Cincy Jungle - Bengals OTA StoriesWho Deyhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48495/cincyjungle_fave.png2014-06-25T11:01:15-04:00http://www.cincyjungle.com/rss/stream/55192392014-06-25T11:01:15-04:002014-06-25T11:01:15-04:00Cincinnati Bengals Minicamp Photo Gallery
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<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/25/5841608/cincinnati-bengals-minicamp-photo-galleryJason Marcum2014-06-25T07:16:20-04:002014-06-25T07:16:20-04:00Bengals coaches and players 'raving' about Lamur
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<figcaption>Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p id="paragraph0">As good as the <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Bengals</a> defense was in 2013, they could be even better this season with the addition of several key players whose seasons were cut short last year.</p>
<p id="paragraph1"><span>Emmanuel Lamur</span> was projected as a starting linebacker in nickel defense packages, as he was the team's best coverage linebacker and was in for a big season after a promising rookie season.</p>
<p id="paragraph2">But a torn shoulder labrum in the final preseason game cost him the entire 2013 season. He returned to run with the first-team defense in OTAs, and Geoff Hobson says coaches were raving about how he looked.</p>
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<p><span>As far as a guy who wasn’t around last year making a big impact, it’s got to be Lamur at SAM backer. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in the preseason finale and since he’s been back, teammates and coaches have just been raving about him. He keeps getting bigger (6-4, 243) and faster. He can be the <span>Carlos Dunlap</span> of the linebackers when it comes to making athletic, game-busting plays.</span></p>
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<p><span>Lamur's return next year will be key to the Bengals defense remaining elite, and possibly keying another playoff season. He has only one start in his career, which just happened to be the Wild Card Game of the 2012 season.</span></p>
<p>That game saw him <a href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fdata%2Fby_player.php%3Ftab%3Dby_player%26season%3D2012%26surn%3DLamur%26playerid%3D7561%26group%3D6%26pre%3DREG%26pre%3DREG&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2014%2F6%2F25%2F5840514%2Fbengals-coaches-and-players-raving-about-emmanuel-lamur" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">not allow a reception in 32 snaps</a> while helping Cincinnati limit Houston to just 19 points. Lamur isn't going to make an impact every week, but he'll be critical against teams with multiple tight ends and backs who can catch out of the backfield.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/25/5840514/bengals-coaches-and-players-raving-about-emmanuel-lamurJason Marcum2014-06-24T14:59:51-04:002014-06-24T14:59:51-04:00Bengals believe Bodine is 'their guy at center'
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<figcaption>Joe Robbins</figcaption>
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/">Cincinnati Bengals</a> won't have many rookies starting this year, but the one that does could be a Day 3 pick. <span>Russell Bodine</span> may have been drafted out of North Carolina in the fourth round, but Bengals coaches have made it no secret they think <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/5/23/5745688/russell-bodine-signs-with-cincinnati-bengals" target="_blank">he can start as a rookie</a>.</p>
<p>That belief was only reinforced during OTAs, where Geoff Hobson believes Bodine <a href="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Hobsons-Choice/089483fc-2611-4386-9634-b4f219f95874" target="_blank">strengthened his chances to open the regular season as the starting center.</a></p>
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<p><a href="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Hobsons-Choice/089483fc-2611-4386-9634-b4f219f95874" target="_blank"></a><span>It seems like fourth-round pick </span><b style="line-height: 15px; background-color: #eeeeee;">Russell Bodine is their guy at center</b><span> and I think they’ll be fine there. Bodine’s got a nice nasty streak and a real serious demeanor. The last week of workouts he struggled with some high shot-gun snaps early in practice and when I asked him about it he looked right through me with an Arctic stare. "It will get worked out,’ he said simply.</span></p>
<p><span>And it did even during that practice. He worked on it on the side with offensive line coach Paul Alexander and when he got back in the practice, the snaps were fine, which shows you he’s conscientious and coachable.</span></p>
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<p>You know you're doing good when you're drawing praise from the guy you're competing for a starting job with. That's the case with Bodine and Mike Pollak, whom the Bengals re-signed this offseason and are giving him a chance to replace Kyle Cook.</p>
<p>It also helps that his former Tar Heels teammate, Giovani Bernard, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/5/14/5716730/giovani-bernard-glad-bengals-got-russell-bodine">praised the addition of Bodine</a>.</p>
