2012 NFL Free Agency: The Latest Buzz and Speculation for AFC North Teams

The NFL free agency period starts March 13, and between now and that day, all four teams in the AFC North will need to consider making some tough decisions.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in the worst cap situation of any team in the division. In fact, with a projected cap responsibility of $149,885,537 in 2012, they're in the worst situation in the league.

That means taking a hard look at their free agents and their veterans signed to big-money, long-term contracts and seeing who they can do without, who is willing to restructure and how they are going to approach the draft.

It's not likely the Steelers will pick up many, if any, free agents in the offseason, aside from signing members of their own squad. Their top concern is wide receiver Mike Wallace; they may have to put the franchise tag on him to keep him around, depending on what kind of salary he's looking for.

Both of the Steelers' punters, Jeremy Kapinos and Daniel Sepulveda, are unrestricted free agents, as is cornerback William Gay and every quarterback not named Ben Roethlisberger.

To retain free agents while also having enough room to pay their rookies, they'll need to restructure a few contracts, starting with linebacker James Harrison, whose total 2012 salary represents a $9,430,500 cap hit. That number also means there is a chance, albeit slim, that Harrison won't be a Steeler next season.

In contrast, the Cincinnati Bengals are in a much better state financially and will use their considerable cap space to snag a few key veteran free agents. Cincinnati has over $40 million in cap space with at least $12 million of that available to use in free agency.

Look for the team to retain a few key players and replace the rest. They have four cornerbacks set to be unrestricted free agents; they'll likely try to retain two of them, with Adam Jones not being one of them.

The Bengals will likely be parting ways with running back Cedric Benson, who had just a one-year contract with the team.

With enough room in their cap, they can afford to make a play at a veteran such as the New England Patriots' BenJarvus Green-Ellis or the San Diego Chargers' Mike Tolbert while also picking up a talented rookie in the draft.

The Cleveland Browns have about $20 million in cap space with which to make moves, and they would be well-served to do so.

Quarterback is a major need for the team, and they may fill that hole via either the draft or free agency. If they choose to go the latter route, then picking up the Raiders' Jason Campbell would be a smart addition, especially if they have their sights set on Alabama's Trent Richardson in the draft.

What the Browns do regarding both running back and quarterback in the draft and free agency depends on how they handle impending free agent running back Peyton Hillis.

Hillis has made it quite clear he'd like a lucrative, long-term deal from the Browns, but the team has been hesitant to extend one to him. They may offer him a mostly-ornamental deal that he can turn down, but the possibility is still there that Cleveland makes a serious attempt to keep him.

The Baltimore Ravens have just a small amount of room to maneuver when it comes to the salary cap with their current commitment estimated at nearly $116 million.

Restructuring a few veteran contracts may be necessary, especially when considered in concert with their efforts to sign quarterback Joe Flacco to a long-term extension and locking down running back Ray Rice, who will be an unrestricted free agent this year.

Rice is clearly the team's top free agent priority, and there's nearly zero chance that they won't keep him around for 2012 and beyond. The Ravens will likely use free agency to keep around players already on their roster rather than grabbing new players off of the open market.

The areas in which the Ravens need depth, such as at wide receiver and on defense, will likely be filled by the draft rather than free agency. Keeping their own is their top priority for the spring.

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