Category: Latest News

Dylan Moses draft decision places added emphasis on Bengals in free agency

Dylan Moses just changed the complexion of the 2020 NFL draft.

Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Dylan Moses says he’s heading back to school in 2020 instead of entering the 2020 NFL draft.

Which again emphasizes the importance of free agency for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason.

Moses’ decision comes on the heels of missing the entirety of this past season after a brief apparent spat with insurance issues. He was pegged as a early first-round pick before the injury but apparently has a second-round grade from the advisory board now (those grades are always up for debate).

No matter what happens with Moses, the Bengals again have a tough call on their hands, as he’s not the only high-profile linebacker to say “no thanks” to the 2020 draft.

And the Bengals need plenty of help at the spot. Yes, things improved after the team cut the mistake that was the Preston Brown extension. And yes, Germaine Pratt started to show promise down the stretch.

But a serious investment in the position needs to happen. The early second round seemed like a sweet spot, especially if a high-upside talent like Moses fell.

With the draft class constricting yet again, it might be better to prioritize linebacker in free agency. If the team could lure in a quality type like a Cory Littleton or Kyle Van Noy the unit not only improves, that number of needs for that early second-round pick gets smaller.

This is thinking way ahead, obviously. But a big setback like this for an area of need on draft day is worth pointing out from a Bengals perspective, especially when the team has been so adamant on building through the draft and not spending on notable free agents at positions of need.

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Possible Bengals QB target Tua Tagovailoa to announce draft decision

Tua Tagovailoa will make a huge decision about the 2020 draft soon.

The Cincinnati Bengals might see the benefit of landing the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft even more Monday.

There, Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa will announce whether he’ll enter the 2020 draft at all after months of speculation following his season-ending injury.

Whether Tagovailoa enters could dramatically reshape the entire draft. His accolades don’t need summarized — before Joe Burrow’s epic breakout, Alabama’s leader was considered the top passer in the draft and even after, was still considered a threat to go first.

To play devil’s advocate, Tagovailoa might be an option for the Bengals in the late first round via a move back up or right at the top of the second round if the injury pushes him down the draft board, freeing the Bengals to grab Chase Young at No. 1.

That’s obviously unlikely, but any and all possible draft flexibility goes away in what was already a top-heavy quarterback class if Tagovailoa doesn’t enter the fray.

Everyone will know more Monday.

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Patriots coach Bill Belichick ‘looking forward’ to challenge of the Titans

The Titans aren’t short of star power on either side of the ball, and have a rejuvenated offense with quarterback Ryan Tannehill under center.

The New England Patriots’ so-called revenge tour begins in the first round of the postseason against a Tennessee Titans team coming off a dominant 35-14 win over the division rival Houston Texans.

But the Titans aren’t short of star power on either side of the ball, and have a rejuvenated offense with quarterback Ryan Tannehill under center.

Coach Bill Belichick knows the Patriots are up against a tough team to take down.

“This is a really good football team,” he said this week. “They do a lot of things well – very, very explosive on offense and a tough group to stop. We’re looking forward to the opportunity and the challenge, and as I said, we’ve got a couple more days here to wrap things up and we’re going to use all of our time – we need it – and try to put everything together the best that we can to be ready to go.”

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The last time the two teams met in regular season action, it was the Titans who came out on top, snagging the momentum early and keeping it the whole way through to secure a 34-10 home win.

It’s easy to argue the Titans are an even better team this time around, with new players like A.J. Brown taking the field.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore has appreciation for what the rookie wideout brings to the table.

“I just look at what I see on film because that’s the only thing that matters,” he said. “He [A.J. Brown] is a good receiver, he makes big plays, he can run and he’s strong. So, he’s having a good year for a reason.”

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The Titans and Patriots are set to kick off at 7:15 p.m. CST on Saturday in Gillette Stadium.

Bart Scott says Andy Dalton would make a good Tom Brady replacement for Patriots

Here’s an interesting idea about Tom Brady and Andy Dalton.

Andy Dalton’s future with the Cincinnati Bengals is up for debate with the team clutching the 2020 draft’s first pick. Theories about his playing future continue to circulate.

A new one? Dalton joining the New England Patriots to replace Tom Brady.

This one comes courtesy of Bart Scott on ESPN’s Get Up during a discussion about who should replace Brady if he goes to a different team or retires.

