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Cincinnati Bengals News & Rumors

Latest On Bengals OT Isaiah Prince

August 20th, 2022 at 8:05pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals have plenty of new faces along their offensive line, but a familiar one could miss some time to start the season. Backup tackle Isaiah Prince suffered a bicep injury during practice this week, per Dave Clark of the Cincinnati Enquirer. 

Head coach Zac Taylor added that Prince is considered week-to-week, which puts his regular season availability in doubt. The 25-year-old was a regular with the team last season, making 15 appearances during the year and taking over for Riley Reiff at right tackle after the latter’s injury. Prince also started all four games during the team’s run to the Super Bowl.

The six-foot-seven, 305-pounder was relatively effective in the ground game, registering a PFF run block grade of 67.3. However, his struggles in pass protection – an issue throughout the entire unit for the Bengals – led to him ranking second-last in terms of overall grade. Despite Reiff’s departure, then, it came as little surprise that the Bengals sought out a replacement starter in free agency.

That came in the form of La’el Collins. The former Cowboy should provide an upgrade at right tackle, though he comes with notable injury concerns. His presence should relegate Prince to a backup role, but the former sixth-rounder has experience stepping into a starting spot when needed. With Collins expected to be healthy in time for Week 1, Prince missing some time wouldn’t be a major blow for the Bengals. An extended absence would hurt their depth at a position facing many questions, though, so his recovery will be worth watching in the coming weeks.

Latest On Bengals Left Guard Competition

August 19th, 2022 at 7:16pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Bengals made a slew of additions along the offensive line this offseason, but one spot is still up for grabs in the build-up to the regular season. The starting left guard position has been a point of focus throughout spring and summer workouts, and will remain a battleground for the next few weeks. 

Jackson Carman, whom the Bengals drafted in the second round last year, registered six starts amongst his 17 appearances as a rookie, playing at both right and left guard. He earned a passable run-blocking PFF grade, but struggled in pass protection, leading to an overall grade of 56.3. While he was the starter at LG on paper following the draft, then, the door has been open to another name emerging to take the spot.

That contender has taken the form of fourth-round rookie Cordell Volson. The North Dakota State alum was named in May as the player who could displace Carman. The former’s performances in practice and the team’s first preseason contest has certainly caught the team’s attention, considering remarks recently made by head coach Zac Taylor.

“He flashes some really good stuff and it’s just the consistency there and learning from your previous mistakes,” Taylor said, via ESPN’s Ben Baby. He added that “by no means is that left guard spot solidified by anybody.”

Carman struggled, by contrast, in that preseason opener, and has now encountered another obstacle. Baby tweets that the Clemson alum tested positive for COVID-19 this week. The time he misses will give Volson further opportunity to receive first-team reps, as he already briefly had been prior to Carman being sidelined.

Cincinnati has left tackle Jonah Williams, along with free agent signings Ted Karras, Alex Cappa and La’el Collins in place as starters along the o-line. The final spot could remain in the air up to Week 1 of the regular season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/19/22

August 19th, 2022 at 6:09pm CST by Adam La Rose

Compared to earlier this week, Friday has been a quiet day on the transaction front, but a number of teams have still made moves. Here’s the full rundown:

Arizona Cardinals

Cincinnati Bengals

Jacksonville Jaguars

  • Released from IR via injury settlement: K Elliott Fry

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Lamp, a second-round pick of the Chargers in 2017, played sparingly in his first two years but was a full-time starter in 2020. With the team making upgrades up front, though, he found himself playing in New Orleans this past season. After suiting up for over 1,100 snaps the year prior, Lamp saw action on just five special teams plays with the Saints, meaning that his roster spot wasn’t assured anyway.

Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt Undergoes Surgery

August 19th, 2022 at 12:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Bengals retained their secondary starters from their AFC championship season but added pieces with both their first- and second-round picks. The second of those choices will miss some time.

Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt underwent core surgery Monday, Zac Taylor said (via ESPN.com’s Ben Baby, on Twitter). The second-rounder has been out for more than a week and will miss at least the rest of the team’s preseason practices.

This essentially locks Eli Apple into a starting job, Jay Morrison of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Taylor-Britt making a later bid at taking over with Cincinnati’s first-stringers cannot be ruled out, but to begin the season, it will be Apple back as a full-timer alongside Chidobe Awuzie and Mike Hilton.

Apple re-signed with the Bengals on a one-year deal worth $3.5MM, though that pact came with only $1MM guaranteed at signing. Pro Football Focus rated the former top-10 pick as a midlevel corner during the regular season, one that saw him keep Trae Waynes out of the team’s defensive picture for the stretch run. The Bengals cut Waynes this offseason. Although the Rams picked on Apple at key points during Super Bowl LVI, he started 15 games to bounce back after a lost 2020 season — a two-game Panthers slate.

Cincinnati drafted safety Daxton Hill in the first round; the Michigan product is seeing more time due to Jessie Bates‘ absence. The Bengals should be expected to have their franchise-tagged safety, whom they are unlikely to trade, back by Week 1. The team traded up three spots for Taylor-Britt in Round 2, moving to No. 60 for the Nebraska defender. With Apple’s deal expiring after the 2022 season, it would seem there is a clear path for the Big Ten product to move into the Bengals’ starting lineup long-term. That ascent is on hold for the time being.

