HoosierCat Posted July 19 Report Posted July 19 Schedule is out for any locals who’re interested. https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-2026-training-camp-schedule-announced Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 20 Report Posted July 20 Not really a training camp person but I sure do love the preseason. $10 tickets to go hang at the stadium and watch the youngsters get playing time. Can’t wait. Quote
HoosierCat Posted July 26 Author Report Posted July 26 BJ Hill to PUP. Kattus to NFI. cant even make it camp without injuries. https://www.wlwt.com/article/bj-hill-out-with-injury-as-training-camp-set-to-get-underway/73263366 Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 26 Report Posted July 26 Glad Terry was able to get the hamsters on that wheel again. 1 Quote
COB Posted July 26 Report Posted July 26 Hill’s pretty old, and he plays a serious fat guy position. Maybe they’re just holding him out for a while, kind of give him a truncated training camp. 1 Quote
HoosierCat Posted July 27 Author Report Posted July 27 So back to movie reviews. Since it’s now free on prime I watched the new He-Man movie the other night. It’s got pacing issues and it never quite finds a tone — it keeps bouncing between serious and self-aware comedy — but overall it’s a fun, goofy ride. Best meta-joke bit for me was a reference to Highlander in act one that pays off in the needle drop for the big act 3 battle, Queen’s “Princes of the Universe” written for…Highlander. 3.5/5 stars. Quote
COB Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 I just binge-watched season 1 of The Wire. This after seeing various references to it as one of the best tv shows of all time. And it was very good. I know I’m like 25 years behind on tv shows! Bengals: I just read that Mike is not going to do his annual press conference/availability at today’s media lunch. This is his annual availability, so he’s basically going incommunicado. So there is no GM, and the owner is unavailable. By design, the buck stops nowhere. 1 Quote
HoosierCat Posted July 27 Author Report Posted July 27 For all the fun I have accusing Mike of being behind every bad thing that happens, the dude is turning 91 soon. It’s borderline remarkable that he’s even going to toddle out for a bowl of mock turtle soup. My sense is that Tobin and Taylor really are more or less in charge of all things football at the moment, with Katie clearly in support as evidenced by them spending this off-season. As to the FO it seems clear they want to make Liz the point person. I dunno, she still comes off like a corporate factotum to me but I suppose that’s a step up for this organization. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 Does she have a pulse? Yes step in the right direction. 1 Quote
Stripes Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 Liz seems to come in two forms, to my eye: 1. She has the same ruthless business brain that her mother and grandfather have leaned on since Paul Brown died. For example, one of the overhauls to the "fan experience" in recent memory was to fire nearly the entire sound staff that had been in place for decades to bring in a new team of professionals. I knew a family directly impacted that swore off the team for it. I also think it worked, because the fan experience has improved. 2. She is much more attentive to the national narratives and the fanbase, because she is a millennial with a basic understanding of social media. Through her influence, the team is much more competent in communicating with fans (e.g., on Twitter). I think this might also influence her to push Bengals-unorthodox decisions within the front office, because she is exposing herself to arguments that her forebears would never hear. 2 Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 27 Report Posted July 27 6 hours ago, Stripes said: Liz seems to come in two forms, to my eye: 1. She has the same ruthless business brain that her mother and grandfather have leaned on since Paul Brown died. For example, one of the overhauls to the "fan experience" in recent memory was to fire nearly the entire sound staff that had been in place for decades to bring in a new team of professionals. I knew a family directly impacted that swore off the team for it. I also think it worked, because the fan experience has improved. 2. She is much more attentive to the national narratives and the fanbase, because she is a millennial with a basic understanding of social media. Through her influence, the team is much more competent in communicating with fans (e.g., on Twitter). I think this might also influence her to push Bengals-unorthodox decisions within the front office, because she is exposing herself to arguments that her forebears would never hear. I don’t disagree with any of this. Quote
COB Posted July 28 Report Posted July 28 17 hours ago, Stripes said: influence her to push Bengals-unorthodox decisions within the front office, because she is exposing herself to arguments that her forebears would never hear. Good point. Mike used to be sensitive to some things, like I’m certain he read the paper. But he was adroit at conjuring up a certain self-serving interpretation of criticisms. Remember the statement that a particular narrative was just a “theme” the media was pushing? I think he convinced himself that some of what he read was just one person’s opinion. He also believed for a while that a local columnist had a vendetta against his family business. Today, there is no mistaking it. Criticisms are not just from a reporter who felt slighted, they are from thousands of fans, ie your customers. And they’re right there in your hand to be read anytime day or night. Quote
