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Notes from Bengals minicamp
The Cincinnati Bengals showed signs of being dominant this season during last week’s three-day minicamp. This is an early indication that the team is prepared to improve on its season from a year ago. Optimistically speaking, fans can be excited about what’s in store.
The Bengals have made some definite strives over the offseason by adding depth at nearly every position on the roster. The team is loaded with talent especially on defense. They have athletes with speed at each position and the other side of the ball isn’t too shabby.
Some new wrinkles have been added to the Bengals offense which should open up the passing game. Without giving away the team’s secrets, quarterback Carson Palmer could have a career year passing the ball. More importantly the execution of the offense as a unit was on point more often than not.
Here are a few things I took away from minicamp.
Who’s hot?
It’s time to put the kibosh on all the negative talk surrounding Palmer and his ability to play the game. The man still has it.
Palmer is among the elite quarterbacks in my book. Granted, he may no longer have a cannon for an arm, but he still possesses a high-caliber pistol capable of pistol whipping any secondary into submission when throwing the ball.
Palmer demonstrated that when he fired a bullet into heavy traffic for a completion. The window of opportunity in which he threw the pass was tight and closed rather quickly. Only a quarterback with a hair-trigger release could have made this throw. He did this on more than one occasion, even under duress. Palmer was consistently accurate and had a good showing in camp.
Who’s not?
Who needs Matt Jones when you have Jerome Simpson? That’s right, I would be flummoxed if Jones made the club over Simpson. There was not much to write home about regarding Jones’ performance in minicamp. He looked like any other guy and was outperformed by Simpson, who has struggled to see the playing field since being drafted. Both receivers are likely on the bubble considering the team’s depth at the position.
Jones is a long strider with little burst off the line and is not the most precise route runner. Not to mention he caught a lot of passes with his body rather than using his hands. You would also expect a guy his size to be more aggressive at the point of attack but that wasn’t the case.
The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Jones was pushed off his routes with little effort by smaller cornerbacks. The receiver made it easy for corners to jam him at the line of scrimmage. Jones is going to have to show the Bengals coaching staff more than adequacy in training camp if he’s looking to revitalize his career in Cincinnati.
Keep an eye on
Running back Brian Leonard shed a few pounds during the offseason and looked quicker than ever. He made a couple of nice dashing runs that really showed off his quickness and acceleration. Leonard was also effective in the passing game and is expected to be an integral part of the offense this season.
High expectations
Defensive end Michael Johnson could have a breakout season in only his second year. He’s flashing signs of greatness with his ability to rush the passer, his athleticism, versatility and run pursuit. Johnson is becoming a disciplined pass rusher and will likely challenge some veterans for playing time. According to one of his teammates, Johnson is developing into a playmaker that appears to always be around the ball.
Fans will have a lot to look forward to in training camp.
Carlos “Big C” Holmes covers the NFL for Cox Ohio Publishing.
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Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
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By Johannes
June 20, 2010 10:09 PM | Link to this
They look “dominant” against themselves? What a joke.
By Walt
June 20, 2010 11:50 PM | Link to this
Yo fat head Johannes! I do believe the Bengals had one of the better defenses in the league douche!
By Jeff
June 21, 2010 8:49 AM | Link to this
Johannes, Don’t forget that this offense has to go against the #4 defense every day. I know is just camp but progress is progress.
By Eve
January 31, 2011 2:26 PM | Link to this
Hi Carlos, I spoke with you and Mark Neal on Dayton Sports Scene a couple weeks ago and I wondered if you had a email address so I could correspond with you? I wanted to ask you some things. Thanks! Eve