Latest On Bengals QB Joe Burrow

August 18th, 2022 at 6:51pm CST by Ben Levine

Joe Burrow returned to Bengals practice this week after undergoing an appendectomy in late July. While initial reports seemed to indicate that Burrow underwent a standard procedure, that didn’t end up being the case. As ESPN’s Ben Baby writes, the quarterback lost weight thanks to the surgery and subsequent recovery, and it sounds like he’s got some work to do to get into game shape for Week 1.

“It wasn’t normal appendicitis that you hear about,” Burrow explained. “I didn’t really feel much. Just getting checked out and had some discomfort so we thought we’d get it checked out. Turns out I had it. So we had to get it fixed.”

It’s an encouraging sign that Burrow has returned to practice, and the Bengals have a plan in place to get him right for the start of the regular season. This includes a plan to add weight and get the QB’s body back “to its pre-surgery form.” Burrow isn’t expected to see the field for Cincinnati’s remaining preseason contests.

“I think it will be OK,” Burrow said. “We have a good plan as far as nutrition and weight room and all that stuff. I feel good right now and just going to keep feeling better.”

Burrow isn’t the only key Bengals player to return to practice. Wideout Tee Higgins participated in team drills for the first time on Sunday, per Baby. The receiver had his labrum worked on this offseason, but it sounds like he’ll be good to go for the start of the regular season.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/17/22

August 17th, 2022 at 6:13pm CST by Ely Allen

After yesterday’s deadline dump, there are plenty of new names available to be plucked out of free agency. Here’s today’s minor moves:

Arizona Cardinals

  • Waived: LB Jesse Lemonier

Atlanta Falcons

  • Signed: WR KeeSean Johnson
  • Waived: WR Tyshaun James
  • Waived (injury settlement): DL Bryce Rodgers

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Los Angeles Rams

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

  • Placed on IR: OT Jonathan Hubbard

Tennessee Titans

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/15/22

August 15th, 2022 at 5:39pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves:

Baltimore Ravens

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

  • Waived: DE Carson Taylor

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

 Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions 

Green Bay Packers 

Houston Texans

Indianapolis Colts 

Jacksonville Jaguars 

Los Angeles Chargers

Miami Dolphins 

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

New York Jets

Pittsburgh Steelers

San Francisco 49ers

Seattle Seahawks

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/14/22

August 14th, 2022 at 5:00pm CST by Rory Parks

We will keep track of today’s minor moves here:

Arizona Cardinals

Buffalo Bills

Carolina Panthers

Cincinnati Bengals

Green Bay Packers

New England Patriots

  • Signed: CB Devin Hafford

Philadelphia Eagles

San Francisco 49ers

The most notable name amongst the Cardinals’ cuts is Keke. The 25-year-old made 17 starts with the Packers over the past two seasons, and was claimed off waivers by the Texans in February. Houston cut him in May, however, leading him to the Cardinals. In the waning months of the offseason, the 2019 fifth-rounder will need to find another NFL home in time for Week 1.

Another recent Packers draftee being let go is Martin. The 2020 fifth-rounder made six appearances last season with Carolina, playing all-but exclusively on special teams. Each of the team’s other roster cuts had yet to play in for the Panthers, including Westry, who had showed potential in 2021 when briefly starting for the Ravens.

Minor NFL Transactions: 8/13/22

August 13th, 2022 at 7:50pm CST by Adam La Rose

Today’s minor moves around the league:

Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

Tennessee Titans

Bengals DE Wyatt Hubert Announces Retirement

August 13th, 2022 at 3:23pm CST by Ely Allen

One of the members of Cincinnati’s extremely successful 10-man 2021 rookie class has unfortunately decided to walk away from football. In a tweet this afternoon, Bengals defensive end Wyatt Hubert cited his physical health as the root cause of his retirement. 

“Unfortunately I have dealt with many injuries that have taken a permanent toll on my game, body, and performance on the field,” Hubert elaborated. “This decision has been difficult and humbling as I have been blessed to have made it to the NFL and be drafted by a great organization in the Cincinnati Bengals.”

Hubert never made it to the field at the NFL-level. In college, Hubert was a key contributor at Kansas State, starting about 2.5 of the 4 seasons he spent in Manhattan. After redshirting his first year, Hubert started seven of twelve games as a redshirt freshman ranking third in the nation among freshman in sacks per game. He started every remaining college game of his career after that, earning first team All Big 12 honors after leading the Wildcats in tackles for loss (12.5) and sacks (7.0) as a redshirt sophomore.

Despite playing in two fewer games as a redshirt junior, Hubert increased his career highs with 13.0 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks, good enough to earn him a second-consecutive year on the All Big 12 first team. As the only unanimous first team All Big 12 selection on defense, Hubert also earned votes as the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and the Big 12 Defensive Lineman of the Year.

His two-year run of success led him to forgo his final year of college eligibility and declare for the 2021 NFL Draft. Hubert was selected by Cincinnati in the seventh-round, but suffered a torn pectoral muscle before the season began, landing him on the reserve/non-football injury list.

A year later, it seems injuries like that have taken their toll on the 24-year-old, influencing him to change his career path before it harms him beyond repair. While the Bengals never got the privilege of seeing his contributions on the field, those who watched him rock the royal purple in college, know what a loss Cincinnati’s defense has suffered.

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