisberger among those in favor of the changes made to the Steelers' offense. “There's been some changes this offseason in some of the offensive philosophies, playbook and some things that I think are good,” Roethlisberger said as he began his 10th season with the team. “It's some compromise from all the different position coaches, the running back coaches, the line, and quarterback coaches. I think we've taken a little bit of everything and made it a lot better."

Troy Polamalu has taken a new approach to his offseason training and rehabilitation.

Baltimore Ravens

Deonte Thompson might have the early inside track to start at wide receiver opposite Torrey Smith. "[Thompson] could sneak in there, he looks different, is fast and catches everything," Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said.

How does Arthur Jones fit into what is now a crowded defensive line group?

Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer looks at the Bengals' roster heading into the team's first OTA session of the offseason.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com also previews the voluntary sessions.

Cleveland Browns

Browns offensive coordinator Norv Turner has been impressed with what he's seen so far from quarterback Brandon Weeden. "Brandon is a one-year player in the NFL who did a lot more good things than people give him credit for," Turner said before his speech to the Akron Browns Backers banquet at Tangier Events Center. "I like his composure, the way he competes, he's worked awfully hard. He's got to be one of the hardest-working guys on our team. So you look and say, 'Hey, you hope there's a big upside.'"

Pittsburgh Steelers

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: "With the Penguins knee-deep into the Stanley Cup playoffs and the Pirates holding one of the top three records in the National League, the Steelers will open their spring practices [Tuesday] trying to forget their worst record since Bill Cowher coached the team."

Dustin Hockensmith of The Patriot-News addresses the Steelers' depth along the offensive line.

Baltimore Ravens

After an eventful offseason, the Ravens could be in store for more tough personnel decisions in 2014.

Linebacker Michael McAdoo says he has something prove this season.

Cincinnati Bengals

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis put his charitable side to work Sunday during his annual golf outing.

Cleveland Browns

Browns defensive coordinator Ray Horton has enjoyed installing the team's new 3-4 defense. “It may not be hard, but it’s fun," Horton said. "It’s exciting. The guys are working very, very hard and that’s the most important thing -- that they are applying what they are learning. They are doing a great job. They are being diligent in the workouts, not only on the field but also in the classroom. It’s a totally different defense so there is a lot of adjustments -- terminology, drops, the way I call games, the way I ask them to learn the defense. Right now, I am just asking them to trust me and trust the defense and they are doing that. We are pleased with where we are at day three of OTAs.”

Pittsburgh Steelers

The desire to improve is what's driving the Steelers' offensive line this offseason.

Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette previews Tuesday's start of OTAs. Staying healthy is atop the priority list.

From now until the start of training camps in late July, I will take some time off. This week will be one where I'll be leaving the blog in the capable hands of our editors, who will keep you informed with all the latest news.

When I return, I will address any news that breaks during my absence. Let's hope there are no more headlines involving Rolando McClain.

See you next week.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have competition at running back and outside linebacker this year, although I believe rookies Le'Veon Bell and Jarvis Jones will win those jobs. The most wide-open battle in Pittsburgh is in the return game.

The release of Chris Rainey in January forces the Steelers to find another kickoff returner, and the promotion of Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders to the No. 1 and No. 2 wide receiver spots, respectively, likely means Pittsburgh will go with a new punt returner.

As the Steelers get ready to take the field for the first of three voluntary minicamps this week, you could make the case for around 10 players to compete over bringing back kicks and punts. But, when looking closely at the candidates, I see four as serious contenders to become the new returners.

On kickoff returns, running back and free-agent addition LaRod Stephens-Howling has to be considered the favorite. His role as a returner decreased the past two seasons in Arizona, but he averaged 25.7 yards and scored three touchdowns on kickoffs in his first two seasons in the NFL.

The one returner who could unseat him is undrafted rookie Reggie Dunn from Utah. He set the NCAA record for career 100-yard returns (five) and single-game 100-yard kickoff returns (two).

“He is an exciting player. He ran in the 4.3s on his pro day,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said of Dunn at a recent fan forum with season-ticke holders. “We’re excited because the speed (is something) you can’t teach. You have to give that young man the opportunity to prove what he can or can’t do on the field.”

