Category: Around the North

Around the North: Two Bengals stars sitting out training camp practices

Uh oh!

The Cincinnati Bengals opened training camp last weekend, but two of their stars are on the sideline. Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is currently not practicing. Neither Chase nor head coach Zac Taylor has explained why. 

Meanwhile, defensive end Trey Hendrickson took part in the first practice of camp but none since. Hendrickson made waves after requesting a trade earlier in the offseason, then saying he wanted to play for the Bengals on a renegotiated contract.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter said Chase wants to be the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL. Bengals owner Mike Brown told reporters the team would reward Chase with a contract, but negotiations would take some time. The Bengals can be patient as they have Chase under contract through the 2025 season.

However, they should be motivated to sign Chase to an extension before the receiver market surges upward again. 

Justin Jefferson, Chase’s former college teammate, signed a four-year, $140 million extension with the Vikings this offseason. Chase is among the many receivers, including teammate Tee Higgins, Brandon Aiyuk of the 49ers and Ceedee Lamb of the Cowboys, who are looking to top Jefferson’s payday.

The Bengals would be wise to get Chase extended before the season starts. They need the star receiver locked into this season and beyond. Chase is a franchise cornerstone, and the Bengals desperately need him.

Around the North: Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow cleared for contact

The Bengals star is ready for camp

Both Ohio teams had their quarterbacks end the season on injured reserve. Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson has thrown some this off-season and seems on track for the 2024 regular season.

On Monday, as teams began to arrive for training camp, Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor announced that quarterback Joe Burrow had been cleared for contact. This is excellent news for Bengals fans who saw Jake Browning play well in 2023, but the team still missed the playoffs without Burrow under center. Cincinnati will need their star quarterback ready for the season after finishing in last place in the toughest division in all of football, the AFC North.

Burrow has to figure out what’s gone wrong every time he plays the Browns after his record against Cleveland fell to 1-5 last season. The Browns have begun reporting for training camp, and the return of football is finally upon us after a long off-season.

Around the North: Steelers corner Cam Sutton suspended for 8 games

Cleveland’s division rival will be without Sutton for awhile

Cleveland’s AFC North rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers, will be without one of their starting corners for nearly half the season. Cam Sutton was given an eight-game suspension on Monday, and reports say he will not appeal the suspension.

The suspension is for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He will be reinstated in late October after the Steelers play the New York Giants. This comes after Sutton was arrested for battery after an alleged incident with his girlfriend during the off-season.

After the incident, Sutton was released by the Detroit Lions, and the Steelers signed him knowing that something like this was coming. 2023 was a down year for Sutton, his first outside of Pittsburgh, but he has plenty of talent and experience in the Steelers system.

Pittsburgh likely has a plan to cover while he is out and could turn to some young, promising players on the roster during the first eight games.

Around the North: Bengals QB Joe Burrow proposes interesting scheduling idea

Burrow’s suggestion makes a ton of sense

It is no secret that the NFL would like to move to an 18-game season in the future; after all, that would mean they could increase revenue even more. However, there has been pushback from the players who think the season is already long enough and that the wear and tear on their bodies is too much to add even more.

While appearing on the Pardon My Take podcast, Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had an interesting proposal for how to make an 18-game season work. Burrow suggested that there would need to be a second bye week and that it should be week 13 for the entire league.

The Bengals quarterback said the Pro Bowl could happen during that time, as in how the NBA and MLB do their All-Star games. This is a great idea; the level of play late in the year, especially for teams with early byes, really falls off.

If you are going to add more games, you have to find a way to improve the quality of the late-season games, and this is a good way to do it. Burrow also mentioned how this could be around the holidays and give players some time with their families.

Ultimately, I don’t think the season should get longer, but if it does, an added bye would absolutely have to be a part of it.

Around the North: Bengals WR Tee Higgins signs his franchise tag

Higgins will officially be back in Cincinnati this year

One of the biggest questions surrounding the Browns’ in-state rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, over the past couple of years is whether they could retain star wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins long-term. With Higgins’ contract up, the Cincinnati Bengals officially placed the franchise tag on him for 2024 without a long-term deal in place.

As a result, Higgins sat out all voluntary OTAs and mandatory minicamp, with the tender left unsigned. But on Monday, he made it official that he will return for at least one more season, with the Bengals signing his one-year deal.

The former second-round pick is set to report for training camp but has mentioned that he is interested in staying with the Bengals if a long-term deal can be agreed upon.

There won’t be any complaints from the Browns if Cincinnati can’t retain him as the pairing of him and Chase has been one of the best in the NFL since they teamed up.

