Bengals Bytes (8/16): Turning the page

A Vigil everywhere
Rookie Nick Vigil figures it was 48 hours before his NFL debut when Bengals linebackers coach Jim Haslett told him he’d be playing "a little," middle linebacker against the Vikings last Friday night.

The Bengals know their reputation's been hurt and they're desperate to turn the page
The line of questioning made Cincinnati Bengals corner Adam Jones yell out to his teammates in the Bengals locker room Thursday. "What day is it?" Jones yelled. "August 11," somebody said. "It's August 11, and we're still talking about something that happened in January?" Jones said.

Bengals Camp: A Shot at the Super Bowl
Veteran coach Jim Haslett came to the Bengals as a position coach for one reason: They give him the best chance at a ring.

Could Hall of Fame be in Geno Atkins' future?
Defensive coordinator Paul Guenther said Saturday Geno Atkins looks better in camp this year than even last year when he landed as first team All-Pro and one of the most dominant seasons from his position in franchise history.

10 Things I Think About the 2016 Cincinnati Bengals
First-time offensive coordinator Ken Zampese is filling the large void left by Hue Jackson’s departure. How will Andy Dalton adjust?

Billings' status still evolving
The Bengals won’t make a decision on the status of rookie defensive tackle Andrew Billings for at least a few more weeks and maybe longer after he underwent surgery Monday for what has been reported as a torn meniscus in his knee.

In Bengals' world, Andrew Billings' injury opens door for others
At this rate, the people here are really wishing the NFL would cancel the rest of the preseason. From an injury standpoint, it's been a rough training camp for the Cincinnati Bengals. Months after learning tight end Tyler Eifert might miss a couple of games at the start of the regular season while he rehabs from an ankle surgery suffered in the Pro Bowl, the Bengals watched his backup, Tyler Kroft, go down with a knee problem that could keep him out until the regular season begins.

Andy Dalton will build off a strong 2015 with productive 2016
As we inch closer to the start of the regular season -- and to fantasy draft parties -- we're breaking down the fantasy projections this week of the Cincinnati Bengals' top players. We begin with the quarterback position, and the odds Andy Dalton has a more productive year for fantasy owners in 2016

AFC North Bytes

Terrell Suggs of Baltimore Ravens activated from PUP list, returns to practice
Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs was activated off the physically unable to perform list Monday and participated in his first practice since tearing his Achilles 11 months ago.

Michael Phelps outlook helped by Ray Lewis; more NFL
Ray Lewis explains the relationship he has with Michael Phelps after the Olympian’s gold-medal walkoff in Rio. Plus football galore, including Dak Prescott, Antonio Brown, Teddy Bridgewater and our Book of the Week.

James Harrison responds to Phelps' shot at Steelers
Well, when you're one of the most famous Olympians ever, when you talk smack word tends to get around. Steelers linebacker James Harrison heard Phelps' comments and was none too pleased. He responded on Monday.

Robert Griffin III not worried about frequency of hits he took in limited work
Even at his best, Browns quarterback Robert Griffin III took too many hits. And the more a quarterback is hit, the more likely it becomes that the quarterback will be hurt.

Random Bytes

Olympics: The history of swimming's yellow world record line
One of the interesting production elements for NBC’s Olympic swimming coverage is the World Record Line, the yellow superimposed line that appears on the water’s surface during every race that shows how fast a swimmer needs to go to break the existing world record. (Perhaps it should be renamed The Katie Ledecky Line.) The virtual production element made its Olympic debut in Sydney in 2000 and has been a staple of NBC’s swimming coverage since.

Rob Gronkowski pulls up short during drill, leaves practice
As wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell's appearance at Monday's Patriots practice in full pads illustrates, it can be hard to know the severity of an injury at a point in the calendar when teams don't have to submit injury reports.

Sheldon Rankins injury the latest threat to New Orleans Saints revival
Hopefully for the New Orleans Saints' defense, this turns out to be one of those deals where adversity brings out the best in everyone. Because, man, do they keep getting hit with more and more of it.

Combining America's two greatest loves: The NFL Pokédex
With people flooding business districts, tourist traps, churches and even cemeteries in search of Pokémon, they’re also prepping for fantasy football drafts and reading up on preseason matchups. So why not combine them?

11 NFL rookies to watch in the preseason
The NFL preseason isn’t just a warmup for players as the regular season approaches. It’s a time for coaches to sort out the depth chart, while some veterans are forced to fight for roster spots. Additionally, it’s the first taste of NFL action rookies get, and there are some exciting first-year players worth watching. These 11 in particular certainly warrant fans’ attention, whether it’s because of their sheer playmaking ability or the fact that they’re battling for a starting job.

How Usain Bolt Came From Behind Again to Win Gold
Usain Bolt of Jamaica became the first runner to win the 100 meters at three Olympics. Bolt was slow out of the blocks, as is often the case. His reaction time of 0.155 on Sunday was slower than all but one of his seven competitors.

Reports: Ryan Lochte Held Up At Gunpoint, IOC Denies [Updating]
A gunman held up Ryan Lochte at a party the U.S. swimmer attended last night, Fox Sports Australia and The Mirror are reporting. The IOC denies the report.