The Bengals got back to work Thursday with a chilly practice ahead of Sunday’s potential snow war in Cleveland.
Unfortunately, it continues to look like A.J. Green will be catching snowflakes on the sideline. He remained out of practice on Thursday as he continues to rehab his partially torn hamstring.
The big surprise Thursday was that starting cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick was not present for an undisclosed reason.
Dre Kirkpatrick a surprise absence. Uzomah, Wright, Gilberry, A.J, Derron Smith also out. #Bengals
— Jay Morrison (@JayMorrisonCMG) December 8, 2016
Kirkpatrick was not listed on the Wednesday injury report, so it’s possible he started aching after practice, or that he came down with an illness that has him absent.
That was the case with starting center Russell Bodine, who sat out Wednesday due to an illness. He was back practicing Thursday, so it looks like nothing is wrong there.
Russell Bodine back after missing yesterday with an illness. Still out: A.J. Green, James Wright, CJ Uzomah, Derron Smith. #Bengals
— Paul Dehner Jr. (@pauldehnerjr) December 8, 2016
If Bodine were to miss any more time, T.J. Johnson would likely be the starting center in his place. Johnson actually spelled Bodine for a few snaps against the Ravens, but Bodine got his spot back in the game and played 100 percent of snaps last week, so there doesn’t appear to be any real competition here.
As for Kirkpatrick, if he were to miss Sunday with whatever is plaguing him, that means Josh Shaw, Adam Jones and Darqueze Dennard would be the top three corners. Shaw and Dennard have both played the slot and the boundary, though Dennard appears to be more comfortable on the boundary where Kirkpatrick starts.
Backup defensive end Wallace Gilberry is still dealing with a calf injury that will likely sideline him for another game. That means backup defensive lineman DeShawn Williams will likely be active and play significant snaps again.
Gilberry not practicing on Thursday so you'd think DeShawn Williams gets another shot Sunday
— Geoff Hobson (@GeoffHobsonCin) December 8, 2016
Williams is a tackle, but that’s actually where Gilberry has played a lot of snaps on passing downs, so replacing him with an actual tackle (instead of an end, which he plays) is doable. Besides, Gilberry is an aging veteran, while Williams is a second-year player who is still relatively unknown.
Backup tight end C.J. Uzomah also has a calf injury that continues to sideline him. He probably will miss Week 14.
Backup safety Derron Smith is still sidelined with a thigh injury, which led to him missing practice for the last two weeks now. He looks very likely to miss Week 14, which means rookie Clayton Fejedelem will continue to see more snaps.
Backup wide receiver James Wright remains out after injuring his surgically-repaired knee Sunday. The Bengals are trying to evaluate just how serious the injury is. It’s likely he misses Sunday’s game in Cleveland, which will provide another chance for rookies Cody Core and Alex Erickson to show what they can do in this offense.
Be sure to check back later for the full practice and participation report.