HEADLINES

Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

AFC East Rumors: Bills, Jets, Douglas, Jackson

March 6th, 2022 at 5:33pm CST by Ely Allen

On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul made comments that all but guaranteed that an agreement for a new stadium for the Bills will be made soon, according to Mike Florio of NBC Sports.

Highmark Stadium (previously Rich Stadium, Ralph Wilson Stadium, and New Era Field) has been the home of the Bills since 1973. The Bills’ current lease on Highmark expires in 2023 and the franchise has been pushing with many government entities to build them a shiny, new stadium. The team has used the very real looming threat that there are plenty of other markets in the country that can support an NFL franchise.

Hochul commented on that threat saying, “That’s why we’re negotiating very intently, to make sure we have the right outcome for this community.” The new stadium will partially be funded by the public to the tune of about $850MM. The Governor claims that a deal will be done by April 1, in time for the annual budget.

Here are a few other rumors from around the AFC East, starting with a couple of notes that keep us in the Empire State:

  • The Jets are planning to use this offseason to add some weapons to the roster for quarterback Zach Wilson. They currently have Corey Davis and Elijah Moore sitting atop the depth chart. They would love to bring back Braxton Berrios as a fourth-receiver/gadget player and they haven’t yet given up on Denzel Mims. Still, New York will have ample opportunity to add a potential No. 1 receiver to the roster, according to SNY’s Ralph Vacchiano. The free agent market is home to many household names like Chris Godwin, Allen Robinson, Mike Williams, and, potentially, Amari Cooper. Players like Calvin Ridley and Cole Beasley have been rumored to be available via trade. The 2022 NFL Draft is also so rich in talented receivers that many believe some first round talent could fall to the second round where the Jets have two high picks, if they don’t choose to take a top prospect like Garrett Wilson or Drake London with the 10th overall pick.
  • That being said, Vacchiano also reports that, despite their vast spending ability, general manager Joe Douglas has been preaching the maintenance of financial flexibility. Though the Jets rank in the Top 5 in the NFL in salary cap space, Douglas rejected the notion that their $50-60MM in cap space will be dedicated to big spending in free agency. Douglas acknowledged free agency as just one of “a lot of different tools to improve your roster” and pointed to the Bengals as an example of responsible free agent spending. “I think Cincy did great in free agency last year,” he said. “They didn’t blow the doors off in terms of signing super high-priced guys. They brought in guys who fit exactly what they wanted to do.”
  • According to Mike Giardi of NFL Network, Patriots’ cornerback JC Jackson is likely headed for free agency with some lofty expectations. While Jackson still likes the Patriots, money is a big factor for the 26-year-old. Giardi claims that Jackson is strictly seeking compensation similar to Jalen Ramsey. New England won’t bring that money to the table and it sounds like they won’t be utilizing their franchise tag on Jackson, either. That information could lead to a tag and trade situation if other teams aren’t willing to shell out for Jackson in free agency.

Bengals, Jets, Jaguars Expected To Pursue Ryan Jensen; Bucs Want To Retain C

March 5th, 2022 at 4:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

It will cost the Buccaneers to keep Ryan Jensen. Despite this being the veteran center’s second go-round at free agency, he is expected to have a robust market.

The Bengals, Jets and Jaguars are among the teams expected to have interest in Jensen once he hits the market, Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com notes. Meanwhile, the Bucs want to do “everything possible” to keep their four-year center, Wilson adds. This follows a report that indicated Tampa Bay wanted to retain Jensen and Alex Cappa, with Ali Marpet‘s surprise retirement putting pressure on the Bucs to hang onto their other top interior O-linemen.

With the franchise tag formula grouping all offensive linemen together, the tag is not a realistic option for the Bucs, who also have plenty of other starters headed for free agency. The O-line tag is expected to approach $17MM; the NFL’s highest-paid center (Frank Ragnow) earns $13.5MM annually. The demand for Jensen could give the center position a new top salary. That would be quite the development for the ex-Raven, who signed a center-record deal (four years, $42MM) when he was last a free agent in 2018.

Jensen, 31 in May, has not missed a game over the past five seasons. He earned his first Pro Bowl nod this past year. Jacksonville, Cincinnati and New York each are among the top five in terms of cap space. Tampa Bay is barely $2MM over the cap, residing near the bottom of the league in terms of offseason resources.

The Bengals obviously have needs across their O-line, and they appear to be committed to improving the center position. They are also expected to pursue Ravens center Bradley Bozeman, who looms as a cheaper alternative to Jensen. The Jets signed Connor McGovern just two years ago in free agency, giving him a three-year, $27MM deal. His contract is up after the 2022 season. Jacksonville has Brandon Linder under contract, but the longtime Jaguars blocker has run into rampant injury trouble. The Jags could save $9.5MM by cutting Linder.

NFL To Discuss Potential OT Changes

February 27th, 2022 at 6:49pm CST by Ely Allen

The NFL’s Competition Committee had their first in-person meeting of the offseason today and, according to Judy Battista of NFL Network, proposed changes to the league’s overtime rules are on the agenda. The Committee’s chair, Rich McKay, confirmed as much, claiming there was no question it would be brought up.

