AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens

Bengals

• The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. writes the signing of S Vonn Bell puts Bengals S Shawn Williams firmly on the chopping block as a potential cap casualty. 
• Cincinnati can release Williams and his $4.8 million base salary with just a $400,000 hit in dead money. 
• Dehner brings up the possibility of moving Williams to dime linebacker in some sub-packages but he’s light even for that position at 216 pounds. 
• Bell’s three-year, $18 million deal includes a 3 million signing bonus, base salaries of $3 million, $4.1 million and $6.1 million, a $1 million reporting bonus in 2020, $200,000 workout bonuses in 2021-2022 and up to $200,000 in per-game active roster bonuses in 2021-2022. (Albert Breer)

Browns

For the first time in a couple seasons, Browns QB Case Keenum is entering a role where he’s clearly a backup. It’s a role Keenum’s familiar with given how he started his NFL career, but he’s been a starter for the vast majority of the past three years, including starting each of the past two seasons as the No. 1 quarterback for the Broncos and Redskins. He’s made it clear he understands his position behind Browns starting QB Baker Mayfield but also that he hasn’t lost the itch to play. 

“If Baker’s shoelace comes untied and he needs to maybe go get a drink of Gatorade at the water station, I’m going to be ready to go,” Keenum said via Cleveland.com’s Mary Kay Cabot. “If I need to take a few snaps, I’m going to handle myself well and I know that I can.”

• ESPN’s John Keim mentions the Browns as a potential trade candidate for Redskins LT Trent Williams. 
• NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo reports the Browns also had an interest in S Vonn Bell before he signed with the Bengals. 

Ravens

• Per the Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec, Ravens DL Calais Campbell said he left money on the table to facilitate a trade with the Ravens: “I was more confident in going to Baltimore even if I had to take less. There’s not too many teams better.”
• Campbell added his agents told him about four or five other teams that were interested but his extension was contingent on the deal being done with Baltimore. (Zrebiec) 
• Campbell mentioned his agent wasn’t thrilled he didn’t try to get more than $20 million guaranteed but he said winning was the most important thing to him at that stage. (Jamison Hensley)