Bengals' AFC North Rival Signs All-Pro Cornerback
Bengals' AFC North Rival Signs All-Pro Cornerback originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Cincinnati Bengals hope to somehow crawl back into contention in the AFC North next season after a disastrous 9-8 season that saw little go right on defense.
Advertisement
But that task may have just gotten a bit more difficult, as the rival Baltimore Ravens may have just gotten better.
On Wednesday, the Ravens announced the signing of free-agent All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander, who was recently waived by the Green Bay Packers as a salary cap casualty.
On Tuesday, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson pleaded with GM Eric DeCosta to please go sign his former college teammate with the Louisville Cardinals. He said it half-jokingly (kind of) to reporters.
Just one day later, the Ravens made a reunion a reality with a one-year, $6 million deal.
Baltimore ran away with the AFC North last season after the Pittsburgh Steelers ended the year with a stunning collapse with a five-game losing streak that included a wild-card loss to the Ravens.
Advertisement
Baltimore finished at 12-5 while the Steelers ended 10-7 with the Bengals at 9-8 and out of the AFC playoffs. The Cleveland Browns were a distant fourth at 3-14.
The Bengals' offseason has been plagued by negative press for holdouts of Trey Hendrickson and first-round draft pick Shemar Stewart with contract disputes.
The team replaced former defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo with Al Golden, who enters his first season at the helm with an incredible amount of uncertainty.
Hendrickson is entering the final year of his deal and wants a new contract as he's coming off a career season with 17.5 sacks, 49 total tackles with 33 solo and 19 for loss. All career highs.
Advertisement
Stewart has yet to sign his rookie deal, as he disputes language in his contract that fails to give him injury protection, among other things.
While the Bengals are seemingly losing the offseason, the Ravens have just gotten better.
Related: Bengals Get Brutal Grade For One Major Reason
Related: Bengals' Impressive Ranking Leaves One Major Question
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Stars Trade Forward, Unload Cap Space
The Dallas Stars traded Mason Marchment to the Seattle Kraken for a third and fourth round pick on Thursday evening. The news comes mere hours after signing forward Matt Duchene to a four year, $4.5 million deal. Duchene was linemates with Marchment and had undeniable chemistry along with Tyler Seguin that made one of the best lines in hockey over the past two seasons. Dallas Stars left wing Mason Marchment (27) celebrates after he scores a goal against the Colorado Avalanche during the second period in game five of the first round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn I Marchment had one year left on a four year, $4.5 million deal, the exact deal General Manager Jim Nill gave Duchene. Marchment was set to become an unrestricted free agent after next season and will likely demand a higher number than what he is currently making. His bruising style and flair for the dramatic are part of what drive him to be a valuable asset, and with a breakout year, he could secure a lucrative deal next off-season. Advertisement Surely, Dallas would have decided to keep Marchment if at all possible, but the salary cap dictated that the Stars simply had to move out at least one contract to make the last few moves of the summer. Dallas only had under $500k of cap space to work with after the Duchene deal, which was not even enough to sign a minimum salary player, let alone Jamie Benn or perhaps Mikael Granlund. With only one year left before Marchment might walk away based on the salary cap situation for Dallas next off-season, the Stars chose to get a couple of draft picks in return now instead of waiting. The question mark now becomes who replaces Marchment on the line next to Seguin and Duchene. Dallas is in win-now mode and needs every line to perform at its highest level in order to make the Stanley Cup Final. If Dallas needs to move more money, Matt Dumba or Ilya Lyubushkin have one and two more years on deals worth over $3 million each. Depending on what Nill has left on his to-do list, the Stars could be looking for suitors for one or both of those defensemen signed last off-season. Advertisement Marchment finished each of his last two seasons with 22 goals and added 56 assists. He had a rough first season, only potting 12 goals and 19 assists while being -6. On the line with Duchene and Seguin, he found a place to thrive, with a phenomenal +37 rating over those two seasons. The Kraken will welcome his goal scoring after a difficult season of being one of the worst scoring teams and missing the playoffs by a mile. Make sure you bookmark THN's Dallas Stars site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more. Stars in Tough Cap Situation After Signing Veteran Forward Stars Extend Matt Duchene With Four-Year Deal Stars Goaltender Heads Home for Next Season Former Dallas Goaltender Heading to University of Maine Hall of Fame
