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Sunday is Flag Day, and for Andrew Whitworth, it has a special meaning.
He shared the powerful story of Doc Deal, a great friend who lost his life serving in the military. "That flag represents him to me," Whit said. "All the soldiers that fight for our freedom. To me, that’s what the flag is about. That’s what it represents." The Bengals also gave two other military vets and friends of Whit some royal treatment, which included suites for Cincinnati's Monday Night Football game vs. Pittsburgh in 2013.
If you read anything this weekend, make sure this is first.
Browns re-signed restricted free agent FS Tashaun Gipson.
Gipson, who was a restricted free agent, signed his one-year, $2.356 million tender. Gipson skipped voluntary workouts over his second-round tender, but would have risked losing $1.73M if he didn't sign by Monday's deadline. The Browns aren't expected to extend Gipson, and he could become one of the top free-agent safeties next year. He has 11 interceptions over the past two seasons and has developed into an elite coverage safety.
Browns, Steelers are in different practice worlds because of QB situation.
Why do the Steelers have more Super Bowls (2) than the Browns have playoff trips (1) since 1999? While stability around the entire franchise is a big factor, it really has come down to one position that's put Pittsburgh in a different league than Cleveland: The quarterback.
On the corner with The Vet and The Kid.
Leon Hall is among the oldest members of the Bengals secondary even more with Terence Newman gone. Hall is taking on a bigger mentoring role for the younger corners like Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard to help them have long and successful NFL careers. As Hall tells them, what's helped him have that kind of career is based heavily on having great technique."I’m going into my ninth year in the league and I don’t think one person would tell you my speed is what got me here," Hall said. "I’ve never been a guy that uses his speed and runs around and just outruns everybody. You start with technique and go from there."