AFC North Mailbag: Answering All Your Burning Questions for February 10

Welcome to the inaugural edition of Bleacher Report's AFC North mailbag, where I answer reader questions regarding the most pressing issues in the division this week. Kicking things off are five questions from the Twitterverse.

Erik Frenz:

Should the Browns target Vincent Jackson in free agency?

Very good question. It's clear that the Cleveland Browns need a better group of receivers, and just adding a veteran like Vincent Jackson would significantly improve their offense as well as quarterback Colt McCoy's chances to keep his job.

The Browns aren't in major salary cap trouble and could easily afford Jackson, and I see the team making a play for him and for other free agent receivers. However, much depends on what the Browns intend to do in the next few months.

If they retain running back Peyton Hillis, they're less likely to grab Alabama running back Trent Richardson in the draft, making their No. 4 overall pick even more intriguing. There's still the fact that McCoy's status on the roster in 2012 has yet to be determined, and the team could make a play for Robert Griffin III in the draft or a free agent quarterback (perhaps even both).

Either way, there are a number of worthwhile free agent receivers this year, and I would be extremely surprised if they didn't make an offer to at least Jackson. The Browns' best receivers right now are Mohamed Massaquoi and Joshua Cribbs; Jackson is a major upgrade from both of them.

The real dajerseyboy:

Are the Ravens going to sign Ray Rice to a long-term deal or do you expect them to slap the franchise tag on him?

NFL Network's Jason LaCanfora believes the Baltimore Ravens would highly prefer making a deal with running back Ray Rice rather than franchising him this offseason, and I completely agree. Aside from securing quarterback Joe Flacco for the long term, there is no other more pressing priority for the Ravens in the offseason.

Rice is the most productive member of the Ravens offense and he knows it. That's why it may take a little while before a satisfactory deal is reached.

Further, the Ravens are pushing very close to the projected $121-125 million salary cap in 2012, meaning they'll need to release a few expensive veterans and restructure others in order to get deals for both Rice and Flacco done in the offseason.

The franchise tag isn't completely off the table, but neither side is all that interested in it. It's a remote possibility, to be sure, but look for Rice to get a good deal from the Ravens, even if it's not finalized until the summer.

Giorgos Kassakos:

What do you think will happen with Reggie Nelson? Will he re-sign with Cinci?

The Cincinnati Bengals have the best salary cap situation of any team in the NFL this year, with somewhere around $40 million in free money to spend. They'll likely try to use that money not only to pay the rookies they're about to draft, but also to shore up their own free agents and sign some from the open market.

Safety Reggie Nelson is at the top of the Bengals' priorities. He had a great 2011 season, with 85 tackles, two sacks, four interceptions and two forced fumbles. He'll be expensive, but the Bengals will likely be willing to pay him quite a bit to stay.

Nelson has already generated interest from teams around the league, most notably the Miami Dolphins. But Nelson has found success in Cincinnati and is part of a team that could be a playoff contender for years to come. My money is that they offer him what he's looking for and he remains a Bengal in 2012.

Zach Kruse:

It's the question of the offseason in AFC North: What do the Browns do at No. 4? Trade up for RG3? Stay put? Trade down?

Indeed, you're right—what the Cleveland Browns do with their No. 4 overall draft pick is the biggest offseason question in the division, and it can play out in many ways. Here are the scenarios I imagine are in play for Cleveland:

• They let running back Peyton Hillis walk, use the No. 4 pick on running back Trent Richardson and either pick up a free agent quarterback to replace or compete with Colt McCoy, or stick with McCoy for 2012.
• They trade down to draft Robert Griffin III, effectively ending the tenure of McCoy as starter.
• They retain Hillis and trade up to pick up RG3.
• They retain Hillis and use the pick on another useful player
• They trade down with another team and add more draft picks to build up an all-around weak squad.

It's a lot to consider, to be sure. In my opinion, the first option is what I see being the most beneficial to the Browns. They really need to find a viable quarterback, and while Griffin is enticing, I think the Browns would be better off with a veteran instead.

I don't think keeping Hillis around is in the Browns' best interest, despite him looking better at the end of the 2011 season. Richardson is a game-changer, while Hillis is good but prone to too much inconsistency.

Cleveland needs to build up the quality of their weapons on both offense and defense if they want to be competitive with the Steelers, Ravens and Bengals. Moving on from McCoy and picking up Richardson, I think, are ways to get there more quickly.

Amber Lee:

I want to know what is up in Pittsburgh. Why doesn't a coach who has been to two Super Bowls get to hire his own staff?

I don't think the complete truth about what happened with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the past few weeks will ever come out. What is known is this: The Steelers' organization, namely president and owner Art Rooney II, was unsatisfied by the job that offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was doing.

Rooney met with both quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and head coach Mike Tomlin, and they were both staunchly, immovably in support of retaining Arians. Rooney thus had no choice but to go over their heads by requesting that Arians "retire" and interviewing and hiring Todd Haley to replace him, all on his own.

It's a peculiar set of decisions, however, especially for an ownership that has generally had nothing but full faith in what the head coach wants for the team. With one year left on Tomlin's contract (with an option for 2013), there's a real concern that if things don't go well between him, Haley and Roethlisberger in the upcoming season, he might want to walk away.

I think it just comes down to Tomlin being staunchly opposed to Arians leaving the staff, and Rooney being opposed to retaining him any longer, choosing instead to take matters into his own hands and make the move to hire Haley.

It's a potentially dangerous game that Rooney is playing, but we won't know the true repercussions of the hire until the 2012 season is in the books.

If you have a question for the AFC North Mailbag, hit me up on Twitter @FBALL_Andrea. All questions will be answered, guaranteed!