Bengals Training Camp Tidbits Day 2: Vonn Bell Shows Value, Ja’Marr Chase Undresses Secondary

CINCINNATI – Temperatures hovered in the upper 80s with the sun shining most of the afternoon as the Bengals held their second day of training camp.

The held 11-on-11s on the west practice field closest to the nearly-full grandstands, giving fans a good chance to see Brandon Allen, Jake Browning and Loveland’s Drew Plitt run the Bengals offense as Joe Burrow continues to heal from his appendectomy.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways from Day 2:

D’Ante Smith and Cordell Volson first team reps:

After Isaiah Prince and Hakeem Adeniji took their customary places replacing La’el Collins and Alex Cappa at right tackle and guard, respectively, second-year tackle D’Ante Smith and rookie Cordell Volson were given reps later in 11-on-11s alongside Ted Karras, Jackson Carman and Jonah Williams. Prince swatted Dax Hill to the ground on one edge seal while Volson held his own. Obviously, important to note there are no padded practices or full contact until next week.

Mr. GQ Undresses Bengals Secondary:

With all the talk about the Bengals mocking the GQ photo shoot of Ja’Marr Chase coming into camp, it was Chase having a few laughs on Thursday as he burned Eli Apple and Dax Hill for a 60-yard TD bomb from Brandon Allen, dancing away from them at the end. Chase also caught a nice ball on a crossing route running away from Bengals linebackers. Chido Awuzie did make a nice play on Chase down the far sideline and knocked the ball away in tight coverage.

Vonn Bell picks Brandon Allen:

In the first series of 11-on-11s, Brandon Allen rolled a naked boot to his right and looked for Hayden Hurst. Bell came off his coverage of tight end Drew Sample and picked off the pass and returned it for the score. With all the talk about Jessie Bates not in camp and Dax Hill taking his spot, the play served as a reminder of Bell’s valuable instincts.

Stanley Morgan keeps shining:

It’s hard to overstate the intangibles of Stanley Morgan on this roster. He filled in during spring practice and OTAs for Tee Higgins, who was still rehabbing his shoulder. On Wednesday, he made several nice catches near the sidelines and added to it on Thursday with another diving grab of a Jake Browning toss.

Isaiah Prince and Jeff Gunter tangle:

With the heat starting to make the players a bit uncomfortable, it appeared to show midway through 11-on-11s when Prince and Gunter tangled and threw half-punches in each other’s chests as they were tumbling to the turf. The two were broken up quickly and a group of defensive linemen immediately left the field and headed over for group drills.

OT Devin Cochran injures left leg:

Late in practice, third-string offensive tackle Devin Cochran became entangled with teammates on a running play and fell to the turf. Cochran immediately grabbed his left leg but no cart was needed as he remained on the sideline.

Punt returns and special teams:

There was a 15-minute period during which Darrin Simmons got a close look at his protection teams. Simmons told me earlier in the week that this is a critical time for his evaluation since he doesn’t have as good an idea of which players will fit where when he fills out all 66 spots on special teams. As for punt returns, Trent Taylor, Pooka Williams and Tyler Boyd all worked on ball security, making one-handed catches close to their chest, perfecting the “high-and-tight” technique for securing the ball on punts.

Three Amigos on NFL Network:

After practice, several members of the defending AFC champions took time to chat up the NFL Network. DeAngelo Hall spoke with Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins while Sam Hubbard spoke with Colleen Wolfe.

Ringing in the season:

It wasn’t the ring they all wanted, but players, coaches and staff were given their AFC championship rings Thursday before practice.

The Bengals did not conclude Thursday with field goal kicks, as is customary.

The Bengals return to the practice field on Friday before hosting their “Back Together” Saturday event inside Paul Brown Stadium.