Tuesday afternoon practice notes

Tight end Bobby Blizzard has returned to training camp as of 6:45 tonight. He was taken from the field in an ambulance after sustaining a back injury during a live goal-line drill. ... University of Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson watched practice from the sideline. He was the guest of former UK teammate Glenn Holt, a Bengals wide receiver.

The Bengals were down to one fullback, Chris Manderino, because of injuries to starter Jeremi Johnson and Stan White (foot). ... Also not practicing were offensive lineman Scott Kooistra, wide receiver Antonio Chatman and safety Ethan Kilmer (knee).

Quarterback Carson Palmer walked up to the dining hall after practice with his left knee wrapped in ice. Just standard treatment, Palmer said.

TE Blizzard taken in ambulance

For the second day in a row, the Bengals had a backup tight end taken off the practice field in an ambulance.

Just minutes ago, Bobby Blizzard, a first-year NFL player from North Carolina, suffered a lower back injury during a live goal-line drill. He was face down on the grass for several minutes, but he was moving his legs, head and neck.

Blizzard appeared to get twisted on the edge of the pile and tossed back first on top of a couple of other players.

He was transported to Georgetown Community Hospital, Bengals public relations director Jack Brennan said. The injury was not to the spine or neck. It was a football injury to the lower back and might be serious, Brennan said.

On Monday, backup tight end Sean Mulcahy was removed from the field on a back board and taken to the University of Kentucky trauma center. He returned to camp Monday night to rest in his room. There was no update available Tuesday on his condition.

Afternoon practice begins

The Bengals are 10 minutes away from starting their only practice today at training camp in Georgetown, Ky. Players are in full pads for the third day in a row. More to come at the end of practice.

Bengals waive CB Brooks

The Bengals today waived cornerback Greg Brooks, a fourth-year player from Southern Mississippi. Brooks played in five games for the Bengals last season. He was on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list at the start of training camp.

Anderson: I owe a lot to Walsh

Former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, now Pittsburgh Steelers quarterbacks coach, fondly recalled his years of working with former Bengals assistant coach Bill Walsh. The Hall-of-Fame coach died Monday at age 75.

Anderson spoke with reporters at Steelers camp in Latrobe, Pa.

"When I first came into the league (1971) he was the first guy I worked with for about five years. He took a kid from Augustana College and made him into an NFL quarterback. I owe a lot to him. He’s obviously been a very important person in my life."

Did Walsh earn his genius label? "I think without question. To develop a style of offense that was successful in the early 1970s and well into the '90s, it showed the test of time what his offense did."

That's the West Coast Offense? "Yeah, that was his baby and was run effectively for a lot of years."

"He was just so important for so many people. You look at the quarterbacks who he touched, starting with Greg Cook, a No. 1 draft choice. And here the guy goes and leads the AFC in passing at that time. I followed (Cook), and it goes on to the Montanas and the Rices and he worked with Dan Fouts, who had a good year. ... I go back to the amount of hours he and I spent together early in my career, which was the basis for everything I know about playing quarterback."

Brown: Walsh was 'top coach'

Former Bengals assistant coach Bill Walsh, who led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl titles and turned the organization into one of the most dominant in sports, died today in Palo Alto, Calif.

He was 75 and had been diagnosed with leukemia.

Walsh was a Bengals assistant coach for eight seasons, from the team's inception and first season in 1968 through 1975. Paul Brown hired Bill Johnson as his replacement, not Walsh, and Walsh was hurt badly by the snub.

News of Walsh's death reached Bengals training camp this afternoon in Georgetown, Ky.

"Bill’s record speaks for itself. He was the top coach in the NFL during his time in San Francisco," Bengals president Mike Brown said today in a statement released by the team's public relations department. "During his ... years on our coaching staff, he brought imagination and ideas to the game. He was a tremendous part of our staff, and we were lucky to have him. He set a mark on the game that is admired by everyone, and he will be greatly missed."

In addition to his coaching innovations, Walsh also created the Minority Coaching Fellowship program in 1987. It later would become a league-wide initiative. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was among the program's early participants.

Walsh's 49ers twice defeated the Bengals in the Super Bowl, following the 1981 and 1988 seasons.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement today about Walsh's death.

"His Hall of Fame coaching accomplishments speak for themselves, but the essence of Bill Walsh was that he was an extraordinary teacher," Goodell said. "If you gave him a blackboard and a piece of chalk, he would become a whirlwind of wisdom. He taught all of us not only about football but also about life and how it takes teamwork for any of us to succeed as individuals. He helped the league on many important initiatives, from improving opportunities for minorities in coaching and the front office to our executive training and international development programs.

"Bill Walsh was a mentor to me and many others. He revolutionized the game with his West Coast Offense and will always be remembered as one of the most influential people in NFL history."

The following passages are from the San Francisco Chronicle's online obituary:

A master of using short, precisely timed passes to control the ball in what became known as the West Coast offense, he guided the team to three Super Bowl championships and six NFC West division titles in his 10 years as head coach.

