Steelers: Police Link WR Antonio Brown to Domestic Dispute, But No Arrests Made
Tumultuous times continue for Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown. The Hollywood (Fla.) police department confirmed to ESPN that Brown was involved in a January domestic dispute.
No arrests were made, and police said they would not comment further until more information was gathered. But with Brown facing issues with the Steelers, and issues off the field, his future with the team remains as uncertain as ever. Speculation continues that Pittsburgh will trade Brown, who did not play the final week of the 2018 season after skipping team meetings. Brown reportedly had a practice argument that week with starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Brown has caught at least 100 passes in six consecutive seasons, an NFL record, an he is still just 30 years old. However, it remains to be seen if the relationship between Brown and the Steelers has reached the breaking point.
Bengals: Zac Taylor Introduced as New Head Coach
Zac Taylor officially became the Bengals' head coach Monday , and at age 35, he will be the second-youngest coach in the NFL. Taylor was the quarterbacks coach for the Los Angeles Rams, who have the league's youngest head coach, 33-year-old Sean McVay.
The McVay-Taylor connection has been cited as a major reason for Taylor's rapid rise. Three years ago, he was offensive coordinator at the University of Cincinnati. Now Taylor's first head coaching job is as leader of the Cincinnati Bengals, competing in the same division as two of the NFL's longest-tenured head coaches – John Harbaugh of the Ravens and Mike Tomlin of the Steelers.
Taylor takes over for Marvin Lewis, who spent 16 seasons as the Bengals' head coach. Known for his offensive acumen, During his introductory press conference Tuesday,j Taylor said he will call the team's offensive plays. He also said he would bring a winning culture to the Bengals, who have not won a playoff game since 1991. The Bengals have had three straight losing seasons, including last year's 6-10 finish.
"Players want to be coached hard," Taylor said. "Everybody wants to win. The culture is important. Everybody's going to buy in to what we do. This team is hungry, they're ready to be challenged. I look forward to getting that process started. The culture is a gradual build. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but we'll get there."
Browns: With Young Talent and Money to Spend, Cleveland is a Trendy 2019 Pick
The Ravens are the reigning AFC North champions and will consider themselves the team to beat in the division next season. But the Browns' bandwagon is getting crowded. In his 10 bold predictions for 2019, ESPN's Dan Graziano predicts Cleveland will win the AFC North.
The Browns are a trendy pick after finishing 7-8-1 in 2018, winning five of their last seven games. On paper, they figure to improve next season. They have young talent led by quarterback Baker Mayfield. They have eight draft picks in the first five rounds, and they have the third-most cap space in the NFL. That gives the Browns plenty of flexibility to acquire more talent, and it would not be surprising to see General Manager John Dorsey attack free agency aggressively.
With Freddie Kitchens moving from offensive coordinator to head coach, he will face added responsibility and pressure to build on the momentum the Browns built last season. But instead of rebuilding, Cleveland will enter 2019 expecting to challenge for the division title.