Battista continued her reports in a series of tweets. She claims that there will be proposals for the rules to change both for the playoffs only and for regular season and postseason games together.

The argument for changing the rule in the playoffs only are centered around the expectation that the league’s best quarterbacks will be the ones participating in these games, increasing the likelihood that the team that wins the coin toss will score on the first possession of overtime and end the game without the opponent getting a chance to touch the ball. An example of this occurred this past postseason when the Chiefs defeated the Bills on the first possession of overtime in the AFC Divisional Playoff round. Unfortunately for fans rooting for a potential rule change, an example of the opposite of the above example happened just a week later. In the AFC Championship game, the Chiefs once again won the coin toss and were granted the first possession of overtime. This time, the Chiefs were forced to go three-and-out by the Bengals’ defense, and Cincinnati went on to win the game on a walk-off field goal.

According to Battista, the Colts have submitted a proposal that would guarantee each team a possession in overtime that would apply to both the regular season and the postseason. The Colts didn’t make the postseason this year but had two regular season games go past regulation. Indianapolis lost both games. An overtime loss to the Titans on Halloween saw both teams possess the ball twice each in overtime, but an October loss in Baltimore saw Lamar Jackson and the Ravens dink-and-dunk their way to a touchdown in overtime that kept the Colts from ever seeing the ball after the fourth quarter.

Battista notes that there is still a ways to go in the discussions for a change to overtime rules. It won’t be discussed by the Committee for another two days. Even when it does come up, it’s not yet known how much support is out there for the potential change. In order for the rule to be adjusted, 24 owners would have to vote in favor of a change to the rule. That’s a high bar to pass, but something worth keeping an eye on as discussions proceed.

Bengals’ Logan Wilson Has Successful Surgery

February 27th, 2022 at 5:31pm CST by Ely Allen

In a Week 13 loss to the Chargers, Bengals’ linebacker Logan Wilson suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder. Wilson missed most of the remainder of the regular season, returning for a Week 17 win against the Chiefs that clinched the AFC North for Cincinnati. After toughing it out through the playoffs, as well, Wilson finally had a procedure last week, according to ESPN’s Ben Baby, and is expected to make a full recovery. 

Wilson was a third-round pick for Cincinnati in the 2020 NFL Draft. After a year as a back up, Wilson was named the team’s starting middle linebacker to start the 2021 NFL season. In 12 games before his injury, Wilson tallied 92 tackles, 5.0 for a loss, and sacked the quarterback once. He was active in coverage, too, reeling in 4 interceptions.

Wilson missed three games after sustaining his injury, returning to help his squad make the playoffs. Once in the postseason, Wilson returned to making a huge impact on defense for the Bengals, saving his best game for Super Bowl LVI. In the team’s loss to the Rams, Wilson recorded 9 tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss, and deflected a pass attempt.

Wilson surely showed his toughness and earned the respect of his teammates after playing through an injury all the way through the Super Bowl. With an impressive sophomore season, Wilson established himself as a potential leader on the Bengals’ defense and the future of their linebacking corps. Cincinnati will be happy to have him back to 100% to start the 2022 NFL season.

Bengals Eyeing C Bradley Bozeman In Free Agency?

February 25th, 2022 at 9:55am CST by Adam La Rose

It’s no secret that the Bengals will be aiming to upgrade their offensive line this offseason. It appears one of their targets could be Ravens center Bradley Bozeman, according to Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network (Twitter link). 

[Related: Jessie Bates Looking To Avoid Franchise Tag]

Wilson notes that Cincinnati is one of “multiple NFL teams” that could be in competition for Bozeman if he reaches the open market. The 27-year-old’s rookie deal is set to expire in March, which has him well positioned to cash in this offseason.

A two-time national champion with Alabama, Bozeman was a sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2018. He established himself as a full-time starter in 2019, the first of two straight campaigns occupying the left guard spot. He shifted to his natural center position this past year, and delivered the best play of his career to date. In 16 games, he committed one penalty and surrendered three sacks according to PFF, which assigned him an overall grade of 73.3.

The Bengals ranked third in the league with 55 sacks allowed; while the Ravens were actually one of the two teams above them on that list, Bozeman could still represent a consistent presence along the interior. Current Bengals starter Trey Hopkins is 30, and has one year remaining on his current contract with a scheduled cap hit of $7.1MM. Releasing him would save Cincinnati just under $6MM, clearing up room to go after Bozeman, or perhaps fellow center Ryan Jensen.

While Bozeman isn’t likely to command the type of contract that Jensen will, he is younger and should have plenty of free agent suitors. The Ravens, for their part, have expressed a desire to re-sign him, as part of their general aim to bolster the offensive front. They are facing a tight salary cap situation, tough, and also have fellow 2018 draftee DeShon Elliott to re-sign, not to mention a long-term deal to be worked out with quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jessie Bates Wants To Stay With Bengals, Avoid Franchise Tag

February 24th, 2022 at 4:23pm CST by Sam Robinson

After a substandard regular season, Jessie Bates delivered for the Bengals in the playoffs. The four-year veteran stands to be one of this year’s top free agents. But the Bengals are not expected to let the standout safety get that far.

