AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry lists Bengals WR A.J. Green as a potential franchise tag candidate. 
• Despite being returning to practice from the PUP list, Bengals first-round rookie OT Jonah Williams is not expected to see live game action this year, per the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr.
• The Athletic’s Mike Sando writes the Bengals will likely decline the fifth-year option for WR John Ross this offseason.

Browns

Perhaps the biggest aspect that helped sell Browns WR Odell Beckham on his trade to Cleveland from New York earlier this year was the presence of his best friend, Browns WR Jarvis Landry. The two have been close since playing together in college at LSU and entering the draft the same year. Landry says he hasn’t gotten any indication from Beckham that he’s unhappy in Cleveland. 

“It’s not even about trying to go somewhere else,” Landry said via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “For him, he’s a guy that comes to work every day. He’s a guy that’s playing through injuries. All the things you want out of a player. . . .  He doesn’t want to leave and he’s not trying to leave.”

• According to Pro Football Network’s Benjamin Allbright and Tony Pauline, Browns leadership is split on whether to keep HC Freddie Kitchens following the season. 
• Browns GM John Dorsey is said to be in favor of keeping Kitchens, with sources calling them “two peas in a pod,” while team owner Jimmy Haslem is unsure, particularly if Cleveland loses its final three games of the season. 
• The Athletic’s Mike Sando writes the Browns will likely exercise the fifth-year option for DE Myles Garrett this offseason.
• Sando adds Browns TE David Njoku‘s status is less certain, though Cleveland could exercise the option and look to trade him. 

Ravens

• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry identifies Ravens CB Marcus Peters as a potential franchise tag candidate. 
• According to NFL Media’s Mike Garafolo, the Ravens plan to start QB Robert Griffin in Week 17 against the Steelers if they’ve already clinched the No. 1 seed. 
• The Athletic’s Mike Sando writes the Ravens will likely exercise the fifth-year option for CB Marlon Humphrey this offseason.

Steelers

• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry identifies Steelers LB Bud Dupree as a potential candidate for the transition tag. 
• The Athletic’s Mike Sando writes the Steelers will likely exercise the fifth-year option for LB T.J. Watt this offseason.
• The NFL denied Steelers G David DeCastro‘s appeal of a $14,037 fine for his role in the brawl between the Browns and Steelers. (Gerry Dulac)
• Steelers RB James Conner (shoulder) was listed as a full participant in practice, while WR JuJu Smith-Schuster had to leave early and was listed as limited. (Aditi Kinkhabwala)