In 1966 he took his first pro job with the Raiders and made the switch from defense to offense, coaching the backfield. Although John Rauch was the head coach, Walsh later called owner Al Davis one of his mentors. Another was Paul Brown, who was awarded an expansion franchise in Cincinnati and hired Walsh as quarterbacks and receivers coach for the first Bengals team in 1968.

Brown gave Walsh free rein to refine his sophisticated passing game, but when Brown retired in 1976, he named offensive line coach Bill Johnson as his successor. Had Brown named Walsh, it's conceivable that the Bengals, rather than the 49ers, would have been the Team of the '80s.

Walsh, who had turned down several promising jobs because he was sure he was Brown's heir apparent, was devastated. Miffed that "nobody would take me seriously," he considered leaving football. "It was beginning to look as if I would never make it as a head coach," he said.

Monday morning practice notes

Tight end Sean Mulcahy, who suffered a neck injury in practice this morning and was taken from the field via ambulance, has movement in all extremeties and is joking with nurses in the trauma unit at the University of Kentucky in Lexington. ... Quarterback Carson Palmer did not practice this morning, a pre-arranged period for him to workout with strength and conditioning coaches. The dropoff from Palmer to the team's backup quarterbacks is dramatic. Doug Johnson is No. 2.

The Bengals wore full pads again this morning for the second day in a row. An 11-on-11 team period at the end of the two-hour practice featured some live tackling. The focus of the session was to work on the run offense.

Wide receiver Bennie Brazell is catching everything thrown near him. Brazell beat rookie cornerback Leon Hall on a slant pattern this morning.

Besides Palmer, the following players did not practice: offensive lineman Scott Kooistra, safety Ethan Kilmer, defensive end Frostee Rucker and wide receiver Antonio Chatman.

Palmer rests; TE hurt

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Tight end Sean Mulcahy was injured this morning and taken from a practice field in an ambulance.

At the same time, quarterback Carson Palmer was not practicing. He was inside working out with strength and conditioning coaches in what was a pre-planned break from practice.

Emergency mecidal technicians placed Mulcahy on a backboard, immobilized him and did not remove his helmet. He was taken to the University of Kentucky trauma center, some 12 miles away.

Initial reports from the Bengals medical staff are encouraging, Bengals spokesman Jack Brennan said. Still, there is nothing definite.

Mulcahy is 6-feet-5, 260 pounds and a rookie free agent from UConn.

The Bengals are halfway through their morning practice.

Sunday afternoon practice notes

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- The Bengals held their first full-pads practice of training camp this afternoon.

A highlight of the first practice in pads is the Oklahoma drill. Safeties Chinedum Ndukwe and Herana-Daze Jones both shed blockers and brought down ballcarriers. Wide receiver Skyler Jones lost his helmet but fended off cornerback Leon Hall.

"I'm a pro at that drill," said Jones, a backup safety.

The drill is met with great enthusiasm by players and coaches alike. In the final match, linebacker Eric Henderson threw off wide receiver Chad Johnson.

Missing practice, in addition to players who've yet to be cleared medically, were: defensive end Frostee Rucker (leg), safety Ethan Kilmer (left knee) and wide receivers Antonio Chatman (hamstring) and Chris Henry (unknown).

The afternoon was the hottest and most humid so far in four camp practices.

Several players, including backup running back Quincy Wilson, took post-practice dips in ice tubs outside the locker room.

Players and coaches are wearing workout camp shirts with various mottos emblazoned on them. One reads, "Finish." Another, "Play fast."

Agent: Hall signs for 5

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Cornerback Leon Hall has arrived at training camp late this afternoon to sign a five-year contract, agent Doug Hendrickson said.

The deal is for $13.6 million in maximum value with $8.2 million in guaranteed money.

"Leon is very excited about getting to camp and helping the Bengals this year," Hendrickson said in an e-mail to The Enquirer.

The first-round draft pick from Michigan, the last of seven picks to agree to terms, is expected to practice at 7 p.m. and talk with reporters afterward.

Hall will have missed just two training camp practices.

"We’re excited to have Leon here, and I compliment our management and his representatives for getting the contract finished,” head coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement released by the Bengals a few minutes after 6 p.m. "Now it’s time for Leon to take advantage of a great opportunity and make us a better football team."

Hall said coaches eased him in during practice. He was clearly relieved to be signed and in camp.

"I just want to come in here and not lose a step. I want to get in shape for the season," Hall said after practice tonight. "Consistency is my thing, it's what I've prided myself on."

During his holdout, Hall talked to a couple of his teammates. He wanted to be in camp. He did not go on a honeymoon following his wedding July 14 in Detroit.

"We went to Georgetown," he said.

According to the Bengals PR staff, Hall, a consensus 2006 All-American, earned elite grades for both coverage and run support during a 50-game career with one of the nation’s top college programs.

He did set a Michigan career record for passes defensed (43) and ranks tied for fourth in school history with 12 interceptions.

