Bengals News (6/17): Best Madden rating

Which Bengal should be the highest rated in the next Madden game?

Bengals roster battles begin ahead of training camp
When a young talent like Ohio State rookie punter Dru Chrisman catches Simmons’ “very impressed,” eye during the 10 practices in May and June, Chrisman is a guy to track even though Simmons “is very comfortable” with the thought of Huber punting in his 13th opener against Mike Zimmer’s Vikings.

Photo Gallery | Best of Media Day 2021
Check out special images of the players that will be featured during in-season production elements.

Bengals’ Darrin Simmons reveals frontrunner for punt-return job
According to ESPN’s Ben Baby, Simmons said wideout Trent Taylor is currently the frontrunner for the gig. That’s probably what the team had expected when bringing Taylor aboard after losing names like Giovani Bernard and Alex Erickson this offseason.

Which Bengals player should have highest rating in Madden NFL 22?
Funnily enough, Higgins himself could be in the conversation soon if he builds upon his rookie year well in 2021. He’s generating the most hype of maybe any Bengals player right now — with Joe Burrow even noticing the difference.

Why Zac Taylor called Bengals camp early and the advantages it could create
That essentially was the trade Zac Taylor and the Bengals pulled off Tuesday when he ended minicamp after one day. The decision goes deeper than just that, of course, but make no mistake this was about incentivizing what could become a major advantage for the club come training camp and into the season.

Bengals lose lineman to injury, possibly out for season
“It was unfortunate, because Hakeem was a guy who obviously did well for us last year as a rookie and has a bright future, and still has a bright future,” said Taylor. “That’s just a setback that we’ll have to deal with right now. It will be a several month length issue and we’ll see where it goes from there. “

Cincinnati Bengals: Riley Reiff has the best contract on the team
One of the biggest focuses for the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason was upgrading the offensive line, which was putrid a season ago. One player brought in to help to stop the bleeding along the o-line was former Lions and Vikings left tackle, Riley Reiff, who will play right tackle for the Bengals.

Cincinnati Bengals: 4 players the team can’t afford to lose to injury
Joe Burrow was obviously the biggest injury and that came as a result of the poor play from the offensive line, which also experienced injuries in 2020. Joe Mixon was injured in Week 6 after rushing for over 400 yards in his first six games but the loss of him was certainly a big one though Samaje Perine did play well in his absence.

Around the league

2021 NFL season: 12 players on rookie deals whose teams should never let them go
Allen isn’t the only young star in line to potentially sign an extension this offseason marking him as a franchise pillar going forward. Below, you’ll find a list of 12 players on rookie contracts who have proven so key to their respective team’s success that they should never be allowed to hit free agency. To make my list, I focused on players who are eligible for extensions, meaning they’ve played at least three seasons in the NFL, which is why you won’t see some promising-but-less-experienced names like Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert and Justin Jefferson included.

Debrief: What matters, what doesn’t as offseason programs wrap up
It’s the last week before summer vacation in the NFL. With 18 teams conducting mandatory minicamp to wrap up their offseason programs, here’s a look at which stories will stick and which stories from the week don’t have staying power.

NFL, NFLPA agree to updated COVID-19 protocols for training camp, preseason
For those fully vaccinated, there will be no daily testing, whereas those who are not fully vaccinated must be tested every day. It will be the same for face coverings, with none required if fully vaccinated and mandated at club facility and team travel if not.

Brian Schottenheimer: Jaguars haven’t named starting QB for 2021 season
Where Minshew stands with the club remains intriguing, though, because while the Jaguars are clearly moving into a new era under center, Minshew is still around. And despite what one might say about a backup seated behind a newly anointed savior of a franchise, Minshew still carries value.