AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Chargers, Jets

Bengals

• Jason La Canfora mentions that Bengals DC Paul Guenther is a strong internal candidate to replace Marvin Lewis as the team’s head coach after the season.
• Michael Lombardi adds that Guenther will either be the next Bengals’ head coach or be working for the Redskins in 2018.
• According to Lombardi, Redskins HC Jay Gruden wanted to hire Guenther as his defensive coordinator last year, but he could not get out of his deal.

Browns

While the Browns did comply with the Rooney Rule requirement to interview a minority candidate for their GM position before they hired John Dorsey last week, the Fritz Pollard Alliance still has concerns about how the team handed the process, according to Jason La Canfora.

Cleveland actually interviewed former Bills GM Doug Whaley for their GM job. However, the Browns did not inform either the NFL or the Fritz Pollard Alliance that they had interviewed Whaley at the time the meeting took place or even before they announced their deal with Dorsey.

The Fritz Pollard Alliance contends that the Browns still should have reported it, even if the name of the candidate is not revealed

• According to Ian Rapoport, the Browns actually wanted Josh McCown to serve as their QBs coach for the 2017 season and help HC Hue Jackson groom their quarterback of the future.
• However, McCown ultimately decided to sign with the Jets and get another shot at playing.
• McCown is helping the Jets on Sunday as a player/coach.

Chargers

• According to Ian Rapoport, Chargers MLB Denzel Perryman is believed to have suffered a hamstring tendon strain.
• Perryman will undergo an MRI Sunday morning to determine the severity of the injury, but Rapoport says this puts his return this season in doubt.
• Rapoport also reports that Chargers rookie RB Austin Ekeler broke his hand during Saturday night’s game and is out for the season.

Jets

• A team source tells Jane Slater that Jets DE Muhammad Wilkerson, who did not make the trip to New Orleans after he was late to yet another team meeting this month, that he has “a lot of growing up to do.”