CINCINNATI — Shemar Stewart didn’t need to speak up Tuesday on the first day of mandatory minicamp.
But the rookie is already growing frustrated with the way his future NFL employer is doing business. Stewart, the edge out of Texas A&M drafted 17th overall to help fortify the pass rush, doesn’t understand why the Bengals need to make an example of him to change the language of the guarantees granted to first round picks.
Get in line. There’s about 50 years of Bengals rosters filled with players who could clue him in.
Rookies these days in the NFL already have a new understanding and perspective on being paid. Some of them are getting as much in playing college football at a Power Four conference that they will see in their rookie year.
But this isn’t about money, it’s about the power of the Bengals to be able change the language in the contract and clearly Stewart and his agent don’t appreciate being made a guinea pig. Stewart says he’s been doing all the right things, trying to stay in shape once he is on the field participating.
“It’s very important. I mean, you’ve gotta get your body somewhat prepared to play football, especially me, coming from college to the NFL, which is way more physical game, even though I play an SEC, which is very physical, but nothing compares to actually playing in NFL. So I thought it’d be, I thought I’d be on the field by now. That’s what I thought would’ve happened.”
He even brought up Trey Hendrickson, whose situation IS about the money.
“Just take it day by day,” Stewart told me. “Pray to God. You know He’s always gonna stand with me no matter what, and just know you’re doing the right thing. Like some people say, ‘We all agree Trey will be (paid), right? But technically he’s still one percent wrong for being under contract (and negotiating). So in my case, I’m 100 percent right. So it should be a no brainer. And in Trey’s case, I think it should be a no- brainer, too. I mean, he had 17 and a half sacks and two for two years back to back. If I was the GM or I was the owner, take all my money. But I guess they don’t operate like that.”
That is something any young player that comes to the Bengals, no matter how heralded, needs to understand. If Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins had to play under rookie deals, then Stewart does, too. But Stewart and his agent Zachary Hiller of Loyalty Above All are not wrong to make sure they are protected and not submitting to new language that eats away at Stewarts rights three or four years down the road.
The Bengals believe they can set a precedent here in changing conditions and Stewart isn’t having it.
“I’m 100 percent right. It should be a no-brainer. In Trey’s case, it should be a no-brainer, too. Y’all (Bengals) just want to win arguments more than winning games in my opinion”
What Stewart is doing is setting up a level of expectation among fans and teammates. He didn’t need to come out Tuesday in front of his locker stall and go off on a team he has yet to play for. He’ll eventually get on the field because rookie holdouts ended when the money was guaranteed for first rounders.
This whole drama is reminiscent of the Ricky Hunley affair in 1984, the first round linebacker out of Arizona who refused to sign and never played a down for the Bengals. He did come back and coach the linebackers for Marvin Lewis for five years (2003-07).
Bengals fans are definitely right to wonder why choose this moment in time to make this statement if you’re real priority is putting together the best roster to make a Super Bowl run with Joe Burrow. It doesn’t seem like the tradeoff is worth it. But – as has been pointed out in this space on multiple occasions – the Brown/Blackburns are lawyers first, with a business approach to everything with family at its roots. Behind all three of those is football.
This is precisely why rookies who don’t know any better say, “Y’all just want to win arguments than winning games.” It comes off as brash and immature. But there is legitimacy to it.
For now, this is all offseason drama. The smart money says this is done sometime before training camp and some type of compromise is reached.
And now some positive news. Jermaine Burton continues to look like a reformed young receiver, a gifted athlete who appears to be listening to his mom and sister when making some of life’s big decisions – like which haircut to get.
Burton showed off his new crop Tuesday after Day 1 of minicamp and he said he did it after speaking with mom and sis. “Time for a fresh start,” Burton quipped.
“I was in a barber chair, and I instantly just called them,” Burton related. “I was like, ‘Should I do it? They were like, yes, yes.’ And I looked at my barber, and he was like, ‘Come on, do it.’I love it. I love it. I ain’t gonna lie, it feels different, though. I feel a little cold, sometimes feel a little bit more wind up there.”
After Burton was finished taking passes from Joe Burrow on Tuesday in route drills, the second-year receiver showed off his haircut and told everyone that he hadn’t had his hair this short since high school.
The obvious metaphor for creating a new image is not lost on Burton. He knows he’s going through the process of building trust and so far, so good.
“Just day in and day out, just working with the guys and taking whatever opportunity you can get, just trying to capitalize. Just getting a closer relationship with my teammates, getting to know a lot of guys, more than I did last year,” Burton told me. “And it’s more comfortable going to war with guys that you that you have a better understanding with, you know their why, and you know why they do it. I think every day has just been a great day.
“As I improve on myself and just keep working to be consistent. And just work on myself day in and day out work with the guys. I feel like everything just kind of correlates together. I feel like we’re all just starting to gain more trust in each other.”
The first pair of receivers is obviously Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. But what’s notable is Andrei Iosivas catching passes from Burrow, along with Burton and Charlie Jones. The Burton-Jones-Isaiah Williams competition for that fourth spot will be fascinating to watch during camp and the preseason. Burton, at the very least, has demonstrated a willingness to be fully engaged in the battle, starting with a fresh cut.
Joe Burrow spoke for the second time this offseason, and for the first time since May 20. The biggest takeaway: He has no issues with shouldering a heavy load offensively and with the Bengals being an offensive-driven team, “Yes, I’m confident with (that approach),” Burrow told me. “We have a lot of confidence in the defense and the things that they’re doing this this offseason with their scheme and their players, and the young guys that that we had last year having another year under their belt, so they’re going to be better. But the end of the day, you win and lose with your quarterback play, so I’m going to take that to heart and be better this year.”
Burrow was saying this as the defense’s most explosive and productive player continues to hold out and was a no-show at minicamp looking for a contract extension. Trey Hendrickson is looking for a multi-year extension that will boost his $16 million salary closer to the likes of Maxx Crosby and Danielle Hunter.
“Nobody’s worried about Trey working hard and doing what he needs to do to be ready if we happen to have him this year,” Burrow said. “Those young guys getting those mental reps and those physical reps are big for that themselves, and their development on the offensive side of the ball. We have everybody (on offense), so it’s not too much of a distraction for us as it was in years past. So probably more of a defensive thing.”
Clearly, Burrow is coming to grips that not having Hendrickson, while not ideal, might be something they have to deal with.
“Obviously it’s a possibility,” he said. “It’s not one that I think would make us a better team. So we’ll see what ends up happening. I don’t know what’s going to happen. I wish I had an answer for you, but we’ll see you can control what you can control.”
Other Burrow takes:
NOTES: Besides Hendrickson and Stewart, the Bengals were without cornerback Dax Hill (ACL recovery) and BJ Hill (left foot) as minicamp began Tuesday. TJ Houshmandzadeh spent several minutes chatting up owner Mike Brown at his golf cart Tuesday on the field. Also in the discussion were Brown’s daughter Katie Blackburn and granddaughter Elizabeth Blackburn. Former Buckeyes, Bearcats and Colerain football coach Kerry Combs was in attendance Tuesday. The Bengals offensive line had Orlando Brown Jr. at left tackle and Amarius Mims at right tackle. Ted Karras at center and rookie Dylan Fairchild at left guard. Lucas Patrick started off at right guard and was replaced by Cody Ford as practice continued.
