Bengals tidbits

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/29/06

Bengals rookies in camp



Cornerback Johnathan Joseph agreed to a five-year deal in time to report to training camp today in Georgetown, Ky., bengals.com reported.
Terms were undisclosed.

Cincinnati’s first-round selection is expected to join the majority of the Bengals’ draft picks for the team’s first practice tonight. Only thirdrounder Frostee Rucker, a defensive end from USC, and fifth-round pick A.J. Nicholson, a linebacker from Florida State, are without deals.

Second-round pick Andrew Whitworth, a 6-foot-7, 339-pound offensive lineman out of Louisiana State, agreed to contract terms yesterday, his agent told bengals.com.

Middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks also was close to a deal, the Web site said. Brooks, a third-round pick from Virginia, is expected to see immediate playing time, particularly with third-year player Odell Thurman suspended for the first four regular-season games for violating the NFL’s substance-abuse policy.
The team announced the signings of defensive tackle Domata Peko (fourth round, Michigan State) and safety Ethan Kilmer (seventh round, Penn State).

 

[buckeyefool]

long but worth the read

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5353

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/30/06

NFL

Bengals hit ground running this year

Top pick has signed; players, fans fired up

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Finally, football.
The Cincinnati Bengals were able to start putting an ugly offseason behind them and return to the field yesterday in hopes of building on the franchise’s most successful season in 15 years.
"The guys are excited," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said. "They’re back here ready to go. It’s a very exciting time for our football team, an opportunity to prepare for the ’06 season and do great things. The guys have worked very hard since they’ve left us (after the June minicamp) and have reported back in great shape and great spirits, which is most important."
The Bengals opened training camp last night in front of an orange-and-black-clad crowd of an estimated 4,200 fans eager to watch football instead of grimacing at the latest police blotter incident.
So pumped was the crowd that it cheered when one Jesse Boone, an undrafted rookie center from Utah, took the field as the first player to begin stretching. The biggest ovation was reserved for quarterback Carson Palmer, who took firstteam repetitions as he continues to rehabilitate his surgically reconstructed left knee.
For the first time since Palmer’s rookie season of 2003, the Bengals’ first-round pick was not a holdout. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph, the 24 th overall selection, agreed to a five-year contract worth $8.2 million ($5.6 million guaranteed).
"This is a guy who wants to play football," Lewis said. "That’s the way he’s approached things all the time. Fortunately, the business side of it hasn’t gotten in his way. Sometimes it does."
Last year’s first-round pick, linebacker David Pollack, missed all of training camp. With the exception of third-rounder Frostee Rucker, all the Bengals’ other draft picks were signed by yesterday afternoon. All agreed to four-year contracts.
But not all the news was good in Bengals land. Secondyear linebacker Odell Thurman, recently suspended by the NFL for four games for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy, was a no-show. (Thurman is eligible to practice and play in the preseason.)
Based on his clipped answers to questions, Lewis’ patience with Thurman has been exhausted.
"We’ll have someone play there for the season so we won’t worry about a guy that’s not here or who’s not a part of our football team right now," Lewis said. "He’s a non-factor."
Thurman is listed on the depth chart as the team’s fourth option. Brian Simmons is listed as the starting middle linebacker, backed up by rookies Ahmad Brooks and A.J. Nicholson.
Asked whether the Bengals expected Thurman to report, Lewis said they did.
"If you want to be in charge of him, you’re welcome," he said. "He’s dealing with some things with his family and they’d asked that he be allowed to do this. There’s no pressing need of time for him to be here, so we’re allowing him to do this."
Lewis said he didn’t know when Thurman would report, "and I’m not concerned with that."
Defensive tackle Sam Adams, offensive lineman Adam Kieft, receiver Kelley Washington, running back Chris Perry and defensive end Jonathan Fanene were placed on the physically-unable-toperform list. Lewis did not disclose their injuries.
[email protected]

Dispatch

7/30/06

Palmer won’t be rushed into testing knee

Current timetable has him missing early exhibitions

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Carson Palmer stood under center for the first snaps of training camp last night.
"It felt rusty, like a typical first day of practice," he said.
That doesn’t mean the quarterback will play when the Bengals open the preseason Aug. 13 at home against Washington.
Palmer indicated yesterday that the Bengals’ timetable will have him sitting out the first two preseason games. He revealed as much when asked about the importance of taking a hit on his reconstructed left knee.
"Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to play in the third or fourth preseason game and just see how it holds up," he said.
That schedule could change.
"We talk about plans, and plans are great," Palmer said. "But going into uncharted territory — my first reconstructive knee surgery — the plan, of course, is to play (the regular-season opener) against Kansas City. If it doesn’t, I have to roll with the punches."
The typical timetable for return after an injury similar to Palmer’s is eight to 12 months.
Coach Marvin Lewis said the team’s medical staff believes it’s time to "immerse" Palmer in football and "let him go."
Palmer said his knee has improved since minicamp, but he is not close to fully healed.
"The process is just slow," he said. "Looking back at minicamp, I thought by now I’d be sprinting full speed and all that. I just need to be patient, realize that from month to month there’s not that much of a difference, not a drastic change."
Depth - chart released

The first depth chart of the season had few surprises. With Odell Thurman absent and outside linebacker Brian Simmons taking his middle linebacker spot, David Pollack and Landon Johnson are the other two outside linebackers.
Bryan Robinson has been shifted from defensive tackle to left defensive end, with Justin Smith returning to right end, supplanting 2005 starter Robert Geathers.
All 11 offensive starters remain the same for the second consecutive year.
Bengals bits

Receiver Chris Henry (knee), who has been arrested four times since December, has been cleared medically. … Olentangy graduate Kyle Takavitz was placed on the non-football injury list after recent surgery.
[email protected]

 

[Folanator]

There is no excuse for Odel not to be in camp. You are getting sober, big deal. Freeken quit, go to meetings and go do your job. Not showing up for work is just amazing and I can see why Marvin is pissed. I just lost a bunch of respect for a player that I liked a lot.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

7/31/06

Pollack gets first taste of Georgetown

Second-year linebacker missed all of the Bengals' training camp last year because of a holdout.

