AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

• ESPN’s Dan Graziano says it’s a make-or-break year for Bengals QB Andy Dalton, as the new coaching staff might want a young quarterback to develop if Dalton shows he doesn’t have a high ceiling. 
• Dalton is slated to make $16 million in 2019 and $17.5 million in 2020, but neither of those figures are guaranteed, making it easy for the Bengals to move on if they choose. 

Browns

According to Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, the Browns have had preliminary talks with S Damarious Randall, but no negotiations for an extension.

Randall is entering the final year of his contract on the fifth-year option worth $9.069 million and says he wants to stay with the Browns. 

“I would want to finish my career here in Cleveland,” Randall said at mandatory minicamp in June. “I love it here. The fans, the coaches, everybody in charge here, I just love Cleveland.”

Cabot says the Browns would like to get something done before the season, but that would likely require a blockbuster offer in the neighborhood of the $13-$14 million per year the top safeties get. Cleveland could also franchise tag Randall in 2020 for a projected $12.735 million.

• Pro Football Talk mentions the Buccaneers as a potential team to watch in a trade for Browns RB Duke Johnson.

Steelers

How the Steelers divvy up their running back workload has been a topic of discussion during the offseason. Regardless of how much, Steelers RB Jaylen Samuels expects to be on the field, sometimes at the same time as starting RB James Conner.

“I’m pretty sure it’s going to be something special put into the offense,” Samuels said via ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “They will have us start off in the backfield or I can start out wide or motion out.”

• According to Bob Labriola of the official team website, the Steelers are happy with Xavier Grimble and fifth-round rookie Zach Gentry as their depth at tight end.