The discussion unfolds in the video above (starts at the 4:10 mark). Scott’s reasoning:

“I think Andy Dalton’s a guy who has had a lot of experience, lots of success in this league. I think he fits the mold. I think he’s still a mobile quarterback. He’s going to be available. I think Andy Dalton’s the guy I would go with because he has experience in the AFC.”

It’s hard to imagine Brady would up and leave the Patriots at this point before his age-43 season, but there’s no denying he’s finally regressed to a degree, especially under pressure.

As for Dalton, the theories generally span ideas he’d go start somewhere else or perhaps stick around for his final year under contract in a mentor role. He wanted a trade after getting benched but was eventually reinserted into the starting lineup. Obviously, he wants to start somewhere and pairing with Bill Belichick would be an opportunity most passers would jump at.

Dalton’s departure, be it cut or trade, seems likely and when it comes to drafting his replacement, as Scott would put it, Bengals fans can’t wait.

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Patriots face big challenge against Titans S Kevin Byard

The New England Patriots will undoubtedly be looking for redemption after an embarrassing 27-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

The New England Patriots will undoubtedly be looking for redemption after an embarrassing 27-24 loss to the Miami Dolphins.

But the new-look Tennessee Titans will be no easy team to take down, and quarterback Tom Brady, who threw one interception against Miami, will have to know where safety Kevin Byard is at all times.

Arguably the best at his position in the NFL, Byard has more interceptions than any other player in the past three seasons with 17.

Marcus Peters and Darius Slay are tied for second-most in the category behind Byard with 13, so there’s quite a gap there.

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Byard comes off a standout performance in last week’s 35-14 victory over the Houston Texans, and totaled seven tackles with an interception.

On the season, Byard totals 84 tackles, nine passes defensed and five interceptions in a passing defense currently ranked at No. 24 overall in the league.

The safety was a consistent factor last year as well, with 90 tackles, eight passes defensed and four interceptions.

He was named a Pro Bowl alternate this season, considered a snub by many, as Byard has maintained his dominance but hasn’t made a Pro Bowl roster since 2017.

Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar noted that Byard is no “one-year wonder.”

“He had four picks in 2018, five more in 2019, and he’s responsible for locking down the deep third of Tennessee’s defense,” he wrote. “No matter when schemes you’re running, that’s one of the toughest jobs in football.”

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The Titans and Patriots are set to face off at 7:15 p.m. CST on Saturday in Gillette Stadium.

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson back at practice after flu

The Baltimore Ravens got quarterback Lamar Jackson back on the practice field and at 100% after dealing with the flu earlier in the week

The Baltimore Ravens are using their first-round bye in the playoffs to get rested. It turns out that several players needed that little bit of rest to deal with the flu, including quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Jackson said he was forced to watch some of Week 17’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers inside due to the illness. He also missed Tuesday’s practice before returning Thursday. But according to coach John Harbaugh, Jackson is fully back and looking 100%.

The Ravens likely wouldn’t be where they’re at now without Jackson, so getting him back healthy and fresh is paramount to their success in the postseason. The presumptive MVP and All-Pro quarterback has been on a tear in his second season, putting up historic numbers both on the ground and through the air to lead Baltimore’s offense to a league-leading 531 points in the regular season.

While the Ravens are using this time to rest their players, Baltimore is still on the practice field. Earlier in the week Harbaugh discussed the team’s practice schedule and noted they’d be working on the fundamentals. The Ravens don’t have anything specific to practice with their divisional-round opponent not yet set.

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Titans P Brett Kern, RB Derrick Henry named All-Pros

Two Tennessee Titans were named All-Pros by the Associated Press on Friday.

Two Tennessee Titans were named All-Pros by the Associated Press on Friday.

Punter Brett Kern was named first team All-Pro, while running back Derrick Henry made second team All-Pro at both running back and the flex position.

Titans center Ben Jones also received two votes.

Henry recently took the NFL’s 2019 rushing title from the Cleveland Browns’ Nick Chubb, recording 303 carries for 1,540 yards and an average of 5.1 yards per rushing attempt on the year.

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Kern led the NFL with 37 punts pinned inside the 20, the second-highest in his career (39 in 2018).

The Associated Press 2019 NFL All-Pro team is selected by a national panel of 50 media members.

Here’s a look at how the voting shook out at both the running back and punter position.

