Tag: Bengals training camp

Bengals’ late-round pick keeps rising up depth chart at training camp

Yet another late Bengals pick continues to make an impact at camp.

It really feels like the Cincinnati Bengals hit on an A+ draft class this year.

Some of that has much to do with the performances of rookies drafted in the fifth round and beyond.

Fifth-rounder Josh Newton has put on a show at cornerback. Tight end Tanner McLachlan, taken in the sxith round, might just have a shot at the final roster. And seventh-round safety Daijahn Anthony has been one of the breakout players of camp.

And now it’s seventh-round pick Matt Lee’s turn.

The center out of Miami (Fla) impressed in his first preseason action and has now been promoted to the second team during camp practices.

Meaning, Lee already getting work with Jake Browning and the second team could say much about his final 53-man roster chances. He’s certainly got the early looks of a player who can push someone like Trey Hill for a spot.

And really, it’s not all that surprising. The Bengals had considered Lee as early as the fifth round. At the time of the pick, we had considered him a major steal in the seventh.

If nothing else, the quick rise of Lee is an affirmation of what many saw when the Bengals made the pick. And if things keep trending in this direction, he could very well be the center of the future when the team turns its eyes to life after Ted Karras.

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Bengals rookie won’t let gnarly injury stop his training camp breakout

A certain breakout Bengals rookie will play through an injury this week.

Cincinnati Bengals breakout rookie Daijahn Anthony suffered an injury in his preseason debut that would hold most people off the field.

But not Anthony, apparently.

Anthony left the field during the preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the help of trainers. Not much later, the team confirmed he had a fractured nose.

But as onlookers could see on Monday, Anthony was playing through the injury anyway.

“You saw the blood gushing out, so I’m sure it was quite painful, but it appears that it’ll be able to practice and get through it with a visor and facemask.,” head coach Zac Taylor said, according to Bengals radio broadcaster Dan Hoard.

A seventh-round pick who might already have secured his spot on the final roster, Anthony has recorded at least three interceptions this summer.

Notably, Anthony had the first interception of training camp overall. Then, he was the first to pick off Joe Burrow during camp before eventually adding yet another.

That ball-hawking ability should keep Anthony on the 53, provided he can perform the way the team needs on special teams. It provides an unexpected boon to safety depth behind the starting three combo of Geno Stone, Vonn Bell and Jordan Battle and puts pressure on guys like Tycen Anderson.

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NFL expert explains why Amarius Mims is on path to start for Bengals

Bengals rookie Amarius Mims is earning attention for all the right reasons.

At first, it seemed Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Amarius Mims would sit behind Trent Brown as a rookie.

But it sure isn’t looking like that now.

Mims took the majority of the first-team reps over the spring and into the summer, capped off by an encouraging showing in the team’s first preseason game.

Now, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer has spotlighted Mims in a national column and helped explain why the narrative has changed so quickly:

• It’s rare that an offensive lineman is the buzz at training camp, but I’d say that was the case in Cincinnati—where Amarius Mims’s name was raised by everyone I talked to. I’d be surprised if he doesn’t start, and the reason the Bengals saw this coming, despite Mims having just eight college starts, is interesting, too. Their scouts told the coaches that any issue there would be mitigated by Georgia’s game-like practices, and how the talent on that practice field was often better than what opponents threw at the Bulldogs.

The fact Brown missed time during the spring and is only just now getting in gear to partake in practices has given Mims enough time with the ones to prove Bengals coaches right.

While Brown has the veteran edge, Mims might just have enough of a head start now to lock down that starting gig at right tackle.

Even if Mims doesn’t earn the starting job right away, so far, what Bengals personnel thought about his pro upside has largely looked correct. And if it keeps on being correct, the team might have a long-term solution on that side of the line.

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Bengals might have avoided serious Charlie Jones injury

New details suggest Bengals WR Charlie Jones’ injury isn’t as bad as it looked.

It sounds like the Cincinnati Bengals might have avoided a serious injury with wide receiver Charlie Jones after all.

Jones left practice on a cart after suffering an injury at Paycor Stadium on Thursday and wasn’t made available for the media after practice.

