Bengals Told Bradley Roby They'd Draft Him In 2014
- The Bengals told current Broncos cornerback Bradley Roby that he’d be their pick at No. 24 in the 2014 draft, but that changed after Roby was charged with OVI, as Roby explains to Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post. Cincinnati instead chose Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard, a choice that — at least through three seasons — was clearly the incorrect choice. While Roby has played well as Denver’s third corner after being selected 31st overall in ’14, Dennard has struggled to get on the field in the Queen City. A fitting conclusion to the tale? Vance Joseph, now the Broncos head coach, was the Bengals defensive backs coach in 2014 who promised Roby he wouldn’t fall past pick No. 24.
Bengals Sign Cameron Lee
- The Bengals have signed guard Cameron Lee, the club announced today. Lee went undrafted earlier this year out of Illinois State after playing in 39 games during his collegiate career. After originally signing with the Saints as a UDFA, Lee was waived earlier this month. He’ll compete with Christian Westerman, T.J. Johnson, J.J. Dielman, and Trey Hopkins for playing time as an interior reserve.
Bengals Not Sweating Lewis' Future
- There’s a lot of chatter about coach Marvin Lewis‘ future with the Bengals, but the players aren’t necessarily dwelling on it. “He doesn’t talk about contracts. He doesn’t talk about his situation,” quarterback Andy Dalton said (via Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer) . “It’s all about having a good year. So, the guys aren’t thinking about that.” While Bengals players say they are focused on winning rather than saving Lewis’ job, every player quoted in the story had positive things to say about the coach.
Bengals Wrap Up Draft Class
The Bengals have signed third round pick Jordan Willis, according to a team announcement. With the defensive end signed, the Bengals now have all eleven members of their draft class under contract. 
Willis, a former standout at Kansas State, had 11.5 sacks in his final season on campus. Now with the Bengals, the 2016 Big 12 defensive player of the year figures to contribute as a reserve behind starting bookends Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap. Will Clarke, Wallace Gilberry, and trade acquisition Chris Smith are also on the DE depth chart. Willis, who has been widely praised for his versatility, may also see time at outside linebacker.
Here’s the full rundown of the Bengals’ draft class:
- 1-9: John Ross, WR (Washington): (story)
- 2-48: Joe Mixon, RB (Oklahoma): (story)
- 3-73: Jordan Willis, DE (Kansas State)
- 4-116: Carl Lawson, DE (Auburn)
- 4-128: Josh Malone, WR (Tennessee)
- 4-138: Ryan Glasgow, DT (Michigan)
- 5-153: Jake Elliott, K (Memphis)
- 5-176: J.J. Dielman, OL (Utah)
- 6-193: Jordan Evans, LB (Oklahoma)
- 6-207: Brandon Wilson, S (Houston)
- 7-251: Mason Schreck, TE (Buffalo)
Bengals Sign Fifth-Rounder J.J. Dielman
- The Bengals announced that they’ve signed fifth-round pick J.J. Dielman, the 176th selection in this year’s draft. With the former Utah interior offensive lineman under contract, the Bengals have now locked up 10 of their 11 picks. Only third-round defensive end Jordan Willis is without a deal.
Bengals Sign Rookie RB Joe Mixon
Joe Mixon is officially a member of the Bengals. The team announced that the running back has inked his four-year rookie deal. 
[RELATED: Why The Bengals Are A Fit For TE Gary Barnidge]
From a talent perspective, Mixon was one of the best running backs available in this year’s class. However, his baggage dragged him further down the boards of several teams and completely off the board for some. Mixon, of course, was caught on video striking a woman while on campus at Oklahoma. Mixon and the woman reached a civil settlement one week before the draft, but that was not enough to quell the concerns of teams around the league. Ultimately, the Bengals took a chance on Mixon at No. 48 overall.
“In making our decision, we took a risk. In this case, the risk has an upside as well as a downside,” Bengals owner Mike Brown said. “We believe Joe has put this behind him and that he can turn into the player and community member that creates a plus for Cincinnati. We are going to do everything in our power to make this happen. Our hope is that time will prove that this opportunity is deserved, and perhaps – if given a chance – Joe can write a chapter in Cincinnati sports history that both he and Cincinnati can be proud of.”
Without the off-field concerns, Mixon would have been a mortal lock for the first round. In 2016, Mixon rushed for 1,274 yards and ten touchdowns on the ground for the Sooners, adding another 538 yards and five scores in the passing game.
