Bengals Bytes (5/24): 'Try not to suck'

Cincinnati Bengals to put Shawn Williams' hybrid skills to good use
Among the many reasons the Cincinnati Bengals felt compelled to lock up Shawn Williams to a long-term deal last week was his versatility and hybrid ability. Though he is listed as a safety on the Bengals' roster, the fourth-year defensive back is much more than that.

MLCF: Marvin Lewis Golf Classic
Marvin Lewis Community Fund host the Annual Marvin Lewis Golf Classic at Shaker Run golf course.

OTAs a GO
The first of nine Bengals’ voluntary practices takes place Tuesday morning at Paul Brown Stadium, otherwise known as organized team activities (aka OTAs), but by any other name it simply doesn’t add up to MUCH when compared to training camp. Still, these OTAs can give us some clues, ranging from the style employed by new offensive coordinator Ken Zampese,  the status of his even newer receiving corps, how defensive coordinator Paul Guenther’s new-look linebacker corps reacts to the scheme, and how much defensive line coach Jacob Burney plans to rotate the defensive linemen.

2016 Ben-Gals Roster Announced
The 2016 Ben-Gals roster has officially been announced! Take a look at some of the highlights from the 2016 Ben-Gals Final Auditions in the video and view this year’s roster in the photo gallery below.

NFLPA president says NFL "cannot be trusted to do the right thing" regarding players
The NFL currently is on the ropes after a the release of a Congressional report concluding that the league tried to exert undue influence over a National Institutes of Health study regarding concussions. And the NFL Players Association is trying to punch the league through.

Random Bytes

Carli Lloyd is ready to prove herself at the 2016 Rio Olympics
After finally seizing the spotlight with her World Cup hat trick, Carli Lloyd has a new trick in mind: becoming the best soccer player ever.

NFL uniform rankings and team bias as determined by survey
Survey participants were asked to answer 'Yes' if they liked each team's jersey and 'No' if they didn't. 'Yes' in the survey corresponded to 1. 'No' corresponded to 0. DISCLAIMER: These surveys were not associated with RottenTomatoes in any way. The term RottenTomatoes was used to introduce approval studies in a manner relatable to the layperson, seeing as how RottenTomatoes.com has you give up/down ratings to movies.

Joe Maddon wants to take "Try Not to Suck" nationwide
The Chicago Cubs manager and members of his team wore the shirts, which were made available to fans to purchase. The shirts caused controversy after prudes in the St. Louis Cardinals organization temporarily banned the shirts at their stadium for having ‘suck’ written on them. Maddon said sales of the T-Shirt were ultimately helped by the ban, as proceeds go to his 90 charity. Now, the Cubs skipper is considering selling the shirts in different cities.

Eli Apple's mom, Annie, to contribute to ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown
Being a first-round NFL draft pick is enough to make you a celebrity. But since last month's draft, New York Giants first-rounder Eli Apple has seen his mother become a bigger celebrity than he is. Annie Apple has gained fame for her lively presence on social media and a couple of high-profile interviews she's given about her son and their draft experience, including one that prompted NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to send her brownies.

Congressional report finds NFL improperly intervened in brain research, cost taxpayers $16 million
Congressional investigators have concluded that top NFL health officials waged an improper, behind-the-scenes campaign to influence a U.S. government research study on football and brain disease.

Pete Morelli gets entirely new officiating crew after multiple errors last season
After a poor season for Pete Morelli and his officiating crew last season that featured two separate disciplinary measures from the league for mistakes, the league has given Morelli an entirely new crew for 2016.

Players with most to prove for all 32 teams
From rebounding after a season-ending injury to getting in better shape, there are players on every team who face pivotal 2016 seasons. NFL Nation reporters take a look at one player from the teams they cover who has the most to prove.