Some like it hot

[JaxonFord87]

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=5364

A tale of two linebackers here at training camp Tuesday, where on-field temperatures soared to 120 degrees to match head coach Marvin Lewis’ temper.

While exiled middle linebacker Odell Thurman showed he’s not as out of shape as once feared, one of the kids trying to take his place racked up a non-heat related casualty.

Ahmad Brooks, the newest Bengal, made one of the plays he’s supposed to make when he shot the gap in a team drill and drove running back Quincy Wilson deep out of bounds in a play that entangled one of Cincinnati’s most veteran sports photographers.

The Associated Press’ Al Behrman left the field with an icepack on his shoulder after falling to get away from a play that he can usually avoid in his sleep. But it suddenly became violent very quickly. Which is why the Bengals selected Brooks out of Virginia in the third round of last month’s supplemental draft.

Earlier in the practice, Brooks dropped in coverage and after catching a ball thrown right at him, made a couple of hellacious cuts running the other way.

“He’s got a long way to go, but he’s learning,” said linebackers coach Ricky Hunley. “He showed what he can do today. The guy is an explosive athlete.”

John Garrett, the former Bengals scout and assistant coach who is now at Virginia, eerily called it Sunday night. A big booster of Brooks during his two seasons with the Cavaliers, Garrett predicted, “Wait until you guys see him on 26 Gus. He’s going to come right downhill and hit Rudi Johnson for a two-yard loss and people are going to say, ‘Holy Christmas, what do we have here?’ ”

Well, it wasn’t 26 Gus and it wasn’t Johnson, but Johnson was watching.

“Similar play,” Johnson said. “That’s why we got him. To come in and make plays. That might have been a real big hit if we’d been playing full contact.”

For his part, Brooks is saying all the right things a rookie says.

“It’s imperative for me to go out there every day and compete,” Brooks said.

He’s competing for Thurman’s job and although he’s going to sit behind nine-year veteran Brian Simmons, Brooks ought to get plenty of snaps in the preseason.

Thurman

He certainly will in the Aug. 13 opener at Paul Brown Stadium against the Redskins because Thurman isn’t supposed to get on the field until after the Bengals break here Aug. 12.

But the fact is, his four-game suspension for violation of the NFL’s substance abuse policy takes Thurman out of any mix. Yet, the coaches were pleased Tuesday after his first of three-sessions-a-day with head strength coach Chip Morton.

The hot rumor, of course, had been that Thurman was shriveled up somewhere at 190 pounds. But Morton, who has yet to weigh him, says he looks like he’s always looked, which is around 236-238 pounds. He doesn’t look as ripped (“I haven’t seen him with his shirt off,”), but Morton says, “he’s starting in a good place.”

“He’s not overweight,” said Morton, who plans to take his body fat Wednesday morning. “What’s impressed me is just that he’s come back and been ready to work.”

The pair had a good workout in the steam of the afternoon with Thurman working on a hill and using logs for 45 minutes in what Morton called “brutal” work.

It’s no fun not practicing. Thurman has to be ready to go at 6 a.m. each day.

Lewis

98 PLUS DEGREES: Bengals trainer Paul Sparling’s thermometer read 102 degrees halfway through Thursday afternoon’s practice, which he calculated at 45 percent relative humidity and 120 degrees on the field.

How hot was it, Johnny?

“One of the hottest ones I’ve seen,” said Sparling, in his 28th camp.

How hot?

Hot enough that Lewis didn’t like the way practice was going, and about 40 minutes into the two-hour workout called a huddle and blistered his team for about three minutes.

Among the phrases used were, “I’m tired of hearing about it,” and “If you’re not going to do it, get out of here.”

Pretty basic stuff according to defensive tackle John Thornton. Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said he told them to keep focus even though it’s hot “and I thought we did after that.”

“It’s the fourth day of camp. It was just hot and we had some guys down at one point and we were sluggish,” Thornton said. “He just told us to pick it up and finish strong.”

“He just told us he didn’t want to waste time or waste snaps,” Johnson said.

Lewis wouldn’t go into much detail. “I told them to get a drink of water,” he said, and he did and, in fact, he added a couple of more water breaks because of the heat.

