AFC North Notes: Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

Veteran DT Geno Atkins was asked about the decision to sign a new four-year, $65.3 million extension with the Bengals on Tuesday.

“They were the team that drafted me. I love it here. I love the city. I love the organization,” Atkins explained, via Katherine Terrell of ESPN. “It’s something to cement my legacy here, and I think that’s important to finish where I started. We’ve got unfinished business, this whole team, and me and ‘Los are trying to bring a Super Bowl to Cincinnati.”

The Bengals later announced that they also signed DE Carlos Dunlap to a three-year, $45 million extension.

“It is a yearly renewal in the NFL, as we all know, but for me personally we don’t look at the total number,” Dunlap said of the Bengals committing over $100 million to them. “We look at the business being done so we can focus on football and win that Super Bowl for this city and this organization — everybody will win and we’ll win again. That’s our main focus. … We’re going to get after it and it’s going to be a special season.”

Browns

• According to Albert Breer, other teams believed Browns LB Jamie Collins could be available for trade, given how impressed Cleveland was with Mychal Kendricks.
• However, the news broke Wednesday that Kendricks has been charged with insider trading. (NFLTR)
• Mary Kay Cabot reports that the Browns knew that Kendricks was involved in a federal investigation when they signed him to a contract in June. However, Cleveland was reportedly led to believe by Kendricks’ camp that he was not the target of the investigation for committing any crimes.
• Cody Benjamin spoke with attorney/legal analyst David Weinstein, who estimated Kendricks is likely to serve 8-12 months in prison for insider trading. Weinstein says that an advisory sentence would likely be higher but reduced by split sentence, house arrest, community service, etc.

Steelers

• Jeremy Fowler reports that Steelers backup QBs Joshua Dobbs and Landry Jones have garnered trade interest from some NFL teams. However, Fowler says that Jones is a tough trade for Pittsburgh right now.