Bengals News Roundup & Analysis (6/6)

If May is a slow news month in the NFL calendar, June is somehow slower. The opening of training camp – on July 27th – remains distant. Offseason workouts remain underway, but the small jolt of news from the opening of minicamp has subsided. Some free agents will find homes this month, but for the most part, no news in June is good news. The most likely story to make headlines at this stage is a player suffering an injury during workouts.

The Bengals, by and large, have avoided such unfortunate news. The offseason continues apace, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t any nuggets of intrigue here or there that are worth talking about.

Ryan Fitzpatrick Calls it a Career

A little under fifteen years ago, the Bengals made it to the end of the 2007 preseason before realizing they really, really didn’t like their depth at quarterback behind Carson Palmer. After a 14-6 victory over the Indianapolis Colts in the last game of the preseason, the Bengals released veteran quarterback Doug Johnson and shipped a conditional seventh-round pick to the St. Louis Rams in exchange for a quarterback named Ryan Fitzpatrick, whom they’d selected in the seventh round two years prior.

At the time, little was made of the trade – certainly by anyone outside of the Bengals’ or Rams’ media spheres. Such trades aren’t uncommon before the outset of the regular season, and the expectations of the players involved by the fanbases receiving them are usually tempered. Fitzpatrick would probably be the Bengals’ backup quarterback for the 2007 season, but anything the team got from him beyond that would’ve been a bonus.

On Thursday, June 2nd, news leaked of Fitzpatrick’s intention to retire after 17 seasons in the NFL. After an uneventful first season in Cincinnati, Fitzpatrick started 12 games for the Bengals in 2008 in place of an injured Palmer, leading the team to a 4-7-1 record in those games. While Fitzpatrick’s box score numbers from those games were unremarkable, the team went 0-4 in games without him and he inked a 3-year contract with the Buffalo Bills in 2009.

Around Full Press Coverage

NFL OPINION: Quarterbacks Under The Most Pressure In 2022

NFL NEWS: Broncos Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy Arrested

FANTASY FOOTBALL: Fantasy Football: Rookie Running Back Rankings Post-NFL Draft

NFL: Las Vegas Raiders New Regime Putting Their Stamp on Team

NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs Marred By Inconsistent Goaltender Interference Calls

PODCAST: Full Press NFL Podcast Ep 42: Deebo Samuel Requests Trade; Possible Landing Spots

Fitzpatrick ultimately played 4 years in Buffalo after being released 2 years into a contract extension, but he continued to find quarterback gigs around the NFL. Tennessee signed him in 2013, then Houston signed him in 2014. The Jets, Buccaneers, and Dolphins each took 2-year turns with Fitzpatrick before he landed in Washington ahead of the 2021 season.

Fitzpatrick made a graphic celebrating the teammates he had through his career, and longtime Bills running back Fred Jackson leaked it ahead of any formal retirement announcement from Fitzpatrick’s camp.

Congrats on a Helluva career, Fitzy!! Loved sharing the field with you!! The gratitude is all mine!! #BillsMafia #fitzmagic pic.twitter.com/s7n4DsiLJ7

— Fred Jackson (@Fred22Jackson) June 2, 2022

To Fitzpatrick’s credit, the quarterback couldn’t appear to care less about Jackson effectively announcing his retirement for him. Fitzpatrick had many homes in his career and Buffalo clearly holds a special place in his heart among them, but there’s love to be found for Cincinnati in that graphic as well. Palmer, Cedric Benson, Chad Johnson, and Andrew Whitworth are among the names that can be read without the assistance of a magnifying glass.

No one’s preparing a bust for Fitzpatrick in Canton, but it’s neat that the Bengals have a place in what’ll go down as one of the most interesting quarterback careers of the early 21st century.

John Cominsky – Why the Bengals Bid on the Lions’ Newest Player

In 2019, the Atlanta Falcons spent a 4th-round pick on a defensive lineman from Charleston named John Cominsky. As a prospect, Cominsky’s blend of size, speed, and strength earned him plenty of attention at the NFL Scouting Combine. At 6’5″ and 285 pounds, Cominsky has the strength to move around the defensive line and the speed to play on the edge. He’s earned positive reviews thus far for his coachability, but he has yet to produce to his athletic ceiling.

Why the Falcons felt waiving Cominsky after three years was necessary is unclear, but he landed on his feet quickly. The Bengals were one of eight teams that attempted to claim Cominsky off waivers before the Lions were awarded him. The NFL clearly still sees Cominsky as a valuable commodity, but what else does the Bengals wanting him tell us?

Probably that they aren’t out of the market for more defensive line help. In the Bengals’ odd base fronts, Cominsky can play on the edge or over the guard. He’s a viable backup to Trey Hendrickson or Sam Hubbard as well as a viable rotational piece alongside B.J. Hill. If the Bengals wanted Cominsky, who else would they pursue if they became available?

Guys like Larry Ogunjobi are still out there as well. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if the defensive line adds a new face by training camp.

Other Stories From Around Minicamp (and the Media)

• Pro Football Focus’ Anthony Treash released a ranking of NFL slot cornerbacks on Thursday. Topping the list was the Colts’ Kenny Moore II, who deflected 13 passes and intercepted 4 en route to a Pro Bowl appearance in 2022. Coming in second was the Bengals’ Mike Hilton. Analyst rankings don’t carry the gravitas of actual awards, but it’s nice to see Bengals players earn positive recognition.

Mike Hilton has ended up as one of the best free agent signings from last offseason.

Signed a 4 yr/$24m deal and is a top 5 graded slot corner and one of the 25 most valuable defenders in the league this year. One of several key moves by Cincinnati to get to this point. pic.twitter.com/Bclg6glOVA

— Anthony Treash (@PFF_Anthony) January 23, 2022

• Back in 2013, a man named Kevin Coyle served as defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins. Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo served as Coyle’s secondary coach. Safety Michael Thomas – now a member of the Bengals – was mostly a member of the San Francisco 49ers’ practice squad. The Dolphins signed him to their active roster in December. A week later, Thomas played his first NFL snaps in a home game against the 10-4 New England Patriots. In addition to logging 3 tackles and 2 pass deflections, Thomas also intercepted a pass from Tom Brady in the fourth quarter that secured a 24-20 win for the Dolphins.
  Coyle stopped by practice and offered his thoughts on how Thomas looks now to Bengals senior writer Geoff Hobson. That story, alongside conversations with kicker Evan McPherson and tight end Scotty Washington, can be found in his latest notebook.
• At one time, running back Chris Evans played AAU basketball against Celtics star Jayson Tatum. That was probably the most interesting fact to come up when Hobson discussed the ongoing NBA Finals with the team. The rest – including who Hilton thinks would win in a pickup game between offense and defense – can be found here.

– Andy Hammel is the Managing Editor for the Bengals at Full Press Coverage. Follow @Andy_Hammel