8 Players off to the Best and Worst Starts at Bengals Camp

The Cincinnati Bengals will face the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, 48 hours after they return to HBO's Hard Knocks.

There will be a lot of attention on those players who are featured in Episode 1, as well as on those hoping to crack the 53-man roster. 

Some will be looking to complement solid practices with a highlight or two on the national stage, while others will hope to turn their offseason around in their first on-field action.

Here's a look at those players experiencing the highs and lows of another year in training camp.

Best: Orson Charles

Believe it or not, Orson Charles could be one of the most utilised talents in the Bengals offense this year.

The word 'versatility' has been thrown around a lot, and there seems to be genuine belief that Charles's move to FB has been a mini-revelation.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Charles was 'hand-picked' by new RBs coach Hue Jackson to make the switch after playing his rookie season at TE.

By all accounts, he's thriving in his new position.

Charles will continue to take snaps at tight end, but with Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham in the mix, it's no surprise that Charles is eager to carve out a niche elsewhere.

Jackson told Bengals.com what he's trying to achieve with Charles:

"

You're playing from an advantage because you can put those guys in so many different spots...A guy can be in the backfield, split out wide. It's hard to set a plan as a defensive coordinator. It's hard to predict where they're going to be from week to week. It's a defensive nightmare in so many ways.

"

Worst: Andrew Hawkins

Andrew Hawkins continues to be one of the most undervalued members of the Cincinnati Bengals offense.

While his on-field time as a Bengal has been less than extensive, his performances have embodied the phrase 'right place right time'. He really makes the most of his opportunities.

That's what makes his injury all the more frustrating.

Hawkins lay out to grab a pass from Andy Dalton during practice on Thursday, and suffered what's believed to be a high ankle sprain.

With crutches and a protective boot replacing his helmet and pads, it looks like he won't make the regular-season opener.

The biggest concern here really isn't the injury. It's how far Hawkins will fall behind fellow receivers Marvin Jones, Brandon Tate and Mo Sanu.

Head Coach Marvin Lewis commented on that very issue: 

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He's in a big competition there with a bunch of guys. That's the thing he's disappointed about. He's battling to stay here and carve out a niche in the offense. Now he's had a little bit of a setback. The other guys he's competing with have a chance to step up a notch and move forward until he's ready.

"

 

Best: Tyler Eifert

In a nutshell, Tyler Eifert is the real deal.

He's already playing with polish and has slipped seamlessly into the Bengals offense.

 After a TD catch in practice on Thursday, Marvin Lewis was cautious in praise of Eifert:

"

Tyler is going to make that play all the time," Lewis said. "That's not the issue. The issue we have is to make sure that we can do the other parts when people try to take that away. It's a nice option to have, that guy out there that can win some one-on-ones in that situation. He's a big target and gives the quarterback a chance to get the ball there...Tyler's done a great job ever since he's been here. He doesn't make error. He's lived up to everything we've asked of him.

"

Someone needs to remind Lewis that forcing opposing defenses to try to take away A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert is a pretty good situation to be in.

Worst: Andrew Whitworth

Andrew Whitworth has not travelled to Atlanta with the team as he continues to rehab a knee injury. In fact, he's not been able to do much in training camp at all thus far.

He had surgery in February to clear scar tissue that had been causing him problems, and is still getting back to where he was.

Whitworth has understandably been taking his time recovering. He's an integral member of the offense and any further injury could spell disaster for Andy Dalton.

He recognizes the need to take things slowly:

"

The thing you can’t simulate is football. It’s getting out there and doing football, and with something like this – it’s a tendon – it has to do something and adjust and then do a little more and then adjust. That’s what we will do...It’s just like anything else, you have to develop the strength in it. This is kind of the first step in football. We’ll progress through that.

"

As of right now, he is expecting to be ready for the season opener.

Best: George Iloka

According to the first depth chart of the year, George Iloka is officially the Bengals's starting strong safety.

But don't take that as golden. Marvin Lewis is not a fan of depth charts, and it's not uncommon to see them chopped and changed frequently.

However, Iloka is having a very strong training camp and looks forward to the challenge the starting gig will bring:

"

It makes me want to practice harder and get better...For whatever reason they put me in, I don't want to be the guy standing out for doing something bad. I want to be the guy standing out for something good...I always felt like I had the athletic ability, the speed and the strength...It was just applying it. Knowing the calls and the schemes and the ins and outs.

"

On Sunday, Bengals beat writer Paul Dehner Jr. asked Marvin Lewis how Iloka is progressing. He said, "He's really emerged as a guy we can count on".

When it comes to the game in Atlanta on Thursday, there is perhaps no other player with as tall an order as Iloka. The starting SS spot remains entirely changeable and both Taylor Mays and Shawn Williams will still fancy their chances at uprooting him.

Worst: John Skelton

It looks like Josh Johnson will be the man to sit behind Andy Dalton in 2013.

Both Johnson and Skelton are fairly unsexy back-up options, but it seems Skelton is the worse of the pair.

Neither has produced much to write home about during camp, and it seems that the run of uninspiring practices continued for Skelton in Atlanta, according to Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

"

John Skelton’s bad camp continues as he was picked off by CB Dominique Franks, who made a diving catch on a pass intended for Jheranie Boyd.

"

Josh Johnson has the job for now, likely thanks to his familiarity with Jay Gruden's offense from his time spent in Tampa Bay. But, if Andy Dalton does go down injured it wouldn't come as a surprise to see the Bengals bring someone else in.

Best: Dre Kirkpatrick

Dre Kirkpatrick may not be able to wrestle the starting spot opposite Leon Hall from Terence Newman in time for the season opener, but he intends to have a good go at it.

In doing so, he's turning heads.

Mike Zimmer has taken notice:

"

Good. Really good. He's done actually better than I thought. He knows what he's doing. He pays attention, he loves to play...I thought he'd be a lot more rusty than what he was and actually he's done way better. He makes plays on the ball, which is good. He's got the length, which helps him. He was probably humbled a little bit last year. That's not always a bad thing.

"

Kirkpatrick was largely M.I.A during a rookie season plagued by injuries. But, it seems that the man known as 'Swagger' is eager to live up to that name:

"

I have so much to prove.  I just want it so bad and I’m going to be ready no matter what.  I’m doing everything in my power to understand the game better, be in position, and eliminate my mental errors.

"

Thankfully for Dre, the hard work is paying off. That's according to WR Mo Sanu:

"

He’s big, physical, strong, fast, and he’s so rangy that it’s hard to get away from him sometimes.  He looks healthy and explosive and he’s going to be really good for us this year.

"

Worst: Margus Hunt

Margus Hunt has been a non-factor for the Cincinnati Bengals so far.

The 6'8" Estonian has limited football experience and it's unclear whether the Bengals are bringing him along slowly or whether he's just a slow learner.

So what has Hunt done so far (besides get pancaked in the Oklahoma drill)?

When asked on Twitter, Bengals beat writer Joe Reedy said Hunt has 'seen some special teams action in practice'.

He also struggled when pads were added to the mix, according to Brennen Warner of Cincy Jungle:

"

FB John Conner just destroyed Margus Hunt on a power run play. DL Coach Hayes smiling told Hunt, "We're playing in pads now"

"

That's about all there is to know at this point.

It would be unrealistic to think he'll contribute meaningfully this year, but for those who labelled him as the successor to Michael Johnson, that's starting to look a long way off.

Hopefully we'll see Hunt contribute on special teams before the preseason is over.