clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Bengals Bytes (1/14): Pay day

Which players should be looking forward to cashing in when free agency arrives. Hue Jackson takes on a huge challenge, and a former Steeler defends Vontaze Burfict.

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports

My God, Mike Brown Might Be The Worst Owner In Sports
NFL owners ratified relocation of the Rams (and probably, eventually the Chargers) to Los Angeles by a vote of 30-2. One of the no votes likely came from the Raiders’ Mark Davis. The other, according to some informed speculation from Pro Football Talk’s source, may have come from Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown.

Report: Hue Jackson to coach Cleveland Browns
Hue Jackson’s football year began with a challenge to quarterback Andy Dalton to take the next step in his career and become a top 10 passer in the league and help lead his offense, and the Cincinnati Bengals, to unprecedented success.

Ethan Hager: 11-year-old fan hit by beer bottle at Bengals-Steelers game - Story
Amid the "total chaos" inside Paul Brown Stadium, a lunatic fan threw a beer bottle into the crowd and sent an 11-year-old boy from his first Bengals game to the hospital, a dad says. "There was a fight over here, the police were running over there...there was just total chaos," said Clay Hager of Crittenden, Kentucky.

A new Hue of orange: Jackson hired as Browns head coach
After several interviews with different candidates to find the Cleveland Browns next head coach, Jimmy Haslam and company seem to have found their (new) guy. The Browns have reportedly hired Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson as head coach. ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that the Browns were "finalizing [a] deal" with Jackson on Wednesday morning, before reporting that the deal would be finalized; NFL.com’s Micheal Silver confirmed. The final details were apparently sussed out before Jackson’s scheduled meeting/interview with the New York Giants, reminiscent of a suitor from a romantic comedy saving a relationship with proclamations of love on an airport runway.

Hue Jackson to coach Cleveland Browns
Hue Jackson’s football year began with a challenge to quarterback Andy Dalton to take the next step in his career and become a top 10 passer in the league and help lead his offense, and the Cincinnati Bengals, to unprecedented success. Those challenges were nearly met.

Ike Taylor: Burfict's hit on Brown was clean
Vontaze Burfict has been under scrutiny all week after making a hit that was perceived as dirty on Antonio Brown. But Ike Taylor doesn’t think the hit was dirty at all.

Orange and stripes Hue added to AFC North colors
For the second time in four days Bengaldom is grappling with a tough loss in the division. With the wound still raw from Saturday night’s loss to Pittsburgh in the AFC Wild Card Game, the Browns reached up from the AFC North basement Wednesday and snatched highly-regarded Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson to be their eighth head coach since Marvin Lewis took over the Bengals in 2003.

Biggest 2016 draft needs for every NFL team
What's at the top of every team's 2016 draft wish list? Our NFL Nation reporters give insights on all 32 teams, including the Packers, who could use another weapon or two for QB Aaron Rodgers.

Bengals' Adam Jones had season for the ages, indelible penalties aside
There was a time when Adam Jones wished that the only headlines attached to his name had to do with his performance on the field instead of what he did off it. But that was the case this past season, when the most national attention the Cincinnati Bengals cornerback received stemmed from two controversial plays he was part of during the Bengals' first and last games of the season.

Blandino acknowledges Porter shouldn’t have been on the field
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and Steelers linebackers coach Joey Porter aren’t saying anything about his presence on the field late in Saturday night’s game. The league office is. So should Porter have been flagged?

Random Bytes

The All-Contract Year Team: Which players are headed for big paydays?
Marvin Jones, Cincinnati Bengals: Jones, 25, set career highs with 65 receptions for 816 yards and four touchdowns after missing the 2014 season with foot and ankle injuries.

Russell Wilson Says He Would Vote for Cam Newton for NFL MVP
Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are set to face Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers in the divisional round of the 2016 NFL playoffs Sunday, but the Seattle quarterback was quick to praise his counterpart Wednesday.

Ben McAdoo close to deal to become New York Giants' coach
Ben McAdoo, one of the internal favorites to replace Tom Coughlin, is closing in on a deal to become the 17th head coach in New York Giants history, multiple sources confirmed Wednesday night to ESPN. An announcement could come as early as Thursday. If McAdoo ultimately gets the Giants' head-coaching job, Steve Spagnuolo would be retained as the team's defensive coordinator, a league source told ESPN's Ed Werder.

Aaron Rodgers says all the pressure is on the Cardinals
On one hand, the Packers seem to have a chip on their shoulder for those who would dare to point out the fact that, for long stretches of the season, the Packers have stunk. On the other hand, the Packers are embracing the stink by throwing backhanded bouquets at their next opponent, the Cardinals.