Bengals News (4/4): Prepare for the bright lights

Bengals Appear To Be Primed Again As NFL Closes In On Next Month's Schedule Release
"I would expect them to be pretty close to maxed out in terms of their prime-time appearances," said North last week in a hotel lobby at the NFL spring meeting in Phoenix, Ariz., as he offered a glimpse at how the Bengals shape up in front of the schedule-makers.

8 free agents who should interest Bengals before the draft
At this stage of the open market, that’s a trend that could certainly continue if and when the Bengals seek out better depth at some notable positions. With a few notable exceptions, many of the names left might settle for minimum deals either before or after the draft.

Report: 'Process Is Underway' On Cincinnati Bengals Quarterback Joe Burrow's Contract Extension
"The process is underway," Fowler said on the show. He noted the team plans "to do this early, just three years into his rookie deal, to try to spread out that salary-cap hit."

3 ways Joe Burrow can get even better for the Bengals in 2023: Film Review
Unfortunately for the Bengals, Burrow has been pressured on 1/3 of his drop backs since 2020. But with the offseason addition of Orlando Brown Jr., the former LSU star could put up staggering numbers in 2023.

Joe Burrow, Bengals reportedly agreed on a 'vow of silence' in contract talks
Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly agreed on a 'vow of silence' as it pertains to their contract talks. The 2020 No. 1 pick is not the only QB due for an extension. Other members of the 2020 class include Justin Herbert and Jalen Hurts. Emmanuel Acho shares his suggestion to the 2020 class, including Lamar Jackson (2018 class), which is to get together and go the 'favored nations' route, which means each QB would all agree to get the same pay, etc.

3 ways Bengals have helped Joe Burrow in 2023 offseason
The move that helped Burrow the most was signing Orlando Brown Jr. to take over at left tackle. This was a surprising move for Cincinnati because there hadn't been anything linking the two together and let's be honest -- The Bengals don't usually make these kind of moves.

Bengals nearly fall out of top 5 in new power rankings
The Bengals made another splash to protect QB Joe Burrow this year, signing Orlando Brown Jr. to a four-year, $64,092,000 contract. While the league has clearly made a statement that they don’t view Brown as an elite left tackle, Cincinnati gets great value on a very good player — Brown has five straight seasons with a pass-block grade of 73.5 or better and has played over 1,000 snaps in four straight years.

Bengals NFL Mock Draft 5.0: Michael Mayer added at TE, bulking up on defense
"Expectations for Mayer are exactly what you’d expect for a tight end discussed as a potential top half of the first round player at the position: he’s going to win both as a blocker and as a receiver and should quickly become a trusted target for his quarterback. Mayer should be a staple on the roster across multiple contracts for the team that drafts him. "

Around the league

2023 NFL Draft: Five Round 1 trades that would make sense
Many deals for top-10 picks in recent drafts have happened in the weeks leading up to the event rather than while teams are on the clock. The Jets moved from the No. 6 overall pick to No. 3 overall a month before the 2018 NFL Draft (they ultimately chose Sam Darnold). The 49ers and Dolphins completed swaps in March 2021 (San Francisco traded places with Miami to move from No. 12 to No. 3, then Miami traded with Philadelphia to jump back to No. 6) to bring in a quarterback (Trey Lance) and elite pass-catcher (Jaylen Waddle) in that year's draft, respectively.

2023 Graybeards: A team of the NFL's best remaining free agents, age 30 or older
Here's your annual reminder that the Graybeards are so much more than your basic "Best Remaining Free Agents!" article. This is about the human condition, people. We place our focus on NFL veterans who have aged out of the desired demographic of most team builders. To be a Graybeard, you must be 30 or older -- either now or by the end of the 2023 season.

Georgia DT Jalen Carter visiting Bears; won't visit teams without top-10 draft pick
Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter, one of the most talented prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, is only taking visits to teams holding one of the draft's top 10 selections, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Monday, citing Carter's agent, Drew Rosenhaus.