Bengals Bytes (8/24): Cracking solitude

How important is Tyler Eifert to Bengals offense
Senior Analyst Mike Renner discusses TE Tyler Eifert's role in Cincinnati's offense, Joey Bosa's holdout in San Diego, and the Colts' newest CB addition.

10 highest-paid Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals stars Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are doing about as well at the bank as they are on the field. Dalton, the Bengals' quarterback, and wide receiver Green are getting paid in line with being the team’s offensive stars. They’re the top two on our list of 10 highest-paid Bengals this season.

WR derby heads down the stretch
On Mohamed Sanu’s 27th birthday Monday, the Bengals lined up rookie wide receiver Tyler Boyd in a variety of ways during practice and while he has yet to catch an NFL regular-season pass the Bengals can celebrate Boyd’s ascension into the derby to start opposite A.J. Green in New Jersey on Sept. 11.

Margus Hunt is pretty sure he can make Geno Atkins laugh
Margus Hunt has a window into a world barely anybody gets to see. Not only is he in the Bengals locker room, but his locker is right next to Geno Atkins'. That means he knows more about Geno Atkins than almost any human being alive – I'd wager that includes family. The man just won't speak, especially to people outside the Bengals organization and even more so the media (though Jim Owczarski says he tries constantly).

Bengals' Johnson quietly aiming for 'best year ever'
A shade over 17 months ago, Michael Johnson was the celebrated son returning to Cincinnati. After a yearlong sabbatical in Tampa Bay, Johnson returned to the Bengals on a four-year, $20 million free agent deal to bookend Geno Atkins and Domata Peko on the right side of the defensive line with Carlos Dunlap on the left end.

USA TODAY: Bengals 11-5, Steelers to win North
USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis offered 2016 NFL record projections for all 32 teams, and he has the Cincinnati Bengals going 11-5, making the playoffs again and losing to the Texans in the first round of the playoffs - again.

Bengals Rosterology a week away from first cutdown date
The Bengals will resume practice on Wednesday as they head toward the third game of the preseason on Sunday in Jacksonville, and then two days later - on Aug. 30 - the team must cut its current 90-player roster to 75, with the final cut to 53 players coming on Sept. 3, two days after the preseason finale against Indianapolis.

Bengals react to Madden 17 Player Ratings
Bengals players take a look at their ratings in EA Sport's Madden NFL 17 video game.

AFC North Bytes

Film Study: Browns’ 4th offensive series vs. Falcons sees Gary Barnidge with a fingertip 29-yard TD catch
We’ve already broken down the Browns’ first offensive series (a three-and-out) and their second offensive series (50-yard touchdown) this past Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons. For our final look at the offense, we’re going to skip over the third series and go to the fourth series, which ended with a 29-yard touchdown pass to TE Gary Barnidge.

Steelers keep linebacker Vince Williams with extension
The Steelers announced Tuesday that they've signed inside linebacker Vince Williams to a new, three-year contract. Williams, a sixth-round pick in 2013, has been a valuable inside linebacker and special teamer in all three of his previous seasons. [Editor's note: He's also the guy who was happy about Harambe's death and threatened Vontaze Burfict's life.]

Breshad Perriman of Baltimore Ravens feels 'much lighter' after cutting off signature dreadlocks
If Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Breshad Perriman gets an extra step on a cornerback for a touchdown catch, it could be the result of dropping some pounds this offseason. The lost weight didn't come from a diet or increased exercise. It was a haircut.

Random Bytes

2016 NFL Predicting breakout stars for all 32 teams - Tyler Lockett of Seattle Seahawks, Leonard Williams of New York Jets
NFL Nation reporters pick the young players primed to break out in 2016, including Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett and Jets defensive end Leonard Williams.

Josh Reddick Wasn’t In The Dodgers Lineup Because He Got His Finger Caught In A Door While Ordering Room Service
Reddick apparently jammed his finger in a door on Sunday, while ordering room service, and that’s what kept him out of the Dodgers lineup on Monday, although he did later pinch hit in that game and popped out. Do I actually believe the door story? I don’t, but I also don’t really care to know what actually happened. I’m sure he was probably just fucking around, and something happened to his finger. Irrelevant.

Counting the Days While My Mind Slips Away
Suffering from short- and long-term memory loss, former NFL tight end Ben Utecht wrote a book framed as a love letter to his family. "I try to value every moment, no matter how small," Utecht says. "Until recently, I never realized how special memory is."

Patriots release Donald Brown, E.J. Biggers, Frank Kearse
The Patriots cut three players on Monday and they dispatched three more on Tuesday to drop their roster to 74 players ahead of this week's third preseason game. According to multiple reports, the three players sent packing are running back Donald Brown, cornerback E.J.

Michigan Lost A Commitment Over A Thank You Card
Georgia defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon walked back on his commitment from Michigan. According to a 247 Sports report, the decommitment resulted from a mailing mistake. Michigan purportedly sent Solomon’s mom a thank you card for attending their BBQ (they didn’t) and spelled his name wrong on the card.