TRAINING CAMP 2008 INDEX: Features, news, notes, video, photos, schedule and more * * *
Posted: 11:30 p.m.
GEORGETOWN, Ky. - It was Rudi Johnson's night Monday when the Bengals put on shoulder pads for the first time this season. Johnson delivered the first shot on the first live snap when he and safety Dexter Jackson traded shoulder blows after Johnson cut into the clear.
After the practice Johnson pronounced himself the quickest he's been since college, which was eight years ago. Thanks to an offseason of concentrating on building his upper body and legs, he weighed in at 230, 18 more pounds than when he weighed in at training camp last year.
 Johnson |
At least on Monday night, he flashed explosiveness and speed missing since '05.
"As long as he's running like that," said running backs coach Jim Anderson, "I don't mind the 230."
Another running back, Kenny Irons cleared waivers Monday and is now on the Bengals season-ending injured reserve list for the second time in his two-year career.
One bright spot for Irons.
Head coach Marvin Lewis said he's about where Chris Perry was last year, and Perry looked like the old Perry Monday morning. He did what he was doing in the spring, sticking his injured ankle in the ground and getting upfield.
Irons has had to battle scar tissue since his reconstructive knee surgery last August stemming from an ACL injury in his NFL debut in the preseason opener.
As Monday turned to Tuesday, there was no sign of a quick resolution on the Keith Rivers contract. With neither side talking it can be assumed that the $18.9 million deal Jerod Mayo signed a pick behind at No. 10 and the $21 million deal Ted Ginn signed last year at Rivers' No. 9 spot have not been slam-dunk benchmarks. Either Rivers and the Bengals don't see the proposed percentage increases in the same light, and maybe the agents are waiting to see the deal that gets done in front of Rivers, Derrick Harvey in Jacksonville.
