AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens

Bengals

• Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk writes that A.J. Green should be looking for at least $30.186 million fully guaranteed at signing as part of an extension with the Bengals, which is the amount he’s owed over the next two years of his current deal. 
• Florio says for anything less than that, Green should play out his contract and force the Bengals to franchise him in 2020, unless Cincinnati guarantees him $18.21 million plus a 20-percent raise for 2021 ($21.852 million) at signing.
• This comes out to $40.062 million fully guaranteed at signing. 
• Albert Breer reports that key Bengals coaches have popped up at the big quarterback Pro Days.
• Breer believes QB Andy Dalton‘s contract ($33.9 million over the next two years) makes him attractive, but he has a hard time finding a team that would give up high-end draft capital for Dalton.

Browns

Browns HC Freddie Kitchens said RB Duke Johnson will “have a role” on the team in 2019 regardless of the recent trade rumors surrounding him. 

“I don’t know why it’s assumed that we’re going to trade Duke Johnson,” Kitchens said. “I don’t know why we would ever want to voluntarily give up a good football player. Duke Johnson is a good football player. Duke Johnson will have a role on our football team. All these guys that are here will have a role.”

Despite signing RB Kareem Hunt, Kitchens said trading Johnson has not become a necessity for the team. 

“I don’t when it just became a necessity to trade Duke Johnson because we signed Kareem Hunt. And I know I’ve heard that a lot.”

Ravens

Ravens HC John Harbaugh admitted that they’re looking for “a certain type of receiver” to play in their run-heavy offense. 

“The counterargument I would make to the naysayers, because of the offense we’re going to run and the skills of the quarterback that we have, you’re going to get open. You’re going to be more wide open,” Harbaugh said, via ESPN.com. “And if you’re the kind of guy that wants to catch a ball and go run for a touchdown, if that’s something that appeals to you as a wide receiver, then maybe Baltimore is a place you want to think about. Because you’re going to have an opportunity to do that.”