Bengals Bytes (4/30): Speed boost

Cincinnati TV station calls for boycott of Bengals after team drafts Joe Mixon
The ABC affiliate in the city, which could potentially be airing an NFL wild-card playoff game this season, is calling for a boycott of the Bengals following the team's selection of Joe Mixon during the second round of the NFL Draft on Friday.

Fast and Furious for Bengals depth chart
Remember the scene in the great baseball movie “A League of Their Own,” when scout Ernie Capadino gazes from the window and sees his two recruits in a mad dash to catch the rumbling train?

“Well, I’ll say one thing for them,” he says. “They can run.”

Bengals Draft Rd 7 News Conference Transcript
Carl Lawson in the fourth round really provided (us with) a player that has played on his feet, played outside in the 3-4 defense there at Auburn, and we really feel he has the versatility to be one of those swing guys here. We can teach him to play linebacker in our defense, (and he can) have an opportunity to be a down guy on third downs and in passing situations.

Benglas deep six with trade up for speedy safety; TE in seventh
In the sixth round, the Bengals added linebacker Jordan Evans of Oklahoma and then later imn the round traded up with Tennessee to add cornerback Brandon Wilson of Houston, a former teammate of Bengals cornerback William Jackson III.

Another burner at wide receiver in Tennessee's Malone
The fastest wide receiver on the Bengals roster is obvious. First-round draft pick John Ross, who set a new 40-yard dash record at the NFL Scouting Combine this year when he was clocked at 4.22 seconds.

So who is the second-fastest?

It appears to be Josh Malone who was selected in the fourth round with the 128th overall pick, a selection the Bengals obtained from the Vikings when they traded down in the second round Friday night.

Mixon takes next step
If they happened to look up at the walkway above the Bengals weight room, they saw Joe Mixon take his first steps in Paul Brown Stadium Saturday.

And the fans at the Bengals draft party cheered and yelled welcome as he paused, not quite sure if it was for him. He held up his right hand and waved on his way to the elevator with the cheers chasing after him.

Cincinnati Bengals add offensive weapons, but line still an issue
The Bengals waited until the fifth round to add an offensive lineman, drafting utility lineman J.J. Dielman. That shows they truly feel confident in their retooled offensive line. With the departures of Kevin Zeitler and Andrew Whitworth, the only free-agent addition the team made was to re-sign Andre Smith, a player the Bengals once allowed to leave in free agency.

Bengals' Joe Mixon pick forefronts complicated moral issues
Joe Mixon has seen the video we have all seen by now.

"It hurt to see it," he said.

It has hurt to live it, for Mixon and certainly more so for the victim of his punch, Amelia Molitor. The two recently settled her civil lawsuit after finally speaking face to face about the assault that has changed their lives, that altered the course of Mixon's draft, that, by extension, has put the Cincinnati Bengals right back into renegade territory, where they seem curiously satisfied to live.

Bengals' 5th round (153): Jake Elliott, K, Memphis
We knew this pick was coming and now, for the first time in the Marvin Lewis Era, the Bengals drafted a kicker. They had three kickers with draftable grades in this draft and ended up with the first one off the board.

AFC North Bytes

There are many reasons the Steelers drafted Juju Smith-Schuster in the 2nd round, and Martavis Bryant is one of them
Yes, whether it’s taking Jason Worilds instead of Sean Lee, Le’Veon Bell instead of Eddie Lacy or Mike Adams instead of anyone else, it seems the second round has become the most rage-inducing for people who take to their laptops and smartphones to voice their displeasure after that pick is announced.

Caleb Brantley Drafted by Browns in 6th Round After Battery Charge Before Draft
Despite being arrested after allegedly knocking a woman unconscious in an altercation earlier this month, former Florida defensive tackle Caleb Brantley was selected in the sixth round (No. 185 overall) of the 2017 NFL draft Saturday by the Cleveland Browns.

Ravens load up on defense, but what are they doing at wide receiver?
The Ravens still have yet to add a wide receiver since Steve Smith Sr. retired and Kamar Aiken went to the Colts. In the draft, Baltimore watched the top three wide receivers (Corey Davis, Mike Williams and John Ross) go in the first nine picks, and in the second round, they decided to select Houston pass-rusher Tyus Bowser over USC wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Random Bytes

Broncos make Chad Kelly Mr. Irrelevant
Chad Kelly was far from irrelevant, as a guy who made plenty of plays, plenty of headlines and had a Hall of Fame uncle.

But now, he’s Mr. Irrelevant.

Air Force players were led to believe they could head to the NFL
On Saturday, it became publicly known that the Air Force has changed its policy regarding football players from the Air Force Academy with NFL opportunities, requiring them to spend two years on active duty before playing professional football. It was news to the Air Force players, too.

Winners and Losers of the 2017 NFL Draft
Looking for the best NFL coverage around? Bleacher Report is the go-to destination for armchair quarterbacks everywhere. B/R's NFL coverage delivers must-see gridiron analysis on a daily basis.

You've never been so ready for some football.

Doug Whaley Fired by Bills, Owner Terry Pegula Releases Statement
The move is not a surprise. Jerry Sullivan of the Buffalo News reported March 25 that Bills ownership "conferred unprecedented control" of the team to new head coach Sean McDermott.