Rookie Mini-Camp Wraps Up

In the final day of the rookie mini-camp, Marvin Lewis was beaming about the incoming crop. With the first voluntary team workouts just a week away, the 2007 season is starting to pick up some steam.

Marvin Lewis, after the draft, was reported to have appeared spent. Fatigued, perhaps, by the lengthy two-day process and very likely weary of listening to talking heads question his picks.

Flash ahead to Sunday, when Lewis entered post-camp press conferences glowing, energized by the evidently inspiring play of the newest group of Bengals.

In a particularly encouraging turn, it was the new members of the secondary that seemed to have impressed Lewis the most, prompting plenty of praise from the man in charge.

Top pick Leon Hall, who showed great motion and even fielded some kicks as a return man, was said by Lewis to have demonstrated an excellent knowledge of the game as well as a high capacity for learning.

What's more, the two safeties (TCU's Marvin White and Notre Dame's "Chinny" Ndukwe) had excellent weekends, each demonstrating their ability to sit back in coverage and make some plays--good news for a team that lost its top three pick-off artists from a year ago.

Said Lewis, "Both young safeties, I’m real impressed with them. Both their ball skills, they are guys that have size to them, they have good angles."

Also garnering good marks for their efforts were Ohio State fullback Stan White and Florida linebacker Earl Everett, both of whom are likely to play their way onto the special teams units come September.

Starting next Tuesday, May 15th, the new blood will return to take part in the first of a series of voluntary team workouts. Stay tuned for further information.