Bengals Bytes (3/21): NFL has a new definition for a catch

Glenn is going to have an impact
The Bengals liked to run the ball to the right side of the line last season. I took a deep dive into all of their offensive plays (amazing data provided by @darenw at the nflsavant.com) and came out with some interesting conclusions.

Bengals checked out underrated OL prospect at Oregon Pro Day
There, the Bengals likely had an eye on Tyrell Crosby, a guy who could come off the board in Day 2 in large part because he checks in at 6’5″ and 325 pounds. Unteachable size is hard to find, so the Bengals likely wanted to see if his technique has improved while prepping for the draft. With new offensive line coach Frank Pollack in place, the Bengals might view Crosby as a sleeper pick worth developing if he falls to the second or third round.

Bengals Wire podcast: No end in sight for Bengals-Bills lovefest
It all began when Andy Dalton helped the Buffalo Bills get into the playoffs. Since then, Bills fans have had a lot of affection for the Cincinnati Bengals. And apparently, the front offices of the two franchises are fond of each other as well. The Cordy Glenn trade was the first (and biggest) move between Buffalo and Cincinnati. But then the Bills signed AJ McCarron, the Bengals signed Preston Brown, and Buffalo signed Russell Bodine.

Bengals should consider center James Daniels in first round
Following the trade with the Buffalo Bills to acquire left tackle Cordy Glenn, the Cincinnati Bengals look to be moving on from center Russell Bodine in 2018. Taking on Glenn’s contract and the signings that the team has made including inside linebacker Preston Brown, defensive tackle Chris Baker, and re-signing punter Kevin Huber and tight end Tyler Eifert could prove that the Bengals are done spending money at the moment.

Teams waiting on top safeties in free agency
Like every other year, the free agency period started off with top names flying off the shelf so fast that almost no one could keep track. With the madness of the first week over, there are still top names left in free agency and much of that is due to the price these players are commanding. The Cincinnati Bengals have made a splash per say in free agency so far but have not signed a safety.

TDBH: “The Law Firm,” signs on for a Who-Dey shingle
The Cedric Benson Era officially closes today when word out of Boston is that Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis is expected to sign a three-year deal with the Bengals tomorrow. The Bengals love what Benson has given the franchise, a tough, no-frills-runner that moves the chains and is a big part of two post-season berths in the last three years. But the move has probably been in motion since the fourth quarter of the last home game, a seven-point win over Arizona that puts them in the postseason despite Benson’s two fourth-quarter fumbles. The arms of BJGE, of course, are where fumbles go to sleep.

AFC North Bytes

Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams managing degenerative eye disease
Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Brandon Williams has had to have eye surgery each of the past two offseasons to address a degenerative eye disease. According to David Ginsburg of the Associated Press, Williams had surgery on his more problematic left eye prior to the 2017 season to address the disease known as keratoconus. The right eye was addressed this offseason.

Browns Rumors: Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield to Work Out for Cleveland
The Cleveland Browns reportedly held a private workout for UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen on Tuesday and will do so for USC's Sam Darnold on Wednesday and Wyoming's Josh Allen on Friday when each has his pro day, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. Additionally, "They'll also conduct a private workout soon with Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield, who had his pro day Wednesday when the Browns were busy overhauling their roster in free agency."

Random Bytes

NFL Competition Committee Plans to Alter Catch-Rule Language, Replay Process
NFL Executive Vice President of Football Operations Troy Vincent said Tuesday that the league is closing in on clarifying its controversial catch rule. According to Mark Maske of the Washington Post, Vincent said the NFL plans to eliminate two factors that can cause incompletions. "Slight movement of the ball, it looks like we'll reverse that," he said. "Going to the ground, it looks like that's going to be eliminated. And we'll go back to the old replay standard of reverse the call on the field only when it's indisputable."

Report: Zay Jones Arrested for Vandalism After Bloody Scuffle with Brother
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Zay Jones was reportedly arrested Monday night in Los Angeles after he got into a fight with his brother, Cayleb, while naked. According to TMZ Sports, Zay was arrested for felony vandalism after he "entered a public balcony area and smashed his foot through a window." TMZ added Zay "tried to squeeze through the hole in the window, but Cayleb restrained him until police arrived."

Mike Freeman's 10-Point Stance: Free-Agency Money Flowing, Yet Kap Still Waits
The video was fairly unremarkable. In it, a hyper-fit athlete with a tight passing motion threw dimes to a receiver downfield. The guy looked like a top-15 NFL quarterback. And he is. Except he isn't. The footage was of Colin Kaepernick throwing on a small field in Houston. My belief—and it's an educated one—is that the video release was tactical. Kaepernick, who is embroiled in a collusion case against the NFL, was reminding everyone of two things

How New NFL Coaches Affect NFL Teams' Drafts | SI.com
Over the next six weeks, teams will pore over all of the necessary information at their disposal in order to whittle down and eventually finalize their draft boards. For the most part, how they feel about these prospects hasn’t changed much since scouting staffs first provided grades after the college football season, but the most interesting debates are yet to come—and this year might be more contentious than years past.

NFL sets new definition for controversial catch rule - The Washington Post
Seeking to silence a near constant debate over what defines a catch, the NFL will eliminate the requirement that a receiver must maintain possession after controlling the ball and hitting the turf. Additionally, slight movement of the ball upon slow-motion review will not result in an incompletion.