Bengals News (4/1): No hard feelings

Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick appreciated his time with the Cincinnati Bengals
"I was just happy to get the phone call from them instead of hearing about it from TV or something. That was a sign of respect. I was able to do what I wanted to do with it. I appreciate everything they've done for me. Marvin (Lewis). Mr. (Mike) Brown and his family. As far as giving me the opportunity."

NFL Clubs Approve Expansion of Postseason
Expanding the NFL postseason was addressed in the new NFL-NFLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement. Players and clubs both recognized that nothing energizes fans like the chance to see their team qualify for the playoffs and compete for the Super Bowl.

Bengals Re-Sign Greg Mabin
Mabin, a fourth-year player in 2020, joined the Bengals in September last season and went on to play in nine games, with one tackle and a pass defensed on defense and another tackle on special teams. He originally was a college free agent signee of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2017, and has also spent time with the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers.

Bengals cut former first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick
Kirkpatrick, a first-round pick in the 2012 draft, spent eight years with the Bengals. The former Alabama product started six games at cornerback for Cincinnati in 2019 before he suffered a season-ending knee injury on Nov. 10.

NFL Draft 2020: Joe Burrow just 'what doctor ordered' for Bengals
It’s like Joe Burrow was shot out of a cannon sometime before the last college football season began, and here he is: three weeks away from becoming the first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, which is scheduled to begin April 23.

Cincinnati Bengals 7-round mock draft: What does trade down look like?
That’s what this mock draft will look at. This is a seven-round mock for the Bengals in which they acquire all three picks (Nos. 3, 18 and 26) from the Dolphins, who had to move up from five, plus future assets beyond this draft. Let’s see what plays out.

John Breech: Bengals should trade Dalton to Jaguars, Jay Gruden
At this point, the Bengals should take anything they can get for Dalton. The move would make sense for the Jags because they just hired Jay Gruden to be their offensive coordinator, and that's notable, because Gruden was Dalton's offensive coordinator during the quarterback's first three years in the league (2011-13). Not only did the Bengals make the playoffs in each of those three seasons, but Dalton also put up some pretty solid numbers.

What are Bengals getting in Ex-Buckeye Vonn Bell?
Brown committed $18 million to former Buckeye Vonn Bell, who started at safety all four of his seasons in New Orleans, but became expendable when the Saints brought another former Buckeye, Malcolm Jenkins, back from Philadelphia to the franchise where he was drafted in 2008.

Might Bengals trade No. 1 pick in NFL draft? Dolphins still hopeful to land Joe Burrow, report says
For months Joe Burrow to the Bengals at the top of the NFL draft has been one of the few things set in stone, even as a coronavirus pandemic undid the best laid plans for a Las Vegas event.

Around the League

Daniel Jeremiah's Top 50: 2020 NFL Draft prospect rankings 4.0
Young is a tall, long and athletic defensive end. As a pass rusher, he explodes off the ball and gains ground in a hurry. He uses a quick swipe move and also has the ability to control the wrists of blockers. He can convert speed to power and is effective on loops and games. He does have a little tightness at the top of his rush. Against the run, he sets the edge easily and uses his quickness to slip blocks and create chaos behind the line of scrimmage. Overall, Young is an All-Pro talent, reminiscent of Julius Peppers and Mario Williams.

Peter Schrager NFL mock draft 1.0: Dolphins take QB, WR, RB
My first mock draft of the year comes in the most unique of times -- both for our country and for the NFL. I've had multiple coaches and general managers tell me just how different this year is, with hour-long interviews happening over Skype instead of in person, coaches living in different states and communicating over Zoom, and countless prospects who won't have the luxury of a pro day turning to Instagram to showcase their skills.

Steelers GM 'very comfortable' sans first-round pick
"Quite honestly, we're very comfortable not having a first-round pick this year, especially when it's in the form of Minkah Fitzpatrick replacing that first-round pick," Colbert said, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Under the current circumstances, the uncertainty of the player you might be taking and to not have all the information you had in the past, I'm a lot more comfortable knowing we got an All-Pro player with that pick. I'm not real concerned about getting back in there."

Cards have talked contract with DeAndre Hopkins' reps
A new payday could be coming with it. Cardinals chairman and team president Michael Bidwill told reporters on a conference call Tuesday that general manager Steve Keim has had discussions with Hopkins' representation about the receiver's contract.