Bengals Byte (3/23): Meant to be in Cincinnati

Bengals post free agent frenzy mailbag questions
The Cincinnati Bengals gave us plenty to talk about in this weeks mailbag with their moves over the last week and a half. They traded with the Buffalo Bills to acquire left tackle Cordy Glenn, signed defensive tackle Chris Baker and inside linebacker Preston Brown, and they re-signed tight end Tyler Eifert and punter Kevin Huber. They also let guys like running back Jeremy Hill and center Russell Bodine find new homes in free agency.

2018 NFL Draft: Bengals 7-round mock draft, post-free agency edition
What’s that? Another mock draft? Sure, why not? You can never have enough mock drafts. So let’s give it another go for the Cincinnait Bengals after they overhauled their roster with names like Cordy Glenn and Preston Brown. For this mock, we’ll be using Fanspeak’s composite rankings on classic difficulty.

Bengals mock draft 2.0: Now at 21, who is the target?
With free agency in the books, the landscape has changed for the Bengals. The obvious being their trade with Buffalo moving them back from 12 to 21 in the first round. Less obvious, a relatively active free agency period shifted the priorities since.

Vegas does not believe in the Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals odds of traveling to Atlanta for the Super Bowl in 2018 is extremely low according to Bovada Vegas odds. If that wasn’t disappointing enough, the Bengals dropped from being 66/1 to 90/1 post new league year including free agency. Not only does it have the Bengals ranking second to last in chances to making it to the big game, but the Cleveland Browns have higher chances of making it there with 66/1 odds.

Bengals attended Penn State Pro Day featuring Mike Gesicki, others
The Cincinnati Bengals continued their tour of pro days with a stop at Penn State recently, checking out big names such as tight end Mike Gesicki. While running back Saquon Barkley was the headline act despite not even working out, the Bengals aren’t even close to being in his draft range and are quite content with a guy named Joe Mixon.

Meant to be
It was meant to be. It had to be. Before family, there was football. Cincinnati football. Of course, if you’re the family of new Bengals linebacker Preston Brown, there is family because of Cincinnati football. Both are so intertwined like a football’s laces that it was no surprise when Preston Brown dropped by his new office for a media meet-and-greet Wednesday at Paul Brown Stadium that the family came along.

Media Mock Draft deals to 21
Now you can breathe again. It’s OK now to take a deep breath as the Bengals.com Media Mock Draft is forced to issue a Spring Break version in the teeth of a blizzard of trades. Last week’s deal for Bills left tackle Cordy Glenn not only took care of the Bengals’ biggest off-season need, it changed the entire tenor of the offseason. You couldn’t pull a pin out of their fingers they were so tight at No. 12. Until, that is, the trade.

TDBH: Bengals keep free-agent haul rolling with two former top 10 picks
After landing three starters and a veteran third cornerback, the Bengals shift their free-agency focus today with four deals aimed at shoring up depth and opening up next month's NFL Draft as they continue an aggressive offseason drawing praise from around the league. While announcing the re-signing of a pair of key first-off-the-bench backups in cornerback Adam Jones and tackle Anthony Collins, as well as the addition of Broncos defensive end Derrick Harvey today, they also agree to terms with Colts defensive end Jamaal Anderson. With the NFL meetings set for next week in Palm Beach, Fla., the Bengals may be announcing another signing over the weekend, jacking the new deals to about $20 million counting against the 2012 salary cap since free agency opens 10 days ago.

Ohio State LB Chris Worley has visit set with Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals have their eye on the linebacker spot ahead of the 2018 NFL draft. With Marvin Lewis at the Ohio State Pro Day Thursday, we found out who one of those potential targets might be — Buckeyes leader Chris Worley.

AFC North Bytes

Analysis: The Steelers offensive line has experience, so why has the run game struggled?
Trying to figure out why the Steelers finished near the bottom of the NFL in rushing isn’t an easy exercise. They have an All-Pro running back in Le’Veon Bell and an offensive line stocked with Pro Bowlers. Yet the rushing statistics were underwhelming last season when they finished 20th in the league in rushing yards per game and 25th in rushing yards per attempt.

Report: Browns, Ravens pursuing Allen Hurns
Wide receiver Allen Hurns didn’t lack for immediate interest after being released by the Jaguars this week and he went to Dallas to visit with the Cowboys on Wednesday. Hurns was initially slated to visit with the Jets, but changed his plans in light of the snowstorm that hit the area. The Jets and Cowboys reportedly have company in pursuit of Hurns’ signature, however.

Random Bytes

Report: Jason Pierre-Paul Traded from Giants to Bucs for 2018 NFL Draft Picks
The New York Giants reportedly agreed to trade defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday in exchange for two draft picks. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Giants will send a 2018 fourth-round pick with JPP to Tampa for a 2018 third-round pick and fourth-round selection.

Terrelle Pryor Rumors: Jets, Free-Agent WR 'Closing In on' Contract
After a disappointing 2017 season with the Washington Redskins, Terrelle Pryor will look to start fresh in new surroundings. Pryor and the New York Jets are nearing an agreement on a contract, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday. In what was only his second season as a full-time wide receiver in the NFL, Pryor had 77 receptions for 1,007 yards and four touchdowns in 2016 for the Cleveland Browns. Despite his on-field success, he signed a one-year contract with Washington worth just $8 million.

The NFL Is Still All About Money, and That Might Kill the NFL Draft
It's sad but true: The NFL just might kill its own draft, thanks to a combination of greed and exposure. Well, maybe not kill, but squeeze any sense of fun from an occasion that has long been one of the most fun on the NFL calendar. The event is a few days of geekdom for draft nerds and hardcore fans. It's a time we can watch a player move from the fiefdom of college sports to the business of professional football all while remaining optimistic that everything will work out great for the players and teams.