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Bengals Bytes (6/19): Making the grade

Vontaze Burfict is healthy following a year where he seemed to be dinged up from beginning to end. Bill Barnwell gives his grades for the AFC North’s offseason. The NFL is experimenting with a pro flag football league, and Michael Vick will be apart of it.

NFL: Combine Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Joe Mixon Milly Rocks Through First Paparazzi Encounter

Joe Mixon has touched down in L.A. -- and just got his first taste of paparazzi and autograph seekers. The Cincinnati Bengals rookie is in town for the NFLPA Rookie Premiere event -- designed to help 1st year players learn the business of pro football.

Off Season Workouts 5/18

Cincinnati Bengals host off season workouts at Paul Brown Stadium Practice Fields.

The Broo View: Cincinnati Bengals are getting no love from national prognosticators

Here's a dirty little secret about my business. When you want to "move the dial," talk about the NFL. I swear I'm not succumbing to that today. But the Bengals aren't getting a lot of love from anyone outside of Cincinnati a little less than four months away from the start of the NFL season.

Cincinnati Bengals need more than wins to gain respect

So far, the Cincinnati Bengals are not getting a ton of respect. Even though it’s an annual occurrence, it never fails to irritate fans. Under most circumstances, a team that posts double-digit wins will garner some attention. The Bengals have been able to do that, in four of the past five seasons. When the Bengals cranked out 12 wins in 2015, all signs pointed to a solid postseason. But, once again, the same results. To get the respect they truly want, it’s going to take more than W’s.

Andy Dalton says new Bengals receiver John Ross is 'the fastest guy in the NFL'

One of the biggest problems for the Bengals last year was a lack of weapons past A.J. Green. After losing Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu in free agency and watching Tyler Eifert deal with injury , Andy Dalton was too dependent on Green and it showed.

Will the Joe Mixon pick blow up in the Bengals' faces?

Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon knows that in the eyes of some people, he will never be more than the young man who punched a woman while at the University of Oklahoma. But that doesn't mean he's going to stop trying to be more than that.

Battle at the edge in Cincinnati

Another cool battle between a rookie and an aging veteran might play out this offseason in Cincinnati, where the Bengals need more from their No. 2 edge-rusher, Michael Johnson.

Healthy offseason has Vontaze Burfict feeling great

Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict is heading into the final year of his contract and he’s doing it in a different way than he headed into the last two seasons.

AFC North Bytes

Bill Barnwell 2017 NFL offseason report card for free agency, draft - AFC North, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers

It's time to reflect on the 2017 offseason. There are a few stray veterans left in the free-agent pool, and teams could still execute something unexpected if injuries arise, but organizations have mostly closed their checkbooks and built the rosters they're going to take onto the field in September.

Ravens WR Breshad Perriman 'expecting a huge year'

Breshad Perriman is flirting with the overused, unfair 'bust' label in Baltimore. After missing his entire rookie season, Perriman earned just 33 catches for 499 yards and three touchdowns in 2016. Most expected more from the first-round pick out of the gate.

Browns' Howard Wilson's Knee Injury Won't Require Surgery; May Play in 2017

Cleveland Browns rookie defensive back Howard Wilson will not require surgery on his fractured kneecap, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com. Rapoport added that he could return in the middle of the 2017 season, with a recovery period of 12-16 weeks, and noted that the injury was not as serious as originally feared. He suffered the injury on the team's second day of minicamp, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Ladarius Green Released by Steelers After 1 Season Due to Failed Physical

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released tight end Ladarius Green one year into a four-year contract after he failed a physical. Teresa Varley of the Steelers' official website confirmed Green's release, adding it came "with the designation failed physical."

Random Bytes

Michael Vick to play in trial game for American Flag Football League

The American Flag Football League, which aims to launch eight league-owned franchises in 2018, is hosting a game featuring Michael Vick on June 27. The American Flag Football League, which aims to launch eight league-owned franchises in 2018, is hosting a game featuring Vick and former NFL running back Justin Forsett at Avaya Stadium in San Jose, California, on June 27.

Rams', Chargers' Inglewood Stadium Opening Delayed to 2020 Due to Rainfall

The new football stadium opening in Inglewood, California that will serve as the home for the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers has had its opening delayed one year until 2020. Per Sam Farmer and Nathan Fenno of the Los Angeles Times, developers determined they wouldn't be able to make the planned 2019 opening due to massive rainfall during the "mass excavation" portion of the construction.

Chris Simms Dishes on the Most Boneheaded Moves of the NFL Offseason

I hate it when general managers and team decision-makers make boneheaded moves. I've seen firsthand during my time in and around the NFL just how much of the regular season is based on offseason moves—and how dumb moves can bring unfair criticism.

The Panthers Have the Weapons to Conquer the NFL with Option Football

Here's what the Panthers shouldn't do this season to take advantage of all their new offensive weapons: Line Christian McCaffrey up in the I-formation. Give him a first-down handoff up the gut for a gain of two. Then, if Cam Newton cannot make something happen on second down, bring Curtis Samuel off the bench for—surprise!—a screen pass that the entire defensive line knows is coming.