Bengals News (2/16): Coaches view continuity as advantage

The Bengals avoided any major departures to their coaching staff going into a crucial year.

Joe Burrow Heads Into Year Four With Intact Coaching Staff
In this round of the coaching carousel, Callahan didn’t get a head coaching gig, quarterbacks coach Dan Pitcher decided to stay instead of pursue the Tampa Bay offensive coordinator job and wide receivers coach Troy Walters went right to the wire before the Texans tapped their offensive coordinator.

3 Bengals players who will not be missed in the 2023 season
The Cincinnati Bengals have some decisions to make this offseason but there will be some easier decisions to make too. If these three players aren’t back in 2023, Bengals fans won’t be all that upset.

Bengals free agency: Is it time for more of that Hayden Hurst magic?
Tight end Hayden Hurst loved being part of the Bengals this season and they loved having him. He had 52 catches for 414 yards with two touchdowns, but his worth went beyond the numbers.

Bengals picked great year to need TE based on 2023 NFL draft top 100
Hayden Hurst, Drew Sample and Mitchell Wilcox are the notables slated for free agency as of this writing. Luckily for the Bengals, if they want to use an early draft pick on the position, they’ve stumbled into a heck of a year to do it.

Zac Taylor on why he never wants to leave Bengals or Cincinnati
“Same values I grew up with in Norman…the people are midwestern. I always thought I was from the midwest, I’m not. This is the midwest, where I live now. But the people are just very down to earth, hard-working. Good people, treat their neighbors the right way. That’s very much how the Brown and Blackburn family is, shared values, constant communication, very much in alignment…”

PFF Deems Bengals Star Running Back Joe Mixon Team’s Top Cut Candidate This Offseason
“With a lot of tough decisions coming for the Bengals’ front office in the near future, clearing around $10 million in cash and more than $7 million in 2023 cap by moving on from Mixon could help them retain some younger talent,” Spielberger wrote. “Mixon’s 0.11 missed tackles forced per rushing attempt in 2022 ranked 72nd out of 87 running backs with at least 25 rushing attempts, his 3.9 yards per carry ranked 65th, and he posted just 16 explosive rushes on 210 attempts.

Bengals go unexpected routes in new 2022 re-draft
In the original draft, the Bengals traded up three spots in the second round to make sure they landed cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt. He’s since had the look of a long-term starter on the boundary, but the re-draft has the Bengals stick at No. 63 and instead select running back Brian Robinson Jr., current star for the Washington Commanders.

Three 2023 NFL Draft Running Backs Targets for the Cincinnati Bengals
As the Cincinnati Bengals prepare to extend long-term pieces like Joe Burrow, difficult cap decisions will occur. One of those predicaments is what to do at running back. Joe Mixon will be 27 by week one and is unlikely to stay on the team at his current cap hit past the upcoming season. They can save $10 million by releasing him after June 1st. When the cap crunch hits, the Bengals will not have the luxury of paying a running back.

Around the league

NFL QB Index: Ranking all 68 starting quarterbacks from the 2022 NFL season
Burrow’s patchwork line dominated Buffalo in the Divisional Round only to be comprehensively crushed by the Chiefs one week later. It signaled the end of the road for the Bengals, but Cincy’s cigar-smoking easy rider proved all over again that he’s one of the game’s top talents. Burrow’s calm demeanor is no sales gag. He seemed to only improve as key pieces around him were lost to injury. With 92 total touchdowns over three seasons, Burrow’s inevitably huge second contract rests on the horizon. The Bengals have plenty of mouths to feed, but that’s an enviable dilemma. Cincy must figure out how to keep one of the AFC’s most watchable offenses together for eons to come.

James Bradberry won’t ‘play for cheap’ after standout season, to discuss Eagles contract ‘soon’
While his hold in Super Bowl LVII that essentially ended the game is top of mind, there is no question that Bradberry was a key reason the Eagles were in the game in the first place. Throughout the 2022 campaign, Bradberry was sterling opposite Darius Slay for a good Philly secondary. The 29-year-old earned second-team All-Pro honors with three interceptions and 17 passes defensed in 17 regular-season games. He added another INT and two passes defensed with 10 tackles in the postseason.

Bucky Brooks’ top five 2023 NFL Draft prospects by position 1.0: Stroud, Young, Hooker top QB rankings
The 2023 tight end class will intrigue coaches and scouts seeking basketball-like athletes with post-up skills and soft hands. Mayer is the cream of the crop as an old-school “Y” with strong hands and a nose for the end zone (18 touchdowns over three seasons at Notre Dame). Teams looking for a classic tight end will salivate over his potential as an impact player. Kincaid is a dynamic flex with outstanding route-running skills and sticky hands. Boasting extensive collegiate experience (two years at San Diego and three seasons with Utah), Kincaid is a plug-and-play prospect with the potential to make an immediate splash as a designated playmaker. Washington is a super-sized tight end with a combination of skills that makes him a hybrid offensive tackle/perimeter pass catcher. The Georgia product obliterates defenders as a blocker on the edges, while also displaying soft hands and better-than-anticipated playmaking skills for a gigantic target.

Jason Kelce undecided on future as both Kelce brothers process emotional Super Bowl LVII
“Man, I can’t answer that right now. No chance,” the veteran Eagles center said on Wednesday during the latest episode of their New Heights podcast when discussing potentially retiring following the 2022 season. “We’ll answer that soon enough, I guess. I don’t know the answer to that right now. So I can’t answer it.

Buccaneers hiring Seahawks QB coach Dave Canales as offensive coordinator
The 41-year-old Canales emerged from a long list of candidates interviewed by the Bucs and will make a massive career change. Not only is Canales switching coasts, he’s also set to step out from under the Carroll coaching umbrella for the first time in his NFL career. Canales joined Carroll in 2009 at USC and has been with the head coach in Seattle since 2010, assuming roles ranging from offensive quality control coach to wide receiver coach to quarterbacks coach most recently.