AFC Notes: La’el Collins, Bengals, Ravens, Steelers

Bengals

Bengals RT La’el Collins is on the other side of 30, coming off a torn ACL, struggled at times in 2022 and could save a healthy chunk of cap space for Cincinnati if released. All of that points to Collins being cut at some point before the season but Bengals exec Duke Tobin wasn’t quite ready to cut ties when asked about it. 

“Any time somebody’s coming off an injury, you want to get them as far along as possible before you have to make any decisions and see if they’re gonna be able to fit the bill next year,” Tobin said via the Athletic’s Paul Dehner Jr. “LC’s gonna work super hard at it. He’s already doing that. He’s made of the right stuff.”

Depending on who was asked, the Bengals seemed open to the idea of moving LT Jonah Williams over to the right side. But that would be contingent on getting a new left tackle and it would be hard on Williams. Switching sides for offensive linemen is like learning to do everything with the non-dominant hand. 

“It’d be tough,” Bengals OC Brian Callahan said. “He’s spent his whole career, really, especially as a pro, as a left tackle. Moving him would probably be pretty difficult. It’s probably not something that he would be necessarily excited about, either. I’m sure as a team-first guy, he would do it if that’s what was best for us. But that’s a hard switch to make.”

• Williams is also entering the final year of his deal on the fifth-year option, which Callahan acknowledged will factor into their offseason plans at tackle: “With Jonah, where he’s at contractually, you’re always looking for guys where you have one eye toward the future and what that looks like.”
• Tobin noted Bengals OL Jackson Carman could be “in the mix” at either right tackle or left tackle down the road. 
• Dehner writes the Bengals more than likely will double dip, signing a veteran to compete to start on the right side and drafting another prospect to add into the mix. 

Ravens

Ravens DL Calais Campbell said QB Lamar Jackson wants to get a deal done to remain in Baltimore.

“He wants to get a deal done, and that’s the most important part,” Campbell said, via PFT. “Sometimes guys who are part of a team and don’t want to be there anymore, use [free agency] as an opportunity to go elsewhere. But he wants to be [with the Ravens].”

Steelers

Penn State CB Joey Porter, Jr. said he’d love to be drafted by the Steelers and remain in Pittsburgh.

“I think it would probably mean a lot for me and my family, being in the Pittsburgh area for a little bit now,” Porter said, via PFT. “Staying at home would mean a lot.”

Porter added that even if he was drafted by a team like Baltimore, who’s Pittsburgh’s rival, he would consider it a blessing.

“I really never had no ill will toward Baltimore,” Porter said. “That was probably more of my dad and since his whole rivalry with them. I just love the game of football, so if I end up there, that would be a blessing.”