Bengals Bytes (7/28): Not close to done

Bengals' first training camp: legends and kids
Imagine we are in Warren McVea’s room on the third floor of the players’ dorm at Wilmington College. It’s one of the rooms where the rookies gather in the Bengals’ first training camp during that endless summer of 1968 and their stories flow like the seminal current events pouring out of the newspapers that Paul Brown puts at the end of the hallways.

Emotional Jones motivated by Brown's support
Adam Jones became so emotional talking about his boss Thursday that he had to fight back tears when it came to showing appreciation for Bengals president Mike Brown’s support. “Words can’t explain. I can’t explain. I’m just deep from my heart that I have somebody that understands me as a person and that’s not quick to judge,” said a teary Jones just before he broke from the media pack at his locker with, “See y’all.”

Three for the show as Bengals gas up for camp
With a nod to one of founder Paul Brown’s more memorable quotes, T-Shirts with the words “Run on your own gas,” graced the lockers Thursday as his descendants reported to the 50th Bengals training camp. With practices set to start Friday at 3 p.m. on the fields adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium here are three competitions that should help fuel one of the more entertaining training camps in a few years with the help of a rookie class of 11.

Eight Is Not Enough For Dunlap
On the night before the start of his eighth training camp with the Bengals, Carlos Dunlap got a phone call from former teammate Andrew Whitworth. “It wasn’t surprising to have him reach out, but it was surprising to hear him say ‘Good luck to you guys’ instead of ‘Let’s go,’” said Dunlap. “That moment pounded it home. It was like, ‘Oh damn, he’s really not going to be here tomorrow.’

Adam Jones tears up over Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown's support
An emotional Adam Jones said his motivation is "through the roof" because of the support of Bengals owner Mike Brown. The Bengals cornerback had tears in his eyes as he spoke to reporters about Brown, who publicly stood behind Jones after his January arrest.

Bengals' Dre Kirkpatrick dreaming up flashy closet for his 700 shoes
In the past few months, Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick signed a five-year, $52 million contract, moved into a new house, and launched a record label. So what's next? Kirkpatrick figures he might splurge a bit on some new features in his house, including a giant closet to hold all of his shoes.

Bengals WAR: Who can they least afford to lose?
The Bengals open training camp Friday with practice from 3 to 5 p.m. and nothing holds more importance than staying healthy. Keeping the primary pieces in place from July 28 to Sept. 10 is basically all that matters. When assessing the roster, however, we must look at who are the most valuable pieces for the 2017 Bengals. For the third consecutive year, we issue our Bengals Wins Above Replacement rankings. We’ve stolen the baseball WAR statistic to symbolize not necessarily the most talented players on the Cincinnati roster, but rather which being lost for the season would cause the most significant dropoff in overall win total.

Cincinnati Bengals safety George Iloka auditions for new role
George Iloka has been a starting safety for the Cincinnati Bengals since 2013, but he found himself in unfamiliar role on the eve of his sixth training camp. With reporters gathered around cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, whose locker is next to his, Iloka borrowed a microphone from a local television station and lobbed a few questions at his teammate.

AFC North Bytes

Le'Veon Bell Skips Start of Steelers Training Camp as Part of Contract Holdout
Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell was not present at the start of training camp Thursday as part of a contract dispute. ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported Bell didn't show up to camp with the rest of the team and is not subject to fines since he has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender worth $12.1 million.

Browns Quarterback Tracker: It's Cody Kessler's job to lose
Around the NFL, quarterback developments typically are making news. In Baltimore, Joe Flacco could be out six weeks with a back injury and the Ravens are considering signing Colin Kaepernick. In Los Angeles, the Chargers worked out Robert Griffin one day and then traded a conditional seventh-round pick to Buffalo for ex-Ohio State star Cardale Jones. In Indianapolis, Andrew Luck still has not sufficiently recovered from labrum surgery to throw a football at full strength.

Ravens Sign QB David Olson After Reported Colin Kaepernick Interest
The Baltimore Ravens reportedly are taking a chance on quarterback David Olson, signing him to a contract Thursday, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network. Olson last played for the Kansas City Phantoms in the Champions Indoor Football League.

Random Bytes

Jon Gruden on Potential Return to NFL: 'Every Day. I'm Preparing to Come Back.'
Although Jon Gruden hasn't been a head coach in the NFL since 2008, he has never ruled out a return to the sidelines. In an interview with Scott Reynolds of Pewter Report, the 53-year-old explained the interest he has received from around the league.

NFL's best, worst offensive arsenals, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, from 32-1
The NFL is a quarterback's league, but a set of weapons can be the difference between a quarterback taking a leap forward or looking ordinary. Think about Tom Brady breaking out between 2006 and 2007 once the Patriots added Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Remember what Andy Dalton looked like in 2015 with A.J. Green, Tyler Eifert, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu in the lineup, and what happened with all of those guys missing at times last season.

Answering biggest questions for every NFL team entering 2017 training camp
How will playing on a one-year deal affect Washington QB Kirk Cousins? Should the Colts count on Andrew Luck to start Week 1? What is Le'Veon Bell's plan for the Steelers' preseason? As training camps around the league swing into full gear, NFL Nation reporters answer the biggest questions for each team heading into camp.