Camp Battles:

[Kazkal]

Is this what the Bengals could be going for? Tate is decent deep threat. Sanu has all the tools to be a legitimate possession WR. Shipley is a pure slot WR. Hawkins' skill set allows for all sorts of gimmicky plays. Gresham and Orson Charles can both create major mismatches as receivers.

I could be reading too much into this... but is it possible that Cincinnati is embracing a new philosophy? Could the Bengals be mimicking the success of New England by building strength in numbers? Is Cincinnati building a roster full of receivers who can find their niche, rejecting the notion that they need a true #2?

Discuss.

Looking at us snagging a 2nd pass catching TE it seems like this is very likely the case

[HoosierCat]

Don Banks: derek worries too much.

Mohamed Sanu will be the second consecutive Bengals rookie receiver to show up and show up early. Karma owes Sanu a little something-something after he endured that cruel prank phone call on the first night of last month's draft, and I believe he's going to wind up having the last laugh when it comes to his career in Cincinnati starting roughly 24 hours later than he was first led to believe. The ex-Rutgers receiver is already off to an impressive start, easily standing out at last weekend's Bengals rookie minicamp, drawing both praise and a prediction of early contributions from head coach Marvin Lewis.

Cincinnati has a decent history of rookie impact from receivers, getting that monster debut season from first-rounder A.J. Green last year (65 catches for 1,057 yards and seven touchdowns), and a seven-touchdown showing from third-rounder Chris Henry in 2005. Sanu is an ideal complement to Green's outside speed and vertical game, and he'll work the inside and underneath routes with both precision and determination, pulling down plenty of catches in a crowd or despite solid coverage. NFL scouts worried about his ability to separate this spring, but come September, Sanu will be putting plenty of distance between himself and most of the league's other rookie receivers.

Oh, and for those of you who want a vet WR, Banks says one will be available:

Chad Ochocinco (or whatever he's calling himself these days) won't be around to see another burst of fall foliage in New England. Unless the Patriots make NFL history and decide to keep eight receivers, or a couple pass-catchers go down in camp with season-ending injuries, the math doesn't add up for Chad. In English or Spanish. New England is beyond loaded with bodies at receiver, and Ochocinco was essentially dead weight all of last season.

That realization is only going to get driven home all the more dramatically once training camp opens and No. 85 is out there trying to compete with the likes of Wes Welker, Brandon Lloyd, Deion Branch, Anthony Gonzalez, Julian Edelman, Donte' Stallworth, Jabar Gaffney and Matthew Slater. Pay cut to $1 million or not, Ochocinco is still over-priced by New England's typical produce-or-be-gone standards. He and Patriots head coach Bill Belichick have always been chummy and all, but shockingly, there's a limit to B.B.'s warm and fuzzy side. And in this case, it's a 53-man limit.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Oh, and for those of you who want a vet WR, Banks says one will be available:

Chad Ochocinco (or whatever he's calling himself these days) won't be around to see another burst of fall foliage in New England.

Don't even think it.

[agreen_112]

Is it pre-season yet?

[BengalszoneBilly]

Is it pre-season yet?

It can't get here soon enough. People here are going stir crazy!

[ArmyBengal]

I'd be satisfied with camps kicking off and us being able to head downtown to attend.

To be honest, i'm REALLY looking forward to camps being here this year !!!

The season actually starting ?? Yeah, i'm stupid jacked up about it !!!