Cincinnati Bengals news isn’t slowing even as we head to the slower summer month of June.
We’ve got Joe Mixon extension chatter, Joe Burrow jersey sales, free agency and even Chad Johnson to talk about from the latest batch of news.
Let’s take a look.
Mixon, Bengals had productive talks
A report broke recently suggesting the Bengals have had good talks with running back Joe Mixon about an extension.
And this one isn’t too much of a shocker, right? While Mixon’s extension figures to fall on the backburner until A.J. Green’s July 15 deadline, the Bengals seem much liklier to pay their star running back. The Bengals have to see Green actually healthy and able to stay that way, which isn’t so easy with everything still in all-virtual format.
Granted, this hinges on Mixon accepting a respectable deal that works for both parties — but if the talks have been good this is a good sign.
Burrow tops NFLPA’s 2020 Rising Stars list
Burrow ranks ahead of everyone, including Tua Tagovailoa, on the NFLPA’s 2020 Rising Stars list.
Translation: Burrow is the most marketable star in the 2020 draft class and figures not only have breakout success but plenty of fan support. Given his strong cast of weapons and his elite status as a prospect, all we can say is — go figure.
Bengals view Vonn Bell as luxury
Looping in some great quotes from coaches, we noted Vonn Bell is the best sort of luxury for the Bengals.
It’s nice to hear the Bengals view Bell in such a manner. They didn’t think they’d get him and doing so late in their free-agency process is a massive win. He’s right in the middle of his prime and been strongly productive throughout his career so far. Provided they use him to his strengths in a Shawn Williams-esque role, he’ll be a superb partner for Jessie Bates.
Besides schematically, Bell is also a luxury for the simple fact it gives the Bengals some cap flexibility when it comes to cut-down day, which could put someone like Williams on the roster bubble.
Bengals innovating during odd times
The Bengals aren’t letting coronavirus restrictions dampen the offseason — instead they’re using it as an excuse to innovate and modernize.
Zac Taylor’s coaching staff has used this all-virtual format as a chance to provide voiceovers on video that teaches nearly the entire playbook to players.
It sounds like a simple thing — and is. But this is something the coaches wouldn’t have had time to do otherwise. Now they’ve got long-term teaching tools they can send to player devices no matter where they are for when players want to study. It’s the little things that separate the great organizations from those stuck.
Bengals thank Chad
Bengals brass sent Chad Johnson a handwritten note and some cigars as a thank you for his role as team ambassador.
Quick take? It’s really nice to see the organization publicly do something like this for one of its modern legends and hopefully, it’s a sign of a bigger movement in this area of honoring past players.
And we all know Chad has been great. He pumps up the Bengals any chance he gets, which is huge given his massive global brand. He doesn’t have to do it but does. Most teams would give up quite a lot to have a former player like Chad just making their team cool. That cannot go understated for a team that has had recent problems connecting with fans, especially younger ones.
Joe Burrow’s Color Rush is a hit
The Burrow color rush jerseys are flying off the shelves.
Hopefully this is another sign to the team the more reserved look of the color rush jerseys is what fans want in a future redesign. We know a redesign is coming in the next few years and it seems clear said redesign should draw heavily from the uber-popular color rush variants.
[vertical-gallery id=32957]