Bengals add safety, Burfict added to Active/Non-Football Injury list
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - The Bengals on Thursday placed linebacker Vontaze Burfict on the Active/Non-Football Injury list and signed veteran free agent safety Jimmy Wilson. Wilson was acquitted in 2009 of a 2007 murder charge in which he shot and killed his aunt's boyfriend in California. His attorney argued that Wilson acted in self-defense.
Quick hits: Green eyes league's top WR spot; Fat free; Ced, Dennard ready to show
The Bengals reported to Paul Brown Stadium Thursday and as five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green began his sixth training camp without off-season work-out partner Calvin Johnson in the league, he says he’s one of a group of about five vying to replace Johnson as the NFL’s best wide receiver.
Being Andy Dalton: Bengals quarterback loosens up
A year ago, the country came to Cincinnati to find out what was different about Andy Dalton, to find out how he changed, what differences were made as he evolved into a franchise quarterback. The answer is not as complicated as it sounds.
Former Bengals player Dhani Jones to report on Rio Olympic Games
The former Bengals linebacker will report on the Rio Olympic Games beginning Aug. 5, according to a news release. The Cincinnati resident, philanthropist and host of the NBC show, "Spartan: Ultimate Team Challenge," will contribute to a variety of Games coverage including "The Olympic Zone," a 30-minute nightly show on NBC, the release said.
Looking for late-game saves, Bengals want to be better defensive 'closers'
CINCINNATI -- He had the NFL's No. 2 scoring defense in 2015, and led a unit that very nearly carried an Andy Dalton-less Cincinnati Bengals team to the franchise's first playoff victory in 25 years. The Cincinnati Bengals lost just five games last season, and four of them were by a combined 12 points.
Willie passes the baton
The Bengals open what promises to be a Throwback Training Camp Thursday when the veterans join the rookies at Paul Brown Stadium in preparation for Friday’s first day of practice. When the weekend clears, the Bengals expect one of their all-time greats, Willie Anderson, to appear at Monday’s practice and begin working for a few days with the offensive line for the first time since he left eight years ago.
Hurt remains for Adam Jones after re-watching Bengals' playoff loss
Adam Jones had a busy offseason. In between his regular weightlifting and workout sessions (his Instagram account is full of videos), multiple family trips, numerous golf outings, his first-ever Pro Bowl appearance, his first free youth camp for kids in Cincinnati, and agreeing to a $22 million contract extension, the Cincinnati Bengals cornerback was constantly active.
Bengals place Burfict on NFI list, sign Jimmy Wilson
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said this week that linebacker Vontaze Burfict won’t be playing in any of the team’s preseason games, explaining that there’s "no reason for us to expose him to injury" because of how important he is to the defense
AFC North Bytes
Martavis Bryant of Pittsburgh Steelers to volunteer with high school football team in Nevada during suspension
The Steelers' Martavis Bryant will spend his yearlong suspension helping to coach receivers at a high school in Henderson, Nevada, according to his agent, Thomas Santanello.
Eric Weddle's 'Hopes And Dreams' Of Super Bowl Start Now
The veteran safety came to Baltimore with the goal of winning a championship, and his excitement was evident as the Ravens opened training camp.
Browns DL Desmond Bryant Officially Out For The Season
As expected, defensive end Desmond Bryant will not play this season. The Browns made it official Thursday, a day before training camp kicks off, by placing Bryant on the reserve/non-football injury list.
Random Bytes
N.F.L.-Backed Youth Program Says It Reduced Concussions. The Data Disagrees.
As increasing numbers of parents keep their children from playing tackle football for safety reasons, the National Football League and other groups have sought to reassure them that the game is becoming less dangerous.
Minnesota Vikings lock up head coach Mike Zimmer for long haul
There’s a lot to get excited about with the Minnesota Vikings’ future — a new stadium and a talented roster. The Vikings announced that they have signed Zimmer to a contract extension prior to his third year on the job. The news came as a bit of a surprise as the Vikings reported to camp.
Updated NFL Schedule Strength
We last examined Strength of Schedule in the middle of April. The NFL schedule had just been released, and no team had participated in OTAs or minicamp. Now just a few weeks before training camp, we know more about these teams and will continue to learn through training camp and the preseason. We continually get smarter with more data, realizing teams' strengths and weaknesses as news emerges and sample sizes grow.
The Evolution of the Counter Trey
Despite the dominance of the quarterback, rushing is still alive and well in football. Teams need to power their way through short yardage sometimes, and other times they need a wrinkle to gain yardage when the passing attack isn’t working. Ted Nguyen displays the evolution of the counter trey from the Pittsburgh Steelers basic attack to some option and a fly motion offense that implements the play to great effect.
Aaron Hernandez’s brother retraces NFL star's path to murder
No one but Aaron Hernandez will ever fully grasp how a millionaire tight end came to gun down a friend three summers ago. But Aaron's older brother, Jonathan, was there from day one, and he witnessed all the little moments, all the poor choices, all the unwise associations that led to murder. That perspective cost Jonathan his way of living—but that's O.K. He understands.
Brandon Marshall makes high-stakes bet with Antonio Brown
Brandon Marshall makes a bet with Antonio Brown that if he has more receiving yards, Brown has to give Marshall his Rolls Royce, but if Brown gets more yards, Marshall will give him his Porsche.
Shhhh, don’t tell anybody, Julio Jones seems to be OK after practice injury
Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones wasn’t able to finish the first practice of training camp with some degree of injury, but coach Dan Quinn said to trust him, everything was just fine.
Koetter tells Bucs "the outside world doesn’t know how good this team is going to be"
As the Buccaneers prepared to open camp, they received the perfunctory introductory speech from their first-year head coach. And while Dirk Koetter opted not to share publicly the remarks he privately delivered to his players, one of his players opted not to be quite as discreet.