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Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

Dax Hill Wins Starting CB Job; Bengals Likely To Make RB Addition

August 24th, 2024 at 11:10am CST by Sam Robinson

This year’s Bengals training camp pitted two former Michigan teammates against each other for a starting job. Despite Dax Hill changing positions this offseason, he won the matchup.

The Bengals moved Hill from safety to cornerback, and a competition with DJ Turner formed. Although Turner started 12 games as a rookie, The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. notes it will be Hill who opens the season as Cincinnati’s starting outside corner opposite Cam Taylor-Britt (subscription required).

Moved to corner to start the offseason program, Hill fared well at a position he also saw time at while with the Wolverines. The 2022 first-round pick and Turner, a 2023 second-rounder, each saw time in Jim Harbaugh‘s secondaries from 2019-21. Hill has been moved around at the pro level as well, playing both safety and in the slot. He appears to have found a home — for the time being, at least — on the perimeter.

After starting just two games as a rookie, the former No. 31 overall pick worked as a 17-game starter in 2023. This produced 110 tackles but poor coverage metrics; Pro Football Focus rated Hill as the sixth-worst safety regular last season. The Bengals also changed up their safety equation this offseason, bringing back Vonn Bell and signing ex-Raven Geno Stone.

Lou Anarumo‘s secondary will feature experience on the backend and youth on the boundary, with Taylor-Britt only going into his third season. Chidobe Awuzie left in free agency, but rather than Turner stepping in, a somewhat unexpected conclusion took shape. Turner will step into the team’s top backup role. Mike Hilton remains on the roster as a veteran presence, supplying considerable seasoning in the slot.

Additionally, Dehner continues to name Samaje Perine as a reunion candidate. The prospect of the Bengals bringing back their former backup/passing-down back surfaced this offseason, and Perine is not a lock to make the Broncos’ 53-man roster. Perine would pass straight to free agency if released, as a vested veteran, but the Bengals could also ensure they end up with the ex-Joe Mixon backup by trading for him.

Perine is tied to a $2.83MM salary this season, and he played a key role as a Russell Wilson outlet option during the Broncos’ five-game win streak last year. But Denver may end up keeping only three backs. Javonte Williams, who may well have been battling Perine for a roster spot, has solidified himself as Denver’s starter. The team has shifty rotational piece Jaleel McLaughlin and fifth-round rookie Audric Estime in line to make the initial 53 as well.

Cincy traded Mixon to Houston for a seventh-round pick and added Zack Moss as a lower-cost replacement. The team will carry 2023 fifth-rounder Chase Brown, with Trayveon Williams still in place as a third-stringer. The Bengals, however, lost fourth-year RB Chris Evans to a season-ending patellar tendon tear recently. Brown should be expected to start over Moss, per Dehner, despite the team giving the recent Colts spot starter a two-year, $8MM deal.

Even if Perine does not make it back to Ohio, Dehner names running back as the position the Bengals will most likely try to upgrade in the coming days. Teams have until 3pm CT Tuesday to set their initial 53-man rosters.

Latest On WR Contracts

August 23rd, 2024 at 10:00pm CST by Ely Allen

The regular season draws ever nearer, and there are still three receivers who are waiting for new contracts. Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb and 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk are still holding out from team activities, while Bengals wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is continuing with his hold-in.

Lamb is entering the final year of his rookie contract on a fifth-year option and, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network, the 25-year-old is angling for a contract to rival Justin Jefferson‘s recent deal in Minnesota. This doesn’t necessarily refer to annual average value, but focuses, as well, on guarantees, cashflow, and overall structure. Dallas and Lamb are expected to communicate this weekend as they attempt to get this extension over the finish line.

Chase is still not practicing as he attends team events in Cincinnati. The Bengals have exercised Chase’s fifth-year option, so the 24-year-old still has two years left on his rookie deal. While he hopes to enter the season with a new extension, his former LSU teammate, Jefferson, had to wait until after his fourth NFL season to secure his bag. It’s looking like the same might be true for Chase, but if that’s the case, Cincinnati needs to figure out a way to get Chase on the field and ready for the fast-approaching regular season. Mike Garafolo of NFL Network sees this coming week as a crucial time for the team to navigate this situation.

