Ravens cornerback Jimmy Smith was arrested and charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct on Saturday night following an incident at a bar in Towson, Marlyand, reports Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun. The episode doesn’t sound all that serious, and I doubt anything grave will come of it, but it’s yet another negative off-the-field occurrence for the Ravens, who have had five players arrested this offseason. Baltimore is interested in a long-term extension with Smith, but the 26-year-old had character concerns when he entered the league, so it’s fair to wonder if this event will affect contract talks. More from the the NFL’s two North divisons:
- The Lions come in at No. 21 on Pro Football Talk’s preseason power rankings; Michael David Smith points to both the offensive and defensive line as strengths, while opining that Detroit’s secondary is a major weakness.
- A three-way battle will occur for the Lions’ two open corner positions, with Jonte Green, Chris Greenwood, and Cassius Vaughn being the primary contenders for the jobs, writes Justin Rogers of MLive.com.
- The Steelers have several options at running back: Le’Veon Bell is entrenched as the starter, LeGarrette Blount is a high-quality backup, and Dri Archer adds an element of speed. Head coach Mike Tomlin tells NFL Total Access that he’ll let training camp performances decide which RBs get the most carries (link via Dan Hanzus of NFL.com).
- Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer previews the Bengals’ quarterbacks, noting that Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell, and A.J. McCarron are all secure in their roles as starter, backup, and developmental QB, respectively.