Category: Latest News

Hue Jackson: Joe Burrow is ‘going to change the landscape of the Cincinnati Bengals’

The former Bengals coach has some thoughts on Joe Burrow.

The discussion surrounding Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals has taken some interesting twists and turns lately.

And now Hue Jackson has weighed in on the matter.

The former member of the Browns and Bengals showed up on the Pat McAfee Show and talked about Burrow and the Bengals:

“You have to take the swing when it’s there. And he’s sitting there. The guy had a phenomenal season…he played as well as any quarterback that’s entering the draft in a long time. I think they still have a pretty veteran team, but if you don’t have that guy under center, it’s going to be hard for you to win any games.”

The big one Bengals fans will want to see: “He’s going to change the landscape of the Cincinnati Bengals, in my opinion.”

That’s a much more optimistic slant than Bengals fans have heard lately, especially with Dan Patrick suggesting he might not think Burrow is thrilled about the idea.

Jackson is speaking from an interesting place considering he was with the Bengals and Andy Dalton for some time before going to Cleveland, just in time for the Browns to use the No. 1 pick on Baker Mayfield. He later briefly returned to the Bengals alongside Marvin Lewis.

Normally a polarizing figure, Bengals fans will have a hard time finding fault with Jackson’s thoughts here.

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Bengals-Andrew Whitworth reunion would make perfect sense

While unlikely, a Bengals-Andrew Whitworth pairing would work wonders for the team.

Andrew Whitworth wants to keep playing in 2020 at the age of 38, which should have the attention of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Those Bengals let Whitworth slip away years ago and the franchise legend hasn’t been shy in saying he felt the team lowballed him.

But time heals, right? Whitworth wants to keep playing and while it sounds like he and the Rams might iron something out before free agency, should he slip to market, the Bengals should probably seek to make things right.

The Bengals have Jonah Williams, last year’s first-round pick, coming back to man left tackle. But nothing is guaranteed there after the Alabama product got hurt in camps. And if Williams is back 100 percent, the Bengals could always seek to push Whitworth in to guard.

Depth chart-wise, the Bengals really appear to like Fred Johnson, a rookie who got time down the stretch at left tackle. They also like Michael Jordan at guard and still have the Billy Price experiment to run. Rookie Isaiah Prince is another guy the team has plans for over the long term, hence Zac Taylor suggesting the offensive line is in a better place than most think.

But Whitworth’s return doesn’t have to be about immediate on-field impact either (though knowing him, it probably would be).

Call it a PR move. Drafting Joe Burrow, bringing back a franchise legend like Whitworth, it would all go a long way toward rehabbing the bad relationship between the team and fans right now.

And beyond that, who wouldn’t want a guy like Whitworth with his leadership qualities in the building? Who wouldn’t want his habits and knowledge passed on to understudies like Williams, Price, Jordan and others?

Is this a relationship that can be repaired if Whitworth indeed leaves the Rams? Impossible to say. But bringing Whitworth home would do much more for the Bengals than simply improve the immediate on-field product.

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What does 2020 look like for the Tennessee Titans?

There’s always next year.

There’s always next year.

That statement rings a special kind of true for the Tennessee Titans, who came up just one game short of a Super Bowl LIV appearance after a 35-24 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game this year.

The Titans will look to make another Super Bowl run in 2020, and seem to be just a few small tweaks away from becoming an AFC powerhouse.

Here’s a quick glance at who the Titans have on schedule and what the upcoming season could entail.

Home Schedule

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Jacksonville Jaguars

Buffalo Bills

Chicago Bears

Cleveland Browns

Detroit Lions

Pittsburgh Steelers

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UC Bearcats DC Marcus Freeman reportedly turned down offer from Titans

MMQB’s Albert Breer reported the news first via Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

The Tennessee Titans’ search for a new linebackers coach continues after the team’s offer to Cincinnati Bearcats defensive coordinator Marcus Freeman was turned down.

Freeman would have been the replacement for Tyrone McKenzie, who came to the mutual decision to part ways with the team earlier this month to join Matt Patricia and the Detroit Lions.

