Tyler Eifert Nearly Full-Go For Bengals
- Darqueze Dennard will not participate in near-future Bengals workouts due to having undergone knee surgery earlier this offseason. The operation occurred between the time Dennard re-signed with the Bengals and their offseason program, and Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com notes the team was aware the cornerback needed this arthroscopic procedure done upon re-signing him. The current hope is the slot corner returns for Cincinnati’s minicamp next month.
- Conversely, Tyler Eifert has been participating in the Bengals’ offseason activities thus far. The injury-prone (perhaps putting it mildly) tight end said he’s “doing pretty much everything” during Bengals workouts, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. Eifert’s latest injury interruption came when he suffered an ugly broken ankle early last season. He underwent surgery in October. Despite the spree of setbacks, the former first-round pick stands to be (if healthy) the Bengals’ top receiving tight end.
- Third-year Bengals defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow expects to be cleared to return by training camp, Dehner adds. The 2017 fourth-round pick tore his ACL in Week 3 of last season. Pro Football Focus offered a strong endorsement of Glasgow’s brief 2018 work sample, though it was cut short after just 92 snaps.
Bengals Waive LB Brandon Bell
Brandon Bell‘s tenure with the Bengals has come to an end. ESPN’s Katherine Terrell reports (via Twitter) that the organization has waived the linebacker. Cincy also cut wideout Charles Holland, and they’ve added a trio of undrafted tryout players: wideout Ventell Bryant (Temple), linebacker Noah Dawkins (The Citadel), and linebacker Sterling Sheffield (Maine).
Bell joined the Bengals as an undrafted free agent out of Penn State back in 2017, and he proceeded to appear in nine games for Cincy over his two years with the organization. He appeared in a career-high six games this past season, compiling four tackles. The 24-year-old was waived last offseason before landing on the team’s practice squad, so there could still be some hope that Bell will rejoin the organization.
Holland was one of three undrafted wideouts to join the Bengals earlier this week. The Tiffin product had another productive season in 2018, hauling in 77 receptions for 976 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Bryant will seemingly be taking Holland’s spot on the roster. The Temple product had another standout season in 2018, compiling 51 receptions for 690 yards and three scores. Meanwhile, the Bengals brought in a pair of linebackers to replace Bell. Dawkins set a school record with 23 sacks in 2018, while Sheffield completed his senior season with 8.5 sacks.
AFC Draft Pick Signings: 5/10/19
The latest 2019 draft pick signings from around the AFC:
- The Jets agreed to terms with two more rookies, signing fifth round linebacker Blake Cashman and sixth round cornerback Blessaun Austin. Cashman had 104 tackles at Minnesota last year, including 15 for a loss. He earned a second-team All-Big Ten selection for his work last year. Only third overall pick Quinnen Williams and third-rounders Jachai Polite and Chuma Edoga remain unsigned for New York.
- The Chargers inked two more players to their rookie deals, signing fifth round quarterback Easton Stick and fourth round linebacker Drue Tranquill. Stick, a North Dakota State product, was highly productive as a runner in college and many analysts projected a potential position change in the pros. That being said, the Chargers have said they plan on keeping Stick at quarterback. Tranquill is now wrapped up, and the Chargers can hopefully get his Notre Dame teammate, Jerry Tillery, signed soon. Most of the Chargers’ draft class remains unsigned as they just inked their first player earlier today.
- The Bengals signed a crop of five players, representing half of their class. They wrapped up fourth-rounders Renell Wren and Michael Jordan, sixth round running backs Trayveon Williams and Rodney Anderson, and seventh round cornerback Jordan Brown. Jordan, a Miami product, has some potential upside and could help replenish Cincinnati’s secondary. Williams, from Texas A&M, and Anderson, from Oklahoma, will be battling it out for a role behind Joe Mixon in the Bengals’ backfield. Anderson used to be seen as one of the nation’s top running backs, but injuries have derailed his career. This draft class will always be a monumental one for the Bengals, as it represents the first year of the post-Marvin Lewis era.
