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The Cincinnati Bengals, like all other teams in the NFL, will be using the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine to get a closer look at players that have been on their draft boards for months as well as to gauge the overall talent level of particular positions of interest. What they see next week will likely heavily inform their draft-day strategies and serve to raise and drop the stocks of potential future Bengals.

Here are five positions the Bengals will be paying close attention to at this year's combine, as well as a few players who could catch their eye.

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Wes Welker and Mike Wallace have a lot in common—they're considered top-tier receivers, both are headed for free agency and both their last names start with a
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Over the weekend, CBS Sports' Jason LaCanfora suggested that the Cleveland Browns may use some of their salary cap excess to target Pittsburgh Steelers' wide receiver Mike Wallace, who is about to become an unrestricted free agent.

While it's an attractive prospect—Wallace will likely be one of the most sought-after players when free agency kicks off next month—he's not really what the Browns need. Sure, he could be a good complement on the outside to Josh Gordon, but Wallace is basically a get-down-the-field-and-get-open receiver, and they already have someone who fits that profile. The Browns would be better off targeting a receiver who can add a new dimension to their offense.

Like the New England Patriots Wes Welker.

Welker, who is entering into his 10th season in the NFL, has spent the last two seasons as one of the most-targeted receivers in the league and has been an integral part of why the Patriots have had one of the highest-scoring, most productive offenses in league history.

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Though salary cap discussion and Joe Flacco's contract have been dominating the Baltimore Ravens' brief offseason thus far, there are other concerns for the team—namely, the health of linebacker Terrell Suggs.

Suggs tore his biceps in early December, but missed only one game. Now, as Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun reports, he's seeking a second opinion before deciding whether to undergo surgery. If he chooses to do so, it will be the second offseason surgery for Suggs in as many years.

Making sure Suggs is healthy is extra important for the Ravens this year, with Ray Lewis retiring and Dannell Ellerbe and Paul Kruger potentially leaving as free agents, the team needs as many healthy veteran linebackers as possible.

 

Baltimore Ravens

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Though the Pittsburgh Steelers' preparations for the 2013 NFL draft have been going on since at least last summer, the draft season's biggest league-wide event, the NFL Scouting Combine, will give them their first long, in-depth look at the players currently on their depth chart or just on its bubble.

Here are five positions that should be getting the Steelers' attention later this month and a few players who could prove themselves perfect fits to wear the Black and Gold come April's draft.

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If Joe Flacco gets paid, Terrell Suggs could get released from his contract? That's crazy talk.
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We are but a week removed from the Super Bowl, but with free agency not starting for another month and the NFL draft over two months away, it's time for speculation to run wild. That's certainly the case for the Baltimore Ravens, even as they are still in celebration mode after hoisting their second Lombardi trophy in franchise history.

It all stems from the Ravens' need to pay their quarterback Joe Flacco something, anything—he's otherwise an unrestricted free agent if they don't, so a long-term deal as well as the exclusive and non-exclusive franchise tags are all on the table.

In order to pay Flacco, however, they'll need to clear up salary cap space elsewhere. Currently, the Ravens are around $13 million under the cap—not enough for either tag and potentially not enough for a new deal for Flacco unless his first year or two has a lower base salary though the deal, over time, includes enough guaranteed money to give him the kind of payday that at least his agent, Joe Linta, thinks he deserves.

The topic of who stays in Baltimore and who goes is therefore a hot one. And a few prominent voices around the league seem to have some interesting—or perhaps even crazy—ideas for how the Ravens can figure it out. 

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Sports Illustrated's Peter King has a lot to say about the Baltimore Ravens in this week's "Monday Morning Quarterback" column. In detailing scenarios for Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco to get his big payday, he lays out why the Ravens may choose to give him the non-exclusive franchise tag instead, which would leave him vulnerable to offer sheets from other interested teams who could afford him, namely the Cleveland Browns.

