In 2012, for just the third time since Ben Roethlisberger became the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting quarterback in 2004, the team missed the playoffs. Their 8-8 record tied for their worst finish in that span as well. 

In response to the disappointing season, which was the result of a poor run game, injuries to key players such as Roethlisberger and a lack of both turnovers and sacks by their otherwise solid defense, the Steelers made roster changes and draft decisions to help prevent another bad year. 

Performance issues and salary-cap problems collided, leading to the release of linebacker James Harrison and Pittsburgh's willingness to let wide receiver Mike Wallace, running back Rashard Mendenhall and cornerback Keenan Lewis leave in free agency.

As a result, the Steelers selected linebacker Jarvis Jones, running back Le'Veon Bell and wide receiver Markus Wheaton in the first three rounds of the 2013 draft and brought back William Gay, formerly of the Steelers, to take up the starting nickel-corner job while Cortez Allen moves to the starting spot vacated by Lewis.

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When the Cleveland Browns returned to the NFL in 1999, they were awarded the first-overall pick in that year's draft in order to help rebuild the franchise. With it, they selected quarterback Tim Couch, who remained with the Browns for five years, though he missed numerous games with injuries (a young offensive line in an expansion team isn't the best for a quarterback's health).

Though the Couch years were fraught with inconsistencies, and though Couch is certainly not destined for the Hall of Fame, the five years he spent with the Browns was the longest stretch in which the Browns had a degree of stability at the position. Granted, Couch's tenure didn't come to a close without a quarterback controversy—he was ultimately shelved by then-head coach Butch Davis, who preferred Kelly "Who?" Holcomb—but the Browns' quarterback situation hasn't been much better since.

So what happened? Why haven't the Browns found a long-term solution at the quarterback position since coming back into the league over a decade ago? And, more importantly, who's to blame? Let's take a look at the position since Couch's departure to try to find the answers.

The Butch Davis Era, Post-Tim Couch

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In an almost unheard of move by a reigning Super Bowl champion, the Baltimore Ravens spent this offseason completely retooling their roster.

Instead of hoping to recapture their 2012 success by fielding the same players in 2013, they decided that the best course of action for future championship runs was to dismantle much of what helped them hoist their franchise's second Vince Lombardi Trophy in February.

Though the retirement of linebacker Ray Lewis was expected in Baltimore, the trade of wide receiver Anquan Boldin, the release of strong safety Bernard Pollard and the willingness to let linebackers Paul Kruger and Dannell Ellerbe and free safety Ed Reed move on to new teams was not.

Despite the myriad holes left in Baltimore's defense by making those moves, the Ravens seemed unwilling to look at the past to solve their potential problems of the future. Instead, the plan was to get younger, make intelligent free agency decisions and build a stronger roster immediately as well as for the long term.

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A standout at OTAs and minicamp. The potential to be an elite wide receiver, in the Andre Johnson mold. The focal point of the Cleveland Browns' new-look, downfield-passing offense. 

And now, he's suspended.

On Friday, longstanding rumors were confirmed when the Browns announced that second-year receiver Josh Gordon will serve a two-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. He'll also be docked two additional game checks, losing nearly $150,000 in pay for his latest slip-up.

Trouble is nothing new to Gordon, whom the Browns took in 2012's supplemental draft in exchange for their 2013 second-round draft pick. The reason why Gordon was in the supplemental draft can be traced back to failed drug tests at Baylor that resulted in his suspension from the team. He then transferred to Utah, where he had to sit out the 2011 season in accordance with NCAA rules, and then opted to try his hand at the NFL rather than play for Utah in 2012. 

His questionable background didn't dissuade the Browns from swapping a 2013 draft pick for the chance to land him in 2012, and for the first year, the gamble paid off. Despite not playing football in 2011, Gordon became the Browns' leading receiver, catching 50 of his 96 targets for 805 yards and five touchdowns. He had a mere four drops in his rookie season and his 16.1 yards-per-reception average was the same as the league's best receiver, the Detroit Lions' Calvin Johnson.

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Much attention has been paid to the Cincinnati Bengals' first and second-round offensive draft picks, tight end Tyler Eifert and running back Giovani Bernard, respectively, for what they'll do to elevate Andy Dalton from simply "good" to "franchise quarterback" in his third season as the starter.

However, Bernard and Eifert need to help the Bengals accomplish something else this year, and while it does involve Dalton, it really concerns the entire offense.

They have to improve productivity on third downs.

In 2012, the Bengals converted an average of 4.4 third downs per game, ranking them just 26th in the league. Of the 227 third downs they faced, they converted just 77 of them—a mere 33.9 percent conversion rate on the year.

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In 2012, then-Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin caught 65 regular-season passes for 921 yards and four touchdowns, leading the team in receiving yardage. His postseason performance, in which he caught 33 passes for 380 yards and four more scores, had a major impact on the Ravens eventually going to and winning the Super Bowl.

Now that Boldin is gone, having been traded to the San Francisco 49ers, the Ravens have a void at No. 2 wideout that they need to fill. 

Here's a look at the potential No. 2 receivers currently on Baltimore's roster and the pros and cons of each one taking up Boldin's former mantle.

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On Tuesday, it was revealed that Cleveland Browns running back Trent Richardson's lower leg strain, which initially was thought to only keep him out of this month's minicamp, will now also cause him to miss part of training camp as well. According to Will Burge of ESPN Cleveland, Richardson won't be taking the field for drills until August, with the Browns concerned that the strain could otherwise turn into a stress fracture.

The leg strain is the latest in a string of injuries that Richardson has dealt with since being drafted by the Browns third overall in 2012. First, Richardson underwent a knee procedure last summer that caused him to miss training camp and the preseason. Then, Richardson suffered broken ribs that affected his productivity for the entirety of the year. 

In addition to the leg strain, Burge also notes that Richardson has been suffering from chronic migraines, and the medication, along with his inability to work out, has caused him to lose weight. Considering that Richardson is one of the centerpieces of the Browns' new-look, attack-style offense, this missed time has Browns fans worried that Richardson might be too fragile to ever be fully effective in the NFL.

Though the new injury is something to be concerned about—it's never good for a star player to miss practice time—it's not the end of the world for the Browns just yet. In fact, considering Richardson's injury, it's only right that he misses minicamp and part of training camp, and it doesn't mean he won't make a major impact on the field once the regular season commences.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have their quarterback depth chart filled out, with starter Ben Roethlisberger backed up by veteran free-agent addition Bruce Gradkowski and 2013 draft pick Landry Jones.

But perhaps they have room for one more passer on their roster—JaMarcus Russell.

Russell, the Oakland Raiders' 2007 draft pick and first overall selection, lasted in the NFL until just 2009 and is one of the most notorious busts in league history. However, he's been on the comeback trail this year, working out to slim down to his old playing weight and trying to show teams that he's a changed person—more dedicated, mature and committed to finally living up to his potential. 

This hard work—Russell is now down to 265 pounds, the weight he was at his NFL Scouting Combine appearance back in 2007—seems to be close to paying off, with NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reporting last week that "more than one team" has a lot of interest in signing Russell. According to Rapoport, Russell is looking for a situation that would allow him to ride the bench for a year or two behind an established starter and relearn the ropes with an eye for a starting shot down the line.

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