Recap:
Burrow looking more and more comfortable
After a shaky start to camp, Burrow began to turn the corner in recent days. Burrow continued to show progress on Thursday. He was able to connect with Tyler Boyd on a deep corner route. He has also shown improved awareness and anticipation, which was shown on one of his passes to Tee Higgins during the 7 on 7 period.
Perhaps even more relieving is that he has looked good moving on his knee. He was seen scrambling a practice or two ago, and had to do so again on Thursday, following a Logan Wilson blitz. The play resulted in a throw away, but it is good to see Burrow moving well.
A few miscues were still there, particularly an overthrow intended for Chase, but as long as things can keep progressing at a steady rate, the fine details should be sorted out sooner, rather than later.
Offensive Line
Quinton Spain and Michael Jordan were the first team guards once again, but Su’a-Filo did rotate in as well.
Spain and Jonah Williams were reportedly seen paving a nice hole during a Samaje Perine run.
Rookie 2nd round pick Jackson Carman continues to work with the third team as he attempts to claw his way back into the RG competition. He was seen working on extra drills after practice and was one of the last players to leave.
According to Dan Hoard, Billy Price has been looking solid. Hoard also made a point of mentioning his great attitude and work ethic.
Darius Phillips, Trent Irwin, Kyle Shurmur battling
Some good battles have been going on between Phillips and both Shurmur and Irwin.
Phillips snatched himself an interception off of Kyle Shurmur and was able to take it back for a TD. However, only a few plays later, Shurmur hit Irwin, who beat Phillips, for a deep TD.
The depth pieces on offence have had some solid moments so far. Phillips, meanwhile, seems to still have his boom/bust tendencies that he has had throughout his career. But considering he is now in the 4th spot on the depth chart, it is easier to swallow the lows that come with the highs.
Jessie Bates contract drama?
In an interview on Thursday, Bates was asked about his contract situation. One thing that he had to say now has some Bengals fans worried:
“I guess I haven’t done enough yet to be considered one of the top safeties in the league.”
Jessie Bates on his contract situation
He further stated that this is the last time he will speak on the situation.
It is certainly not ideal that one of the team’s top players is unhappy with contract negotiations. That being said, these big contracts do take time and can sometimes be difficult to work out.
Looking from the Bengals’ perspective, you cannot just hand him a blank cheque. It is the job of the front office to get the best deal possible. On Bates’ side, there is no doubt that he is looking at other safeties likely to reset the market, and will be wanting a similar deal.