Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton took to Twitter to congratulate teammate Vontaze Burfict on his new contract. “Congrats to @King55Tez on the extension! Well deserved! #whodey #letsroar.” The linebacker tacked another three years on his contract, keeping him in Cincy through 2017. Here’s more from the #AFCNorth..
- Burfict is now in the “show me” phase of his career after agreeing to a four-year, $20MM extension earlier today with the Bengals, writes Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. Once this deal ends for Burfict at the ripe age of 28, he’ll have more leverage when negotiating his third contract. Combine that with the steady increase in salary-cap money teams will soon have, and Burfict could really cash in on his next pact.
- In a piece for ESPN Insider (subscription required), Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders turned in his top ten impact rookies for 2014. While big names like Johnny Manziel and Jadeveon Clowney are on the list, day three offensive lineman Russell Bodine of the Bengals also made the cut. The former UNC center will be starting and must learn the intricate system of audible calls and line checks in Hue Jackson’s offense.
- Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review looks at what the signing of Brett Keisel really means for the Steelers.