Ben Roethlisberger's Legal Fallout Could Affect Entire AFC North

The new allegation of sexual assault involving Pittsburgh Steeler's quarterback Ben Roethlisberger brings a lot food for thought for the rest of the AFC North division.

While Roethlisberger hasn't been charged with anything as of this writing, it is the second time in a year allegations have been put forth that he sexually assaulted a woman.

The details of both cases are sketchy, but that's not the point right now. What, exactly, NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell will do is the reason why we're all here today.

Goodell has a history of making examples of players who get into trouble with the law and pretty much has enforced a policy of zero tolerance.

Roethlisberger currently is fighting a civil lawsuit for an allegation made last year. While the latest accusation may be another attempt to extort money from a famous athlete, the fact Roethlisberger has allowed himself to be put into this kind of situation twice is what Goodell has to consider.

Assuming the worst, that being Roethlisberger is charged, it's a given at that point Goodell is going to suspend Big Ben. That creates a whole new situation for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the AFC North.

If this comes down before the NFL Draft, what does a significant suspension mean for the Steelers draft strategy?

All of a sudden, the Steelers no longer have a franchise quarterback, which opens all kinds of new opportunities for the Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, and Cincinnati Bengals to exploit.

The Steelers offensive strategy is 100% geared toward Roethlisberger's strengths, those being his mobility and ability to make plays with his arm. One reason Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Aryans still has his job after last season is because Roethlisberger campaigned for him.

The Browns have shown they can get through the Steelers offensive line, and the Browns most likely will have a much better defense in 2010. If the quarterback behind the Steelers offensive line isn't as mobile as Roethlisberger, the eight sacks the Browns recorded in December might look small by comparison.

Imagine what might happen against a top-10 defense if the Steelers' line isn't aggressively upgraded.

If Roethlisberger is forced out, the changed dynamics will end up favoring Cleveland and Baltimore the most. The Bengals had a good 2009, but faded at the end and were looking like the 2007 Cleveland Browns.

Every Cleveland fan knows what happened in 2008, so Bengals fans should be approaching the coming year with a lot of questions.

Roethlisberger has helped his team win two Super Bowls since coming into the league in 2004, and his potential absence is a story much bigger than just headlines in Pittsburgh.

The future is never certain, but it just got a lot murkier in Pittsburgh.