But from the looks of a writeup from Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, which includes a comment from wideout Andrei Iosivas, the injury might not be nearly as bad as it seemed at the time:

_Wide receiver Charlie Jones, another one of those leapers from rookie to sophomore who was having a productive camp, got carted off the field after a play in seven-on-seven. He caught a pass, turned up field, and went down. Iosivas thought he heard knees knocking and judging from some of the smiles and jokes relayed from the locker room, they were hoping it wasn’t significant.

That would be a huge boon for Jones and the Bengals.

Jones heads into his sophomore year fighting for a chance to play with the base offense after Tyler Boyd’s departure in free agency. He’s seemingly behind Iosivas and potentially even rookie Jermaine Burton in that regard, but his skill on special teams as a returner is mostly unquestioned compared to the rest of the roster.

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5 thoughts about latest practice at Bengals training camp

Quick thoughts and takeaways about the latest practice at Bengals training camp.

The Cincinnati Bengals shifted training camp practice to the new turf inside Paycor Stadium for the first time on Thursday.

Otherwise, besides one big injury, it was a routine day as the first preseason game looms. Some quick thoughts:

  1. The Charlie Jones injury looked bad, yet early indications are that he might’ve avoided a major issue. That’s really important — they need him to be that dangerous threat back on special teams returns this year.
  2. Signing three free agents isn’t necessarily a sign of long-term concerns about some of the injured bigger names on the defensive line. It’s more about finding bodies to take snaps during preseason action.
  3. It sounds like Trey Hendrickson is almost all the way back. But it would still be wise to expect a measured pace, as the coaching staff doesn’t want to rush a guy who has had nagging injuries over the years.
  4. Still no Ja’Marr Chase. It’s going to be pretty interesting to see how long this “hold-in” lasts. But it’s not like it takes a long time for him to get the proper connection going with Joe Burrow.
  5. The new turf, as captured by Dan Hoard, looks fantastic:

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Georgia rookie may start from Day 1 in the NFL

Former Georgia football star is drawing a lot of buzz in training camp. He could start at right tackle in Week 1 with the Cincinnati Bengals

Former Georgia Bulldogs offensive tackle Amarius Mims has been drawing substantial buzz for his performances in training camp with the Cincinnati Bengals. In fact, Mims could be a Week 1 starter for the Bengals.

“I don’t know what they’re going to do for sure, but Amarius is doing a really good job, man,” said Bengals starting left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. “I think he’s going to be a really good pro. The way I would describe it is, there’s guys that are raw, and then there’s guys that are just inexperienced. And he’s just inexperienced, you know, in my opinion.”

One of Mims’ top flaws entering the draft was his lack of starting experience and injury history. If Mims can stay healthy, he could have a better pro career than his college career.

“He went to Georgia, he practiced against great talent, he played in the SEC, played in those big games,” continued Brown Jr. “I just don’t think he played in many of them. But he’s good, man, I think he’s going to be a good pro.”

Mims is hard to miss on the Bengals’ practice field. The 6-foot-8, 340-pound offensive tackle has always stepped up when healthy. He has the potential to be a difference-maker right away for Cincinnati.

The Bengals drafted Mims with the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Mims is competing to start at right tackle with NFL veteran Trent Brown, who missed the start of training camp with an injury but is healthy now.

“First-round rookie Amarius Mims has a legitimate chance to win the starting right tackle job,” said ESPN’s Dan Graziano (subscription required). “Veteran Trent Brown has missed the early part of camp recovering from injury, so Mims has been getting the first-team reps and winning over coaches and teammates.”

The Bengals are looking to protect star quarterback Joe Burrow, so they will start whoever can do a better job of that at right tackle.

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Mims signed a fully guaranteed four-year, $15.37 million contract with a $7.99 million signing bonus. The Bengals have a team option for a fifth year.

Bengals training camp: Rookie gets some unexpected first-team reps

Yet another Bengals rookie getting a big chance at training camp.

Of the Cincinnati Bengals rookies making plays or getting big chances at training camp right now, defender Josh Newton doesn’t have his name come up all that often.

Part of that is because his hype already erupted over the spring when onlookers really got to dive into his impressive film — and hear that he’s working hard to learn as much as he can from savvy veteran Mike Hilton.

