Do you justify not resigning Awuzie?


With Awuzie(Obviously he didn’t guard every Chief's WR by himself but he was our #1 CB in 2021 so he gets a lot of credit) we held the Chiefs WR core to 1 TD and no WR had 60 yards.


Without Awuzie Marquez Valdez Scantling made us his ***** and he went for 100+ and a TD by himself.

If we make playoffs again and get against the Chiefs again with Awuzie and we win and we go back to locking up the Chiefs WRs, how do we not give him a contract?


At that point his agent would say Awuzie is the reason we can defend the Chiefs and i don’t see how we get around being out of our league price wise.


Do you guys feel Awuzie would have a claim to this if we were able to beat the Chiefs again with him healthy?

Dru has been making Door Dash deliveries by bike which is one way to keep a punter's legs in shape during the off season

Reported that he has gout. While it’s being downplayed as nothing serious, I can testify that gout pain is no joke.  Have dealt with gout for the last 20 years and a flare can keep you off your feet for weeks. Controlled with medication and diet. I just wonder whether gout medication might be on the prohibited list as it may be used as a masking agent?  Hope he gets better and stays away from too many outings at Jack Ruby’s.

https://www.bengals.com/news/zac-taylor-says-his-deepest-team-primed-for-training-camp-new

Even #onceuponatimeiwasright poster will like this.

The vid is great.

Quick Hits: Zac Taylor Says His Deepest Bengals Team Primed For Training Camp; Newest Offensive Starters Impressive On And Off Field

As he bid farewell to his Bengals for the summer, head coach Zac Taylor said Thursday what many have been thinking since the draft. This is their deepest roster in his five seasons and the expectations are soaring with the talent.
"(The depth) is the best we've had and it is hard in pro football now to have as strong as a 53-man roster that we can potentially have," Taylor said after the last practice of mandatory camp. "I just think it is the way the salary cap is built. You've got to acquire young players and hope they step up quickly.
"You just really kind of think through where the roster is  at the 90-man and you are really encouraged from top to bottom. There are no players that don't belong here. You can oftentimes get on a 90-man roster. But everyone belongs here and has a role and I'm excited to watch all these guys compete."
That won't happen until training camp opens July 26 for  the first practice on the Kettering Health Practice Fields at Paycor Stadium. But Taylor is clearly bullish on how well his streamlined spring ball schedule unfolded and who executed it.
"I think this team has really high-end starters and really talented depth," Taylor said. "You feel like this thing is way ahead of where we've been years past. Especially from the first day I got here. So you can see the details. Guys are moving so quickly. The players here are empowered, they've taken ownership of our schemes and so that allows them to take the next step …  New players I think feel that and they feel the need to study up and maximize the reps they get because they can see guys that have been in these systems for years now at the high level that they're playing, the high level of understanding what we're asking them to do, and that's a really good thing for our team."

When Taylor was hired in 2019, the former Rams quarterbacks coach brought the rather avant-garde workload philosophy of Sean McVay, his head coach in Los Angeles. Less is more. That was four years ago. Now it's even less. After playing in the NFL's last game in 2021 and the next-to-last game of last season, the Bengals' light spring regimen has fit a Super Bowl contender's grind.
Taylor used all three of his scheduled mandatory practices because he used only three of his OTA practices leading up to it.
'This is something we always preach to our guys is we're going to do everything at a Super Bowl caliber. Things that we believe will get us to Super Bowl," Taylor said. "You may not see the results yet, but the process is what we believe in and then you saw that in year three and four and now five is what our expectation is. And so it is something that we think is tried and true. We've been in it. It's not something we just think will work, it's something we know will work and our players understand the intent of everything that we're asking them to do.
"I just think this is a team that's not trying to go through the motions of just being a pro football team. We have high expectations for ourselves. I think everybody around this organization has high expectations for our team and we want to meet those expectations And so we know that there's a lot that goes into that. It's not just on paper. We have a really good roster and we've done really good things in the past. We all understand that's not how it works."

ZAC ON JOE: As Marvin Lewis said 20 years ago when the Bengals drafted Carson Palmer overall No. 1 in his first year as coach, 'We're joined at the hip,' and so it is with Taylor, in his second year when Joe Burrow arrived No. 1 overall.
Now as Burrow heads into his fourth season after just his second full spring of work, they're still on the same hip. Taylor thinks he's on top of his game as they knock on wood for what should be his first full NFL training camp.
"Really sharp. I think he's got a good recall of some of the adjustments we made as the season went and some of the adjustments we're continuing to make. There's been really good feedback and communication that way," Taylor said. "I think he knows that we're going to continue to empower him and we want his feedback as we continue to take the next steps as an offense, as a team, and he's taken that role to heart."
FACE-TO-FACE: New Bengals left tackle Orlando Brown Jr. has been terrific with the media and with everyone else since he arrived. The personable four-time Pro Bowler's willingness to take on all questions reflects his stature in the game, the confidence of a guy that has blocked for two NFL MVPs and has a Super Bowl ring, and natural leadership.
"He's a guy that feels like he's been here for a lot longer than he has," Taylor said. "There's no shyness to him. That's how you blend into a locker room and get to know people when you're personable like that and he is, so I appreciate that about him. He asked really good questions, football questions. He wants to be the best. It's really exciting when you are able to acquire a player like that. He's got all that tangible stuff and personality stuff. That's all good stuff."