Saturday morning practice notes

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- The Bengals held their second training camp practice from 9-11 this morning in a light, misty rain. ... Safety Marvin White, the rookie fourth-round draft pick who signed a four-year contract Friday, was at practice. He worked into the defensive rotation in the secondary and spent time working as a gunner on punt coverage -- a position he said he played in college. He also said he was glad to have the contract part of rookie life behind him.

Wide receiver Antonio Chatman did not practice this morning after pulling up with a hamstring strain in practice Friday. ... Right tackle Willie Anderson said he could not disclose the ailment, lingering from last season, that finds him unable to practice. ... Rookie running back Kenny Irons stayed on the field after practice with position coach Jim Anderson. They were working on Irons' footwork and handling of pitches to the left. "He wants to be good," Anderson said of Irons.

Wide receiver Chad Johnson and cornerback Deltha O'Neal continue to engage in a highly enteraining personal battle within the offense-defense 11-on-11 periods. O'Neal appears to be interested, at least at this point, of reverting to his 2005 form when he tied for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions. ... The other player the defense needs to have, middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks, continues to impress. He had what would have been a sack on a blitz and blew up a running play to the left by beating his blocker to the hole. Brooks has the opportunity to be a great NFL player.

Cornerback Leon Hall, the first-round pick, remains the only unsigned player. ... The Bengals will practice from 7-9 tonight.

Practice notes for Friday

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Rookie safety Marvin White, the Bengals' fourth-round pick, is believed to have agreed to terms on a four-year contract, ending his one-practice holdout. First-round pick Leon Hall, a cornerback, would be the lone holdout of the seven draft picks.

The Bengals started their practice about 15 minutes early and ended about 15 minutes early, running from 2:45 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. -- to avoid a heavy rain storm that blew into the area from the north-west. ... Wide receiver Antonio Chatman, who missed almost all of the 2006 season with a groin injury, pulled up on a play with what was described as a strain. ... Offensive lineman Adam Kieft, who has not practiced since suffering a serious knee injury in the 2005 mock game, practiced today for the first time in almost two years.

Quarterback Carson Palmer looked sharp in his first training camp practice. He and Chad Johnson looked especially to be in sync. ... Tailback Rudi Johnson appears to have lost a couple of more pounds and reduced his body fat percentage even further. ... Middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks said after practice that being a starting middle linebacker in the NFL is his boyhood dream and that he is ready and able to start and play 16 games.

Lewis: Palmer evolving, maturing

Marvin Lewis, at his news conference, was asked what he expects from quarterback Carson Palmer in Palmer's fifth season.

Lewis said: "We've seen Carson really mature and evolve into not only the talented player he is but a leader, and wanting to know how everybody else is doing and touching bases with other guys. You know, the responsiblity of, when those guys in California, when he's home for a couple weeks, getting together with them.

"So we've seen him grow a lot. We've seen him grow. Carson is so down-to-earth, you used to think it was almost an act, and he's never changed. He is what he is. That is part of his makeup, and it probably always has been. He's so unflappable. I think in the calmest times, he can focus in and see right through the eye of that storm and I think that's a great quality he has.

"And I think everybody around him, they feel the confidence that kind of oozes out of him and it makes them feel good about things. He's talented, he's extremely smart, he's a very, very hard worker and he's a great example and a good leader for the football team."

Nine players on active PUP

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Bengals coach Marvin Lewis just announced that nine players have been placed on the active PUP (physically unable to perform) list.

They are: cornerback Blue Adams (neck), right tackle Willie Anderson (wear and tear), cornerback Greg Brooks (unknown), fullback Jeremi Johnson (unknown), left tackle Levi Jones (knee), cornerback Johnathan Joseph (foot), offensive lineman Nate Livings (unknown), running back Chris Perry (ankle, shin) and linebacker David Pollack (neck).

They will not practice until "we deem them ready," Lewis said.

Adams, Anderson, Johnson, Jones, Joseph and Livings are expected back within a week or two, Lewis said.

"We've had good reports on Levi," Lewis said. "Johnathan is on schedule."

Joseph had surgery in South Carolina on a fractured foot suffered during the mandatory minicamp June 2.

Also this afternoon, Lewis said contracts for unsigned rookie draft picks Leon Hall and Marvin White are "imminent. ... Both guys will be here in short order. There's not much manuevering that can be done."

Still, they will miss the first practice, at 3 p.m. today.

Day 1 comes to an end

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- An eventful day is coming to a close at Bengals training camp. And the team has not even practiced.

Meetings appear to be breaking up about now.

The news of the day was the NFL denial of Odell Thurman's reinstatement application. The Bengals linebacker remains suspended until the end of the 2007 season, when he can re-apply.

Readers have asked for my opinion. I'm not a columnist. I'm a beat reporter.

But, since you asked: I find NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's decision consistent with his get-tough policy on players who get in trouble off the field. I can't believe Goodell would act without counsel from experts who oversee the substance abuse policy or outside strict policy guidelines.