With Aiyuk, the rumors continue to swirl and paint an unreliable picture. Last night, in an interview on KNBR, Mike Silver of the San Francisco Chronicle claimed that “everything is still on the table, including all the trades you’ve heard about.” He noted the Steelers and Commanders as teams not to rule out but left the picture as cloudy as ever.

After the team’s initial contract offer fell short of expectations, they attempted to bring Aiyuk back in to try and close the gap. Garafolo reports that the two sides don’t seem to be that far apart on contract figures anymore, and Aiyuk even traveled with the 49ers to their final preseason game in Las Vegas. While this may be a sign of good faith and a sign that the things could be on their way to a resolution, Silver’s comments still leave plenty of room for doubt.

The NFL season starts in 13 days. In order for these three receivers to be on the field for Week 1, they’re either going to need to have new contracts in hand or they’re going to need to come to terms with the fact that they’re going to be playing under their current deals with no guarantee that they won’t be testing free agency in the future. While most teams prefer not to have contract discussions during the regular season, there’s always a possibility that close negotiations bleed over a bit into September and deals are reached midseason.

Bengals Begin Roster Cutdowns

August 23rd, 2024 at 4:08pm CST by Adam La Rose

Teams have until August 27 to bring their rosters down to 53. One day after their final preseason contest, the Bengals have begun the process of releasing players, with 11 being let go on Friday.

Here is the full list of cuts:

Carman’s inclusion on the list does not come as a surprise. The 2021 second-rounder has not lived up to expectations so far, and he found himself on the roster bubble at the onset of training camp. During each of his first two seasons in the league, Carman lost a competition for a starting spot and was unable to earn the swing tackle role in 2023. Despite having one year left on his rookie contract, the Bengals will move on.

Butler, 28, entered the NFL in 2019, but his only regular season game action to date came one year later. The 6-5, 227-pounder was unable to find a regular role at the NFL level as a receiver or a tight end, but he had a successful spell in the UFL this spring. Butler was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year, fueling an attempt at returning to the NFL. That effort has obviously taken a hit with today’s move.

None of the players who have been let go are vested veterans. As a result, they will be subject to waivers several days before many other teams’ roster cuts go through the same process. Interested parties will be able to make a claim (knowing their own cut decisions are looming), but all players who clear will become free agents. That would leave the door open to a practice squad deal with Cincinnati or any other team once initial 53-man rosters are set.

Bengals DE Myles Murphy Facing Multi-Week Absence

August 22nd, 2024 at 2:23pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals will be shorthanded on the edge to begin the season. Second-year defensive end Myles Murphy suffered a non-contact injury in practice, and he is now facing a multi-week absence due to a knee sprain.

[RELATED: Recapping Bengals’ Offseason]

Murphy avoided the worst-case scenario, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network notes. Nevertheless, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds that the Bengals are expecting a recovery timeline of four to six weeks. That should keep the 2023 first-rounder sidelined for at least the first game of the campaign as he looks to carve out a larger role than the one he had as a rookie.

The Clemson product logged a 28% defensive snap share last year, although his usage saw a notable uptick toward the latter half of the season. If Murphy continues that increase in workload once healthy, he could be in line to produce more than the three sacks and six pressures he totaled in 2023. As Fowler notes, though, the Bengals will proceed with caution regarding Murphy’s recovery process.

The 22-year-old had a strong sophomore campaign in college, but his production and consistency took a step back in his junior campaign. Murphy still entered the league with high expectations as the No. 28 pick in his draft class, and he is set to serve as a key member of Cincinnati’s defense when healthy. Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard will remain defensive end starters as Murphy recovers.