By Chick Ludwig
Staff Writer

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis' cell phone rang the night before training camp opened. On the line was a "gym rat" — outside linebacker David Pollack.
"He said, 'Hey, how do I get here and how do I get there? Where's this and that?' " Lewis said.
A 20-day holdout who missed all of camp last season, Pollack — the club's No. 1 draft pick in 2005 — had never been to Georgetown College, and his excitement was evident.
"The guy lives to play football," Lewis said. "He's getting experience, and that's what training camp is all about. This is important, because he will be able to see things that he only saw where it was do or die for us.
"Now he has a chance to see it, whether it be a rush, coverage or blocking scheme, and be able to critique off of it. The 1,000 repetitions we'll get here, he'll get a bunch of those. That will be big."
Pollack's inconsistent rookie season — 35 tackles, 4.5 sacks and a fumble recovery in 14 games with five starts — was attributed to his holdout. With a year of experience, his learning accelerates with each snap.
"That's a great thing for me," Pollack said. "I haven't had a ton of reps at my position. The more I get, the better it is. The more you see it, the better you are. I'm trying to see it over and over again. Eventually, it will stick. To just work as hard as I can and get better. That's all I want."
Pollack drives a beat-up SUV, has a messy locker and wears a visor upside down. But his magnetic personality gives the defense character.
"He's what you want," Lewis said. "You want a gym rat, and we needed that kind of personality on our defense. We have it on offense, and we had to bring some guys in on defense that way.
"He's not afraid to be out front. He doesn't shy away from doing what's right and doing it full speed. He's not ever going to be a malingerer or a guy that wants to take an easy way. That's what you've got to have."
The enthusiastic Pollack is a natural leader.
"Everybody has their own personality," he said. "As long as everybody plays hard and we hold each other accountable, we'll be doing good."

DDN

7/31/06

Bengals treated to talk by basketball coaching great

By Chick Ludwig
Staff Writer

GEORGETOWN, Ky. — University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino gave the Cincinnati Bengals an ego-building pep talk at midfield before Sunday's practice at training camp. The players applauded Pitino in the 90-degree heat, and head coach Marvin Lewis thanked him with a handshake.
Pitino, a former NBA head coach for the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, leaned on a friend — Celtics legend Bill Russell — for his theme.
Russell is considered sports' greatest team player because he won back-to-back NCAA championships for the University of San Francisco, an Olympic Gold Medal and 11 NBA titles.
"I just talked about a team ego, something Bill Russell talked to my Celtic team about," Pitino said. "It's great to have an ego as long as the ego is about team. All the statistics in the world are meaningless unless you win a championship. That's when statistics are truly valuable. We talked about how to impact your teammates. That's what ego is all about. The individual ego is not important. The team ego is what's important."
Pitino was invited to camp by Ray "Rock" Oliver, the Bengals assistant strength and conditioning coach who worked with Pitino at the University of Kentucky. Pitino's son, Ryan, 16, is serving as a Bengals' ball boy during training camp.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/31/06

BENGALS NOTEBOOK

Steinbach isn’t sweating extension

Monday, July 31, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Eric Steinbach didn’t sound upset or disappointed.
Training camp has begun and his unofficial deadline for signing a contract extension with the Bengals has passed.
"To be honest, I’m not worried about it," the left guard said yesterday. "Whether I re-sign with the Bengals or go to free agency, it’s a win-win."
Cincinnati entered last offseason facing the prospect of having all five starting offensive linemen be eligible for free agency after 2006. In April, the Bengals re-signed right guard Bobbie Williams. Last week, left tackle Levi Jones agreed to a four-year deal potentially worth $40 million.
"You don’t see centers or guards with blockbuster deals, and I’m not looking for one, either," Steinbach said. "I want something put on the table that’s respectable and that I can play the rest of my career with, and I’ll be happy."
Steinbach might be selling himself short. Philadelphia Eagles guard Shawn Andrews recently signed a seven-year extension that reportedly could pay him $50 million. Entering his prime at age 26, the agile, versatile Steinbach should be primed for a big payday.
Steinbach said he isn’t closing the door on a potential in-season deal with Cincinnati. But now that camp has begun, Steinbach said he will concentrate solely on football and let agent Jack Bechta handle business. It sounds as if Bechta will be doing the listening, not the dialing.
"I’m not worried about the contract right now," Steinbach said. "I just want to win and get to the playoffs and Super Bowl."
Pitino addresses Bengals

University of Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino addressed the team during their pre-practice huddle. Pitino’s son, Kyle, is volunteering as an assistant with the equipment staff during training camp.
Pitino, former coach of the Boston Celtics, invoked a theme preached by legendary center Bill Russell.
"I sort of repeated his message," Pitino said. "I talked about team ego rather than the ego that’s unimportant, and that’s the one that relies on statistics. Statistics are irrelevant when you don’t win."
Bengals bits