Colbert said he's anxious to see how Dunn can handle punts. According to Colbert, Dunn didn't return many punts in college because Utah had others who were "quite honestly, better during his time there."

Dunn's only way of making the roster is as a return specialist. As Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette points out, coach Mike Tomlin has a history of using a roster spot for a player who can only return kicks, Allen Rossum in 2007 and Stefan Logan in 2009. But both didn't contribute much else other than being a return specialist and lasted one season in Pittsburgh.

The other players who should get the opportunity to return punts are rookie sixth-round pick Justin Brown and David Gilreath. Brown averaged 13.5 yards per punt at Oklahoma and scored a touchdown. Gilreath, who holds the Big Ten for career kickoff returns, also ranked sixth in the Big Ten with an 8.8-yard average on punt returns before going undrafted in 2011. Last season, he returned two punts for a total of eight yards.

There's not as much mystery at returner around the AFC North. The Ravens kept Jacoby Jones and the Bengals re-signed Brandon Tate, but Adam Jones and Onterio McCalebb will push Tate. The Browns are expected to replace Pro Bowl returner Josh Cribbs with Travis Benjamin on punts and Dion Lewis on kickoffs.

Cleveland Browns quarterback Brandon Weeden told The Plain Dealer that he wasn't given any advance warning that the team was going to sign Brian Hoyer, and that he hasn't been told of Hoyer's role.

"It's part of this business, and if you start worrying about it, that's too much to worry about," Weeden said. "That's my mentality going forward."

What you won't hear Weeden say -- but you know he has to be thinking -- is that he likes his chances of remaining the Browns' starting quarterback. The Browns didn't trade for Alex Smith, a former No. 1 overall pick who has led a team to the NFC Championship Game. Cleveland didn't draft a quarterback such as Geno Smith in the first round.

Instead, the Browns signed Jason Campbell and Hoyer, who is likely the last offseason addition for Cleveland that involves a quarterback. While Weeden understands why the Browns aren't going to hand over the starting quarterback job to him, he also knows he could have faced stiffer competition for it. Campbell and Hoyer are journeyman who combined to play for seven teams (including their latest stop with the Browns) since 2009.

Campbell is an upgrade at the No. 2 quarterback spot over Colt McCoy, and Hoyer is clearly better than Thad Lewis at No. 3. Still, Weeden has to be considered the favorite to line up under center Sept. 8 against the Miami Dolphins.

Many forget that Weeden threw for 3,385 yards last season, which was more than rookies Robert Griffin III, Ryan Tannehill and Russell Wilson. Now, Weeden's strong arm should be better utilized in a vertical passing attack compared to Pat Shurmur's West Coast offense.

The Browns haven't endorsed Weeden as their starter yet, but they really haven't sent a message with any move that they're ready to replace him this season. Weeden doesn't seemed fazed by having to compete for the job.

"I realize I didn't play as well as I could've last year and I know the work I've put in personally," Weeden said. "I know how hard I've worked to become a better player off the field and training and whatever may be. I'm not worried about the other stuff. I'm confident in my abilities and I have a lot of confidence in the guys around me."

In the first update on the quarterback battle, the Canton Repository reported that Campbell "definitely had better sessions than Weeden" at minicamp. Of course, this is only May and Campbell was working against the second-string defense.

Browns coach Rob Chudzinski told The NFL Network this week that he's really positive about Weeden.

"He's taken a command of the offense," Chudzinski said. "He's shown from an arm strength and from an accuracy standpoint, he's made tremendous strides on footwork and getting the ball out quicker."

ESPN's Jeffri Chadiha takes the stance that linebacker Rolando McClain made the "smart" move by announcing his retirement this week.

"This is a man who needed many things to go right just to have a chance at success in Baltimore," Chadiha wrote. "He deserves credit for realizing when enough really is enough. The easy choice for McClain would've been to continue pursuing an NFL career that started with him being the eighth overall selection in the 2010 draft."

