Bengals Bytes (5/8): Hot seats

Snapping to
If the Bengals hadn’t bench-pressed Baylor behemoth Andrew Billings out of the fourth round, we’d have spent the last week talking about how they dead-lifted Arizona State guard Christian Westerman from the fifth. Billings was talked about in the second, but Westerman quietly got buzz in the third. But both are now snuggly fit here at this weekend’s Bengals rookie minicamp anchoring each side of the line.

Undrafted Mobley looking to make impression
Paul Alexander and Jonathan Hayes stood in the back of an end zone at Paul Brown Stadium watching over the offensive linemen and tight ends in a run blocking drill Saturday afternoon in the Cincinnati Bengals’ rookie mini-camp. Alexander shouted instructions to his charges, but after a particular play the longtime offensive line coach bellowed: "Good read! Good cut, back!"

Bengals notes: Thompson's rehab progressing, Core signs
A few Cincinnati Bengals veterans were around on Friday when the rookies and eligible second-year players opened up the rookie mini-camp, but one who was getting a sweat in on Saturday was fifth-year defensive tackle Brandon Thompson.

Using memorization, Tyler Boyd vows to learn Bengals' offense quickly
Like most rookies, Tyler Boyd's goal is simple: spend more time on the field than the sidelines this fall. The big question, though, is how quickly can he secure a regular spot in the Cincinnati Bengals' receiving rotation? After all, just because he was the team's second-round pick in the NFL draft, that doesn't mean he's automatically earned a key contributor's role.

Bengals keep inside Vigil
When the Bengals made linebacker Nick Vigil their third-round selection a week ago, the talk among many fans was less about his impressive career at Utah State and more about his college hair style. A rat tail. The Bengals coaches, however, quickly shed some light on the little-known player with the famous doo.

Williams acts the vet on D-line
Defensive tackle DeShawn Williams and defensive line coach Jacob Burney are two guys that don’t have to impress rookies. But they did anyway at this weekend’s Bengals rookie minicamp. Williams is one of 11 first-year players taking part after spending all last season on the practice squad following what was the most impressive training camp by any of their undrafted rookies. Burney is in his 23rd season coaching NFL defensive lines and this is his first in Cincinnati.

Tyler Boyd gives Bengals dynamic WR group
Cincinnati Bengals second-round pick Tyler Boyd has been making headlines since being drafted, as he’s proclaimed to make the Pittsburgh Steelers pay for not keeping the Pittsburgh native in his hometown. For Boyd, a former University of Pittsburgh receiver and life-long Pittsburgh native, there is nothing more that he would like to do now than beat his former favorite team.

Random Bytes

Ben Volin: These NFL veterans have been put on notice
The last week has been an exciting time in the NFL, with 253 players drafted and hundreds more signing as undrafted rookies with a chance to live their dreams and embark on a professional football career. But there are only 1,696 roster spots in the NFL, and there is a strict one-in, one-out policy. For every rookie who is given a chance, there is a veteran who may find himself squeezed out of a roster spot.

The NFL's Most Interesting Undrafted Free-Agent Matches
Even after just Day 2 of the draft, many sports fans flip their attention from hearing names read for hours on television to embracing the postseason of either the NBA or NHL. With that being said, even after the draft was over, there were impactful acquisitions made in the NFL.

Miami Dolphins sign DE Cameron Wake to two-year extension
The Miami Dolphins have signed 34-year-old defensive end Cameron Wake to a two-year contract extension, the team announced Saturday. The deal is worth $15 million, including $10 million fully guaranteed at signing, and it could grow to $17 million, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Tyreek Hill of Kansas City Chiefs -- fans right to be mad I was picked
Rookie wide receiver Tyreek Hill said he understands the negative reaction of some Chiefs fans after he was drafted in the fifth round. "Those guys, those fans, they have every right to be mad at me,'' said Hill, who is on probation in Oklahoma after pleading guilty last year to choking and punching his pregnant girlfriend in a 2014 incident.