Bengals 

Paul Dehner Jr. of The Athletic takes a look at the Bengals’ cornerback, linebacker, and offensive line competition in training camp:

• At cornerback, Dehner points out that DJ Turner II and Dax Hill have the outside spots locked down and the main battle will be for the nickel and two backup spots. 
• Dehner lists DJ Ivey, Tacario Davis, Ja’Sir Taylor, Josh Newton, and Brayln Lux as cornerbacks competing for the third spot, while S Kyle Dugger is another potential candidate. 
• Dehner thinks it’s “anybody’s guess” on who wins out at cornerback, but could see Davis having the early advantage. 
• Although Dehner writes that LBs Demetrius Knight Jr. and Barrett Carter are “entrenched as starters,” he wonders if they can look less like the “rattled rookies they were last season.” Should both players continue to look “hesitant,” Dehner could see a crisis emerging on defense. 
• With the offensive line, Dehner writes that the third and fourth tackle spots remain up for grabs, with Cody Ford, Javon Foster, Andrew Coker, and Brian Parker in the mix. Dehner expects Ford to get the third role and thinks Parker is someone to keep an eye on. 

Browns

Browns HC Todd Monken had some positive things to say about second-year TE Harold Fannin, who figures to be an important part of his offense this season. Monken specifically noted he was impressed by how good Fannin is after the catch, something he didn’t pick up on studying Fannin as a prospect last year.  

“He looked really good last week. And he’s still a young player, still a developing player, but what a great mindset,” Monken said via USA Today’s Dylan Feltovich. “He wants to be better, works awfully hard… One thing I did not know that I saw last year is his yards after contact. I didn’t see that at Bowling Green; maybe I didn’t study hard enough, but he is hard to tackle.”

At 6-4 and 241 pounds, at least as far as his listed measurements go, Fannin is more of a move tight end than a traditional in-line option. Monken noted they want Fannin to improve his route-running to be a true “matchup guy” but he’s still someone they’ll prioritize scheming touches for. 

“As he develops his route running skills, I wouldn’t say he’s a ‘matchup guy’ yet,” Monken said. “I think he’s going to continue to develop as a blocker, but if you get him the ball, he’s a hard guy to bring down.”

Browns

Browns HC Todd Monken said he is evaluating how QB Deshaun Watson and QB Shedeur Sanders command the offense rather than focusing only on the results of individual plays.

“I think the most important thing is, from a process standpoint, how we (are) operating at the line of scrimmage,” Monken said, via The Athletic. “Where are their eyes (on pass dropbacks)? Have they taken command of the huddle, and then cadence, and then understanding the concepts? I think they’re all doing good. They’re all fine. All of our players are working through mistakes and fighting like hell to get better.”

Monken said he will not make a decision on the starting quarterback until the Browns continue to implement their offense and finish installing the full playbook.

“At this point when you’re installing, when I’m scripting, I really am not scripting on who is at quarterback,” Monken said. “They each have a different skill set, so as of right now, I’m not evaluating any of them. I’m not making a decision on any of them until we get through all the installs. Nothing’s going to be decided over these install practices. We’re just getting it in, letting the guys compete, see where we’re at — that’s at all positions. Once we get further along in pads, the full install in, we get to compete against other people in the preseason (and in a joint practice). That’s really when I’m going to be able to see it because I haven’t coached any of these four quarterbacks until now. I haven’t been around them. I don’t have any preconceived notions of who they’ve been or where they’re going. I just take it day to day.”

Watson added he is focused on trusting his instincts and proving he can still play after recovering from two Achilles injuries.

“The biggest thing for me is just letting my instincts take over — not doing anything extra, not doing anything less, just staying balanced and letting it come,” Watson explained. “Day to day it’s getting better, and honestly, I think the biggest thing is just playing football. I haven’t played football in a long time, so for me, it doesn’t matter how long I play or how many games I play. I just want to play football. A lot of people wrote me off and said I wouldn’t be playing football again after two Achilles injuries. I’m proving that wrong and proving myself right. It’s a great opportunity for me to get out there and showcase what I can do.”

Sanders added that growing more comfortable within the offense is helping him become more comfortable and improve as both a quarterback and leader.

“We always strive to have our best days every day,” Sanders said. “But I play better and feel better whenever I have all the information, and I know exactly what’s going on at all times. So that’s why I just spend every minute, every hour of my time really focused on being the best quarterback I could be and being the best leader for this team I could be. That obviously translates because the more information I know, the more comfortable I am as a person.”