AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Ravens, Odell Beckham Jr

Bengals

Bengals CB Cam Taylor-Britt said he’s had conversations with fellow rookie S Dax Hill about taking their step up in the lineup next season. 

“They drafted us for a reason,” Taylor-Britt said, via Ben Baby of ESPN. “We got our snaps this year, rookie season. Yeah, we had our flashes, of course. But it’s time to take over. If anything, it’s going to be our room. That’s how we have to look at it.”

Hill said switching positions groups on a weekly basis was difficult for him.

“I really didn’t know what I was doing in terms of each week,” Hill said. “That’s kind of hard at this level. Just to know exactly what you’re doing and trying to be as sharp as possible on Sunday, that’s a tall task.”

Taylor-Britt feels it’s important to come back ready for their offseason program. 

“Your second year, you have a lot more free time,” Taylor-Britt said. “You really gotta be on top of your stuff. You have to come back ready and prepared because it’s going to be a big year next for all of us.”

Browns

• The Browns are naming run-game coordinator Ben Bloom their new defensive line coach. (Albert Breer)

Ravens

New Ravens OC Todd Monken doesn’t understand why WR Odell Beckham Jr. gets hate for wanting the ball and his outspoken personality. Monken added that he admires Beckham for working through a major injury.

“I don’t know why everybody gets pissed off — like, he wants the ball. Well, really? I don’t know where I’ve been where a great player didn’t want the ball,” Monken said, via PFT. “I don’t know where a basketball player didn’t want shots or a baseball player didn’t want to get at-bats. That’s what they want; they want opportunities to showcase their ability. I think it’s awesome. I think he’s tremendously skilled, and I like his personality. He likes to compete. He has a tough deal, though, because he’s a…In my opinion — and he may think differently — it’s tough being a face. Does that make sense? Like NBA [players] deal with it all the time, but there are very few NFL players, outside of the quarterback, that they really know their face; that they’re a market. And he’s that way, and I think that makes it hard at times. When you’re under the microscope like he is, it really is hard. But I liked Odell a lot. I liked his skillset, liked his work ethic. He fought through an injury. Tremendous.”

We have him included in our Top 100 – 2023 NFL Free Agents list.