The Bengals also have Joseph Ossai in place as a young member of their edge contingent. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract, though, and a free agent departure could pave the way for increased reps in Murphy’s case starting in 2025. The latter should be back in the fold without missing too much regular season game time, but his absence will still be felt for the coming weeks.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/24

August 19th, 2024 at 8:44pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

  • Placed on IR: T Earl Bostick

Detroit Lions

Indianapolis Colts

  • Signed: C Mike Panasiuk, LB Mike Smith Jr.
  • Placed on IR: C Ryan Coll
  • Waived/injured: G Josh Sills
  • Released via injury settlement: RB Trent Pennix

Kansas City Chiefs

  • Signed: LS Randen Plattner
  • Waived: OL McKade Mettauer

Minnesota Vikings

  • Signed: WR Justin Hall
  • Waived: WR Ty James, P Seth Vernon

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Signed: LB Kyahva Tezino

Seattle Seahawks

  • Signed: TE Michael Ezeike, TE Devon Garrison
  • Waived: LB Devin Richardson, CB Willie Roberts

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Signed: DL Brandon Matterson

Washington Commanders

Smith sustained a torn patellar tendon during a Bengals joint practice with the Bears, ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler reports. He joins Evans in sustaining a season-ending injury during that workout. A 2021 fourth-round pick, Smith was believed to have earned the Bengals’ swing tackle role early last year. But he did not see any game action in Year 3. Having played in just three career games, Smith has seen his career hit a crossroads after this injury. His rookie contract expires after the season. This further depletes a Bengals O-line that will be without first-rounder Amarius Mims for a bit due to a strained pec.

A former Bengals starter, Adeniji joined the Browns in March. A knee injury sidelined Adeniji recently, and while Kevin Stefanski said the veteran O-lineman will miss “a little bit of time,” this transaction will likely lead to an injury settlement that sends him back to free agency for a stretch. The Bengals used Adeniji as a starter in each of their four 2021 playoff games, before spending to upgrade their O-line the following year. Adeniji, a 2020 sixth-rounder, played in one Vikings game last season.

Brown and Lamar Jackson sustained injuries during the Panthers’ most recent preseason game, adding to Carolina’s issues — headlined by Dane Jackson‘s significant hamstring setback — at corner. Formerly a Cowboys regular, Brown has struggled to stick with a team as of late. He spent 2023 with three teams — the Steelers, 49ers and Jets — and played in just two games. This came after Brown was with Dallas for six seasons, starting 69 games.

A five-game starter for the 2021 Super Bowl champion Rams, Hollins played for three teams last season. The former Broncos draftee was with the Packers, Giants and Chargers. He has 10.5 career sacks, one coming last season.

Bengals To Extend K Evan McPherson

August 16th, 2024 at 9:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

Bengals conversations with Evan McPherson have produced a deal ahead of the kicker’s contract year. The parties came to terms on an extension that will tie McPherson to Cincinnati through 2027, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo reports.

McPherson agreed to a three-year, $16.5MM deal that Garafolo indicates will include $10MM in new money in Year 1. This is the most Year 1 money a kicker has secured on a three-year deal, for those keeping track. This frontloaded contract makes McPherson the NFL’s fifth-highest-paid kicker, with the deal’s structure undoubtedly appealing to the young specialist.

[RELATED: Contract Structure A Factor In Ja’Marr Chase Negotiations]

This extension has been rumored for months, so it is not exactly surprising the Bengals have completed a deal in a low-cost market. The NFL’s highest-paid kicker (Harrison Butker) is attached to a $6.4MM-per-year number. McPherson’s second contract will come in at fifth, tied with Graham Gano at $5.5MM AAV.

Memorably kicking game-winning field goals to help the Bengals upset the Titans and Chiefs to reach Super Bowl LVI, McPherson has shown considerable promise. Though, he has yet to make 85% of his field goals during a regular season. He checked in at 83.9% last year, seeing his 50-plus-yard accuracy wane a bit. After making 14 of 16 50-plus-yard tries from 2021-22, the former fifth-round pick was just 7 of 12 from long range last season.

Still, McPherson is 19-for-19 in the playoffs, covering two postseasons, and is just 25. This extension gives him a clear path to becoming a long-term Bengals kicker.

