Bengals Bytes (5/8): What are the odds?

Ross, Lawson sign their deals
Ten days after the Bengals took him with their first-round pick in the draft Ross signed his four-year deal Sunday with an option for a fifth after the Bengals broke their rookie minicamp following a Sunday morning practice. Ross, a wide receiver from Washington, joined fourth-rounder Carl Lawson in the fold as the first of two 11 draft picks to sign.

AJ Green confident in locker room helping Joe Mixon
Bengals wide receiver AJ Green joined me on ESPN1530 to discuss the impact of the 2017 draft class, the selection of Joe Mixon, and how he's working out differently this offseason. He was with us on behalf of Rockin' Refuel, which is a delicious protein milk drink available at Speedway and Kroger. Listen...

Cincinnati Bengals: Draft picks John Ross, Carl Lawson sign
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis may have struck down the possibility of John Ross accepting Billy Hamilton’s challenge to a 40-yard dash, but that didn’t stop Ross, the team’s first-round pick, from winning a different sort of off-the-field race.

The University of Washington product was the first of the team’s draft picks to sign his rookie contract Sunday, while fourth-round linebacker Carl Lawson also finalized his deal.

Bengals' firestorm around Joe Mixon can benefit Cincinnati
The Bengals selection of Joe Mixon has shown the Bengals are committed to getting better. It also proves they can turn the other cheek. Can the fans?

Notes: Times of the sign; Evans WILLing; Glasgow knows Bengals subs
John Ross does everything fast.

And that includes sign his first NFL contract.

Ten days after the Bengals took him with their first-round pick in the draft Ross signed his four-year deal Sunday with an option for a fifth after the Bengals broke their rookie minicamp following a Sunday morning practice. Ross, a wide receiver from Washington, joined fourth-rounder Carl Lawson in the fold as the first of two 11 draft picks to sign.

Sportsbook has Bengals odds worse to win Super Bowl after draft
By most accounts among those grading the NFL Draft nationally the Bengals had a very good draft, but the updated odds from the Williams Hill Sportsbook in Nevada to win the Super Bowl this coming season actually have the team being a longer shot than before the draft.

The Bengals went from 50-1 to win before the draft to 60-1 after it.

Bengals sign draft picks Ross and Lawson
The Bengals on Sunday announced they have signed wide receiver John Ross, the team's first-round draft pick, and linebacker/defensive end Carl Lawson, the team's fourth-round pick.

They are the first two of the Bengals’ 11 draft picks to sign. Both contracts are for four years, with Ross’ contract including a team option to extend it by one year.

AFC North Bytes

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh defends Baltimore Orioles in feud with Boston Red Sox
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh has never been a favorite of Boston sports fans, from his playoff run-ins with the New England Patriots to his criticism of the now-illegal formations used by Bill Belichick.

So Harbaugh's comments on the heated baseball feud between the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox won't go over very well.

Revisiting the Browns’ schedule after the draft and bulk of free agency
The good news for the Browns is they improved considerably in the draft.

Who wouldn’t be better by adding an elite, top-of-the-draft pass rusher? And a de-cleater at safety with an attitude? And an athletic, seam-splitting tight end? And if the big-armed quarterback comes through, man, that would be like hitting the lottery.

SN exclusive: Jerome 'The Bus' Bettis out at ESPN
More bad news out of ESPN: Jerome Bettis is out as an NFL analyst, sources told Sporting News on Sunday.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer lost his gig as part of ESPN's recent layoff of 100 analysts, anchors and online writers, said sources. Among the big names who have lost their jobs: Trent Dilfer, Ed Werder, Danny Kanell, Jayson Stark, Britt McHenry, Marc Stein, Andy Katz and Jade McCarthy.

Random Bytes

Mahomes on playbook: 'A lot harder than I thought'
There's no sweeter time for new additions to the NFL than during rookie minicamps.

Every team is excited to have them. Reviews are glowing. The acclimation process is friendly and measured.

But as the fresh crop of quarterbacks receive their first playbooks -- imagine the yellow pages back when landlines and answering machines were still hot -- the sheer amount of information can be initially overwhelming. New Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn't shy about the increased difficulty in his first 72 hours of marriage with Kansas City's offense.

Lamar Miller: Foreman's power will help Texans' O
The Houston Texans bolstered their running back corps last week by adding former University of Texas back D'Onta Foreman in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.

The addition will help alleviate the workload for the team's starting running back (and workhorse) Lamar Miller, who carried the ball 268 times for 1,073 yards last season.

Jay Cutler leads odd offseason for NFL quarterbacks
With the sullen ex-Bear heading to TV, it’s a good time to reset how nonsensical the situations under center have become. Plus more draft fallout, an NBA GM talks football and the sad state of a ’72 Dolphins star