AFC Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals’ HC Zac Taylor provided injury updates on several key players following Sunday’s loss to the Steelers, including QB Joe Burrow, RB Joe Mixon, and LT Jonah Williams.

“(Burrow) will be fine,” Taylor said, via Charlie Goldsmith of Cincinnati.com. “He’s tough, and a couple of those just nicked him up for a couple of plays, but he’s in good shape. I don’t expect to have (an update on Mixon), you know, in time for this press conference, but we’ll see here these next couple of days. Jonah practiced last week, we felt like him coming off that injury that we were better-suited to put those other two guys out there. Jonah has made really good progress and we’ll see where he’s at for practice on Wednesday.”

• The Cincinnati Bengals brought in defensive backs Trajan Bandy and Donnie Lewis Jr. for tryouts on Friday, according to Albert Breer.

Ravens

• The Athletic’s Jeff Zrebiec writes the Ravens’ top concern is fixing their offensive line as the first step to getting the offense back on track. He notes Baltimore needs improvement from C Matt Skura, either from Skura snapping better or moving someone else into the starting lineup like Patrick Mekari, Bradley Bozeman or rookie UDFA Trystan Colon-Castillo.
• A complicating factor is both Bozeman and Mekari are starting at guard right now and Mekari had to shift to right tackle after the Ravens benched the struggling D.J. Fluker. 
• Zrebiec adds the Ravens could add as many as two tight ends to the active roster to replace TE Nick Boyle, a key weapon in their run game. He also expects Baltimore to use FB Patrick Ricard more in that arena. 
• Injuries have also hit Baltimore hard on the defensive line and at cornerback, per Zrebiec, and reinforcements in some fashion are desperately needed. 
• Over The Cap’s Nick Korte goes over the changes to the compensatory pick formula and how the projected picks have played out in 2020. He notes the Ravens are slated to get a sixth-round comp pick for the loss of WR Seth Roberts as long as either Bengals LB Josh Bynes or Jets LB Patrick Onwuasor play enough to qualify in the formula.
• However, if Ravens DL Derek Wolfe plays a lot of snaps, his contract could cancel out that pick. 
• Korte adds DT Michael Pierce still counts as a qualifying lost free agent despite opting out of the season after signing with the Vikings in free agency. Baltimore is projected to receive a fifth-round comp pick for Pierce. 

Steelers

• Over The Cap’s Nick Korte goes over the changes to the compensatory pick formula and how the projected picks have played out in 2020. He notes the Steelers’ potential sixth-round comp pick for Bills LB Tyler Matakevich is right on the 32-pick cutoff bubble. 
• Per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, Steelers HC Mike Tomlin is very optimistic Pittsburgh will get back CB Mike Hilton and DL Chris Wormley this week. 
• Tomlin said improving the rushing attack is one of the team’s biggest focuses this week: “It’s something we shouldn’t have a tough time pushing through…it is below the line as we sit here today.” (Pryor)
• Tomlin threw his support behind Steelers RB James Conner as his lead back and dismissed the idea of starting someone else on the roster. (Aditi Kinkhabwala)