Category: Latest News

Andy Dalton returning to Bengals sounds like it is still on the table

A small update on the Andy Dalton situation says everything remains the same.

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Andy Dalton as the backup quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals behind Joe Burrow has an odd ring to it.

Back in late February, we detailed Bengals personnel making it clear they wouldn’t rule out a Dalton return in 2020.

That idea got some more momentum Wednesday night.

NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport noted the Bengals remain open to all options and haven’t ruled out a return, largely because Dalton’s contract isn’t guaranteed.

But — like before — this seems like the Bengals just publicly playing the leverage game. The front office has doled out a ton of cash in free agency, including big money up front for Trae Waynes and Vonn Bell. That money has to come from somewhere — and items like the A.J. Green franchise tag and possible Joe Mixon extension can or will take up big chunks of space.

On paper, Dalton backing up and serving as a mentor for a rookie sounds good. But it would presumably need to happen after a contract restructure.

Plenty of possible Dalton landing spots have dried up. But the Bengals might just be comfortable enough to hold onto Dalton until another team gets overly desperate due to injury or otherwise.

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Report: Ravens had interest in DT Ndamukong Suh due to Michael Brockers’ physical

The Ravens were showing interest in free-agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in spite of having agreed to terms with Michael Brockers

Though the Baltimore Ravens have completely revamped their defensive line thanks to a trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars for defensive end Calais Campbell and agreeing to terms with free-agent defensive tackle Michael Brockers, the Ravens weren’t completely out of the market for another top defensive tackle. According to The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Baltimore had an interest in free-agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh prior to him re-signing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With Campbell and Brockers added to the Ravens’ lineup of Brandon Williams, Jihad Ward and Justin Ellis, the idea Baltimore would also be interested in Suh is a bit of a head-scratcher. However, Zrebiec reported that there are some concerns about Brockers’ ankle after he went through a physical by an independent doctor.

While any concerns Baltimore might have could turn out to be insignificant, this isn’t the first time the Ravens have backed out of a deal thanks to an issue found during a pre-signing physical. During the 2018 offseason, Baltimore had agreed to terms with free-agent wide receiver Ryan Grant before a failed physical allowed the team to back out and sign recently released Michael Crabtree.

Per NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Brocker’s agent says everything is fine and he’s confident the deal will be announced later this week. However, with the coronavirus pandemic forcing teams to go through independent doctors to get physicals done, it’s slowing down the process.

Tennessee Titans add Ty Sambrailo: 3 things to know

Three things to know about Ty Sambrailo.

The Tennessee Titans added some depth to their offensive line on Wednesday after agreeing to terms with swing tackle Ty Sambrailo.

While it wasn’t the big splash Titans fans have been waiting for, he’s still an important addition.

Here are three things to know about the newest Titan.

College and pro career

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound swing tackle played his college ball at Colorado State. After redshirting as a freshman in 2010, he started in 42 of the 48 games he played in over the next four years.

He became the Rams’ starting left tackle in 2013 as a Junior and was voted second-team All-Mountain West. Sambrailo improved upon that in 2014 by being voted first-team All-Mountain West.

Sambrailo was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, where he played in 13 games (seven starts) over two seasons. He was later traded to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick in 2017 and played in 44 games (six starts) over three seasons there.

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Tennessee Titans agree to terms with OL Ty Sambrailo

The Titans have added an offensive lineman in free agency.

The Tennessee Titans have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran offensive tackle, Ty Sambrailo.

The news comes from Jim Wyatt of Titans Online.

The Titans have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with veteran offensive lineman Ty Sambrailo.

Sambrailo was drafted in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. He played in 13 games (seven starts) over two seasons there.

He was then traded to the Atlanta Falcons in 2017 in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Sambrailo spent three seasons in Atlanta, playing in 44 games (six starts).

While he is listed as a tackle (he has played both left and right), Sambrailo also has the versatility to play at guard, which is important for the Titans.

Now that Dennis Kelly will assume starting duties at right tackle with Jack Conklin going to the Cleveland Browns, the Titans needed to add some depth on the offensive line.

Kelly has been that depth during his time in Nashville and his versatility in being able to play multiple spots was invaluable. The Titans will hope Sambrailo can fill that void.

Report: Bengals make another free-agency splash with safety Vonn Bell

The Bengals added another big-name defender.

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The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t sparing any expense in this trip to free agency.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bengals agree to a three-year deal with safety Vonn Bell on Wednesday.

Bell, one of our top remaining targets for the Bengals, seemed like a pipe dream. He’s a 25-year-old former second-round pick who spent four seasons with the New Orleans Saints, tallying 334 total tackles, 14 for loss, eight sacks, one interception and seven forced fumbles.

Bell’s arrival means the Bengals have a three-headed rotation at safety alongside Jessie Bates and Shawn Williams. His hard-hitting ways against the run also reduce the urgency of not finding big-name linebacker help.

We’ll have to wait for the final details on the money front but it’s presumably another case of the Bengals not worrying much about cap space and merely improving the roster.

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Report: Bengals continue CB makeover, sign free agent LeShaun Sims

The Bengals made another addition in the secondary.

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LeShaun Sims is the newest member of the Cincinnati Bengals via free agency.

After adding linebacker Josh Bynes — a move that has earned overwhelmingly positive reviews — and wideout Mike Thomas, the Bengals made another add at cornerback. The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. reported the move.

Sims, 26, joined the NFL via the fifth round back in 2016 and spent four years with the Tennessee Titans.

Last year, Sims played 30 percent of the defense’s snaps and let up 22 catches on 33 targets with three touchdowns. He’s yet to play 40 percent of the snaps in a single season.

Call this yet another bit of shift at corner for the Bengals this offseason. Darqueze Dennard is gone and the front office has also added Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander.

