Bengals
Bengals HC Zac Taylor praised presumed No. 1 overall pick QB Joe Burrow‘s ability to evade the pass rush and extend plays.
“That is one of the great traits about him is he is able to extend plays and he has good feel for the rush and can get out on the perimeter and those guys did a good job playing with him in that regard. They threw a lot of touchdown passes that way,” Taylor said, Tyler Dragon of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “That’s one of the things you are looking at in a quarterback: Can he create and extend plays? You don’t always call the perfect call. The protection isn’t always the best, so sometimes those guys have to be able to get on the perimeter and extend plays and make the play when you wouldn’t think there is one to be made. That’s something he’s really shown on tape.”
Bengals OC Bill Callahan said he has “no reservations” about Burrow being able to make all the throws at the NFL level.
“Everything that I’ve seen on tape, there’s been nothing on there that says he can’t make any throw that you’re asking him to make,” said Callahan. “I have no reservations about his ability to throw the ball at every spot on the field in the NFL.”
Dragon, citing sources within the Bengals, confirms that Cincinnati believes Burrow “will be ready” for the NFL and is “the real deal.”
Browns
The Browns signed DT Andrew Billings to a one-year, $3.5 million deal on Thursday. He later told reporters that he believes his best play will come in Cleveland.
“The next step is definitely developing myself,” Billings said, via Scott Petrak of BrownsZone.com. “After my rookie year, the step was to actually make the team and the next year was to actually start. Now I think the step for me is learning more about developing myself into more of a complete player and a lot of off-the-field things, as well. Just improving on things I want to improve on every year — studying, watching my film and just really being a good teammate out there.”
Billings mentioned that he has talked to the new coaching staff, led by HC Kevin Stefanski and DC Joe Woods and sees potential for the team moving forward.
“They do a really good job of putting some pieces together on offense,” Billings said of his new coaches. “I have more of an impression of the offense than the defense, though, at this point, but I definitely see the potential and I see where they are going.”
Dolphins
Kyle Van Noy stressed his position versatility in terms of what he brings to the Dolphins’ defense.
“I feel [and] envision that I’ll be playing everywhere like I have been,” Van Noy said about his new role. “I’ve said it before – I don’t really consider myself having a position. I don’t really like that. I don’t like being called a d-end or a linebacker or anything. I’m just a football player. You roll the ball out onto the field, I’m there. I’m showing up. That’s my job and I’m going to be about it all the time.”
Other new players such as RB Jordan Howard and LB Elandon Roberts are unsure of their roles coming into next season but remain excited to contribute.
“No, we didn’t talk about my role or anything like that,” Howard said. “I’m just going to come in and be the best teammate that I can and be whatever they need me to be.”
“At the end of the day for a linebacker, you have to make a tackle,” Roberts said. “So it’s a ‘do what you’ve got to do’ mentality. If you’ve got to do that, then you’ve got to do it. It’s just a mentality that I go by.”
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