Bengals Bytes (3/26): Marvin Lewis upbeat about current direction

2018 NFL draft: New mock draft has Bengals grabbing premier edge rusher
The Cincinnati Bengals shored up a major need with the trade for Cordy Glenn and seek out rare traits in first-round prospects. Cincinnati’s front office showed this last point off well enough last year with the John Ross pick. Let a new mock draft tell it, the Bengals could do the same again with Boston College edge rusher Harold Landry.

Bengals Scouting Report: What can Brown do for you?
The Bengals made possibly their biggest free agency period signing ever when they inked former Buffalo Bills linebacker Preston Brown earlier this month.

Bengals attended Temple Pro Day for DE Sharif Finch
On a quest for depth in the defensive trenches, the Cincinnati Bengals recently got a look at Temple defensive end Sharif Finch. The Bengals sent defensive line coach Jacob Burney to the Temple Pro Day, according to NFL.com’s Gil Brandt

Cincinnati Bengals are not in rebuild mode
Cincinnati Bengals fans were appalled when the new league year started and the team was actually being aggressive and making moves. The conservative ways of the Bengals have led them to only signing their own players or small impact players from other squads. They’ve never been the team to go out and make a splash in free agency.

BX: How the Cincinnati Bengals traded for Cordy Glenn
Duke Tobin laughed. There were no decrees from Olympus or lightning bolt hurled from the hand of Zeus that shocked the Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills into a major pre-free-agency trade of draft picks and left tackle Cordy Glenn. There was no Costner-styled drama dripping from iPhones in Cincinnati or Buffalo.

TDBH: Extension puts Peko in rare company
Bengals nose tackle Domata Peko agrees to a two-year extension today that keeps one of the most popular and recognizable players in club history in Cincinnati through the 2016 season. The team reaches the deal here at the NFL annual meeting as it begins implementing its strategy of putting their biggest deals into their own players. Both Bengals president Mike Brown and head coach Marvin Lewis say during the meetings they hope to lock up quarterback Andy Dalton sooner rather than later. Also believed to be on the radar is a pair of Pro Bowlers, wide receiver A.J. Green and WILL linebacker Vontaze Burfict. Peko’s value can be seen in each of the head coaches' media breakfasts here at these meetings. At the AFC buffet, Lewis calls Peko one of his "top of the charts" leaders.

Upbeat Lewis salutes changes
For once, Marvin Lewis and Hue Jackson appear to be happy at the same time. They hugged when they saw each other at Sunday’s first day of the NFL meetings and Lewis kidded him, “Now I get two-word texts and the phone doesn’t ring at 6 a.m. Things must be good.” Jackson, head coach of the re-stocking Cleveland Browns, nodded and said they are. And Lewis is delighted with the start to his 16th season as Bengals head coach.

Preston Brown was Marvin Lewis’ first target in free agency for Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis targeted his man and got him in free agency. Lewis knew linebacker Preston Brown from his high school days in the Cincinnati area before he got drafted by the Buffalo Bills. The connection and Brown’s trip to free agency made for a reunion of sorts.

AFC North Bytes

Steelers unsure if they’ll pick up option on Bud Dupree for 2019
The deadline for teams to decide on picking up their fifth-year options on 2015 first-round picks is on May 3, which means the Steelers have a little more than a month to announce how they plan to proceed with linebacker Bud Dupree. As of now, they say no call has been made. General Manager Kevin Colbert said, via Mark Kaboly of The Athletic, that they are still mulling their options.

Eric DeCosta won't rule out Ravens taking quarterback in first round
Would the Baltimore Ravens really draft a quarterback in the first round this year? Assistant general manager Eric DeCosta didn't make it sound like the Ravens are primed to select a quarterback with the No. 16 overall pick, but he also doesn't rule it out.

Random Bytes

Bob McNair Defends Jerry Richardson: Some of His Remarks Could Have Been a Joke
Houston Texans owner Bob McNair has made controversial comments in defense of Jerry Richardson. Per USA Today's Jarrett Bell, McNair said the Carolina Panthers owner's alleged inappropriate comments may have been jokes that were misinterpreted. "Some of the comments could have been made jokingly," he said. "I'm sure he didn't mean to offend anybody."

Ndamukong Suh Contract Offer 'Rescinded' by Jets Amid Rams, Titans Rumors
New York Jets CEO Christopher Johnson confirmed the team rescinded its contract offer to free-agent defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta reported Sunday. According to SNY.tv's Ralph Vacchiano, Johnson justified the decision by saying signing Suh "wasn't in keeping with our long-term plan."

One Offseason Move Every NFL Team Could Regret
The 2018 NFL offseason is young, but more than 200 players have signed free-agent contracts worth a combined total of more than $2.4 billion dollars. Free agency doesn't have an official end date, but the circus has left town. And though we can't draw any indisputable conclusions right now, the future will tell us that a multitude of mistakes have already been made.