Bengals training camp news: Auden Tate, Tee Higgins mark Monday’s practice

As Bengals fans have been riding a high since Joe Burrow lifted control of the first team last week, Monday’s practice may have delivered a bit of a downturn. Jordan Evans was dismissed halfway through the practice and players like Joe Mixon and Carl Lawson were given days off. But hey, at least the team does not have dozens of false positive COVID-19 tests to handle, right?

Here is an overview of what happened during Monday’s practice.

Green has almost the Green light

Bengals.com’s Geoff Hobson tweeted yesterday that the team expects AJ Green to play in their next scrimmage on August 30. Watching Green run for the first time on the rehab field is a good indication that he will be ready for that scrimmage.

Green has now been sidelined for a week with hamstring tightness, but Green knows these things can not be rushed. Need an example? Tee Higgins returned to practice yesterday after being treated to tightstring of his own and had a trainer help him stretch during practice.

Higgins has said he models his game to Green so the jokes can write themselves off, as both currently have similar ailments. Green also gave him some advice on this matter.

“You know your body,” Higgins said told reporters yesterday. ‘Take your own time when you need it. Do not try to play it if it is redesigned. ”

If anyone knows, Green knows.

Higgins on the other hand, had a terrible day. He impressed the second team with a couple of great catches from Ryan Finley, including one where he tipped the ball for himself before running it near the sideline. Paul Dehner jr. Fan The Athletic called it “Probably the best catch by anyone who camps all. He was also seen returning kicks with Tyler Boyd and Giovani Bernard, who are emergency options on the position.

Higgins may have had the highlight of the day, but the consensus star of camp remains the man for him on the depth map.

Auden Tate and … DaMarkus Lodge ???

The “catch-radius monster”, more commonly known as Auden Tate, remained the impression today. He was the receiver of yet another Joe Burrow touchdown that closed 11-on-11 work, and if you guessed it was another bouncy ball situation where Tate grabbed it 10 feet in the air, you would apparently be correct.

Tate and Burrow formed obvious chemistry last month. We do not even know for sure that Burrow ever completed a pass to first-year receiver DaMarkus Lodge, but he certainly did today.

Burrow’s consensus threw the best 40 yards out of practice and came into the hands of Lodge, who went through in the end zone for a touchdown. Burrow apparently went against the defense of the second team for some of the 11-on-11 discs, so Lodge is on the field in that scenario makes sense.

Lodge was signed to the Bengals practice squad in December last year and was retained by the team after the 2019 season ended. He was the third receiver of Ole Miss when they had DK Metcalf and AJ Brown on the roster and got 877 yards in one season of the trio together, so he has the ability to produce with great talent around him .

Lodge probably worked with the backups, which now also includes Mike Thomas. John Ross returned to the first team on Monday after returning to practice on Sunday. Thomas had filled in for Ross during the week of Ross’ absence and played well in that role.

Burrow check

Because you all want to know, Burrow was efficiently out of pocket again. He finished 16-20 with two touchdowns during 11-on-11 work, with Tate and Lodge in both scores.

The pick of the Bengals’ first round remains under the impression of his veteran teammates. CJ Uzomah spoke after his practice after the snap.

Burrow remained clear of problems alongside a necessary case of Sam Hubbard, but Ryan Finley did not. One of Finley’s passages was tipped by Darius Phillips and intercepted by Jessie Bates, which feels like the first time we have mentioned his name since the camp began. Probably the two biggest playmakers in the secondary, Phillips and Bates on the field together are a welcome opportunity for a defense looking to make more turnover.

Linemen lineup

From our observations of the Bengal Training Camp report, we learned that backup center Josh Knipfel, a college-free agent from Iowa State, did not exercise today due to a possible head injury. In its place, Billy Price took snaps as the backup center. Interestingly, Price has been exclusive to this camp.

Fred Johnson saw cuts to both straight-laced approach and right-back. He even took snaps with the first team on right guard. Linebacker Brady Sheldon was seen working as an edge rusher, and Mike Daniels took some reps at nose pack.