Around the North: Steelers decline fifth-year option of RB Najee Harris

The Steelers running back will be a free agent next year

A few days after the Cleveland Browns picked up 2021 first-rounder Greg Newsome II’s fifth-year option, the rival Pittsburgh Steelers declined their first-rounder from that year’s option as running back Najee Harris will now be a free agent after the 2024 season.

It comes as a surprise after Harris’s third straight 1,000-yard season for the Steelers in 2023, the first year he averaged over four yards per carry. In the end, Harris has been productive but hasn’t been a difference-maker, and the Steelers are showing they won’t pay top dollar for someone who just fills up the stat sheet.

The team also has Jaylen Warren already on the roster who has shown a knack for making explosive plays when given the chance. Ultimately, the Steelers could still sign Harris to an extension or bring him back next year, but for now, he is essentially on a one-year prove-it deal.

Around the North: Steelers bolster interior line with Zach Frazier C from WVU

Pittsburgh Steelers draft Zach Frazier the center from West Virginia University

The second day of the NFL draft has started and the Pittsburgh Steelers made their second pick. With the 51st pick in the 2024 NFL draft, the Steelers drafted Zach Frazier the center out of West Virginia University. According to Arif Hasan’s consensus big board, Frazier was ranked as the third-best center prospect. 

Frazier’s biggest draft knock was his injury history. Frazier suffered a fractured tibia during a game against Baylor in late November. Frazier went viral on social media when he crawled off the field immediately after the injury. The heads-up play saved West Virginia a delay of game penalty as they were out of timeouts. West Virginia won the game later that drive. 

The Steelers drafted a tough, hard-nosed center in Frazier. It’s unclear when Frazier will be medically cleared to play and if he’ll miss time this season. Pittsburgh have dedicated their first two picks to fortifying their offensive line. They drafted the guard Troy Fautano from the University of Washington earlier. 

Around the North: Bengals find D.J. Reader replacement in Kris Jenkins

Is this a replacement for Reader?

The Cincinnati Bengals may have found their replacement for defensive tackle DJ Reader, who left in free agency earlier this offseason. With the Browns in-state rivals using their second-round pick on Michigan defensive tackle Kris Jenkins. This continues a crazy run of second-round defensive tackles that I did not see coming.

Jenkins is a solid selection and an above-average athlete who can get after the quarterback. He is one of the more complete players at the position, with good strength and leverage when anchoring the middle of the line against the run. His ability to play both inside and outside will bring a level of versatility that will be difficult to deal with.

Bringing a high football IQ and a great motor, he will fit in perfectly on that Bengals defense. Now, if the team can find a way to patch up the relationship with Trey Hendrickson, they will have an impressive defensive line.

Around the North: Ravens select cornerback Nate Wiggins of Clemson

AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens drafted Nate Wiggins, CB, from Clemson University with 30th pick in the NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns weren’t the only AFC North team waiting for the end of the first night of the NFL draft. The division rival Baltimore Ravens were also patiently waiting all night to make their selection. The Ravens selected Nate Wiggins the cornerback out of the University of Clemson. Wiggins is an extremely talented and young player. Wiggins will turn 21 years old in late August. Wiggins had the most potential at the position in this draft class. 

Wiggins is an extremely talented cornerback who impressed scouts with his long speed. The speedster ran a 4.29 40-yard dash during the NFL Combine in February. Wiggins is a wiry and long talent, he measured in at 6’1 and 173 pounds. Wiggins’s slight frame was a big concern for many teams in the NFL. 

It will be interesting to see if Wiggins can handle the physicality of the Ravens’ defense. The Ravens’ unit is known for their hard-hitting, and overly aggressive play. If Wiggins and his slight frame can survive in their system the sky is the limit for the talented cornerback. Wiggins has the speed and ability to be a shutdown cornerback for the Ravens. The Ravens unsurprisingly drafted a difference maker in round one of the NFL draft. The Browns will make their first selection of the NFL draft on Friday night. 

Around the North: Bengals take big swing drafting Amarius Mims

Mims heads to the AFC North

The Cleveland Browns in-state rival Cincinnati Bengals have made a move to protect their franchise quarterback using their first-round pick on Georgia offensive tackle Amarius Mims. The Bengals took the offensive tackle with the most upside but also the most risks, as Mims has only started eight games in college with the Bulldogs.

If you’re looking for a ball of clay with ridiculous athleticism and size at offensive tackle, Mims is an exceptional athlete. Cincinnati will have a chance to decide if Mims plays right away or try to develop him with his limited experience at the position.

Keeping Joe Burrow upright has to be the team’s key focus this upcoming year, and this is an excellent place to start. Mims isn’t just a great athlete, he has elite-level size and arm length while possessing great play strength and solid hand placement and usage. Ultimately, this is a good pick for the rival Bengals, who are taking a chance on a player with tremendous upside.