While I can see Chadiha's point of view, my response is: McClain needs to prove it's the smart move. He's going to have to show he's capable of getting his life in order on his own before giving him a pat on the back. Until proven otherwise, McClain is still the person who allegedly threatened to kill a man while firing a gun near the victim's head, wrote an expletive on a police citation instead of signing his name and allegedly incited a riot by yelling an expletive at police.

McClain seems to be the type of player who needs structure and supervision. The smart move would've been sticking it out with the Ravens, especially if they were willing to keep him on the roster after his latest arrest. McClain should've reported to the Ravens and spent his entire offseason in Baltimore, where the Ravens have an established mentoring program. Baltimore is also 750 miles away from his hometown of Decatur, Ala., where he was arrested three times in 11 months.

McClain certainly did the Ravens a favor by quitting because they didn't have to make a decision on his future, but he didn't do himself any favors. Putting McClain in a situation where he has more free time on his hands isn't the solution. Putting him in a situation where he is surrounded by teammates, coaches and a player development staff would've been the smarter option.

For the past two weeks, the AFC North blog has ranked the positions in the division. Some positions were easy (running back was straightforward) and others were not (wide receiver and secondary were the toughest for me).

To review all of the positions, I asked ESPN's Matt Williamson to provide his rankings, which we can compare to mine. Surprisingly, they were very similar. We only disagreed on the top rankings at two positions: wide receiver and tight end.

At wide receiver, I had the Steelers at No. 1 followed by the Bengals and Williamson had them reversed, with Cincinnati as the best group. I can understand putting the Bengals first because they have the division's top receiver in A.J. Green. There's no one close. My decision was based on Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders being a better tandem than Green and Mohamed Sanu.

It was the same situation at tight end, where I had the Ravens at the top and the Bengals second. Williamson put the Bengals at No. 1 and the Ravens right behind them. I believe the Bengals have a chance to have the best tight ends, especially if Tyler Eifert surpasses the expectations for a rookie. But I went with Baltimore right now because Dennis Pitta could have the most catches by any tight end in the division (especially if Heath Miller is sidelined for a period of time) and Ed Dickson played his best football last season after Jim Caldwell took over as offensive coordinator.

Williamson said the offensive line was the toughest position to rank on offense.

"I actually think Pittsburgh's front five will be noticeably improved from a year ago, but the other three teams in the division could feature top-10 type offensive lines," Williamson said. "In the end, I went with Cleveland slightly over the Bengals and Ravens, even though I have some minor concerns about the Browns' guards."

My thought process with the offensive line was similar. The Browns' weak spot is their guards, but the rest of the line (tackles Joe Thomas and Mitchell Schwartz along with center Alex Mack) is so good that Cleveland deserves to be No. 1.

On defense, Williamson called ranking the cornerbacks "a tough chore."

"By putting Baltimore and Cleveland at the top in this group, I went with star power over depth, as I am a huge fan of Joe Haden and Lardarius Webb, who might just be the Ravens' best defensive player as he returns from injury," Williamson said. "The Bengals have a lot of capable bodies at corner and Leon Hall is a well-above-average starter, while Pittsburgh also features a very solid cornerback in Ike Taylor and some intriguing young talent."

In case you missed any of my rankings, simply click on the position to see how the AFC North teams stack up at quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, linebacker, secondary and special teams.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at key players for each AFC North team who are coming back from injuries:

Baltimore Ravens: Cornerback Lardarius Webb. The Ravens need their top cornerback to return to his old form, especially with Cary Williams going to the Eagles in free agency. Webb tore his ACL in October and missed the final 10 games of the regular season. Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Webb "should be ready to roll" by training camp. Baltimore could bring him along slowly and limit his playing time in the preseason. But, based on this timeline, all signs point to Webb being ready to play in the season opener. If Webb isn't ready, the Ravens' top three corners would be Corey Graham, Jimmy Smith and Chykie Brown. Webb dealt with a torn ACL in 2009, when he hurt his knee in late December. He was able to return and play 15 games the following season. So, he's been able to recover from this injury quickly in the past.