The Browns were eyeing McPherson in the 2021 draft, leading them to Cade York a year later. The Bengals ended up taking the Florida product to replace Randy Bullock, their kicker of four seasons. This extension will take McPherson through Year 7, though he will need to remain in good form following 2024 to stay on the deal. Given the frontloaded structure and low rate this contract brings, the Bengals would be able to get out of it rather easily after this year. Considering how the team prioritized the agreement, however, a separation is unlikely for the foreseeable future.

Bengals RB Chris Evans Suffers Season-Ending Injury

August 15th, 2024 at 8:04pm CST by Ben Levine

Chris Evans has suffered a season-ending injury. Per Jordan Schultz, the Bengals running back suffered a torn patellar tendon that will force him to miss the 2024 campaign.

Schultz notes that the running back faces a recovery timeline of nine months, and the Bengals expect the player to make a full recovery. Evans suffered the injury during today’s practice, with ESPN’s Courtney Cronin and Ben Baby reporting that the RB was injured while covering for a kickoff. Evans’ leg was placed in an air cast before he was carted off the practice field.

The 2021 sixth-round pick has spent his entire career in Cincinnati. Evans has seen a consistent role on special teams during his Cincinnati tenure, collecting seven tackles and returning 14 kickoffs for a 22.4-yard average. He’s only collected 137 offensive snaps in his 34 career games, but he showed some flashes as a rookie, hauling in 15 of his 17 targets and averaging 4.5 yards on his 17 carries.

2023 marked a low point for the player, as he found himself firmly behind Joe Mixon, Trayveon Williams, and Chase Brown. He was reportedly rebounding this summer, with both Schultz and Baby noting that Evans was having a very strong training camp. The Bengals added Zack Moss this offseason to replace Mixon atop the depth chart, but it sounds like Evans had an opportunity to leap some of his teammates for a key backup role.

Contract Structure An Issue For Bengals, Ja’Marr Chase?

August 15th, 2024 at 4:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

More than two weeks into training camp, Ja’Marr Chase has not practiced. The star Bengals wide receiver’s hold-in also included a missed practice this week, via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby. Two years, however, remain on Chase’s rookie deal. The Bengals have time here, as much as Chase wants to force the issue.

Although the Bengals could have waived fines had Chase staged a true holdout from the beginning of camp, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio notes the fourth-year wideout needed to show up to collect a $3.81MM training camp roster bonus. Rather than a holdout leading to fines scrapped (potentially) due to Chase being on his rookie deal, he would not have been able to recoup the bonus had he held out. Seeing as Chase has yet to cash in on a monster second contract, showing up for camp by Day 3 — when the bonus was due — was seemingly a non-decision.

More significantly, the Justin Jefferson contract has changed an already-booming receiver market. Chase wanted to wait for his college teammate to cash in, as it would stand to improve his terms, and the Vikings gave their All-Pro weapon a record-smashing $88.7MM guaranteed at signing and $110MM guaranteed in total. That has undoubtedly affected the Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb negotiations and has likely bled into the 49ers’ talks with Brandon Aiyuk. Chase is younger than both and may end up the closest to Jefferson when these first-rounders are all signed.

Mike Brown said earlier in camp the Bengals view Chase as their second-best player and one the team would “bend over backwards” to sign, though the owner stopped short of saying an extension was likely this year. The owner/nominal GM alluded to no deal happening this year, but Chase is seemingly trying to force the team’s hand. The former No. 5 overall pick is tied to only a $1.1MM base salary (plus the aforementioned bonus) this year.

The Bengals exercising Chase’s fifth-year option, however, gives them two more years of control. Two other teams — the Eagles and Dolphins — broke with precedent by signing first-round receivers (DeVonta Smith, Jaylen Waddle) to extensions with two years of control remaining, but the Bengals are more traditional in how they operate.

