Ask Andrea: The AFC North Mailbag

We've got a full slate of questions for this week's Ask Andrea AFC North Mailbag—clearly anticipation is high about the looming NFL season (as it should be).

Today's questions tilt heavily in the "projection" category. There's a whole lot worth predicting right now, as these questions clearly attest. We've got inquiries about all four AFC North squads, each more pressing than the next, so let's get at this thing.

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That's a tough one, Pete. On one hand, it seems like Mike Wallace will remain the Steelers' most valuable receiving weapon. He's fast, he can get open, he can fight through coverage. But Wallace's 2011 was nearly identical to that of fellow receiver Antonio Brown. 

Wallace caught 72 passes on 113 targets, for 1,193 yards and eight scores. Brown had 69 receptions on 123 targets, for 1,108 yards and two scores. 

Clearly, the stat that jumps out is the touchdowns. With so many commonalities between the two receivers' seasons, the six-score difference definitely speaks to Wallace's ability to get in the end zone.

That's why, though Wallace's receptions and total yardage might give way while Brown's gets more passes thrown to him this season, Wallace should still have the better year when it comes to touchdowns.

That being said, I do think both Brown and Wallace will each have over 1,000 receiving yards yet again. Everything about the Steelers' offense is going to be better this year, and though other players (especially including the running backs) should get more passing targets, the bread-and-butter of the offense is still Ben Roethlisberger throwing to his two best receivers. 

I think Brown will have the better year, in terms of receptions and yardage, but Wallace will still end the season with a greater number of scores.

I absolutely think Jordan Cameron will get more playing time this year, Bryan, but when it comes to his fantasy value, it doesn't raise it all that much.

Right now, the Browns have five tight ends on their roster, with three of them more involved in the receiving game—the aforementioned Cameron, Evan Moore and Ben Watson—and none are in danger of being cut from the team.

With Mitchell Schwartz at right tackle, tight ends are going to be asked to block less this year, which means guys like Moore, Cameron and Watson, who aren't the best blockers, can line up as receivers more often. And with Brandon Weeden likely throwing to them, all three will have ample chances for success.

However, that's a lot of mouths to feed, so to speak. Watson will likely start the season as the Browns' top tight end, but I see him being supplanted by Moore early on. Cameron, now that he's had time to acclimate himself to the offense, is certain to see more playing time, but unless he really breaks out as a stud, he's not going to get the most targets.

I'd only recommend Cameron be drafted in fantasy leagues that have 14 or more teams, and then only start him if you have a flex option. In terms of lesser-known Browns tight ends, I'd say Moore is the better fantasy bet.

I think there's very little chance that Joe Flacco won't be a Raven after this season. However, I do think it is a bit telling that contract talks have broken down. 

One reason for this is likely the Ravens' financial situation. They don't have a lot of cash to work with, and Flacco's contract isn't up yet, so there's little reason to rush into it. Baltimore also is likely waiting to see how things play out with running back Ray Rice. Even if he does sign the franchise tender this year, they'll need to come up with the cash to offer him a deal next year—they certainly cannot afford him moving on.

I think there are some performance-related issues that have the Ravens a little wary of giving Flacco an extension right now. He's not consistent, and Cam Cameron's play calling does him few favors. But if it comes down to it, Baltimore would certainly prefer keeping Flacco around over Cameron.

My guess is that the Ravens put the franchise tag on Flacco next year and then deal with contract negotiations in earnest afterward. Clearly, Baltimore isn't grooming anyone to take Flacco's job in the near future (and that includes Tyrod Taylor), but I think they want to know for sure what Flacco is worth before making the leap.

With all the improvements the Browns have made this offseason, Anthony, I really think they could go 8-8 this year. June is certainly a time of optimism for every team in the league, and I am not immune to fits of said optimism, but I like what the Browns have done to get better in all phases of the game and I think it should pay off for them this year.

Brandon Weeden is a huge part of this, of course. Yes, he's a rookie, and yes, the Browns' West Coast offense isn't the easiest, but he's got such a strong, accurate arm it's hard to imagine him struggling to make plays this year. 

The issue in Cleveland is their receiving corps, but there are already signs it will be much-improved this year. Mohamed Massaquoi is still a major question mark, but Greg Little has already appeared far better prepared for his second year than he was last season, and the Browns also have a solid collection of tight ends to catch Weeden's passes as well.

