CINCINNATI -- You guys certainly were inquisitive this week.

We received a large number of questions for this weekend's mailbag, so many that we had a few inquiries that didn't make the cut. If yours was among them, pose it again next week and we'll try to get it in.

Since we have got so many questions to answer, let's get right to it:

@ColeyHarvey there's been some buzz that the Bengals might be more active in free agency, is this true or will Mike Brown remain Mike Brown?

— Gary Sanders (@sandman415) January 23, 2015

@ColeyHarvey: The buzz Gary is referring to are comments coach Marvin Lewis made to the Cincinnati Enquirer and Bengals.com at the Senior Bowl this week. Lewis made it clear the Bengals are planning to make a sharp departure from their normally static free-agency approach this year. While you shouldn't expect them to go out and get a high earner like Ndamukong Suh, Lewis made it seem that they will be doing a little maneuvering. So yes, I'd say it's true. I would expect defensive end/tackle, offensive tackle and maybe even receiver to be some of the places they would be most committed to signing a player. Tight end could be another option. In fact, with Jermaine Gresham all but officially out, I wouldn't be surprised if the Bengals -- given what Lewis said -- explored signing Browns free agent Jordan Cameron to pair with Tyler Eifert. Cameron would be a bit of a splash, but he would be significantly cheaper than signing a player the caliber of Suh.

@ColeyHarvey im hearing that Tampa could cut both Johnson and Collins. Any chance they could come back?

— Greg Luther (@greger09) January 23, 2015

@ColeyHarvey: Certainly the Buccaneers had to be disappointed with what they received out of Michael Johnson and Anthony Collins this season. Both former Bengals were signed by Tampa Bay in free agency last year, helping the Bucs give the impression they could be dark-horse NFC contenders. That didn't happen. Tampa Bay is instead on the clock with the No. 1 overall pick in this year's draft, a reward for having the worst record in the NFL in 2014. With Johnson recording just four sacks this past season, there are concerns in Tampa Bay about whether signing him to a deal just north of $40 million was worth it. If the Buccaneers wanted out of Johnson's contract, it appears their best practice would be to trade him. But if I understand it correctly, trading him could come at a cost to the team that receives him. That means it's not in the Bengals' best interests to try to get him back. Bottom line is this: The Bengals and Johnson both regret they couldn't agree on a deal in March that would keep him in the Queen City. But what's been done has been done. For the time being, I wouldn't get my hopes up too high if I were you that he will be in stripes next season.

@ColeyHarvey we know they won't go big, but who are some reasonable 2nd tier players the Bengals could target in free agency?

— The wanderer (@thewanderer2020) January 23, 2015

@ColeyHarvey: A lot of it depends upon your definition of "big." Certainly a player commanding the cap space of the $22 million man Suh will be off the table. (He had a cap value of $22.4 million for the Lions this past season.) It also will come down to fit, both from a personality standpoint and schematically. The Bengals want affordable players who will mesh instantly with the rest of the locker room, and who can augment the plans they already have in place. To that end, there are a lot of 3-4 defensive linemen who are becoming free agents. How well might they translate to the Bengals' 4-3 scheme? Using the positions I outlined in an earlier answer, here are a few names they might want to explore: defensive linemen Terrance Knighton, George Selvie, and Karl Klug; offensive tackles King Dunlap and Bryan Bulaga; receivers Cecil Shorts III and Kenny Britt; and tight ends Cameron ad Charles Clay. We'll see whether the Bengals go after any of them.

@ColeyHarvey is there a pass rusher you like the most for the Bengals at #21?

— Rick Klein (@topgun2448) January 23, 2015

@ColeyHarvey: I'll be honest with you, Rick. I'm still very much on the periphery of knowing the ins and outs of this year's draft class. These next two weeks, though, I'll be in bunker mode as I start trying to get to know more of these prospects. To that end, I don't really have an answer about the Bengals' first-round pick. But I will say this: It's not a foregone conclusion they will use it on a pass-rusher. That certainly is a glaring need, and there are draft-worthy options there, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Bengals had other position groups on their radar at No. 21, too. As far as potential pass-rushers who could go late in the first round, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. has these names on his radar: Shaq Thompson (Washington), Bud Dupree (Kentucky), Dante Fowler Jr. (Florida) and Shilique Calhoun (Michigan State).

@ColeyHarvey do you think devin smith is an option with our 1st rd pick to bring a more vertical threat or defense?

— Josh McKinley (@mckinley_2727) January 23, 2015

@ColeyHarvey: Again, I hope to have a better answer for you after the Super Bowl. That said, though, I could certainly see Devin Smith as a first-round option. The former Buckeye has turned heads in this part of the country, particularly with how well he helped Ohio State's revolving door of quarterbacks ease through the potentially rocky second half of the season. From what I have seen, he's fast, smooth and fluid; three things offensive coordinator Hue Jackson apparently wants more of at the position next season. If Smith is there at 21 and the Bengals believe they can shore up their pass rush in a later round, it's possible he could be picked. But who knows? We still have three months to go.

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