The Bengals and S Jessie Bates reportedly didn't come close to reaching a longer-term deal before Friday's deadline for franchise-tagged players. That leaves Bates to play out 2022 on the tag, and likely means he'll be finding a new team after the season. Bates struggled early last year and admitted that the lack of a new contract had distracted him. We'd bet on him not getting caught up in the same cycle this time around. Bates has spent most of his career as a strong IDP performer at an inconsistent position. We'd feel comfy drafting him in 2022.
The Bengals chose S Daxton Hill with the penultimate pick of Round 1 in the NFL Draft. A versatile 3-year starter at Michigan, Hill finished his college career with 4.7 tackles per game, 4 total INTs and 15 passes defensed. He joins a Cincinnati defense that already has Jesse Bates and Vonn Bell in place. Hill could compete for early snaps at slot corner, and Bates is no lock beyond this season after getting the franchise tag this offseason. We'll see about Cincinnati's plans.
Bengals DE Sam Hubbard (thigh) is active for today's game against the Browns. We'll see how much he actually plays, though, in a game Cincinnati clearly is not trying to win. Hubbard might be active because the team is missing so many other D-linemen. Trey Hendrickson, Larry Ogunjobi and B.J. Hill all remain on the COVID list, and D.J. Reader is inactive. LB Logan Wilson is also inactive.
Bengals DE Sam Hubbard is officially questionable for Sunday’s game against the Browns. We’re not sure how serious the thigh issue is, given that Hubbard finished the week with a full Friday practice. (He missed Wednesday then was limited Thursday.) The Bengals, of course, have already revealed that they’re resting some starters. We’ll see where Hubbard fits within that. The fact that many of the team’s other D-linemen are dealing with COVID or injuries might force Hubbard into at least some action. We’ve removed him from the rankings for now, though
Bengals LB Logan Wilson put in a full practice Wednesday, his 1st action since he suffered a shoulder injury in the Week 13 loss to the Chargers. Cincinnati HC Zac Taylor called it "an encouraging big step" toward Wilson potentially playing Sunday against the Chiefs, according to the team website. Taylor had previously viewed Wilson as a longshot for the K.C. game. We'll see how the rest of the week goes.
The Bengals on Wednesday placed LB Germaine Pratt on the COVID list. Even with the new league protocol, he's almost definitely out for Sunday's game against the Chiefs, which is just 4 days away. LB Logan Wilson also remains doubtful with a shoulder injury, so the Bengals are likely looking at Markus Bailey leading the group in playing time against K.C. Bailey got his 1st start of the year last week, playing 78% of snaps and collecting 8 tackles (4 solo). He could be a high-upside sleeper for tackle opportunities, with the Chiefs well-equipped to attack the middle of the Cincinnati defense.
The Bengals have added CB Chidobe Awuzie to the COVID list, meaning he'll likely miss Sunday's game in Denver.
Bengals HC Zac Taylor said Monday that DE Trey Hendrickson was dealing with mere back spasms when he left Sunday's loss to the 49ers early, according to ESPN's Ben Baby. Taylor said he hopes to have Hendrickson on the field for limited participation at Wednesday's practice. That would bode well for his chances of playing against Denver on Sunday.
Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson left Sunday's loss to the 49ers late in the 1st half with a back injury. We'll see about the severity of the injury.
Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie (foot) is active for today's game against the 49ers.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reports that the Bengals expect LB Logan Wilson to "miss an extended period of time" with the shoulder injury he suffered in Sunday's loss to the Chargers. According to Fowler, the team hopes it'll just be a game or 2, "but it's probably going to be longer than that." It sounds like Wilson will be droppable in tight-roster leagues. We'll see how Wilson progresses. Germaine Pratt should run as Cincinnati's lead LB in Wilson's absence. Joe Bachie filled in as the #2 vs. the Chargers.
Bengals LB Logan Wilson left in the 1st half Sunday against the Chargers with a shoulder injury. Former NFL team doctor David Chao said it looked like a dislocated right shoulder. We'll see about the official diagnosis and how long Wilson might be out. The team has ruled him out for the rest of the game.
The Bengals have ruled S Jessie Bates out for Thursday night's game against the Jaguars with a neck injury. We haven't seen any indication yet this is expected to be a multi-week issue, but we'll watch for updates. It'll either be Sean Davis or Brandon Wilson filling in.
Bengals DE Joseph Ossai will have surgery this week for a meniscus injury that the team fears will end his season, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The 3rd-round pick appeared headed for a spot in Cincinnati's DE rotation. He had a sack of Tom Brady among 5 total pressures in the preseason opener.
The forecast for today's Bengals-Browns game calls for 1-3 inches of snow and winds of 10-20 mph. We start to worry about the passing games when winds get over 15 mph, so this is a slight concern. Both teams figured to go run-heavy anyway, and the weather will only push them farther in that direction.
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