Left tackle Orlando Brown Jr., all moved into the Bengals' new locker room, had already taken his helmet off Tuesday after their first padded practice of the season and put it on the drying rack next to his "Every Day I'm Hustlin' trinket he saved from his old locker.
"They did a lot of work this offseason to make sure we have less to worry about and just play football," Brown said. "That's what this organization is. That's what ownership is, the front office. Top to bottom and the culture they've been able create. I'm very thankful."
Brown's favorite item in his 800-pound locker with first of its kind internal lighting is the compartment below the helmet, where the gloves are dried and freshened up with anti-bacterial agents.
Center Ted Karras, last year's NFL Players Association rep for the Bengals, will let people know what ownership has done.
"By far the nicest locker room I've had at any level. It's really cool to be part of a new facility," said Karras, whose 126 NFL games leads the roster. "It just shows how much they're willing to put into their players and we want to reciprocate with a lot of hard work and a lot of wins."
Karras' favorite part of the 10,000-piece locker looks to be the pull-out compartment with four shelves designed by Bengals equipment manager Adam Knollman. Each contains a line from the Bengals fight chant, one of those bows to tradition Bengals director of strategy and engagement Elizabeth Blackburn encouraged.
"I am on a crusade. Sing it right. 'Who Dey Think,'" said Karras of the chant that he would like to be sung, 'Who Dey, Who Dey, Who Dey Think Gonna Beat Dem Bengals? Nooobody.'
"I do love the fact the song is on the locker," Karras said. "It's a historic song. I'm from the old English school of singing group songs. The old club teams. And especially after an NFL victory, there's no sweeter feeling in the world. That's what you play for. To win the game. And sing the song."
After a year hiatus in Carolina, safety Vonn Bell returned to his locker worthy of a respected team elder. At the end of a row next to the training room.
"I feel like I'm home. Next to Mike (Hilton) and Cam (Taylor-Britt)," said Bell, second to Karras on the roster with 122 NFL games. "Man, this is phenomenal. Illuminated lighting. You feel like every locker was handmade for each one of us. We appreciate it. Ownership from the top down. This is top-notch. Guys are going to look forward coming to work, for sure."
PLAYER OF THE DAY: WR Charlie Jones
Jones walked into the new locker room after practice Tuesday and wondered as he looked at his behemoth of a locker, "Where do you dry the gloves?"
Jones' hands were plenty busy during his best day of training camp. He connected with quarterback Joe Burrow on two red-zone touchdown passes in seven-on-seven, and hooked up with quarterback Jake Browning on a plus-20-yard seam ball he correctly read the backup safeties in a Cover Two.
"Charlie, Andrei (Iosivas), and Chase (Brown) are all going into their second year and it looks like they had good offseasons," Browning said. "I think (Jones), was pretty fast last year and now he's getting a feel for the offense. You can get a lot of confidence going from year one to year two. He did a good job against Cover Two, getting the friendly angle. Being on the same page, knowing what the coverage is."
The 6-0 Jones led the FBS with 110 catches at Purdue before the Bengals took him in the 2023 fourth round when he was about 183 pounds or so. On Tuesday, he said he was somewhere between 187 and 189 pounds after an offseason of getting bigger and stronger, and he says he feels it.
"While maintaining my speed. I'm starting to feel that now," Jones said. "It's the best I've felt in forever. I think for me staying healthy is it. I'm back to kind of what I (weighed) early Purdue, late Iowa years."
Before he transferred to Purdue, Jones was the Big Ten Return Specialist of the Year and he was also catching punts flawlessly Tuesday as the Bengals incumbent punt returner.
He became the first Bengals rookie to return a punt for a touchdown in 23 years last season, but the next week broke a thumb and missed six games. He didn't really get back in sync as he finished with seven catches for 74 yards.
"I just think I was ready. The first day of pads is really when camp starts," Jones said. "This is what I've been working for since last season ended. I'm starting to feel more comfortable in the offense and more comfortable in general."
Iosivas is looking like he's going to run away with the No. 3 receiver job and maybe even the slot left vacant by the departure of Tyler Boyd's 513 career catches. But Jones had his say Tuesday, a day Iosivas had a few drops that do nothing to diminish his terrific camp.
Jones' big year at Purdue came on the outside, but he played both outside and the slot Tuesday. He walked in for a touchdown on an out route from Burrow (a route the two hit all day) as an outside receiver. In the same seven-on-seven session, Jones came out of the slot to show off his new bulk fighting through traffic in the middle of the back of the end zone to grab Burrow's throw. His big play with Browning also came out of the slot.
"We're really good friends," Jones said of Iosivas. "We're just trying to be the best players we possibly can be to help the team in whatever way they see fit … He's holding me to a high a standard, I'm holding him to a high standard."
