More minicamp photos

[DesperateDerelict]

Here' the photos: Minicamp Pix

and here's the article: Bengals Primed in Lewis Year 3

The Bengals wrapped up their mandatory minicamp Sunday with a morning practice at Paul Brown Stadium. And at this time of the year - with the opener still a little less than three months away - the team seems to have an abundance of characteristics that fans would like, and are without some of the problems that dogged the organization in the past.

There is a single-minded purpose almost palpable in the locker room: playoffs or bust.

Almost every position group, especially cornerback and wide receiver, is competitively packed.

Depth at every position means good players will be let go in August but strongly suggests that already solid special teams will improve.

And while there are always diversions, especially, as coach Marvin Lewis said Sunday, in a room filled with 85 distinct personalities, they have not been allowed to grow into distractions.

Though the seven rookie draft picks remain unsigned - most are not yet signed throughout the league - there are no veteran contract squabbles on the horizon, save for the remote possibility of an agent Drew Rosenhaus production with wide receiver Chad Johnson.

The Bengals signed tailback Rudi Johnson and wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, unrestricted free agents who told their agents that they wanted to stay in Cincinnati.

The 2005 Bengals are emerging as a team that plays with the calm of quarterback Carson Palmer. The club clearly is Palmer's now. Rudi Johnson is another soft-spoken professional who is glad to have remained a Bengal and an integral part of a potentially high-scoring offense.

"I know what I've got with me," said Rudi Johnson, smiling. "A great quarterback, great receivers. You can't ask for more."

On the current expanded 85-man offseason roster, only 28 players remain from opening day, Sept. 7, 2003, Lewis' first game, a 30-10 loss to Denver.

"You're holding your breath," Lewis said Sunday of how a coach manages a locker room and avoids major problems. "But hopefully we add the right kind of people, people who are committed to doing the right things for the right reasons. And you minimize your chances of those things occurring, as much as possible.

"We've got some strong leadership, I think, that has grown up and matured in this stadium. Then we've added some fine, fine you people that not only are good people but can play the game at a very high level."

There's the depth again. Third-year wide receiver Kelley Washington could be on the bubble, especially if rookies Chris Henry and Tab Perry emerge as expected. And Lewis said Sunday that Peter Warrick, who played in only four games last season because of knee and shin injuries, is getting closer to being cleared medically.

A possible wide receiver corps could consist of Chad Johnson, Houshmandzadeh, Warrick, Henry, Perry and Kevin Walter - who could make the squad ahead of Washington because of his ability and willingness to play special teams.

At cornerback, another fierce battle will be waged behind likely starters Tory James and Deltha O'Neal. Keiwan Ratliff could push for a starting role. Then there are Rashad Bauman, Greg Brooks and speedy Brandon Williams. Cornerbacks Terrell Roberts and Reggie Myles, a stalwart on special teams, are getting looks at safety.

The biggest question mark remains the defense, especially against the run.

First-year Bengals coordinator Chuck Bresnahan has revamped the defensive line; not one starter from 2004 is likely to play the same position in 2005. Justin Smith's shift from right to left end should help the pass rush and the run defense.

Aside from Palmer, though, the single most important player on the roster could be left defensive tackle Bryan Robinson. The remodeled front seven could stay in place if Robinson can eat space and occupy two blockers against the run.

Middle linebackers Odell Thurman or Landon Johnson should be able to make a large number of tackles on running backs if Robinson can keep them clean of offensive linemen.

And the presence of 250-pound former college defensive end David Pollack at left outside linebacker (the strong side opposite the offense's tight end) also should bolster a run defense that tied for 26th in league rankings.

"We've progressed (from last year)," was Lewis' benediction Sunday. "That's a credit to our players and coaches. They've done a good job. The maturity of our players, the repetition of things, the refinement of things, that is there. But we have to keep holding it to task."

Bonus Coverage: Bengals Notebook

Bengals notebook

Pollack, Thurman take over at LB

David Pollack and Odell Thurman continue to command two of the three starting linebacker jobs for the Bengals.

The two rookies, former teammates at Georgia and the Bengals' first two draft picks in April, wrapped up another stage in their development Sunday with the completion of the team's mandatory three-day minicamp at Paul Brown Stadium.

Pollack is working at strong-side outside linebacker. Thurman is running No. 1 at middle linebacker.

Coach Marvin Lewis continued to downplay the reported difficulty of Pollack's transition from college defensive end to outside linebacker in Cincinnati.

"It's a simple position," Lewis said of outside linebacker. "The only people making a big deal out of it are (reporters). It's not a big change. It's a very easy change. Call it what you want. Call it defensive end. Just keep writing it and writing it and writing it."

Asked what Pollack would do in the defense, Lewis said, "Things he's been doing since he's being playing football."

Pollack said he would work hard between the end of the offseason program June 29 and the start of training camp one month later.

"Watch film," he said of his routine. "Study my playbook over and over. Run (and) work on my drops (in pass coverage). That's stuff I can control."

Thurman said he knows what he is supposed to do on paper in the classroom and that the challenge remains to learn his assignments thoroughly enough to perform them at high speed on the field.

"I'm confident, though," Thurman said.

DRAFT PICKS: None of the Bengals' seven draft picks is signed.

"Their job is to get signed, because they can't participate in training camp until they get signed," Lewis said Sunday. "It's their job to push forward our people and their representation to get their contracts finished."

NOT CLEARED: Nine Bengals players are not yet cleared to participate in practices.

Lewis met with the nine after the Sunday morning workout on the practice field adjacent to Paul Brown Stadium.

"I said these guys have to earn their way back onto the field," Lewis said. "We're just not going to put the guys out there because they look good. They're going to have to spend the time. We're (going) to make sure guys are ready to go before they'll be cleared for action. That means being able to withstand the rigors of training camp."

The nine are linebackers Landon Johnson (shoulder), Caleb Miller (ankle), Khalid Abdullah (ankle) and Nate Webster (knee); defensive lineman Matthias Askew (ankle); offensive linemen Willie Anderson (knee) and Ben Wilkerson (knee); running back Chris Perry (sports hernia); and wide receiver Peter Warrick (knee, shin).

Wilkerson said Sunday that he is making progress and is optimistic he'll be ready. Look for Johnson, Miller and Abdullah to be ready for training camp.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Warrick carried six helium-filled balloons out of the locker room, a gift that marked his 28th birthday.

Lewis didn't pop any balloons in describing the progress Warrick is making. Lewis said the injured players have to work extra hard to catch up physically and mentally.

"Peter's working hard, but all those guys have to do double-time," Lewis said. "Hopefully, he's in the stage where he can push to do more because I think he's getting pretty close otherwise."

SIGHTS AND SOUNDS: The final minicamp practice ended with three sets of two-minute drills - with quarterbacks Carson Palmer, Jon Kitna and Casey Bramlet each directing a drive. ... Wide receiver Kevin Walter dropped a Kitna pass before making a running catch on the next attempt. ... Defensive lineman Langston Moore and offensive lineman Pete Lougheed took turns jumping the snap count on successive plays. ... Tailback Quincy Wilson got a long look this weekend in the offensive rotation.

[schweinhart]

Nice pix.

Here's an article a little less vanilla and a little more wary about the "Paper Bengals" by Lonnie Wheeler (ya'll know from the Cincinnati Post -- the paper that don't compete with the Enquirer)

http://news.cincypost.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../506200326/1035

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

"Rookie Guard Eric Ghiaciuc protects the pocket during the last day of mini-camp at Paul Brown Stadium."

Hrmn Guard?