Bengals Bytes (8/30): Making moves

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Bengals Bytes:

Cincinnati Bengals' Andy Dalton's family affected by Hurricane Harvey
Watching the destruction from Hurricane Harvey from afar has been tough for Andy Dalton, who grew up in Texas and has family in the area.

Flowers trade youngs up special teams
The young Bengals got even younger Tuesday when they put special teams co-captain Cedric Peerman on season-ending injured reserve and they shipped fourth-year linebacker Marquis Flowers to the Patriots for a seventh-round pick as they braced for WILL linebacker Vontaze Burfict’s appeal of a five-game suspension.

Lewis News Conference Transcript 8/29
As we go into this fourth game, it’s a little bit different than some years. We have a lot of people working to make the football team; and they have a lot of opportunities. We’re going to go into the game looking at it a little differently, which is a good thing. The competitiveness of it with the guys on our team. It will be an exciting night for us Thursday evening.

Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis defends play of Vontaze Burfict
Bengals coach Marvin Lewis defended Vontaze Burfict's style of play in the wake of a pending five-game suspension. Lewis said that Burfict has changed his style of play after getting a three-game suspension last year for violations of player safety.

Bengals trade former 6th-round pick out of Arizona Marquis Flowers to New England
There is something about the back end of the Cincinnati Bengals roster that intrigues the New England Patriots, as the defending Super Bowl champions have once again gone to the Queen City to find a player. The Enquirer learned through multiple league sources that the Bengals sent reserve linebacker Marquis Flowers to the Patriots for a seventh-round pick. The Bengals made the trade official at about 10:15 a.m.

Doc on suspension of Bengals' Burfict: Make the law clear
It’s an easy suspension that makes the commissioner and the NFL seem religious on the subject of excessive violence. Vontaze Burfict has crossed the invisible plane into subjectivity. It’s a dangerous place, where who you are matters more than what you do. You might not care about Burfict. Certainly no one outside of this area does. Maybe even outside of Paul Brown Stadium. But a five-game suspension resulting from a hit that no one can agree was illegal is not just over the top. It’s rounding third and heading for the moon.

Cincinnati Bengals need to close preseason with no injuries
The Bengals preseason will come to an end on Thursday night when they tangle with the Indianapolis Colts. With the exception of Week 1 and parts of Week 3, it’s been a disappointing showing. But, that’s only if it’s viewed from a standpoint of W’s. There are takeaways from each game that can be viewed as positives, going into the regular season.

Bengals place Cedric Peerman on injured reserve
The Bengals activated running back Cedric Peerman from the non-football injury list on August 14, but his stay on the active roster was a brief one. The team announced on Tuesday that Peerman has been placed on injured reserve. Peerman hurt his shoulder while covering a punt during Sunday’s game.

AFC North Bytes:

Vance McDonald, Pick Traded to Pittsburgh Steelers for 4th-Round Pick
About nine months after signing Vance McDonald to a contract extension, the San Francisco 49ers announced Tuesday they have traded the tight end to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Steelers will receive McDonald and a fifth-round draft pick from the 49ers in exchange for a fourth-round draft pick.

Joe Haden Trade Rumors: Browns 'Aggressively' Trying to Move CB
The Cleveland Browns are "aggressively" trying to trade Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden, according to a Tuesday report from Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports. La Canfora added the Browns are "very motivated" to move Haden's sizable contract entering the 2017 season.

Joe Flacco Resumes Throwing, Nears Return to Practice After Back Injury
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh told reporters Tuesday that quarterback Joe Flacco has resumed throwing and is nearing a return to practice. According to Bo Smolka of PressBox, Harbaugh added that Flacco is in "good shape" and said they are currently awaiting the doctors to clear him for practice.

Random Bytes:

Wake Up | By Takeo Spikes
I am writing in response to the spectrum of opinions from active and former NFL players related to an increase in athlete activism, and out of concern over issues of justice and freedom in America. I am particularly concerned about the depth and scope of uninformed and misinformed perspectives, and the abject ignorance displayed by some of my NFL brethren about realities at the confluence of sport, race and society in America. Some of what I have seen and heard is all the more disturbing because, like me, those current and former NFL players in question have spent a substantial portion of their lives in the locker room, in the game. Against an imperative of football culture, against prevailing, if not dominating opinion, they have apparently chosen to be quiet or to turn a blind eye to the political part of sports.

Aaron Rodgers Talks Possible New Packers Contract After Matthew Stafford Deal
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers didn't seem eager to jump into contract negotiations Tuesday even though fellow NFC North signal-caller Matthew Stafford signed an extension to be the highest-paid player in the league. "How it affects me?" Rodgers asked before answering, per Alex Marvez of Sporting News. "I think we're a couple of years away [from renegotiation]."

NFL Preseason Fantasy Stock Report
With three preseason games out of the way and less than two weeks to go before the start of the regular season, it's a good time to assess what the preseason meant to the fantasy values of key players. Statistical outputs in the preseason mean little, but seeing how players fit into roles and how much playing time they are getting with each unit of the offense is important. With Kareem Hunt taking over the starting running back job in Kansas City following the injury to Spencer Ware, I feel confident knowing he's performed well with the starters in multiple preseason games.