Brown met the best there ever was for the first time face-to-face Thursday when Bengals Pro Football Hall-of-Fame left tackle Anthony Munoz visited practice.
Thanks to Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard, they had already met via Zoom as Brown publicly went through a laundry list of questions for Munoz. Brown is still picking his brain. On Thursday he asked Munoz and Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham about family vacations.
"It's great to be able to talk to a guy like that who played the position. What a great guy," Brown said. "I'm hoping we can go to lunch in a few weeks."
He said the best answer he got from Munoz during the Hoard broadcast concerned consistency.
"I'm looking for his mindset and approach and he said he went into every training camp like he had to make the team," Brown said. "He's the best to ever do it and he went into it like that. It makes you think. And I had a lot more questions I didn't get to."

IRV EASES IN: The other new Bengals offensive starter, tight end Irv Smith Jr., has looked superb. Smith is the third different starter in three years tight end Drew Sample has lined up with and he's been suitably impressed.
Sample hates to call him "sneaky fast," because he says, "If you're fast, you're fast." Sample calls him "effortless."
"He's a really smart, savvy player. We don't have a lot of new guys on offense, but he's picked it up seamlessly as far as a lot of adjustments go. He's done a great job picking that stuff up," Sample said. "C.J. (Uzomah) and Hayden (Hurst) are great. For Irv, I think he may be the smoothest of those guys. Getting in and out of his breaks. He's a very smooth route runner. He can get down the seam. Makes a lot of cuts like receivers. All great players, Irv just brings his different spin to it."

Taylor knew all about Smith's talent. He's always been a high-profile guy, first at Alabama and then a second-round pick. But Taylor has found out he's got a lot more than that.
"Forget about the talent. He's a talented guy. We knew that's what we've seen on tape so that didn't surprise me in anyway," Taylor said. "But I think just how quickly he's integrated himself has been really impressive.
That's the most impressive thing about Irv is how quickly he's picked everything up and even taken on the nuances. And that's a credit to (tight ends coach) James Casey. James does a great job with every tight end that's walked in his room making sure that they maximize their potential and I think Irv has a willingness to work to get to that point. And so I think just how quickly he has understood not just the scheme but the nuances in the scheme of playing tight end in this system and I've been really impressed with that."

SLANTS AND SCREENS: Sample, who missed all but one game last season with a torn MCL and torn PCL, wasn't supposed to be cleared until training camp. But he was able to get into the last three practices and he chalked it up to Taylor's light schedule touch that allowed him to get acclimated into seven-on-seven drills throughout the spring …

It sounds like the expectation for cornerback Chidobe Awuzie coming off his Halloween ACL is that he'll be able to play the Sunday after Labor Day in the Sept. 10 opener in Cleveland. He looks good, but Taylor is hesitant to talk about injuries and timelines.
"That's one thing I've learned in five years. Always reserve injury excitement and I see the same things you guys do," Taylor said. "Chido's built differently. He's done a great job attacking the rehab and doing the things you need to do coming off injury had on Halloween he's done a great job attacking the rehab and doing the things you need to do coming off injury … Won't make any rush of judgment on him coming back." …
Here's a guy to watch in training camp, seventh-round pick DJ Ivey, the University of Miami cornerback. They're really hjgh on this guy because of his size (6-1, 192 pounds) and his 4.4 speed. And Thursday he sent a warning to camp when he had an interception in the red zone …
The battle for back-up quarterback job started this spring with Jake Browning and Trevor Siemian pretty much splitting the non-Burrow snaps ...
Evan McPherson hooked one field-goal try Thursday. He also went into summer vacation drilling a 60-yarder into the wind ...

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-announce-2023-training-camp-schedule


Bengals Training Camp presented by Kettering Health kicks off on Wednesday, July 26. The two-time defending AFC North Division Champions are scheduled to hold 10 open practices. Four additional practices will be open exclusively to Season Ticket Members and Waitlist Members.
BACK TOGETHER WEEKEND

The Bengals will practice inside Paycor Stadium on Saturday, July 29 as part of the NFL's Back Together Weekend, presented locally by Swift Meats. Mobile tickets are required for all fans attending this practice. Tickets are free and will be made available the week of July 17, with Season Ticket Members and Waitlist Members receiving first access.

OPEN TRAINING CAMP PRACTICES

All other open practices will take place at the Kettering Health Practice Fields located just west of Paycor Stadium. The entrance is located on the corner of Central Avenue and West Pete Rose Way. Fans are encouraged to park in Lot 1, Lot A or Lot B for practices at established prices.

