The Cincinnati Bengals started a brief minicamp this week before the big summer break.
Lessons abound, too. There were new faces in new places, like Jonathan Allen on the defensive line. Plus, some key position battles, such as in the slot.
Oh, and Joe Burrow made a few headlines.
Here are quick lessons and takeaways from the first day.
Bengals Day 1 minicamp takeaways and lessons
Josh Newton emerges
Cornerback Josh Newton has been under public scrutiny for not developing into the solution as a starter in the slot.
But Newton was out there getting reps early in the week.
He happened to intercept Burrow, too, as captured by WDTN’s Kayler Smith:
Not a bad way to get the ball rolling on taking over a starting spot.
Jonathan Allen salutes Joe Burrow
The Bengals brought on Jonathan Allen in free agency to be a veteran leader for the defense.
Allen, though? He sees plenty of big-time leadership in Burrow.
“You can tell when someone is trying to be a fake leader,” Allen told Dan Hoard of Bengals.com. “They’re trying to be a leader, but they don’t have natural leadership qualities.”
Allen capped it off with this comment: “Honestly, that’s why guys like me come here. To play with a guy like that and do whatever I can to help him get over the hump.”
Slot competition
No great shocker here: Jalen Davis and free-agent arrival Ja’Sir Taylor are in the mix in the slot, too. It’s an obvious weak point the Bengals didn’t address this offseason, but there’s going to be some interesting looks when it comes to working safeties there in certain packages, too.
Erick All making splashes
All the way back from an injury, tight end Erick All has been an early highlight machine from work with Burrow. The Bengals offense had a totally different dynamic when he was healthy and on the field, so the team’s hoping he can avoid the injury bug and keep the depth chart at the spot versatile.
No Dax Hill
According to CLNS Media’s Mike Petraglia, cornerback Dax Hill didn’t work in 7s to start the week. No word on why, but it’s something smaller to monitor, considering he’s a key boundary starter for the defense.
No Joe Burrow, no problem
Burrow missed a meeting, with the media session getting rescheduled for later in the week. It made some waves on social media, in part, because he got extra throwing time in with some of his weapons for about an hour after practice.
Not a big deal, but there it is.
This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: 6 quick lessons from Bengals’ first minicamp session
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Chris Roling, Bengals Wire | USA TODAY Network
