Cincinnati Bengals

Aug 24, 2012; Cleveland, OH, USA; Philadelphia Eagles guard Evan Mathis (69) against Cleveland Browns in a preseason game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-US Presswire Ever wonder what former Cincinnati Bengals offensive guard Evan Mathis was up to? Apparently, he’s just been himself since he signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2011 when he signed a five-year, $25.5 million contract. Since then, Pro Football Focus has rated Mathis as the best guard in the NFL for the 2011 and 2012 seasons, and he is now regarded as one of the NFL’s top guards, but is quickly becoming one of the league’s most disliked players. Mathis’ most recent headline came when he posted on Instagram a photo of himself in the universal standing pee position by an IRS sign, with the message “Audit this.” Bengals fans know all too well how Mathis likes to voice his displeasure on social media, as this tweet was posted when he became a free agent in 2011: Clipped from: twitter.com Free agent = choices. 2 winning seasons since 1990 = next. Bengals record since 2011: 19-13, 2 playoff berths Eagles Record since 2011: 12-20, 0 playoff berths How were those two “Dream Team” seasons since you left Evan? Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed. Follow @StripeHype Follow @UK_Fans

According to a recent article by John Clayton (ESPN link), here are the ten top-spending clubs in free agency. This list includes only unrestricted free agents, so the Bengals are not on this list since they signed very few UFA's from other teams. #1 Miami Dolphins: 8 players, $146.1 million#2 Indianapolis Colts: 8 players, $132 million#3 Tennessee Titans: 10 players, $97.2 million#4 Philadelphia Eagles: 10 players, $95.6 million#5 Cleveland Browns: 8 players, $87.1 million#6 St. Louis Rams: 2 players, $69.1 million#7 Kansas City Chiefs: 8 players, $62.4 million#8 Chicago Bears: 7 players, $60 million#9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7 players, $50.4 million#10 Detroit Lions: 3 players, $49 million If you include all the free agent contracts for players eligible to change teams (i.e. no EFA or RFA deals included since they are locked into the Bengals in some form) the team total would have been 18 players, $94.2 million. As you can see, although the total dollar amount looks like top ten material, the fact that this is for 18 players shows that the team actually spent very little so far. If MJ93 is able to work out a long-term deal and/or extensions can be negotiated with Atkins, Dunlap, etc. this will change by quite a bit. Two of these players combined could easily surpass the entire total committed thus far. According to a recent article by John Clayton (ESPN link), here are the ten top-spending clubs in free agency. This list includes only unrestricted free agents, so the Bengals are not on this list since they signed very few UFA's from other teams. #1 Miami Dolphins: 8 players, $146.1 million#2 Indianapolis Colts: 8 players, $132 million#3 Tennessee Titans: 10 players, $97.2 million#4 Philadelphia Eagles: 10 players, $95.6 million#5 Cleveland Browns: 8 players, $87.1 million#6 St. Louis Rams: 2 players, $69.1 million#7 Kansas City Chiefs: 8 players, $62.4 million#8 Chicago Bears: 7 players, $60 million#9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 7 players, $50.4 million#10 Detroit Lions: 3 players, $49 million If you include all the free agent contracts for players eligible to change teams (i.e. no EFA or RFA deals included since they are locked into the Bengals in some form) the team total would have been 18 players, $94.2 million. As you can see, although the total dollar amount looks like top ten material, the fact that this is for 18 players shows that the team actually spent very little so far. If MJ93 is able to work out a long-term deal and/or extensions can be negotiated with Atkins, Dunlap, etc. this will change by quite a bit. Two of these players combined could easily surpass the entire total committed thus far.

December 9, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Adam Jones (24) tries to fire up the fans in the game against the Dallas Cowboys at Paul Brown Stadium. Dallas won the game 20-19. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports While more attention and praise was given to the Cincinnati Bengals for their ability to re-sign Pro Bowl offensive tackle Andre Smith and franchise tag double-digit sack-man Michael Johnson this offseason, the biggest signing was arguably made when the team agreed to a new 3-year deal with cornerback/return-man Adam Jones. In 2012 while logging 626 defensive snaps, he held opposing receivers to just one reception for every 6.3 targets that came his way, and one every 11.5 coverage snaps he played. Those numbers put him in the top 25 in each category among qualifying corners in the NFL. Pro Football Focus graded his cumulative coverage grade at +10.6, which ranked sixth among all cornerbacks in the NFL last season. Now, PFF is conducting its “Secret Superstars” series, and their latest addition is none other than Adam Jones: Things turned for the better for Jones and the Bengals as their season turned for home over the second half of the season. In the Bengals’ Week 10 game at home against the Giants, Jones was targeted a season-high 10 times. He gave up only six completions at fewer than 10 yards per completion (53), with only five of those yards coming after the catch. In that game, Jones also got his hands on half as many passes as the receivers he was covering, coming up with three pass defenses. Jones’ 2012 season was a story of real success grading among our top ten corners in terms of coverage grade (+9.9, including playoffs). He rated highly in terms of coverage metrics (Top 20 in yards per coverage snap, 0.97; top 25 in coverage snaps per reception allowed, 11.5) and added his first sack since 2006 in a game against the Chiefs in Week 11. If you want consistency in a sub-package corner, Jones provided precisely that. He graded below -1.0 in coverage only once all season in the Bengals’ home loss to the Steelers in Week 7. Jones has quietly become one of the best nickel-corners in the game, and going against the likes of Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco twice, along with Aaron Rodgers, Tom Brady and Andrew Luck in 2013, having a healthy Jones will be key into slowing them down enough for the Bengals to win those games. Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed. Follow @StripeHype Follow @UK_Fans

