Bengals Bytes (4/7): Projecting help

Footnoting football

As any good Bengals pilgrim who crosses the threshold of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, we made the journey Wednesday to the locker that houses the mecca of the No. 78 belonging to Anthony Munoz.

Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis doesn't anticipate contract extension before season

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis doesn't foresee a new contract extension happening prior to the 2017 season, he told ESPN on Thursday. Lewis is entering the final year of his contract. He and team owner Mike Brown agreed to a one-year extension around this time last offseason that he signed in May, but it doesn't look like that will be the case in 2017.

Cincinnati Bengals take wide receiver first in dueling mock drafts

ESPN draft analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. have shifted gears with their latest mock drafts, predicting the Bengals to take a wide receiver at No. 9 overall. Kiper and McShay ran their first dueling mock draft on Wednesday, with both agreeing the Bengals would go offense with their first pick.

AFC North Bytes

The Cleveland Browns' many options with the No. 1 overall pick

The Cleveland Browns are three weeks away from the most important decision of their entire rebuild under Hue Jackson and Sashi Brown. The one saving grace of their frustrating 1-15 season is that they got the first overall pick in the 2017 draft. While Cleveland would love to have that selection in a draft with a clear franchise quarterback available, this draft doesn't have that.

Steelers' Big Ben meets potential replacement Patrick Mahomes

Patrick Mahomes was sitting through a two-hour film session at the Pittsburgh Steelers' facility on Monday when the highlight of his latest pre-draft visit walked through the door. It was Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, and for Mahomes, a weighty moment in the former Texas Tech quarterback's whirlwind pre-draft experience.

Ravens GM: 'High probability' we sign vet player soon

Ozzie Newsome is in the midst of a monumental offseason rebuild, with the draft sitting as the most vital instrument left to help catch the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC North. But ahead of the draft (April 27-29 in Philadelphia), the Baltimore Ravens general manager said he expects to add a veteran free agent.

Random Bytes

Richard Sherman has 'no bad blood' with Seahawks

With John Schneider stoking the Richard Sherman trade flames, the natural question is what the All-Pro corner thinks of his name being bandied about in the offseason rumor mill. The Seattle Seahawks general manager said he's been upfront with Sherman about the trade discussions. The corner at first laughed off remarks, then noted it was part of the business. On Wednesday, he told Albert Breer of TheMMQB.com there are no hard feelings.

Adrian Peterson Reportedly Will Meet with New Orleans Saints

Free-agent running back Adrian Peterson will meet with the New Orleans Saints at some point next week. Ian Rapoport and Heath Evans of NFL Network reported the news. Peterson, 32, met with the New England Patriots on Monday but left without a contract. He played his first 10 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, earning seven Pro Bowl berths, four All-Pro selections and the 2012 MVP award.

Eli Manning says he would be ‘fine’ if the Giants drafted a QB early this year

Eli Manning will enter his 14th year in the NFL when the New York Giants kick off their season, a reminder that the two-time Super Bowl-winning QB is inching closer to the end of his career. The Giants might want to start making plans for life after Manning and decide this is the year to do so in the draft, possibly using an early-round pick in the hopes of finding a successor for the 36-year-old.

Trevone Boykin Reportedly Arrested for Violating Probation in Car Crash Incident

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Trevone Boykin was arrested Thursday in Texas for violation of his probation, per TMZ. Boykin was under a one-year probation for fighting police in June 2016. He was then arrested in March for public intoxication and drug possession.