2025 Training Camp Thread

[HoosierCat]

Some initial roster moves, both expected.

Placed TE Erick All Jr. on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list
Placed C Seth McLaughlin on the Active/Non-Football Injury list

[COB]

Erick All Jr would be a big contributor if he can ever stay healthy.  Maybe he’ll have a good second half of his rookie deal.

[Stripes]

I hope he's still the same player after the latest major injury. He was definitely an encouraging rookie while he could be.

[ArmyBengal]

Bengals signing former UC star QB Desmond Ridder to a one year deal.

Color me meh…

[ArmyBengal]

Well they released Woodside so Ridder is the default #3 QB.

Also brought in three linemen.

DT McTelvin (yes really) Agim
C Andrew Raym and 
DT Taven Bryan 

Bryan was a former 1st round pick of the Jags in 2018, but has never lived up to his draft spot. Honestly, I completely forgot this dude was still in the league.

[COB]

Camp opens Wednesday and the 31 other nfl teams have their first round draft picks signed.  The bengals, to no one’s surprise, don’t.  
 

Hopefully they get this kid signed and in here to get to work.  Typical bengals.  The league bargains with the union to slot the salaries and do away with these protracted contract battles for rookies.  Only the Brown family would find a way to fuck that up.  Hope that special clause means a whole lot to them.  

[Stripes]

Bengals signed Taven Bryan, DT. Former first round pick (2019) who has bounced around.

Probably nothing, but an old-time reclamation project would be welcome at that position

[COB]

12 minutes ago, Stripes said:

Bengals signed Taven Bryan, DT. Former first round pick (2019) who has bounced around.

Probably nothing, but an old-time reclamation project would be welcome at that position

So, we signed the first round draft pick d-lineman, excellent!

[TJJackson]

err, uhm.....not that one

[ArmyBengal]

It is just me or did they move up the Hall of Fame game?

It doesn't seem right that it's a week from this Thursday.
Don't get me wrong, I will happily watch, but it seems early.

Maybe I've been busier than normal and time has just passed me by faster than I realize.

[HoosierCat]

Yeah, it's way early this year. It's usually in the first week of August.

[HoosierCat]

As expected, the Bengals are finally getting serious about Hendrickson, making a series of offers in the runup to camp.

https://www.wlwt.com/article/trey-hendrickson-cincinnati-bengals-contract-progress-2025/65463198

Quote

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Bengals have made "several offers, including a recent one," over "the past couple of days," to Trey Hendrickson, who has threatened to not play this year until he has a new deal in place.

Rapoport adds that Monday "is a huge day for Trey Hendrickson and the Cincinnati Bengals," but did not elaborate on what makes Monday such a pivotal day.

I would guess it's because vets are scheduled to report tomorrow.

I'll repeat what I said a while back: they will sign him to a new deal that gives him most or all of what he wanted, and that they could have done six months ago and avoided all this drama, because that's how they roll.

[HoosierCat]

Not Bengals camp, but Titans camp will be missing one QB as Will Levis is having shoulder surgery and will miss the entire season. So our old pal Brandon Allen is now backing up Cam Ward.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45787046/titans-qb-levis-season-ending-shoulder-surgery

[ArmyBengal]

There have been reports out there about Trey's deal getting done this past few days, but I haven't given much thought to them.
When they didn't trade him after letting him seek a trade or during the draft, they were digging in.
I just figured they would get something done sooner or later (probably later) and Trey would be playing this year.
Why? Because of all the blah blah blah from Trey, he's not turning down nearly $30m for the season.
The Bengals need him though.  While they haven't won with him, I don't think the defense takes the next step without him yet.

Titans must have told Levis they will be rolling with Ward week 1.
Time for surgery and IR while collecting my paycheck.

[AMPHAR]

Trey will get done.   It will be interesting IF there's a 3rd year and how much.   Garrett gets $100m, Crosby $93m the next 3 years.  I would not think he would beat those numbers.     

 

[ArmyBengal]

Not that I have a say in, well, anything related to Bengals contracts, but I would like to see three more years with Trey.
If he poops out before then, so be it, but it's pretty obvious how important having pass rushers that can get home are in today's NFL.

Split the different between what the top of the market is and what they have offered and get this done.
Trey is not and has not been TJ Watt or Myles Garrett, but I really like him as a player.

[AMPHAR]

I would like a 3rd year for Trey but a way out for Bengals.   You have to hope for some of the young defenders to be worth a decent contract by then.   I also think they'll have Higgins drama before year 3.

 

[HoosierCat]

I’m sure everything will be covered, guys. After all, they’ve got like 6 GMs now, so there’s more brainpower focused on this deal than any deal ever before in franchise history. This contract will be EPIC.

[AMPHAR]

Wonder why Volson won't get a chance at RG?  Just appears to be Patrick and Ford.   Very weird how Pollack inserts him at LG and no matter what seemed like he would start, now can't even get a sniff at an open competition. 

 

[ArmyBengal]

Mike Brown and Duke Tobin interviews from today are out there to consume.
Haven't listened in yet, but probably will at some point.

I'm guessing those conversations actually reveal very little about where exactly they are with things.
More the vague, "We wish Shemar was here" and "Something should work out with Trey".

Typical and not mad about what we typically get, but the DE spot is really important this year.
One thing I will say is, I do think Shemar needs to have his ass in Cincinnati if he's still not here.
I know players pay good money to their agents to take care of shit, but the longer this goes, I would think it's time to take a step.
Do what you need to do to get on the field for camp.

[HoosierCat]

Well, Mike did say that he wants the new language in Stewart’s contract because he doesn’t want to have to pay him if he goes to jail. Because apparently that’s a concern for some reason. Jail. Why they drafted the guy if they are this worried he’ll go to jail, I dunno, but maybe now that they have 12 GMs they won’t do that any more.

[AMPHAR]

Bengals stance is reasonable as proven by other rookies agreeing to the clause.   Shemar could have practice during mandatory camps.   Agent has been about winning public opinion war for some reason.   He can't have Shemar sign on time without something to wave around saying he won because it sounds like the clause ain't going away. 

 

[HoosierCat]

Well, as far as public opinion is concerned, when Mike is out there saying this “silliness” is about a clause concerning behavior that he thinks is not “going to happen ever,” I don’t think he’s helping the cause.

[COB]

Mike was just honest in that presser.  He said the situation has never occurred in his time with the bengals.  He seemed a bit mystified by the whole thing:
 

 "We're sitting here arguing over something that is pretty remote, I ask myself sometimes why the hell we're doing it, but we are and he's doing it too and at some point, we've got to put this stuff behind."

[COB]

I’ll be sending in my application for one of those assistant GM spots.  They’re going to need a Jailed Player GM to deal with cancelling the guaranteed money for all these guys who will, in an unprecedented move, be getting themselves thrown in jail.