Bengals

Now that Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson is back on the practice field with an updated contract in hand, he’s gotten a chance to get a really good look at first-round DE Shemar Stewart. He likes what he’s seen so far. 

“A great football player with a tremendous amount of potential,” Hendrickson said via Geoff Hobson of the team website. “And I think that potential, when tapped correctly, can be an incredibly productive player.”

Ravens

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson has had honest conversations with players in camp, given that he is determined to win a Super Bowl and wants to be in sync with his teammates when the season begins.

“I have to let my guys know that I’m caring for them, I’m not dogging them. I’m not angry at you or anything like that, but we’re competing out here,” Jackson said, via Jeff Zrebiec of The Athletic. “I need you to be a competitor, because I’m extremely competitive. I don’t like to lose, and you should feel the same way. If the ball is in the air and you’re on the perimeter, catch the ball. I don’t care if the ball is underthrown or if it’s too far out — make a play. You’re a receiver. Everything is not going to be perfect. It’s our job to try and be perfect, but it’s your job to make us right sometimes. That’s what teammates are for.”

Ravens C Tyler Linderbaum has taken note of Jackson’s evolution as the team leader and says he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“He realizes he’s the leader of our team, and if it’s not up to his standard, he’s going to say something, where maybe he was more reserved in the past,” said Linderbaum. “Now, he’s speaking up and trying to get stuff corrected. We all want that out of Lamar. We go as he goes. It’s good to see that passion come out and that accountability.”

As for last season, the disappointment of not winning a Super Bowl has lingered with Lamar and remained in his mind for months.

“Even in the offseason, I was thinking, ‘Dang, we should have done this,’” Jackson added. “I wish things didn’t happen like that, but that’s part of life. Mistakes happen. I feel like it’s a lesson. It taught us about different situations, like protecting the ball. If we protect the ball, we win. The whole world knows that…I’m not perfect. No one who plays in any football league is going to be perfect. I’m trying to be perfect when I’m out there on that field. I’m trying to make everything easier on myself and my teammates. I feel like the other guys feel the same way.”

Steelers

Cowboys WR George Pickens said he’s grateful for the chance at a fresh start in Dallas provided when the team acquired him via trade from the Steelers. He thinks it’ll give him a chance to shed labels he picked up from his time in Pittsburgh that might not be accurate.  

“It was good for me,” Pickens said via NFL Media’s Jane Slater. “Just strictly because, you know, when you’re somewhere long and you build a certain record, a certain label — whether that’s good, great, or bad — you just want a fresh start. That’s how I feel like it is with a lot of people in life.”