Bengals Sign 10 Undrafted Free Agents
The Bengals are the latest NFL team to announce their crop of undrafted college free agents. Cincinnati has agreed to sign the following 10 players:
- Curtis Akins, LB (Memphis)
- Anthony Chesley, CB (Coastal Carolina)
- Jake Dolegala, QB (Central Connecticut State)
- O’Shea Dugas, OL (Louisiana Tech)
- Jordan Ellis, RB (Virginia)
- Charles Holland, WR (Tiffin)
- Tyree Kinnel, S (Michigan)
- Stanley Morgan, WR (Nebraska)
- Keaton Sutherland, OL (Texas A&M)
- Damion Willis, WR (Troy)
Morgan is probably the most interesting name on the list, as many prognosticators believed he could come off the board at some point on Day 3. Over his final two seasons at Nebraska, Morgan averaged 995 yards receiving and eight touchdowns. The Bengals didn’t add a wide receiver with any of their 10 draft picks, so Morgan has a good shot to compete with the likes of Cody Core and Auden Tate for the fifth receiver role on Cincinnati’s roster.
Minor NFL Transactions: 5/7/19
Here are Tuesday’s minor moves, with the list being updated throughout the night:
Cincinnati Bengals
- Claimed off waivers from Browns: RB Darrin Hall
Cleveland Browns
- Waived: CB Ashton Lampkin, LB Xavier Woodson-Luster
Kansas City Chiefs
- Signed: WR Rashard Davis, RB Marcus Marshall, DB Herb Miller, DB Andrew Soroh
- Waived: WR Andre Lindsey, S Leon McQuay, DB Dakari Monroe
- Waived/injured: WR Jamire Jordan
Minnesota Vikings
- Waived: S Jordan Martin
New Orleans Saints
- Signed: WR Deonta Harris
Philadelphia Eagles
- Waived: DB Mercy Maston
Tennessee Titans
- Waived: WR Roger Lewis
Bengals Attempted To Trade Up For OL
With their first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Bengals addressed the offensive line by taking Alabama product Jonah Williams at No. 11. They attempted to do the same by trading up in the second round when a handful of projected first-round offensive linemen slipped, but nothing came to fruition, Bengals.com writer Geoff Hobson writes.
According to Hobson, the team couldn’t make a deal to draft Jawaan Taylor, Cody Ford or Greg Little, all of whom went in the first six picks of the second round, because it coveted its fourth-round picks.
“They tried trading up in the second round for one of those first-round offensive lineman that slid. But they were also adamant. They coveted one of those guys, but they were holding on to their fourth-rounder. And later their fifth. They came into the draft believing the fourth round was where they could make some hay,” Hobson writes.
Cincinnati ended up with three picks in the fourth round, and used those selections on NC State quarterback Ryan Finley, Arizona State defensive tackle Renell Wren and Ohio State guard Michael Jordan.
Without making that move, the Bengals offensive line projects to feature Williams at right tackle, with Cordy Glenn on the opposite side, Clint Boling and John Miller at guard, and 2018 first-round pick Billy Price at center.
Cowboys Trade No. 136 To Bengals
The Bengals have acquired No. 136 from the Cowboys, reports Marisa Contipelli of Bengals.com (via Twitter). Cincinnati will send Dallas No. 149 and No. 213.
The Bengals have used their pick on Ohio State center Michael Jordan. Not to be confused with the NBA legend nor the dude who was in Black Panther, this Jordan started 14 games for the Buckeyes this past season. In 2016, Jordan was the first Ohio State freshman to start on the offensive line since Orlando Pace.
Bengals 2018 first-rounder Billy Price earned All-Rookie honors this past season, so it’s unlikely that Jordan sees much time at center. The rookie could move to one of the guard spots, a position he played early on during his Ohio State tenure.
49ers Trade No. 104 To Bengals
The Bengals have acquired pick No. 104 from the 49ers, reports Matt Maiocco NBC Sports Bay Area (via Twitter). The 49ers acquired a third-rounder (No. 110) and a pair of sixth-rounders (No. 183, No. 198).
