Ask Andrea: The AFC North Mailbag for March 14

It's a light AFC North Mailbag this week, probably because the AFC North has been light on free-agent action until just a few short hours ago. However, that's what we're talking about this week, because, well, that's the big thing going on around the league.

And if you want to Ask Andrea (hey, that's me!) your burning AFC North questions, be sure to hit me up on Twitter. Wednesday's the day; 3:00 p.m. Eastern is the deadline.

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@FBALL_Andrea Does the lack of free agent signings by the AFC North mean that they are following Plan A still.

— Satch Wilson (@SatchnScooby) March 14, 2012"

When it comes to free agency and the AFC North, "Plan A" generally means approach with caution, don't overspend and try not to engage in bidding wars. As of this writing, all four teams seem to be adhering to this philosophy, though the Cleveland Browns just added former Cincinnati Bengal defensive end Frostee Rucker.

All four teams seem to be losing more players than adding, including a pair of defenders lost by both the Bengals and Ravens in the past 24 hours.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are never all that active in free agency, and this year, that's even more the case, with their cap issues precluding them from making many—or any—additions.

The most surprising things that have happened in the AFC North over the past day are the Browns' seeming unwillingness to spring for any of the bigger-name free agents to fill some of their glaring roster holes and the Bengals' struggles to keep their in-house free agents with the team despite having around $40 million in salary cap room.

However, it's just about par for the course in the AFC North as far as the early days of free agency are concerned.

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@FBALL_Andrea With the Browns seemingly not pursing Matt Flynn, who's the most viable pick at 4? Richardson, Blackmon or ugh Tannehill?

— Rod Johnston (@rod_johnston) March 14, 2012"

You're right about Matt Flynn, Rod. It's not looking likely that they'll be going after the free-agent quarterback like initially suspected, so that means if they want to enhance their quarterback stable, they'll probably do so in the draft.

But don't worry about the Browns taking Ryan Tannehill fourth overall. Even if the Browns are interested in him, No. 4 is way too high a pick for him. I can only see the Browns going after Tannehill if they trade down from the spot, but I think that if they go quarterback, they'll do so in a later round.

If they keep the No. 4 pick, I could see them taking cornerback Morris Claiborne or running back Trent Richardson. Richardson's draft stock keeps incrementally rising and falling depending on the week, but there's no chance he falls out of the top 10, or even top seven.

I like Richardson for Cleveland a lot, but they might not want to take the risk of bringing on a first-round running back with a pick so high. I doubt they take wide receiver Justin Blackmon here; though he's the top receiver in the draft, he's not No. 4 material, even though he'd be a huge upgrade for the Browns' struggling receiving corps.

Ultimately, I'd prefer the Browns went with Richardson, but I think they'll go with Claiborne instead.

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@FBALL_Andrea FA WRs the Browns could go after now that Meachem and others are gone?

— Dylan MacNamara (@DylanMacNamara) March 14, 2012"

I think the Cleveland Browns made a mistake by not making a move for any of the top- or second-tier free-agent wide receivers right off the bat yesterday. Even if a bidding war broke out that the Browns ultimately lost, it would have been worth their while to get that interest out there.

Now, any team looking to supplement their receiving corps is going to have to dig through the remnants to find a player worth starting. Most everyone remaining is a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver, and the Browns certainly need a playmaker more than they need just basic depth.

Surprisingly enough, Mario Manningham is still unclaimed, though much of that has to do with his price tag (reportedly as high as $8 million per year) and his desire to be a No. 1 receiver.

Those are clear turnoffs for teams who could otherwise use him, and that would include the Browns, who just can't afford to put that much cash into a guy like Manningham.

Manningham would make perfect sense, but he'd have to lower his asking price as well as agree to a contract with the Browns, a team with question marks surrounding their quarterback situation.

Of the receivers left on the market worth the Browns' time, I like Deion Branch or Early Doucet. However, as time passes and more receivers get snapped up, I worry they'll add someone like Harry Douglas or even Kevin Ogletree.

Douglas has more upside than Ogletree, to be sure, but the Browns need playmakers as their receiving targets, not more stopgaps.

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