Who Dey notes: Bengals’ Andy Dalton not used to losing, rookies need playing time
By Emile Pierce
The madness that is mandatory minicamp has descended upon the Bengals. Andy Dalton isn’t comfortable with losing. Rookies need to shine.
The official start to Bengals football got underway, with the start of minicamp. Though one can look at the whole fiasco as stripped down football in boxers, it still has a purpose. It’s all about getting the questions answered and making sure the mindset is right for the 2017 season. After a laughable 6-9-1 season, being on the same wavelength is a mandatory issue. Heck, maybe Marvin Lewis & Co. should get into the sleep hypnosis procedures.
Andy Dalton gets it. The Bengals’ forgettable 2016 campaign has to be a learning experience. There can be no turning back to what made the team suffer its first sub .500 record since 2010.
"“It felt different. There’s something you can take from last year, and things to go back and look at to see what you could have done different,” Dalton explained, via Bengals.com. “This was what this whole offseason has been for, to see what was done well and what we didn’t do good. We need to get better at things we do well and really improve on things we didn’t do well on. This offseason has been good for us.”"
Simply put?
"“We need to get back to what we were doing and win when it matters.”"
The Bengals offseason was geared towards quietly making a change. There were no blockbuster moves. But, additions were made that signal a new direction. In essence, the Bengals got younger and faster. This edition of the Orange & Black could easily be one of the fastest teams in the league. With a faster pace comes added expectations of returning to the playoffs and moving beyond the first round.
Marv, Let ‘Em Play
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With the inconsistent play from Tyler Eifert, there has to be a stable addition to the Bengals’ tight end position. C.J. Uzomah is still not 100 percent and Tyler Kroft is making gains on the depth chart. Meanwhile, University of Buffalo product Mason Schreck (no, not that one Donkey) is looking good on the field also. Lewis gave his thoughts on the athletic Schreck and other standouts, after Day 1 of rookie minicamp.
"“I think they all stand out, I think Josh Malone did what we drafted him to do. I thought Mason (Schreck), our tight end from Buffalo, did a nice job today as a receiver — to me, he was in position to make some plays catching the ball one-on-one. That was good to see him do that.”"
Schreck isn’t going to unseat Ryan Hewitt, Kroft and Uzomah overnight. Things can change drastically from minicamp to training camp. But, Lewis has to ease his stance on seldom playing rookies. Two names come to mind. A.J. Green and Dalton of the now infamous Dalton-Green era. Both were rookies and made it to the Pro Bowl.
Next: Hurry, Hurry, Step Right Up!
Have some faith, Marvin. Get those youngsters on the field and watch them smoke the opposition. Remember Vontaze Burfict’s diss of Dak Prescott? Can you recall what Ezekiel Elliott and Prescott did to the Bengals? Case closed. Start the rookies, if necessary.