AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

• The Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. points out the Bengals have become quite reluctant to sign players to third contracts in recent years, even for notable starters or veteran leaders. The biggest example this year was S Vonn Bell who walked in free agency. 
• Dehner goes on to say this is important when considering the future of players like DT D.J. Reader, DE Trey Hendrickson, WR Tyler Boyd, and CB Chidobe Awuzie. Reader, Boyd, and Awuzie are all in contract years and Hendrickson is a free agent after 2024.
• However, Hendrickson will be 29 and have a significant cap hit with no guarantees, so if he takes a step back in 2023 it’s not out of the question he could become a cap casualty candidate, per Dehner. 
• It’s possible the Bengals make exceptions for some of these players but Dehner points out the team has already drafted some potential younger options behind Boyd, Awuzie and Hendrickson.

Browns

• According to Mary Kay Cabot, Browns DT Perrion Winfrey’s case for misdemeanor assault against a woman he was dating was dismissed in Harris County, Texas.

Steelers

Veteran free agent DL Tyson Alualu hasn’t signed with another team so far this offseason and is working out with the hope he will return for another season with the Steelers 

“I’m preparing like I will play this season,” Alualu said, via SI.com. “I can’t tell where it’s gonna be. But in a perfect world, I would love to be back with the Steelers and finish here. But I’ve been training and it felt normal.”