Tag: Bengals

How will Joseph Ossai fit in with the Cincinnati Bengals?

How former Texas Longhorns edge rusher Joseph Ossai will fit in with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Former Texas Longhorns edge rusher was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the 2021 NFL draft.

Last season, the Bengals were 29th against the run and 32nd in sacks with 17. Carl Lawson led the team with 5.5 sacks and is now a member of the New York Jets.

While at Texas, Ossai showed great ability to defend the run and was one of the best run defending edge rushers in college football. He was a consistent blitzer against the pass to create pressure on the quarterback.

The only edge rushers on the Bengals depth chart ahead of Ossai are free agent signee Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Ossai is going to come into training camp as the immediate third edge on the depth chart and his skills and versatility will allow him to play on both sides of the defensive line.

Cincinnati runs plenty of defensive fronts and Ossai possesses the ability to play out on the edge as an outside linebacker or with his hand in the dirt as a pure 4-3 defensive end.

Hendrickson is the high-priced free agent coming into this season, so Ossai will primarily be competing for snaps with Sam Hubbard who will be a free agent in the 2022 offseason. Depending how Ossai plays as a rookie, he could be the full-time starter by the 2022-23 NFL season.

Falcons sign quarterback AJ McCarron to one-year deal

When the Falcons passed on Ohio State’s Justin Fields for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts on day one of the 2021 NFL draft, it was clear the team was going all in with Matt Ryan for another year at least.

When the Falcons passed on Ohio State’s Justin Fields for Florida tight end Kyle Pitts on day one of the 2021 NFL draft, it was clear the team was going all in with Matt Ryan for another year at the very least.

Despite there still being some decent quarterback prospects available as round two is set to begin, Atlanta agreed to terms with free agent AJ McCarron on Friday on a one-year deal to replace Matt Schaub as Ryan’s backup.

McCarron, a fifth-round pick by the Bengals in 2014, was once a sought after backup after playing well in relief of starter Andy Dalton in 2015. That would be about the extent of McCarron’s NFL career, though, as he would only go on to start one game in the following five seasons with the Bengals, Raiders and Texans.

Appearing in 17 games (four starts), the 30-year-old veteran has thrown for 1,173 yards, six touchdowns, three interceptions and a career passer rating of 86.7.

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Cincinnati Bengals reveal new uniforms

The Bengals revealed their new uniforms Monday, ushering in a new era in Cincinnati.
They still feature the same orange and black helmet, but the jersey stripes are cleaned up and there are no more side panels.
There are three new jerseys (orange, white and black), as well as white and black pants

The Bengals revealed their new uniforms Monday, ushering in a new era in Cincinnati.
They still feature the same orange and black helmet, but the jersey stripes are cleaned up and there are no more side panels.
There are three new jerseys (orange, white and black), as well as white and black pants

Ricardo Allen to sign 1-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals

A little over a month following his release from the Atlanta Falcons, free safety Ricardo Allen has found a new home.

A little over a month following his release from the Atlanta Falcons, safety Ricardo Allen has found a new home. As reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Allen is signing a one-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Falcons selected Allen in the fifth round of the 2014 NFL draft and he would go on to be one of former general manager Thomas Dimitroff’s best picks. Allen became a starter during his second season, a role he would hold on to for six years, recording 245 solo tackles, 26 passes defended and 11 interceptions.

Cincinnati’s defensive backfield already includes safeties Jessie Bates and Vonn Bell, and Allen gives the team an experienced defensive back that can play multiple spots. His contract simply was no longer going to work for an Atlanta team that was $30 million over the salary cap not long ago.

The Falcons also let Keanu Neal leave for the Dallas Cowboys, and Damontae Kazee could soon follow. Atlanta signed former Raiders safety Erik Harris to help the transition.

Expect the team to add another safety using one of its nine current draft picks in 2021.

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Report: Bengals, Texans pursuing former Saints OL Nick Easton

The New Orleans Saints released veteran guard/center Nick Easton as a salary cap casualty, so the Bengals and Texans are hoping to sign him.

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The New Orleans Saints hope to reunite with offensive lineman Nick Easton, but they might be hard-pressed to bring him back. Easton was one of their first salary cap casualties earlier this offseason, with the accounting figured tied to him too steep for New Orleans to stomach. Ideally, he would return at a more affordable price point.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals are angling to bring Easton in for facilities visits soon, which was confirmed by the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson, who added that other teams are also in pursuit of the 45-game NFL veteran.

Easton started nine games for the Saints in 2020, refusing to cede the right guard spot to rookie draft pick Cesar Ruiz; however, a series of concussions forced him out of the lineup and ultimately ended his season on injured reserve. But it appears Easton is interested in continuing to play, and he has quite a market to consider. He’s started at both guard and center in the past, so teams value his combination of skills set and experience.

We’ll see if the Saints can ultimately bring him back. Because Easton’s contract was terminated, he would not qualify for a 2022 compensatory draft pick should he sign with a new team.

