Around The AFC North: Ravens And Steelers Trade For Offensive Linemen

As the NFL's October 29th trade deadline approaches, some teams are wheeling and dealing players. Each team has their own reason, be it packing it in for 2013 and stockpiling picks for a 2014 rebuild, or salvaging what they can for this year to make a late run. Two teams in the AFC North find themselves in the latter position and both have made noteworthy trades for former first round linemen.

Per multiple sources, the Ravens struck a trade with the Jaguars, largely perceived as the worst team in the NFL this year, for Eugene Monroe. In return for Monroe, the Jaguars are receiving Baltimore's fourth and fifth round picks in 2014. Monroe, drafted a few spots behind the Bengals' Andre Smith in 2009, is in his last year of his contract and is only set to play 12 games with the Ravens unless an extension is given.

Though Cincinnati's Smith had his troubles in his first few seasons, he has turned it on and played well the past two-plus years. Monroe never really lived up to being a franchise tackle, though he has had a decent career with a franchise beginning to be deemed as "NFL purgatory".

Not to be outdone, the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing what they can to bolster their inconsistent line and have struck a deal with the Arizona Cardinals for offensive tackle, Levi Brown. According to reports, Brown was not-well liked among Cardinals fans and apparently Arizona seemed ready to dump him without a trade. It hasn't been reported what the Steelers gave up for Brown yet, though a ProFootballTalk report says it is "late-round stuff".

Brown, a No.5 overall pick in 2007, is in the middle of a contract that the Steelers will have to pay out. He is due $4.5 million for the rest of this season and another $6 million in 2014. He will vie for playing time with Mike Adams and Marcus Gilbert.