The guys setting the standard at the position remain franchise player Tee Higgins and three-time Pro Bowler Ja'Marr Chase, yet to practice this camp but doling out advice to the kids. Higgins saw the media grouped around Jones' locker and Higgins reached his phone into the knot. When Bengals radio voice Dan Hoard turned the tables to ask Higgins about Jones' development from last season, Higgins didn't mince words.
"Big difference," Higgins said. "He became a pro. Last year, a lot of M.A.s (missed assignments), but this year he came back and you can tell he's been in the film room a lot."
PLAY OF THE DAY: LB Shaka Heyward
Heyward, gunning for the fifth and maybe final linebacker spot, got a little help from the guy he's battling, incumbent vet Joe Bachie.
Heyward, the undrafted Duke rookie who stayed on the practice squad all last season, stepped in front of a Browning pass over the middle and took it to the house.
"We had a different check for empty (backfield) and they were in empty and then Joe made a call, which he has the right to do," said defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo. "He wouldn't have made that pick if we were in the empty check, so it was good Joe made that call."
Linebackers coach James Bettcher greeting Heyward with an excited, "Key Three! Key Three! Key Three!" tells you why he made the play.
It has to do with the three-step quick passing game. Bettcher teaches the front-side zone defender to read the mannerisms of the quarterback and the key three step is breaking right away into the window of the slant.
"That was one of those, bad, bad, oh, good … (Heyward) made a hell of a play," Anarumo said. "Great instincts. He saw the ball and went and made the play, so that was great to see."
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Bengals rookie RT Amarius Mims on the best part of his new locker:
"My best thing about this locker is its beside Orlando Brown and CV (Cordell Volson). Two of my guys. They've helped me so much, growing into a better player within the three, four months I've known these guys. Without them, l wouldn't be running with those ones, I tell you that. They help me with everything from the small things to the big things."
SLANTS AND SCREENS: No surprise that Mims, the first-rounder from Georgia, is as impressive in pads as he is without them. The one-on-one drills matched up their last two No. 1 picks, Mims vs, Myles Murphy. Murphy, a suburban Atlanta product who played at Clemson, tried to bull-rush the 6-8, 350-pounder on the first snap and didn't get far. Still, Mims gave him the rep because he got under his chin.
"Instantly when that happens as an O-lineman, you go on the defensive. You have to drop your weight and play football. It's grown men against grown men," Mims said.
Murphy said he always tries to establish the bull, but it's not like he didn't know what he's facing.
"I've known him since high school and watched him through the entire time he's been in college," Murphy said. "He's strong, athletic, quick feet guy."
On the second and last rep of the drill, it appeared Murphy tried to get him on the edge. But Mims was able to cut hit off and steer him wide.
Long-time Bengals radio analyst Dave Lapham and 10-year guard was impressed with how stout Mims appeared to be in the drill. He also said he was impressed with tackle D'Ante Smith working against edge Joseph Ossai.
"He showed some quickness and good counters," Lapham said …
Both Murphy and Smith left late in the practice with cramps …
The new tag team of B.J. Hill and Sheldon Rankins at defensive tackle have looked good and on Tuesday they teamed up on one snap to chase Burrow out of the pocket.
Hill-Rankins has been quite a matchup with the veterans Karras and right guard Alex Cappa. Among those four guys, there are more than 400 NFL games, kids, and so Rankins, the ninth-year free agent, says you can't really try to pull off games and stunts.
Which is fine, he says, because he's struck up a good playing relationship with Hill, going into his seventh year.
"We both think the game really well. As well as we play it," Rankins said. "A lot of things we're seeing out there and we're coming over and talking and saying, 'Hey, next time, let's try this. Get that look. Try that.' Just kind of feeling each other out. I think that's when it works best, both thinking the game, but it can happen naturally. Especially going against Ted, Cappa, and those guys. They've seen a lot of ball, too. The more natural you can make it, the better." …
It looks like there's a punting competition within the punting competition. College free agents Austin McNamara and Ryan Rehkow are apparently in a battle to oppose incumbent Brad Robbins in the pre-season games.
On Tuesday, the two rookies punted live and both got off some impressive bombs backed up. They also hit ones they'd like to have back. All three kicked in a drill trying to put it inside the 10, which Robbins did on his three punts … McNamara looked to hit one to the 15 and Rehkow put one in the end zone …
No. 1 cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt got plenty of work Tuesday, a week after getting his tonsils out …
Rookie tight end Erick All Jr., coming off ACL surgery, took part in individual drills and running routes on air, but didn't work in seven-on-seven or team …
Bengals head coach Zac Taylor went live tackling for the final six snaps of practice with basically the third- team guys. Rookie cornerback Lance Robinson got a good enough hit on rookie running back Elijah Collins that the offense started chirping and the defense pushed back with, "It's football." A camp moment from any era …