MMQB’s Albert Breer reported the news first via Twitter on Tuesday afternoon.

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The 34-year-old has been with the Bearcats since 2016, joining the staff just days after Luke Fickell was named to the head-coaching position.

Freeman also coached at Purdue, Kent State and Ohio State, where he too the field for then-Buckeyes assistant Fickell from 2004-08.

The Titans certainly have some voids to fill as the offseason continues, but have already addressed some.

Former Houston Texans secondary coach Anthony Midget replaced Kerry Coombs last month, leaving Tennessee potentially on the hunt for a new defensive coordinator and someone to take McKenzie’s place.

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The former may come from within, as multiple reports of coach Mike Vrabel having a heavier hand in the defense this year have emerged since Dean Pees’ departure.

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Dan Patrick thinks Joe Burrow isn’t ‘all-in’ on getting drafted by Bengals

Some doubt whether Joe Burrow wants to go to the Bengals.

Dan Patrick followed up his Super Bowl interview with LSU quarterback Joe Burrow on Tuesday by analyzing the chat.

In the process, Patrick made a few different points, including the Cincinnati Bengals aren’t going to give Burrow a shot at a Super Bowl and that a team like the Miami Dolphins might be a better landing spot.

He also said he isn’t sure if Burrow is even excited for getting drafted by the Bengals:

“If Joe Burrow really wanted to go to the Bengals, he would say ‘I hope they draft me. I want to go No. 1 and I want to bring that team back to the Super Bowl. If you’re all in on the Bengals, then it would sound like you’re all in on the Bengals. He’s keeping his options open here because I don’t know if he’s all-in on the Cincinnati Bengals.”

This, of course, is mostly silly at this point. When Burrow told Patrick during Super Bowl week that he wanted to go to a team committed to winning a Super Bowl, the Heisman Trophy winner was trying to weave his way through tricky questioning without putting his foot in his mouth.

Or in other words, he was merely giving the typical “sports response” to a question. Indeed, Burrow might be keeping his options open (as his reps would surely advise for practical reasons) and he might (maybe!) have even been sending a slight message to the team that’s clearly going to draft him.

But for the Bengals, this is a non-story. It’s smart for a prospect to play things close to his chest. All of this ignores the fact Burrow’s basically a local product who with good friends like Sam Hubbard on the Bengals, too.

Maybe Burrow to the Bengals doesn’t end up happening, sure. But it’s unfortunate this narrative is already so consistent on the national side and it’s not even the second week of February.

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New 7-round mock draft goes with interesting names for Bengals

The Bengals pick up some big names in a new seven-round mock draft.

The onset of February and end of the Super Bowl means a continued surge of mock draft season, which really started in January at this rate.

Todd McShay’s latest mock draft had the Bengals go with Joe Burrow at No. 1 and that’s the direction most mocks seem to take right now.

From a Bengals perspective, more interesting are mocks that go beyond the first round. Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller just offered one up and sent Burrow to the Bengals at No. 1 before doing the following in the top 105:

  • 33. BENGALS: WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
  • 65. BENGALS: CB Trevon Diggs, Alabama
  • 104. BENGALS: DL Rashard Lawrence, LSU

Not a bad hypothetical deal. Laviska Shenault Jr. is another big (6’2″, 220 pounds) weapon for Joe Burrow who could provide some A.J. Green insurance. Trevon Diggs is a massive 6’2″ corner that could give the team some options with Dre Kirkpatrick and Rashard Lawrence is a seasoned, big-program and multiple front disruptor.

The Bengals grab more offensive line depth and secondary depth the rest of the way in this particular mock. While it doesn’t do anything overly fancy, it coming to fruition wouldn’t be even close to the worst possible outcome on draft day.

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Andrew Whitworth wants to keep playing in 2020

The former Bengals tackle is set to be a free agent.

Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth doesn’t want to hang up the cleats just yet.

Whitworth is a free agent and has made it clear he intends to keep playing — and he’ll surely have a strong market in free agency.

The 38-year-old lineman confirmed the news himself via MMQB’s Albert Breer: “Still love playing. Kids still love watching me play. They (the kids) wanted me to go one more.”

