The Bengals’ latest front-office mess has spilled into the open, and Zac Taylor wound up being the one to explain it.
Taylor said the trade for Eagles DE Arnold Ebiketie ended up being “more costly than we originally anticipated.” That admission came just after it was revealed the Bengals would lose a third-round comp pick.
“As we got into it, obviously it was going to be a little more costly than we initially anticipated,” Taylor said, via The Athletic. “He’s really apologetic about it and wants to make clear Philly was a great trade partner.
That’s on our end. That’s the way things go.”
Taylor also made clear that Duke Tobin wanted the message delivered a certain way, and he passed that along plainly.
“Duke was very explicit with me when he came and spoke with me about how he wanted this portrayed,” Taylor said. “I’m going to do what he asked.”
Even with the awkward fallout, Taylor said the team is moving on and pointed to the roster the front office has built.
“Certainly have a ton of confidence in our front office and how they do things,” Taylor said. “They have given us the players that have allowed us to be 6-2 right now and playing at such a high level. We’ll put that behind us and move forward and just get excited for this game on Sunday, and our locker room is in a great place right now.”
In Cleveland, Myles Harden is earning notice for the right reasons after a strong Week 9 showing in the loss to the Saints. The Browns cornerback finished with two sacks and a pass defense, and Todd Monken had plenty to say about the way Harden carries himself.
“First of all, he’s another one that loves to play football and always has a smile on his face. You can tell the players love him.
As a guy they wanna be around, knows he brings it every day, competes, great disposition, he’s fun to be around. And we got a lot of those guys.
He’s not the only one. We got a lot of those guys; it’s fun to come into work every day and work with.
And it kills him when he doesn’t play well. He’s got that in him; he’s got that mentality of ‘I’m going to get it right’ and that’s what you want.
And we’ve got a lot of those guys,” Monken said, via BrownsWire.
In Other News...
Bengals May Have Found A Late-Season Edge At The Perfect Time
The Bengals trip to Madrid seems to have landed at exactly the right moment, giving a late-season team that was already rolling a little extra fuel. Players and people around the organization have pointed to the international visit as a boost for bonding and chemistry, the kind of reset that can matter when a locker room is trying to carry momentum into the stretch run. With Cincinnati on a four-game winning streak, the timing could hardly be better as the focus shifts to a key meeting with the Steelers.
There is also a broader backdrop here that makes the moment feel bigger than one road trip. The Bengals have dealt with some external noise around front-office decision-making, including criticism tied to compensatory picks, while a called-off trade involving Arnold Ebiketie added another layer to the conversation. For a team trying to sharpen its edge in December, the question now is whether the chemistry from Madrid can translate into something more tangible when the games get tighter. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Have A Huge Chance Sunday Night But One Test Looms
Sunday night gives Cincinnati a chance to change the feel of its season in one swing, and the setup is about as good as it gets for a November spotlight game. The Bengals have looked more dangerous on offense since their Week 3 meeting with Pittsburgh, with the quarterback-wide receiver trio giving them a much steadier ceiling, while the defensive line has been better equipped to affect the game at the point of attack.
Still, the matchup is not without a real stress point. The Steelers can make life uncomfortable if Cincinnatis secondary is exposed, and that is the one area that could decide whether this becomes a statement win or just another missed opportunity in a crowded playoff race. With national TV attention and postseason positioning on the line, the Bengals know this is the kind of test that can sharpen the picture of where they really stand. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Are Staring At A Steelers Mismatch They Know Too Well
The Bengals are heading into another divisional meeting with a familiar problem to sort out, and it starts with how Pittsburgh plans to use Darnell Washington. Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelicho recently talked up the tight ends role, pointing to the matchup edges Washington brings with his size, strength and value in both the passing game and the run game.
For Cincinnati, the concern is less about one isolated player and more about a season-long issue that has shown up against tight ends. Washington has already emerged as a key part of the Steelers passing attack, and Pittsburgh media expect him to keep having an impact in this one, which leaves the Bengals facing a test they have not handled especially well so far. [Read more 🡒]