Third-round pick Frostee Rucker became the final draft pick to agree to terms. The defensive end signed a four-year deal. … Punter Danny Baugher, expected to challenge incumbent Kyle Larson for the punting job, was the first player released in camp. … Undrafted rookie Erik Meyer suffered a sprained ankle in practice. Meyer is trying to win the third-string quarterback job. … Olentangy graduate Kyle Takavitz said an appendectomy is the reason he’s on the nonfootball-injury list. The offensive lineman expects to be able to practice late this week.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Canton

8/1/06

After two-day absence, suspended LB Thurman arrives in camp

Tuesday, August 1, 2006


GEORGETOWN, Ky. (AP) — Linebacker Odell Thurman arrived at Cincinnati Bengals training camp after a two-day absence and apologized for his four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
“I want to say that I did make a mistake. I want to apologize to my teammates, the guys who sweat with me, this organization, my friends and family and, most of all, to the fans and the kids that look up to me,” Thurman said Monday.
Thurman was a no-show for the Bengals’ first training camp practice Saturday. Coach Marvin Lewis said the middle linebacker had received the team’s permission to attend to family business.
“Now he’s got a chance to get himself in condition to play football,” Lewis said.
The Bengals, also dealing with the arrests of four players during the offseason, took a hit on defense last week with the suspension of Thurman for the first four games of 2006. A second-round draft pick out of Georgia last year, Thurman led the Bengals in tackles and had five interceptions as a rookie, helping Cincinnati reach the playoffs with its first winning record since 1990.

Dispatch

BENGALS

Thurman apologizes for making mistake
He will not practice for at least two weeks

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Odell Thurman arrived belatedly to training camp yesterday, but the Bengals’ second-year linebacker won’t return to the field for at least two weeks.
Last week, the NFL suspended Thurman for the first four games of the season for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. He said last night that he won’t practice with the team until it breaks training camp Aug. 12. The Bengals’ first preseason game is the next day. Given that, it’s unlikely that he will see much, if any, playing time in the preseason before the suspension takes effect.
About speculation that he has a drug problem, Thurman laughed and said, "Not at all." Coach Marvin Lewis also said he did not believe Thurman had a drug problem.
Thurman missed the June minicamp to attend to what Lewis termed personal business. When Thurman was a no-show at the start of training camp Saturday, it was clear Lewis’ patience had been exhausted.
"If you want to be in charge of him, you’re welcome," Lewis said then.
Thurman was contrite yesterday.
"First of all, I want to say I did make a mistake," he said. "I want to apologize to my teammates — the guys who sweat with me — this organization, my friends and family and, most of all, the fans and kids who look up to me."
Thurman would not elaborate on the nature of his violation or the problems he had in the offseason.
Lewis said Thurman won’t participate in training camp because he missed a large chunk of the offseason workouts with the team.
"He’s not been with the rest of the guys doing what they’ve been doing, so we want to make sure he’s in condition to do that," Lewis said.
Thurman led the Bengals with 148 tackles and intercepted five passes and forced four fumbles. But he also made mistakes that exasperated coaches.
He’s listed as the fourth-team middle linebacker behind Brian Simmons and rookies Ahmad Brooks and A.J. Nicholson.
"I’m just going to do what I’ve got to do to help the team so I can get back on the field the fifth game," Thurman said.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/1/06

Bengals feel Jackson’s presence

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Dexter Jackson has made big plays on the NFL’s biggest stage.
He intercepted two passes for Tampa Bay in Super Bowl XXXVII three years ago and was named Most Valuable Player. But the Bengals’ new safety understands that sometimes the most important plays are the ones that are kept from being big.
Last year, the Bengals intercepted a league-high 31 passes. But they also were torched for 10 touchdowns of 20 yards or longer in the second half of the 2005 season. The Bengals might have been able to overcome Carson Palmer’s knee injury in the playoff game against Pittsburgh if they hadn’t allowed the Steelers to rally on big plays.
Jackson was signed in March as a free agent to help reduce the number of big plays allowed.
"In the NFL, people get caught up with the names and getting interceptions and big hits," he said after practice yesterday morning. "They don’t look at the little things, like being able to line up for another play. If somebody (almost) breaks one, but I get him down, we line up for another play. That’s one of the nuances people overlook."
The Bengals struggled at safety last year after budding standout Madieu Williams was lost for the season because of a shoulder injury. Now Williams is healthy, and with the addition of Jackson, the Bengals are confident that a weakness will become a strength.
"He’s a physical presence on the field," defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle said of Jackson. "He brings it with his pads and his presence and his attitude in the locker room. … He does little subtle things as a leader that influences players around him."
Williams said Jackson has helped him recognize pass patterns earlier by pointing out subtleties that he might have missed.
"That’s something I’m picking his brain on," Williams said.
In a secondary filled with mostly reserved personalities, Jackson stands out. Coyle recalled the final minicamp practice in June when Jackson got frustrated that the crowd cheered every big offensive play but was muted when the defense got the upper hand.
"Dexter started getting on the crowd," Coyle said. "All of a sudden, he had a section of the crowd cheering for the defense."
Jackson is intent on making his presence felt, even in training-camp drills. He makes it a point to bump receivers or running backs even after the play is dead.
Coyle appreciates the message.
" ‘The end of the road is here. We don’t expect anything big to happen against us,’ " Coyle said. "That’s the attitude he takes, and it’s something we need."
With the Buccaneers, Jackson was overlooked on a defense that featured Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Simeon Rice and John Lynch. The Super Bowl win over Oakland gave Jackson a rare moment in the spotlight.
He said the afterglow didn’t last long, which was fine with him.
"I don’t get caught up in the fame and the lights," Jackson said. "I want to play football and be great, but I don’t need the other stuff."
[email protected]

 

[Tipdogusaf]

Has anybody heard any updates on Palmer?

