Bengals Bytes (8/18): Improving the city

Whitworth-led O-line still Bengals' top strength
CINCINNATI – A hot, humid afternoon attracted numerous members of the national media on Wednesday as the Minnesota Vikings traveled to Cincinnati for a joint practice with the Bengals. Many teams have enjoyed breaking up the monotony of camp by scheduling head-to-head practices, and it gives a good early gauge as to where teams will stack up heading into the first preseason game.

Bengals WAR: Judging top player value
The most important rule of training camp: Stay healthy. Marvin Lewis just wants to see his same starting group on July 29 on the practice fields in Cincinnati available for Sept. 11 in New York against the Jets.

Detroit Lions-Cincinnati Bengals preseason: Five things to watch
Five things to watch in Thursday’s Detroit Lions-Cincinnati Bengals preseason game (7:30 p.m., Fox 2)

6 things to watch as Bengals take on Lions
The Cincinnati Bengals head up to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Thursday night, and a rash of injuries to starters have pushed some players further up the depth chart. Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said he expected his starters to play a bit longer than in the preseason opener last week against Minnesota – which would mean more than three plays for the defense and eight for Andy Dalton and A.J. Green on offense.

Dennard healing, pledges to help at-risk Cincinnati youth
Darqueze Dennard isn’t particularly shy, but he’s not flamboyant. You see him more often than you hear him. Teammate Shawn Williams laughed, saying Dennard, a Michigan State alumnus, falls in line with the University of Georgia contingent in the locker room that rarely speaks.

Bengals Travel to Detroit
Cincinnati Bengals travel to Detroit, Michigan to take on the Lions in week 2 of the preseason.

Fisher faces challenge of flopping tackle spots in front of family in Detroit
Bengals offensive lineman Jake Fisher is going to have roughly 100 family members in attendance in Detroit on Thursday when he attempts to do something he says is analogous to driving on one side of the road in Europe one day and on the other side of the road in the United States the next.

AFC North Bytes

John Harbaugh after Terrell Suggs' interception for TD: 'He's back'
Baltimore Ravens veteran linebacker Terrell Suggs is energetic, in great shape and appears to be fully recovered from his Achilles injury. The Baltimore Ravens linebacker leaped at the line to intercept quarterback Joe Flacco and returned it for a touchdown. It was a trademark interception for Suggs, who has jumped up and grabbed the ball out of the air so many times before.

K'Waun Williams told he needs ankle surgery; will appeal Browns' suspension and fine
Browns cornerback K'Waun Williams was told by an independent specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Wednesday that he needs surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle "in order for him to perform as a professional athlete,'' his agent told cleveland.com.

Interview or not, NFLPA will stand by Steelers' Harrison
An official of the NFL Players Association said the decision by James Harrison whether or not to grant an interview with the league is his alone and that the union will stand by him whatever he decides.

Random Bytes

Rio police find scant evidence in Lochte robbery probe
Police in Rio have found little evidence supporting Ryan Lochte's report that he was robbed at gunpoint with teammates — as the swimmer says he didn't report the crime at first for fear of getting in trouble.

Deshaun Watson Hates Dual-Threat QB Code Word, Wants to Be Face of CFB
Years ago, before he carried Clemson back to national prominence and became the face of college football, before the talk of being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2017 NFL draft, Deshaun Watson was a frightened 15-year-old sitting next to his mother in a cold hospital room.

Garafolo: Seahawks roster as deep as it was in 2013
NFL Media's Mike Garafolo brings the lastest information from Seahawks training camp. Can the Seahawks running back group produce at beast-mode level?

Aaron Rodgers Comments on Roger Goodell, NFL's Power Structure
Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers could be without two of his best defensive teammates for part of the 2016 season, as outside linebackers Julius Peppers and Clay Matthews are under investigation by the NFL after their names appeared in Al-Jazeera America's report about performance-enhancing-drug users.

Royce West files request for more than $500,000 in sanctions against Dez Bryant
Forgotten but hardly gone, the litigation between Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant and Texas state senator Royce West has returned to the front burner, at least for now.

Little known football facts; 49ers stockpiling 2011 QBs
The "Good Morning Football" crew shares interesting facts about NFL players around the league.