It says a lot when Bengals head coach walks away from Friday's session impressed. There were 46 players participating during the Bengals rookie minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium, ranging from Cincinnati's 2013 draft class, to college free agents and a handful of eligible first-year players that the Bengals invited for a workout.
"I think to a man they impressed me. I wasn't disappointed, really, where anybody was in relationship to what we expected through the draft," Lewis told beat writers after Friday's practices. "I think it's evident that both Tyler and Giovani will be able to really help us offensively and have an opportunity to carve out roles and niches early on in their rookie seasons. The game's not going to be too big for either one of them and that was really evident in the first two practices today."
Eifert, the Bengals first-round pick (betcha didn't know that, did you?), generally felt comfortable, picking up the playbook with relative ease while showcasing the talent that Cincinnati's coaching staff expected.
"I'm just trying to get better, stay confident in what has gotten me here, and move forward from there," said Eifert (via Fox Sports Ohio). "Day One they already moved me around a lot. That was good. I think I picked it up better than I thought I would have at first. It's not a whole lot, but it's definitely something new for me. I'm catching on pretty quickly and moving around quite a bit."
Joe Reedy with the Cincinnati Enquirer describes one of Eifert's better receptions.
In a drill matching the receivers and tight ends against defensive backs. Eifert adjusted to an underthrown ball and made a nice one-handed catch falling back while being defended by Brian Gamble. For Eifert, who made a living off of contested catches at Notre Dame, it was another routine grab.
Everyone is impressed.