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/2/06

Ratliff eager to find niche in secondary

Versatile player provides Bengals plenty of options

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>NEAL C . LAURON DISPATCH </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Keiwan Ratliff played throughout the secondary last season. He studied each of the positions in the offseason in case he’s called upon to fill in again. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Keiwan Ratliff is only 25, young by any measure.
But the Whitehall graduate believes time is of the essence if he’s to have the type of NFL career he wants.
"I’ve been here too long and haven’t made a big enough impact, I feel," the cornerback said. "They invested a pick in me and some money in me, and it’s time for me to start giving them some return."
A second-round pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in 2004, Ratliff might be too hard on himself. He has been a valuable player. But he hasn’t settled in as a starter.
Part of it isn’t his fault. Deltha O’Neal had a Pro Bowl season last year. Tory James went to the Pro Bowl a year earlier. The safety position, however, was wracked by injuries, and coaches turned to Ratliff for help.
"We asked a lot of Keiwan," defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle said. "Because of his versatility and flexibility, we had to utilize him in a lot of different areas. He actually played both corner spots, in the nickel and dime packages and both safety spots at different times during the season. He had a lot on his plate and never got a chance to settle in."
Ratliff didn’t complain about the constant shuffling. He understands that the roster size in the NFL requires versatility.
"It’s one of those things you have to be able to do at this level," he said. "Since I knew that, I took this offseason and learned every position, so I could go out there and not have to be thinking if they put me back there."
For a player such as Ratliff, that’s essential. He’s not the fastest defensive back, but he is instinctive.
"Keiwan’s a playmaker," Coyle said. "That’s always been his forte. He made an interception (Monday) night in practice because he anticipated the route. He understood the formation and baited the quarterback into throwing it."
Ratliff’s path to a starting job didn’t get easier when the Bengals took cornerback Johnathan Joseph with their first-round pick.
"It’s one of those things that just motivated me," Ratliff said. "First-rounders, they want to be put on the field. He’s going to come out here and try to force himself on the field, as I am. All that is is good competition."
Joseph’s drafting has been interpreted by some as a sign the Bengals have doubts about Ratliff. Coyle said that wasn’t the case.
"Absolutely not," he said. "(It was) nothing about Keiwan."
Because of his extra duties last year, Ratliff played at a heavier weight. In the offseason he dropped 15 pounds and weighs 182, his college weight.
"I can’t say I felt sluggish," Ratliff said. "I just felt I wasn’t getting out of my breaks as fast as I wanted."
In one play at practice yesterday, Ratliff stayed step for step with Chad Johnson on an improvised sideline route and broke up the pass, drawing loud praise from the coaches.
"Coming into this camp, this is the best I’ve felt and the most comfortable and confident I’ve been," Ratliff said.
Now he has to find a home.
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Cincy

8/2/06

Rudi fueled for the long run
Better diet, tougher workouts have him primed

BY MARK CURNUTTE | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

<!--ARTICLE BODY TEXT-->GEORGETOWN, Ky. - There's a new leaner, lighter-footed Rudi Johnson in the Bengals' backfield this season.
Coming off postseason surgery to clean out his left knee, which had been a painful nuisance since the second game of last season, Johnson reshaped his body through diet and non-traditional exercise.
The goal was to drop weight, gain speed and take pressure off his knee.
Johnson, who has rushed for 2,912 yards and 24 touchdowns in two seasons as the starter, is listed at 228 pounds in the team's media guide. He appears to be lighter than that. What does he weigh?
"I keep that a secret," he said.
Whether he's lighter or simply has redistributed weight, Johnson is better on his feet so far in camp. That could help him better separate from tacklers after catching a pass.
"A lot of red meat is gone," Johnson said of his dietary changes, made with the help of the team nutritionist. "A lot of the fast food is gone. The snacks are gone - the Doritos, the chips, the Philly cheese steaks, the pizzas. I ate everything.
"Snacks are now fruit."
He couldn't give up coffee, though.
"You can't take that away from me," Johnson said. "I've been drinking coffee since I was 8 years old. That's never going to change. I definitely drink it in the morning. Sometimes, might be twice a day, I'll stop at Starbucks."
In addition to changing his diet, Johnson altered his offseason workouts. He did more cutting and agility work and not as much straight-ahead running, Bengals strength and conditioning coach Chip Morton said.
"We talked about training for a heavyweight fight, because Rudi is kind of an-old-school guy," Morton said of Johnson, whose middle name is Ali, after Muhammad Ali.
Strength coaches designed a 30-second circuit for Johnson. He did 30 seconds each of four types of exercises: a squat/lunge, a pushup-type movement, abdominal moves and full-body explosion activities, such as cross county skiing or jumping jacks.
The goal was 10 3-minute rounds with no rest. He started with 12 continuous minutes and ended by meeting the goal of 30 minutes without stopping.
"He wanted to do it," Morton said. "That's the key."
Johnson, who will turn 27 Oct. 1, is entering his prime with a full head of steam and fresh wheels. He already owns the two top single-season rushing totals in franchise history - 1,458 last season and 1,454 in 2004.
He's looking for more in 2006.
"I will. Trust me," he said when asked if he could surpass the 1,500-yard mark. "I would have done it last year, but I didn't play the last game; plus, my knee was messed up. Coming back on two healthy legs should make it more possible for me."
Johnson carried only 10 times for 18 yards in the season finale at Kansas City, where many regulars were rested in preparation for the Bengals' playoff game the following week.
There's a thought that Johnson could carry the ball more this coming season because of quarterback Carson Palmer's questionable knee and the inactivity of backup tailback Chris Perry, who had knee surgery in late April.
Not so, said Johnson and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski.
"We go into every year and every game with the understanding the running game sets up everything else that we do," Bratkowski said Wednesday in an online chat with Cincinnati.Com. "When you have the weapons at receiver that we have, we are always looking for a potential big play. There will be games we will throw it more than run it, and games we will run it more than throw it."
Some fans wanted to see Johnson get more carries in 2005, when he had 337 - down from 361 in 2004 - and they wondered if Johnson's knee problem affected the play-calling.
"Rudi's knee didn't have bearing on play selection last year," Bratkowski said. "As you remember, we were using a lot of no-huddle the second half of the season, and Carson was taking what they were giving us, and in many cases they were forcing us to throw, which we did fairly well."
Johnson isn't thinking about his number of carries or running the ball more for the Bengals this season.
"We have a sense we will do whatever it takes to win," Johnson said.
E-mail [email protected]
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/3/06