Somewhere, somehow, I think, Thurman either did something he was not supposed to do or failed to meet a requirement. I agree with the take offered today by Bengals wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who was on a player's advisory board convened in February by Goodell to seek input on his new personal conduct policy.

It's disappointing, though, for Thurman. By all accounts, he has worked hard to combat his demon, alcoholism. He went through in-patient and intensive out-patient treatment. I was impressed when I learned that Thurman had been working construction in his native Monticello, Ga., to support his family in the offseason.

Goodell has undertaken a big job, reigning in off-field misbehavior by dozens of NFL players and attempting to clean up the league's image.

Still, regardless of whether Thurman, Michael Vick, Adam "Pacman" Jones, Tank Johnson or even Chris Henry, for that matter, play another snap in the NFL, the league will go on as the most popular sports enterprise in the country. The product is more popular than ever and immensely larger than even one superstar, Vick.

A memory of Skip Prosser

My work in the Sports Department at The Enquirer did not bring me in contact with former Xavier basketball coach Skip Prosser. The Wake Forest coach died today after he collapsed while jogging in North Carolina.

But as a features writer in The Enquirer's Tempo section in the late 1990s, I once wrote an appreciation of my boyhood hero, former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Roberto Clemente. I wrote about my captivation as a boy with Clemente's style of play. I was 9 when I saw Clemente play on TV during the 1971 World Series against Baltimore.

A little more than a year later, Clemente would die aboard an overloaded cargo plane flying relief supplies from his native Puerto Rico to earthquake-ravaged Nicaragua on New Year's Eve 1972.

I wrote how Clemente remained a hero through the lense of an adult, about my only one besides my father.

I received a hand-written note from Prosser after the story was published. He said he had grown up in Pittsburgh as a Clemente fan and also still admired the late outfielder and humanitarian.

In 23 years of daily newspaper work, I have received a ton of mail, a lot of it critical, some kind. Among the few notes I've saved is the one from Prosser.

RB Irons signs four-year deal

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Running back Kenny Irons, the Bengals' second-round draft pick, signed a four-year contract early tonight at the team's Georgetown College training camp. He is expected to practice Friday at 3 p.m.

A deal is reportedly almost done for fourth-round pick Marvin White, a safety, and he is expected to arrive in time to practice, as well.

That would leave only first-round pick Leon Hall unsigned. Agent Doug Hendrickson said in an e-mail to The Enquirer that he is optimistic a contract can be in place to ensure the cornerback also practices Friday.

Players react to Thurman news

The NFL this morning denied the reinstatement application of Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman, who was hoping to return to the field after serving a year-long suspension for violating the league substance abuse policy.

-- Quarterback Carson Palmer: "It's tough. He was a great player for us a couple of years ago He's a good kid that just made some bad decisions. You hope the best for him and hope he can get back on this team or another team and just hope he can stay out of trouble and learn from his mistakes and move on."

-- Wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh: "It kind of shocked me. It's like the commissioner's being mean. I don't know. It would have to be something to the effect that Odell did something we don't know about. It would have to be because Odell didn't meet all the requirements."

-- Left tackle Levi Jones: "That's extremely unfortunate, and that's going to hurt our team a lot. I don't know how much coaches were looking at him coming in and contributing, but personally I know all his attributes and all the things he has on the field. It is definitely something we could have used."

-- Defensive end Justin Smith: "It could have hurt us a little bit (missing Thurman in 2006). Odell was definitely a big play-maker, things like that. But we have to have everybody step up. I think Ahmad's (Brooks) up to that challenge."

Hall's agent optimistic

Agent Doug Hendrickson of Octagon Sports, which represents Bengals first-round pick Leon Hall, just replied to an e-mail question asking how talks were going on a contract and whether the cornerback would miss any time.

Hendrickson writes: "We are working hard to try to get something done. We hope to have him in by tomorrow, but that will depend on how things go."

NFL says no to Thurman

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- The Bengals announced this morning that Odell Thurman's application for reinstatement was denied by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Thurman can apply again for reinstatement after the the 2007 season.

He was suspended for one year following a DUI arrest on Sept. 25, which was his third violation of the league's substance abuse policy.

Bengals players are reporting today to training camp at Georgetown College. The deadline for reporting is 3 p.m.

Thurman was not listed with the 11 linebackers on the team's first depth chart, released Tuesday in the 2007 Bengals media guide.

The announcement comes as a surprise. People in Thurman's camp were optimistic.

A phone message left for Safarrah Lawson, Thurman's Atlanta-based representative, was not immediately returned this morning.

“He has done everything he was supposed to,” Lawson, told The Enquirer last week. Thurman's third violation of the NFL substance abuse policy mandated the one-year suspension.

The linebacker completed a four-month alcohol rehabilitation stay in April in South Carolina and a subsequent one-month out-patient program.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis was not available for comment this morning but had left open the door for Thurman’s return to the team.Lewis had been in contact with Thurman through his rehab. Lewis, linebackers coach Ricky Hunley and assistant strength and conditioning coach Ray Oliver all visited Thurman in South Carolina.