Cincinnati Bengals: Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu. He's the favorite to be the Bengals' No. 2 receiver and start opposite A.J. Green. A third-round pick last year, Sanu had worked himself into the starting lineup before breaking his left foot late in the season and undergoing surgery on Dec. 3. He expects to be running at full speed by next week's minicamp. Coach Marvin Lewis has high hopes for Sanu, saying he's ahead of where Chad Johnson was going into his second NFL season. Sanu was starting to hit his stride before the injury. In his last three games, he caught 11 passes and four touchdowns. Sanu will still have to earn the job. His main competition is Marvin Jones, a fifth-round pick from a year ago.

Cleveland Browns: Running back Trent Richardson. He said last month that he was fully recovered from all of last year's injures, and he wasn't wearing a protective sleeve over his knee anymore. But, in March, Richardson told The Plain Dealer that he might always have to deal with lingering pain from broken ribs after undergoing some tests. Richardson did say at that time that he expected to be 100 percent by training camp. Other than Richardson, the Browns aren't dealing with any critical injuries. Left guard Jason Pinkston returned to practice this week after having a blood clot in his lung that ended his 2012 season. Wide receiver David Nelson is still recovering from a torn ACL and he hopes to get on the field for June's mandatory minicamp. At this point, he's projected to be the No. 4 receiver.

Pittsburgh Steelers: Tight end Heath Miller. He's the biggest question mark in the division. After excelling in the first season of Todd Haley's offense, he tore ligaments in his right knee in the second-to-last game of the season and had surgery on Jan. 2. He's no longer on crutches and was spotted walking without a limp last month. The Steelers have been vague on Miller's timetable. Some believe that Miller will be ready for the start of the season after the Steelers passed on Tyler Eifert in the first round and didn't take a tight end in the draft. But there's still a chance that Miller could miss the start of the season or be placed on PUP. Losing Miller would significantly impact Pittsburgh's passing game. Last season, Miller led the Steelers in catches (71) and tied for the most touchdown catches (eight). Without Miller, the top two tight ends on the roster are Matt Spaeth and David Paulson. Spaeth has averaged eight catches per season, and Paulson had seven catches last season as a rookie.

By now, everyone knows the Cleveland Browns agreed on a two-year contract with quarterback Brian Hoyer. The question that remains is Hoyer's role.

My take on Hoyer is he's a notch below backup quarterback Jason Campbell but probably better than most teams' No. 3. Unless Brandon Weeden struggles mightily in training camp and the preseason, the only spot Hoyer is competing for is the backup one.

Do I know this for certain? No. There's reason to think Hoyer will be given an opportunity to have a significant role, based on an old quote from Browns general manager Mike Lombardi when he was an NFL Network analyst. It was dug up by The Plain Dealer.

"I think Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett are starters," Lombardi said in December 2011. "I've said this many times: If I would have taken the GM job of the 49ers, I would have gone after Brian Hoyer, because I think he has all the traits and characteristics. If I were the Cleveland Browns, I'd rather have Brian Hoyer behind center than Colt McCoy. I think he's got all the traits you need, in terms of leadership, toughness, the arm strength, the ability to move the team."

Before there is a buzz about Hoyer battling for the starting job, you should consider two points: Head coach Rob Chudzinski will decide the starting quarterback for the Browns and this quote is 17 months old. Since Lombardi said this, Hoyer has made one career start and bounced from New England to Pittsburgh to Arizona.

His career numbers are one start, a 59.4 completion rate, 616 yards, 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Not exactly starting-quarterback statistics there. Also, if the Browns wanted Hoyer to be the starter, they would've traded a late-round pick for him during the draft (which was the speculation) instead of hoping he would get released.

Right now, the Browns are proceeding with Weeden, who took snaps with the first team for the second minicamp in a row.

"This means a lot to me," Weeden told reporters Thursday. "This is my job. I take it seriously and I want to be the guy."

If Weeden fails to be "the guy," I believe the next quarterback up is Campbell and not Hoyer.

While the other teams in the AFC North are preparing for minicamps next week, the Cleveland Browns have been busy on and off the field during their workouts this week. The Browns signed two players (see below) and welcomed guard Jason Pinkston back to the practice field after a blood clot cut short last season for him. Let's see how the other division teams are faring in today's wake-up call ...