King sketches out how the Browns could land Flacco and what the Ravens could do at quarterback. Forget for a moment that this is a near-impossibility and realize this: King dedicates the whole opening segment of his article to the hypothetical situation.

If that wasn't weird enough, later in the column King also suggests that the Ravens draft Manti Te'o in the first round as a replacement for Ray Lewis. More on King's Ravens thoughts are coming later on Monday.

 

Baltimore Ravens

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Whether it happens this year or the next, Anquan Boldin is going to retire a Baltimore Raven.
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On Friday, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Anquan Boldin told NBC Sports' Erik Kuselias that, if the team releases him from his contract this offseason, he'll retire from the NFL instead of trying to continue his career elsewhere.

While, at first glance, Boldin's statement could be viewed as a threat or a knee-jerk, immature response to something that is just part of business as usual in the NFL, it's neither.

Instead, it's a confident statement from a player who is devoted to the team that just helped him win a Super Bowl ring—one which just reached the top of the professional mountain in his field of choice.

He's not saying that he's going to take his ball and go home if the Ravens make him one of their salary cap casualties. He's saying that the Ravens have been his home over the past three seasons, helped him do something so few others around the NFL can boast and, if he can't stay there, he's satisfied with where his career has taken him and he's ready to call it a day.

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How committed are the Bengals to having Andy Dalton as their quarterback in the long term? Look to his backup quarterback for answers.
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Though Cincinnati Bengals starting quarterback Andy Dalton is in no danger of losing his job during the offseason, considering that, with his help, his team has reached the postseason in both of his first two seasons with the team, but he has yet to become the face of the franchise.

And whether or not he will ever be viewed that way by the powers-that-be in Cincinnati will be hinted at when the Bengals bring on a new backup quarterback in the coming weeks, someone to replace Bruce Gradkowski, a free agent who isn't likely to be re-signed.

Dalton certainly showed improvement in his second year in the league, throwing for 3,669 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2012 with a completion percentage of 62.3 during the regular season. This was up from his rookie season in which he threw for 3,398 yards and 20 touchdowns and completed 58.1 percent of his passes.

However, his increase in passing attempts from 516 to 528 resulted in him throwing 16 interceptions in 2012, up from 13 in 2011. He was also sacked 46 times, compared to 24 during his rookie season, so clearly, there are areas that need improvement, specifically when dealing with pressure.

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Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco isn't the only man to get the post-Super Bowl treatment from David Letterman—head coach John Harbaugh went on the Late Show on Thursday night to speak about his team's season and their Super Bowl victory. Catch the video here:

 

Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Sun's Aaron Wilson reports that Baltimore Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome is fairly certain that quarterback Joe Flacco will get a new contract this offseason—even with Flacco's agent, Joe Linta, saying that Flacco deserves to be the highest-paid player at his position.

Bleacher Report's James Reagan suggests that Flacco ignore Linta's claims and agree to a less-expensive contract, simply to allow the team to pay other integral, soon-to-be free agents.

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Larry Foote could be among the Steelers veterans who don't return in 2013.
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On Thursday, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette via Plus Sites) told Pittsburgh Steelers fans to brace themselves for another "March Massacre," one that could result in far more roster cuts than their purge of veterans last spring. 

For the second consecutive year, the Steelers will be over the salary cap—to the tune of at least $14.2 million. Bouchette says this may mean that the team will not be able to re-sign any of their impending free agents and also have to release overpriced veterans and reduce or restructure the salaries of others.

Bouchette might be overstating things—the Steelers probably will be able to keep at least a few of their 24 soon-to-be restricted and unrestricted free agents, though at the expense of some longtime players whose contracts aren't expiring.  

For example, the Steelers must keep cornerback Keenan Lewis, who is an unrestricted free agent this year. Lewis, who started all 16 games in 2012, allowed only 52.7 percent of the 112 passes thrown his direction to be caught, for 694 yards and just three touchdowns. He also led all Steelers corners with 16 defensed passes.