The Bengals resumed training camp this week, after opening the preseason at home against the Cardinals. Battles continue to take place, as the team prepares for its second preseason matchup, this time against the cardinals. Let’s see what took place over the past week.
The Bengals had some important players back at practice, as Joe Burrow and La’el Collins returned from injury. As expected, both eased into things slowly. As the week went on, Burrow ramped things up a bit, and was seen throwing long bombs during 11 on 11’s. He completed 8 of 11 during his first 11 on 11 session, including 5 completions of 20 or more yards, according to Dan Hoard. His rapport with Ja’marr Chase seemed as good as ever, as the two connected several times. The connection with Higgins and Boyd has also been good, and other receivers, like Trenton Irwin, have also mixed in.
D’Ante Smith also returned from injury. Like the other two, he has been easing into things. The hope is that he makes his preseason debut on Sunday.
Eli Apple has had his name dragged through the mud by large sites after a couple highlight catches by Chase. But don’t let the headlines fool you. Apple has been doing quite well in camp, and his battle with Chase has been one of the most intense in camp thus far. The Awuzie-Chase battle has also been a good one.
After some struggles in the preseason opener, undrafted rookie CB Allan George has had a few bounce back moments this week, with some nice pass breakups. On top of that, two of them were against Chase and Higgins, respectively. Upside has never been the question, but rather, consistency. It is good to see improvement from the rookie.
DT Domenique Davis received some praise for his toughness from defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. Just because of the logjam of players at the position, it will be tough for the former XFLer to crack the roster. However, he did flash a couple of times in the preseason opener, and is making a solid case for a spot on the practice squad.
Jackson Carman was banged up early in the week, and has since tested positive for covid. As a result, he will miss the preseason game against the Giants. It is another tough break for Carman, as his poor performance in the preseason opener has opened the door for Cordell Volson in the LG battle. Volson has now been getting the majority of the LG reps, and has been getting a lot of praise. He may just be the new favourite for the job.
Hayden Hurst continues to draw praise after a standout first week of practice. His quickness has always been on full display, but his catch radius is also something that he has been able to use to his advantage.
Rookie UDFA WR Kendric Pryor has continued to build on his impressive preseason opener. He has another string of good practices, with 2 redzone TD’s coming in one of them.
Back on the topic of injuries, Logan Wilson got a few reps in, as he continues to recover from his shoulder injury from last year. The hope is that he is a full go by next week. Cam Taylor-Britt, meanwhile, will miss the rest of the preseason, as he recovered from core surgery. OT Isaiah Prince is currently dealing with a bicep injury, and according to the team, is week to week. Drew Sample is also week to week, as he recovered from a knee injury.
With this week of practice wrapped up, the Bengals will fly to New York to take on the Giants. As it is just a preseason game, the importance will lie in the evaluation of depth players, as they continue to battle for spots on the team.
