Bengals News (7/7): Leading the way

Bengals safety Jessie Bates III has a big leadership opportunity in 2021
"I've been here for three years now and I think Coach (Zac) Taylor is doing a good job of mixing things up," Bates said at the conclusion of mandatory minicamp. "The main part for us was getting those new guys up to speed. That's why we decided to come in. The guys that we brought in are very intelligent. I know that they ran a couple of different things from where they came from, but how fast they picked it up and them asking questions is the main part of us installing."

Bengals: Stat illustrates how underrated Bengals WR Tyler Boyd is
Boyd, quietly one of the NFL’s better slot players, stepped in as the No. 1 option with A.J. Green struggling in recent years and excelled, including consecutive 1,000-yard seasons.

Cincinnati Bengals fans won't like a recent take on Trey Hendrickson
There’s a tendency among NFL fans, Cincinnati Bengals fans included, to overreact to what they’ve just seen. Guys who have a good game or two are talked about like they’re one of the best at their position. Young prospects that need time to develop and aren’t quite where they need to be yet ‘suck’. What do you expect when we live in a microwave society where people are spoiled and don’t want to wait on things anymore?

Bengals: Three 1,000-yard WRs? Bengals have the best kind of problem
The Cincinnati Bengals have one of the best problems a team could have — everybody seems to agree the offense can put up wicked numbers, but nobody can figure out who does what.

Trae Waynes injury history and updates
The Cincinnati Bengals were elated to land Trae Waynes in 2020 free agency but unfortunately, the excitement ended late in the summer when Waynes was injured and forced to miss the entire season. This was a devastating blow to the Bengals’ secondary but fortunately, Waynes’ injury history isn’t concerning despite missing the entire 2020 season.

1 Really cool Cincinnati Bengals, Tour de France parallel
First, let’s start with the most well-known of the Tour de France prizes, the Yellow Jersey, of course. It goes to the best overall rider. In this, Cincinnati Bengals edition of the Tour de France, the man standing at the top of the podium is Jessie Bates. As of now, Bates is the only Bengals player who can be considered one of, if not the best, at his position in the NFL.

Around the league

2021 NFL season: Which NFL fan base most deserves a Super Bowl title?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a Super Bowl title in February thanks to a dominant defensive effort and a no-nonsense quarterback in Tom Brady, who has seven rings to his name. While the franchise celebrated its second championship, there are 12 NFL franchises that have yet to win one.

2021 NFL season: One potential first-time Pro Bowler from each AFC team
It's all about how Dobbins closed his rookie adventure. After receiving just 25 totes in September and October, the former Ohio State star put up 651 of his 805 yards down the stretch while finishing with the league's highest yards-per-carry mark (6.0) among qualified running backs. An ideal fit in Baltimore's RPO rushing express, Dobbins offers elite vision; powerful, knifing legs that can turn on the jets; and college proof as a receiver. He'll grow in that pass-catching role come autumn and deserves mention as a dark-horse candidate to lead the NFL in touchdowns.

Derek Carr's 'plan' to recruit Davante Adams: Raiders win Super Bowl over Packers, then sign WR
"Davante, he's one of my best friends," Carr said, via Pro Football Talk. "I'm gonna offer him whatever I gotta offer. I'll buy him a car, whatever I've got to do I'll offer that man. I know he would fit in great with the receivers we have here. He would fit so well in that room. I'm allowed to say those things. Our organization isn't, but I'm going to say it. He's my best friend, I think he's one of the best -- he's the best receiver in the NFL."

WR N'Keal Harry formally requests trade from Patriots
"For the past several months, I have been working in cooperation with the Patriots behind the scenes to put a plan in place to allow N'Keal to thrive in New England," Tooson said in the statement obtained by NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. "Through two seasons, he has 86 targets, which obviously hasn't met the expectations the Patriots and N'Keal had when they drafted a dominant downfield threat who was virtually unstoppable at the point of attack in college. Following numerous conversations with the Patriots, I believe it's time for a fresh start and best for both parties if N'Keal moves on before the start of training camp. That is why I have informed the Patriots today I am formally requesting a trade on behalf of my client.