AFC Notes: Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

• Justin Melo reports that Virginia LB Joey Blount will have a top 30 visit with the Bengals.
• The Bengals are hiring Matt Summers as director of sports medicine and head athletic trainer. (Jay Morrison)
• Ball State LB Jaylin Thomas has had private workouts for a handful of teams, including the Bengals. (Wilson)
• Missouri State DL Eric Johnson has a top 30 visit with the Bengals. Johnson was not invited to the NFL Combine. (Greg Auman)

Ravens

• Fansided’s Matt Lombardo talked to a range of league executives and agents about Ravens QB Lamar Jackson‘s situation. He’s entering the final year of his deal and there has been no progress on contract talks, though it doesn’t seem like it’s for a lack of trying on the team’s part. 
• Jackson is his own agent and keeps a tight circle, so his motivations are a mystery. That hasn’t stopped league execs from speculating, though: “Looking at it from his perspective, he may be looking at it as if he can have another great year, maybe stack another MVP, and he could be looking at even more money on the back-end of these negotiations. What if he goes out, has a career year, and now he’s worth $300 million, setting a new precedent.”
• As far as what Jackson’s deal could look like, one agent pointed to the five-year, fully-guaranteed $230 million deal the Browns gave QB Deshaun Watson as the starting point: “You’d just hit on Deshaun’s contract all day. That would be where you’d be. Period.”
• If for whatever reason the Ravens can’t get an extension done with Jackson, an NFC personnel exec says they’d have a strong trade market: “If they were shopping him today, Lamar would be worth two first-round picks. Easily.”
• The Ravens are hosting Mercer OL Jason Poe for an official visit on Tuesday and Wednesday. (Justin Melo)

Steelers

Steelers QB Mitchell Trubisky is hosting QB Mason Rudolph, QB Dwayne Haskins, RB Najee Harris, and multiple Steelers’ skill players at his home in Florida for an offseason workout. He is currently the favorite to earn the starting job in Pittsburgh and is already getting to work showing his leadership.

“I’m looking to be a leader,” Trubisky said, via Pro Football Talk. “I think it’s important to build relationships, let these guys know who I am as a man before we get on the field together.”

• Per Fansided’s Matt Lombardo, the prevailing thought around the league is that the Steelers want to come out of this draft with a quarterback. They’ve done extensive work on all of the top passers in the class. 
• One AFC scouting director tells Lombardo: “They’ve had the same type of quarterback for decades, and they want a more athletic quarterback like Malik Willis. But, watch for Kenny Pickett, because he would fit what they do now. Matt Corral is the perfect mix of athletic and toughness that the Steelers have always liked.”
• Justin Melo reports that Virginia LB Joey Blount had a top 30 visit with the Steelers.
• The Steelers will host Clemson S Nolan Turner and LB James Skalski for pre-draft visits. (Aditi Kinkhabwala)