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Bengals Bytes (5/18): Superlatives

Handing out superlatives to the Bengals’ current roster. Browns rookie Caleb Brantley’s battery case was dismissed. Who are the most unstoppable players in the NFL?

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NCAA Football: Music City Bowl-Tennessee vs Nebraska Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Roster superlatives

With the Bengals prepping to open their first of three voluntary weeks of practice on Tuesday, we take a look at the roster of 89

Bengals sign rookie WR Josh Malone

With the first organized training activity approaching quickly on May 23, the Cincinnati Bengals signed another of its rookie draft picks in fourth-round selection Josh Malone. The wide receiver was selected out of the University of Tennessee with the Bengals' second, fourth-round selection. They received the pick from Minnesota through a trade earlier in the evening on April 28 when the Vikings moved up to No. 41.

Bengals' backfield will improve with competition

The competition between Joe Mixon, Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard will be a treat. Bengals fans will get to see three talented backs battle for position.

Bengals' Super Bowl LII blueprint 2.0

It seems like each year the Bengals have a chance to make it to the Super Bowl. Okay, don’t be a smart aleck. Yes, all 32 teams have a shot at the Big Dance. But, there’s always the promise of Cincinnati having a better than average year and advancing. Sometimes, there are doubts that the team looked better on paper than the actual talent. Yet, there’s the ever-present chore of picking up the pieces after another disappointing season. It’s time to go out on a limb again. The 2017 campaign could offer a better chance than before.

AFC North Reset: Ravens focus on defense, Bengals try to keep up with Steelers

If you would have made a list of needs for the Bengals prior to the 2017 NFL Draft, two positions that probably wouldn't have been high on that list are wide receiver and running back. For a team returning its top eight receivers from 2016 and two of its top three running backs, it would've been easy to make the argument that Cincinnati's biggest needs in the draft weren't at those two positions (I probably would've ranked them fourth and fifth, with the offensive and defensive lines being the top two needs).

Bengals' William Jackson III: Fully recovered from pectoral injury

Jackson (pectoral) is fully healed and ready to compete for playing time in 2017, WLWT News 5 reports. Jackson didn't log a single snap his rookie year due to a pectoral injury he suffered in the preseason. Now back to full health, he'll compete with Darqueze Dennard, Josh Shaw and Bene Benwikere for playing time behind starters Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick.

AFC North Bytes

Baltimore Ravens' Ben Watson 'hungry' to play at high level

Benjamin Watson hasn't thought about retirement even though he's the Baltimore Ravens oldest player at age 36. His focus is earning the respect of the teammates and fans of his new team after his first season with the Ravens was cut short by a season-ending Achilles injury in the preseason.

Browns Rookie Caleb Brantley's Battery Case Dismissed

Cleveland Browns rookie defensive tackle Caleb Brantley, a sixth-round pick out of the University of Florida in the 2017 NFL draft, had a battery case against him dropped Wednesday. Matt Baker of the Tampa Bay Times confirmed the news based on a review of court records.

How much cap space will the Pittsburgh Steelers have after signing their draft picks?

Clouds of money have hung over the Pittsburgh Steelers' offseason. There was the one they dropped in the form of Antonio Brown's peak payday contract and the franchise tag they slapped on Le'Veon Bell. There remains the prospect of a multi-year deal with Bell and an extension for 2014 second-round pick Stephon Tuitt.

Random Bytes

VIDEO: LaVar Ball Told Kristine Leahy to "Stay in Your Lane," Says Big Baller Brand Doesn’t Need to Market to Women

LaVar Ball, usually reluctant to grant media access, appeared on The Herd with Colin Cowherd this afternoon. In addition to his typical fare of demonstrably false grand claims, he got into a tense exchange with co-host Kristine Leahy.

Baylor hit with 7th Title IX lawsuit, plaintiff alleges gang rape by football players | Courts And Trials

Baylor University on Tuesday night was served with a seventh Title IX lawsuit which alleges as many as eight football players drugged a student and took turns raping her in 2012. The plaintiff, who filed the lawsuit as "Jane Doe," remembers hearing the players yell, "Grab her phone! Delete my numbers and texts!" following the rape in an off-campus apartment with glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, according to the suit.

Tom Brady Suffered Concussion During 2016-17 Season, Says Wife Gisele Bundchen

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady's wife, Gisele Bundchen, said Wednesday that her husband suffered a concussion last season. Gisele revealed the news in an interview with Charlie Rose on CBS This Morning

The NFL's Most Unstoppable Players

Certain players keep opponents up at night. A select few cause nightmares. Even in a league where elite athletes comprise the majority of NFL rosters, there are those who are still more frightening to face than the Demogorgon from Stranger Things.