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'Top 100 Players of 2017': No. 68 Geno Atkins
Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins is voted the 68th-best player in the NFL by his peers on "Top 100 Players of 2017."
No mixed messages as Dalton eyes additions
Many of the Bengals rookies returned to mingle with the veterans for the first time Monday during off-season workouts (enough that five of them signed their deals) and quarterback Andy Dalton was able to look them in the eye instead of text them. Which is how he communicated with second-rounder Joe Mixon, the Oklahoma running back, during the rookie minicamp.
Quick hits: Minter likes Bengals' win-now edge; 5 more picks sign; Mixon gets Premiere invite
True to form, Kevin Minter, the Bengals new middle linebacker who started the last three seasons for the Cardinals, has stayed under the radar in the off-season workouts. He quietly slid into Vontaze Burfict’s old locker, but is still next to him with Burfict taking the closest locker to the door that, at times, has been reserved for veteran linebacker leader types like Takeo Spikes and Brian Simmons.
Joe Mixon of Cincinnati Bengals among 40 players to attend NFLPA rookie premiere event
Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon is one of 40 players who will attend the NFL Players Association's Rookie Premiere event later this week in Los Angeles.
Bengals will have three new starters on offensive line heading into OTAs
With free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror, and organized team activities and minicamps in full swing, here’s a starting lineup projection for the Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals sign five more draft picks to deals
Cincinnati is wasting no time getting their rookie class in order. Striving to have a drama-free camp and stress-free learning conditions, the Bengals kept the ball moving. On Monday, five more draft picks were added to the fold, per The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Bengals' first-round pick WR John Ross fights durability perception
John Ross couldn’t believe his phone. He knew his injuries. In January of 2015 he had surgery on his right lateral meniscus. In April of 2015 he had surgery for a torn ACL. Five games into last season he tore the labrum in his shoulder, played through it for nine games and underwent surgery in March after the Combine. Those were his facts.
Two Cincinnati Bengals invited to NFLPA Rookie Premiere
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver John Ross and Joe Mixon are two of the 40 players who will attend the NFL Players Association Rookie Premiere this weekend in Los Angeles.
AFC North Bytes
Late For Work 5/15: 8 Ravens Who Will Factor Into Position Battles
The Ravens are still three months away from their first preseason game, but competition for roster spots and starting jobs is already underway. Baltimore’s offseason workouts have been going on for the last month, and this time is important in deciding who the Ravens will ultimately keep on their roster when the 2017 season begins.
Browns excited by ‘dynamic’ Jabrill Peppers’ potential on punt, kick returns
The tape didn’t lie. Moments after the Browns tabbed Michigan’s Jabrill Peppers with the 25th pick, Hue Jackson walked through the team’s facility in search of special teams coordinator Chris Tabor. The Browns head coach knew how much Tabor coveted Peppers’ skill set on special teams, particularly when it comes to what he can do with the ball in his hands as a returner.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Where is Sammie Coates in the receiving core?
The Pittsburgh Steelers were hoping for another vertical threat when they drafted Sammie Coates, but after a disappointing start to his career, where does he stand in the wide receiver rotation?
Random Bytes
College Football Playoff will get a Super Bowl-style halftime show
In case you needed more reasons to think amateurism is an illusion, the College Football Playoff is now bringing a Super Bowl-style halftime show to its championship game, starting next season in Atlanta.
Ohio State-Michigan is officially on Fox, and both coaches are promoting the network
It’s long been anticipated that the annual Ohio State – Michigan football game would be moving to Fox following the network’s acquisition of the Big Ten’s Tier 1 rights last summer (the deal begins in 2017-18), as Fox now has first pick of Big Ten games and that game tends to draw the largest audience out of any in that conference, but that move now appears official. It was predicted in our report on the new TV deals last June and in CBS’ report at the same time, mentioned again (this time as a done deal) in Anthony Crupi’s Advertising Age piece last month on Fox’s upfront preparations, and then actually confirmed by the network at their upfronts Monday, with quite a bit of promotion from Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh and Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer (who appeared on a video call there for some reason) as well.
Cowboys draft pick Jourdan Lewis reportedly had prior domestic violence call
The Dallas Cowboys used a third-round pick on Michigan cornerback Jourdan Lewis in the 2017 NFL draft despite a pending domestic violence charge against him. Now it turns out that there reportedly was a prior domestic violence report against Lewis two years prior to that incident, which involved the same woman at the same location.
Colin Kaepernick, Robert Griffin III Are Potential Seahawks Backup QB Options
The Seattle Seahawks are interested in signing a backup quarterback, and according to head coach Pete Carroll, Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III are among those in consideration. The coach confirmed the interest Monday on the Brock and Salk show on 710 ESPN Radio.
Patrick Mahomes Allegedly Robbed at Gunpoint
Kansas City Chiefs rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes was reportedly robbed at gunpoint in Smith County, Texas on Friday, according to Whitney Mayfield of KLTV.com. Mahomes and three other people claimed they had been robbed after getting out of a vehicle in a driveway. The report states the group was then approached by a car carrying two men, with one said to have gestured as though he had a gun and demanded property be handed over.