AFC Notes: Bengals, Browns, Steelers

Bengals

• Bengals’ LB Joe Bachie was also drawing interest from the Broncos and Saints, yet Cincinnati had the highest priority on waivers. (Field Yates)

Browns

• According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns will not pursue Falcons’ WR Julio Jones, as they already have more than $30 million in cap space tied up in receivers Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry. 
• Cabot says that CB Greedy Williams and S Ronnie Harrison are not in danger of losing their roster spots, and adds that Williams will be given the chance to fight for a starting job with incoming first-round CB Greg Newsome.
• Harrison will also likely see playing time as the Browns are planning on using more than two safeties at times during the upcoming season.
• Cabot believes that the Browns will head into the season having the confidence that they can score at least 30 points on some teams, and will also be boasting a defense that can play at a high level as well.

Steelers

Steelers DT Tyson Alualu said he considered signing with the Jaguars prior to his two-year, $5.5 million extension with Pittsburgh. 

“It was a little stressful during that time just because we knew we wanted to stay in Pittsburgh,” Alualu said, via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “We weren’t reaching an agreement. We felt like it was a better option to go there to get more money and go back to Jacksonville and where it started for us.”

However, Alualu said that he began contemplating staying with the Steelers after coming down with COVID-19.

“Fortunately, it didn’t work that way. I got COVID and got to think about wanting to stay in Pittsburgh. It was nothing Jacksonville did to change my mind. I wanted to be here in Pittsburgh and things just kind of worked out. I’m still grateful that Jacksonville came after me. There were a lot of emotions that played into it. I have personal relationships with people in Jacksonville and I kind of hurt them in that process. But I’m just grateful that I’m still a Steeler and doing what I love in a place that I love, too.”

Alualu said he is glad to be back at OTAs and is helping develop the “younger guys” on the roster. 

“It’s beneficial for me to get the reps physically and mentally, but it also helps the younger guys, just showing them the ropes of how we train, how we work out, how we take care of our bodies,” Alualu said. “Just seeing how we play certain blocks or being there when they have questions about the defense or certain techniques. We can help certain people out when we’re on the field.”