The Bengals started practicing today, and some notable names were absent. Carlos Dunlap was the big surprise, but there were a couple of others, too.
As the Bengals start preparing for a short week, the toll of Week 1 has already set in. Going into the opener, the team had shockingly few injuries – only Cody Core, who was likely to be inactive anyway, was still nursing an injury. Now, there are a few more injured Bengals as the short week begins.
The most notable names are on the “did not practice” list. Both Carlos Dunlap and Preston Brown did not participate in the walkthrough today. Brown, who is dealing with an ankle injury, will be questionable for the Thursday game against the Ravens. However, Dunlap’s absence comes as a surprise. He did not seem to suffer any injuries against the Colts – hopefully, his DNP is just a precaution. With both players, the signs are still pointing up.
On the limited participation list are some important names as well. Not surprisingly, Cody Core is still limited, and he will likely be inactive again. Two other guys, though, are Clint Boling and Darqueze Dennard. Boling is dealing with a foot injury, which could be troublesome for a bigger player like him. Since he’s practicing already, that’s a good sign. Also, if he were to sit, that would give Christian Westerman a chance to prove himself.
Dennard shouldn’t be a concern either. Still playing as the third corner, the team needs him healthy because of the lack of depth behind him. The drop off from him to Tony McRae is substantial. Fortunately, top corner William Jackson is a full participant in practice, which means he should be good to go for Thursday. He will draw the task of locking down touchdown machine Michael Crabtree.
The last name listed is Tyler Eifert, who is also a full participant. He played on a pitch count versus the Colts and only recorded three targets, but he stayed healthy and broke a big play early. The Bengals need him healthy, so look for this limited usage throughout the year, in an effort to preserve him.