‘AFC North Football’ is a term that for many fondly describes the physical nature of the games played between the Pittsburgh Steelers, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals. It is typified by hard-nosed defense, down-field running, and the occasional dirty hit.
However, this description of play means much more than how each team turns up to play on game day. It impacts how the Steelers approach the NFL Draft, which free agents are re-signed, who gets contract extensions and ultimately how the team spends its precious cap resources.