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Report: Saints considered Cowboys CB Chidobe Awuzie before Bengals agreement

NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports the New Orleans Saints wanted Cowboys free agent CB Chidobe Awuzie before he agreed to join the Bengals.

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Well that’s disappointing. NFL Network’s Jane Slater reports that the New Orleans Saints “were eyeing” Dallas Cowboys free agent cornerback Chidobe Awuzie before he reached an agreement to join the Cincinnati Bengals on a three-year deal.

The match would have made sense in New Orleans. Saints secondary coach Kris Richard held the same role in Dallas before joining the black and gold, where he scouted and helped develop Awuzie early in his career. After releasing Janoris Jenkins in a salary cap-minded move, the Saints need a new starter opposite Marshon Lattimore. Awuzie may have been a good fit.

Now they’ll need to explore other opportunities. The Saints have just four corners under contract right now between Lattimore, veteran backup Patrick Robinson, and practice squad holdovers Grant Haley and Keith Washington Jr. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson typically plays the slot in their most-common personnel packages so only two corners are really needed, but as of now, the Saints have just one. Expect some movement here soon now that Awuzie is off the board.

Recapping Saints news from Day 1 of free agency’s legal tampering window

The Saints kept their cool when the NFL legal tampering window opened, re-signing Jameis Winston and James Hurst but losing Trey Hendrickson

It wasn’t all quiet in New Orleans on the first day of the NFL legal tampering period — excuse me, the negotiating window, or whatever we’re calling it now. With teams able to call representatives for available free agents for the first time, several situations sorted themselves out for the Saints. But there’s plenty of work still to do, so catch up on Monday’s news before things heat up on Day 2.

Saints free agent DE Trey Hendrickson expected to sign with Bengals

The New Orleans Saints expect to lose 2020 sacks leader Trey Hendrickson in free agency after he agreed to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals.

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One of the New Orleans Saints’ top pending free agents is on his way out the door. Trey Hendrickson is expected to sign a contract offer from the Cincinnati Bengals, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport; his colleague Tom Pelissero reports that the deal on the table is valued at $60 million over four years, with $32 million guaranteed. It remains unclear which moves the Saints will make in free agency or which other contracts around the NFL will qualify, but that loss could fetch a third-round compensatory draft pick for New Orleans in 2022.

Hendrickson would replace Carl Lawson in Cincinnati, who left on a free agent deal with the New York Jets, while reuniting with his former teammate and Bengals captain Vonn Bell.

Remember, no pens can be put to paper until the new league year begins at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, March 17. This is a verbal agreement during the NFL’s early negotiating window (also called the legal tampering period). The deal could fall apart, but it’s tough to see Hendrickson walking away after earning that kind of money.

He broke out at the right time in the final year of his contract with 13.5 sacks, leading the team and tying with Los Angeles Rams supervillain Aaron Donald for the second-most takedowns in the entire league. Despite his injury history and several quiet seasons to start his career, Hendrickson played his way into the top of the free agent market. Good for him.

Hendrickson will leave New Orleans having appeared in 50 games through four years, notching 21 sacks and 3 forced fumbles along the way (including the playoffs). It’ll be tough to replace him, and adding more playmakers at defensive end should be an offseason priority for the Saints. For now, they’re leaning hard on a declining veteran in Cameron Jordan, a potential draft bust in Marcus Davenport, and an opportunistic backup in Carl Granderson (who had 5 sacks last year). Hendrickson had nearly as many sacks last season as all three of them combined (14).

Report: Ricardo Allen visited with Bengals

After seven seasons in Atlanta, the Falcons released safety Ricardo Allen last week in an effort to clear up cap space for the new league year.

After seven seasons in Atlanta, the Falcons released safety Ricardo Allen last week in an effort to clear up cap space for the new league year. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Cincinnati Bengals had Allen in for a workout on Tuesday.

Allen started 12 games in 2020, finishing with 25 tackles, five passes defended and two interceptions. At 29 years old, he can definitely still play at a high level.

Over his seven seasons with the Falcons, Allen recorded 340 tackles, 11 interceptions and 26 passes defended. Cincinnati finished last year with a 4-11-1 record, good for last place in the AFC North.

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2021 free agency: 10 teams that could target Bills LB Matt Milano

10 NFL teams that could pursue Buffalo Bills LB Matt Milano in free agency.

Many around Buffalo would agree that the most important pending free agent name for the Bills to watch over the next few weeks is linebacker Matt Milano.

While Buffalo’s 2017 draft haul did include quarterback Nathan Peterman in Round 5, the team also struck gold in Milano there as well. A modern-day, undersized linebacker, Milano could be one of the most overlooked players in the NFL.

That is, in terms of national headlines. Other clubs around the league will certainly be aware of his talents and he’ll likely be a coveted player in a thin free agent pool of linebackers.

Buffalo will hope Milano doesn’t make it to free agency, but if he does, here are 10 teams that could be interested in signing Milano: