got a three-year extension.The Bengals also were looking to get a linebacker — their most glaring need with Vontaze Burfict gone

The Patriots’ defense has been dominant this season D.K. Metcalf Jersey , allowing just one field goal drive and giving up zero touchdowns through three games. Bill Belichick may deserve even more credit than usual.That’s because Belichick has become more hands-on with the defense this season, after the Patriots saw defensive coordinator Matt Patricia leave to coach the Lions last year, defensive coordinator Brian Flores leave to coach the Dolphins this year, and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano leave shortly after taking the job this offseason for reasons that haven’t been fully explained.Jerod Mayo is the closest thing the Patriots have to a defensive coordinator, but he said Belichick has been a big part of everything they do, “especially having a young coaching staff.”“We have the benefit of having Coach Belichick in the room with us each and every day,” Mayo said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN.It’s not like Belichick was ever the type to tell his assistants to craft the game plan while he goes golfing, but this year he appears to be more hands-on in the day-to-day defensive game planning than he has been in previous seasons. The results speak for themselves: The Patriots have the best defense in the NFL. CINCINNATI (AP) — One of the few bright spots in Cincinnati’s offense was Joe Mixon leading the AFC in rushing last season. The Bengals put the run game front-and-center with their first two picks in the NFL draft.A day after taking left tackle Jonah Williams with the 11th overall pick http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-cody-barton-jersey , the Bengals traded down Friday and got Drew Sample from Washington — a tight end known for his blocking — in the second round.They filled their biggest need in the third round, getting linebacker Germaine Pratt from N.C. State.For the third straight year , they traded down in the second round, dropping 10 spots so Denver could move up and take quarterback Drew Lock, knowing Sample would still be available .The 6-foot-5, 251-pound tight end was a key blocker in the Huskies’ ground-based offense, which he figured could lead to him slipping to a later round. Sample caught only 46 passes with five touchdowns during four years at Washington.“I definitely took pride in being able to be a focal point in that regard,” Sample said on a conference call. “I took pride in opening holes for Myles (Gaskin) and our other running backs. That’s what I was able to do at Washington.”Cincinnati’s offense finished 26th overall last season, a year after finishing last. The passing game finished 24th in the league Gary Jennings Jr. Jersey , with receiver A.J. Green missing seven games with a toe injury and quarterback Andy Dalton missing five with a thumb injury.Their best player on offense was Mixon, who ran for 1,168 yards with eight touchdowns. The Bengals had the running game in mind when they picked Williams and Sample.“We want to be a dominant run offense,” offensive coordinator Brian Callahan said. “These guys help us do that. They improve that ability.”The Bengals were looking to add a tight end at some point in the draft. They’ve brought back Tyler Eifert on another one-year deal after yet another injury-shortened season, this time with a broken ankle. Eifert has played only 14 games in the last three seasons because of back and ankle injuries.C.J. Uzomah had 43 catches for 439 yards with three touchdowns last season and got a three-year extension.The Bengals also were looking to get a linebacker — their most glaring need with Vontaze Burfict gone — in an early round. Pratt played safety his first two seasons at N.C. State and switched to linebacker his junior year. He started as a senior and finished as the ACC’s top-rated linebacker with 104 tackles and six sacks.The Bengals missed out on a chance to take either LSU’s Devin White or Michigan’s Devin Bush, the top two linebackers available in the opening round. White went to Tampa Bay with the No. 5 pick, and the Steelers swooped in and trade up to No. 10 — one pick ahead of the Bengals — to get Bush.The Bengals filled their biggest need as the second day of the draft wound down.“Doing better now,” first-year defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “We’re thrilled to get Germaine. We were coveting him early in the day and tracking him as the draft goes on.”The 6-foot-3, 240-pound linebacker is known for his ability to cover tight ends and receivers in the passing game http://www.seahawksauthorizedshops.com/authentic-phil-haynes-jersey , a reflection of his two seasons as a safety. Pratt played more like a linebacker at times in his first two seasons at N.C. State.“I always knew for me to be successful, I had to switch positions because I wasn’t going to be a safety,” he said.Pratt will get a chance to start, given the Bengals’ needs at linebacker. Anarumo thinks he could play middle linebacker or outside because of his versatility.“Like with every rookie, we want to see what they do well early so they don’t lose confidence,” he said.