Complete Cincinnati Bengals Training Camp Preview

For the fourth season running, the Cincinnati Bengals are heading to the familiar confines of Paul Brown Stadium for training camp. 

This year's edition kicks off when the veterans arrive Thursday, July 30th, and features highlights such as family day and joint practices with the New York Giants as the team rolls through its preseason schedule.

As the Bengals work through the throes of summer hoping for another playoff berth, there are many players, storylines and battles to watch.

Within, let's highlight the key talking points as things get started. The full training camp schedule and locations are available at Bengals.com.

Key Arrivals

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

Key Arrivals: LB A.J. Hawk, DT Pat Sims, DE Michael Johnson, WR Denarius Moore

As usual, the Bengals didn't go nuts in free agency as some would have hoped. Instead, the team focused on bringing back its own, and tackled this approach in more ways than one by bringing back former players Pat Sims and Michael Johnson.

Both suited up for the Bengals in past years before moving elsewhere. Sims is a strong rotational tackle who can stand tall against the run, while Johnson is the every-down starter the defense needs opposite Carlos Dunlap.

Don't forget A.J. Hawk, either. He's one of the lone notable outsiders on board, but a critical element at a positional group that's in serious need of depth. How he fits into the starting three, if at all, might be one of the top storylines to watch this summer.

Don't forget wideout Denarius Moore, whose ability to take the top off defenses hits on a key weakness of the offense from one season ago.

Key Battles

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Wide Receiver

The starting three in Cincinnati isn't hard to figure out. A.J. Green, Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu figure to suit up in that order on the depth chart, although the third spot might prove up for grabs.

Thank the addition of Denarius Moore. The speedster can stretch the field and create room for others to operate underneath. He might push someone such as Cobi Hamilton off the roster, while rookie Mario Alford might give Brandon Tate a serious run for his money on returns.

With a limited amount of slots available, look for the wideouts behind the top two or three to leave it all on the field in the heat.

Linebacker

As a 4-3 team, head coach Marvin Lewis and the front office can only dedicate so many roster spots to linebackers.

Which is a problem. A good one. If healthy, Vontaze Burfict is an obvious starter on the weak side. Rey Maualuga and A.J. Hawk present an interesting battle in the middle unless one shifts to the strong side. Speaking of the other outside slot, any number of names such as Emmanuel Lamur, Marquis Flowers and Jayson DiManche wait in the wings.

Keep in mind the team also added Paul Dawson in the draft and other names such as Sean Porter and Vincent Rey want a roster spot, too.

It's going to be quite the free-for-all.

Fringe Players to Watch

John Minchillo/Associated Press

Mario Alford, WR

As a seventh-round pick, there's no guarantee Mario Alford out of West Virginia makes the final roster, especially not with the prior breakdown about how difficult it is to figure out the Bengals' wideout situation.

Still, if there's a player who could grab attention and never let go this summer, it's Alford. He might be the fastest player on the roster, and Alford averaged a minimum of 14.5 yards per catch over two college seasons while taking two kick returns back for touchdowns.

If Alford can make a few big plays on special teams and maybe show something as a bubble-screen player on offense, he's going to make the roster.

Troy Hill, CB

Corner might be as difficult to figure out as wideout.

Leon Hall, Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick make up the starters, but don't forget about Darqueze Dennard, Chris Lewis-Harris, rookie Josh Shaw and even veteran Brandon Ghee.

Also thank one of the team's better undrafted free-agent pickups, Oregon corner Troy Hill. While smaller at 5'10" and 182 pounds, he can act as a reserve slot corner and gunner on special teams.

NFL.com's Lance Zierlein wrote a bottom line about Hill before the draft: "Plays with competitive toughness and improving confidence in coverage. Hill has the athleticism and ball skills to be an NFL cornerback, but his slight frame is a substantial concern. Concerns surrounding his off-field character could hurt his draft stock."

If Hill can keep it together and show something positive on multiple units, he might wind up on the roster.