<p>But Pollak missed OTAs with a knee injury, and he got to watch Bodine from the sidelines, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/12/5803794/mike-pollak-russell-bodine-guard">and he liked what he saw.</a>t's safe to say Bodine is at least going to get significant playing time at center during the preseason. That's when he needs to prove the coaches are right to believe in him and make him the starting center as a rookie.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/24/5838854/bengals-believe-russell-bodine-is-their-guy-at-centerJason Marcum2014-06-21T11:28:39-04:002014-06-21T11:28:39-04:00Poll: Biggest Takeaway from Bengals OTAs
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<figcaption>Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>This is also our Saturday Open Thread, so come talk all the latest sports news and happenings here today. </p> <p>The <a href="https://www.cincyjungle.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Bengals</a> have wrapped up Organized Team Activities, and now we sit and wait until training camp opens in late July. There were several notable developments to come out of OTAs.</p>
<p>Here's a recap of them.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/10/5798426/jermaine-gresham-reportedly-had-hernia-surgery" target="_blank"><b>Jermaine Gresham had hernia surgery</b></a><span><b>.</b> Making it worse was that Bengals coaches </span><b><a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/18/5819618/bengals-werent-pleased-with-jermaine-gresham-in-2013-more-tyler#comments" target="_blank">weren't pleased with him in 2013</a><span>.</span></b></p>
<p><a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/5/22/5741838/andy-dalton-impressing-teammates-at-bengals-workouts" target="_blank"><b>Andy Dalton has looked noticeably better</b></a> this offseason. Still, the Bengals want to<b> </b><a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/17/5818908/bengals-load-off-andy-dalton" target="_blank"><b>take some of the offensive load off him</b></a> in 2014.</p>
<p>Contract talks <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/11/5800504/andy-dalton-bengals-closer-new-deal"><b>between Dalton and the Bengals are progressing</b></a>, and he may be <b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/10/5797968/hue-jackson-andy-dalton-colin-kaepernick">willing to settle for a deal similar to that of Colin Kaepernick's</a>. </b></p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/5/23/5746600/hue-jackson-putting-pressure-on-andy-dalton-and-a-j-green-to-be-great"><b>Hue Jackson wants Dalton to be great</b></a>, but he wants AJ Green to be the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/5/24/5746654/hue-jackson-wants-a-j-green-to-be-one-of-the-greatest-receivers-ever"><b>greatest of all-time</b></a>.</p>
<p>It's hard to look noticeably bad in OTAs, but <span>Dre Kirkpatrick</span> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/17/5811056/dre-kirkpatrick-strugglingadjust-role"><b>managed to do so covering Brandon Tate</b></a>. Is it time for him to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/20/5812506/time-bengals-dre-kirkpatrick-safety"><b>consider playing safety some</b></a>?</p>
<p><span>Darqueze Dennard</span> may be a rookie, but he's<b> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/5/5782256/darqueze-dennard-continues-to-impress-bengals">drawn as much praise during OTAs as any other Bengal</a></b> not named Dalton.</p>
<p><span>Victor Hampton</span> has had a very troubled life, but he's also a very talented football player. The Bengals have been successful with these kinds of players, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/10/5798008/victor-hampton-signs-with-cincinnati-bengals"><b>so it's no surprise they signed Hampton</b></a>.</p>
<p>The Benglas are getting <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/4/17/5625582/cincinnati-bengals-getting-upgrades-to-paul-brown-stadium" target="_blank"><b>upgrades done to Paul Brown Stadium</b></a>, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/20/5828344/paul-brown-stadium-upgrades-have-started"><b>construction has already begun</b></a>.</p>
<p>The offensive line is in a bit of flux, and there's been a <b><a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/16/5812606/bengals-offensive-line-variety-of-looks-in-otas">variety of combinations during OTAs</a> </b>as they try to figure out who the best five are.</p>
<p>Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/4/5779302/jeremy-hill-getting-first-team-work-alongside-giovani-bernard"><b>are the top two backs</b></a>, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis <a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/17/5818194/age-could-cost-benjarvus-green-ellis-his-spot-with-bengals"><b>could be on the outside looking in</b></a>.</p>
<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/13/5807526/top-ten-potential-bengals-breakout-players-of-2014"><b>Anthony is looking at potential breakout players in 2014</b></a>. All of these players do need to step up in 2014 for the Bengals to take the next step and win in the postseason.</p>
