I missed a more curious item on Thursday in which Chick Ludwig writes, in response to Brandon Johnson's signing that "the Bengals refused to say whether or not Johnson’s deal is for one year or multiple seasons." All signs pointed that the deal signed was the Bengals one-year tender worth $1.545 million. He signed the day before the deadline, however, even Bengals.com didn't say -- though it did specifically say that Johnson is "one of the team’s restricted free agents".
Joe Reedy makes it as clear as it comes, saying "The linebacker was a restricted free agent who was tendered a one-year offer for $1.545 million. If a team would've matched the offer, they would have had to give up a second-round pick." This wouldn't be the language used if the team signed a long-term deal. However, if the Bengals are refusing to say, then perhaps all the beat writers, and bloggers, are simply making the same conclusion. Johnson signed his one-year tender. It happens all the time with little fanfare.
However, to put this into bed as quickly as it arose, the NFL Players Association has already filed Johnson's contract, which lists him signing a one-year deal worth $1.545 million. While it seems really minor in the grand scheme of things, we're not sure why Ludwig decided to quote a Bengals official who refused comment on the length of the deal and why the Bengals themselves would be so mysterious about it. Ludwig is mostly doing what he should, getting the information from the horse's mouth, rather than making obvious conclusions based on known and quality information -- aka, knowing Johnson is a restricted free agent, knowing the tender that the Bengals offered him and knowing that the deadline for RFA to sign being the day before. Maybe I just want to hear myself talk.