The Kettering Health Practice Fields have bleacher seating for 1,250 fans next to the fields, plus additional standing room along the sidelines. Admission is free and no ticket is required. Fans are encouraged to arrive early since capacity is limited and admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions and Bengals merchandise will be available to purchase.

The NFL Clear Bag Policy will be in effect for all practices. Visit bengals.com/bagpolicy for more information about the sizes and types of bags that will be permitted.

Bengals players will sign autographs for fans along the sidelines following open practices at the Kettering Health Practice Fields. Different position groups will be available each day after practice.

EXCLUSIVE SEASON TICKET MEMBER PRACTICES

Season Ticket Members and Waitlist Members will have access to four exclusive practices, including the joint practice with the Green Bay Packers on Wednesday, Aug. 9. Members will receive more information via email the week of July 31 about how to claim free tickets to the members-exclusive practices. Fans can visit bengals.com/tickets to learn more about the Season Ticket Member Waitlist.

TRAINING CAMP SCHEDULE:

Times are subject to change, so fans are advised to check bengals.com/camp on the days of practices for the latest times and for other important information.

NOTE: On dates not included below, there is no public access.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-3:55 p.m.

THURSDAY, JULY 27

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

FRIDAY, JULY 28

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

SATURDAY, JULY 29 (Back Together Weekend in Paycor Stadium; Ticket Required)

--Gates open at 1 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

MONDAY, JULY 31

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

TUESDAY, AUG. 1

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

THURSDAY, AUG. 3

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:20 p.m.

FRIDAY, AUG. 4

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

SUNDAY, AUG. 6

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 7

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-3:55 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 9 (Joint Practice with Green Bay Packers; Ticket Required)

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:30 p.m.


SUNDAY, AUG. 13 (Season Ticket & Waitlist Members Only; Ticket Required)

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

MONDAY, AUG. 14 (Season Ticket & Waitlist Members Only; Ticket Required)

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 16 (Season Ticket & Waitlist Members Only; Ticket Required)

--Gates open at 1:30 p.m.

--Practice from 2:15-4:10 p.m.

The going rate for a Top QB is 250 Million over 5 years. That is the new level mark of highest paid QB's, and Burrow will fall into that bracket. So Bengals can forget keeping one of best QBs in game on The Cheap. Hopefully Bengals get this done before start of season, because Bengals almost never talk contracts once season starts, they feel it is time to play football.

I mention this because ESPN home page today is about what it will take to keep Burrow, and they point out what Lemar Jackson and some others are now getting. I don't even want to see Bengals try to go Cheap on this, just get Burrow resigned long term. He's becoming the best quarterback Bengals have ever had, and still early in his career. With Burrow, the Bengals are a good team. Without Burrow, this team goes back to last place. So I hope they get him resigned this Summer. Around 250 Million over 5 years is the going rate.

These new quarterback wages should make NFL raise the teams salary cap limit. The cap limit is going to need raised by NFL to adjust to this. Hopefully NFL does this so Bengals can keep other key players. Not just Bengals, all teams will need cap raised if QB pay go's up this much across the board.

1 let burrow play on his contract this year and dont give him a new deal that will cripple the team

2 after the season trade burrow to whoever has the first pick and take caleb williams from usc

this lets you compete for a sb this year and gives you a new franchise qb on rookie deal next year
you also get many draft picks and have lots of cap room to keep more good players longer

it makes sure we keep competing for super bowls for years and have plenty of picks and money

My friend has a company called Blindside Images where he produces all kinds of Cinci shirts and things and here's his latest creation of a Ja'Marr Chase shirt!



Pretty sick!

IF you listen to Sirius NFL Radio you know that Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller rank every position group. Today was Oline AFC North day.

How they score (max):

LT: 5
LG:3
C:4
RG:3
RT:3
Interior Depth; 1
Exterior Depth: 1

How did we do?

LT: OB got a 4. The knock was penalties and inconsistency. The plus was pass defense.
LG: CV got a 2. The knock was 5 sacks and 13 QB hits. The plus was no penalties and "hanging in there" as a rookie
C: TK got 3: The knock was 3 sacks (although it doesn't sound like much apparently it's high for a C) The plus: "True Professional"
RG: AC got 3: Only player to get max
RT: JW got 2. They are not fans of JW moving to RT, Pointed to 13 sacks surrendered and no experience at RT
Backups: Got a max of 2 and really love our depth. mentioned LC, JC, and Ford. Opined on if the score would have been higher if JC was listed as RT#1 and JW should be the swing T

16 out of 20.
They mentioned many teams keep 7-8 olinemen on the 53 and we kept 10 last year. Stated we have 1 lineman to spare (aka trade) and they said it should be JW,

While not fully participating

Awuzie
Williams
Collins

are all present and working over on the rehab field

Adomitis is out of the boot he was in at the last OTAs. Nick Scott who was held out due to a minor muscle tweak is a full go.

No one has been noted as missing as of yet.

Carman starts the day as starting RT