Mixon is the ninth of the Bengals’ eleven draft picks to sign. Third round defensive end Jordan Willis and fifth round offensive lineman J.J. Dielman are the remaining stragglers.
Top 8 Fits For Free Agent TE Gary Barnidge
Gary Barnidge was a relative no-name until the 2015 season, when — at age 30 — the 6’5″ tight end broke out for 79 receptions, 1,043 receiving yards, and nine touchdowns. Each of those totals were career-highs for Barnidge, and his yardage figure was the eight-highest single-season total for a tight end since 2010. The 2016 campaign wasn’t quite as fruitful for Barnidge, but he still managed 55 catches for 612 yards, solid numbers for a tight end in a weak Browns offense.
There are certainly question marks that could lead a team to not pursue Barnidge. Chief among them is probably his age, as Barnidge is set to enter his age-32 season. That could conceivably make him an injury risk, although he’s appeared in all 32 possible games over the past two years. Bardidge’s blocking prowess is also a concern, as he ranked 50th out of 63 qualified tight ends in run blocking efficiency last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
Still, Barnidge offers excellent receiving ability and should come relatively cheap. It’s tough to see Barnidge topping the $5MM and $5.3MM annual salaries earned by fellow tight ends Vernon Davis and Jared Cook respectively, and he likely won’t command a multi-year deal. So which NFL teams could possibly employ Barnidge in his 10th pro season? Let’s take a look…
Atlanta Falcons
Austin Hooper, the Falcons’ third-round pick in 2016, posted 271 receiving yards during his rookie campaign. That lowly figure was somehow the second-highest yardage total by an Atlanta tight end since Tony Gonzalez retired at the end of the 2013 season. Yes, the Falcons’ offense was the best in the NFL by a wide margin last year, but the unit could continue its dominance by adding another element at tight end. New offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian has never worked with an elite tight end (not counting his one-game stint as O.J. Howard‘s OC at Alabama, Sarkisian’s best TE pupil was Austin Seferian-Jenkins), so it’s unclear if he can develop young options such as Hooper and 2017 fifth-rounder Eric Saubert. A veteran such as Barnidge would allow those youthful players to grow by lessening their responsibilities, at least for the upcoming season.
Buffalo Bills
The Bills were the first stop on Barnidge’s free agent tour following his release by the Browns, so Buffalo clearly has some level of interest. Charles Clay is currently atop the Bills’ tight end depth chart, but he hasn’t been worth the five-year, $38MM deal Buffalo gave him prior to the 2015 season. Despite being the fifth-highest-paid tight end in the league, Clay has finished just 12th in approximate value since joining the Bills. Buffalo is stuck with him through at least 2018, as a 2016 contract restructure makes release unpalatable. Clay is a much better run blocker than Barnidge, so the latter would be able to play as a move tight end in the Bills’ offense. Given that Buffalo is fielding one of the league’s worst wide receiving groups, the club needs all the weapons it can get.
Carolina Panthers
After visiting with the Bills, Barnidge indicated he might take a meeting with the Panthers, and although it’s unclear if that visit ever took place, it stands to reason Carolina is still eyeing a tight end addition. Greg Olsen, clearly, is the No. 1 option for the Panthers, but the team’s depth at the position is shockingly sparse. Linked to a number of tight ends during the predraft process, Carolina ultimately stood pat, leaving only Ed Dickson and Chris Manhertz behind Olsen. Dickson, for his part, is essentially a non-factor in the receiving game and isn’t a great blocker — the Panthers could release him with a minimal dead cap charge. Barnidge spent the first four years of his career in Carolina, and a homecoming would make a lot of sense.
Cincinnati Bengals
Unquestionably one of the league’s more talented tight ends when healthy, Tyler Eifert just can’t seem to stay on the field. He’s never appeared in all 16 games, and has missed more than eight games in two of the past three seasons. Eifert’s 52-reception, 13-touchdown 2015 campaign showed him at his best, but he simply can’t be relied on. And the Bengals’ backup options are lackluster, as well, as C.J. Uzomah (25 catches, 234 yards) and Tyler Kroft (10, 92) struggled when asked to fill in for Eifert last season. Cincinnati has already bolstered its offense this offseason by adding wide receiver John Ross and running back Joe Mixon, and Barnidge would give the club another target and (much-needed) depth.