Thurman started 15 games and played in all 16 as a rookie at middle linebacker in 2005, leading the defense with 148 tackles.

The Bengals drafted Ahmad Brooks in the supplemental draft a year ago, and after an up-and-down rookie season, Brooks had an impressive offseason and staked claim to the starting job in the middle.

Thurman, who still has three years remaining on his rookie contract, could have a future as an outside linebacker if he is reinstated after the season.Thurman had a minor scrape with the law in June in his hometown of Monticello, Ga., and it is unclear at this time whether the incident played into Goodell's decision to deny Thurman's application.

Two Monticello men filed a pre-warrant hearing application following an alleged altercation at a house party overnight June 2 and 3.But the two men who made the complaint against Thurman withdrew it late the day before a magistrate in Jasper County, Ga., was scheduled to hear it.

No criminal charges were ever filed.

Two men alleged in the complaint that Thurman had committed acts of criminal trespass, aggravated assault and pointing a gun in the early morning hours Sunday at a house party in Monticello.

Agent: Santucci deal for four years

Agent Ralph Cindrich confirmed to The Enquirer late this afternoon that offensive lineman Dan Santucci, the Bengals' first of two seventh-round draft picks, has agreed to terms on a four-year contract and will report Thursday in time for the start of training camp.

Agent: Four-year deal for DT Toeaina

Defensive tackle Matt Toeaina, the Bengals' sixth-round pick from Oregon, has agreed to terms on a four-year contract today, agent Angelo Wright said this afternoon.

Toeaina will report on time to training camp Thursday. He is expected to compete for playing time in the rotation at defensive tackle.

The delay appeared to be a dispute between Wright and the Bengals over incentives and escalators tied to playing time.

Irons might miss start of camp

Fletcher Smith, agent for running back Kenny Irons, the Bengals second-round draft pick, said negotiations are ongoing with the team.

Asked minutes ago if he anticipated whether Irons would sign in time to make the start of training camp, Smith said, "Not sure. Hope so. We'll see what happens."

Since the Bengals signed safety Lamont Thompson on time in 2002, only one second-round pick, offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth in 2006, signed on time to avoid missing a practice.

Between 2003 and 2005, the Bengals drafted offensive lineman Eric Steinbach, defensive backs Keiwan Ratliff and Madieu Williams and linebacker Odell Thurman in the second rounds.

Details on a contract for safety Chinedum Ndukwe are expected to be completed tonight, in time for the seventh-round pick to report on time Thursday.

Thurman agent: Not a word

Safarrah Lawson, the Atlanta-based agent for Odell Thurman, said at 2:15 p.m. today that neither he nor the linebacker have heard from the NFL about his application for reinstatement.

"Not a word," Lawson said.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, seemingly preoccupied with the Michael Vick and retired players' health crisis, is expected to call Bengals team president Mike Brown and head coach Marvin Lewis to tell them first of his decision on Thurman. The NFL told the Bengals it does not know when it would make its decision on Thurman.

Thurman is not listed on the Bengals' depth chart published in the 2007 media guide. Eleven other linebackers, including David Pollack, who will not play in 2007, are listed on the depth chart.

Also this afternoon, the team-owned Web site lists that offensive lineman Dan Santucci, the first of two Bengals' seventh-round draft picks, has agreed to terms on a four-year contract. A message to agent Ralph Cindrich has not been returned. Many player agents with Bengals clients say Bengals management requests they not speak to reporters about on-going negotiations.

Earlier today, the Bengals public relations staff said it would have no information about draft pick contracts until Thursday when the club relocated to Georgetown College for the start of training camp.

No rookie contracts today

The Bengals expect to announce the contracts of their rookie draft picks -- at least some of them -- Thursday at Georgetown, Ky. Players report Thursday to training camp. The first practice is Friday at 3 p.m. No annoucements on contracts are expected today.

Also, as of 10:30 a.m. today, the club had not heard from the NFL about Odell Thurman's application for reinstatement.

Depth chart released

The Bengals released their first depth chart of the 2007 season Tuesday at their pre-training camp luncheon.

As a disclaimer, head coach Marvin Lewis, though he puts the depth chart together with the club's media relations department, puts little stock in it.