Cincinnati is expected to keep Bates off the market. While the sides still have nearly two weeks to work out a long-term extension before the franchise tag window closes, the Bengals would have nearly five more months to finalize a deal if they applied the tag.

“Hopefully I’m not under a franchise tag. That’s something that needs to be discussed as NFLPA a little bit,” Bates said during an NFL Network appearance (via NFL.com). “Some of the top guys got hurt under a franchise tag. It’s tough; you only get one shot at this. You just got to play your cards right, I guess you could say.”

The safety tag is expected to come in just north of $13MM. Being tagged would prevent the former second-round pick from parlaying his strong playoff performance into a monster safety pact. That said, the Wake Forest alum is two days from his 25th birthday. The Broncos tagged Justin Simmons in each of the past two offseasons but still wound up with a market-setting deal. Simmons became the NFL’s highest-paid safety when he signed an extension last year, at age 27. Bates should still have a chance to cash in, even if he plays the 2022 season on the tag.

Jamal Adams‘ four-year, $70MM extension is the current bar, but Bates said he is not overly concerned with “the ego part of being the highest-paid safety.” Still, Bates accepting a deal that paid him less than Simmons’ $15.25MM-per-year accord is unlikely.

Although Bates expressed disappointment in the Bengals not extending him ahead of last season, he would prefer to remain with the franchise. Bates graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 overall safety in 2020. While he slipped in 2021, Bates helped the Bengals make a surprise Super Bowl run by logging six pass breakups and two interceptions in the playoffs.

“I know what type of men are in that locker room, along with the guys that are leading us. We have awesome coaches. I look forward to being a Cincinnati Bengal, but we’ll see what happens,” Bates said, while also noting Cincinnati’s proximity to his hometown (Fort Wayne, Ind.) factors into his aim to remain a Bengal.

Bengals Add O-Line Assistant

February 22nd, 2022 at 10:17pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Daronte Jones is also joining Kevin O’Connell‘s staff, doing so as the Vikes’ defensive backs coach. This will be a quick return for Jones, who served as Mike Zimmer‘s DBs coach for the 2020 Vikings. Jones became LSU’s defensive coordinator in 2021. Tuesday saw both ex-Tigers coordinators — Jones and OC Jake Peetz — land on their feet in the NFL. Peetz is now on the Rams’ staff. Jones, 43, previously worked with the Dolphins and Bengals’ secondaries. The Vikings also hired Mike Smith as outside linebackers coach. Not the ex-Falcons HC, Smith spent the past three seasons coaching the Packers’ outside linebackers. Smith had left the Packers to pursue other opportunities; this will now mean providing intel to an NFC North rival.
  • The Bengals‘ offensive line stands as one of the league’s top position groups to monitor. The unit will feature a new coach, with Cincinnati naming Derek Frazier as an assistant O-line coach. Frazier, who formerly worked as the Jets’ assistant O-line coach (2019-20), has extensive experience at the college level. He will share assistant O-line coaching duties with incumbent Ben Martin. Frank Pollack remains the Bengals’ top O-line coach. Cincinnati will also move Jordan Kovacs from defensive quality control coach to assistant inside linebackers coach. Kovacs, 31, has been with the Bengals since 2019.

NFL Reserve/Futures Contracts: 2/22/22

February 22nd, 2022 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s reserve/futures deals:

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

Miami Dolphins

New York Giants

Tennessee Titans

S Ricardo Allen Retires

February 21st, 2022 at 8:56am CST by Adam La Rose

Not long after his second career Super Bowl appearance, former Falcons and Bengals safety Ricardo Allen is retiring. In an Instagram post, he announced the decision to hang up his cleats. 

“I’ve always wondered how it would feel giving up what most people would consider to be ‘most of me’, and that’s being a professional athlete”, he wrote. “But, the truth is, I’m blessed to be able to say that it’s been good… Dear football career. I’m grateful for you, and I’m thankful for the opportunity you gave me to turn nothing but hard work into the foundation of a growing legacy. You’ve shown me it’s not about how you start; it’s about how you finish”.

Allen, 30, spent his first six seasons in Atlanta, having been drafted by the Falcons in the fifth round in 2014. He started 76 of 77 games with the team, including the loss in Super Bowl LI against the Patriots in 2016. That campaign saw him make a career-high 90 tackles, along with two interceptions. He racked up a total of 340 stops, 11 picks and 26 pass breakups in his time with the Falcons.

After being cut, Allen signed with the Bengals last March as part of the team’s attempt to add experience to its secondary. Serving as depth behind Jessie Bates, he made just one start in 14 regular season games in Cincinnati, and played only nine special teams snaps in the team’s Super Bowl loss to the Rams.

Allen seems to be interested in coaching now that his playing days are over. His post also includes, “I am ready to take all of this knowledge and to help guide the next generation of men to achieve their goals”, something that would happen “when you see [him] on the other side with the head set on”.

Rather than trying for a third appearance in the big game, Allen is content to move forward into the next chapter of his football career – something that he could be well suited for, given his effective time as a player.

Load More Posts