Ask Andrea: The AFC North Mailbag

It's time again for the Ask Andrea AFC North Mailbag. In this week's edition, we have six questions, most revolving around roster spots and depth charts now that rookie minicamps have started and positional battles have begun.

If you want your question answered here, follow me on Twitter (a convenient button is located below) and keep your eyes open for my next call for submissions. 

I think it's quite possible the Pittsburgh Steelers have a top 10 offense this year, Brian. We've already seen what the team is capable of accomplishing in the passing game, and they should only continue that success with Todd Haley calling the plays. Look for things to speed up considerably, with more no-huddle for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger; this should only play to their strengths in the passing game.

The run game kind of fell flat for the Steelers last season, thanks in part to a down year for Rashard Mendenhall and to a constantly rotating starting offensive line. This year, the Steelers won't have Mendenhall and will likely rely on a more committee approach to the run, though Isaac Redman will likely see the most carries.

Haley knows how to get the best out of running backs—in fact, he's known for maximizing the talents of all offensive players with whom he works—and the Steelers have far more stability on offensive line. 

I'd say the Steelers offense will be more well-balanced this year and as a result, more productive overall. A top-10 year on offense doesn't seem out of the question at all.

Chris Rainey is a very interesting prospect. He's completely different than any player the Steelers have had on their roster in some time, but he's a perfect Todd Haley draft pick. He's like the Kansas City Chiefs' Dexter McCluster (another Haley product) but even faster, and I believe he'll play a major role in the Steelers' offense this year.

Pittsburgh has five running backs on their roster right now—Isaac Redman, Chris Rainey, Jonathan Dwyer, John Clay and Baron Batch. In a game of "one of these things is not like the other," Rainey is the name that stands out. 

Because Rainey offers something that the other four backs cannot—elite speed—I see him getting the second-most carries behind Redman in the Steelers' committee. He's a very specific sort of player; however, because he's so small, he cannot help in blocking, and while he's versatile, his uses do come with limitations.

I'd say that Rainey could get somewhere between five and 10 carries per game to Redman's 15 to 17, with the other backs helping out situationally (third-and-short, goal-line, etc). 

If there's one thing we learned from Brad Childress' time with the Minnesota Vikings, it's that he's not well-suited for a head coaching job. But as an offensive coordinator, Childress has been quite successful, if his time with the Philadelphia Eagles is any indicator.

Though Childress has nine years of experience in the NFL, he only handled offensive playcalling duties once, and it wasn't much to his liking (nor did it play to his strengths). So there's little worth reading into the fact that Childress will spend this season in the coaching booth for the Browns while head coach Pat Shurmur handles play calling. 

Childress' success and experience should only help the Browns this year as they work not only to develop rookies Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson but also the entirety of their receiving corps, all members of which need some serious fine-tuning.

At the very least, Childress will take pressure off of Shurmur as well as add a fresh perspective. Shurmur needs all the help he can get, and Childress (as well as those two draft picks) certainly provides that. I think the Browns offense will take a step forward this year for a number of reasons, but Childress is definitely one of them.

The Cincinnati Bengals are likely to rely on a committee of backs to handle the running duties on offense this year, though I doubt they'll get all five as involved as the Steelers' quintet of backs will be.

While a "hot hand" approach will likely rule the day, ultimately, I still think BenJarvus Green-Ellis will see most of the action. His proven reliability and usefulness in the passing game will see him get the majority of the carries in most games.

He will be helped out considerably by Bernard Scott, who is likely to get a better chance to show off his talents with Green-Ellis on the roster than when he did as No. 2 behind Cedric Benson. 

Behind Scott remains Brian Leonard. Leonard averages a carry or two per game, and that's probably all he will get this season. Leonard never really developed into the back the Bengals hoped he'd be, and if the Green-Ellis/Scott tandem pay off the way it's hoped, he'll be the odd man out next season.

Both Dan Herron (the Bengals' final draft pick this year) and Cedric Peerman are very much on the bubble. If Herron wins a spot on the 53-man roster, he will likely contribute far more on special teams than in the running game. Right now, he's a better blocker than he is a dynamic back.

Peerman brings a similar skill set to the table as Herron, so it's safe to say that whichever of the two stays on to play special teams, the other will end up on the practice squad (or potentially released). 

While 2012 draft picks John Hughes and Billy Winn have the skills to take over (or fill in) for the injured Phil Taylor, that means their defensive line will have less depth. If the Browns aren't comfortable with just Hughes, Winn (and probably Brian Schaefering) available at defensive tackle, they could certainly look to a veteran free agent to boost their ranks.

Unfortunately, at this point in the offseason, most of the worthwhile defensive tackles have been spoken for. So, if the Browns bring someone in, they'll likely serve as depth rather than compete for Taylor's starting spot unless Hughes and Winn seem too unprepared.

Four players they could look at are Tommie Harris, Aubrayo Franklin, Marcus Thomas and John Henderson.

Of the four, I believe Harris would be the best fit. He has the closest skill set to Taylor, with abilities to both stop the run and rush the passer. Franklin would be the next-best choice, followed by Thomas (he's only 26 years old, but the fact that he wasn't re-signed by Denver makes it seem that youth won't trump his questionable talent) and then Henderson.

Again, I don't necessarily believe the Browns need to go after a veteran defensive lineman just because Taylor is injured. Both Hughes and Winn are extremely talented players and at least one of them should be ready to start at defensive tackle by Week 1.

If any of these free agents (or any others) are brought on to bolster the defensive line, I see them being there only to provide depth and not to take the field.

Now that the Steelers have drafted another inside linebacker, Sean Spence, it's likely that Mortty Ivy's time with the team is up. I think the same is the case for Brandon Hicks and Marshall McFadden as well.

The Steelers could use linebacker depth, but not on the inside—in the starting rotation this year will be Lawrence Timmons, Larry Foote and Stevenson Sylvester in addition to Spence. They also brought in free agent Brandon Johnson for a visit this week, and if he gets signed, then the fates of all three bubble players are practically sealed. 

Unless one or more of the three impress at camp, I don't see them getting much further than that, unless the practice squad is in their futures. The starting lineup at inside backer is still quite unsettled, but it's doubtful that they won't be satisfied with the four who are likely to stay—especially if they do sign the free agent Johnson.

That's all for this week, make sure you follow along on Twitter in order to get your questions in next Friday.

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