Bengals training camp 2017: 6 takeaways from Day 2

The Cincinnati Bengals have now finished two training camp practices.

Thankfully, both have come with mostly positive updates and few negative ones, especially on the injury front. The offense is already showing off its immense potential, highlighted by the rookies performing well.

Here is a look at our biggest takeaways from Day 2 of Bengals Training Camp 2017:

1) Veterans Getting Rest

The Bengals are making it clear early who the veterans are that will be getting rest days here and there. On just the second day of camp, following a no-contact practice on Friday, the Bengals still gave rest days to defensive linemen Wallace Gilberry and Michael Johnson.

Both guys are into their 30s now with a lot of wear and tear on their body, but still, it’s a little soon to give them a rest day, especially for a Bengals team that is very thin on the edge. Perhaps this was done to give more reps to younger guys like Jordan Willis, Carl Lawson, Ryan Brown and Chris Smith.

And it looks like both Johnson and Gilberry didn’t get to take the day off entirely:

This also meant more playing time for Carl Lawson, who is still listed as a linebacker, but the expectation is he’ll rush from the end on passing downs.

Lawson got a ton of praise in offseason workouts, so it will be interesting to see how well that translates once the pads come on for Sunday’s 3:00 p.m. ET practice.

2) The John Ross Show

The Bengals may be taking it slow with John Ross as they ease him into camp, but he’s not holding back when it comes to his speed. The No. 9 overall pick was on full display in individual drills on Saturday, running a variety of routes with the ease of a veteran receiver.

Ross is primed for a big role as a rookie if he can just stay healthy. The Bengals are wise to take it slow as he recovers from shoulder surgery and limit him to individual drills, but it’s still great getting to see him in action.

3) Kumerow Out

Jake Kumerow went down with a sprained ankle in Friday’s camp that could sideline him for a little bit, at least based on how he was seen in the locker room on Saturday.

Depending on the severity of the sprain, Kumerow could miss anywhere between a week to a month, so this is terrible news for his already-slim chances of making the final roster.

Hopefully it’s on the lighter end and he’s able to return before the first preseason game in two weeks. He’s still in line for a spot on the practice squad with a good showing in camp and the preseason, but this is a deep position that will make it hard for Kumerow to even earn that much.

The Bengals went out and signed a rookie receiver on Saturday to add another body at the position.

4) Smith Back to Tackle?

The Bengals signed Andre Smith with every intention of starting him at right guard, even though he’s spent his entire NFL career at right tackle. Well, it looks like they’re at least keeping the door open for Smith to stick to right tackle this year. Interestingly, these snaps came with the second team offense.

As expected, Jake Fisher was getting first-team reps at right tackle:

Unless Cedric Ogbuehi makes dramatic improvements at left tackle, I still think there’s a decent that Fisher plays at left tackle and Smith at right tackle. Ogbuehi is just too much of a liability at both tackle spots to assume he’ll remain a starter for all of 2017, so the Bengals are wise to keep the door open for Smith to go back at tackle.

5) Pacman Gets Burned

Adam Jones got smoked not once, but twice during Saturday’s session. The first one was understandable, being that it came at the hands (or feet) of A.J. Green, who shouldn’t have much trouble getting by any corner.

But that was nothing compared to second-year receiver Cody Core making Pacman look like an old man...

To be fair, it’s hard for corners to have success in padless practices that are more geared toward the receivers, so let’s wait until the pads come on before deciding if Jones has lost a step.

6) Kicking Competition

The Bengals didn’t let their kickers do much of anything during Friday’s session, but we finally saw a little bit of the competition here begin Saturday.

It came with just Randy Bullock and Jonathan Brown, as the team only works two kickers at a time in competitions. Rookie Jake Elliott, who is expected to win this job, only did kickoffs today, while Brown and Bullock competed with a series of field-goal attempts.

Bullock was the superior one, hitting his three attempts of 23, 30 and 34 yards. Brown was good from 23 and 34, but he went wide right from 30. Even just one miss is a big deal in camp, especially for the guy who’s third in line for this competition.