BENGALS

Adams: ‘I’ll be ready when the bullets fly’

Lineman working on his conditioning instead of practicing

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Defensive lineman Sam Adams has done little in camp except work on his conditioning. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Sam Adams is on a new team these days, but not the team he wants to be on.
Don’t get the wrong idea. Adams is thrilled to be with the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s just that for now, the defensive tackle is spending his time with strength and conditioning coaches Chip Morton and Ray Oliver rather than with his defensive teammates.
"I don’t think you want to be on Chip’s team during this camp," coach Marvin Lewis said yesterday. "That means you get up at 5:30, get your first workout in before 7, and then you have another workout, and then you have another one, and then you finish with another one. So that’s a long day. And that’s as well as going to the meetings. Sometimes, practice is a lot better than being on Chip and Ray’s squad."
Adams doesn’t disagree. He joked after a workout under the broiling sun about putting on a ski mask and accosting Morton in an alley as payback.
The Bengals aren’t saying why Adams is not practicing with the team. Adams and Lewis were walking 10 yards apart a few days ago when a reporter asked Adams.
"Ask Marvin," Adams said.
So the reporter did.
"Ask Sam," Lewis said.
Odds are, the reason is that Adams is supersized these days and the Bengals want him merely oversized. He’s listed at 350 pounds and is probably a bowling ball or so over that.
But nobody seems too concerned about it. Adams is a 12-year veteran who has played for both Lewis and defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan. He played on Lewis’ Baltimore Ravens defense that won the Super Bowl in 2000 and on Bresnahan’s Oakland Raiders defense that went to the Super Bowl two years later.
He knows what it takes to be ready for an NFL season.
"I’ll be there when the real bullets fly, when it comes time to play," Adams said. "Right now we’re not keeping any score. It doesn’t matter what’s happening right now. I’ll be there to play, and I’ll be there to help this team win."
Adams, 33, has the most distinguished resume among Bengals defenders. He’s a three-time Pro Bowler who has the raw strength and deceptive quickness to control the line of scrimmage.
"To be honest with you, I like to physically dominate the guy in front of me," he said. "That’s it in a nutshell. I like to beat on him. I like to hurt him. I like to do whatever it takes to make sure I get my job done – fight, kick, scratch, bite. It doesn’t really matter.
"It comes from the heart. He’s going to have to want it a lot worse than I do in order to beat me. That’s just how I go about my job."
That type of mauler has been missing from Cincinnati’s defensive line in recent years. Too often, the Bengals have had to rely on finesse. But he doesn’t buy the idea that he’s the final piece to the defensive puzzle.
"This team was a great football team before I got here," Adams said. "They had some bad breaks. It wasn’t that they didn’t have the players. We just didn’t make the plays and do the things necessary (to advance in the playoffs)."
The Bengals’ promise is what enticed Adams to sign as a free agent.
"It feels like a championship team," he said. "That’s why I came. I want to contribute to that. I want to be a part of that."
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Dispatch

8/3/06

Lewis sees signs that Henry is maturing

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Marvin Lewis wasn’t trying to make a joke when he was asked about troubled receiver Chris Henry. But the Bengals coach had to laugh at what words came out of his mouth.
"I think he has gone through some trials," Lewis said yesterday.
Realizing the double meaning of that sentence, Lewis began to cackle.
"I had to make one funny today," he added.
Henry faces trial Aug. 21 in Florida on charges of carrying a concealed weapon. That alleged offense stems from one of four arrests the second-year receiver has had since December.
But Henry remains on the Bengals, and Lewis believes he has shown signs of changing his wayward path.
"He has faced some adversity," Lewis said, turning serious. "He’s learning to deal with it. And in dealing with that, he is becoming a more mature person and accepting responsibility for what has occurred. He gets the opportunity to defend himself, and that will happen."
Henry led NFL rookies with six touchdown catches last year. His 6-foot-4 frame and long arms make him a dangerous deep target.
He was the receiver on the 66-yard completion on which Carson Palmer’s knee was injured in the Pittsburgh playoff game. Henry also sustained a major knee injury on that play when he tore a posterior cruciate ligament.
Henry did not require surgery, but the knee kept him from participating in offseason workouts. He got medical clearance right before training camp.
"So far, it’s going pretty good," Henry said. "I’m just trying to get my legs back and get back in the groove."
Henry, who has cut his dreadlocks and now has closelycropped hair, has shown no ill-effects from the injury.
Based on football alone, he would appear to be a lock to make the team. But the Bengals are deep at receiver with freeagent Antonio Chatman and impressive rookies Reggie McNeal and Bennie Brazell.
"You’ve got to bring your ‘A’ game every day," Henry said. "There’s a bunch of competition. That’s what it’s all about. I’m up for it."
Henry wouldn’t address his off-field issues.
"I really don’t want to get into it," he said. "I just want to talk about football."
Injury update

