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Every morning, grab a cup of coffee and get your AFC North wake-up call here:

Wide receiver Antonio Brown sounded confident that restricted free agent Mike Wallace will be with the Steelers in 2012.

"I definitely expect it," he told the NFL Network on Friday. "I definitely look forward to him providing me help from the other side, rolling coverages -- he's a great teammate of mine."

Asked if he was absolutely sure, Brown said, "No doubt in my mind, he's coming back."

Teams have until April 20 to sign restricted free agents to an offer sheet. There was a report last month that Wallace scared off interested teams by seeking more money than Larry Fitzgerald ($120 million over eight years). The Steelers reaffirmed late last month that they want to sign Wallace to a long-term deal.

Hensley's slant: The likelihood of Wallace staying with the Steelers this season is strong. The only team I can foresee making a play for Wallace is the Denver Broncos. The bigger question is whether Wallace will be playing for the Steelers in 2013, when he's an unrestricted free agent.

BENGALS: Saints coach Sean Payton helped raise $42,000 at a charity fundraiser hosted by Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth, according to the Bengals' official website. Payton donated his private suite for one Saints game that included sideline passes and autographed items. It raised the second-highest amount at the live auction. "He told me right before he went up to make his speech: I guess there are 42,000 reasons why I invited him," Whitworth said. Hensley's slant: Payton has built a reputation for being arrogant during his time as Saints coach. But you have to give him credit for honoring his commitment to speak at Whitworth's charity even though he faces a yearlong suspension from the NFL.

BROWNS: Add ESPN's Todd McShay to the list of draft analysts who believe Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill can be a franchise quarterback and that the Browns should draft him at No. 4. "I don't think the difference between Robert Griffin III and Tannehill is all that big, I really don't," McShay said in a conference call Friday, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "I'd have a very difficult time passing on him at that No. 4 pick. I just think he has everything you look for in a future franchise quarterback if you develop him properly and you're willing to be patient." Hensley's slant: I could look foolish if Tannehill becomes a franchise quarterback, but I would select two other players at No. 4 before him. Alabama running back Trent Richardson and LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne are better -- and safer -- choices at that spot for the Browns.

RAVENS: Still motivated by last year's fall in the draft, running back Anthony Allen is eyeing the backup role for the Ravens. "I was drafted in the seventh round and I still have that chip on my shoulder," Allen told the Baltimore Sun. "I barely played in an NFL game besides special teams, so it’s definitely motivation for me. It’s a blessing that the coaches trust me, the owner trusts me. It just shows that if you continue to put in the hard work, your opportunity will come and you’ll get a chance to shine." Hensley's slant: The Ravens have usually gone with more experienced backups whether it's been Ricky Williams, Willis McGahee or Mike Anderson. Going with Allen would be the team's biggest gamble at running back since 2002, when they went with rookie sixth-round pick Chester Taylor as the primary backup. That certainly worked out for Baltimore.

A quick look at what's happening around the AFC North as the NFL combine continues in Indianapolis. I will provide my take on many of these issues and topics in the days to come, but I wanted to pass along the information.

CINCINNATI BENGALS

• Coach Marvin Lewis did seem troubled over the latest off-the-field incident involving middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, who has pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge at a Cincinnati bar. Maualuga is the fourth Bengals player since July to have a legal issue, joining wide receiver Jerome Simpson, cornerback Adam Jones and running back Cedric Benson. “There’s a concern," Lewis told reporters at the NFL combine, via the Cincinnati Enquirer. "What [Maualuga] does away from football is important. He has to make good choices and decisions.”
• Benson is not expected to be re-signed by the Bengals, and Lewis' comments about the running back didn't change that perception. As the team website points out, it sounded like Lewis was giving Benson a lifetime achievement award instead of a new contract. “I think we want to improve our running game and if it includes Ced, it includes Ced," Lewis said. "We need to have more explosive running plays. Ced has had a fine career. He’s a physical player and been a big part of our success.”
• Lewis provided encouraging news on two players who are coming off season-ending injuries. Cornerback Leon Hall (Achilles) is ahead of schedule, and wide receiver Jordan Shipley (knee) continues to make “significant progress," Lewis said.

CLEVELAND BROWNS

• Coach Pat Shurmur reiterated the Browns want to re-sign starting middle linebacker D'Qwell Jackson, who's scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month. Shurmur said the team hasn't made a decision whether it will place a franchise tag on Jackson, although the Plain Dealer of Cleveland reported last week that the Browns plan to do so. "We're going to be willing to use [the franchise tag]," Shurmur said. "As you go through signing our free agents, then we'll see what's the best place to use that tag."
• In injury updates, Shurmur said left guard Eric Steinbach is progressing from a season-ending back injury but he didn't commit to the left guard as a starter, according to the Akron Beacon Journal. Jason Pinkston, who replaced Steinbach at left guard, will not move to tackle and will continue to develop at the guard position, according to Shurmur.
• Former Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar attended the combine, but not in an official capacity, a team spokesman told the Akron Beacon Journal.