Still, it provides a early glimpse at how the team might line up. Starters are listed first at each position in bold-face type, followed by the top backup, third-string player, etc.:

OFFENSE
WR: Chad Johnson, Tab Perry, Glenn Holt, Bennie Brazell, Tony Kays
LOT: Levi Jones, Andrew Whitworth, Adam Kieft, Alan Reuber
LG: Stacy Andrews, Andrew Whitworth, Harrison Nikolap
C: Eric Ghiaciuc, Alex Stepanovich, Dan Santucci
RG: Bobbie Williams, Nate Livings
ROT: Willie Anderson, Scott Kooistra, Dane Uperesa, Elliot Seifert
TE: Reggie Kelly, Tim Day, Daniel Coats, Sean Mulcahy, Bobby Blizzard, Brad St. Louis
WR: T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Antonio Chatman, Reggie McNeal, Skyler Green, Jesse Holley, Chris Henry (suspended first eight games)
QB: Carson Palmer, Doug Johnson, Jeff Rowe, Jeff Smith
HB: Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Kenny Irons, Quincy Wilson, Dan Burks, Chris Perry (injured)
FB: Jeremi Johnson, Chris Manderino, Stan White

DEFENSE
LDE: Bryan Robinson, Frostee Rucker, Jonathan Fanene, Bryan Andrews
LDT: Domata Peko, Michael Myers
RDT: John Thornton, Kenderick Allen, Matt Toeaina
RDE: Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Xzavie Jackson, Jimmy Verdon
SLB: Rashad Jeanty, Andre Frazier, Eric Henderson, Earl Everett, David Pollack (will not play in 2007)
MLB: Ahmad Brooks, Caleb Miller, Matt Muncy
WLB: Landon Johnson, Edgerton Hartwell, Cameron Siskowic
LCB: Deltha O'Neal, Leon Hall, Blue Adams, Brandon Williams
RCB: Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, Greg Brooks, T.J. Wright
SS: Dexter Jackson, Marvin White, John Busing, Chinedum Ndukwe
FS: Madieu Williams, Herana-Daze Jones, Ethan Kilmer

SPECIAL TEAMS
P: Kyle Larson
K: Shayne Graham
KO: Shayne Graham
PR: Antonio Chatman, Skyler Freen, Keiwan Ratliff
KOR: Antonio Chatman, Glenn Holt, Skyler Green, Kenny Irons
LS: Brad St. Louis, Eric Ghiaciuc, Justin Smith
H: Kyle Larson

Team holds pre-camp luncheon

The Bengals have yet to hear from the NFL on whether linebacker Odell Thurman has been or will be reinstated, coach Marvin Lewis and team president Mike Brown said this afternoon.

Speaking at the Bengals’ annual pre-training camp luncheon at Paul Brown Stadium, Lewis, when asked about Thurman, said, "I have no idea, nor do I lose sleep or thought over it."

Brown said he hoped Thurman would be reinstated and said the linebacker was a good player who could help the team.

Players will report Thursday to Georgetown College near Lexington for the start of camp. The first practice will begin at 3 p.m. Friday.

Two projected starters nursing injuries are left tackle Levi Jones (knee) and cornerback Johnathan Joseph (foot).

Lewis, typically, did not want to discuss injuries but said, “Our health status is good. We’ll have more updates on Friday (after players take their physicals). Both of the guys you mentioned are mending well.”

Jones’ iffy status affected the initial depth chart, published in the team’s 2007 media guide.

In it, Stacy Andrews is listed as the pre-camp starter at left guard – a position opened by the free agency departure of Eric Steinbach to the Cleveland Browns.

Andrew Whitworth is expected to battle Andrews for the job at left guard, but Whitworth – who started 10 games at left tackle as a rookie in place of the injured Jones – might be forced to play left tackle again, depending on Jones’ health.

Also on the media guide depth chart, Rashad Jeanty, Ahmad Brooks and Landon Johnson are listed as the starting trio of linebackers.

Antonio Chatman is the No. 1 kickoff and punt return man.

Lewis said he was “eager,” not anxious for the season to start.

“We have a very, very fine football team, centered on (quarterback Carson Palmer),” Lewis said.

He also said the team does not anticipate any problems signing its seven draft picks, none of whom have yet to agree to contract terms.

The three coordinators – Chuck Bresnahan (defense), Bob Bratkowski (offense) and Darrin Simmons (special teams) – also were on hand at the luncheon.

Bratkowski said the offense needs to play more consistently well and play its best – not fade – at the end of the season.

Simmons said he has several key spots to fill in the kicking game because of the departure of solid veterans via free agency and listed safeties Ethan Kilmer and John Busing and linebackers Andre Frazier and Eric Henderson as players who could win those jobs.

Bresnahan said the defense will look to return to leading the NFL in takeaways, which it did in 2005 with 44. He also said the challenge for coaches is to allow the defense to “play fast” and “keep it simple.”

Bresnahan, in a series of media interviews, offered the benediction for the day.

“It’s our time,” he said. “Everybody knows what’s at stake.”

Also this afternoon, the Bengals presented Sycamore High School football coach Scott Datillo with the Paul Brown Excellence in Coaching Award. Datillo led the Aviators to a 10-2 record in his first season at the school.

The Bengals presented him with a plaque and a $5,000 check for the Sycamore High School athletic department.

Thurman call now unlikely today

Reversing field on an earlier possibility that the NFL would announce its decision whether to reinstate Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman today, it now appears like that move will wait until Tuesday or Wednesday.