According to Lewis, all the injured players are healing well. Olentangy graduate Kyle Takavitz (appendectomy) practiced for the first time yesterday.
Lewis said receivers Kelley Washington (hamstring) and Chatman (hip) should be ready soon. Quarterback Erik Meyer (ankle) is expected back as early as Saturday. Defensive lineman Jonathan Fanene (undisclosed) should return next week and linebacker Hannibal Navies (undisclosed) soon after that.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/4/06

BENGALS NOTEBOOK

Coming inside is OK with Simmons

Friday, August 04, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Brian Simmons joked about his reaction when the Bengals asked him to switch from outside to middle linebacker because of Odell Thurman’s off-field problems.
"I told them to give me some extra money or I wouldn’t do it," he deadpanned before breaking into a smile.
The idea of Simmons complaining is hard to fathom. He’s a guy who doesn’t become giddy when times are good or unglued when they’re not. In a linebacker corps loaded with youth, such a personality is essential.
"He brings a level of calmness to our defense," defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan said.
Simmons, 31, played middle linebacker earlier in his career, but he has played weakside linebacker the past few years. Last year, he was second on the team behind Thurman with 102 tackles to go with four sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions.
"I’ve played the middle before. I wasn’t intimidated by it," Simmons said. "I wasn’t worried that I couldn’t do it or learn it."
Landon Johnson played middle linebacker as a rookie in 2004 before moving outside when Thurman arrived last year. Johnson’s lean frame makes him better suited to the outside. Second-year player David Pollack will play on Simmons’ other side.
Though Simmons has played in the middle before, he hasn’t done so in Bresnahan’s defense. The reads Simmons must make at middle linebacker are different than they are for an outside linebacker.
"I don’t feel out of place, but sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m not playing the outside anymore," Simmons said. "I’m having to learn the defense over again because I am at a new spot. But it’s good. The more guys we have who can play different spots, the better we’ll be."
Middle linebackers tend to be bulkier than outside linebackers, but Simmons hasn’t added weight.
"You have to do what your body allows," he said. "Right now, I’m 242 or 243, and that’s ideal weight whether I’m playing middle or outside. I could never be a 255-pound ’backer. I would eat myself out of the league if I tried to do that."
There’s a chance Simmons could switch back to the outside. Supplemental draft pick Ahmad Brooks is a physical specimen, and fifth-round pick A.J. Nicholson has shown good instincts. And though the Bengals don’t seem to be counting on Thurman any time soon, he’ll be eligible to return from a league-imposed four-game suspension in October.
Brooks, Nicholson and Thurman all have character questions for various transgressions. All should benefit from watching Simmons.
"He’s a true pro," Bresnahan said. "He’s going to do what we ask, and we wouldn’t ask if we didn’t think he could do (well) by moving him inside. He’s done it before. To me, it’s like riding a bicycle after not doing it for a year. He’ll get back on the wheels and be fine."
On the move

Marvin Lewis wasn’t kidding when he said Wednesday that Sam Adams would prefer to be practicing with his teammates rather than working out with the team’s strength-andconditioning coaches as the Bengals try to transform their mammoth defensive tackle into Sam Adams Lite.
Yesterday, strength coaches Chip Morton and Ray Oliver had Adams run a series of torturous drills in the afternoon heat. First they had Adams run up a hill pulling a harness while having to catch and toss a medicine ball. Later, Adams had to run up the hill while acting as if he were defending in a two-minute drill.
"What’d you think, we were doing tiddlywinks?" Adams said afterward.
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Has anybody heard any updates on Palmer?

Here ya go.........

Dispatch

8/4/06

Palmer isn’t pleased with his progress
QB not as sharp with passes as he’d like
Friday, August 04, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>AL BEHRMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Carson Palmer will be looking for some positive results when the Bengals hold an intrasquad scrimmage tonight in which defenders won’t be allowed to hit him. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Carson Palmer will take snaps tonight in a quasi-game setting for the first time since Kimo von Oelhoffen snapped his left knee in January.
Most years, the Bengals’ intrasquad scrimmage is a big deal for coaches and fringe players but quickly forgotten by stars.
Palmer’s status has raised the significance.
Though defenders are prohibited from hitting the quarterback — in Palmer’s case, it might be curtains for anyone who comes close — Palmer considers the scrimmage to be a big step in his comeback.
In part, that’s because his training camp so far has been a frustrating experience.
The good news is that the knee wrecked in Pittsburgh’s playoff victory over the Bengals has held up well. Palmer has twice missed the second practice in two-a-days, but that’s part of the plan not to overwork his reconstructed knee.
He wears a knee brace (as he did before the injury) but moves pretty nimbly, considering the severity of the injury.
Yet Palmer has not always been sharp with his passes. Yesterday, he was intercepted twice in one sequence.
"Very frustrating," Palmer said. "I’m very hard on myself and have high expectations for myself as far as accuracy, footwork and technique. I haven’t been doing a good job with that. I need to get more reps and more opportunities for doing it."
He is used to throwing often during the spring to work on timing with receivers. The knee rehab prevented that. The result is that he feels "real rusty."
Quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese agreed with Palmer’s assessment. He said it’s normal for a player coming off a serious injury.
But normal doesn’t mean acceptable.
"It’s obvious we’re not quite where we need to be," Zampese said. "We’ll be spending a lot of time specifically on the things he needs to do to get back to where he can be as productive as his abilities let him be."
Zampese said Palmer is acutely aware of the deficiencies.
"He’s on top of it every time I mention it," Zampese said. "He says, ‘You’re right, you’re right.’ It’s good we’re aware of it. It’s just a matter of doing it when it’s 11 guys (on a side) and not just the quarterback doing drills."
Palmer has been taking about 40 percent of practice reps. Backups Anthony Wright and Doug Johnson share the rest. Coach Marvin Lewis declined to reveal how much Palmer will play tonight. "The more (reps) I get, the more comfortable I feel," Palmer said. "Hopefully, as camp progresses, I’ll get more snaps in team situations and sevenon-seven drills."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/5/06