Usually the heat spawns some fights, but there haven’t been any donnybrooks like the one Thornton got into with left tackle Levi Jones last season. Come to think of it, it’s been a docile camp that way, but Thornton doesn’t think it’s a sign they’re not as aggressive.

“Nah, it’s been too hot,” Thornton said. “It’s still early. Levi and I didn’t get into it until a couple of days left.”

There didn’t look to be any dehydration casualties, although defensive tackle Shaun Smith said the heat got to him late and that’s why rookie Domata Peko took snaps next to Thornton in the team period that ended the day.

Simmons

SPECIAL ADDITION: Everyone knows how much the return of free safety Madieu Williams means to the defense, but the guy with the biggest smile may be special teams coach Darrin Simmons. That was obvious when Simmons worked Williams on kick coverage Thursday and had him back at safety on the unit with no qualms about putting a starter in there.

“If he’s your best player, you put him in there. He’s one of the best I’ve ever been around,” Simmons said. “Every play a safety makes is a huge play. Big plays. Shayne made too many tackles last year. You won’t see that with Madieu in there.”

Indeed, kicker Shayne Graham had 11 tackles and finished tied for seventh on the special teams list even though the Bengals finished third in AFC kick coverage in limiting teams to 21 yards per kick return. In Williams’ lone complete season in 2004, he had 13 hits and finished sixth.

But he’ll get more work than that. Simmons is eying him for the key spot of holding up gunners on the punt return team, too.

Since kick return man Tab Perry is also on the cover team, Simmons tried a variety of guys catching kicks, and you’ll probably see them throughout the preseason, including veteran running back Kenny Watson. But Tuesday was primarily the rookies, with free agent running back DeDe Dorsey getting the major load with wide receivers Bennie Brazell and Reggie McNeal.

Palmer

CARSON UPDATE: Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer bounced back from Wednesday night’s rest from practice with what looked to be a good day. He particularly looked good a couple of times in what looked to be his most mobile day.

“I had a couple of chances to move around the pocket,” he said. “The more opportunity I get, the better.”

Although Lewis is no doubt going to take the four remaining practices into consideration before making a decision on Friday night’s intrasquad scrimmage, Palmer doubts he’ll go in it because it’s a live drill. Even though the quarterbacks are wearing don’t-hit-me jerseys.

It looks like wide receiver Antonio Chatman (groin) and linebacker Hannibal Navies (chest) may not play this weekend. Defensive tackle Matthias Askew didn’t practice Tuesday with an undisclosed ailment.

Rucker

FROSTEE’S DAY: You've got to figure that a guy named “Frostee” had a good day Thursday and third-rounder Frostee Rucker kept impressing the Bengals as he continues to get looked at inside as well as playing both end spots.

“I played (tackle) only a few times (at USC) when they wanted to put me in a situation (to rush),” Rucker said. “It’s tougher in the pros when you’re seeing guys like (340-pound guard) Bobbie Williams. Those guys are a lot bigger than in college. A guy like (290 pound) Steinbach. It’s tough, but I feel like I can’t do it if they think I can.

“It’s more complex up here. You have to know what you’re doing. Or you’re going to get knocked down and humiliated and you don’t like that being a competitor.”

Rucker, he of the Los Angeles Angels ball cap (“We’re going to win it again”) is an articulate, outgoing guy, but the two counts of spousal battery in California and has put a toll on him. He’s resolved to put it behind him.

“I think it’s helping me focus a little bit more,” Rucker said. “I have something other than that to think about. Football is the best thing I’ve got going.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Remembering that Brian Simmons is a 9 year veteran makes me feel old as dirt.

And some things never change - Perry and Askew sitting out with injuries. At the end of my rope with those two. Askew is a waste of roster space. Perry is an annual disappointment.

[ArmyBengal]

Another great read, thanks !!!

WHODEY !!!

[Stripes]

That's too friggin' hot.

It's been humid as hell lately too, that has to be nasty.

[ArmyBengal]

As long as no one drops dead, I won't be concerned !!!

WHODEY !!!