Sunday at Cincinnati Bengals training camp was an eventful one largely for what was going on around the game of football itself.
There were plenty of visitors, with Adam Jones and Chris Henry Jr. showing up, former defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer linking up with some old friends and even Chad Johnson hanging out with wideouts Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd and Ja’Marr Chase, among others.
That’s not to say the on-field stuff wasn’t entertaining, of course. A big-name rookie like Cam Taylor-Britt was trying to rebound and an offensive line that keeps getting shuffled saw plenty of names in the fray.
Here are the biggest notes and takeaways from the day.
Star-studded affair
Squad 💯 pic.twitter.com/zt6BEuLxCw
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) August 7, 2022
Chris Henry Jr., son of former Bengals wideout Chris Henry, already has a scholarship offer from Ohio State. He was there with Adam Jones, the man who adopted him, while Mike Zimmer was there because, at least in part, his son was hired by the team.
CB shuffle
While Eli Apple was out the last few practices, second-round rookie Cam Taylor-Britt got a shot and struggled at times, which led to undrafted rookie Allan George getting reps with the ones while CTB worked with the twos.
Sunday was much better for CTB, though, while Apple finally returned to put some work in, too. We’re still on track for CTB and Apple to rotate, while George is suddenly a hot name to watch as a guy who could make the final roster.
O-line update
D’Ante Smith left Friday’s work with an undisclosed injury and after the day off on Saturday, didn’t put any work in on Sunday. He was there, which is usually a good sign, but he’s out until otherwise noted. He was on the rehab field with La’el Collins, who still doesn’t have an ETA — and the coaches don’t sound too in a hurry to get him camp or preseason reps.
Lamont Gaillard watch
Lamont Gaillard is a name to know over the next few weeks. The Bengals claimed him off waivers last summer and let him go at final cuts, but eventually brought him back during the season and then moved him from the practice squad to the roster after the Super Bowl.
Gaillard is versatile and he’s getting work all over the place with the ones and twos, so he’s going to be one of those guys who plays a big chunk of Friday’s preseason game — which gives him a serious chance to steal a final roster spot.
UDFA names to watch
A few practice thoughts:
1️⃣ UDFA receivers Kwamie Lassiter and Kendric Pryor continue to show up in 2s vs 2s. Lassiter, in particular, enjoyed a productive practice winning in multiple ways with a nice catch-and-run over the middle in 11-on-11.
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) August 7, 2022
As Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic notes above, two undrafted wideouts keep making noise.
In fact, Kwamie Lassiter and Kendric Pryor having great days and catching the eye has seemingly been one of the most consistent things about practices this year. They’ve got a long road to sniping a final roster spot, but a combination of standing out like this and proficiency on special teams would do it.
