Training camp observations: Cincinnati Bengals defense is heating up

Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Joseph Ossai flew around the edge on one play during practice on Wednesday, pressuring the quarterback just as he finished his drop back.

On Tuesday, as backup quarterback Jake Browning had his shakiest practice of training camp, he was constantly sped up in the pocket by the power and the speed on the Bengals’ defensive line, particularly coming from the edge.

Even though Pro Bowl defensive end Trey Hendrickson didn’t participate in 11 on 11 drills on Tuesday, the Bengals’ defensive line took over the Bengals’ first padded practice of the year.

“There’s a ton of speed, and there’s a ton of power,” Bengals left guard Cordell Volson said. “It’s a really good mix of different types of moves. It’s a very deep defensive line room with a lot of veteran presences. That makes a big difference. Every time you go against DJ Reader, he’s one of the best at what he does. Every single guy has a different repertoire of moves, and you have to be prepared.”

The Bengals offense ran more screens and more quick game throws on Tuesday but the first-team and second-team defensive line still smothered the Bengals’ offense. Browning and quarterback Trevor Siemian struggled finding their timing in the pocket, and they both made off-balanced throws with defenders in their faces that resulted in incompletions.

“Our speed is showing up a lot,” Bengals defensive tackle Zach Carter said. “I see Myles Murphy flying by. Cam Sample and Ossai. Jeff Gunter. It’s crazy.”

Ossai looks poised for an even bigger role than he had in 2022. Defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is looking for more ways to get Ossai on the field. Ossai’s production took off in the second half of last season because of his speed. Ossai has added strength and power and refined his technique.

On Tuesday, Ossai had wins against Orlando Brown Jr. and Jonah Williams, and he was the most impactful defensive linemen of the practice. He’s getting a ton of training camp snaps, and he looks poised for a breakout year.

Myles Murphy is the best athlete in the group, and the “oomph” that he creates when he makes contact with an offensive lineman is the loudest on the Bengals. He’s working on improving the way he uses his hands and his plan for positioning himself around offensive linemen in different situations.

Carter has bulked up more than anyone on the Bengals and has transformed himself from a defensive end into a defensive tackle. He hasn’t had many flash plays yet, but he’s consistently moving the pocket back. He said he’s able to play faster and trust his strength and athleticism when he looks to finish plays.

Cam Sample, a role player for the Bengals over the last few seasons, is showing more burst off the edge. He blew up a screen in the backfield on Tuesday and broke up a pass. He’s one of the Bengals’ best run stoppers.

“This is a group that has a ton of different styles of players who are all very physical,” Brown said. “They have a great standard in their room starting with Sam Hubbard and Trey Hendrickson and DJ Reader and BJ Hill. Then there’s the young guys. Cam Sample. Myles Murphy. Joseph Ossai. These are all guys who can be long-time players in this league.”

Offensive line shakes off rust

Before practice, the Bengals’ offensive linemen reminded each other that they hadn’t worked in pads since the AFC Championship Game. The offensive line admittedly had some rust, but it’s a long way from where the group was at this point last year.

“Today was a good day, but there’s a ton of improvement for us to make,” Brown said. “Our defensive line is a great unit. But today was a good start. The most important thing is communication, the ability to play with each other and seeing and feeling what our counterparts are feeling and fundamentals.”

The Bengals’ offensive line is communicating well, and that was a challenge last year. The Bengals’ offensive line was full of injuries last summer, and the unit is in great shape entering 2023. The Bengals had some great rushing plays on Tuesday where the interior linemen bulldozed lanes open up the middle of the field.

The Bengals are planning for their offense to feature more RPOs, and the size on their offensive line is expected to give opposing defenses fewer opportunities to bat passes down at the line of scrimmage.

The entire Bengals’ first team offensive line put together impressive reps in one-on-one drills. It wasn’t perfect working with a backup quarterback in 11-on-11 drills, but the group remains optimistic.

“There’s a lot we’ve got to be better at and a lot of things that we individually want to get better at,” Volson said. “There’s maybe some rust that needs to be knocked off. There will obviously be an adjustment period. But we’re feeling good continuity. We’ve all been together. We know how to communicate and be on the same page. That makes a huge difference.”

Secondary getting encouraging returns

During the first week of training camp, Bengals cornerback Mike Hilton was looking for a sign that the Bengals’ secondary in 2023 could be as good as or better than last year’s secondary.

“This was that day,” Hilton said. “Once the pads come on, we really start turning the tempo up and getting in football mode. We made a lot of plays on the ball today. We’re faster than we’ve been in previous years. We’re deeper. That all will correlate to how we play on Sundays.”

The theme of the day was the defensive line speeding up the quarterback, the quarterback forcing a ball into tight coverage and a Bengals defensive back breaking up the pass.

Cam Taylor-Britt continued to look like a No. 1 cornerback in the making. He has made a leap with his technique, footwork and approach at the line of scrimmage. Sidney Jones IV has made a few pass breakups. Rookies DJ Turner and DJ Ivey have been the talk of camp. Hilton made leaping pass breakups near the sideline in 1 on 1 coverage against Tyler Boyd.

But the most positive sign is that so far, according to new safety Nick Scott, there haven’t been any drastic communication breakdowns in a new-look secondary.

“The new guys like myself, we’re trying to fit into the foundation that has already been put in place,” Scott said. “Guys are making it easy for me. It’s helpful that Dax Hill has been in this defense before, and I’ve been taking to it really nicely. For the most part, we’re always on the same page. That’s what you want from the jump. We’ll have our mistakes. That’s what practice is for. But we’ll keep encouraging each other and getting better.”

More observations from Tuesday’s practice

-Right tackle Jackson Carman had a series of bad reps, both in 1 on 1 drills and 11 on 11 drills. After one of them, he did pushups when he returned to the sideline.

-Tight end Drew Sample’s biggest impact will be with his blocking, and he made some important plays on the 2021 Bengals. But coming off of a knee injury, Sample isn’t showing much juice as a pass catcher.

- Rookies Andrei Iosivas and Charlie Jones have both made a series of highlight plays during camp, and Jones had his best day of the summer on Tuesday. But on one rep, one of the rookies ran the wrong route, and they ran into each other and gave cornerback DJ Ivey a chance at a pass breakup. It was a reminder of the difficult adjustment process for receivers in a Bengals offense that requires its receivers to handle a lot of plays and adjustments.

-Third-round pick Jordan Battle continues to get rave reviews for his football IQ and his presence in the locker room, but he isn’t getting many training camp snaps.

-Backup running back Trayveon Williams left practice with an ankle injury. He’s competing for a role as the Bengals’ third down running back. He’s more experienced in that role than Chris Evans and Chase Brown, so Williams will still have a shot to take that role this season. But in the short term, Evans and Brown will get all of those snaps and the opportunity to carve out a role on the 2023 Bengals.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Cincinnati Bengals defense is heating up in NFL training camp