Bengals Bytes (4/20): A look into Cincinnati’s workouts

Bengals work out pair of potential 2018 NFL draft gems
The Cincinnati Bengals finished up the visits process recently by taking a close look at a couple 2018 NFL draft prospects who aren’t household names. One is P.J. Hall, a defensive tackle out of Sam Houston State who most consider a mid-round prospect.

The best and worst of the 2018 Bengals regular season schedule.
Bengals beat writers Paul Dehner Jr. and Jim Owczarski take a look at the best and worst elements of the Bengals' 2018 season schedule, which the league released on Thursday. Here is a look at the overall analysis, best schedule break, worst schedule break, what sticks out most, what game got tougher, what game got easier, along with with the best and worst road trips.

Cincinnati Bengals release 2018 schedule
The Bengals will play host to the Chicago Bears at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 9 before playing back-to-back road games at Dallas at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 18, and at Buffalo at 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26. They close the preseason at home against Indianapolis on at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 30. Fourteen of the 16 regular-season games begin at 1 p.m. The two exceptions are the Thursday game against Baltimore in Week 2 (8:20 p.m.) and the Week 14 road game at the Los Angeles Chargers (4:05 p.m.).

Could the Bengals of gotten more for 12th pick
The Cincinnati Bengals made a trade with the Buffalo Bills in early March sending their 12th overall pick and sixth-round pick to the Bills for left tackle Cordy Glenn, the 21st overall pick, and a fifth-round pick. Trading back nine spots for when healthy a top ten left tackle in the league is a pretty solid trade, but could they have gotten more by waiting until draft day?

Cincinnati Bengals 2018 NFL Draft strategy: Offensive tackle
Three of 12. Would have been at the top of the list prior to the trade for Cordy Glenn. Still, uncertainty lives at the right tackle position. And Glenn comes with a recent injury history as well. At the very least, Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher are entering contract years (with the Bengals almost certain to decline Ogbuehi’s fifth-year option). And both will have to win competitions to earn any playing time this season, with Fisher a leg up at right tackle.

Cincinnati Bengals' schedule starts tough with Vontaze Burfict out
The Bengals quickly squashed their playoff chances last season by digging themselves into an 0-3 hole, and the NFL schedule certainly didn't do them any favors this year. The Bengals' first month features three road games, including back-to-back trips to the Panthers and Falcons, two teams that made the playoffs last year. That's in addition to a short week against a divisional opponent when they host the Ravens on a Thursday in Week 2.

2018 Cincinnati Bengals game-by-game predictions
Colts quarterback Andrew Luck hasn’t taken a snap since the 2016 season, and there’s no guarantee he will be back by Week 1. So much uncertainty doesn’t bode well for the Colts, who had the second-worst offense in the league last season, just ahead of the Bengals. It also doesn’t bode well for Indy's chances to get off to a quick start after a 4-12 season in 2017. Record: 1-0

Bengals 2018 Regular Season Schedule
The Bengals’ 2018 schedule features the first Thursday Night Football home opener in team history. The Bengals start the season at Indianapolis at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 9. The Bengals kick off Week 2 when they host division rival Baltimore at 8:20 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, in a nationally televised game on NFL Network. This is the third season in a row the Bengals have played a September Thursday night home game.

2018 Bengals schedule requires road work
The NFL gave the Bengals a schedule they haven’t quite had in their 51 seasons, but when the league released it Thursday the club liked the idea of limited travel, all but two games starting at 1 p.m., and a bye week right smack in the middle of the schedule on Nov. 4. It’s believed for the first time ever Cincinnati not only opens with three of the first four games on the road, it also ends the season with three of their last four on the road that includes AFC North games at Cleveland Dec. 23 and Pittsburgh Dec. 30.

2018 Bengals schedule by the numbers
Head coach Marvin Lewis’ record on Opening Day against teams with a new head coach when the Bengals face Colts’ rookie Frank Reich. He has wins over Cleveland’s Romeo Crennel (2005) and Pat Shurmur (2011), Kansas City’s Herman Edwards (2006) and Oakland’s Jack Del Rio (2015). He has losses to Baltimore’s John Harbaugh (2008), Denver’s Josh McDaniels (2009) and Chicago’s Marc Trestman (2013).

Malik Zaire talks about Bengals workout
Florida Gators quarterback Malik Zaire talks about his Bengals workout at the team's local pro day event ahead of the 2018 NFL Draft.

AFC North Bytes

Steelers schedule includes 5 prime-time games
The Steelers will begin the 2018 season in Cleveland, play five games in prime time and have a mid-December matchup against the New England Patriots at Heinz Field. Sound familiar? The schedule, released by the NFL on Thursday night, resembles the one from 2017, when the Steelers went 13-3.

2018 NFL Draft Rumors: Browns Have Considered Drafting 2 QBs in 1st Round
The Cleveland Browns have considered selecting two quarterbacks in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft, according to Kevin Clark of The Ringer. Cleveland holds picks No. 1 and No. 4, and Clark said he asked "multiple members" of the organization if they have "considered ignoring all norms and drafting two quarterbacks high in the draft."

Random Bytes

Brandon Marshall Released by Giants Due to Failed Physical
The New York Giants released wide receiver Brandon Marshall after one season with the organization. General manager Dave Gettleman announced the roster move Thursday. Gettleman said the team used the failed physical designation on Marshall, per Art Stapleton of The Record.

2018 NFL Schedule: Win-Loss Predictions for Every Team
Nearly all of the pieces are in place to provide a fuller picture of the 2018 NFL season. Thursday's regular-season schedule release was the appetizer for next week's draft in Arlington, Texas. While we already knew who each team would face in 2018, we now know the when and where as well.

2018 NFL Schedule: League Releases Official Regular-Season Slate
Clear your schedules now, NFL fans: The Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons will open the 2018 NFL regular season on Sept. 6 at Lincoln Financial Field as the reigning Super Bowl champions prepare to raise their first championship banner fresh off a dramatic Super Bowl 52 win over the New England Patriots.

Eli Manning hesitation helped keep Peyton out of the booth
In rejecting Fox and ESPN’s primetime broadcast booths, Peyton Manning said he did not want to be a “critic at this point,” but there was one player’s games in particular, according to sources, whom Manning did not want to be in the booth for: his brother, Eli Manning.