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<p>What were you biggest takeaways from OTAs?</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/21/5826324/poll-biggest-takeaway-from-bengals-otasJason Marcum2014-06-20T14:49:29-04:002014-06-20T14:49:29-04:00Video: Do The Bengals Have Super Bowl-Type Offense?<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-am/0ap2000000357778/Do-Bengals-have-a-Super-Bowl-caliber-offense">Video: Do The Bengals Have Super Bowl-Type&nbsp;Offense?</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>The talking heads on the NFL Network program "NFL AM" discuss the outlook of the Bengals' offense in 2014. The video includes an interview with quarterback Andy Dalton.</p></p></div>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/20/5828338/video-do-the-bengals-have-super-bowl-type-offenseAnthony Cosenza2014-06-20T14:40:11-04:002014-06-20T14:40:11-04:00NFL.com Picks Bengals To Backslide In 2014<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap2000000359236/article/panthers-chiefs-seahawks-among-teams-set-to-take-a-step-back?campaign=Facebook_writers_brandt">NFL.com Picks Bengals To Backslide In&nbsp;2014</a></h3>
<div class="description"><p><p>Famed NFL personnel man and writer, Gil Brandt, picked six teams to take a step back in 2014. The Cincinnati Bengals were one of those teams.</p></p></div>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/20/5828314/nfl-com-picks-bengals-to-backslide-in-2014Anthony Cosenza2014-06-20T13:03:49-04:002014-06-20T13:03:49-04:00It Might be Time to Consider Kirkpatrick at Safety
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<figcaption>John Grieshop</figcaption>
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<p>It's been a rough transition for Dre Kirkpatrick to the NFL. After missing nearly his entire rookie year due to a knee injury and concussions, Kirkpatrick played in 14 games (including playoffs) in 2014. He notched three interceptions to go with 30 tackles and five pass deflections.</p>
<p>Still, he <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="https://go.redirectingat.com?id=66960X1641763&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.profootballfocus.com%2Fdata%2Fby_player.php%3Ftab%3Dby_player%26season%3D2013%26surn%3DKirkpatrick%26playerid%3D7023%26pre%3DREG&referrer=sbnation.com&sref=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cincyjungle.com%2F2014%2F6%2F20%2F5812506%2Ftime-bengals-dre-kirkpatrick-safety" target="_blank" rel="sponsored nofollow noopener">had a -9.8 grade by Pro Football Focus</a><b>, </b>and his -3.2 pass coverage grade was second only to Rey Maualuga as the worst coverage grade by any Bengals defender. Stricly playing cornerback is something Dre has struggled with to this point in his career.</p>
<p>There's still time for him to improve, but indications in OTAs are <b><a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/17/5811056/dre-kirkpatrick-strugglingadjust-role" target="_blank">he's not improving as much as he should be</a>. </b>If he continues to struggle playing corner this year, it may be time to find another role for him, and safety could be one to consider.</p>
<p>Going back to the 2012 draft process, Kirkpatrick was mentioned as a player <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2012/3/2/2838633/bengals-draft-2012-dre-kirkpatrick-scouting-report-roll-tide-alabama" target="_blank"><b>who could move to safety at the NFL level</b></a> if cornerback failed.</p>
<p>It just so happens the Bengals gave Kirk some looks at safety last year. Following their Week 13 win over the Chargers Marvin Lewis revealed the Bengals were <b><a href="http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Hits-keep-coming-from-the-kids/8ee1c1f1-38fd-4373-95e6-8423efe8a0b6" target="_blank">giving Kirk reps at safety in a similar role to that of Chris Crocker</a>.</b></p>
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<p>“Early on in the season we were training him as a safety in practice,” Lewis said. “As an emergency safety in practice, but as a corner and he’s learned to play the nickel spot and all of the variations we have in there, which he’s done a very good job of when Chris was out. He’s got to keep doing that because obviously there’s a lot of comfort with Chris having been in the scheme for so long and being so smart as a veteran player. Dre’s got a lot of those things to overcome. It’s nothing to do with ability. It’s just time on task.”</p>
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<p>Crocker was used as a safety/slot cornerback, a role he played very well. Perhaps, the Bengals think Dre could be that kind of player if strictly playing at corner doesn't work for him.</p>
<p>If Leon Hall is healthy and ready to start when the regular season opens, that means he, Terence Newman and Adam Jones will likely be ahead of Dre on the depth chart.</p>
<p>Oh, and rookie corner Darqueze Dennard <a href="http://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/5/5782256/darqueze-dennard-continues-to-impress-bengals" target="_blank"><b>has a had a very strong summer</b></a> and could pass Dre on the depth chart as well.</p>
<p>If that's the case, getting Kirkpatrick some reps at safety during the preseason to see what he can do there might not be such a bad idea.</p>
https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/20/5812506/time-bengals-dre-kirkpatrick-safetyJason Marcum2014-06-19T10:17:02-04:002014-06-19T10:17:02-04:00Bengals motivated by last year's playoff loss<h3 class="link-title"><a rel="nofollow" href="/rss/stream/5519239">Bengals motivated by last year's playoff&nbsp;loss</a></h3>
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https://www.cincyjungle.com/2014/6/19/5824142/bengals-motivated-by-last-years-playoff-lossJason Marcum