Quick Questions Heading Into Second Week Of Bengals OTA

Does Brandon Tate resume his role on the first-team offense?
Let us emphasize this, as we have several times in the past week. Players will not win or lose jobs in late May. OTAs aren't designed for those type of competitions, largely because contact and drills are forbidden according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Will showing tremendous athleticism, adaptability and knowledge of the playbook go a long way towards training camp competitions? Absolutely.

Brandon Tate lined up opposite A.J. Green during Tuesday's sessions where the media was allowed to attend. Rookies Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones took part with participation, though not with the first-team offense. Does Tate resume as the team's No. 2 receiver like last week, or will the Bengals coaching staff rotate players for first-team participation.

Will Cornerbacks return from nagging injuries?
Leon Hall is recovering from an Achilles injury. Nate Clements sat with an abdominal muscle and the team sat Dre Kirkpatrick's (hamstring) as a precautionary. There were also reports that Shaun Prater sat with an injury. The combined strength left Jason Allen, Adam Jones, Terence Newman and Brandon Ghee as the team's only corners last weekend.

Keep in mind that these are OTAs and if there's an issue with someone, the team will be more inclined to allow them to rest. In other words, everyone, save for Hall, would have been healthy enough to play if this were the regular season.

Will Taylor Mays continue playing on first-team defense?
Though overall reports were lacking regarding his work -- there were conflicting reports on whether he or George Iloka were even on the first-team -- the general consensus was that Taylor Mays was the first-team strong-safety last week. One could argue that Mays is the most natural promotion following Chris Crocker's departure, largely because the team may not see a better replacement at strong safety.

Does Tyler Hansen continue impressing the coaching staff?
True. Jobs won't be won and lost in late May, but enough of an impression today will go a long way tomorrow for unlikely candidates like Hansen, who is vying for the No. 3 quarterback spot on the roster.

Will a running back emerge?
OTAs are designed as non-contact organized workouts, meaning that running backs are as similiarly tough to judge as defensive players in the running game. Regardless the team will view this as an opportunity to work on their knowledge of the playbook while showcasing some things like cuts, acceleration and vision. We don't see BenJarvus Green-Ellis or Bernard Scott emerging ahead of each other, but guys like Cedric Peerman and Daniel Herron are battling for that coveted final roster spot at running back (which will be won through special teams).