BENGALS

Palmer shakes off slow start

Lewis says he isn’t worried about QB’s early struggles

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>TONY TRIBBLE ASSOCIATED PRESS </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Quarterback Carson Palmer, shouting instructions to the offense before taking a snap, appeared rusty at the start of the Bengals’ intrasquad scrimmage. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


GEORGETOWN, Ky. — It was only an intrasquad scrimmage, as perishable an event as there is on a football schedule.
But when Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer threw incompletions on all four passes in his first series, he was unable to slough it off. That’s not Palmer’s mentality, reconstructed knee or not.
So he was relieved to heat up in his second sequence in front of an enthusiastic Toyota Stadium crowd of 9,400 last night, a record for the Bengals’ annual scrimmage. He completed four of his next five passes for 57 yards and a 6-yard touchdown to Tab Perry to end the night on a good note.
"It bothered me," he said of his start. "I want to complete 100 percent of my passes and be perfect. But I’m realistic and know you’re not going to complete every ball."
The scrimmage last night was not a true test of Palmer’s health. Defenders weren’t allowed to hit the quarterback. Still, this was the closest the Bengals have come to game-like conditions in their first week of training camp.
The rustiness that Palmer has felt in camp was still evident. He was off-target on several throws.
But Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said he wasn’t concerned.
"I think Carson is overly hard on himself," Lewis said. "I think he’s harder on himself than anybody I’ve been around who plays that position."
After the shaky start, Palmer got on track with a 9-yard completion to Chad Johnson. He later connected on a 37-yarder to Chris Henry, who outleaped first-round pick Johnathan Joseph.
That was one of several dazzling plays by Henry, whose offseason escapades jeopardized his roster spot. Last night showed why the Bengals want to give him the benefit of any doubt.
"He’s Randy Moss Jr.," Palmer said. "He’s probably 80 percent because of his knee (injured in the Pittsburgh playoff game), but he hasn’t taken a day off and sucks it up. Watching him make the plays he did shows what kind of weapon he is."
Seventh-round pick Bennie Brazell has been one of the most impressive young players in camp, and the former Olympic hurdler had another big performance. He caught five passes for 89 yards. He had a 52-yarder that would have gone for a touchdown if he hadn’t cramped and fallen down.
Neither Anthony Wright nor Doug Johnson distinguished himself in the fight for the backup quarterback job. Wright was 7 of 17 for 107 yards. Johnson was 5 of 11 for 84 yards with a shovel-pass touchdown to Perry and an interception on a deflection.
Perry provided the evening’s funniest moment after his touchdown. He took the ball and rolled it like a bowler, with Henry, Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh falling like pins.
"I didn’t see it, but Ron said it was good," Lewis said, referring to referee Ron Winter.
Defensively, rookie linebacker Ahmad Brooks and safety Tony Bua were among the standouts in a performance that generally pleased defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan. One negative was a hamstring pull suffered by outside linebacker David Pollack.
The Bengals have their Black-and-Orange mock game this afternoon. Palmer will not participate in the workout, in which tackling isn’t permitted.
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[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

