Bengals Bytes (5/11): Revisiting the 2014 draft class

Where will Bengals run game rank in 2018?
The Cincinnati Bengals had one of the worst rushing attacks in the league last season. Considering the group of talent in the running backs group, it was frustrating for fans to watch. Cincinnati ranked 31st in yards per game with 85.4. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor tended to go away from the run game as well ranking 29th in the NFL for rushing attempts.

Brandon LaFell talks Bengals offense attacking
The Cincinnati Bengals struggled in 2017 to get anything going on offense. Ranking last in the league in yards per game, nothing went right for the Bengals. Playcalling was conservative; the offensive line played poorly, run game never stood a chance, quarterback Andy Dalton was inconsistent, and just about anything else you could think of. Cincinnati expects an entirely different offense in 2018.

Revisiting the Bengals 2014 draft class
The Cincinnati Bengals can now look back and gauge how they did in the 2014 NFL Draft being four years removed. Every year following the draft, analysts and fans grade the draft for their favorite teams, but the grades are flawed considering we don’t know how these players will turn out. There’s no telling whether a draft class was a success or not until the players start coming up on their first real contracts four years later.

Bleacher Report buys in on Bengals
After an abysmal performance by the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line last season allowing 40 sacks and 158 pressures on quarterback Andy Dalton, it was time for some significant moves. The departures of Andrew Whitworth and Kevin Zeitler in free agency, Cincinnati was left with substantial holes along the offensive line. The Bengals organization decided it was time to make some significant changes surprising the fan base with some considerable turnaround.

2018 Ben-Gals Roster Announced
The 2018 Ben-Gals cheerleaders have been officially announced. This year’s squad features many new faces in addition to returning veterans. The Ben-Gals perform at Bengals home games and participate in numerous community events throughout the year.

Rey of hope for Undrafteds
Vincent Rey, who has played more Bengals games than Carson Palmer and T.J. Houshmandzadeh and Rudi Johnson and Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, is the perfect guy to ask. Vinny Rey, whose 112 Bengals games at linebacker are more than Bill Bergey and Takeo Spikes and one fewer than Vontaze Burfict and Keith Rivers combined and two fewer than Rey Maualuga, is exhibit A of why undrafted rookies matter.

AFC North Bytes

A bold predicition: Joe Flacco is going to have a career year
Joe Flacco has been relatively pedestrian for the better part of three seasons. He has dealt with a torn ACL and a back injury. This offseason, the Baltimore Ravens added receivers John Brown, Michael Crabtree and Willie Snead. They also drafted tight ends Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews, plus wide receivers Jaleel Scott and Jordan Lasley. Due to having a bevy of weapons at his disposal, I believe Flacco will have his best season yet.

Steelers rookie minicamp primer: 5 things to watch when newcomers report
Sure, it's just the beginning of football in shorts for these NFL newcomers, but it's the first time the seven draftees will be together in a football setting. The class is highlighted by first-rounder Terrell Edmunds, who could evolve as a contributor in the secondary this season after the departure of veteran safeties Mike Mitchell, J.J. Wilcox and Robert Golden.

Random Bytes

The Best Player Who Could Be Cut from Every NFL Roster This Offseason
The National Football League is a bottom-line business, and the bottom line doesn't always have to do with performances on the field. "What have you done lately" doesn't even accurately sum up the business of football. When teams make their final cuts down to 53 players, age, draft status and salary can factor in just as much as how a player is performing.

Highlighting the 25 Best Moves of the NFL Offseason
First, coaching jobs were filled. Then, players were released, signed, re-signed and tagged. Soon after that, 256 more were drafted, before hundreds more were signed as undrafted free agents. Altogether, well over 1,000 moves were made during the first half of the 2018 NFL offseason.

Report: Pete Carroll, John Schneider Gave Colin Kaepernick Collusion Depositions
Attorneys for free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick deposed Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider over the past two days as part of Kaepernick's ongoing collusion grievance against the NFL, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Thursday.