Denver Broncos
Denver has reached out to Barnidge in recent days, and the Broncos have a level of familiarity with Barnidge given that many of their coaches — notably offensive coordinator Mike McCoy and tight ends coach Jeff Davidson — worked with Barnidge in Carolina. While the tight end position isn’t quite the integral position in McCoy’s offense that it was in former head coach Gary Kubiak‘s, Denver still needs an infusion of talent at the position. The selection Jake Butt, of course, marked the initial step in the Broncos’ tight end revamp, but the former Michigan Wolverine may not be ready for Week 1 as he recovers from a torn ACL. Barnidge would instantly become Denver’s No. 1 tight end if signed, although head coach Vance Joseph said he’s currently pleased with the Broncos’ tight end group, tweets Nicki Jhabvala of the Denver Post.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Like the Panthers, the Jaguars may try to set up a visit with Barnidge, and Barnidge confirmed that he has in fact heard from the Jacksonville staff. The Jaguars parted ways with free agent bust Julius Thomas this offseason, shipping him to Miami for a late-round pick, but the club’s only addition at the position was the signing of former Raider Mychal Rivera, who hasn’t topped 300 yards receiving since 2014. Incumbent Marcedes Lewis continues to strike new deals with the Jaguars (the latest a three-year, $12MM pact) despite last being productive at the turn of the decade, so Barnidge would represent an immediate upgrade for quarterback Blake Bortles & Co.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings may have landed a draft steal in Virginia Tech Bucky Hodges, who was projected to come off the board on Day 2 but lasted until the sixth round. Still, Hodges is more an oversized wideout than a typical tight end, as Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote in Hodges’ predraft profile. No. 1 tight end Kyle Rudolph posted the best season of his career in 2016, as he hauled in 83 passes for 840 yards, so Barnidge would clearly be the No. 2 in Minnesota. Given quarterback Sam Bradford‘s proclivity for the short passing game, adding another tight end who can play over the middle wouldn’t be a bad idea.
Pittsburgh Steelers
After releasing Ladarius Green last week, the Steelers appear set to roll with Jesse James, Xavier Grimble, and TE/FB David Johnson at tight end for the 2017 season. Pittsburgh didn’t address the position during the draft, which could mean the club is content with its current options. James, specifically, posted a nice season last year (39 receptions, 338 yards), but it’s hard to argue that he’s true No. 1 tight end for a contending team. Clearly, with Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell, and (hopefully) Martavis Bryant in the fold, the Steelers don’t exactly need a dynamic weapon at tight end, but Barnidge would give the Steelers a veteran option for at least one year.
Latest On Giovani Bernard
- Bengals running back Giovani Bernard is expected to be a limited participant at OTAs, according to Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com (on Twitter). Bernard suffered a torn ACL in November and is still on the mend. In ten games last year, Bernard ran for 337 yards off of 91 carries and added 39 receptions for 336 yards.
Bengals Sign Josh Malone
- The Bengals announced that they’ve signed signed fourth-round wide receiver Josh Malone. Malone, a Tennessee product, was the second pass-catcher selected by Cincinnati in the draft, following No. 9 overall pick John Ross. While Ross figures to play a large role during his rookie campaign (and perhaps even immediately serve as a starter), Malone will begin the 2017 campaign further down the depth chart. A.J. Green, Brandon LaFell, Ross, and Tyler Boyd all figure to see ample playing time, so Malone will compete with Cody Core, Alex Erickson, and Jake Kumerow for snaps.
Bengals CB Adam Jones Enters Guilty Plea
On Tuesday, Bengals cornerback Adam Jones pleaded guilty to obstructing official business in an incident that took place in early January. Meanwhile, the judge dismissed more serious charges against the player formerly known as Pacman, meaning that he will avoid serious jail time. 
[RELATED: Bengals Sign First-Round Pick John Ross]
“I truly apologize for what I did, my actions. I’m trying to get better every day,” Jones said (Twitter link via Terry Helmer of WCPO).
Initially, Jones was charged with three misdemeanors and a felony after a late-night dustup. The cornerback allegedly assaulted a man by “pushing and poking” him in the eye. Then, he refused to stop when ordered to and he refused to enter the cop car as he kicked and head-butted officers. Then, when he arrived at jail, he allegedly spit on a nurse, which landed him the felony charge of “harassment of a member of the medical staff in the justice center with a bodily substance.” Despite all of that, Jones was sentenced only to time served, which amounted to two days in jail.
Jones is pretty much in the clear when it comes to legal ramifications, but it seems likely that he will face discipline from the league office. Bengals GM Mike Brown indicated back in March that the team will stand by the embattled veteran.