Rookies to Watch

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Jake Fisher, OT

The Bengals seem set at offensive tackle with Andrew Whitworth coming off one of his best seasons and Andre Smith on his way back from injury, but it's important to keep an eye on Jake Fisher.

Fisher's an athletic freak who can play any spot on the line. Odds are he won't see a ton of time as a rookie, but he's first in line for a gig if something happens to one of the starters. His performance, in theory, should boost others around him.

Tyler Kroft, TE

Like it or not, the Bengals figure to lean on Rutgers product Tyler Kroft often next season.

With Jermaine Gresham gone and Tyler Eifert one season removed from a serious injury, the onus of production at the slot falls on Kroft, who joined the team in the third round.

It's important that Kroft develops a rapport with Andy Dalton and can reel in passes, but it's also critical he improves as a blocker so he can get on the field. The summer is the perfect time to work these things out.

Paul Dawson, LB

Linebacker is a mess in large part thanks to injuries and Paul Dawson, one of the first selections anyone cites when someone asks about the biggest steals in the 2015 draft.

Dawson was a lot like Vontaze Burfict in the character-concern department, and plays a lot like him too. In other words, it wouldn't be outlandish to see Dawson on the field often as a rookie, especially if injuries continue to hamper the position. His summer play will dictate how much the coaching staff trusts him to run wild.

Veterans to Watch

Andre Smith, RT

Yet again, it's time for Andre Smith to show something or move on from Cincinnati.

This time, Smith enters the final year of his deal coming off a miserable, injury-riddled season. He appeared in just nine games last year before the injury and wound up ranked as the 47th tackle in the league at Pro Football Focus.

Smith is capable of elite play. In 2013, he ranked 19th at PFF. But he's coming back from an injury, has a financial situation to worry about and to make matters even worse, has two top-53 rookies breathing down his neck.

The likelihood either steals Smith's job might be small, but how he performs will say a lot about the future of the position in Cincinnati.

Domata Peko, DT

The pressure is on defensive tackle Domata Peko, who once again struggled last year.

At PFF, he ranked as the 80th tackle in the league. The list graded 81 players. As he ages, Peko continues to struggle against the rush and doesn't offer much as a pass-rusher. Devon Still and Brandon Thompson are hungry behind him, and the team just brought back Pat Sims, too.

In other words, Peko might have to fight for his job this summer. It sounds outlandish. He's the leader, the one fans recognize for his hair and crowd interaction. But such is the reality of the NFL, where veterans must fight for playing time each summer.

Top Storylines

Injuries Galore 

Once again, the Bengals enter the summer limping.

Linebacker is a mess with Vontaze Burfict and Sean Porter on the physically unable to perform list, as is defensive end Margus Hunt.

Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com breaks down the situation and some timelines:

"

The sense is that Hunt (back) and Porter (knee) are going to be back sooner rather than later. The plan with Burfict is a bit more nebulous, as is the micro fracture knee surgery he had in January. The Bengals hope he shows enough progress to get him on the practice field in time to get him ready for the third preseason game on Aug. 29...

"

Burfict is one of the best 'backers in the league, Porter is a high-upside backup and Hunt was someone the team expected to lean on last year after Michael Johnson left in free agency.

Those three names are just the tip of the proverbial iceberg when it comes to injuries, too, so how healthy the Bengals can get—and remain—is something to watch.

The Pressure

There won't be a Hard Knocks crew running around or anything of the sort, but there is still a sense it's now-or-never time for the Bengals.

For four years, Andy Dalton and the Bengals have grown together and made it to the postseason. Coach Marvin Lewis continues to churn out solid seasons in the most successful period of the franchise's history.

Yet, the pressure is on full blast. This is apparent enough with Lewis recently telling the media about his goals and relationship with owner Mike Brown, per Cincinnati.com's Paul Daugherty: “I want to hand Mike the trophy, then just walk away.’’

A playoff win, if not more, is the next logical step for the Bengals. The mindset, effort and jelling process, without fail, begin in the heat of summer. The 2015 Bengals' journey starts Thursday.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of July 29. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.