Bengals Bytes (5/31): Watching their backs

Bengals notes: Green looks to play into next decade
Perhaps it’s because the Cincinnati Bengals have drafted four wide receivers in the last two drafts, or perhaps it’s because head coach Marvin Lewis said at the end of 2016 that he would have to take a more vocal role in the locker room, but A.J. Green has fielded more questions about young receivers than perhaps any other topic this spring.

3 reasons Bengals will win the Super Bowl
Going to the Super Bowl is no easy feat. This is a statement Cincinnati Bengals fans are familiar with. However, every season, a surprise team will come out of nowhere and take the league by storm. Last season, it was the Atlanta Falcons. No one predicted the Falcons to get to the biggest stage. Yet, there they were, representing the NFC against the New England Patriots in the big game.

3 Reasons former Washington Huskies WR John Ross Breaks 1k Yds
Former Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross III j hopes to join an elite club of rookie wide receivers playing for the Bengals, 1000 yards receiving.

Bengals continue OTAs, 5/30
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) throws a pass in the pocket during the Week 2 of OTAs at the Cincinnati Bengals' training facility in downtown Cincinnati on Tuesday, May 30, 2017. Plus, more pictures from OTAs.

Bengals LB Burfict reportedly down a lot of weight
Coming off his best season, reports indicate the Cincinnati linebacker is down a fair amount of weight coming into OTAs. PFF looks at his production.

8 Overvalued Rookies for Fantasy Football
Ross will be another case of being more valuable to his NFL team than he will be to our dynasty teams. Ross’ ability to stretch the field and take the tops off of defenses will benefit the likes of A.J. Green and Tyler Boyd, more than it will benefit Ross himself. With the Bengals finally having a legitimate speedster in the offense, it will open up more opportunities to run the ball with the newly acquired Joe Mixon.

Follow the leader
Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green has played all but three of his 83 NFL games with Andy Dalton as his quarterback, so no one knows more about Adriel Jeremiah Green on the field. “I would say he’s better than he’s been,” Dalton reported after Tuesday’s practice. “It’s the best shape he’s been in, probably. He’s fast, he’s big. He’s been doing it all. Even if you said he was the same, that’s really good.”

Notes: Dalton gets spring check; Lawson draws raves
The Eagles may not be happy that their franchise quarterback went to Dr. Tom House’s QB school during the offseason. But the Bengals continue to welcome the input with Andy Dalton now going on his third season working with 3DQB out of Los Angeles. House and Adam Dedeaux, the former pro baseball pitchers who have turned working with such NFL quarterbacks as Hall-of-Famers Tom Brady and Drew Brees into a cottage industry, were at the Bengals’ voluntary practice on Tuesday. After the workout House headed to the airport and Dedeaux stayed behind to work with Dalton in a welcoming enough environment that Dedeaux stowed his bag in the office of offensive coordinator Ken Zampese.

Jeremy Hill filling Giovani Bernard's pass-catching role in OTAs
Cincinnati Bengals running back Jeremy Hill is quick to pull a certain statistic out of his pocket if anyone questions his pass-catching ability. It's a fairly impressive one at face value. "I was the third leading receiver in my last year [at LSU], behind Odell [Beckham Jr]. and Jarvis [Landry]" Hill said. "It's a fun fact."

Bengals draft picks expected to take burden off A.J. Green and make offense more dynamic
There were times last season when to stop the Bengals passing game, all you needed to do was stop A.J. Green. That was a big reason why the Bengals blew up a lot of mock drafts by going heavily on offense -- taking wide receiver John Ross with their first pick, running back Joe Mixon with their second pick and wide receiver Josh Malone with their fourth round pick.

Doc: The Bengals should hire Muñoz
It’s pretty hard for a man who’s 6-foot-6 and 278 pounds to get lost in a relatively little place such as Cincinnati. Especially when that man is an NFL Hall of Famer and Best Bengal Ever. But Anthony Muñoz is nowhere to be found.

Bengals bring Levon Kirkland in as coaching intern
The Bengals have added five coaches as interns for the offseason, including a guy who knows them well from his days in the AFC North. The team announced that Levon Kirkland, Aaron Curry, Roderick Plummer, Tory Woodbury, and Jonathan Carr would be with the team as interns as part of the Bill Walsh minority coaching fellowship.

4 Cincinnati Bengals veterans to put on watch list
The Bengals have always put veterans ahead of younger players, not caring about where or when they were drafted. Sadly for some vets, the Bengals could be looking to change the culture with some of the talent coming in.

AFC North Bytes

Late For Work 5/30: Reasons Ravens Are Betting on Offensive Potential
Much of the outside talk about the Ravens right now revolves around the team’s questions on offense. The Ravens lost starters at wide receiver, fullback, right tackle, and center, and they have not brought in any clear replacements through the draft or free agency. The Ebony Bird’s Chris Schisler, however, outlined two reasons the Ravens are betting on their offensive potential going into the 2017 season.

Corey Coleman likely idle, Myles Garrett could be limited and more Browns buzz from OTAs week 2
The Browns kick off Week 2 of organized team activities today, which consists of three practices, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in Berea. Like last week, the only practice open to the media is on Wednesday. The 10 OTAs, which conclude next week, lead into the mandatory full-squad minicamp June 13-15.

T.J. Watt’s fit in Steelers’ defense as an edge defender
At Wisconsin, T.J. Watt started his career as a tight end, then moved to line backer before his 2015 season. Due to knee injuries, he did not get significant playing time until the 2016 season. In just one season starting, Watt proved he is an every down player and he can start day one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. At 6’4” and 252 pounds, Watt is a bit of a tweener for the position, but he tested well in pretty much every single drill at the combine. Also, he has some of the best football instincts I’ve scouted in this draft class.

Random Bytes

Frank Deford: The best stories from his half-century at Sports Illustrated
Remembering legendary Sports Illustrated writer Frank Deford with this compilation of some of the best stories he ever wrote for the magazine.

The Ringer, Bill Simmons’s Site, Will Switch Its Host to Vox Media
The Ringer, a sports and culture website created by Bill Simmons, will soon be hosted on Vox Media’s platform but maintain editorial independence under a partnership announced on Tuesday. Mr. Simmons, a former ESPN personality, will keep ownership of The Ringer, but Vox will sell advertising for the site and share in the revenue. The Ringer will leave its current home on Medium, where it has been hosted since it began in June 2016.

Derek Carr Will Play out Contract If Extension Isn't Signed Before Training Camp
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will play out the final year of his deal without an extension if he can't agree to terms on a new contract before the start of the 2017 season. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Carr said he simply doesn't want negotiations to be a distraction once Week 1 rolls around.

Every NFL Team's Fatal Flaw, and How It Can Be Exploited
Perfect teams don't exist. Even the best ones have a weakness to exploit. The key is identifying an opponent's fatal flaw and taking advantage of it. The NFL has built its reputation on parity. Each year, multiple teams that made the playoffs the previous season find themselves out of the postseason or vice versa.

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