Bengals
Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson is entering the final year of his contract and is set to earn a salary of $15.8 million in 2025. When asked about a possible extension for the defensive end, director of player personnel Duke Tobin responded they’d like to get a deal done but it has to work for both parties.
“You don’t just give an extension,” Tobin said, via Kelsey Conway of the Cincinnati Enquirer. “You have to agree on an extension, right? We would like to get Trey extended? Yes, he’s an important part that played well for us, right? We can’t have guys at the top of the payroll in every position, right? We’ll do what we can. We’ll do what we what we feel is right, and we will try to get Trey re-signed. It’s not giving anybody an extension. It’s agreeing with somebody on an extension. Has he earned a pay raise and a bump in an extension? He has and we were cognizant of that, and we will give that to him. But whether we agree on what that looks like is what is to be determined.”
As for fellow DE Myles Murphy having just 20 tackles in 2024, Tobin thinks the second-year player started to show good signs later in the season.
“Still believe in Myles. I think as he got a little more play time, when we got into later parts of the year, I think he started to show some things. I think at that position, it’s a little bit like a running back, you got to get into a groove. And I think he started to feel a little bit of a groove there. We’ve got to get him to finish, you know, in just the pass rush game, finish at the top of the rush. And maybe some new voices there will help that, but that’s been the biggest hold back with him, is at the top of the rush, go ahead and finish. There’s a finish at the end of the rush that he needs to really work on and focus on, and I don’t see anything holding him back from doing that. And I’ve got big hopes for Myles.”
Bengals safeties Jordan Battle and Geno Stone competed for playing time last season. Tobin thinks both players represented how the entire defense was “too inconsistent.”
“I thought they were a reflection of kind of the whole unit where it was too inconsistent, and they had flashes, but the consistency on down in and down out. I thought the tackling left a lot to be desired, to be honest, and that has that’s your last line of defense, and that has to be a consistent tackling group. I thought some of our angles at times weren’t as good as they need to be. I do think both of them have played better and will play better. I have confidence in both of them, and, you know, we’ll see how it all fits together in our new defense with Al Golden, and he’ll have a big say in how they play.”
Browns
- When it comes to a potential trade for Browns DE Myles Garrett, one anonymous NFL executive said: “I’d give up 2 first-round picks and more to land Myles Garrett.” (Jordan Schultz)
- One NFL general manager was a little lower on Garrett’s potential value in comments to the Athletic’s Dianna Russini: “Probably a 1+. Can’t wait for the ‘It will be 3 1s’ crowd. Not happening. 1 and a 2. 1 and 2 3s. Throw a player in there.”
- “It’s gonna be a wild few weeks.” one NFL executive said of the situation, per Russini.
- Russini reports that while the news broke today, the Browns have known that Garrett has been planning to request a trade for some time.
Steelers
Speaking to the media at the Pro Bowl, Steelers DL Cameron Heyward told reporters he wants the team to “find a solution” regarding quarterbacks Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but [Russell Wilson, Justin Fields] know what they’re doing,” Heyward said. “I just hope we find a solution and a recipe for us to continue to win.”
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