But the hype train might just be gearing up again anyway.

Friday, Newton got some reps with the first-team defense, playing both on the boundary and in a nickel role, per WLWT’s Charlie Clifford.

The Bengals giving a rookie tries at multiple spots isn’t all that unusual. They’ll also be careful with veterans like Hilton this early in camp. Plus, No. 1 cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt has been slowly on his way back to full-go.

Still, that’s not to undersell Newton, who looks like a guy who is very much in the long-term plans as a starter if his development goes well.

And here’s another reason for hype — he is and was one heck of an interview after his big day, as captured by CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia:

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Bengals training camp: Latest on 3 position battles after first week of practice

The latest from Bengals training camp on key position battles.

The Cincinnati Bengals have a handful of key positional battles unfolding across the roster at training camp right now.

Things have continued to get more interesting now that the team is going in full pads, so here’s a quick rundown of some possible battle highlights to know.

 

No. 3 WR

Expect a rotation here in an effort to replace Tyler Boyd. The Bengals wanted to get faster here, yes, but they wanted to get more versatile, too. Tight end Mike Gesicki and running backs like Chase Brown could line up in the slot, too. But Charlie Jones and Trenton Irwin present some of that surehanded shiftiness Joe Burrow will like. Training camp breakout Andrei Iosivas, though, could see the most snaps of anyone and is a massive mismatch nightmare for opposing defenses as a third wideout.

 

RT

Right now, first-round rookie Amarius Mims is running unopposed for the starting job with Trent Brown sidelined. The veteran figures to return to action next week. And while he’s been a very reliable pass-blocker over the years, the veteran is also a newcomer to the team and previously missed some time this summer before camp, too. It’s too early to say Mims will win the starting job, but it’s starting to look more realistic.

 

P

For those out of the loop, there’s a three-way battle at punter. Brad Robbins, last year’s starter, is currently getting pushed by undrafted rookie Austin McNamara. Ryan Rehkow was one of the team’s three recent signings in free agency, too. While no guy has pulled away this early, Robbins has been consistently receiving the most praise from coaches. Dan Hoard provided a look at one way the team is evaluating the spot:

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Bengals rookie intercepts Joe Burrow to keep strong training camp going

A longshot rookie trying to make the Bengals roster just keeps making plays.

The Cincinnati Bengals might have something special with seventh-round rookie Daijahn Anthony.

Anthony was the first defender to intercept a pass at training camp this year, picking off Jake Browning early in the process.

Not a huge deal, but a nice proverbial feather in the cap for a guy trying to make an NFL roster.

Then he picked off Joe Burrow.

Anthony accomplished that feat late this week as the pads went on, making him also the first defender to pick off Burrow.

Yet when asked, Anthony was more than happy to deflect and praise his team’s quarterback.

“That’s crazy. For real?” Anthony said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He’s a great quarterback so that doesn’t surprise me.”

Anthony just keeps making plays, which opens up some interesting conversations about the final roster as he and guys like Tycen Anderson hope to round out a safety depth chart infused with new talent after the free-agent arrivals of Geno Stone and Vonn Bell.

If Anthony keeps this pace and shows well on special teams, though, he gives himself a great shot at that 53.

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Key reason Bengals will play Joe Burrow, starters in preseason Week 1 revealed

Here’s why Joe Burrow and the starters could play Week 1 of the preseason.

For those wondering why the Cincinnati Bengals might play Joe Burrow and the starters during the first preseason game of the fall, a look at the schedule might explain much.

As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic explained, it might come down to the joint practices on the schedule:

Part of the reason to go with the first preseason game is the team will have joint practice before the second and third games against the Bears and Colts, respectively, where the starters will see plenty of action in a controlled environment.

Viewed through that lens, it all makes sense. When the Bengals broke from the usual summer affairs and announced joint practices with multiple teams, there didn’t seem to be a deeper reasoning.

Now, though, Burrow and an offense that didn’t get to rep at all before a slow start last season will get controlled reps in live action for three straight “games” before Week 1.

It’s a little thing, but it might just help the offense sync up well while the rest of the league attempts to figure out how to keep guys healthy in an already-shortened preseason.

If it works, expect to see more methodical planning like this in the future.

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