AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Lamar Jackson, Ravens

Bengals HC Zac Taylor said he doesn’t plan on leaving the team on his own accord.

“They’re gonna have to carry me out of here in a casket,” Taylor said, via the Cincinnati Inquirer. “I love it. Just specifically, Cincinnati. It’s a really good fit for my family and myself, and the other coaches, and the owners, and (Bengals Director of Player Personnel) Duke Tobin. I just can’t imagine myself anywhere else. They’ll have to kick me out of here.”

Taylor said Cincinnati embodies the values that he grew up around in Lincoln, Nebraska.

“It’s the same values that I grew up with in Norman (Oklahoma), and I spent time in Lincoln (Nebraska) and Kansas and the people are Midwestern people,” he said. “I always thought I was from the Midwest and I’ve learned I’m not–this is the Midwest where I live now…but the people are very down to earth, hardworking, treat their neighbors the right way. That’s very much how the Brown and Blackburn family are with me. We just share values, constant communication, constant alignment… I know that’s special thing to have in this league. It’s not always that way, so I don’t take it for granted and just really enjoy it, and my family is really happy here as well.”

Browns

• The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec notes the Browns might try to fill their vacancy at QB coach after losing Drew Petzing to the Cardinals by looking inside the division to Ravens QB coach James Urban.
• Zrebiec notes Urban is friends with Browns HC Kevin Stefanski, who has tried to hire Urban in the past. The Ravens had blocked him before as it would have been a lateral move but Zrebiec thinks the team might be more willing to let Urban go this offseason as it shakes up its staff. 
• Utah State DC Ephraim Banda is expected to join the Browns staff. His role will be safeties coach. (Pete Thamel)
• Browns coaching fellow Israel Woolfork will join the Cardinals as their QB coach. (Josina Anderson)
• Lane DE Andrew Farmer spoke with the Browns at the HBCU Combine. (Justin Melo)

Ravens

• Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer writes it will be telling which franchise tag the Ravens decide to use on QB Lamar Jackson, as if they use the non-exclusive tag they have to be willing to lose him for just two first-round picks if they decide not to match an offer sheet, one that Breer notes could be poison-pilled even if that’s technically against the rules. 
• An exclusive tag takes Jackson off the market almost completely but Breer notes it’s far more expensive and further hurts the Ravens’ bargaining position. 
• Breer doesn’t know which way Baltimore will ultimately go but he mentions he thinks Jackson might be operating out of principle to turn down any deal with injury protections for the team based on how many hits he takes in his current role. 
• New Ravens OC Todd Monken on the challenge of getting Jackson to learn a new system if he skips the offseason workouts and training camp: “Sure, he’ll be behind. But it’s still just football. We’ll cater to what he knows and we’ll play.” (Jamison Hensley)
• Monken on Jackson: “Elite. You know, he’s got an elite skill set. … I think he’s underrated as a passer, in terms of his ability to make plays and throw it down the field.” (Mike Garafolo)