Is it do-or-die; Bengals players excited about the upcoming season

Training Camp is on. Practice started Friday afternoon. Questions are being asked. Not bad questions, like media driven character issues or disgruntled receivers. Many fans are drinking the Kool-aid, some aren't. If this offseason proved anything, it's that the team took on a new look. A different attitude. No blaming. No complaining. New signings. A stock of drafted players in April. Things changed. Will that translates to a team that you can be proud of? That's the biggest question of all, isn't it?

+ The Bengals released backup rookie guard Colin Dow, Geoff Hobson writes. "That gives them 78 players in camp and under contract, two under the limit." One, you figure, goes to Andre Smith when he signs, giving the Bengals an opportunity to sign an 80th player. Once Smith signs, that will give the Bengals four offensive tackles under contract. Five, if you give Scott Kooistra the title of guard/tackle tweener.

+ Bengals players don't see this is as a do-or-die season, rather most players are excited about the group that's been put together. You can see that in the players' attitudes, along with reports that guys like Chad Johnson and Antwan Odom worked very hard this offseason -- not just to return, but to become better. You have Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Chris Henry working out in California with Carson Palmer, who worked just as hard to rebuild his throwing arm strength. Then you have the personnel turnover, bringing in established veterans who have one thing on their minds: proving that they're just as good as ever. You have contract years; guys that are playing the final year under contract. These guys aren't just hungry, but the team as a whole is better than last year. Or maybe a year before that. Or a year before that.

The Bengals Training Camp practice schedule. There's only four two-a-days; none of which are back-to-back. The team's intrasquad scrimmage and black-orange mock game will be next weekend (August 7 and 8).

Marvin Lewis' revised training regiment is the biggest reason that no players are on PUP heading into Training Camp.

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