"Nothing to report on Odell," a league spokesman wrote this afternoon in an e-mail.

Thurman applied for reinstatement early last month from his year-long suspension for a third violation of the NFL substance abuse policy. He previously had been suspended for a second violation, and his third offense was a DUI on Sept. 25.

The Bengals might wait to announce Thurman's reinstatement at their annual pre-training camp luncheon Tuesday over the noon hour at Paul Brown Stadium. A decision is expected to come from the league in time for Thurman -- should he be reinstated -- to report on time to training camp Thursday. The Bengals' first practice is 3 p.m. Friday.

AP: Steelers sign LB Timmons

PITTSBURGH (AP) Outside linebacker Lawrence Timmons, the No. 15 pick in the NFL draft, agreed Sunday with the Pittsburgh Steelers on a five-year contract that could be worth as much as $15 million and guarantees him $8,053,000 in bonus money. Timmons became only the third first-round pick in the April draft to reach terms and the first in the upper half of the draft. Previously, the only first-rounders under contract were 49ers offensive tackle Joe Staley (No. 28) and Bears tight end Greg Olsen (No. 31).

Cornerback Leon Hall, the Bengals' first-round pick, was the 18th overall pick. As more players around Hall sign, it will help the Bengals and Hall's agent, Doug Hendrickson, begin to slot Hall's contract.

Thurman decision today?

Though agent Safarrah Lawson said just minutes ago that he has heard nothing from the league about the possible resinstatement of client Odell Thurman -- "The silence has been deafening," Lawson said -- sources inside the Bengals organization anticipate that today could be the day when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sends word of his decision. It would start with a call from the commissioner to team president Mike Brown and coach Marvin Lewis.

Also, the club expects to announce no signings today of any of its draft picks.

Players report Thursday.

The first training camp practice is Friday at 3 p.m.

Camp preview Sunday

The Enquirer will have a full-page preview of Bengals training camp 2007 in the Sunday Sports section. Look for players to watch, who's on the hot seat and what will make for a successful or unsuccessful camp, plus a full practice and special events schedule for fans. Also, the NFL insider column returns for a new season.

Also, I will be a guest on "Sports of All Sorts" Sunday night on WCPO-TV (Channel 9) to discuss what to look for at Bengals camp with host John Popovich. "SOAS" airs after the 11 o'clock news.

Farewell to a respected colleague

Bear (pardon the pun) with me.

Back in the dark ages, the 1970s, when January and February were unbearably cold out in the Corn Belt of northern Illinois, winter Sundays were brightened by The Chicago Tribune. Before cable television -- my parents did not own a television for a long time -- and the Internet and video games, my family passed time with the newspapers and the radio.

The Tribune Sports section was my favorite. I already was a huge White Sox fan. I liked the Bulls and Bears a lot, too.

Two of my favorite sports writers of the era were Jerome Holtzman and Don Pierson. Holtzman had emerged as a primary voice covering Major League Baseball, and Pierson worked the NFL/Bears beat.

When I covered baseball in Chicago for Gannett News Service, I was fortunate to meet Holtzman. He was inducted into the writer's wing on the baseball hall of fame in summer 1990. He always dressed up and carried himself as the ultimate professional. I marveled at Holtzman's crisp white dress shirts and braces. He looked sharp.

I did not meet Pierson until I took the Bengals beat for The Enquirer in 2000. I grew up reading him, and I'm sure I embarrassed him when I talked with him the first time about enjoying his column when I was, well, 12.

Pierson became a trusted mentor, someone I went to every now and then for advice. It wasn't often. But when I asked, he always provided a thoughtful response or a productive lead. I found out he spent part of his boyhood in Milford, Ohio.

Word came in the past couple of days through our newspaper pro football writers' network that Pierson was retiring after 40 years covering the Bears and NFL for The Tribune.

I don't think I am breaking a confidence, but here is Pierson's farewell note on our network this week.

"This is my last contribution to the network. ... I'm out of here. I looked it up, and I've been working this job 40 years, plenty long enough, thank you. It's been a pleasure, boys and girls, but I hear the recess bell. Thanks for your help, Don Pierson."

I've worked in daily newspapers -- four of them -- for the 23 years since I graduated from Miami. I wonder what newspapers might look like in 17 years, when, and if, I reach 40 years in the business. I can't imagine 40 years at one newspaper doing one job.

Don Pierson did it with an elegance. Thanks, Don, for the lessons and the many good reads that stretch back to a living-room floor in a small Illinois town.

Is Lewis on hot seat?

A newspaper colleague from another NFL city sent an e-mail asking if I thought Marvin Lewis was on the "hot seat" this season.

In a way, he is, but Lewis' personal standards and goals for his team are the reason the chair is warm. Lewis put himself there during the scouting combine after the Bengals lost their last three in a row to miss the playoffs. From this vantage point, Lewis does not appear to be in any trouble with Bengals management, including team president Mike Brown.

