Bengals

Bengals GM Duke Tobin thinks their defensive line didn’t play up to standard in 2025, but still envisions roles for some of the defensive tackles they have on the roster. 

“I think that it can play better. I think those guys can continue to improve. I think some of them have the talent it takes to be effective players in this league. I think the unit as a whole, you know, didn’t play well as a group as it should have, as it could, but I think that’s on those guys to take the teaching. We’re doing things differently there, and I think that they’re growing into those roles. I have a lot of regard for all of those guys, and I think they have roles going forward for us. I envision roles going forward, or they still wouldn’t be here. So I haven’t given up on any of them. I see talent in them. I see an eagerness to be good football players. And so I think there’s still two of them are still pretty young in their career,” Tobin said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic.

Tobin points out that DTs B.J. Hill and Kris Jenkins battled through injuries last season. 

“I think B.J. Hill really battled through significant things this year to where he couldn’t practice all the time. I think he got that taken care of, and I think he might have a real bounce back when he can practice and so forth. But he was a warrior for us, because he had significant things that were going on in his foot and ankle. And, you know, we tried to get them to Sundays, and he battled through. That’s what he’s all about. Those are the type of guys you need. And then Kris (Jenkins) was coming on before he got hurt. And I think Kris can kind of play all along the D-line, which is something that Al and (defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery) want these guys to have, flexibility and the ability to play in multiple techniques. I think Kris has a chance to really do that. And the more McKinnley (Jackson) gets to play, the more I see him coming on. He’s got to earn the right to stay out there and play.”

Browns

• Browns HC Todd Monken said he can see the playmaking ability in QB Shedeur Sanders, adding that they will have an open competition at quarterback: “What I see in Shedeur is elite playmaking ability. It’s in him. I think it’s an open competition. I don’t know why it wouldn’t be.” (Zac Jackson)
• Monken added that QB Deshaun Watson will be a part of the competition and he hopes to find a way to revive the elite quarterback play he had in Houston: “When you have a player that has one time exhibited the skill-set at an elite level, I think you’re always going to give them the benefit of the doubt, that somehow, we might be able to get that out of him again.” (Mary Kay Cabot)
• When examining teams in need of a quarterback, Jason La Canfora of Sportsboom, citing a source with knowledge of Monken’s thinking, reports that Monken is keen to work with younger players. 
• Browns GM Andrew Berry said the team doesn’t need to make a decision on a quarterback at this time, given that it’s still February. (Jackson)
• Berry on Sanders’ rookie year: “We love competition all up and down the roster, and no different at the quarterback position. I think Shedeur did some really nice things as a rookie. Had his typical rookie struggles, like we saw with all the rookie passers this year. We’re looking forward to seeing him make strides as we move forward.” (SiriusXM NFL Radio)
• Berry: “We’re probably one offseason away from being hyper aggressive in this (free agency) window.” (Jackson)
• Regarding veteran G Joel Bitonio possibly retiring, Berry said he deserved time and space to make a decision about his future in football. (Jackson)
• Berry said LT Dawand Jones is progressing well, and C Luke Wypler will be good to go after being carted off with a knee injury at the end of the season. (Oyefusi)
• On defense, CB Martin Emerson Jr.’s situation is “unsettled” according to Berry. (Jackson)
• Berry said he’s “not overly optimistic” about LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah ever playing again. The team is taking his recovery month to month and has no deadline for his return. (Petrak)
• Browns RB Quinshon Judkins is out of his boot and will be good to go for training camp, per Berry. (Oyefusi)

Ravens

Ravens GM Eric DeCosta addressed his “need vs. BPA” philosophy and said that S Malaki Starks was the best player available last year, who also fit a need.

“Every year is different,” DeCosta explained, via Ravens Wire. “We didn’t go into that 2022 draft thinking Kyle Hamilton was going to be the best player available when we picked, and he happened to be the best player available. Thank God he was, right? This year, I think we did see a scenario where Malaki might have been that guy for us. There were other players that we liked. Those guys got taken. Malaki was, fortunately, the last guy standing for us before what we considered to be a little bit of a drop-off in the draft. So, (we were) blessed that those two guys were available. Certainly don’t expect to take a safety this year, probably at 14. (I) wouldn’t expect that, but (that’s) kind of what we talked about, need vs. best available player, but I think in the case of those two guys, I think we knocked those two picks out of the park.“