Whitworth spent the last three seasons in Los Angeles with the Rams after getting lowballed by the Bengals (his words). Whitworth has made it clear he’d like to stick with the Rams, but as Bengals fans surely know, anything can happen in free agency.

The Bengals obviously have a need along the offensive line. Jonah Williams figures to take up left tackle, but Whitworth could kick inside or elsewhere and help out the team that brought him into the league.

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Todd McShay’s latest mock draft keeps Joe Burrow-Bengals link alive

An NFL mock draft doesn’t stray from Joe-Burrow-to-Bengals territory.

A new 2020 NFL mock draft from Todd McShay doesn’t pull any surprises at the very top with Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

And why should it? As of now, Burrow is the prospect coming off a historic season and the Bengals could use not only his talents, but his Ohio upbringing as a way to turn around the franchise and reinspire the lagging fanbase.

Here’s the explanation from Todd McShay of ESPN:

“This shouldn’t surprise you, and in case you haven’t been paying attention, consider this: 60touchdown passes, a ridiculous 76.3% completion percentage, an undefeated season, a national title and a Heisman Trophy. There isn’t much more Burrow can do to solidify himself as the top quarterback of the draft class, and the Bengals should absolutely take one with the first pick –especially because veteranAndy Dalton can be cut without a dead cap hit. Burrow’s elite accuracy and fantastic pocket presence are undeniable, but can Cincinnati put him in a position to succeed with a better supporting cast? That will be something to watch during free agency.”

The comment about a supporting cast is interesting at least, as it mostly pertains to the offensive line. Burrow will have Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard out of the backfield, as well as Tyler Boyd and John Ross. Both A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert could be back.

But the point about free agency stands — will the Bengals go all-in around a rookie quarterback contract after presumably offloading Andy Dalton’s big deal?

Burrow is exciting, but we’ll find out soon just how aggressive the Bengals will get in pursuit of winning with him.

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Report: Bengals hire their Brayden Coombs replacement

The Bengals added to the coaching staff recently.

The Cincinnati Bengals have hired Colt Anderson as a special teams assistant and he’ll serve under Darrin Simmons, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Before the Senior Bowl, the Bengals had lost one of the more promising young coaches in the NFL when the Detroit Lions swiped Brayden Coombs via promotion.

Into that void steps Anderson, a former special teams ace who went undrafted in 2009 before playing through the 2017 season with four different teams.

Anderson doesn’t have any prior major coaching experience on record, so it speaks to the potential and connections he must have for the Bengals to make him a Simmons understudy.

And what a way to break into the coaching scene at the pro level, as Simmons is widely regarded as one of the best outright coaches at what he does in the NFL.

Simmons was promoted to assistant head coach to Zac Taylor this offseason too.

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Antonio Brown speaks on the Vontaze Burfict hit

The former Steelers WR commented on the hit by former Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers wideout Antonio Brown had a lengthy media interview over Super Bowl week and briefly touched on the infamous hit he received by former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

The hit — which knocked Brown out on the field during a playoff game — doesn’t need much of an explanation, nor do Brown’s actions recently. But the hit was bound to come up in an interview format like this.

Asked by ESPN’s Josina Anderson how he felt about speculation that the hit Burfict delivered has adversely impacted his behavior, Brown said the following:

“Nah, he didn’t hit me that hard. You know, I got up and walked off the field. We won the game, right? I was alright. You play the game long enough, everyone gets hit hard…It’s not like I started being different after the hit.”

Asked if he needs help, from the league or otherwise, Brown said:

“We all need mental help. I’m like an animal in a cage. Like, everyone just talks about me. I can’t go out of my house. … Everything I do is in the face of people…someone making an assumption about me.”

The crux of Brown’s comments in the interview seem to focus on how football centered him toward a goal. Now that he’s been away from it, he’s found it easier to get caught up in stuff that can get him in trouble.

As for Burfict, he joined former Bengals coordinator Paul Guenther in Oakland, took a shot at the Bengals after signing and promptly got himself suspended for an entire season for another dirty hit.

 

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