The Bengals are counting on Dexter Lawrence to bring more than size and disruption to the defense this season. Zac Taylor said the veteran lineman has already made his presence felt in the building.
“I think just to lead by example, you know, instead of saying things and not being around,” Taylor said, via Pro Football Talk. “He’s been here front and center.
I don’t know if he’s really left since the day he showed up in the trade. It’s just really good to have veteran leadership like that - that’s been in the building, been around, has experienced a lot of things over the seven years he’s been in the league.”
In Cleveland, first-round receiver KC Concepcion is already talking like someone who feels settled. He said the Browns’ receiver room has the chance to be a real problem for defenses.
“I think that this new wide receiver room can be dangerous,” Concepcion said last week on NFL Network’s The Insiders. “ Everybody complements each other. Everybody is a different receiver.”
He also said the playbook has stopped feeling like a hurdle.
“I’m very, very comfortable. I’m confident,” Concepcion added when asked about learning the playbook.
“I know what I can do. Playbook-wise, the first two weeks, I had to learn it, I had to get used to the speed of the game.
But honestly, now I’m all ready, I know the playbook, and I’m just ready to play.”
Baltimore right tackle Roger Rosengarten is approaching the year with a fresh start in front of him, and he’s not hiding the standard he wants to reach. He pointed to the growth he’s already made and the kind of company he wants to keep at his position.
“Building from my first and especially my second year and the growth I had there … [I built] that foundational block to where I can establish myself as one of the elite right tackles in the game,” Rosengarten said, via the team website. “We have a lot of good ones too. When we talk tackles, I definitely want to be in that conversation.”
He said the new staff has given the group a clean slate.
“Me and a lot of guys are starting from a clean slate, from the ground up,” Rosengarten added. “With Declan coming in and Coach [Ledford] coming in, those guys have formulated a really good plan for the offensive line and me. Specifically for my game and what my strong suits are, I think it fits me to a tee.”
Rosengarten also addressed the departure of C Tyler Linderbaum, who signed with Las Vegas in free agency.
“Losing Tyler stung,” Rosengarten also noted on C Tyler Linderbaum signing with Las Vegas in free agency. “I was happy for him, but I was a little bummed, too.
Last year was not the year we wanted, especially up front. I think it’s going to be a lot better.
That expectation is going to be set high, but I think we’re willing to challenge it.”
In Other News...
Bengals Took A Massive Swing To Save Burrows Window And Its Blowing Up
With Trey Hendrickson gone to Baltimore, Cincinnati had a clear incentive to get aggressive about fixing a defense that had been its biggest weak spot. The club answered by swinging for Dexter Lawrence II, a move designed to add real force up front and keep Joe Burrows window from narrowing any further.
Not everyone is sold on the price, and the debate around it has only grown louder since the deal was made. Some around the league see it as the kind of necessary gamble the Bengals had to make, while others have questioned whether it cost too much for a player coming off a down season. ESPN went as far as calling it Cincinnatis biggest and worst offseason move, which only adds to the pressure on the front office to make the bet pay off. [Read more 🡒]
Former Bengals Fan Favorite Faces A Brutal Test Of Trust
Jake Browning is trying to carve out a new role in Tampa Bay after his run as a Bengals backup made him one of the more familiar reserve quarterbacks around the league. Cincinnati fans remember the stretch in 2023 when he stepped in for Joe Burrow and helped keep the offense afloat, showing enough poise to make his case as a legitimate option whenever the team needed him. Now he is back in a familiar kind of competition, working behind Baker Mayfield as he looks to secure a place on the Buccaneers depth chart.
The wrinkle is that the job is not sitting there for Browning by default. Analysts around Tampa Bay see a real battle for the backup spot, with Connor Bazelak also in the mix, and Browning arrives with both proof of what he can do and fresh questions after a difficult recent stretch. For the Bengals, it is a reminder of how quickly a trusted reserve can move from being a safety net to a player with something to prove, and Browning still has a chance to show he can be that reliable option again if Mayfield ever goes down. [Read more 🡒]
Bengals Still Havent Made The Cheap Linebacker Move Fans Want
The Bengals have spent plenty of time talking around their linebacker problem, but the issue itself has not gone away. It remains one of the clearer weak spots on the roster, which is why the search for a fix keeps circling back to the same kind of affordable veteran help that could steady the middle of the defense without forcing a major roster overhaul.
One name that keeps surfacing fits that mold as well as anyone because of his background, athletic profile and recent production. He has moved around enough to offer some lineup flexibility, and the case for adding him is built on a blend of run support, coverage and pressure ability that the Bengals could use right now, even if the front office has so far stopped short of making the move fans have been waiting for. [Read more 🡒]