Bengals Release A.J. Hawk
The Bengals have created a little cap room and helped to clear a linebacker logjam by releasing veteran defender A.J. Hawk, the team announced today (via Twitter). Alex Marvez of FOX Sports first reported (via Twitter) that Hawk would be cut by Cincinnati.
[RELATED: Bengals sign Karlos Dansby]
Hawk, who spent the first nine years of his NFL career in Green Bay, signed a two-year deal with the Bengals in 2015, but ultimately only played out half of that contract before being given his release. In his lose season in Cincinnati, Hawk was a part-time contributor at linebacker, picking up 24 tackles and a sack.
Hawk’s contract called for a $1.1MM base salary, $200K in per-game roster bonuses, and a $100K workout bonus for 2016. Because none of that money has been paid yet, and the contract didn’t feature a signing bonus, the Bengals will clear Hawk’s entire $1.4MM cap hit from their books by releasing him. The former fifth overall pick won’t have to clear waivers, so he’ll be immediately eligible to sign with a new team.
Even without Hawk in the mix, the Bengals have several options for their three starting linebacker spots. The club added Karlos Dansby in free agency, and also have Rey Maualuga, Vontaze Burfict, and Vincent Rey on the roster, though Burfict will serve a three-game suspension to open the regular season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Emmanuel Ogbah, Chris Jones Visited Bengals
- Aaron Wilson of the National Football Post writes that the Titans and Bengals were among the teams that hosted Oklahoma State defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah for pre-draft visits.
- The Bengals, Ravens, and Seahawks are among the clubs that have hosted Mississippi State defensive lineman Chris Jones for pre-draft visits, tweets Rand Getlin.
Bengals Draft Notes: Lucien, Lewis
- Arizona State receiver Devin Lucien visited the Bengals on Tuesday, per Getlin, who notes that he has also visited with/and or worked out for the Cardinals, Patriots and Rams (via Twitter).
- Bowling Green receiver Roger Lewis has visited with or worked out for the Bengals, Cowboys, Patriots, Seahawks, Vikings and Chargers, tweets Adam Caplan of ESPN. Lewis is a potential third- or fourth-round pick, notes Caplan.
Bengals Hope To Extend Tyler Eifert
Tight end Tyler Eifert was the second first-round rookie from 2013 to see his fifth-year option exercised, as the Bengals picked up their 2017 option for Eifert on Thursday. As such, Cincinnati will control Eifert for the next two seasons, but the club wants to keep the young pass-catcher around beyond that, as Paul Dehner Jr. of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Bengals want to eventually sign Eifert to a long-term contract.
The news doesn’t come as a huge surprise, as most teams would probably like to extend their young stars. However, the key word in Dehner’s report is “eventually” — as the Enquirer scribe details, the Bengals will likely follow a similar timetable to the one used with wide receiver A.J. Green. Green, a first-round pick in 2011, had his fifth-year option exercised prior to the 2014 season, but didn’t agree to a long-term deal until September 2015. If the Bengals employ the same schedule with Eifert, he won’t be extended until next fall.
The Bengals have enough cap space (more than $16MM) that they could get a deal done now — and take on some Eifert’s prorated signing bonus on their 2016 cap — but they also have more than $54MM in 2017, good for 17th in the NFL. For his part, Eifert will count just $2.623MM against the cap in 2016 and $4.782MM in 2017, at which point (barring an extension) he could reach free agency or be offered the franchise tag.
Eifert, 25, 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 may 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 Eifert and A.J. Green, and the team figures to address the wide receiver position in the draft as well, but Eifert may be in line for a career high in targets next season.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Arizona State OG Christian Westerman Worked Out For Bengals
- Arizona State guard Christian Westerman has worked out for the Bengals and Saints, he told Doug Haller of the Arizona Republic, adding that he has an upcoming workout for the Broncos (Twitter link).
Bengals Sign Taylor Mays
APRIL 15: Nearly a month after they reportedly agreed to terms with him, the Bengals have finally made it official with Mays, signing him to a one-year contract (Twitter link). Details on the deal can be found right here.
MARCH 17: The Bengals have agreed to terms with Taylor Mays, according to Rand Getlin of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal brings Mays back to the team where he spent the 2011-2014 seasons. 
Today’s agreement comes on the heels of this week’s news that Mays will be suspended for the first four games of the 2016 season. The safety was apparently suspended for a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Mays bounced all around the NFL last year and was yo-yo’ed on and off of the Raiders’ roster multiple times. The 28-year-old recorded 23 tackles and 5 passes defensed in his 14 Raiders games. Mays, entering his seventh-year in the NFL, was selected in the second round of the 2010 draft by the 49ers. Needless to say, the USC product has not exactly fulfilled his expectations.
For his career, Mays has appeared in 80 games and made 15 starts. In total, he has 107 tackles, 1 sack, 2 fumble recoveries, and 11 passes defended to his credit.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Bengals Work Out WKU TE George Fant
- Western Kentucky tight end George Fant is garnering attention from NFL scouts, Pauline writes. Fant, a former WKU basketball player, has also received consideration at offensive tackle, but scouts believe that he should be a tight end because of his soft hands. If Fant drops some additional weight (currently 296 pounds), the belief is that he can make it work at TE. Fant has (or has had) workouts with a number of teams including the Bengals, Broncos, Cardinals, Chargers, Saints, and Seahawks. While Fant is apparently rising up draft boards, fellow Western Kentucky tight end Tyler Higbee is seeing his stock fall due to an off-the-field incident.
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Robert Nkemdiche Visiting Bengals
- Eastern Kentucky pass rusher Noah Spence is visiting the Texans today and will visit the Saints tomorrow, tweets Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Meanwhile, another potential first-round defender with some off-field question marks, Robert Nkemdiche of Ole Miss, has visits on tap with the Saints and Bengals, says Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune (via Twitter).
Bengals Exercise 2017 Option On Tyler Eifert
2:41pm: Eifert’s option for 2017 will be worth $4.782MM, tweets Joel Corry of CBSSports.com.
2:09pm: The Bengals have exercised their option to extend Tyler Eifert‘s rookie contract through the 2017 season, the team announced today via its website. Eifert is the second first-round pick from 2013 to have his fifth-year option picked up, with the Saints having exercised Kenny Vaccaro‘s option earlier this week.
“We had very high expectations for Tyler when we drafted him, and he has met them all,” said head coach Marvin Lewis in a statement. “He’s a hugely important part of our team as we go forward.”
Eifert, 25, 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 may 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 Eifert and A.J. Green, and the team figures to address the wide receiver position in the draft as well, but Eifert may be in line for a career high in targets next season.
After playing out the fourth year of his rookie contract and his fifth-year option, Eifert will be eligible for unrestricted free agency – or the franchise tag – in 2018, unless the Bengals extend him before that.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Alex Redmond Visited Bengals
- UCLA guard Alex Redmond, who is drawing plenty of attention leading up to the draft, visited the Bengals on Monday, per Gil Brandt of NFL.com (Twitter link).