Bengals News (5/31): Ballin’

Bengals Booth Podcast: Interviews with Xavier Su'a-Filo and Al Golden
It's the "A Change Would Do You Good" edition of the Bengals Booth Podcast as we visit with two people who have changed teams this year: Offensive lineman Xavier Su'a-Filo and linebackers coach Al Golden.

Catch-anything style of Bengals' Tee Higgins rooted in hoops background
He walked into the gym for an exhibition game before the start of Oak Ridge's senior season in 2016. After three years of playing varsity for the Tennessee high school, he didn't intend to play his final year. The wide receiver's future was already sealed as a Clemson recruit. He watched from the bleachers.

Bengals rookie Joe Burrow went out of comfort zone
Doing the right thing is significant when you’re the newly minted face of a franchise, in a league that has done what it could to silence those who speak, without having yet signed a contract and with endorsement riches on the line.

Bengals' Joe Burrow, Dolphins' Brian Flores among reaction to George Floyd killing
Cincinnati Bengals rookie quarterback Joe Burrow was among the notable athletes to speak out Friday in the wake of George Floyd's death while in police custody Monday in Minneapolis, saying the "black community needs our help."

Xavier Su'a-Filo excited to play for Bengals, believes he'll have success at right guard
"You have to take it," Su'a-Filo said when asked about the starting job on the Bengals Booth Podcast. "Everything's earned that way and I know that it's not going to be easy ever coming in to a new place with a new system with other players to complete. That's what I'm planning to do and I'm very, very excited."

Is Carlos Dunlap the most underrated player on the Cincinnati Bengals?
In a slap fight with Geno Atkins for the all-time franchise sack mark, Dunlap has been a rock for the Bengals since 2010 when he broke onto the scene with 9.5 sacks.

Top 5 "What if they hadn't gotten injured?" players in Bengals history
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Earlier this week Yahoo Sports published a story on former Bengals cornerback Charles Fisher transitioning into becoming a successful sports agent after having his NFL career cut short by a devastating knee injury in his first ever NFL regular-season game.

Cincinnati Bengals: All AFC North offense heading into 2020
As the prospect of a season draws ever more imminent, optimism is present amongst football fans during these trying times, especially for the Cincinnati Bengals. The amount of smack talking appears to have been more common than usual between AFC North teams on social media. Most notably, Tyler Boyd quote tweeted a debate of Baker Mayfield and OBJ vs Burrow & Green in favor of the latter, stating it wasn’t even close. Who wins matchups like these across the division?

Around the league

NFL community reacts to death of George Floyd
A growing number of NFL players around the country are speaking out on social media about the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who pleaded for air as a white Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck earlier this week.

Browns DC: Myles Garrett 'is in a good place'
In the aftermath of Garrett sustaining a suspension for hitting Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph with a helmet, the former No. 1 pick has been reinstated. In the time Woods has had to get to know Garrett, he believes the three-year pro has his head in the right place.

George Kittle, 49ers not close at all on contract extension
Still on his rookie deal, the San Francisco 49ers TE has yet to be paid like it though. Entering the final season of that four-year contract and set to make around $2.13 million in 2020, 35th at the position behind MyCole Pruitt and Marcedes Lewis, Kittle is expected to be extended in short order.

Baker Mayfield will bounce back; plus, five most improved units
Baker Mayfield is entering what could be a make-or-break season playing for his fourth different head coach and offensive coordinator since joining the Cleveland Browns as the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft. The circumstances are not ideal, but I believe the third-year pro is positioned to enjoy the best season of his career in an offense that should help him bounce back from a disappointing sophomore campaign.

State of the Franchise: Can talented Cardinals roster mesh on the field?
The Cardinals made some bold moves prior to last season, giving up on Steve Wilks and Josh Rosen after only one year and bringing in Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. It was an exciting offseason for the franchise. The Cardinals improved to 5-10-1 in 2019, which might not seem like anything to celebrate, but it was a positive development for a team coming off a brutal 3-13 campaign. So, yeah, the change needed to happen after '18. It's like when The Office totally revamped Michael Scott's character after one season when they got rid of the ill-fitting shirts and slicked back hair. That's basically what the Cardinals did last offseason.