Bengals News (4/6): Playing matchmaker

Bengals 2019 Season In Review
Bengals 2019 Season In Review: Zac Taylor was named the 10th head coach in Cincinnati Bengals history on Feb. 4, 2019. The Bengals finished 2-14 in his first season in Cincinnati, but his first campaign at the helm was marked by injuries before he even completed his first training camp. WR A.J. Green did not play at all in 2019, due to an ankle injury suffered in the team's first training camp practice; OT Jonah Williams, Cincinnati's first-round draft pick who had been slotted to start at LOT, was lost for the season due to a shoulder injury suffered in OTAs; and OT Cordy Glenn, who replaced Williams at LOT, suffered a concussion in the preseason opener and didn't return to action until late November.

Bengals get an apt Packers comparison for performance in free agency
“It was also noted that the Bengals, like the Packers last offseason, have funneled resources toward the defensive side under a young offensive-minded coach who might have less say in personnel than his more seasoned and empowered counterparts.”

Justin Herbert Rumors: Bengals Have 'True Believers' in QB Amid Burrow Buzz
Cincinnati would likely have to be overwhelmed by any offer to move off the No. 1 pick. King posited an offer of four first-round picks from the Miami Dolphins as a possibility, though that was speculative and not based on any talks between the two teams. The Dolphins have the No. 5 pick in Round 1, a spot where Herbert should still be available.

4 Players the Cincinnati Bengals Should Pair with Joe Burrow
With the opening of the draft less than three weeks away, the chances that the Cincinnati Bengals select top quarterback prospect Joe Burrow remain as high as ever. Thankfully, when the cigar-smoking signal-caller enters the league, he’ll have plenty of weapons at his disposal to ease his transition. Joe Mixon, A.J. Green, Tyler Boyd, Auden Tate, and John Ross are an outstanding cast for the former LSU tiger.

3 Reasons Cincinnati is a Better Destination for Joe Burrow than Miami
However, a false narrative has presented itself in the media. Many talking heads in the sports media world have called for Burrow to refuse to play for the Bengals, claiming that the organization is too dysfunctional and that his career would be ruined if he were to play for them.

Bengals have interest in Michigan State LB Joe Bachie ahead of draft
Over at NFL.com, Lance Zierlein grades him as a player with a chance to make a final roster somewhere. While there are some pluses, it comes with a flag.

Around the League

Bucs' Brady pursuit: Operation Shoeless Joe Jackson
The Bucs called the pursuit of the GOAT: "Operation Shoeless Joe Jackson," per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Tampa brass used the secret verbiage because Brady leaving New England seemed as likely as fabled White Sox hitter, Joe Jackson, sauntering out of a cornfield in Iowa.

Breshad Perriman: Bucs finish 'a sneak peek' for Jets
Over the final three weeks of the 2019 season, Perriman tallied 17 catches for 349 yards and four touchdowns. It accounts for about 20 percent of his career production in catches and yards. The fortuitous stretch coincided with Mike Evans and Chris Godwin being sidelined, which catapulted Perriman into the starting lineup. He responded with three consecutive 100-yard games. They were the first of his career, which began in Baltimore and continued in Cleveland before last year's mini-breakout with the Bucs.

Wolfe: Ravens can have NFL's 'best defensive line'
Baltimore swung a trade for All-Pro defensive linemen Calais Campbell, applied the franchise tag to Matthew Judon and his 9.5 sacks, and then attempted to sign defensive lineman Michael Brockers away from the Rams. When the Brockers acquisition fell through following a physical, Baltimore rebounded by snatching free-agent edge rusher Derek Wolfe off the market.

O'Brien: Hopkins trade was in Texans' 'best interest'
Johnson's bloated contract and lack of star-like production in his last three seasons made him appear more like an albatross in this trade than an asset, but as O'Brien made clear above, the Texans view him as a potentially helpful addition. The other part of the trade, though -- a second-round pick and a 2021 fourth-round pick -- for a four-time All-Pro receiver in his prime made it appear more like a lopsided swap.