USA Today
18 minutes ago
- USA Today
Derrick Brown named Panthers' 'make-or-break' player for 2025 season
Derrick Brown named Panthers' 'make-or-break' player for 2025 season The hopes for this year's Carolina Panthers might hinge on a big return. Pro Football Focus contributor Dalton Wasserman recently named each NFL team's "make-or-break" player for the upcoming campaign. To qualify as such, a player would have to have the power to single-handedly make or break the success of his team in 2025. Wasserman tabs defensive lineman Derrick Brown, who was one-and-done in 2024, for the Panthers: Carolina's defense was futile last season in many facets, but the unit played at a historically poor level against the run. Part of that stemmed from star defensive tackle Derrick Brown suffering a season-ending injury in Week 1. Brown placed second among all interior defenders in 2023 with an elite 90.0 PFF run-defense grade. His presence in the middle makes the entire unit better. The Panthers acquired several pieces on the defensive line to improve their run defense, but Brown's return to his 2023 form would make the biggest impact. Along with that 90.0 run-defense grade, Brown amassed a whopping 103 tackles—an NFL single-season record for a defensive lineman. Those results, which also included 2.0 sacks and an interception, help send the former first-round pick to his first career Pro Bowl. This past year, however, wasn't as kind to Brown—who missed 16 of Carolina's 17 games after sustaining a season-ending knee injury in their opener. The Panthers went on to allow the most points ever as well as a league-worst 179.8 rushing yards per game. Brown, who has yet to fully participate in offseason workouts, was asked when he hopes to get back on the practice field. "Hopefully, very close," he replied. "I expect to be out there in training camp. Load management, and hopefully in the next few weeks, I get cleared. So that's the goal and then at that point, it's just getting back in football shape and being able to go out there and play with the team." Panthers veterans are set to report to training camp on Tuesday, July 22. So hopefully for Carolina and their defense, their 6-foot-5, 320-pound wrecking ball is back in working order by then. Follow @ThePanthersWire on Twitter/X for more Panthers content.
Associated Press
18 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Richards' 2nd-half goal lifts US over Saudi Arabia 1-0 and into CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Defender Chris Richards scored with a flick of the ball off a second-half free kick to lift the United States to a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday night, sending the Americans on to the CONCACAF Gold Cuo quarterfinals. Richards tracked the ball as it flew into the box on a curving free kick from Sebastian Berhalter in the 62nd minute to tap the ball with his left foot past Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aquidi. The win and the 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti in Group D's other match Thursday in Houston, clinched a knockout berth for the Americans, who improved to 42 wins, one loss and five draws in group play. The U.S. has won its group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, and closes Group D play on Sunday against Haiti at Arlington, Texas. U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino stuck with the same lineup that produced a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, the first time he made no changes in consecutive matches since taking over the program last October. But playing against No. 58 Saudi Arabia, the 16th-ranked Americans showed little of the attack firepower they displayed against the No. 100 Soca Warriors. The match saw few real chances on goal by either team. The Americans had just one shot in the first half. Richards' speed to track back to cover for Alex Freeman's mistake and block a shot kept Saudi Arabia from a 1-0 lead. Matt Freese got his second consecutive start in goal for the U.S. and third in four matches as he appears to have displaced Matt Turner. The Gold Cup represents the last competitive test for the Americans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. As co-host with Mexico and Canada, the U.S. is an automatic qualifier for the World Cup. The Americans limped into the Gold Cup on a four-match losing streak that included a 4-0 rout by Switzerland in their final tune-up. And with many of the top players either sitting out this tournament for personal reasons, injuries or playing in the Club World Cup, Pochettino selected a roster full of relatively untested and unproven players. Missing the tournament for the U.S. are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest, ___ AP soccer:
