Bengals News (6/12): Shuffled offensive line

Bengals Jerry-Rig O-Line With Experience
After eight seasons in the league, 121 games and countless of workouts, John Jerry figured he was done when he left his Arizona training facility last week and went home to Memphis without a guard job. The only thing left on the NFL calendar before the first day of summer was the mandatory minicamps.

Notebook: Defense Makes Another Stand
Pro Bowl tackle Geno Atkins and safety Shawn Williams appeared to get days off while slot cornerback Darqueze Dennard (knee) continued to rehab, but Clayton Fejedelem stepped in for Williams and got his hand on an Andy Dalton pass that ended up in the arms of cornerback William Jackson III for an interception. That highlighted a 10-minute team period where the secondary didn’t let the receivers catch a breath and saw another interception when back-up quarterback Jeff Driskel threw a ball right to back-up safety Demetrious Cox in the middle of the field. Rookie quarterback Ryan Finley also had a pass defensed during his turn.

Expert tabs Zac Taylor’s Bengals as ‘perfect sleeper team’
The Cincinnati Bengals aren’t often the recipient of national praise thanks to the slog of the Marvin Lewis era over the last few years.

State of the Franchise: Bengals a sneaky sleeper in 2019?
So before we begin, we really should show some appreciation for Lewis. Obviously, the last couple of years have not played out like one would have hoped. But let's not overlook what he meant to the organization. When Lewis took over as coach of the Bengals in 2003, the team hadn't been to the playoffs since the 1990 season. The club finished 8-8 (its best record since 1996) in his first season and he led Cincinnati back to the playoffs in 2005. He led the Bengals to seven playoff appearances in 16 seasons and should be granted your deference for what he was able to do.

A.J. Green, John Ross back working at Bengals minicamp
Both A.J. Green and John Ross were out working Tuesday to start mandatory minicamp, though the former just checked in during individual drills.

Cincinnati Bengals: Veteran John Jerry joins offensive line mix
Jerry, a ninth-year veteran who was not with an NFL team last year, signed Monday following a workout at Paul Brown Stadium and was a full participant Tuesday during the first day of mandatory minicamp, which runs through Thursday. In a coinciding move Tuesday, the Bengals waived second-year guard Rod Taylor, a seventh-round draft pick in 2018 who spent all of last season on injured/reserve).

Quick Hits: O-Line To Re-Shuffle as Jonah Williams Evaluated
Taylor said he won’t speculate on the status of his starter after Williams “got dinged up,” last week and said Monday’s signing of veteran guard John Jerry isn’t related to the sudden vacancy up front. He also said he plans to shuffle the O-line during the minicamp. When the Bengals began practice last month, they put Williams at left tackle and moved Cordy Glenn to guard.

Bengals Working With Two Coaches In NFL's Minority Fellowship Program
The Bengals coaching staff is welcoming two coaches to work with the team as interns as part of this year’s Bill Walsh NFL Minority Coaching Fellowship program.

Around the league

Rams QB Jared Goff not concerned with contract status
"It's not for me to worry about," Goff said Tuesday, via the Associated Press. "It's for the team and my agent to work on, and keep doing what I've been doing on the field, and hopefully it will take care of itself."

Kyler Murray: 'That's my job' know playbook better
One significant reason Kyler Murray continued to be connected to the Arizona Cardinals throughout the draft process was his intimate knowledge of the offense Kliff Kingsbury plans to bring to Arizona. That assumption hasn't gone unnoticed through offseason workouts.

Titans DT Jeffery Simmons not rushing return
"I'm not rushing anything," Simmons said, via The Tennessean. "If I don't play this year, I'm fine with it, but my goal is to get healthy on my time and on this team's time. There's no time limit and when I can come back. Every day I come to work, I'm putting my mindset, you know, 'I want to get back today.' That's how I come to work everyday and try to get better."

Gerald McCoy: I'll never say anything bad about Tampa
On the most recent edition of the RapSheet + Friends podcast, McCoy took a moment to peel the curtain back and passionately address his tenure with the Bucs, amidst various reports coming out in recent weeks regarding his relationship with the organization that released him on May 20 after nine years of service.

Oakland Raiders to be featured on HBO's 'Hard Knocks'
Oakland was one of five teams eligible to be compelled to participate in the program (Detroit Lions, San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, Washington Redskins). This will be the franchise's first appearance on the show and one that is likely to be highly anticipated when it debuts Tuesday, Aug. 6.