Bengals head coach Zac Taylor made it clear where Daxton Hill belongs, and he didn’t leave much room for interpretation.
“Outside is absolutely where we want him to play. Outside is absolutely where he will play.”
That was Taylor’s message on the cornerback’s role, and it comes as the Bengals continue sorting out their defensive picture.
In Cleveland, Shedeur Sanders said he isn’t trying to isolate one area of improvement this offseason. For him, it’s been the full package.
“If you talk to me, do you feel like I improved? I would say, overall, everything I improved,” Sanders said, via Browns Wire.
“The way I sleep, the way I breathe, the way I drink water, the way I do everything in my life-I improved. Everything improved.”
Meanwhile in Baltimore, Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic put together a 53-man roster projection right before training camp gets fully underway, and a few spots already look like they could get tight.
At quarterback, Zrebiec says the question may be who lands the practice squad job between Skylar Thompson and Joe Fagnano.
Running back could also get crowded. Zrebiec thinks the Ravens may have to choose between Rasheen Ali and Adam Randall if they can’t keep four players there.
Wide receiver brings another layer of pressure. If Baltimore adds a veteran wideout, Zrebiec notes that Devontez Walker or LaJohntay Wester could be the odd man out, with third-rounder Ja’Kobi Lane and fourth-rounder Elijah Sarratt also seeing fewer opportunities. He says the team’s comfort with its young receivers will likely shape that decision.
Zrebiec expects the Ravens to carry four tight ends, since they usually keep three plus a fullback, and they won’t have a fullback this year.
Up front, he sees the offensive line coming down to one or two spots among Andrew Vorhees, Jovaughn Gwyn, Corey Bullock and seventh-round pick Evan Beernsten.
On the defensive line, Zrebiec believes Aeneas Peebles, C.J. Okoye and Rayshaun Benny are in the mix for the final spots, and he gives Peebles the edge because of his pass rush ability.
At outside linebacker, Zrebiec doesn’t expect Baltimore to add anyone, since that would eat into the roles of Mike Green and/or second-rounder Zion Young.
And at cornerback, he calls it maybe “the position competition to watch,” with four of five players potentially fighting for one or two roster spots.
In Other News...
One Bengals Splash Move Could Undo Everything This Offseason
A recent CBS Sports note put Cincinnati in the mix for a possible splash addition at receiver, but the idea lands with a thud when you look at how the Bengals are already built. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins are entrenched at the top, and the depth chart behind them already includes Andrei Iosivas, Mitchell Tinsley, Charlie Jones and rookie Colbie Young, which makes any major outside addition feel more like a luxury than a need.
The bigger issue is whether the money and the fit would line up well enough to justify it. Spotrac has the market in a range that would be hard to ignore, yet the Bengals are also working with limited cap room going forward, and a deal of that size would force them to answer a simple question: would this really make the offense better, or just make it more crowded? [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Just Got Encouraging News On A Key Defensive Starter
B.J. Hills summer got off to an unexpected start when the Bengals placed the veteran defensive tackle on the Physically Unable to Perform list, with the issue believed to be tied to an ankle problem. For a team that leans on Hills steadiness inside, any early-camp absence naturally raises eyebrows, but there was at least some encouragement from the front office when director of player personnel Duke Tobin addressed Hills status at the Bengals pre-camp media luncheon.
The bigger takeaway for Cincinnati is that Hill still appears on track to be part of the roster, even if he is not on the field right away. His temporary absence also creates a little extra room for other defensive tackles to make their case as camp opens, which is exactly the kind of depth battle the Bengals will be watching closely while they wait for one of their key interior defenders to get back to work. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Free Agent Sees Something Fans Have Been Desperate For
The Bengals spent the offseason trying to answer the question that has hovered over the franchise for years: can the defense finally catch up to an offense built to contend? A major part of that push came with the addition of Super Bowl champion Boye Mafe from Seattle, one of several veteran moves aimed at giving Cincinnati a sturdier, more complete unit for 2026. Bryan Cook, Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen also arrived as part of the effort to raise the floor on that side of the ball.
Mafe has already noticed the early stages of the transition under defensive coordinator Al Golden, saying the group is working through the kind of learning curve that often comes with a new system. He even drew a parallel to what he experienced in Seattle under Mike Macdonald, a reminder that defensive change can take time before it starts to look natural. For a Bengals team that has invested heavily in the front seven and the back end, the real question is how quickly all that new talent can turn into something more dependable. [Read more 🡒]