Bengals Bytes (2/12): More deserving?

Has Reggie Nelson done enough to stay in Cincinnati Bengals stripes?
Free agency officially begins a month from Tuesday as the 2016 league year begins. Which of the Cincinnati Bengals' 15 unrestricted free agents will be back under their control that day? It's a question both the players and the team will spend the next four weeks scrambling to answer. Before we get too deep into the offseason, we'll take a daily look at each of Cincinnati's free agents. On Thursday, we continue with: Reggie Nelson

NFL sends Cincinnati Bengals LB Vontaze Burfict firm message
Vontaze Burfict is sitting on strike two, and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is eager to see what he will do next. Will the Pro Bowl Cincinnati Bengals linebacker alter the borderline style of play that earned him a three-game suspension at the start of next season, or will he continue to play in a way the league considers detrimental to the health and safety of other players? That's the big question Burfict has to answer for himself.

Coyle springs into action again
Bengals secondary coach Kevin Coyle returned to his Paul Brown Stadium office this week after four seasons encompassing his first assignment as an NFL defensive coordinator in Miami and as he surveyed the pile of boxes he might as well have been looking at the mountain of experience he brings back. Coyle, who turned 60 last month a week before he took the job he held from 2001-2011, returns to the same  scheme and recognizable depth chart. There are things with which he has to get acquainted, such as introducing himself to Pro Bowl tight end Tyler Eifert and going through the Dolphins’ impending free agents with interested coaches.

Doc: Just play ball, Vontaze
The Bengals linebacker needs to put a restrictor plate on his engine, and he needs to do it now. Often, when players appeal suspensions, their suspensions are reduced. Burfict’s appeal of his current three-gamer was head-slapped in no uncertain terms. It’ll cost him about $500,000 in salary, which is a lot, but nothing compared to what it could cost him if he doesn’t take the blunt hint to ease back his act.

Vontaze Burfict suspension upheld
Burfict filed his notice to appeal within the mandatory three-day window following the announcement of the suspension, and a league source familiar with the process told The Enquirer that the appeal had been heard before the Super Bowl took place on Feb. 7. The Enquirer confirmed that appeals officer Derrick Brooks heard the appeal and upheld the suspension. Brooks is appointed and compensated by the league and the NFL Players Association.

Cincinnati Bengals: 3 Potential First Round Draft Picks
We’re about two and a half months away from seeing who the Bengals will select to be an integral part of the team in the near future. For the most part, the Bengals have drafted very well for the last 10 years. It’s put them in a good position as a team to consistently be atop the AFC and consistently be contenders. Fans should trust the draft process the Bengals have put together and know they will select the right players to keep this team moving forward. The Bengals don’t have glaring holes, but could definitely use some help in certain positions.

Random Bytes

The real story behind NFL owners' battle to bring football back to Los Angeles
Few could have guessed that the league's return would become so bloody, bitter and, most of all, emblematic of how power in the NFL truly works.

Chris Harris: Von Miller more deserving than J.J. Watt
Super Bowl MVP Von Miller is ready to cash in as a free agent, with designs on becoming the NFL's highest-paid defensive player. Asked on Thursday's edition of NFL Total Access if Miller deserves to surpass J.J. Watt and Ndamukong Suh atop the NFL's salary hierarchy, Denver Broncos cornerback Chris Harris, Jr. and linebacker Brandon Marshall left no room for doubt.

Cleveland Browns LT Joe Thomas 'super excited' about Hue Jackson hiring
Joe Thomas sounded like a man committed to remaining with the Cleveland Browns. The nine-time Pro Bowler raved about the hiring of Hue Jackson as coach, calling it a coup. His words and tone Thursday night were directly opposite to the distraught tone he had the day of the 2015 season finale.

Every NFL Team's Toughest Contract Decision
The offseason is here for all 32 NFL teams. That means rosters are about to start changing around the league in preparation for free agency and the NFL draft, which begin March 9 and April 28, respectively.  Every franchise has big decisions to make in terms of managing the salary cap and figuring out the futures of impending free agents.