Bengals News (8/12): Providing expected pressure

Quinton Spain gives the Bengals offensive line a steady presence and experience
It is something you might make a rookie wear in Hard Knocks hazing gone bad. But Spain, the starting left guard who stuck around to give the offensive line more birthdays, has been wearing it every Aug. 7 since his buddy Cody Ford gave it to him in Buffalo.

Camp Notebook: Hilton Blitzes Bengals Slot; Moss Posts Up; Two-Minute Proves Timely
With the preseason opener closing in and working in their last day of pads before meeting the Super Bowl champs, Bengals head coach Zac Taylor hurried them up into Saturday night's game (7:30-Cincinnati's Channel 12) in Tampa with a pair of two-minute drills Wednesday.

Ja'Marr Chase gave his take on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow's improvement the last few days
"I can see his confidence is growing bigger, you know, just by him taking off out of the pocket," Chase said. "I've definitely seen that. So that's exciting to see from Joe Burrow. His passes, him talking to me again, talking to the whole offense, opening up a little more now, I feel like he's more confident in himself now, not saying he wasn't confident, but much more confident than he had been, just coming off the injury and you know, just being himself and feeling comfortable."

DJ Reader, Josh Tupou Stress Importance of Preseason Games, Hope to Suit Up Against Tampa Bay Buccaneers
DJ Reader only appeared in five games last season due to a quad injury. Josh Tupou opted out and never played a snap. Reader is obviously going to have a huge role, but Tupou has flashed in camp and seems like a lock to make the roster.

Buying The Bengals: Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Joe Burrow (2021 Fantasy Football)
We want to target good offenses in fantasy football. That’s obvious, and it’s why so many Chiefs players are early-round selections come draft day. Taking Chiefs players is a #good strategy, but the opportunity cost is high, which lowers the potential for profit. But what if there’s an offense that we can target later in drafts — one which we can reasonably project for a fantasy-friendly environment?

Auden Tate starting to make noise, plus 10 other Bengals training camp observations
Bengals wide receiver Auden Tate has been surprisingly quiet in training camp this year. Not bad. Not struggling. Just a tad under the radar for a guy who has spent the past three summers pinging the grid nearly every day with high-soaring, acrobatic receptions.

Bengals roster bubble watch ahead of team’s first preseason game
As the Cincinnati Bengals head for their first preseason game of the summer, some training camp updates have colored the roster-bubble battle in a new light.

Bengals rookie Ja'Marr Chase on camp struggles: 'Rome wasn't built in a day'
For the most part, all we've heard is about Joe Burrow's issues returning from a torn ACL and how the offense has gotten beat by the defense repeatedly. This week, the negative turned to first-round pick Ja'Marr Chase, who has reportedly not shown the type of separation on routes expected.

Around the league

One thing to watch for from all 32 teams in Week 1 of NFL preseason
After a year away, preseason football returned with the Hall of Fame Game and now comes a full slate of action with all 32 teams taking the field from Thursday through Sunday, including eight games airing on NFL Network. Here's one thing to watch for from all 32 teams in Week 1 of the NFL preseason.

Dak Prescott focused on wins, not stats: 'I don't want to throw for 6,000 yards'
"I don't want to throw for 6,000 yards to be honest with you," Prescott said Wednesday when asked if he'd like to replicate the pace he was on before his season-ending ankle injury. "That means we're not running the ball. That means we're not probably doing the things that we need to do to be a balanced, winning team. Sure, it'd be great to have those numbers and to break that or to have that record or whatever it is. But that's not something I put into my head.

Tom Brady allowing no room for complacency in Bucs' extraordinary quest to repeat
TAMPA, Fla. -- The conversations have been going on for years, long before Tom Brady, the Lombardi Trophy or a championship window were shimmering in the Florida heat. Jason Licht, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' general manager since 2014, would occasionally discuss what if with the Glazer family that owns the team. What if the Bucs got really good? What if they couldn't keep all the good players without detouring from their philosophy of not creating future salary cap peril with the way they structured contracts? A clean cap was great, but wasn't a Super Bowl -- multiple Super Bowls -- greater?

Seattle Seahawks release DE Aldon Smith
NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported Wednesday that the Seahawks are releasing the edge rusher, per a source informed of the decision. The team announced the move later Wednesday, also signing linebacker Lakiem Williams.