It’s nothing but praise for Cincinnati Bengals first-round pick Shemar Stewart coming out of the team’s preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
While Stewart wasn’t perfect by any means in his pro debut, the fact he played all over the line and got in on some tackles already were good signs.
One of the guys impressed? Bengals free-agent signing T.J. Slaton.
“I’ve said it before. He’s unusually strong,” Slaton said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “He’s a natural athlete, good awareness to the game. He just has to get the small details down. I feel he’ll be a hell of a player.”
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Slaton also kept it measured, though, per Hobson: “We just want to know if he can cover. You praise him when he does well, but you’ve also got to give him some crap.”
All jokes aside, it’s hard to imagine Stewart drops into coverage often. That was part of Sam Hubbard’s usage every now and then, but so too was kicking all over the line and helping against the run, not just rushing the passer.
Still, if Slaton is impressed and already providing pressure to see Stewart get even better, the rookie appears to be in good hands, especially with Trey Hendrickson keeping an eye on him, too.
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This article originally appeared on Bengals Wire: Bengals’ free-agent signing has big Shemar Stewart praise, too
Reporting by Chris Roling, Bengals Wire / Bengals Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