8/6/06

BENGALS
Success story is a page-turner

Jones is blossoming into one of NFL’s top tackles

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Levi Jones </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Until the deal was done, Levi Jones doubted whether it would be.
His agent told him negotiations with the Bengals were going well. Jones wondered.
To sign a $40 million contract seemed unbelievable for a guy who had to beat the odds every step of his career.
But on July 25, the deal was done. Instead of heading for free agency after this season, the left offensive tackle will be under contract with the Bengals through 2012.
"It definitely lets me know all the hard work has paid off," Jones said. "It’s been a long, painful, hard road, and it’s paid off and I’m happy for that."
Jones wasn’t one of those athletes projected to be in the NFL from a young age. Growing up in the hardscrabble town of Eloy, Ariz., he was an excellent student but wasn’t recruited as a football player out of high school. He decided to walk on at Arizona State and overcame the initial skepticism of coach Bruce Snyder to land a scholarship and become an All-Pacific 10 player.
Projected to go in the second half of the 2002 draft’s first round, Jones was taken 10 th by the Bengals. That drew derision from draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr., who cited it as the latest example of Cincinnati’s incompetence.
Yet instead of joining the long line of Bengals first-round busts, Jones proved worthy of the pick. Last year, he was a second alternate for the Pro Bowl on a line that was the foundation of Cincinnati’s success.
"He had a lot of Pro Bowl votes and he played at that level," offensive line coach Paul Alexander said. "He did a great job against some of the great pressurers in the league. Right now, he’s having a great camp and is looking like he’s even improved from where he left off."
Last season, despite a balky knee early, Jones held such top pass-rushers as Indianapolis’ Dwight Freeney, Baltimore’s Terrell Suggs and Green Bay’s Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila without a sack. Jones said he was charged with yielding only three sacks last year, two coming after he continued playing against Buffalo despite sustaining a partially dislocated shoulder.
The Bengals will need Jones to be at his best this year. Cincinnati fans will gasp every time a pass rusher gets near quarterback Carson Palmer’s knee, and Jones is responsible for Palmer’s blind side.
"Whether Carson’s injured or not, I feel I’ve got to get him to a point where he’s comfortable in the pocket that nobody’s going to touch him," Jones said. "Our offensive line did a very good job of that last year."
With his financial future secure, Jones is intent on proving he’s the elite player his contract assumes. For offensive linemen, Pro Bowl status often is conferred later than it should and then is held until the player leaves the game. In recent years, Baltimore’s Jonathan Ogden and Kansas City’s Willie Roaf have monopolized the position in the AFC. Roaf retired just before training camp.
"It’s definitely a case of when it’s my time," Jones said. "I don’t know how much more you’ve got to do to prove yourself as a Pro Bowler than what I did last season."
But Jones isn’t glad Roaf retired.
"I hate to see him go because he brings a lot of excitement to the game and he’s pretty much of the mold of left tackles that I want to become," he said. "A lot of guys just get the job done. Willie Roaf beats people up and puts a bruising on them."
Jones said his style has been more of the former. He wants to progress into the latter.
"I want to punish now," he said.
Jones is relieved to have the contract signed not just for the money but because he hopes it’ll improve the chances of resigning fellow linemen Willie Anderson, Eric Steinbach and Rich Braham. The contracts of all three expire after this season.
"This line can be great," Jones said. "This line can be the best in the league. I know we’re close to that. The way we click is just fabulous. It makes work fun. To see three of our guys going to be up with their contracts, it’s kind of heart-wrenching."
Jones understands the Bengals probably can’t keep all three in this salary-cap era. At least he knows he’ll be around for a while.
"It definitely clears up that black cloud, that gray cloud that was lingering around," Jones said. "It’s just good to have it out of the way so I can focus on football. It’s a blessing. God’s been very good to me and my family throughout this whole process. I’m just thankful."
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Dispatch

8/6/06

Tillman provided hope that Jones sorely needed

Sunday, August 06, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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</IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Pat Tillman </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


GEORGETOWN, Ky. — To many Americans, Pat Tillman is already a mythic figure, a professional football player who turned down millions of dollars to serve his country, only to die tragically by friendly fire in Afghanistan.
To Bengals left offensive tackle Levi Jones, Tillman was more than a symbol. If not for Tillman, Jones’ football career might not ever have amounted to anything.
Jones was a freshman walk-on in 1997 during Tillman’s senior season at Arizona State. On the first day of practice, Tillman flattened Jones in a drill.
"That was pretty much my wakeup call," Jones said.
But by the end of the season, Jones hadn’t seen any game action and was discouraged.
"Coach (Bruce Snyder) pretty much told me I’d never be able to play at Arizona State, I’d never be able to play in the Pac-10, I wasn’t good enough to be on this team," Jones said.
So that winter he decided to transfer. Jones was headed to the football office when he came across Tillman and star running back J.R. Redmond.
"He could see it written on my face," Jones said of Tillman. "He’s like, ‘Man, what’s wrong?’ "
When Jones told him he was planning to transfer, Tillman, with help from Redmond, tried to change his mind.
"He said, ‘You’re one helluva player. We see it. We know it,’ " Jones recalled. "He said, ‘You’re good and if you transfer, you’re going to be transferring the rest of your career. I’ve seen it happen to guys.’ He said stick through it. ‘We know what you can do. We know you deserve to be here.’ "
Jones decided to stick it out.
After the Bengals drafted him in 2002, Jones saw Tillman at Arizona State. That was around the time Tillman gave up his NFL career to enlist in the Army. Jones wanted to take Tillman aside and thank him for his encouragement, but Tillman was with a group of people.
"I was like, ‘I’ll see him next time,’ and I never saw him again," Jones said.
Tillman died two years later.
"It hit me real hard," Jones said.
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Dispatch

8/6/06

BENGALS NOTEBOOK
Pollack could miss work because of hamstring pull
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
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GEORGETOWN, Ky. — David Pollack’s development is likely to be stalled for a little while.
The Bengals outside linebacker, who missed all of training camp as a rookie holdout last year, pulled a hamstring in a scrimmage Friday night.
Radio broadcaster Dave Lapham announced during a mock game yesterday that Pollack was expected to miss two to three weeks.
Marvin Lewis was more conservative in his timetable.
"He’ll be kind of day to day," the coach said. "I didn’t know Dave was a doctor."
Ratliff shines

Whitehall graduate Keiwan Ratliff intercepted two passes yesterday, returning one 33 yards for a touchdown. On the two plays before the second interception, Ratliff broke up passes.
"I’m just trying to be more confident," the third-year cornerback said. "I’m playing more with my instincts."
Ratliff said the deep secondary, which includes first-round pick Johnathan Joseph, has increased his sense of urgency.
"I come out here and I see a guy like Johnathan Joseph making plays or (veteran) Rashad Bauman making plays, it forces me to go out and try to match what they do. It’s making all of us better."
Wright impressive

Anthony Wright, who’s perceived to have a leg up on Doug Johnson for the backup quarterback job, completed 22 of 33 passes for 291 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted twice, but those were more the fault of receiver Chad Johnson, who had the ball deflect off his hands.
Doug Johnson was 16 of 13 for 130 yards without a touchdown or interception.
Bengals bits

Punter Kyle Larson averaged 44.1 yards on seven punts, six of which were caught or downed inside the 20. … Right guard Bobbie Williams has a mildly sprained knee and could miss a week. … Wright’s team won the scrimmage 45-30. … The Bengals are off today.
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