Wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase is headed into his fourth professional season with the Cincinnati Bengals and is eligible for an extension. Will the two sides be able to hammer out a deal?
Cincinnati Bengals News Today
Cincinnati Bengals Have Not Started on a Ja’Marr Chase Deal
The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Kelsey Conway reported that team executive vice president Katie Blackburn, along with the rest of the Bengals’ brass, haven’t met with Chase’s representation about a possible deal.
“We haven’t started. That’s sort of the next thing is just to piece together some of those things to consider and give it some thought,” Blackburn said.
“I can’t say for sure where any of it will go,” Blackburn continued. “But we certainly are going to study up on it and see what we can figure out to try to get the best result we can for the club one way or another.”
Chase has been highly productive over the course of his three NFL seasons. He’s had over 1,000 yards and 80 catches in each of them, totaling 368 receptions for 3,717 yards and 29 touchdowns while starting all 45 games that he’s played in.
Former Bengals LB Markus Bailey Not a Fan of New Hip-Drop Tackle Rule
Linebacker Markus Bailey played the first four seasons of his career with Cincinnati. The 6-foot, 235-pound linebacker was nowhere close to being the largest player on the field and, like many smaller defenders, has used the hip-drop tackle to bring down ball carriers.
The 27-year-old free agent expressed his grievances with the new rule change on X.
“Due to the fact that you’re trying to get the ball-carrier down as quickly as possible to limit any excess gain in yardage..and that you’re in a position where you have them wrapped up at an angle to the side as they’re running upfield trying to prevent being tackled, the most effective strategy at that point is to drop your weight and drag the ball-carrier to the ground.
“Unfortunately, this sometimes leads to your own legs, as the defender, swinging through and accidentally landing on the runners legs because of how momentum and gravity work.”
Bailey’s ex-teammate Logan Wilson brought down Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews with a hip drop tackle this past November, causing the Pro Bowler to miss the remainder of the regular season. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor supported Wilson following Andrews’ injury, and accusations of Wilson being a dirty player were tossed around by fans.
“It’s kind of the world we live in right now, and some of it obviously was very unnecessary, coming at me and my family for really no reason,” Wilson said. “I wasn’t playing the game dirty. I never wish any harm on any player I ever go against. I play my heart out every game, play my butt off, and sometimes those injuries happen.
“If people would notice, I was one of the first people on a knee when Mark went down because you never want that to happen to a guy. Especially him. He’s a good dude.”
Cincinnati Selects Alabama CB in Matt Miller’s Mock Draft
ESPN’s Matt Miller believes that the Bengals could afford to build up their defense even more so than they’ve already done this offseason. With that mindset, he mocks Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold to Cincinnati with the 18th pick.
“After signing right tackle Trent Brown in free agency, the Bengals are cleared to address the defense in Round 1,” Miller wrote. “Teaming Arnold up with DJ Turner, Cam Taylor-Britt and Mike Hilton gives Cincinnati’s secondary a chance to compete with any team in the AFC.
“Arnold was a five-star safety prospect but made the move to cornerback, where he started for two seasons and collected six interceptions and 21 pass breakups. He also ran a 4.5-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot and 189 pounds, and he is feisty and physical at the line of scrimmage. In short, he has the skill set of a true CB1 and future Pro Bowler.”
KEEP READING: Bengals’ Darrin Simmons Weighs In on Kickoff Rule
The Bengals signed defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins, safeties Geno Stone nd Vonn Bell, and re-signed Akeem Davis-Gaither.
Bengals Receive D Grade for Rookie Class
The Athletic’s Diante Lee graded each NFL team’s 2023 draft class, following their rookie season. Cincinnati’s was among the lowest-graded ones.
“The Bengals took three swings on defense to open the 2023 draft — Myles Murphy (No. 28), DJ Turner II (No. 60) and Jordan Battle (No. 95) — and Turner looks most likely to grow into a full-time starter,” Lee wrote.
“Battle struggled to grasp the communication and play-to-play responsibilities of Cincinnati’s defense; Murphy didn’t make much of an impact, even as his participation increased.”
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