Bengals Bytes (8/14): All the answers

Bengals' Starters Answer Big Questions In Preseason Opener
The Minnesota Vikings came to PBS for their preseason opener. There were a few questions surrounding the Bengals. The starters politely answered them.

WR derby officially opens
The Bengals need their young wide receivers to grow up in a hurry and in Friday night’s pre-season opener they didn’t need fake IDs to get into Paul Brown Stadium and a 17-16 loss to the Vikings. The wide receiver derby is officially open and everybody but A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell, and Tyler Boyd seems to be chasing rookie free-agent Alex Erickson after what unfolded before 50,737.

Bengals preseason opener: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and what we learned
Here is an an analysis from Friday's Bengals preseason opening 17-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with what we learned, three thumbs up and three thumbs down from the game and any injuries

Bengals preseason opener: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and what we learned
Here is an an analysis from Friday's Bengals preseason opening 17-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings with what we learned, three thumbs up and three thumbs down from the game and any injuries

Minnesota Vikings' defense has work to do after preseason opener
Players might see them as an unnecessary injury risk, and fans might loathe them for their lack of intensity, but preseason games do serve an effective purpose for coaches: They help them pinpoint exactly where to drill their teams before the start of the regular season.

As Cincinnati Bengals' WR race heats up, get to know Alex Erickson
For the past week of Cincinnati Bengals training camp, I've had the following thought: Alex Erickson, an undrafted rookie signed this May out of Wisconsin, could be the stiffest competition fellow Bengals receiver Mario Alford has to make the team. Why? Because although their speed is slightly different, they have a similar general make-up as highly-elusive, dual-threat receiving punt returners.

AFC North Bytes

The curious case of Pittsburgh Steelers CB Senquez Golson
April 2015. Speculation surrounded the Pittsburgh Steelers, and whether the team would draft break from tradition to select it's first cornerback in the first round since Chad Scott was taken by the team in 1997.

Browns Want Fourth-Rounder For Josh McCown
The Browns don’t appear willing to simply give away Josh McCown, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports indicates that Cleveland is demanding "no less than fourth-round pick" for the veteran quarterback. The Cowboys, the club that’s been most heavily linked to McCown, aren’t willing to trade "anything of value," per Robinson, who suggests that Dallas would only part with a pick in the sixth round or later.

Three observations from a scorching hot 12th training camp practice
Three observations from the 12th practice of Ravens training camp on Saturday

Random Bytes

Derrick Henry impresses in Titans preseason debut
The reigning Heisman Trophy winner picked up in the NFL where he left off in college on Saturday night. Titans running back Derrick Henry, who won the Heisman last year at Alabama, had a big game in a win over the Chargers. Henry took the field in the second quarter, and he carried the Titans right down the field: He carried the ball six times for 53 yards on his first drive, and the last run was a six-yard touchdown.

Jared Goff has uneven performance in Rams debut
The Dallas Cowboys welcomed Jared Goff to the NFL on Saturday. Whereas rookie counterpart Dak Prescott dazzled while operating behind pro football's dominant offensive line and throwing to a pair of veteran wideouts, Goff struggled with a subpar supporting cast as the Los Angeles Rams' second-string quarterback.

What we learned: Titans unveil 'exotic smashmouth'
Nobody's laughing at "exotic smashmouth" now. Mike Mularkey's vision for the 2016 season was realized in the Tennessee Titans' preseason opener when the "Thunder and Thunder" backfield of DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry combined for 167 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 16 first-half carries.

Travis Frederick, Cowboys Agree to New Contract
The Dallas Cowboys locked up one of their offensive line's anchors Saturday by signing center Travis Frederick to a six-year, $56.4 million contract with $28 million guaranteed in the first three seasons, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Lane Johnson Comments on Failed Drug Test, NFLPA
Following the news that Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Lane Johnson would reportedly be suspended for the first 10 games of the 2016 season thanks to a positive drug test, the 2013 first-round pick lashed out at the NFL Players Association.