WEEK 3
•Drafting two offensive tackles early last season appears to be paying off as Jake Fisher is filling in for the injured Cedric Ogbuehi at right tackle. Fisher had some interesting comments about the challenges that come with moving around the line.
•Free-agent receiver Brandon LaFell is nursing a right hand injury, and his return date is unknown. Receivers coach James Urban expects him to be able to contribute on or off the field, though.
•One of the potential plums of the 2016 draft class might not be seen again until next year.
WEEK 2
•The Bengals dropped their preseason opener to the Vikings.
•Jay Morrison's six takeaways from the game include rookie receivers, secondary struggles and short-yardage success.
•Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther liked lots of what he saw.
•Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer explained why his time in Cincinnati had such a huge impact on his career.
•Zimmer's defense gave Andy Dalton some problems during a joint practice Thursday.
•Coming off a career year, Carlos Dunlap remains humble while setting some ambitious goals.
•Newly minted Hall of Famer Kevin Greene was in Cincinnati this week helping tutor some of the young Bengals pass rushers for Marvin Lewis, who coached Greene in Pittsburgh. In a make-or-break fourth pro season, Margus Hunt hopes to use things he picked up from Greene to finally have an impact on the team.
•After the Hall of Fame game had to be canceled because of an issue with the field, Bengals lineman and NFLPA representative Eric Winston told the Associated Press progress has been made on field conditions in general — but perhaps not enough. He also wondered if players would be better off if more stadiums returned to natural grass as studies indicate that surface is safer than artificial turf.
•"Family Day" started with a familiar aerial connection, but a couple of lesser-known players ended up playing larger roles than A.J. Green by the time the day was over.
•Who will be the No. 2 receiver, Brandon LaFell or Tyler Boyd? The rookie has been impressive so far.
•The top two tight ends are less than 100 percent, and 2015 draft pick C.J. Uzomah is taking advantage.
WEEK 1
•Vontaze Burfict and Rey Maualuga started camp with a bit of a beef. It seems the two Pac-12 alumni had an agreement that only one honored.
•Burfict was sidelined at the start of camp, but has been cleared to join the action in practice — at least as long as he can keep up.
•Tight end Tyler Eifert was still feeling the effects of an ankle injury at the start of camp and declared he would not be taking part again in the event in which he was hurt: the Pro Bowl.
•Rookie Tyler Boyd had the play of the day in Sunday's practice, and he's not the only receiver who has done some good things.
RELATED: Madden ratings makers apparently love Andy Dalton
•With Andre Smith moving on in free agency, 2015 first-round pick Cedric Ogbuehi is trying to fill his shoes. He's getting help in his development from someone who certainly qualifies as an expert: Willie Anderson.
•Someone who has already proven his value as a blocker in the NFL, H-back Ryan Hewitt, got a new contract on Tuesday.
•Monday and Tuesday weren't great on the injury front for the Bengals, but coach Marvin Lewis had some relatively good news when all the dust had settled.
•Among those to go down was first-round pick William Jackson III, who is holding out hope he can still play at some point this season.
•After Jackson was injured, the Bengals re-signed a rookie cornerback from Marshall who told reporters he is happy for a second chance and regretful of an off-field incident that happened in July.
About the Author
