Bengals Sign Andrew Billings
- The Bengals signed fourth-round defensive tackle Andrew Billings, as Wilson tweets. In related news, the team signed fullback Andrew Bonnet and waived-injured kicker Jonathan Brown.
Bengals To Work Out Dwight Freeney
WEDNESDAY, 6:31am: Freeney is visiting and taking a physical with the Bengals today, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
TUESDAY, 9:44am: One of the most prominent free agents remaining on the board could be getting closer to finding his NFL home for 2016. The Bengals are scheduled to work out longtime Colts outside linebacker Dwight Freeney this week, a league source told Coley Harvey of ESPN.com. 
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Freeney spent roughly a third of the 2015 season at home, waiting until the Cardinals called in October to get back on an NFL field. In his 11-game season, Freeney made a larger-than-expected impact for Arizona, racking up 8 sacks, his highest total since 2011. At this stage of his career, Freeney is a situational pass rusher, but he is an extremely effective one. Impressively, Freeney set that watermark without having started a single game and he did it on a paltry prorated $970K salary.
The Bengals watched veteran pass-rusher Wallace Gilberry join up with the Lions in free agency this spring, so they are looking into their options in that category. Gilberry signed a modest one-year, $1.75MM deal with Detroit and it stands to reason that Freeney could agree to something in that range, though perhaps with incentives that would boost the value of the contract. The Bengals already have another ex-Cardinals veteran in their front seven after signing Karlos Dansby to a one-year, $2MM deal.
Freeney has said that he would like to return to the Cardinals for this upcoming season, though he is also very open to playing for another contender if that doesn’t pan out. Over the course of 14 years in the NFL, Freeney has earned seven Pro Bowl selections and three First-Team All-Pro nods. He spent many of those years as a key member of the Colts’ defense where he clashed frequently with Bill Belichick‘s Patriots. Despite that history, the veteran recently said that he would not rule out a union with New England if they called.
“Well,” Freeney said, “That’s hard to fathom. But I’m not against Bill. I understand the dynamic involved, but at the end of the day, this is a business. My first allegiance right now is to Arizona, if they’re interested. But if it happened that I ended up in New England, I can tell you, both sides would win.”
In 2015, the advanced stats at Pro Football Focus (subscription required) rated Freeney as (tied) for the 51st best edge rusher in the NFL out of 110 qualified players. In total, Freeney saw 276 pass snaps and just 41 run snaps last year.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Tyler Eifert Could Miss Season Opener
WEDNESDAY, 6:18am: Eifert is undergoing ankle surgery today and, according to a source, “could miss the first couple of games of the season,” Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets.
The worst-case scenario is that he could be out for the first few games, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. However, Eifert’s surgery today is minor, and the hope is he’s ready for the start of the 2016 season.
TUESDAY, 1:55pm: When Tyler Eifert suffered an ankle injury at the Pro Bowl, the early word was that it was a minor injury with estimates of a quick recovery. Months later, the Bengals have learned that is not necessarily the case. The tight end will undergo a “minimal procedure” on that ankle this offseason, according to Jim Owczarski of The Enquirer. Minimal or not, this procedure could sideline Eifert for the start of the 2016 season, a source tells Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). Owczarski, meanwhile, hears that Eifert will need only three months to recover.
Eifert, 26 in September, had a breakout season in 2015, earning his first Pro Bowl nod since entering the league as the 21st overall pick in 2013. After spending the majority of the 2014 season on injured reserve, the Notre Dame alum hauled in 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns in just 13 regular season contests last year.
Eifert has been expected to take on an even larger role in the Bengals’ passing game in the 2016 season, with secondary receivers Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones no longer in the mix. Cincinnati signed Brandon LaFell as a free agent to help complement A.J. Green and the team also added Tyler Boyd in the second round of this year’s draft, but it was anticipated that Eifert would be in line for a career high in targets next season. Hopefully for the Bengals, Eifert will be on the field to see that plan through.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Shaun Williams Extension Continues Bengals' Model
The Bengals followed their model by signing safety Shawn Williams to a four-year extension, Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer writes. The 25-year-old has only started four games in his career, serving as a backup to George Iloka and Reggie Nelson while chipping in on special teams. Still, Williams possesses serious upside and he is one of the key reasons why the team was willing to let Nelson leave via free agency.
