AFC North Mailbag for February 27

It's a light load for today's AFC North mailbag, with most everyone's eyes glued intently on the NFL's Scouting Combine, which continues through tomorrow.

However, I won't let a meager two questions dismay me; no, I will answer these two questions with great joy and attention to detail. However, I would like it even more if I had five or six questions to address.

So be sure to follow me on Twitter (follow button located conveniently at the end of this column) to find out when I will next be requesting your questions—all are answered, guaranteed. Now, onward to today's questions, which are both about the Cleveland Browns.

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@FBALL_Andrea Does Cleveland have an extra first round pick from Atlanta for Julio Jones? Perhaps they move up for RGIII at #2

— KC Brackley (@KCBrackley) February 27, 2012"

The Cleveland Browns do have the Atlanta Falcons' first-round pick, No. 22, in this year's draft, along with their own pick at No. 4 overall. Moving up to draft quarterback Robert Griffin III has been an idea bouncing around for a few weeks now, but it's looking less likely than ever as of today.

According to John Czarnecki of Fox Sports, the Browns aren't entirely comfortable trading their two first-round picks—and possibly more—to the St. Louis Rams for their No. 2 overall pick, first because team president Mike Holmgren isn't prone to making such huge trades and secondly, because the coaching staff is apparently "confused" as to what they would do with RG3 in a West Coast offense.

Then there's the high price of the pick, which seems to have only increased in value after Griffin's showing at the Scouting Combine this weekend.

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller, who is at the Combine, says the pricetag for the pick could cost an interested team (in this case, the Washington Redskins) their first three picks in 2012 and their first two in 2103. That's a huge price to pay for a team like the Browns that has needs that would be best filled via those draft picks.

CBS Sports' Mike Freeman also says that the Browns aren't part of the Griffin trade picture, with the Redskins as the frontrunner and the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks also in play.

The Browns might have interest in Griffin, but the combination of not knowing how to effectively incorporate him into their offense and the exorbitant price tag makes it look like they won't be making a move to draft him.

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@FBALL_Andrea With the Browns having signed Jackson to a multi-year deal, how likely is it they drop the franchise tag on Hillis?

— Rod Johnston (@rod_johnston) February 27, 2012"

The new deal that linebacker D'Qwell Jackson just received (reportedly worth $42.5 million over five years) means that the Cleveland Browns are now free to use the franchise tag on running back Peyton Hillis, and it certainly increases the likelihood that they will.

Hillis isn't the only candidate for the Browns' franchise tag. Kicker Phil Dawson, who received the tag last year, could get it again in 2012. The Browns also could opt to not use the franchise tag at all this year; since 1999, they've used it only once, last year on Dawson.

Based on the above reports, it looks like the Browns are out of the running to trade up with the Rams for the No. 2 pick to draft Robert Griffin III, meaning they will retain the No. 4 overall pick.

The speculation over the last few weeks would be that they use the pick on running back Trent Richardson and let Hillis walk. However, there have been some recent rumblings the Browns could instead target LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne if they choose to go defense with that pick instead.

The deadline for the Browns to use the franchise tag is March 5. Look for talk to increase between now and then about Hillis getting franchised, and though it now seems more possible than ever, there is also reason to believe they use it on Dawson or not at all. Expect more news to come out of Cleveland after the Scouting Combine ends tomorrow.

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Follow @FBALL_Andrea

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