Bengals

The Bengals signed DE Boye Mafe to a three-year deal following his time with the Seahawks, where he recorded just two sacks last year. Seattle HC Mike Macdonald thinks pass-rushing stats are “a little overrated” and praised Mafe’s ability to affect the quarterback. 

“Actual pass-rush stats, pass-rush sacks, are a little overrated,” Macdonald said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “Probably the best thing that Boye does is (he) wins early, which (is) something you need. You need to affect the quarterback fast. Can he finish a little bit better? Yeah, absolutely. But to get the quarterback off the spot, somebody else is probably making that play, too. Another guy we were really excited about. We are going to miss him.”

As for QB Joe Flacco deciding to re-sign with Cincinnati, HC Zac Taylor was happy to see the veteran quickly choose to return. 

“I think you talk after the season and go through free agency, and he probably assessed his options and determined we were the best fit for him,” Taylor said. “So, let’s rip the Band-Aid off and go back to work. I was happy with that, certainly. Had you asked me immediately after the season, I would have said this is probably an August thing for him. But I am really happy that it worked out the way it did.”

The Bengals began last season 2-0, but lost eight of the next nine games. Taylor feels they started with the “right mentality,” but things quickly deteriorated. 

“I felt like our team had the right mentality as we started,” Taylor said. “We didn’t continue on, but I thought we started the right way.”

Browns

Browns CB Martin Emerson Jr. has yet to sign with a new team after missing all of last season due to a ruptured Achilles he suffered in training camp. Although GM Andrew Berry said he would like to bring back Emerson, he understands that the cornerback would like to sign somewhere he could compete for a starting job.

“Love MJ,” Berry said, via Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. “Absolutely love MJ., both as a person and as a player. Selfishly would love to have him back. I think we’re also realistic that with MJ and the injury that he’s coming off of, to reach his personal goals, he’s also got to be in a position where he has maybe a strong opportunity to compete for a starting spot.”

Steelers

During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Adam Schefter was asked by A.J. Hawk if the Steelers had given former teammate QB Aaron Rodgers a deadline to make a decision on his return.

“I don’t think there’s a deadline, but I do think the Steelers would like to know before the draft,” Schefter said on The Pat McAfee Show. “I don’t think it matters. I think if Aaron just dragged this into May, or June, he could do that. Again, I don’t mean to oversimplify this, but either you want to play or you don’t. It shouldn’t be that hard.”

• Florida State DT Darrell Jackson and Louisiana-Lafayette LB Jaden Dugger visited the Steelers. Dugger is from Pittsburgh and counts as a local prospect. (Brooke Pryor)