RAVENS: Everything is going well with left tackle Bryant McKinnie, according to The Baltimore Sun's Mike Preston. He's hearing word that McKinnie has been attending the team's offseason conditioning workout sessions and his weight is down. Preston thinks there are other concerns with the offensive line. "The Ravens need to work on timing issues, especially in the middle of the offensive line with new center Gino Gradkowski and guards Marshal Yanda and Kelechi Osemele," Preston wrote. "If Gradkowski performs well, the Ravens' offensive line could be one of the strong in the conference -- providing McKinnie keeps working hard."

BENGALS: Rookie linebacker Brandon Joiner, who recently served eight months of a three-year sentence for aggravated robbery, has an unlikely supporter -- Arkansas governor Mike Beebe. Joiner and Beebe both attended Arkansas State. "He's a good guy. This is the kind of story you like to talk about," Beebe told the team's official website. "Kids mess up. They do foolish things. We probably have all done stupid things when we're young. He went over the line. He did what he had to do. He paid his dues. He's a class guy."

Meanwhile, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of former Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson in South Florida. A circuit judge issued a warrant May 7 against Johnson for failing to report to his probation officer. Johnson received a year of probation last September after pleading no contest to a domestic violence charge involving his former wife, reality TV star Evelyn Lozada.

STEELERS: The Steelers signed their first draft pick from this year's class, reaching a deal with safety Shamarko Thomas. He was the first of two fourth-round picks for Pittsburgh. The Steelers traded next year's third-round pick to the Browns so they could draft Thomas. At Syracuse, Thomas started 39 games, recording 263 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. The Steelers, who have less than $2 million in salary-cap room, won't be able to sign all nine of their draft picks this month. Pittsburgh gains an additional $5.5 million next month because it designated guard Willie Colon a June 1 cut.

BROWNS: The Browns signed quarterback Brian Hoyer and running back Brandon Jackson, according to The Plain Dealer. Both are likely competing for backup jobs. Hoyer signed a two-year deal with his hometown team after stops in New England, Pittsburgh and Arizona. Hoyer, 27, was released by the Cardinals five days ago. Jackson, who is primarily a third-down back, signed a one-year deal to return to Cleveland. Both deals have yet to be announced by the Browns. I will provide my thoughts on the addition of Hoyer later this morning.

Here are some highlights from our weekly AFC North chat ...

Jesse [via mobile]: Is Antonio Brown a No. 1 receiver?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): There are different levels of No. 1 receivers in the league. Calvin Johnson and A.J. Green are 1A. Vincent Jackson would be 1B. And I would put Antonio Brown more in the 1C category. He'll have his chances to prove he's worthy of being labeled a No. 1 receiver with Mike Wallace gone.

---

Scott (Northglenn, CO): I agree with what you said about Antonio Brown. Now that being said, a pretty sneaky candidate for 100 catches this year, right?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I could only see that number if Heath Miller is out an extended period.

---

Pat (Cincy Jungle): Honestly, if Andy Dalton can finally put it all together with the new weapons he has at his disposal, how scary good?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Dalton isn't going to carry a team for an extended period. He just doesn't have the skill set. Dalton can still be a very good QB in this league. He just needs weapons around him. The Bengals have done a great job at surrounding him with playmakers.

---

Nick (Cherry Hill, NJ): Do you see the Ravens making another signing for a veteran free agent WR this offseason like a Brandon Lloyd? Or do they have that much faith in Tandon Doss and/or Tommy Streeter to step up?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): It seems like the Ravens want to see what these young players like Doss and Streeter can do this summer before bringing in a free agent. The Ravens would hate to commit money to someone like Lloyd when a young guy can fill the role.

---

Cory (Elkton, Md.): Jamison, Are the Steelers still interested in Ahmad Bradshaw or are they sticking with their current roster of backs?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Drafting Le'Veon Bell in the second round ended the Steelers' interest. If a back gets hurt, they could re-visit Bradshaw. But I don't see him in a Steelers uniform this season.