The Bengals will use the pick on NC State quarterback Ryan Finley. Following two seasons with Boise State, Finley had the opportunity to start for NC State over the past three seasons. He finished the 2018 campaign having completed 67.4-percent of his passes for 3,928 yards, 25 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
Finley shouldn’t supplant Andy Dalton for playing time, but he should at least push the veteran. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport notes that Finley was the only quarterback prospect the Bengals hosted during the pre-draft process.
Draft Notes: Bills, Jaguars, Bengals
The Bills selected Oklahoma offensive tackle Cody Ford in the second round, but it sounds like the team was willing to take him even earlier. ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweets that Buffalo tried to trade back into the first round in order to draft Ford. Ultimately, the price proved to be “too rich.”
As we mentioned, the Bills still managed to land Ford at No. 38. The leaves the Bills with 14 offensive lineman on their current roster, so the team will surely have some intriguing competitions come training camp. The team has added five free agent linemen this offseason in Mitch Morse, Spencer Long, Ty Nsekhe, Jon Feliciano, and LaAdrian Waddle.
Let’s check out some more notes from around the NFL…
- Offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor was expected to be a top-10 pick, but he ended up falling to the Jaguars at No. 35. NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets that Taylor fell because of medical concerns, as teams were wary of the Florida product’s meniscus issue. Fortunately, Rapoport says the issue isn’t “structural.”
- The Jaguars shocked most pundits when they selected Murray State linebacker Quincy Williams in the third round last night. As Michael David Smith of ProFootballTalk.com points out, Williams (who is the brother of third-overall pick Quinnen Williams) wasn’t among the 400 players scouted by NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah, nor was he on the list of 730 prospects compiled by The Athletics’ Arif Hasan. The linebacker wasn’t invited to the Combine and Murray State didn’t have a Pro Day, leading Williams to assume he was going to go undrafted. “For me coming from a small school and didn’t get a combine invite, yeah, I kind of did,” Williams said. “Then I had to go to Pro Day somewhere else, so most people thought I was a safety or a smaller linebacker, so yeah it was a thought in my mind. But then I know my abilities, and I believe in myself.”
- The Bengals used the 11th-overall pick on Alabama offensive tackle Jonah Williams, leading some to wonder what would happen with Cordy Glenn. As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Cincinnati Enquirer points out (on Twitter), the veteran has started every snap of his career at left tackle, but he may be forced to move to right tackle or left guard. Furthermore, he gave up the most pressures and earned the worst Pro Football Focus grade of his career in 2018. Dehner ultimately wonders if a position change could rejuvenate the 29-year-old’s career.
Broncos Trade Up For Drew Lock
The Broncos will be making back-to-back picks in Round 2. They will send the Bengals two late-round picks to do so.
Denver will ship Cincinnati fourth- and sixth-round picks, along with No. 52 overall, to move into position to go back-to-back. After choosing Kansas State offensive lineman Dalton Risner with the No. 41 overall selection, the Broncos traded up to take Drew Lock.
Linked to the Missouri-developed quarterback before their Joe Flacco trade, the Broncos indeed made the move. Mentioned by many to be headed to the Broncos at No. 10 overall, the four-year college starter will head to Denver as Flacco’s backup 32 picks later. The Broncos moved ahead of the Dolphins, Lions and Packers — who each visited with Lock — in this deal.
While Flacco lost his job to 2018 No. 32 overall pick Lamar Jackson, the Broncos may be eyeing a longer-term developmental project by getting Lock here. John Elway mentioned the 2020 quarterback crop. A second-round quarterback investment this year probably doesn’t remove the Broncos from that discussion, but Lock’s development will now heavily factor into their decision on that front.
Lock completed a career-high 63 percent of his throws last season, and as a junior in 2017, the Kansas City, Mo., native threw 44 touchdown passes. Certainly, this will put Flacco — who has no guaranteed money left on his deal — under far more pressure than it appeared he would be coming into Round 2.