Dec 31, 2012; Nashville, TN, USA; North Carolina State Wolfpack quarterback Mike Glennon (8) throws against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the first half of the Music City Bowl at LP Field. The Commodores beat the Wolfpack 38-24. Mandatory credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Greg Schiano has been adamant in his belief that third-round draft pick Mike Glennon is capable of becoming an NFL starter. He’s taken it one step further and proclaimed Glennon is capable of challenging Josh Freeman for the starting QB job in Tampa: Schiano said he believes Glennon “can play quickly” if he is needed. “But our situation will be only if he’s needed,” he said. “Or if he wins the job. Look, I’m not against that. We have a starting quarterback. It’s not like we’re looking to find a starter. But competition is competition. Mike Glennon is a fierce competitor. I knew that when he was coming out of high school. Now being able to work with him a little, you can see it on the practice field.” Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has had problems throughout his career with turnovers, the biggest culprit being his lack of ball security which has lead to 87 career fumbles, the 23rd-most in NFL history. Now he  says new Eagles Head Coach Chip Kelly has taught him how to properly hold the football while running. ESPN Cleveland reports the New York Jets really wanted QB Brian Hoyer before he signed with the Cleveland Browns. This is a clear signal the Jets don’t want Mark Sanchez on the roster when the 2013 season opens, and are looking for anyone to come in and be an adequate veteran backup in case Geno Smith isn’t ready to become the starter. Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed. Follow @StripeHype Follow @UK_Fans

Jan 30, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; The NFL shield and Nike swoosh at the Super Bowl XLVII Experience at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls and children of all ages, Stripehype.com proudly presents to you your first fantasy football preview of the summer! Please try to hold your applause until the end of the article. I’ve got a whole lot to say about everything that took us by surprise last season and the implications last year’s results may have this year in fantasy football. Being that this may take a while, I’m going to go ahead and get right into it. Starting from the end of last season there are a few trends that need to be addressed as potentially fading or the next real deal in fantasy football. 1. The Era of the QB/TE fantasy draft is dead….. for now After all of the hype before last season about a possible conclusion from the new passing era in the NFL being that QB’s and TE’s would become the new value picks in the first rounds of your fantasy drafts, it quickly dissipated after last season. Only 2 TE’s finished with enough points to be considered  in the top 20 WR’s. The new conclusion going into this season has to be that Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham are the only two TE’s worth drafting in the first four rounds. While the trend for QB’s is still on the rise and we may continue to see more QB’s taken in the first round again this year, TE’s should still largely be considered irrelevant in fantasy football and not be drafted until the latter part of your drafts this fall.

Jan 11, 2013; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam III talks during a press conference at the team As new Cleveland Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam watches and waits while the FBI and IRS continue to investigate his company, Pilot Flying J Headquarters, the question remains as to whether he’ll be able to withstand potential criminal charges for fraud, and keep ownership of the team he bought less than a year ago. Don Banks of SI.com reports that, according to league and team sources, it’s unlikely that Haslam will lose ownership of the Browns due to the ongoing investigation:  But in this case, even if it is a sobering federal case that included the FBI raiding the Knoxville-based corporate offices of the Haslam family truck-stop chain, the here-we-go-again lament might be a bit premature for the Browns and their long-suffering fan base. We’re always one news cycle away from the narrative changing in today’s NFL, but for now there’s no real sense the sky is falling in Cleveland and that Haslam’s legal troubles will seriously imperil his ownership and completely snuff out the optimism his presence brought to town, almost before it has a chance to truly take root. Banks also wrote  “the idea of Haslam having to change his long-term status in team ownership in reaction to the fraud case seems unlikely. There’s a long way to go in the Haslam case, but for once, the Browns might just steer clear of the worst-case scenario.” I would actually argue the “worst-case scenario” could be far from over. If he allowed fraudulent activity to occur so blatantly under his watch at Pilot Flying J, why should we believe he can properly run and manage an NFL franchise? Perhaps, the best scenario for the Browns is for Haslam to lose ownership and it be transfected to someone more responsible and capable of running an NFL franchise. Just my 2 cents. And courtesy of NFLMocks.com, here it is the updated list of the AFC North teams and their NFL Draft reviews for 2013 AFC North Cleveland Browns Pittsburgh Steelers Cincinnati Bengals Baltimore Ravens Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed. Follow @StripeHype Follow @UK_Fans

