Edge rusher Shemar Stewart has been a popular visitor to teams during the pre-draft process and he’s continuing to make the rounds on Friday.
According to multiple reports, Stewart is in Pittsburgh for a visit with the Steelers. Stewart met with the Patriots on Thursday and he’s spent time with the 49ers, Bears, Cardinals, Falcons, and several other teams in recent weeks.
Stewart had 65 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a two fumble recoveries during three seasons at Texas A&M.
The Steelers are also hosting Kansas State running back DJ Giddens and SMU defensive tackle Jared Harrison-Hunte as the pre-draft visit period winds down ahead of the April 24 start to the draft.
After an extended period of tension between the Bengals and Hamilton County, Ohio, the two sides are working together. In one specific way.
Via WLWT.com, the team and the county have made a joint request for $350 million in state money that would be devoted to renovations of Paycor Stadium.
The submission came a day after the Ohio House of Representatives passed a budget that includes a $600 million bond issuance that would help pay for a new stadium for the Cleveland Browns.
The total renovation of Paycor Stadium would cost $830 million — roughly a third of the cost of the new stadium the Browns hope to build in suburban Brook Park.
The team’s contribution is not specified in the report. The length of a new lease that would tied to a renovation also was not specified.
The Cincinnati stadium opened in 2000, one year after the Cleveland stadium that the Browns hope to replace in lieu of renovation.
The stakes are high. Absent a new deal — and unless the Bengals exercise an option to extend the current lease by June 30 — the Bengals’ lease will expire before the 2026 season.
Last week, Bengals executive V.P. Katie Blackburn acknowledged that, "[w]e could, I guess, go wherever we wanted after this year.”
It’s obviously not that simple. The Bengals would have to contend with Ohio’s Art Modell Law, which requires professional sports teams to give local groups a chance to buy the franchise in lieu of relocation. Also, the NFL’s owners would need to approve relocation with 24 of 32 teams allowing it.
Still. it looks as if the Bengals and Hamilton County have made real progress toward striking a deal. The question now becomes whether the public money can be secured.
Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris is the newest member of the Bengals.
The team announced the signing on Wednesday. It’s a one-year contract with no other terms announced by Cincinnati.
Giles-Harris spent a short period of time on the Bengals’ practice squad last December, but left for the Jaguars when Jacksonville signed him to their active roster. He also began his NFL career with the Jaguars in 2019 and has seen time for the Bills and Patriots as well.
Giles-Harris has 30 tackles, two tackles for loss, and a sack in 22 overall games across all of his NFL stops.
The Bengals are doubling up on visits with Ohio State running backs this week.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Quinshon Judkins is set to meet with the team on Wednesday. A report on Monday indicated that TreVeyon Henderson will visit with the team this week as well.
Judkins also visited with the Texans on Monday and he’s set to meet with the Broncos later in the week.
Judkins transferred from Ole Miss to Ohio State and joined Henderson as a 1,000-yard rusher. He had 194 carries for 1,060 yards and 14 touchdowns with the Buckeyes and ran for 31 touchdowns during his first two college seasons.
Edge rusher James Pearce is making his way around the league ahead of this month’s draft.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Pearce visited with the Cardinals on Monday. He is due to meet with the Colts and Bengals later this week.
Rapoport adds that Pearce has also visited the Cowboys and Falcons last week.
Pearce was All-SEC in his final two seasons at Tennessee and had 66 tackles, 28 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery for the Volunteers in those campaigns. That production has many people predicting he will be a first-round choice in Green Bay and these visits will help determine just how quickly he comes off the board.
