Bengals Training Camp Preview: DE
Players:
91. Trey Hendrickson
58. Joseph Ossai
99. Myles Murphy
97. Shemar Stewart
96. Cam Sample
52. Cedric Johnson
56. Raymond Johnson
51. Isaiah Thomas
It has been a drama filled offseason at DE for the Bengals. Star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson is currently holding out. He is entering the last year of his deal, and is looking for both a raise and some long term stability. The two sides have been talking, but right now, they still seem to be far apart. Threats of holding out into the regular season have been made, but it is still unknown whether they are serious or not. If Hendrickson does actually skip regular season games, it will mean big trouble for the Bengals defence.
Rookie 1st round pick Shemar Stewart is also holding out, and has yet to sign his rookie deal. The two sides are at an interesting impasse when it comes to some of the language in the contract. Stewart is asking for the same deal that previous picks, like Amarius Mims and Myles Murphy got. Fair, you could say. But the Bengals are offering the same thing that other 1st rounders from this year have gotten, including Walter Nolen and Grey Zabel, who respectively went one pick before and one pick after Stewart. What the Bengals are wanting to do is pretty standard across the league, but they themselves have not yet structured a rookie contract in that way. Steward does not want to be the first one to set the precedent.
With the Stewart situation, both sides are understandable. At this time, it doesn’t seem like they are close to a deal. However, as a rookie, Stewart would have little leverage here. Earlier in the offseason, it was floated out there that he could sit out the entire season without signing, and re-enter the draft. This is extremely unlikely, however, as it comes with a large amount of risk, and would likely make him worse off financially.
For now, I’ll continue on as if they both will be on the roster and ready to go by the time the season starts. Hendrickson, needless to say, will be a starter, and a focal point of the defence. He is one of the league’s top pass rushers, and should again play a big part, if he is on the field.
We could see a competition for the starting spot opposite Hendrickson. Ossai is the veteran and likely goes in with the upper hand. He was always a “what if” player, given that injuries always seemed to strike just when he was making progress. But over the final handful of games last season, he finally started producing at a high rate, which prompted the Bengals to re-sign him in the offseason. They will be hoping that we see the same version of him on a consistent basis this season.
Murphy, a former 1st round pick, will be knocking on the door for more snaps. He didn’t get too much playing time last season, and his production was disappointing. That being said, he was quietly able to put up a decent amount of pressure in his little playing time, even if it didn’t translate into the most production. The upside is certainly still there, and if he takes that next step, he could be a big part of the rotation, and potentially even work his way into that starting spot.
Stewart is next up. The rookie 1st round pick is raw and needs to work on his plan of attack as a pass rusher. His technique needs development, and he isn’t ready to start just yet. The good news, though, is that he has the physical traits and is decent enough as a run defender to still have a role in the rotation. They are in a good spot with him, where they don’t need to give him too much, too early, but can still let him get his feet wet while he develops.
Cam Sample returns on a 1 year deal after missing all of last season with an injury. He has never been a flashy player, but was decently reliable, and the coaching staff liked him. We’ll have to see how he bounces back from his injury. If he can get back to a similar level of play, he has a chance to crack the roster. But there are enough guys in the competition that could bump him out, should we see a dip in his level of play. Sample might also have a chance at making the practice squad, should he miss out on the roster, but that isn’t always a guarantee for veterans.
Cedric Johnson will be one of Sample’s main competitors for one of the final spots. Johnson has less on his résumé, but is younger. He also showed a few flashes last season that would suggest he probably has more upside than Sample. If the competition is close, I think Johnson has the edge. But the opportunity will be there for one to separate himself from the other.
Raymond Johnson will also try to have a say in the competition. The numbers game will make it tough for him to make it. And he has turned in some great preseason performances in the past, only to still be cut, so we know he’ll have an uphill battle. A practice squad spot is definitely in play here, should he miss out on a roster spot.
Isaiah Thomas rounds out the group. The 2022 7th rounder first joined the Bengals practice squad prior to the start of last season. Part way through, he was plucked away by the Detroit Lions. After being waived, he briefly re-joined the Bengals practice squad in December, before then being promoted to the active roster. Thomas has 1 career sack, and will be competing with Sample and both Johnson for a roster spot and/or a spot or two on the practice squad.
Featured Image Via: Eli Marshall