---

Jack ( Newark): To say Dalton doesn't have the skill set to carry a team is fair. Would you say he has the ability to have a similar impact as Matt Ryan? How much better would you say Ryan currently is than Dalton?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): In terms of skill level and ability, Matt Ryan is in a different class than Dalton.

---

B-More Birds (Brawltimore): Since Rolando McClain "retired" do the Ravens go after a linebacker in the free agency now; maybe someone a little older like Bran Urlacher or even a Bart Scott type?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): As long as the prognosis for Jameel McClain remains good, the Ravens will go with Jameel McClain, Arthur Brown, Albert McClellan and Josh Bynes on the inside.

---

Dan (Cincinnati): Who has more catches this upcoming year: Jermaine Gresham or Tyler Eifert?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Gresham will have more catches. It wouldn't surprise me if Eifert ended up with more touchdowns and big plays, though.

---

Darrell (Dallas TX): By the Browns pretty enough ignoring the offensive side of the ball during the draft, does this indicate that they feel they are stronger or had more potential on the Offense?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): I get the sense that the Browns didn't see anyone who could really upgrade them on offense. I liked the trade for WR Devone Bess. But the offensive line is very good. Trent Richardson should have a breakout season. Wide receivers Josh Gordon and Greg Little are developing. And they decided to see if Brandon Weeden can prove he's a franchise QB.

---

Rick (Boise): Odds of Michael Johnson signing long term with Bengals this summer?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): Bengals certainly have the cap room to get it done. But Bengals don't have a great track record in keeping players with franchise tag. Mike Nugent was an exception.

---

Andrew (Cleveland): Will the Browns pick up any more help in the secondary? Or do they feel ok with youth their assuming their pass rush will be improved?

Jamison Hensley (ESPN): There's an outside chance that the Browns could bring in Kerry Rhodes (he has a history with Ray Horton) if Tashaun Gipson and Eric Hagg struggle.

This is a statement issued by linebacker Rolando McClain to explain why he decided to retire Wednesday:

"Clearly, my decision to retire has raised some questions. Quite simply, I love football, but I have decided at this time it is in my best interest to focus on getting my personal life together. Beyond that, I'm not sure what the future holds for me, including football. This was entirely my decision, and the Ravens have been very supportive during this process. I am very grateful for the opportunity they gave me and wish them the best of luck in the future. God willing, maybe I'll play for them one day."

What can we take from this? This is McClain's first admission something is wrong. As I wrote previously, the hope is for McClain to get his life back on track. The best advice is to stay away from his hometown, where he has been arrested three times in 11 months.

The other point is McClain hasn't closed the door on playing football again, so I'm not sure if we can technically consider this a retirement as much as a break from the game. The Ravens hold his rights by placing him on the retired-reserve list. If -- or perhaps when -- McClain decides to play again, he'll have to do it under a one-year, $700,000 contract with the Ravens, unless Baltimore decides to release him.

McClain doesn't turn 24 until July, so he's still young. He can take a year or two away from the game and still have many years left to play. There's no question he has talent. But during his short NFL career, he has gained the reputation for being uncoachable and a character risk.

So if McClain decides he wants to play football again, he'll be able to do it only if he convinces the Ravens or another team that he has changed and is committed to playing this time.

I know everyone was holding up their plans for the summer until the dates and kickoff times for the preseason games were finalized. All times are ET. So here you go:

CINCINNATI BENGALS

Thursday, Aug. 8: at Atlanta, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Aug. 17: vs. Tennessee, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 24: at Dallas, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 29: vs. Indianapolis, 7 p.m.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

Thursday, Aug. 8: vs. St. Louis, 8 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 15: vs. Detroit, 7:30 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 24: at Indianapolis, 7 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 29: at Chicago, 8 p.m.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

Thursday, Aug. 8: at Tampa Bay, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 15: vs. Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 22: vs. Carolina, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Thursday, Aug. 29: at St. Louis, 8 p.m.

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Saturday, Aug. 10: vs. N.Y. Giants, 7:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 19: at Washington, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Saturday, Aug. 24: vs. Kansas City, 7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 29: at Carolina, 7:30 p.m.