Hey guys. I saw this on another page, and thought it was a neat idea. If I missed it and it's here already, let me know and I'll delete it. Okay? Okay. So here's the premise...let's let the fans decide who would be on the Bengals Mount Rushmore. Think back through the history of the team, and which four players, owners, coaches, etc... would you want cast in stone as representatives of the Franchise. I'm so curious to see how this will turn out. Hey guys. I saw this on another page, and thought it was a neat idea. If I missed it and it's here already, let me know and I'll delete it. Okay? Okay. So here's the premise...let's let the fans decide who would be on the Bengals Mount Rushmore. Think back through the history of the team, and which four players, owners, coaches, etc... would you want cast in stone as representatives of the Franchise. I'm so curious to see how this will turn out.

Unless he's watching his kid, Greg Lloyd doesn't watch much football anymore. Not the NFL. It's turning into flag football, he says. "Very, very boring," is how he sees it. ? ? But he's seen enough...

Kim Klement – USA TODAY Sports In an attempt to ensure the fortification of the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line for years to come, the Bengals decided to use their last pick of the 2013 NFL Draft to select South Carolina center T.J. Johnson. Perhaps the one and only position on the offensive line (after the Bengals succeeded in re-signing RT Andre Smith) that could have done with a fresh face, the Bengals needed to draft a player that could be useable at this position right away, or within a few seasons. The Bengals decided to go for the latter option in this case by waiting until the seventh-round to draft Johnson. At least they got a pretty solid pick. A developmental pick, no doubt, Johnson still has a lot of starting experience and has not had any issues with making calls on the offensive line where necessary. Thanks to this leadership, he was named to the Coaches All-SEC second-team. Johnson’s main problems lie where pressure is put on him; when the rush comes in towards him, he often panics at the initial release and often gives away a lot of penalties for holding when he goes to grab them anywhere he can. These are certainly issues that the offensive-line coordinator will be able to work on with Johnson. In the future, he may become a serviceable NFL center. But for the moment, the question will remain: who will be the starting center next season? It’s likely that Johnson will get some time on the field next season, bringing up his confidence and allowing him to work up some experience. But the majority of snaps will not go to him unless the Bengals decide to pick up former Kansas City Chiefs Center (and a top-10 center last season) Ryan Lija. Then the likelihood is that the Bengals will go with the lesser of two evils between Kyle Cook and Trevor Robinson, the second year center, Robinson. Although Johnson will not be the starting center next season, it’s very possible that they will use him in ever increasing roles over the season as they try to phase out Cook altogether. Simon Greene – Cincinnati Bengals Writer. You can follow Simon on Twitter @simongreene88

Nov 25, 2012; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals fan dresses up for the game during the second half against the Oakland Raiders at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals defeated the Raiders 34-10. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports It’s never too early to start looking ahead to the 2013 NFL season, and the Cincinnati Bengals began today offering 2-game and 4-game Ticket Packs for the 2013 season, starting at just $40 per game: #Bengals 2013 Ticket Packs on sale NOW! bit.ly/18Szf4Z or give us a ring at 513-621-TDTD — Andrew Brown (@BengalTicketGuy) May 18, 2013 4-game and 2-game Ticket Packs are available on all levels of Paul Brown Stadium. Ticket Packs range in price from $40-$80 per game. See the stadium diagram for pricing and views from each section. Ticket Pack Benefits: Reduced pricing compared to single-game tickets Preferred seating options available over single-game tickets The same great seats for each game of your Ticket Pack Priority before the public for purchase of tickets to any home playoff games in 2013 season Please click here to request more information on Bengals 2- and 4-game Ticket Packs. After a franchise record 57-home game sellout streak was snapped in November of 2010, the Bengals have struggled to sellout since, and had two blackouts in 2012. Bengals fans fell victim to blackouts in six of Cincinnati’s eight home games in 2011, and four in 2010. That makes 12 out of 24 games (50%) over the past three years have been blacked out, despite the team making back-to-back postseason trips. Let’s help end that trend this year. Want more Bengals news? Like Stripe Hype on Facebook, or grab our RSS feed. Follow @StripeHype Follow @UK_Fans