+ Bengals defensive end Antwan Odom, who lead the team with eight quarterback sacks in 2009, set an NFL record recording seven quarterbacks through the first two games. He would go on to record just one sack in the next four games before an Achilles injury knocked him out for the season -- though Pro Football Focus records Odom having nine quarterback pressures in those four games. Now that Odom's recovery is largely complete, it's hoped that his return will create a major dynamic on defense.
“He brings a presence with him demanding double teams. We really needed him toward the end of last year,” defensive tackle Domata Peko said. “He looks good. His hands are really great and that’s big for defensive ends. He still has his great speed off the ball.”
+ I'm not sure if I should worry about it, but it's sad to see Pro Football Weekly get trapped in the same old argument. They write:
Or is Owens just the latest potential problem child on a team chock full of them, when you also take into account Ochocinco, RB Cedric Benson, DT Tank Johnson, OT Andre Smith and fellow newcomers such as CB Adam "Pacman" Jones and WRs Antonio Bryant and Matt Jones?
Unfortunately for them, and everyone else in the league, none of the players listed have been a problem with the Bengals. You could argue Benson, but not even Roger Goodell, who will suspend a six-year old for not eating his vegetables if he had the power, believed that Benson violated any personal conduct policy. At some point, people need to get off Tank Johnson's ass and recognize that Smith's biggest problem is that he's a bit lazy with questionable work ethic. As far as we know, he's not a problem child as problem children are known to be classified as. And if Bryant has been anything, he's been class. Watching Terrell Owens sign because the Bengals believed they were short on wide receivers, and then giving his own number to Owens, all the while making zero stink about it, says a lot more than past transgressions of jersey throwing at coaches.
Eventually PFW gets to the point that none of the players listed have actually been a problem in Cincinnati. But the problem is, when you write something like where intelligent Bengals fans read it, it's more than likely they've long left before completing the article.
+ CBS Sports' Pete Prisco threw together a few notes from his time in Georgetown. He loves the team's receivers, depth on the defensive line, the cornerback roster, Mike Zimmer, Carson Palmer and Bernard Scott. However, he doesn't like the emphasis on running the football, safety Roy Williams, Andre Smith's body and uncertainty with the team's kickers.
+ Yahoo! Sports' Jason Cole visited Georgetown this week and, much like Prisco, liked the team's collection of receivers and cornerbacks while wondering how quickly Carson Palmer and his new receiver threats will get their timing down. He also wrote:
The Bengals’ decision to move Michael Johnson, a third-round pick from Georgia Tech last year, to linebacker could be a stroke of genius.
+ The Bengals will have one practice today from 3-5:15 p.m. before heading off to Canton for this weekend's Hall of Fame game.
+ Chick Ludwig doesn't like it when Chad Ochocinco runs his mouth, especially against the Steelers.
+ Former Bengals defensive tackle John Thornton visited Georgetown on Wednesday and thinks that the defense "looks so much more in sync than in years past. They didn’t even have all their guys but backups still executed the D."
+ WDR argues that Mike Brown wasn't really that aggressive during the offseason to make the Bengals better, using Football Outsiders' salary breakdown. " Regardless, when you think about it, the Bengals really haven't really gone out of their way to increase their spending since they locked down Palmer and Chad and their tackles years ago (but let Steinbach walk)."
+ NFL Network's Brian Baldinger visited the Ravens during Training Camp and says that he "witnessed a practice that was the toughest I’ve seen in at least five years." On the other hand, according to Kevin Goheen, whose filling in for Joe Reedy while he's in Canton, writes that the offensive and defensive lines have "practiced in full pads just once so far."
+ Several Redskins called Roger Goodell's visit on Thursday a waste of time.