Bengals Bytes (9/4): Pressure on protection

Pair of Bengals among NFL's top-paid players in 2017
2 Bengals players rank among the top 40 highest paid NFL players in 2017. Check out the full list and how much the top 40 players are making this season.

Still together after all these years
It starts out as a story about black and white roommates. But in the end it’s simply a story about teammates in stripes. Al Beauchamp and Ken Avery, who still say, “Love you,” when they hang up the phone, plan to attend the weekend festivities of the Bengals 50th anniversary season as well as Sunday’s opener at Paul Brown Stadium just like they spent six seasons with the club at the dawn of the franchise. Together. Teammates.

Elliott, DeShawn Williams return on practice squad
In a move that seemed to take everybody by surprise Sunday, rookie kicker Jake Elliott went unclaimed and now sits on the Bengals practice squad. Both Elliott and special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons thought the loser of the kicking derby between Elliott, a fifth-rounder out of Memphis, and the veteran Randy Bullock would end up on an Opening Day roster.

Kicker Jake Elliott heads Cincinnati Bengals' practice squad
The Cincinnati Bengals added eight of their own players to their practice squad Sunday. The practice squad has a 10-man limit, so the Bengals have two open spaces to potentially fill from other teams. All eight players were with the Bengals in training camp, led by draft picks Brandon Wilson and Jake Elliott.

Owczarski's prediction: Bengals in 2017 an exercise in mediocrity
Well, after two years of being that guy that thought the Bengals would break through with their first playoff victory since 1990 – perhaps I’m just another guy thinking they’re broken. I see an improvement over a disappointing six-win total in 2016, but I’m not sure it will be enough to bump the club into the postseason.

Bengals better built to blitz in 2017?
Why don’t you blitz?!? You could hear this refrain bouncing off the walls – along with a stray thrown remote – across Cincinnati last year when the Bengals too often failed to sack the quarterback. If the front four aren’t applying enough pressure, send more, you say. Seems easy enough, right?

Bengals Xtra: Can 'old coach' grow young Cincinnati roster?
Marvin Lewis likes veterans. He won’t hide the preference. Fourteen years of rookies and second-year players looking up the depth chart tell the story for him. Whether it is first-round picks such as Dre Kirkpatrick and Darqueze Dennard barely playing for two seasons or even Carson Palmer watching Jon Kitna in 2003, these scenarios played out in some way, shape or form the entirety of Lewis' tenure.

Panthers claim Bengals safety Demetrious Cox
When the Carolina Panthers released their 53-man roster yesterday, it included only two quarterbacks and three safeties. Panthers Twitter naturally went into a fit of anxiety, but less than 24 hours later, things look much better.

Pressure accepted: Ogbuehi, Fisher know season rests on their shoulders
Can we do it together? It was a simple request from Cedric Ogbuehi. Training camp was winding down, the Cincinnati Bengals arrived in the foyer of the 2017 season and Ogbuehi was asked if he would talk about his development, the upcoming year and frankly, the stakes involved with both. Jake Fisher, fellow member of the 2015 draft class and the new starting right tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals, had already agreed to an interview as well.

Bengals Need to Give Joe Mixon the Keys to Their Backfield and Enjoy the Ride
When you watch Cincinnati Bengals running back Joe Mixon move, something just doesn't seem right. And I mean that as a compliment. It's not right that a 6'1" and 228-pound back is able to glide to open space so fluidly and cut so effortlessly. At that size, Mixon should be a powerful bruiser who splatters black and blue marks all over defenders. Yet there he is being unfair with his juking, weaving and abrupt cutting.

Cincinnati Bengals place eight on practice squad
The Bengals hoped to land the draft picks released on Saturday to the practice squad on Sunday. They came close to completing the trifecta. Fifth-round pick K Jake Elliott and S Brandon Wilson both passed through waivers and were placed on the team's practice squad.

6 things to know about Cincinnati Bengals 53-man roster
The Cincinnati Bengals announced their 53-man roster Saturday, and unlike many teams, they didn’t edit it Sunday. The Bengals were expected to put third-string quarterback Jeff Driskel on Injured Reserve, giving them an extra roster spot to fill, but the team didn’t make any moves Sunday afternoon. Driskel suffered a broken thumb on his throwing hand Thursday night at Indianapolis and still may go on IR at some point. He would be eligible to return eight weeks after being placed on IR.

Rams claim Dielman, Neary, Jefferson; set practice squad
The Los Angeles Rams claimed defensive tackle Quinton Jefferson and centers J.J. Dielman and Aaron Neary off waivers Sunday, bolstering their questionable depth on both lines. To create room on its 53-man roster, Los Angeles waived linebacker Nic Grigsby, defensive lineman Louis Trinca-Pasat and tight end John Mundt.

AFC North Bytes

Steelers Cap Off Uncharacteristic Offseason With Flurry Of Moves
If there is anything that can be said about how the Pittsburgh Steelers front office has handled its business over the course of the past month, it would be that it has been uncharacteristic. Just for starters, they made four trades, including some fairly significant ones, and they also made a major free agency signing.

Browns claim five off waivers, including Michael Jordan and two wideouts
The Browns took advantage of being first in waiver-claim order, by adding five new guys Sunday. Being terrible has to pay off eventually, I suppose. Per the league’s transaction wire, the Browns claimed wide receiver Reggie Davis (from the Falcons), defensive back Michael Jordan (Rams), nost tackle T.Y. McGill (Colts), wide receiver Kasen Williams (Seahawks) and quarterback Josh Woodrum (Ravens).

Ravens relying heavily on the health of their wide receivers
Roster cuts have come and gone. Practice squads are becoming full. The Ravens are looking sharp, but there’s a worrisome reliance on the receiving unit. As of now, there are only five receivers on the Baltimore Ravens roster

Random Bytes

Su'a Craver of Washington Redskins, 22, pondered retiring
Washington Redskins safety Su'a Cravens told some within the organization this weekend that he is planning to retire, but a meeting with the team's coaches and executive has changed his mind for now, according to league sources.

NFL - Bold predictions to preview 2017 regular season
A 2,000-yard season for Julio Jones? An MVP award for David Johnson (or Russell Wilson)? A loss in Week 2 (!) for the Patriots? Our NFL Nation reporters make bold predictions for the teams they cover.

J.J. Watt Tweets Photo of Donations for Hurricane Harvey Victims
Watt, 28, has helped raise more than $17 million for relief efforts in Houston and surrounding areas. Hurricane Harvey unleashed record-setting amounts of rain in much of Southeast Texas, leaving at least 45 people dead and thousands displaced or homeless.

Monday Morning Digest: Flurry of Moves Boost Some Teams, While Others Flounder
Labor Day Weekend used to be sleepy time for the NFL. But that was before the league scheduled the 90-to-53-man roster cutdown as a three-day frenzy only slightly more chaotic than a scene from The Purge. When the smoke cleared, polarizing big-name players like Brock Osweiler and Sheldon Richardson found new homes, former superstars like Victor Cruz found themselves out of work, and undrafted dreamers like Younghoe Koo found themselves on rosters.