Running backs:

Christian McCaffrey, Carolina, 27; Derrick Henry, Tennessee, 20; Nick Chubb, Cleveland, 2; Dalvin Cook, Minnesota, 1.

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Punters:

Brett Kern, Tennessee, 34; Tress Way, Washington, 13; Bryan Anger, Houston, 2; Logan Cooke, Jacksonville, 1.

The Titans are set to face the New England Patriots on Saturday in the first round of the postseason.

2020 NFL mock draft: Bengals get Joe Burrow and more help in 3-round mock

The Bengals go a noteworthy route in a new mock draft.

The Cincinnati Bengals won’t have to wait long to hit the podium at the 2020 NFL draft.

In all liklihood, they might have the pick decided well before the event even begins thanks to the need at quarterback and the talent of LSU quarterback Joe Burrow.

As such, most mock drafts don’t figure to deviate at No. 1 in the coming weeks and months. What’s interesting is how the team might choose to draft at the top of the second and third rounds.

A new three-round mock hits on that topic, with Luke Easterling of Draft Wire explaining the Burrow pick:

“The Andy Dalton era needs to end, and the Bengals are in the perfect spot to take his successor. Burrow has not only been dominant all year long against top competition, he’s taken his game to another level on the game’s biggest stages at the SEC title game and the College Football Playoff.”

The next two rounds:

33. Cincinnati Bengals | Creed Humphrey | OL | Oklahoma

65. Cincinnati Bengals | Trey Smith | OT | Tennessee

Hard to hate doubling down on offensive line given the extent of the rebuild in the trenches and the need to make Burrow succeed, right? Humphrey is a big 6’5″ player who can start inside right away and Smith is a versatile guy who can help almost anywhere.

Granted, this position projection could change soon. The Bengals have Jonah Williams coming back and like what they’ve seen from rookie Fred Johnson, who could end up making a push at right tackle. If they’re all-in on his development, anything from wideout to defensive end to linebacker could take priority in the second and third rounds.

But right now? The Bengals get an “A” for this sort of mock.

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Why Bengals coaching 2020 Senior Bowl is a big win

The Bengals get a big advantage by coaching the Senior Bowl.

The Cincinnati Bengals will coach one of the teams in the 2020 Senior Bowl alongside the Detroit Lions.

Call it just what Zac Taylor and Co. needed.

Coaching the Senior Bowl is a big, big boon for teams prepping for a draft — and especially bad teams.

The obvious reasons exist. Getting close, personal time with draft prospects who choose to participate never hurts. Seeing how they react underneath a spotlight alongside an even playing field of their peers is a big deal, too. It’s also just generally a congregation of some of football’s top minds, if not agents.

But the not-so-obvious is perhaps more important. Coaching the Senior Bowl isn’t necessarily about finding hits — it’s avoiding missing by whittling down the list of potential draft selections.

Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire put it best:

Instead of getting someone else’s word for it, coaches get to see how prospects retain and use materials away from the field, among other factors.

Regardless of whether some of the big-name quarterbacks (Joe Burrow) decide to play in the game or not, the Bengals stand to gain quite a bit through sheer attendance and going through the paces in Mobile.

The last time the Bengals coached the Senior Bowl? Back in 2011, where Andy Dalton participated and wound up drafted by the team in the second round.

Maybe the event won’t be as dramatic near the top of the draft this time. But if it means more surefire picks in the mid and late rounds to build the roster’s depth, the Bengals will be better for it in the long run.

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Bengals issue statement on the passing of Sam Wyche

Mike Brown and the Bengals issued a statement on Sam Wyche.

Former Cincinnati Bengals head coach Sam Wyche died Thursday at the age of 74.

Bengals president Mike Brown issued the following statement:

“Sam was a wonderful guy. We got to know him as both a player and a coach,” said Bengals president Mike Brown in a statement. “As our coach, he had great success and took us to the Super Bowl. He was friends with everyone here, both during his tenure as head coach and afterwards. We not only liked him, we admired him as a man. He had a great generosity of spirit and lived his life trying to help others. We express our condolences to Jane and his children Zak and Kerry.”

Wyche played for the Bengals under Paul Brown before assuming the role of head coach in 1984. He helped pioneer the no-huddle offense dominant in today’s NFL and took the franchise to a Super Bowl.

His impact on the game is widespread and was emphasized in the outpouring of thoughts after the news of his passing broke:

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