Bengals News (8/19): Firing back

Joe Burrow continues to make strides as the Bengals number one quarterback
The Bengals had just finished their first NFL practice of the decade in pads and the imperturbable Joe Burrow didn't even know what day it was after some rough sledding in the red zone. Which is one of the many reasons they hope he takes their No. 1 quarterback snaps for the rest of the days of the Zooming '20s decade.

Photo Gallery | Training Camp Practice | August 18, 2020
First full day in pads. Check out some of the best images from training camp on Aug. 18, 2020.

Quick Hits: Bengals defense shines in on the first day of padded practice
Wide receiver A.J. Green and some veterans weren't going to scrimmage on Friday anyway, so head coach Zac Taylor isn't concerned that Green sat out Tuesday's first padded practice with what he called "a little tightness," in the hamstring. Players are off Wednesday, so it can be assumed Green won't work Thursday, either, but he indicated he'd be back after the scrimmage.

Joe Burrow feeling confident, comfortable in Bengals offense
Burrow said he felt he’d “like to play better” than he did in the session, but that it felt good to be in pads for the first time since he left LSU. He also made it clear that any misgivings he had about his performance in Tuesday’s practice had nothing to do with his overall feel about how things are coming together for his rookie season.

Joe Burrow has the Bengals' offense 'running on all cylinders'
The 23-year-old brought the energy. He ran from one side of the field to the other after finishing his portion of a throwing drill, all while emulating the same routes that his wide receivers were running just a few seconds prior.

Watch: Bengals offensive line one-on-ones, Joe Burrow and more
The Bengals practiced in full pads on Tuesday for the first time in 2020. Check out some of the offensive line one-on-ones, including Jonah Williams vs Sam Hubbard, plus Joe Burrow throwing and more in the video below.

4 available veterans the Bengals could sign to fill in for Trae Waynes
Well, it didn’t take long for the Cincinnati Bengals to lose a player to their first major injury of the season. After the newly acquired cornerback Trae Waynes suffered a torn pec and underwent surgery to repair it, he is expected to miss the majority of the season. This is a big loss for a team that went out of their way to revamp their secondary in free agency.

Around the league

Cowboys release Gerald McCoy (quad) with injury waiver
McCoy signed a three-year, $18.3 million deal with Dallas in the offseason after spending one year in Carolina. On the surface, such a deal seemed to ensure at least some sort of security for the 32-year-old defensive tackle, but embedded within the contract was a clause that offered the Cowboys a chance to sever ties with minimal repercussions in the event one specific injury occurred.

Drew Pearson, Tom Flores selected as finalists for Hall of Fame Class of 2021
In a storied, 11-season career, Pearson rose from undrafted free agent to become a three-time All-Pro, three-time Pro Bowler, member of the 1970s All-Decade Team and Super Bowl XII champion. He did so by catching 489 passes for 7,822 yards -- both good for fourth-most in Cowboys history -- and 48 touchdowns in 156 career games, all spent with Dallas. Pearson was equally as effective in the postseason, essentially matching his yards per game mark and catching eight additional touchdowns in 22 playoff contests.

NFL's top nine defenses in 2020: Chargers, Bills, 49ers all loaded, but who's No. 1?
First, I'd like to give some love to a couple units that didn't make the cut. Seattle and Indianapolis finished in the bottom half of the league in scoring defense last season, but I think both will be far stingier in 2020. I have high hopes for the Seahawks' defense after the Jamal Adams trade. Speaking of blockbuster deals, DeForest Buckner's relocation to Indianapolis sure changes the Colts' D-line. Darius Leonard, with a clean bill of health, is going to stuff the stat sheet playing behind Indy's new game wrecker up front. Honestly, if my last name rhymed with 10, the Colts would be one of the teams listed below. But alas, that's not the case. So, without further ado ...