Tag: Bengals

Oklahoma’s Joe Mixon signs four-year, $48M contract extension

Former Oklahoma and current Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has signed a four-year, $48 million extension

Former Oklahoma and current Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon has signed a four-year, $48 million extension, per a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Mixon’s rookie contract was set to expire after the 2020 season, but the Bengals have now locked up their star running back through 2024.  The $12 million per year value makes Mixon the sixth-highest paid back in the league, per Over The Cap.

Mixon told ESPN in December, “At the end of the day, I want to be a Bengal for life. Whatever happens, I just hope for the best.”

With the new deal, Mixon joins an elite group of running backs with an annual salary of greater than $10 million. He is also the youngest player in the group.

Mixon ranked ninth in the NFL in rushing yards in 2019 with 1,137 yards on 278 attempts, good for 4.1 yards per attempt. He also racked up 5 rushing touchdowns and 3 receiving touchdowns.

Mixon ranks fourth in the NFL in total rushing yards since he entered the league in 2017, trailing only Ezekiel Elliot, Todd Gurley and Derrick Henry.

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Notre Dame in NFL: Former Irish defensive back signs with Giants

Former Notre Dame defensive back KeiVarae Russell has a new NFL home. See how he could be helping out the New York Giants.

The New York Giants secondary is now home for a pair of former Notre Dame defensive backs 2019 draft pick Julian Love will now be joined by another Fighting Irish product in KeiVarae Russell as the two agreed to a deal on Saturday.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News was first with the news, adding that the Giants also let go of corner Christian Angulo and running back Javon Leake.  Leonard suggests that Russell’s biggest contribution to the Giants will likely come on special teams.

Russell has played in 20 games in his NFL career, all of which came for the Cincinnati Bengals between 2016 and 2018.  In that time he intercepted one pass and made 22 total tackles.

Russell, who started every game of his freshman season in 2012, played 36 games for Notre Dame between 2012-15, making 165 tackles and five interceptions in his Fighting Irish career.  He missed the 2014 season due to an academic suspension.

Russell was originally a third round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016 but never played a regular season down for them.

Cardinals reunite ex-Saints cornerbacks Ken Crawley, B.W. Webb

The Arizona Cardinals signed free agents Ken Crawley and B.W. Webb, who started much of the 2016 season for the New Orleans Saints.

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Two former members of the New Orleans Saints ended up together again, when the Arizona Cardinals announced the signings of cornerbacks Ken Crawley and B.W. Webb. The moves followed a season-ending injury to starting cornerback Robert Alford, and preceded another veteran pickup in Dre Kirkpatrick. For their part, the Saints recently worked out two undrafted free agent cornerbacks, though neither has been signed just yet.

Webb appeared in 14 games for the Saints back in 2016, logging 8 starts and 587 combined defensive snaps. He’s continued to make a journey around the NFL since then, spending the 2018 season with the New York Giants and playing for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2019 (where he and Kirkpatrick were teammates).

As for Crawley: 2016 was his rookie season, and he initially played well in 15 games (starting 5 of them, totaling 502 snaps on defense). But his play trailed off with more exposure to NFL offenses, and he was released in 2019 after appearing in just one game. He played four games with the Miami Dolphins but wasn’t kept around over the summer, and now he has a chance to catch on with Arizona.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Webb and Crawley can carve out a role with the Cardinals. It also says a lot that players who once started frequently for the Saints have been pushed off the depth chart as the team upgraded over the years. It’s just another reminder that the Saints invested a lot of resources into overhauling their roster, and now they’re reaping the benefits.

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BREAKING: Arizona Cardinals sign Dre Kirkpatrick to one year deal

The Arizona Cardinals signed Kirkpatrick to a one year deal on Sunday according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport. 

Former Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick is heading to Arizona!

The Arizona Cardinals signed Kirkpatrick to a one year deal on Sunday according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapaport.

Rapaport shared that, “The #AZCardinals are giving CB Dre Kirkpatrick a 1-year deal and they get some immediate help at a position of need thanks to the Robert Alford injury.”

Kirkpatrick will also be rejoining defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. Jospeh worked with Kirkpatrick at Cincinnati, and was a huge part of Kirkpatrick’s development.

Not only was Dre Kirkpatrick part of two national championships during his collegiate career at Alabama’s, he was a huge part of Alabama’s defensive success.

In 2009, he recorded only 8 total tackles in his first year, but in 2010, he has 53 total tackles (39 solo) as well as 2 interceptions, 7 passes deflected, 1 fumble recovery, and 1 forced fumble. His junior year in 2011, he recorded 30 total tackles, 9 passes defended and 1 fumble recovery for a touchdown.

Kirkpatrick was drafted as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals where he played from 2012-2019.

In his 7 seasons with Cincinnati, he recorded 302 tackles, 3 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 65 pass deflections, 10 interceptions, and 2 defensive touchdowns.

Kirkpatrick is expected to have an immediate impact on the Cardinals’ defense this season.

Once Kirkpatrick’s deal terms are released, Roll Tide Wire will be the first to let you know!