While the Bengals paid Joe Burrow a year early, most teams with franchise-caliber first-round QBs do so. The team waited until just before A.J. Green‘s fifth season to pay him back in 2015. The Bengals also relented on contract structure for Burrow, authorizing guaranteed salary beyond Year 1. The Bengals traditionally only include the signing bonus as a post-Year 1 guarantee, as Orlando Brown Jr.‘s 2023 agreement showed recently. They might need to make an exception for Chase, but ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano brings this matter up as one that will pertain to the negotiations with the three-time Pro Bowler.

The Bengals would rather address this matter in 2025, Graziano adds, and SI.com’s Albert Breer offers that Chase may ultimately be OK with that route as well. Lamb and Aiyuk will likely have second contracts by then, providing a clearer roadmap for the new market. The Bengals may need to find a guarantee compromise with Chase, as Jefferson’s numbers are out of step with the market. Lamb and Aiyuk, however, figure to provide a bridge between Jefferson’s fully guaranteed figure and the next-closest number (Tyreek Hill‘s $54MM).

Chase and Jefferson were communicating during the latter’s Minnesota negotiation, Breer adds, so it stands to reason the Cincinnati target will seek a similarly structured contract. The Bengals are one of the few teams who still proceed this way in terms of guarantees, and Graziano adds this has caused issues with players they have attempted to sign in the past.

A report indicating the team has bristled at the notion it will need to change its guarantee policy for non-QBs sets the stage for a complicated negotiation. While Chase’s rookie deal points to this showdown taking place in 2025, this issue will certainly come up as the team’s top weapon angles for Jefferson-level terms.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/24

August 14th, 2024 at 9:20pm CST by Ely Allen

Wednesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Dallas Cowboys

  • Signed: C Cohl Cabral
  • Waived (with injury designation): DE Shaka Toney

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Indianapolis Colts

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Chargers

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Washington Commanders

Cabral joins the Cowboys after UFL stints in Birmingham and Michigan. He adds more depth to the team’s offensive line after the team lost Chuma Edoga in their first preseason game and saw Earl Bostick helped off the field today. Toney suffered a groin injury, leading to this injury waiver, but could return to the team should he clear waivers.

Powers-Johnson was on some concerning ground with how much time he had missed with a concussion, but the Raiders saw him return to practice today.

The 49ers are adding some significant depth on the defensive line in Williams, who has vast starting experience in the NFL. Cutting Turner could mean that the return of Dre Greenlaw may on a better timeline than expected.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/12/24

August 12th, 2024 at 8:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Monday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

  • Activated from active/PUP: DT Devonnsha Maxwell

Cleveland Browns

  • Signed: LB Brandon Bouyer-Randle, S Chase Williams
  • Released: RB John Kelly
  • Waived: DE Marcus Haynes
  • Waived/injured: CB Vincent Gray

Denver Broncos

  • Claimed (from Giants): DB Kaleb Hayes
  • Waived: ILB Alec Mock

Detroit Lions

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

  • Signed: LB Anthony Hines, TE Neal Johnson
  • Waived: LB Jimmy Ciarlo, CB Myles Jones

Pittsburgh Steelers

  • Claimed (from Ravens): OL Tykeem Doss
  • Waived/injured: DB Kalon Barnes

San Francisco 49ers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Hernia surgery forced Tampa to the Ravens’ active/PUP list, but the fourth-round pick is ready to return. Needing a double hernia operation after minicamp (per The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec), Tampa is unlikely to be ready for practice until at least next week. By avoiding a move to the reserve/PUP list, Tampa is no longer at risk of missing Baltimore’s first four games.

A rookie UDFA, Murphy went down with an MCL injury, per NFL.com’s Cameron Wolfe. The Dolphins signed Brown, a four-year Giants special-teamer and backup presence, in April. While the Dolphins continue to deal with linebacker injuries, they did bring Jaelan Phillips off the PUP list today.

Fromm spent most of the past two seasons with the Commanders, but the team — as it transitions to a new regime — cut the former Georgia passer in May. He joins a Lions team that still rosters Nate Sudfeld along with Jared Goff and Hendon Hooker.

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