August 26, 2019 9:21 AM HKT
CINCINNATI (AP) — John Ross got his diploma. Joe Mixon lost 10 pounds. The Bengals’ top rookies spent the last few weeks finishing their college careers and getting ready to try to make an immediate impact in the next one.The receiver and running back will be front and center between now and the season opener. An offense that slipped considerably last year is hoping the infusion of its top two draft picks will make a big difference right from the start against the Ravens on Sept. 10 at Paul Brown Stadium.The rookies are up for it.“Everybody’s a home run threat Cheap Ryan Glasgow Jersey ,” Mixon said Tuesday before the first practice of a mandatory minicamp. “What we’re adding to this offense with me and John, and they’ve already got A.J. (Green) and Brandon (LaFell), just the other pieces added to the puzzle — it’s going to be dangerous.”That’s the hope down the line. First, the rookies had some things to complete. Ross finished his undergraduate degree at Washington, a big moment for his family.“It was probably bigger than getting drafted in my opinion, just because I feel like it’s something that can’t be taken away from you,” Ross said. “I was the first generation to graduate in my family, so it was pretty big for me and everybody.”Ross is still recovering from a torn labrum and will be limited until training camp. He ran and did agility drills on Tuesday, but didn’t wear a helmet or participate in any passing drills that would force him to extend his arms.The speedy receiver — he ran a record 4.22 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine — got a crash course in the Bengals’ offense after he was drafted. There was a lot more to learn when he showed up for minicamp; the team gave the rookies a deeper look into the playbook.“Everything’s not all new,” he said. “I’ve seen a few of the things. It’s new material, but it’s not as hard as I thought it would be.”Mixon spent the last few weeks losing weight. He was 238 pounds when the Bengals drafted him, the most he’s weighed during his football career. He increased his workouts, cut back on carbohydrates and dropped 10 pounds for the start of minicamp.“I’ll never be that big again,” he said. “Never.”Mixon’s role will be one of the main story lines of training camp. The Bengals have incumbents Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard, who is recovering from a torn ACL suffered midway through last season. Cincinnati took Mixon in the second round because he’s so well-rounded, overlooking his suspension as a freshman at Oklahoma for punching a woman in the face.Mixon’s locker is right next to Ross’ locker Jordan Evans Jersey Limited , leaving the two linked in all they do going forward.“I just can’t wait to see him on the field,” Mixon said of Ross. “When we’re on the field, everything is going to take care of itself.”For the second year in a row, the Bengals are entering a season with a lot of newness on offense. Last year, Ken Zampese was promoted to offensive coordinator after Hue Jackson became Browns head coach. Rookie receiver Tyler Boyd developed as the season went along.“Last year, there was a lot of stuff that was new with (Zampese) taking over as the coordinator, then a couple new receivers,” quarterback Andy Dalton said. “We don’t have that this year.”NOTES: The start of the first minicamp practice was delayed about 15 minutes because of storms. The Bengals are the most northern NFL city without a covered field. … CB Dre Kirkpatrick didn’t participate in drills as he recovers from a hand injury. Cincinnati’s defensive staff is in place and it’s not totally clear what scheme we’ll see the most this year."WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections #BITESIZEFilm RoomRoster Transactions and ContractsOrange & Black InsiderSalary Cap And CBABreaking NewsKeep track of the 2019 Bengals draft脳The Orange & Black InsiderAnalysisCoaching NewsWhat will the Bengals’ defensive scheme look like in 2019?New,29commentsCincinnati’s defensive staff is in place and it’s not totally clear what scheme we’ll see the most this year. ESTShareTweetShareShareWhat will the Bengals’ defensive scheme look like in 2019?Since the beginning of the Zac Taylor era in Cincinnati, the Bengals have flirted with a number of defensive coordinators with differing backgrounds. Some were 3-4 guys, while others were part of 4-3-style defenses that have been a little different than those we’ve traditionally seen under Marvin Lewis. Lou Anarumo ended up getting the gig under Taylor and he doesn’t appear to be married to one particular look.Still, there is a fine line for Anarumo to walk here. Obviously, he needs to shake things up and replenish talent on a defensive unit that was at or near the bottom of every major statistical category for that side of the ball. And, the new talent has to obviously fit his vision. But, the Bengals do have some marquee players on that side of the ball, despite the struggles last year. Geno Atkins Nick Vigil Jersey , Carlos Dunlap, William Jackson, Jessie Bates and Shawn Williams all had outstanding seasons, in one form or another last year. Anarumo will undoubtedly look to play to that group’s respective strengths, as well.Aside from that part of the equation, the Bengals rounded out the rest of their defensive staff right before the NFL Combine. Tem Lukabu will head up the linebacker group, while Nick Eason will coach the defensive line. So, what should we expect the 2019 Anarumo defense to look like on a regular basis?A more effective unit than the one we saw under Teryl Austin notwithstanding, we had some thoughts about it on this week’s Orange and Black Insider. Co-host John Sheeran figured there will be at least some similarities to the traditional scheme seen under Lewis. “They’re going to be rushing four guys and dropping seven into coverage for 70% of the snaps,” Sheeran said. “Whether it’s with four down linemen or three down linemen for the 20 or so snaps when the team is in its ‘base packages’, I don’t think it’s changing that much. “Hopefully, they work on their scheme a little bit with their linebackers and put them in a better position to make plays—that would be the best jump,” he continued. “As for the front six or seven and how they’re going to attack it—I don’t think it’s going to change that much.”We both agreed that it is interesting how the assistants on staff have experience in 3-4 systems and that could cause a little bit more variety than what we’ve become accustomed to under Lewis. But, overall this defense will operate out of the “nickel formation” often. That nickel formation is what teams have largely had to adjust to in today’s NFL. More and more offenses have trotted out multiple pass-catching options in their schemes, causing defenses to put a premium on defenders who can get after the passer, as well as those who can cover in space. The latter plays to Anarumo’s coaching strengths Andy Dalton Jersey , as he just recently came from the Giants as their secondary coach. If Darqueze Dennard is retained in free agency, he’ll have five “starters” in the secondary who were previously drafted in rounds 1-3. The Dennard re-signing facet is one to keep an eye on this offseason, to be sure. If the Bengals do want to have three corners on the field in most packages, all three will need to be able-bodied guys in space. If Dennard chases a big payday and/or another opportunity elsewhere, the team may need to put cornerback on its draft priority list to fit Anarumo’s scheme.Also on this week’s show:Anarumo is officially the team’s defensive coordinator and he has added Eason and Lukabu to his staff. What do we make of the moves?John Ross was reported to be on the trading block, but those rumors were debunked by Taylor and Duke Tobin at the NFL Combine. Should we believe them?What are the pros and cons to trading Ross? Should the team even think about it?Which Bengals figureheads would you like to see a documentary on in the future?Could and should the Bengals try to trade for Josh Rosen?What will the Bengals’ defensive scheme look like in 2019?What is the most important game on the 2019 schedule?Our thanks to all of the live listeners and to those who submitted questions!If you’re unable to join us live for here at Cincy Jungle or YouTube every episode, all Orange and Black Insider content is available here on CJ, the Stitcher and Google Play Music apps, our YouTube channel, as well as through Megaphone and, as always, on iTunes! You can tweet us @BengalsOBI or get in touch with us via email at theobinsider@gmail.com. Thanks for listening and go subscribe to our channels!