HoosierCat Posted July 28 Author Report Posted July 28 On 7/26/2026 at 1:41 PM, COB said: Hill’s pretty old, and he plays a serious fat guy position. Maybe they’re just holding him out for a while, kind of give him a truncated training camp. The claim yesterday was that they are just taking it slow after he played on an injured foot all of last year. I suppose, but if the foot is still an issue now, then I suspect it’s a permanent one. Not particularly alarming but worth keeping an eye on. Quote
HoosierCat Posted July 28 Author Report Posted July 28 Bengals camp look like it’s going to be duller than dishwater. Our week 1 opponent might provide some laffs tho… https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49465466/two-pro-bowl-dt-vita-vea-requests-trade-buccaneers Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 28 Report Posted July 28 Camp Taylor... Where the players run around and the writers convince everyone how it's so and so's year for a breakout season. Not because the players have pads on and are making great plays in what appears to be a pretty physical camp, but rather because they said so. Nothing screams training camp like watching the guys install plays and go through the motions, while being unbelievably unprepared come week one. Just to stay with the belief I held last year, I'm putting all slow starts on Burrow's shoulders. He simply cannot show up week one playing with the mindset of, "I hope I don't throw an interception". Be Joey Brrrr with ice in your veins week 1. Be that guy yelling, "I'm HIM" week 1. Go dominate and save that weak shit. If camp needs to be more in your face *within the rules* than speak up and tell Zac. Do whatever has to be done. Another slow start to the season should not be tolerated. FIRE EVERYONE !!! Well kinda... 1 Quote
Prophecy Posted July 29 Report Posted July 29 On the eve of training camp, DJ Turner and Dax Hill just got more expensive. Browns sign Denzel Ward to a 2yr $62.2 million extension. Now the highest paid CB at $31.1 million per season. Keep waiting. That worked great for Chase and Higgins (but not the team). Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 29 Report Posted July 29 Here's my thing. DJ Turner should get paid, but he's not getting $30m per year. If he does, it's not from the Bengals. He should be paid in the top 10 in my opinion, but not sure the Bengals feel that way. I can't see the Bengals shelling out better than $20m per season, plus guarantees when they have him for a tick over $4m this year. I think it would be a mistake to let another top 10 talent at a defensive position walk away. Figure it out and get it done Bengals. Quote
HoosierCat Posted July 29 Author Report Posted July 29 As usual the numbers are being spun in the player/agent’s favor. Ward was already set to make about $34 million in 2026-27. Now he will make about $70 million in 2026-28. So we are talking about $44 million in actual new money over three years. His average for those three years (26-28) is around $23.3 million. In comparison Spotrac has Turner’s value around $21 million a year. So I don’t think the Ward deal will have any impact. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 29 Report Posted July 29 So the Bengals are thought to have somewhere in the $16-$17m range of remaining cap space. I suspect they will see if there is anything that shakes free as training camp cuts come and the usual suspects. They could always cut players to make more room for a Turner extension, but that doesn't seem likely to me. The other thing that will be interesting to watch THIS training camp and season is how some of the players produce knowing they will be unrestricted free agents next season? Surely the Bengals are taking into consideration the starters on that list as well as many that will be getting extensive playing time as a part of their positional rotation and/or teams play. I would suspect guys like TJ Slaton, Cody Ford will be allowed to walk away, but it will be interesting to see it all shake out. Karras is up again, but they have to be looking at Connor Lew as his replacement in 2027 I would assume. Sample and Hudson at the TE position may walk, but only if Erick All can stay healthy. 7th rounder Jack Endries may flash. What happens at the safety spot after Cook? Battle and Dugger are both up next year. CB Jalen Davis, thought to be competing for the nickel spot joins Hill and Turner as UFA's. Then there are the bigger names like: Flacco Risner Murphy Hill Turner There are other guys I didn't even mention so seeing the Bengals take the wait and see shouldn't come as a surprise. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 29 Report Posted July 29 4 minutes ago, HoosierCat said: Sigh. Might be it for Shemar this year. Jesus Christ that's ugly. Hoping it's just a hyperextension without any other damage. I was really hoping Stewart would add some pop in the rotation. 1 Quote
Stripes Posted July 29 Report Posted July 29 Woof. Go figure, we expected a bust on the field, but you can’t do that if you never play on the field. Quote
COB Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 What a kick in the nuts for this kid. That stupidity last year that put him behind, now this will do the same, or worse. Quote
Prophecy Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 Hate to see anybody get hurt, but he is a physical freak who probably shouldn't have even been in the NFL in the first place, based on his lack of production in college. Bust until proven otherwise. Quote
ArmyBengal Posted July 30 Report Posted July 30 Well, the way I look at that is Howell just moved up a slot or at least will now see more snaps. It will be interesting to see how they use him. He's just such a different DE than the Bengals typically go after. 6'2 and shorter arms but has great speed and solid pass rush moves. He's basically the next man up off the bench and I'm excited for him. They could use some more depth at the position if Stewart is out for the season, which is what it's looking like. Still waiting on confirmation from what I saw this morning. Quote
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