AFC Notes: Bengals, Jets, Patriots

February 17, 2018

Geoff Hobson doesn’t expect the Bengals to seriously consider drafting a quarterback until the third round at which point they’ll have two picks to work with.
Rob Rang of NFLDraftScount.com suggests Western Kentucky’s Mike White and Richmond’s Kyle Lauletta as possible mid-round targets for the Bengals, as they look to replace A.J. McCarron.
Hobson adds Oklahoma State’s Mason Rudolph, Washington State’s Luke Falk, and Missouri’s Drew Lock as some others worth keeping an eye on for Cincinnati.

According to Rich Cimini, the Bengals called the Jets last year about a potential trade for QB A.J. McCarron right at the start of free agency.
Cimini says that the Jets considered the possibility but decided against pursuing the trade, considering that there were free agent options they were focused on that didn’t cost them compensation.
Now that McCarron is set to be a free agent, Cimini thinks he could be a fallback option if the Jets fail to sign Kirk Cousins.
However, Cimini would still take Josh McCown over McCarron if it was up to him. Re-signing McCown would likely cost them less than $12 million while McCarron could be seeking something similar to the three-year, $45 million contract Mike Glennon got from the Bears last year.

Mike Reiss believes off-the-line linebacker is the one position that should be atop the Patriots’ list this offseason, as they could use a linebacker who can run well and play on all three downs.
Reiss believes Josh McDaniels‘ return to the Patriots had more to do with the team making a last-minute push to retain him with an offer that wasn’t previously on the table for him.
According to Reiss, it’s possible that McDaniels’ return may actually prolong Bill Belichick’s head-coaching career.
Reiss would be surprised if the Patriots pick up TE Martellus Bennett‘s $2 million roster bonus on the first day of the 2018 league year, meaning he’ll likely be a free agent for the second straight season.