AFC Rumors: Bengals, Broncos, Browns

Bengals

• Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, citing a league source, reports that the Bengals currently are “terrified” that the NFL will investigate whether they violated the rules regarding making an offer to a head coach before they can officially be made.
• Reports surfaced on Friday that the Bengals are planning to hire Rams QBs coach Zac Taylor after the Rams’
• Florio says the thinking is that other candidates were informed that Taylor is the Bengals’ choice and Taylor has relayed word to his colleagues, which could create an easy paper trail for the NFL to investigate.
• Jeremy Rauch of FOX 19 reports that Bengals offensive coordinator Bill Lazor is out in Cincinnati.
• According to Rauch, Hue Jackson met with the Bengals’ front office on Friday.
• Rauch adds that Bengals special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons and OL coach Frank Pollack are expected to return in 2019.

Broncos

• Regarding the news that Gary Kubiak will not be the Broncos’ offensive coordinator (NFLTR),
• Josina Anderson reports that there was some talk amongst coaches in the league that John Elway did not want to keep Rick Dennison while Kubiak did.
• Albert Breer hears that Kubiak likely to not coach at all in 2019.
• Mike Klis reports that new Broncos HC Vic Fangio is expected to retain special teams coordinator Tom McMahon and his assistant Chris Gould also figures to return.

Browns

• Mary Kay Cabot reports that Browns QB Baker Mayfield was not as involved in the hiring process. Although, a source tells her that Mayfield provided a favorable opinion of Freddie Kitchens the day after the season before he left town.
• Regarding Mike McCarthy, Cabot says he told the Browns that he was willing to wait for them to talk to some of their other candidates first and get a feel for the search. From there, Cabot mentions that interest from both parties cooled.
• According to Cabot, interim HC Gregg Williams “never had a serious chance” of getting the full-time gig because he was hired by Hue Jackson and was one of Jackson’s righthand men over the past two seasons.
• Cabot says that Brown GM John Dorsey had “long had his eye on” Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski and actually suggested him as a potential OC hire to Jackson last year. A source tells Cabot that Stefanski was actually the leader in the clubhouse for their HC job before Kitchens interviewed.
• Kitchens reportedly won the committee in his initial session. Dorsey reportedly preferred Kitchens.