The AFC North Weekly Awards Ceremony, Free Agency Edition

Every Friday, it's award show time in the AFC North. I will be handing out awards to players and teams that did specifically spectacular things in the past seven days (the awards are non-regulation-sized faux leather footballs spray painted gold, with the winner's name scrawled on in black Sharpie marker, for those who were wondering).

Considering this week marked the start of NFL free agency, it only makes sense to have a heavy free-agent-oriented flavor to the awards I'm handing out today.

The "See You When I See You" Award: Tony Pashos

The Cleveland Browns have offensive line issues, but that didn't stop them from cutting right tackle Tony Pashos this week. Pashos played most of the 2011 season with a torn tendon in his foot; painkiller use caused a stomach ulcer that prevented him from getting surgery until recently.

The healing time would have kept him off the field in 2012, and instead of keeping him on the payroll and allowing him to work with the training staff, the Browns chose to simply cut him.

Yes, Pashos took one for his team, but he was given his walking papers as a thank you. Today, a golden football is his—he's earned it.

The "Participant" Award: The Pittsburgh Steelers

You know when you were a kid and you'd compete in some event or another, and the kids who didn't place still got a snazzy little ribbon that said "participant" on it so that no one has hard feelings? That's what I'm handing to the Steelers this week, as they took their typical back-seat approach to free agency.

Even when they have more money to spend, the Steelers aren't big shoppers in the free-agent market; this year, they have no real cap space with which to make any additions. Instead, they watched from the sidelines.

Oh, and traveled to a few pro days. Head coach Mike Tomlin took Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins to dinner on Tuesday evening, the day before his public workout.

The "Eccentric Billionaire" Award: The Cincinnati Bengals

With $40 million in salary cap room, it was expected that the Cincinnati Bengals would make some major moves in the early days of free agency. Instead, they've taken a measured approach: scheduling visits, not handing out contracts and ultimately signing no new players this week.

Either Cincy is saving up for a big-ticket item or just prefers to window shop, keeping their significant pile of money to stuff the mattress rather than the pockets of running backs, cornerbacks or wide receivers (so far).

The "Slow Leak" Award: The Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens' free-agency strategy was ostensibly to lock up their own players before making any outside additions, but they've done little of both this week.

Five Ravens have moved on to other teams in the past few days: Safety Haruki Nakamura, defensive end Cory Redding, guard Ben Grubbs, safety Tom Zbikowski and linebacker Jarret Johnson. A sixth player, linebacker Jameel McClain, is visiting with the Denver Broncos and could be the next player gone. 

The team managed to hold onto center Matt Birk, who again was contemplating retirement. Birk's presence for one more year means the team can find their center of the future in this year's draft, who can learn the ropes from a 14-year veteran.

But the leak of talent on defense is disconcerting for a team with one of the best defensive squads in the league. It makes one wonder just which free agents they are most concerned with retaining this offseason and what they expect their team to look like come the start of the season.

You don't win a Super Bowl in free agency, to be sure, but you want to make sure you don't lose one in March, either.

The "Gotcha!" Award: The Cleveland Browns' So-Called Quarterback Pursuit

First it was RG3, then it was Matt Flynn. Kevin Kolb? Maybe. Or perhaps Matt Hasselbeck, should he be released if the Tennessee Titans land Peyton Manning. Nope, none of these men will be under center for the Cleveland Browns come September, but thanks for playing Standard Misdirection 2012.

One part fanbase demands, another part the media doing its job, the Browns' fanciful search for a new quarterback ultimately was just another one of those offseason storylines to nowhere.

Colt McCoy will be the Browns' starting quarterback in 2012. I think. Unless the Browns are one of the surprise teams in the Manning sweepstakes?

See, this award just keeps on giving.

Do you have any awards that should be handed out in the AFC North this week? Leave your ideas in the comments.

Follow @FBALL_Andrea