The Bengals have taken this kind of leap before and they’ve been rewarded for it. In 2013, the Bengals inked Carlos Dunlap to a six-year, $40MM extension before he truly broke out and he went on to rack up 21.5 sacks in two seasons. Ditto for defensive tackle Geno Atkins, who was signed to a five-year, $55MM deal prior to August of 2013, a deal that is extremely modest compared to deals given to top-end players at the position on the open market.
Giants, Bengals Tried To Claim Mettenberger
The Chargers claimed Zach Mettenberger off waivers on Tuesday, but two other teams also tried to land the quarterback. The Giants and the Bengals also put in claims, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets, but the Chargers had higher priority on the waiver wire. 
The Giants’ depth chart at quarterback has gone largely untouched for the last few years with Ryan Nassib backing up Eli Manning. Had the Giants successfully claimed him, Mettenberger could have competed with B.J. Daniels for the No. 3 spot on the team’s depth chart. The Giants’ real motive in making a play for Mettenberger could have been to give themselves insurance in case they did not re-sign Nassib following his contract year in 2016. Mettenberger potentially could have allowed the Giants to entertain trade options for Nassib as well.
The Bengals also appear to be pretty set at quarterback with Andy Dalton as starter and A.J. McCarron – a capable backup – slotted in as his understudy. McCarron completed 66.4% of his passes last season, throwing six touchdown passes compared to two interceptions in three starts in relief of Andy Dalton. Teams inquired on the Alabama product over the offseason and while head coach Marvin Lewis said that he was not interested in trading him, owner Mike Brown did not rule it out. It’s possible that the Bengals were curious to see if Mettenberger could have performed well enough over the summer to make them comfortable enough to move McCarron. Or, maybe they were only looking to put some additional competition for the No. 3 spot alongside with Keith Wenning and undrafted rookie Joe Licata.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bengals Sign OL Christian Westerman
- The Bengals have signed rookie Christian Westerman, as Paul Dehner Jr of The Enquirer tweets. Now, William Jackson and Andrew Billings stand as the only unsigned Bengals rookies. Westerman, an offensive guard out of Arizona State, was taken in the fifth round.
Bengals Tryout Player
- Prospective Bengals tryout performer Antonio Longino likely won’t have an opportunity in Cincinnati after being indicted for tampering and obstruction of justice in a murder investigation, Cleveland19.com reports. The former Arizona State linebacker had a tough upbringing in East Cleveland and was not able to distance himself from that environment as he pursued his NFL dream.
Bengals, Shawn Williams Agree To Extension
9;18am: It’s a four-year extension worth $19.5MM, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). The deal includes $4MM guaranteed.
8:39am: The Bengals announced that they have signed safety Shawn Williams to a four-year extension running through the 2020 campaign. Wlliams was originally slated to hit the open market after the 2016 season. Financial terms of the deal are not yet known.
The former third-round pick took on his largest role yet in 2015, appearing in all 16 games and making four starts in the secondary. Williams recorded two interceptions, five passes defensed, and 28 total tackles in the regular season. Now, Williams will take on his biggest role yet in Cincinnati following Reggie Nelson‘s departure in free agency.
“Shawn is one of our bright, young players, and we’re excited to have him as part of the team moving forward,” head coach Marvin Lewis said in the team’s press release. “He has been a physical player, and he has increased his value as a playmaker on the ball. This is just one more part of our plan, which is to draft the right players, develop them and retain them.”
Williams graded out as the 43rd best safety in the NFL last season out of 89 qualified players, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Williams’ 73.7 overall grade put him just behind Jairus Byrd of the Saints and ahead of players like Will Allen (Steelers), Quintin Demps (Giants), and Dwight Lowery (Chargers). The advanced metrics were high on Williams’ coverage abilities but were less favorable for his pass rush and run defense.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bengals Sign Joe Licata
- The Bengals are set to sign former University of Buffalo quarterback Joe Licata, as Tyler Dunne of The Buffalo News tweets. To make room, rookie quarterback Matt Johnson has been waived.
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Bengals Sign Tyler Boyd
- The Bengals have officially signed second-round pick Tyler Boyd, as Paul Dehner Jr. of The Enquirer tweets. The wideout is also a talented kick returner, having averaged 24.4 yards per return last season.
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