Bengals Bytes (7/31): New faces in new places

Cincinnati Bengals D determined to start quicker in 2017
The goal of any team in any sport is to get better throughout the season, and the Cincinnati Bengals defense has mastered the art. Over the last five seasons, the Bengals have allowed fewer yards in the second half of the season than they did in the first. And in four of the last five they’ve surrendered fewer points on the back end of the schedule.

5 observations/notes from July 30 Bengals camp
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Here are five observations and notes from the Bengals' third day of training camp, which was held on Sunday at the practice fields adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium. Starting safety George Iloka and top backup safety Derron Smith both left practice early due to injuries. Iloka appeared to suffer a knee injury and Smith appeared to suffer a foot injury.

Bengals window not quite closing yet, and perhaps new one is opening
CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Sustained success in the NFL is very difficult based on the way the league structures its salary cap and draft, so the window of opportunity can open and close quickly on teams, and heading into the 2017 season the question is this for the Bengals: Is the window still open enough for them or is it closing quickly?

The New Middle Man
One of the most enjoyable things about training camp is getting our first look at the newcomers. But it’s not only highly-touted draft picks like John Ross, Joe Mixon, Jordan Willis, Carl Lawson and Josh Malone. One of the most important “new guys” on the 2017 Bengals is linebacker Kevin Minter who signed a one-year deal as a free agent in March.

Camp report: Perfect day for kicking while Dalton nearly is
Darrin Simmons, the Bengals’ meticulous special teams coordinator, unveiled the first installment of The Veteran (Randy Bullock) and The Rookie (Jake Elliott) Sunday on the third day of Bengals training camp. And there’s a pretty good chance he didn’t even watch the eight field goal tries and asked after he eyeballed the protection, “How’d we do?”

Boling, Smith talk adjustments
With the Bengals breaking out the shoulder pads for the first time Sunday in training camp, all eyes turn to the young tackles on the offensive line and the biggest question marks of the offseason. But Saturday’s workout reminded us that besides Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher, right guard is also going to be manned by a new face. After 82 NFL games at right tackle and 38 games left tackle for Alabama, Andre Smith got the nod and the reps in the spring. On Saturday they surprisingly switched it up and put Smith at second-team right tackle and Trey Hopkins at first-team right guard.

Bengals' George Iloka: Feels 'fine' after knee injury
Iloka suffered an apparent right knee injury during Sunday's practice, but Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said the safety is "probably fine" and isn't expected to miss significant time, Katherine Terrell of ESPN.com reports. Iloka dropped to the field on a non-contact play during the first part of team drills Sunday and required a cart to assist him off the field

AFC North Bytes

Senquez Golson carted off the field at Steelers practice
In what has become a familiar but discouraging sight, Steelers cornerback Senquez Golson was carted from the field on the first day of practice in pads — just as he was a year ago. Coach Mike Tomlin did not specify what happened to Golson, only to refer to it as a “soft tissue injury” that he said could be related to fatigue or dehydration.

Browns WR Kenny Britt on DeShone Kizer: 'He's going to be one of the great ones'
Browns wide receiver Kenny Britt has already played with 10 starting quarterbacks in his nine-year career, so when he predicts big things for rookie quarterback DeShone Kizer, it carries a lot of weight. "He's growing each day, each day,'' Britt said Sunday before day four of Browns training camp. "From OTAs, I could tell he was a different person. I actually asked him yesterday has the offense slowed down for him. He said, 'Yes,' and I could tell that he's looking at certain things. He's seeing the defense before the snap count, and once he lines up, he knows there's certain things he has to do, and he's going to be one of the great ones.''

Colin Kaepernick Had Direct Talks with Ravens, Team 'Weighing Decision'
Baltimore Ravens president Richard W. Cass said the team spoke with Colin Kaepernick and is "weighing" whether to sign the free-agent quarterback, the Baltimore Sun's Jeff Zrebiec reported Sunday. Kaepernick remains unsigned after he voided his contract with the San Francisco 49ers in March. He threw for 2,241 yards and 16 touchdowns with four interceptions in 12 games with the team in 2016.

Random Bytes

Sports broadcasters on what they eat to fuel for OT
Play by play broadcasters are just like the rest of us when a game goes long: They get hungry and thirsty. Joe Buck, Ian Eagle, Mike Emrick and more broadcasters discuss what they eat and drink to keep their energy going when their games go long.

Peter King's Monday Morning QB: Training Camp Tour
We’ll head to Arizona, Colorado and California to cover the first five stops on my camp tour here, including an interesting weekend in Orange County, with two transplanted teams practicing 6.5 miles apart in traffic-mad southern California. (Trust me.) First stop: an hour north of Los Angeles, on the Pacific coast, where Jason Garrett returned to his Jersey roots to jolt the Cowboys out of any potential post-Green Bay-playoff-loss funk.

Mike Williams Expected to Miss Chargers Training Camp with Back Injury
Williams was placed on the physically unable to perform list, the Chargers announced Saturday. Per a news release from the team provided by Schefter, Williams "saw [Chargers] doctors yesterday and will continue to progress on Dr. Robert Wilkins' plan. He will rehab and strengthen his back and is not expected to practice during training camp."