Bengals
- Bengals S Jessie Bates posted on his Twitter account for the first time since March, writing: “Stay down. Stay grounded.”
- It has been reported that Bates will not play under the franchise tag for $12.91 million in 2022 and may plan to hold out if he doesn’t receive a new deal from the team.
Browns
New Panthers QB Baker Mayfield won’t have to wait long to face his former team and he acknowledged the obvious: Carolina’s Week 1 matchup against the Browns will have a little extra juice for him.
“I’m not going to sit here and be a robot and tell you that’s not one I’ve marked on the calendar already,” Mayfield said via Darin Gantt of the team website. “One, that’s not who I am. To me, it’s about winning games. Whoever we have marked on the schedule, I’m going to try to win. Obviously, this one has a little more history and personal meaning, but for me, it’s about winning and setting the tone for the rest of the year, and however I can help this team do that, I’m going to do.”
Ravens
One of the key players the Ravens are set to get back from injury is LT Ronnie Stanley, who played in just one game before needing another ankle surgery for an injury suffered in 2020. For a team that relies on its offensive line as much as Baltimore, getting Stanley back healthy and in peak form would be a massive addition. Ravens HC John Harbaugh is hopeful that will be the case.
“I just talked to him again today. He’s champing at the bit to get back. If he plays like Ronnie Stanley, and even better, then the significance is almost immeasurable. And that’s what we’re hoping for,” Harbaugh said via ESPN’s Jamison Hensley.
If not, though, the Ravens feel like they’re in better shape than they were last season when they had to rely on aging veteran Alejandro Villanueva at left tackle and a variety of names on the right side. Veteran Morgan Moses should hopefully lock down the right side and veteran Ja’Wuan James should finally be healthy and serve as an insurance policy for either side.
“I would say, those two veteran tackles are major additions from what we had last year,” Harbaugh said. “… Of course, Alejandro did a great job, but these two guys look really good.”
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