Obviously, there will be a learning curve for Weeden just as there is for every rookie quarterback in the NFL. But, as I said, I think the Browns will have an 8-8 season this year, and Weeden will be a major part of it. I don't think he will end the year as the best quarterback in the AFC North, but I can actually see him with a better stat line than Joe Flacco.

I don't think Anquan Boldin will fade away at all this year. Boldin had the most receiving targets for the Ravens last year and the most receiving yards. Though now Joe Flacco has more players to throw to, that won't do much to muscle Boldin out of Flacco's favor.

One player who won't likely take targets away from Boldin is the rookie Tommy Streeter. Streeter has struggled to catch passes during OTAs, so he might be a season or two from developing into a reliable receiver. A bigger threat, at the present moment at least, may be Deonte Thompson, an undrafted rookie who has showed some good hands and speed at OTAs.

Second-year receivers Tandon Doss and LaQuan Williams should get more playing time this year—especially Doss, who was very limited last year as he continued to recover from offseason hernia surgery.

And Torrey Smith? He claims he'll have over 1,000 receiving yards this year, and I am prone to believe him. Smith suffered a hernia of his own in Week 3 of the 2011 season, an injury that likely kept his production lower than it otherwise would have been. Now that he's healthy, and has had time to build more chemistry with Flacco, he'll be an even bigger part of the Ravens' offense.

Boldin may have fewer targets as a result. He may even be used more in the slot than ever before. But to say that he's going to fade away this year would be an overstatement. First, the rest of the receiving corps is still a question mark. And second, if his numbers do drop, it's less a statement of his declining skills than of the Ravens getting all around better in the passing game.

Don, I think there's a very good chance that all four teams in the AFC North could end the year with 8-8 records or better. 

Last season, only the Browns were below .500, ending the year with a 4-12 record. This year, I truly believe that with all the improvements they've made on both offense and defense, they have more than just a fighting chance to go 8-8. Brandon Weeden? Trent Richardson? A better run defense? An actual offseason? All these things add up to marked improvement.

The Bengals were 9-7 last year and made it to the playoffs when many (myself included) thought they'd struggle to stay out of the league's basement. They've only gotten younger and less experienced on offense, but for Cincinnati, I don't see this being a liability. I think the Bengals could end the year at least with another 9-7 record, but I think 10-6 or even 11-5 is more realistic.

The Ravens and Steelers are perennially two of the better, stronger teams in the NFL. This year, both teams have undergone a great deal of change, more than they've dealt with in years. I think the Ravens are at the greatest risk to have their issues (injuries, free agent losses, young receivers) result in a drop off, but if that happens, I still don't see them in any danger of ending the season below .500.

The Steelers' changes have been many, from cutting a number of veterans, to losing William Gay to free agency and of course, replacing offensive coordinator Bruce Arians with Todd Haley. I think these changes have all been positive, however, and a third-straight 12-4 season is certainly within their reach.

So yes, all signs point to the AFC North being a .500-or-better division this year, for the first time in a long, long time.

I don't think the Bengals need a "big-name" No. 2 receiver, as you word it, Keith, in order to have a successful passing game. What they need is an effective No. 2 receiver, and I certainly think they have that man on their roster right now.

Right now, Brandon Tate, Armon Binns and rookie Mohamed Sanu are battling it out for that No. 2 job, which last year belonged to Jerome Simpson. All three have been impressive in OTAs, and I ultimately see the war paring down to Binns and Sanu once training camp begins next month.

If the Bengals were in a different situation, and no one looked capable of being an effective No. 2 receiver, then I'd be worried about A.J. Green's sophomore season. Clearly, he's going to be attracting a ton of defensive coverage, no matter who the No. 2 is, but the more dynamic that complementary receiver is, the better the chance that Green cannot be constantly shut down.

Sanu's sure hands and good speed has veteran Bengals already comparing him to T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Binns has been drawing a fair amount of praise from offensive coordinator Jay Gruden.

Binns and Sanu aren't the most flashy receivers in the world, but that doesn't matter as long as they can get the job done. I wouldn't worry about Green's production this year with one of them lined up as the team's No. 2.

That's it for this time around. Keep an eye on Twitter for next Friday's call for submissions.

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