At worst, Sims is a body to compete and his arrival could mean a lesser emphasis on the position during the draft. He’s also indicative of the team simply wanting to get faster while retooling certain positions.

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Report: Former Titans CB LeShaun Sims to sign with Bengals

LeShaun Sims is on to Cincinnati

Former Tennessee Titans cornerback LeShaun Sims has found a new home.

According to Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic, the Cincinnati Bengals are set to sign Sims.

A former 2016 fifth-round pick of the Titans, Sims played in 14 games (two starts) in 2019 and totaled two passes defensed, one fumble recovery and 35 combined tackles.

Signing Sims is the latest move in the Bengals’ overhaul of their secondary.

While Sims was not a starter for Tennessee, he did serve as solid depth for the team during his time there.

Should Logan Ryan also leave in free agency, the Titans’ secondary is going to look very different in 2020.

Tennessee Titans get plenty of respect in NFL.com Power Rankings

NFL.com is showing the Titans some respect.

Tennessee Titans fans are accustomed to their team getting overlooked for a lot of things, but NFL.com’s Power Rankings aren’t one of them.

Dan Hanzus ranked every NFL team from No. 1 to No. 32 after the first week of free agency and the Titans have come out smelling like a rose, ranking as the No. 6 team in the league in his eyes.

With a new deal for Ryan Tannehill and the franchise tag for Derrick Henry, the Titans will enter the 2020 campaign with the two players who guided them to the brink of an AFC title, including a playoff conquest in Foxborough in January. (Quick aside: Congrats to free agent Logan Ryan, who can always say he intercepted Tom Brady’s final pass as a Patriot and took it to the end zone.) Not all the news was good in the first wave of free agency, though: Right tackle Jack Conklin, a former top-10 pick who routinely blew open running lanes for Henry, is now in Cleveland on a rich free-agent deal. Coming off a monster 2019 workload and absent a key run blocker, it’s fair to wonder if a dip in production is coming for Henry.

Here’s a look at the top five ahead of the Titans, per Hanzus.

  1. Kansas City Chiefs
  2. San Francisco 49ers
  3. Baltimore Ravens
  4. New Orleans Saints
  5. Green Bay Packers

You could make an argument that the Titans should be ahead of the Green Bay Packers, the No. 5 team, or even the Baltimore Ravens, the No. 3 team, after the Titans dismantled Lamar Jackson and Co. in the playoffs.

But I guess we won’t get greedy here, and there’s still time left in the offseason to make more moves to leapfrog those two.

A big reason for this ranking likely comes from the fact that the Titans are going to “run it back” with 10 of their 11 offensive starters, and it’s the same group that helped Tennessee make it all the way to the AFC Championship.

We also have to remember that while the Titans did only finish with a 9-7 record (again) to squeak into the playoffs, they ended the regular season on a 7-3 run after a 2-4 start.

En route to that, the Ryan Tannehill-led offense was putting up great numbers that made it one of the most explosive units in the league.

The only exception to the “run it back” motto for 2020 in the offense is Jack Conklin, who moved on in free agency to sign with the Cleveland Browns.

Sure, Conklin was great last season, but Dennis Kelly, his 2020 replacement, has proven he can be a starting-caliber right tackle in the NFL, which he displayed in 2018. There won’t be a huge drop-off there, if at all.

The only thing left to figure out is what happens with the defense as the Titans continue to wade through the waters of free agency. At the moment, there is some uncertainty there.

Will they bring back Logan Ryan, and if not is his replacement going to be as good or better? How will they fill the void left by trading Jurrell Casey to the Denver Broncos? What’s the deal at kicker?

Despite these remaining questions, Hanzus has the Titans ranked right where they should be, and Tennessee is one big move away from really solidifying itself as a true Super Bowl contender in 2020.

Report: Former Titans WR Tajae Sharpe to sign with Vikings

Tajae Sharpe is moving on from the Titans.

Former Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe has reportedly found a new home in free agency.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, Sharpe is going to sign a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings.

Sharpe was a fifth-round pick of the Titans in 2016 but saw his role diminish with the team after a strong rookie season.

After catching 41 passes for 522 yards and two touchdowns in his rookie campaign, Sharpe went on to total 51 catches for 645 yards and six touchdowns combined in 2018 and 2019.

Sharpe missed the entire 2017 season with a foot injury.

Despite the fact that he wasn’t utilized a lot in 2019, mostly thanks to the additions of A.J. Brown and Adam Humphries, Sharpe did come up with some big touchdown grabs for Tennessee during the season.

But the writing was on the wall that Sharpe would move on this offseason, as he likely desired a more prominent role in an offense. At best, Sharpe was the fifth option in the passing game for Tennessee.

Now he’ll move on to Minnesota and try to assume the role left behind by Stefon Diggs, who was traded to the Buffalo Bills last week. Whether or not he locks that role down entirely remains to be seen.

Bengals use Zac Taylor connection to sign free-agent WR Mike Thomas

The Bengals added a WR in free agency.

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The Cincinnati Bengals figured to address wideout at some point this offseason.

Quietly, the team did so during free agency by adding former Los Angeles Rams wideout Mike Thomas, per the league’s transaction wire.

The Zac Taylor connection here makes for an interesting one. Thomas, a sixth-round pick in 2016, caught just 10 passes over four seasons with the Rams.

Perhaps more importantly, the Southern Miss product was a key element of special teams as a gunner for the Rams. Otherwise, he played just 34 total offensive snaps last season.

Taylor should know all about Thomas though as he spent time as the Rams’ assistant wide receivers coach. If nothing else, this is a familiarity signing for both parties and perhaps an underrated one that secures a player who could end up making the final roster.

Thomas will have some tough competition at the back end of the depth chart up against guys like Stanley Morgan and Damion Willis.

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