The key to long-term roster health in the NFL is to draft well. By developing young players into tomorrow's starters, teams don't have to rely on expensive free agents to round out the team, nor do they have to continue to overpay past-their-prime veterans. 

The Baltimore Ravens have a very solid draft history, with more successes than failures. However, there have been some notable misses to go along with their many hits. Here are a few of the biggest studs and duds of the Ravens' draft classes over the last five years.

Stud: QB Joe Flacco, 2008, Round 1, Pick 18

In the five years since the Ravens drafted Joe Flacco to be their quarterback of the future, he's led them to the playoffs each season and ultimately capped off his first contract with the team by helping them win the franchise's second Super Bowl. He was rewarded with a six-year, $120.6 million contract as a result, and while the fortuitous timing had something to do with it, it is also a legitimate reward for one of the most solid quarterbacks in the league.

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It appears that the Cleveland Browns have found a solution to their Colt McCoy problem.

On Monday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that the Browns traded McCoy and their sixth-round 2013 draft pick to the San Francisco 49ers for fifth- and seventh-round picks in 2013. They have finally managed to divest themselves of a fairly expensive albatross hanging around their neck, getting a bit of value in return. 

McCoy had a total salary-cap hit of $2.5 million for 2013, while last year's starter—and this year's front-runner for the job—Brandon Weeden, is set to make just $1.8 million. Campbell is slated to make $1.5 million.

For the Browns to have a third-string quarterback as their highest-paid player at the position was out of the question, even if the team could afford the cap hit without issue. 

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As we know, the NFL draft is only the beginning of the journey for the league's newest members. There is an inherent sense of accomplishment in having been drafted in the first place, but then the pressure to earn a roster spot and remain relevant in the long term begins. 

Some players make a lasting impression on their team—however, it's not always positive. For every future Hall of Famer who takes the field there is another player taken in the draft who fails to make an impact.

Here are the biggest studs and duds from the Cincinnati Bengals' last five draft classes. 

Stud: DT Geno Atkins, 2010, Fourth Round

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Cleveland Browns CEO Joe Banner said in radio interviews earlier this week that second-year quarterback Brandon Weeden will begin the offseason program as the starter, but that he'll need to compete for it to stay that way.

With the team bringing on free agent Jason Campbell, Weeden will face some serious pressure from an established veteran—a veteran who could do more than push him to become a better quarterback. Campbell could realistically beat Weeden out for the job.

While Weeden certainly has the edge to continue to be the Browns' starter, the presence of Campbell cannot make him feel completely secure.

Though Campbell has only once in his career surpassed the 3,385 passing yards Weeden amassed in 2012—in 2009, with the Washington Redskins, he had 3,618—and has played a total of just 12 games in the last two years, Campbell's experience and adaptability make him capable of taking Weeden's job if Weeden's offseason progress doesn't go as quickly or smoothly as hopes.

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In an unprecedented sweep of housekeeping, the Baltimore Ravens followed up their Super Bowl win by letting go of a number of their biggest veteran names. First linebacker Ray Lewis retired, then the team traded wide receiver Anquan Boldin for a sixth-round draft pick after he refused a pay cut. The team also released safety Bernard Pollard and let fellow safety Ed Reed head to the Houston Texans in free agency. 

All of a sudden, it appeared that the Ravens were on the brink of suffering a crisis of leadership, with their most vocal and well-known players joining other teams or hanging up their cleats. However, the situation is far less dire than some may think.

Being vocal and in the spotlight aren't necessary qualities of leadership, though some leaders certainly possess them. In fact, sometimes those two traits can be an issue in an NFL locker room, splitting a team into factions instead of one united group.

That could have been the case when it came to Reed and Pollard. After head coach John Harbaugh announced in October the team would have a padded practice, Reed and Pollard openly complained, leading to what Yahoo! Sports' Michael Silver characterized as a "near-mutiny" led by the two safeties, before Harbaugh got the situation under control. 

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When the Baltimore Ravens landed free-agent pass rusher Elvis Dumervil, it was thanks to a perfect stroke of luck. Their signing of safety Michael Huff, however, was a calculated move that meets a need at precisely the right price. In signing Huff, they fill the hole at free safety left by Ed Reed and buy time with just a near-negligible salary cap hit.

For just $6 million over three years, the Ravens have themselves a veteran safety who can start immediately and who, if they manage to draft or sign a better, younger player in the years to come, won't be too expensive if they need him simply in a support role. 

Huff, who spent the last seven years with the Oakland Raiders, played strong and free safety and started 14 games at left cornerback in 2012 after injuries depleted their depth. As such, his most recent season wasn't his best, but a return to free safety in Baltimore should better highlight his skills. 

Huff has a career total of 438 combined tackles, 5.5 sacks (four of which came in 2010, his best season by far, in which he was the Raiders' starting free safety for all 16 games), four forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 11 interceptions. He's as strong in coverage as Reed and slightly better against the run—he had just eight missed tackles in 2012 to Reed's 21 (subscription required), and comes at a mere pittance of $2 million per season. 

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With very little salary cap room to work with, the Pittsburgh Steelers were predictably quiet in free agency. The bulk of their roster-building this year will have to come via the NFL draft. 

The Steelers have a number of positions they need to address in the draft, to varying degrees. They'll likely seek to improve their pass rush with one of their first two picks, but in the middle rounds they will need to add more than just depth. They must find some bargains at certain positions who can prove capable of starting in their rookie seasons.

Here are a few players the Steelers may give close consideration to in Rounds 3 through 5 of this year's draft. 

RB Johnathan Franklin, UCLA

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Is Antonio Brown a true No. 1 wideout? The Pittsburgh Steelers appear to have little choice but to find out. 

As expected, the Steelers let receiver Mike Wallace leave in free agency, where he then landed with the Miami Dolphins. That makes Brown the Steelers' best wideout currently on the roster and he's almost certain to have an increased workload in 2013 now that Wallace is gone.

In 2012, Wallace was the Steelers' most-targeted receiver, with 119 passes thrown his way. Brown, however, also saw his fair share of targets, with 105. With 14 fewer targets, Brown also managed to catch more passes than Wallace, notching 66 receptions to Wallace's 64.

There's little concern that Brown will be able to handle having increased attention from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. In fact, Brown had 123 total targets in 2011, more than Wallace in 2012. 

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