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Report: Saints contract talks with Alvin Kamara have ‘begun in earnest’

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that the New Orleans Saints have kickstarted negotiations with Pro Bowl RB Alvin Kamara on a contract extension

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Money isn’t really on Alvin Kamara’s mind right now. The New Orleans Saints running back said early in training camp that he’s not worried about his contract situation; that’s despite him entering the final year of his rookie deal, with a possible franchise tag on the horizon in 2021.

It makes sense. Kamara has a lot to prove after his hobbled 2019 season, in which his performance slumped following an early-season knee injury. He’s kicking any questions about his contract upstairs, where his agent and Saints management may or may not be hashing things out. For his part, general manager Mickey Loomis shot down any questions about it earlier this month.

Kamara addressed the situation himself back on Aug. 10, making his stance on the subject very clear: “Me and my agent talked briefly about it and I said, ‘Don’t tell me anything about a contract until it’s like something where it’s happening or if it’s something that I need to know,’ other than that, like if I was my own agent then I’d have everything to tell you guys about a contract, but I’m not. I don’t talk upstairs about contracts, I don’t talk to coaches about contracts. I’m just here to do my job.”

But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening. According to the latest report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Saints have finally gotten the ball rolling with Kamara, though it doesn’t appear anyone is ready to put pens to paper just yet.

“Kamara and the New Orleans Saints have begun contract negotiations in earnest,” Fowler said on ESPN. “Now there is nothing imminent but the team has made clear with their proposal that they value him, and they know he played hurt last year, and they believe he is elite.”

Now, Fowler was careful to couch his report by saying sides are not close to a deal — it just means that the team has put an offer on the table, and now they’re in wait-and-see mode.

But things could develop in a hurry. Fowler also pointed out that three different big-name running backs are in talks with their teams around the league: Dalvin Cook and the Minnesota Vikings, Joe Mixon and the Cincinnati Bengals, and of course, Kamara and the Saints. It’s a bit of a race to see who signs first.

New contract extensions for superstar running backs Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry have already been signed earlier this year, raising the cost for players at the position across the board. If the Saints put this deal off much longer, Kamara’s market value will only increase.

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Bengals release more images, videos of ex-LSU QB Joe Burrow

Despite the circumstances, the Bengals have still done a solid job of giving fans a good look at Burrow.

It’s been an odd offseason for NFL teams across the country, and the Cincinnati Bengals — who will be led by former LSU quarterback Joe Burrow this season — are no exception.

Despite the circumstances, the Bengals have still done a solid job of giving fans a good look at Burrow since he swapped the Purple and Gold for tiger stripes at the next level.

Here’s a look at some recent images and videos the Bengals have released of the signal-caller.

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The Bengals are getting quite the quarterback in Burrow — and it’s evident they know that, considering they used the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft to add him to the roster.

Expectations are high for Burrow after he recorded arguably the best season by an individual player in college football history, taking home the Heisman Trophy on a season that saw him break multiple records and guide his team to an undefeated season finished out with a national championship victory.

Burrow and the Bengals are set to begin their season at home on Sept. 13 against the Los Angeles Chargers.

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Bengals CB Trae Waynes underwent surgery for torn pectoral

Bengals CB Trae Waynes underwent surgery for a torn pectoral and will miss a portion of the 2020 season.
The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason in free agency.
Waynes spent the last five years with the Vikings, starting 53 total games

Bengals CB Trae Waynes underwent surgery for a torn pectoral and will miss a portion of the 2020 season.
The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason in free agency.
Waynes spent the last five years with the Vikings, starting 53 total games

Bengals CB Trae Waynes underwent surgery for torn pectoral

Bengals CB Trae Waynes underwent surgery for a torn pectoral and will miss a portion of the 2020 season.
The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason in free agency.
Waynes spent the last five years with the Vikings, starting 53 total games

Bengals CB Trae Waynes underwent surgery for a torn pectoral and will miss a portion of the 2020 season.
The Bengals signed Waynes to a three-year, $42 million deal this offseason in free agency.
Waynes spent the last five years with the Vikings, starting 53 total games

Bengals tabbed as team most likely to win more games in 2020

The Bengals had an abysmal season a year ago with a league-worst 2-14 record leading to drafting Joe Burrow no. 1 overall .
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell listed the Bengals alongside Dallas as the team most likely to win more games in 2020.
The Bengals were 0-7 in one-score games last season, an unlucky number, and suffered a litany of injuries including to WR AJ Green.
With some better injury luck and a new QB, the Bengals should be able to easily improve on a 2-win total in 2019

The Bengals had an abysmal season a year ago with a league-worst 2-14 record leading to drafting Joe Burrow no. 1 overall .
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell listed the Bengals alongside Dallas as the team most likely to win more games in 2020.
The Bengals were 0-7 in one-score games last season, an unlucky number, and suffered a litany of injuries including to WR AJ Green.
With some better injury luck and a new QB, the Bengals should be able to easily improve on a 2-win total in 2019