AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

• Jason La Canfora reports that teams have shown “some interest” in Bengals CB Dre Kirkpatrick, but Cincinnati doesn’t want to trade other than dump OT Cordy Glenn. 
• Per the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr., a source with the Bengals explained that the team’s refusal to hold a firesale at the trade deadline despite an 0-8 record so far comes down to three things: 1) It’s not their job to make other teams better, 2) People might not think they should, but they care a lot about winning football games this year, 3) They don’t want to get rid of their truly valuable players.
• While Cincinnati has drawn some interest for players like WR A.J. Green and DT Geno Atkins, they haven’t seriously considered parting with them, per HC Zac Taylor: “There’s some key players that I feel like are critical to our success this year. Critical to our future that probably teams want. And we want. So, it makes for an easy decision.”
• According to NFL Media’s Omar Ruiz, Bengals WR A.J. Green is confident he’ll be able to return following Cincinnati’s bye next week. 
• Green says he just has to make sure his ankle is back up to speed and the injury won’t continue to linger. 

Browns

The Browns’ slide continued again on Sunday against the Patriots, as the loss was Cleveland’s fifth in its seven games so far this season. Yet again, mistakes like turnovers and penalties doomed the Browns chances. At this point, Browns QB Baker Mayfield has had to answer the same questions about the same mistakes too often for his liking this year. 

“It’s just non-disciplined,” Mayfield said via Pro Football Talk. “Guys not being focused on doing their job. It starts first and foremost with me, to be a leader every single down. Get our guys lined up, make sure that we’re set, we’re paying attention because if we can’t use cadence we’re hurting ourselves. Any time we try to use a double count, it seems like we’re false starting a little bit, but we’ll get the discipline part fixed, the accountability. Like I said, we’ve pointed out the problem, now we have to execute it on Sundays. Once again, I feel like we had a great week of practice, we just didn’t translate it.”

• Browns worked out Garrett Williams, Jamell Garcia-Williams, Wes Horton, Damontre Moore, Chris Odom and Ricky Ortiz. (Aaron Wilson)

Steelers

• The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly foresees Steelers LB Bud Dupree playing elsewhere next season and doesn’t believe the Steelers will use the franchise tag on him. 
• Kaboly doesn’t think Patriots WR Josh Gordon is an option for the Steelers if New England releases him, given how Pittsburgh has avoided character risks in the past.