Bengals

Bengals DT B.J. Hill battled through lingering foot and ankle injuries last season, leading to him undergoing surgery this offseason. Cincinnati GM Duke Tobin praised Hill for his toughness displayed throughout the season.

“He had significant things that were going on in his foot and ankle,” Tobin said, via Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic. “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.”

Tobin said that they want to add leaders to their defense, noting that players in leadership roles must prove they can produce on the field. 

“In order to be a leader, you gotta have skins on the wall and you gotta play effectively,” Tobin said. “And the rest of your teammates have to know that you are producing at a high level. It’s hard to lead when you’re not out on the field or you’re not producing well. So the first trait of a good leader is production, is actually producing in a way that everyone respects and wants to mimic.”

Bengals DC Al Golden wants a “combo presence” for their defensive line in a player who can line up on the edge and interior. He thinks that OLB Demetrius Knight was forced into an interior role he was uncomfortable with. 

“We got to get better,” Golden said. “We got to get deeper. Having somebody with a combo presence. I would prefer not to have Demetrius play on the line of scrimmage as much as we did. There will be times he does do that. I would prefer to add another piece and have that veteran wisdom and all those things.”

Patriots

• Exhibitnewsnetwork cites team sources who said they did not agree with the Patriots releasing veteran WR Stefon Diggs: “I wouldn’t have got rid of him. He can still help us out.” 
• Another league source thinks it made sense for New England to cut Diggs: “Makes sense to me. Declining 32 year old, legal issues, embarrassing media stuff, only $1.7M guaranteed left, but P5 (paragraph 5 contract language) would’ve been a major outlier for his age.”
• Charles London, who worked as HC Mike Vrabel’s passing game coordinator with the Titans in 2023, has agreed to a deal to join Vrabel’s staff with the Patriots. London’s title is TBD but he’s expected to help on offense. He was the Jets’ QB coach last season. (Chad Graff)

Patriots

Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald takes a look at nine impending free agents who make sense for the Patriots this offseason:

• Kaye thinks Colts WR Alec Pierce‘s deep game would pair well with QB Drake Maye.
• Although Kaye writes that he would be surprised to see New England pursue Buccaneers WR Mike Evans on Day 1 of free agency, he could see them making a play for Evans if he lingers in the market. 
• With Seahawks WR Rashid Shaheed, Kaye points out that he’s projected to sign a $14 million-per-year contract. 
• As for Packers WR Romeo Doubs, Kaye thinks he could break out more as a player with a higher target share than what he got in Green Bay. 
• Kaye views Texans WR Christian Kirk as a “solid pass catcher.”
• Kaye puts Vikings WR Jalen Nailor among his “mid-level veterans,” and is projected to receive a $3.5 million annual contract. 
• Among Kaye’s “bargain bin” is Cowboys WR Jalen Tolbert, and he thinks Tolbert would benefit from a change of scenery. 
• Although injuries have plagued Broncos WR Tim Patrick, Kaye believes New England would benefit from his size. 
• Kaye points out that Titans WR Treylon Burks played under Patriots HC Mike Vrabel while he was in Tennessee.