Bengals

• ESPN’s Ben Baby thinks Bengals WR Dohnte Meyers has been impressive enough to earn a roster spot over WR/PR Charlie Jones.
• The defensive line is a spot where Cincinnati has a lot of numbers and will have to make some tough cuts. Baby has DE Cedric Johnson and DT McKinnley Jackson on the wrong side of the bubble. 
• Bengals HC Zac Taylor said the decision to release OL Cody Ford was out of respect so he could get a head start on finding a new home ahead of roster cutdowns. (Kelsey Conway)

Browns

• Browns HC Todd Monken thinks QB Shedeur Sanders has come a long way and is excited about his future, but said it’s not a week-to-week decision after naming Deshaun Watson the starter: “What we’re paid to do is put the best players on the field.” (Zac Jackson)
• Monken talked about the fans booing Watson along with Watson’s postgame response: “We earn our respect by how we play. We earn our fans appreciation by what we feel on the field… Got to pull your big boy pants up and let’s go play.” (Cameron Wolfe)
• Monken said they had a conversation, mostly about making it all go away with good performances: “Let’s move forward, work our rear end off and play winning football.” (Zac Jackson)
• Watson spoke about his postgame comments from Saturday on Monday after being named the starter: “Human nature, myself being very emotional, putting a lot of time these last two years to get back, spent time in this facility, the city, meeting a lot of different people in the community, I thought I was gonna get a little different response… My emotions got the best of me, my comments weren’t intending to go at any of the fans in the city, because there’s been a lot of great fans that have been supporting me. And I know the frustration, this organization put a lot of investment into getting me back in 2022. And things haven’t been going in the direction we thought it would.” (Albert Breer)
• Watson continued: “A lot of injuries, a lot of time off, and not playing the best football. I understand the frustration, I understand everything that goes into that. And moving forward, I wanna just focus on football, making sure I’m putting the best product out there. Because I thrive off the energy, I thrive off the energy of the fans, I thrive off the energy of the community, I thrive off all that stuff… Looking back at my history at Clemson and at the previous organization in Houston, I was a big community guy, big city guy, big fan guy during the games. Again, my emotions got the best of me, I’m human, I take full responsibility for that.” (Breer)
• Per Scott Petrak, Monken said he doesn’t think DT Mike Hall Jr. will make a full-time switch to defensive end, but he has the flexibility to play different roles along the line.
• With DT Maliek Collins returning from injury, Monken was also hopeful that the team would get DL Sam Kamara, FB Michael Burton and LB Carson Schwesinger back as well. (Easterling)
• Monken also told reporters that the team would not play any starters in the final preseason game against the Patriots. (Grossi)

Browns

Browns HC Todd Monken named veteran QB Deshaun Watson the starter for Week 1 on Monday, an outcome that had seemed the most probable for months. It doesn’t mean it was smooth along the way, though, with this past weekend in particular becoming a flashpoint following Watson’s comments about the Browns’ fanbase. It created real questions about how viable Watson could be as a starter if he and the fanbase are at war with each other. However, Monken defended his starter. 

“He emptied his heart a little bit, and I don’t think that says who he is,” Monken said Sunday via ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi. “I see the competitor in him. I see the every-day work he puts in, and he wants to be back. He wants to get back to where he was as best he can, and that’s hard. And again, I think the moment just got him after the game, and it can get all of us.”

Monken said Sunday that Watson’s comments after the preseason game Saturday wouldn’t factor into his decision and he was true to his word, naming Watson the starter on Monday. 

“Even with yesterday, we have to take in the full body of work,” Monken said. “That’s one opportunity that they had on the field, both of them, just like the week before, an opportunity. Just like the practices against the Bills were an opportunity to showcase their ability and others’ ability and where they’re at this point, where we’re at as an offense. I look at it: What has been the full body of work? And then ultimately who gives us the best chance to win Week 1?

“I’m not going to let one half of football, one frustrating moment, dictate what our decision is going to be that we think is in the best interest of the Browns moving forward and especially Week 1.”

Despite Watson saying he felt like he might have to approach this season like 17 away games, Monken said he’s not concerned about the fanbase failing to embrace Watson at home.