BALTIMORE RAVENS

• Coach John Harbaugh once again expressed confidence about holding onto Ben Grubbs, saying he's "pretty optimistic" about re-signing the Pro Bowl left guard. “I hope that’s not misplaced," Harbaugh said, via the Baltimore Sun. "We’re in the process of negotiating. We’re committed, [owner Steve Bisciotti’s] committed to offering him a really great number. Hey, the market dictates [it], and Ben has to make those kinds of decisions, and you’re really happy for guys. He’s had a great career. He’s had a great number of years here. He’s earned the right to take a look for his family. One thing we’re not doing, we’re not giving him a low number. We’re doing everything we can to try to keep him in Baltimore.”
• In injury news, wide receiver Torrey Smith had surgery to repair a double sports hernia, and cornerback Cary Williams had hip surgery. Both are expected to be ready for training camp.
• Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome said the team isn't looking to add a free-agent running back to replace the retired Ricky Williams. He indicated that Anthony Allen, a seventh-round pick from a year ago, will be given the first shot at the backup running back job. The team would add a free agent during training camp if Allen struggles to secure that spot, Newsome said.
• Newsome is happy the team was able to keep director of player personnel Eric DeCosta, who turned down the chance to interview for the general manager positions with the Chicago Bears, St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts. "I think it was very important because of the continuity that allows the organization to maintain people and have the process remain the same," Newsome said, via ESPN Chicago. "It was kind of like Scott Pioli remaining in New England for all those years with Bill [Belichick]. All it does is make you stronger. I'm very thankful that Eric decided to stay."

PITTSBURGH STEELERS

• Major changes are unlikely to occur to the Steelers' offense under new coordinator Todd Haley, according to general manager Kevin Colbert. The biggest reason is it's tough to do so when the team has been successful and is bringing most of the same personnel back. "So, it's hard to come in and drastically change your philosophy because of the group of players that you have," Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "You can't overhaul a whole roster. Nor are we looking to because this group of players has been very successful."
• The hope is that the high-ankle sprains that have hampered Pro Bowl center Maurkice Pouncey the past two years are in the past. "The reports we got and the last time we saw him, he was progressing just fine," Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. "High-ankle sprains, they're a different injury and then when you re-injure it sometimes you've got to do some procedures to shore that joint up."
• A Cleveland-based reporter asked Colbert if the team had reached a "breaking point" with linebacker James Harrison, who was suspended last season after he knocked out Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. "No. Absolutely not," Colbert said. "James Harrison is a great player. He tries to play within the rules. Sometimes, the penalty is unavoidable, and he ends up getting a suspension out of it. He served his time. We've all moved on. We know James Harrison plays the game very hard. He plays it within the rules the best he can. Sometimes, circumstances happen in the course of a game, and you have to live with the consequences. But in no way are we ever going to be disappointed with that player."

Baltimore running back Ricky Williams plans to retire, according to ESPN's NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

When I first heard this, my initial reaction was: Will he stay retired?

Williams stunned the NFL with an early retirement in 2004. But he was back in July 2005.

He talked retirement before the 2009 season, saying he wanted to play two more seasons before calling it quits. But he played with Baltimore in 2011.

Williams, 34, even spoke about his intentions about playing next season for the Ravens after the AFC championship game loss at New England.

“My body feels good and I know I’m going to train hard and so I’m excited about next year,” Williams said last month, via the team's website. “I’ve grown a lot, kind of falling into a new role and a new city and a new organization, and I’ve gotten better. And like everyone else, I feel like I have something to build on for next year.”

So, what changed?

After the news broke about his retirement today, Williams addressed it in a cryptic Twitter message: "Thank you all, but this ain't it. I'm gonna do something really special. 'Be you and change the world.'"

If Williams does follow through with his retirement, it will be a big loss for the Ravens even though Williams isn't the same powerful running back from a few years ago.

What the Ravens lose isn't the stats that Williams produced last year. He rushed for a career-low 444 yards and scored two touchdowns.

What the Ravens lose is a reliable insurance policy for running back Ray Rice. If Rice went down for any significant amount of time, Baltimore didn't have to worry about handing the ball to Williams, one of 26 players in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards.

To be honest, Williams was underused in his first season with the Ravens. He averaged less than seven carries per game and caught 13 passes, but it was hard to get him onto the field because it meant taking Rice off of it.

The Ravens signed Williams last year to a two-year contract to replace Willis McGahee, so it appears that their preference is to have an experienced backup. Baltimore's third-string running back Anthony Allen, a seventh-round pick last year, looked like he would need another year before becoming the team's primary backup.

This means the Ravens will be searching for a second-tier running back in free agency.

Here are the most interesting stories Wednesday in the AFC North:

• Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will sit Thursday's preseason finale against the Carolina Panthers.

Morning take: Roethlisberger looks ready for the regular season. He will have two weeks to rest, while backups Dennis Dixon and Charlie Batch compete for the No. 2 role.

• Running back Peyton Hillis could be the next Cleveland Brown to get a contract extension.

Morning take: This has been a great year for Hillis, who is on the cover of "Madden NFL 12." There are concerns about his durability. But there's no question he's one of the top players on the team.

• Which players are on the roster bubble for the Baltimore Ravens?

Morning take: I like the battle at running back between Jalen Parmele and rookie Anthony Allen. Both probably can help as backups. But only one will make the 53-man roster.

• Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson and new corner Kelly Jennings are out for Thursday's preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts.

Morning take: Benson has been out of town resolving his legal issues and probably doesn’t need to take the pounding anyway. Jennings could use the work but it’s too soon after just getting traded.