Which Cincinnati Bengals Are Having the Worst Training Camps?

WR Jordan Shipley
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Halfway through the preseason and with the real games right around the corner, rosters are starting to take shape all over the NFL. In Cincinnati, the Bengals are honing in on their 53-man opening day roster.

Like all teams, the Bengals have had their share of surprises. Wide receiver Marvin Jones and safeties Robert Sands and Jeromy Miles have opened eyes. Meanwhile, A.J. Green keeps getting better and better.

But with surprises inevitably come disappointments. Which Bengals are having the worst training camp so far? Let’s take a look.

WR Jordan Shipley

WR Jordan Shipley
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As I watched the Bengals-Falcons game on Thursday, I made mental notes on how well nearly all of the Cincy receivers were doing. Then I realized that Jordan Shipley seemed to be absent.

Then, on Friday, the Bengals waived the third-year pro out of Texas.

Shipley just hasn’t been himself after he suffered the knee injury last year. And with how well the rest of the corps was playing, his release was just a matter of time.

Shipley had a great rookie season two years ago and emerged as a fan-favorite. Here’s hoping he catches on with another team, gets healthy and avoids the fate of Ickey Woods, a popular rookie whose career essentially ended after a knee injury in his second year.

TE Colin Cochart

TE Colin Cochart
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I wrote in a piece two weeks ago that Cochart had virtually no chance of making the roster with how deep the tight end group was. But Cochart has been practically invisible thus far in the preseason, although he did make a nice open field tackle on special teams against the Falcons.

With Jermaine Gresham, Donald Lee locks, and Orson Charles in the fold, Cochart will be gone soon. But he’ll need to play better against the Packers on Thursday if he wants a chance to land with another team.

CB Jason Allen

CB Jason Allen (25)
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It’s never fair to judge a player’s performance when they are injured, but as Marvin Lewis likes to say, “You can’t make the club from the tub.”

Allen is part of a cornerback corps that seemingly has 72 first-round picks, and with that many big names on the roster, one needs to make plays in order to stand out. Allen has missed both preseason games and is now behind the rest of the field.

CB Adam Jones

CB Adam Jones (24)
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Like Jason Allen, Jones is an injured former first-rounder trying to find a spot in a crowded cornerback field. But Jones has just not been healthy thus far and seems almost off the radar.

It’s possible with how bad the secondary looked against Matt Ryan on Thursday that the erstwhile “Pacman” may still find a spot, especially if he can shine in the return game. But right now, he’s no better than fourth on the CB depth chart and it’s not inconceivable that the Bengals will go with younger players for depth.