I wrote to my newspaper colleague: "Marvin is safe, even at 7-9. The organization is in much better shape than it was before Marvin's arrival. Mike knows he has a coach, a very good coach, that he can work with. Marvin is very diplomatic. He shows Mike why they need change. He doesn't demand and say it's my way or else. Brown and Lewis seem to have an outstanding working relationship; at least they both say so publicly.

"Mike knows he has a good thing, and Marvin is hugely popular in the city and among fans. Marvin signed an extension after 2005 (playoff season) that runs through 2010. There's no way Mike will fire him or let him go. Marvin is a loyal man, and after so many close calls with jobs (Tampa Bay) he appreciates that Mike Brown was the one who hired him and gave him a chance. It's the mentality of a man (Marvin) who grew up with a father who worked in the steel mills.

"I also think the schedule is better for them this season and that they might be able to rebound to 10-11 wins again.

"The Bengals are not that far away from a very good season."

NFL: Porter will be fined

NFL Network -- which, by the way, is owned and operated by the NFL -- has said that the NFL will fine Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter the equivalent of three game checks for assaulting Bengals left tackle Levi Jones in a Las Vegas casino this past offseason. Porter pleaded no contest to a battery charge, the NFL's cable TV channel said.

The NFL channel said Porter will not be suspended and that his fine will likely be more than $141,000.

Jones has not yet been cleared medically to start training camp following offseason knee surgery.

UPDATE: The Dolphins won't punish linebacker Joey Porter for his Las Vegas altercation after the NFL fined him $141,176, The Miami Herald reported Saturday, July 21.

Team waives TE Ronnie Ghent

The Bengals this afternoon announced they have waived tight end Ronnie Ghent. The former Louisville player spent the 2006 season on the team's practice squad before being moved to the injured reserve list with a foot injury suffered Oct. 25 in practice.

He had no statistics.

Tight end remains a big question mark with training camp opening next week.

Reggie Kelly, who re-signed for three years as a free agent in March, remains the clear starter. But after losing backup Tony Stewart to the Raiders in free agency, the Bengals have no clear No. 2 tight end.

The possibility strongly exists that the Bengals will move to pick up a veteran tight end once other NFL teams begin trimming rosters in August.

The top remaining two tight ends on the roster appear to be Tim Day and Bobby Blizzard.

The Bengals signed Blizzard to a one-year deal June 27. He was a free agent who had played for the Cologne Centurions of NFL Europa this year. He is listed as a first-year player.

Blizzard , at 6-foot 4, 255 pounds, led the Centurions this season in receptions (38), receiving yardage (494) and touchdowns (six).

Blizzard’s most recent NFL activity was at Baltimore, where he spent the last three games of 2005 on the Ravens practice squad. He also spent the entire 2004 season on Arizona’s practice squad. He originally signed with Pittsburgh as a college free agent out of North Carolina in 2004.

Day, who is 6-3, 255 pounds, was a rookie in 2006. He spent the final nine weeks of the 2006 season on the Cincinnati practice squad after spending the first part of the season on the Philadelphia practice squad. Day played in 49 games for the University of Oregon in a three-year career with the Ducks.

League: No Thurman announcement today

The NFL office just returned my call regarding any possible decision on the possible reinstatement of Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman and said there would not be an announcement today.

A reader just emailed and asked if I thought Thurman would be in uniform this season. I said yes.

By all accounts, his alcohol rehabilitation went well and he has complied with all requirements. I would expect him to be reinstated in time to report to training camp two weeks from today and participate fully when practice starts July 27.

Thurman has been working out, and he weighs 238 pounds, just two pounds more than his listed playing weight.

He remains under contract for the next three seasons, at original contract base salaries of $406,250, $478,750 and $551,250 -- all of which will be slightly higher to meet NFL minimum salaries adjusted during March 2006 when the collective bargaining agreement was restructured and extended.

Lewis doesn't look for Pollack to play in 2007

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told The Enquirer this week that he does not expect linebacker David Pollack to play football this season.

Even if Pollack were to resume his pro football career in the future, he will need the additional time to strengthen and rebuild his body. Pollack was incapacitated for several months after suffering a fractured C-6 vertebrae during the second game of the Bengals' 2006 season.

Pollack wore a protective halo device to stabilize his neck and underwent surgery.

Lewis said the Bengals would likely make an official statement about theirs and Pollack's plans and decision regarding the 2007 season once training camp opens later this month.

Look for Thurman re-instatement soon

Hello from vacationland, otherwise known as College Hill.

The latest on the Bengals is very little.

Announcement from the NFL on the likely re-instatement of Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman won't be coming today. It could come Thursday or Friday. If Thurman has indeed successfully completed alcohol rehabilitation and resolved to live -- as he said last month in a Hamilton County courtroom -- with his family and faith at the center of his life, good for him. He's an engaging young guy who, hopefully, will make the most of another chance at a professional footbal career.

Also today, word from the Bengals is not to expect any rookie draft picks to sign before the weekend. Those contracts, especially with the later-round picks, should start trickling in next week.