In between the golf, the meals, an Orlando Magic basketball game and some fun in the sun, some of the Cincinnati Bengals gathered this week in Orlando, Fla., are getting a head start on the season.
Close to 20 quarterbacks, running backs, receivers and tight ends are attending a three-day voluntary camp at Disney's World of Sports with coach Bruce Coslet and offensive coordinator Ken Anderson. Today is the final day of workouts.
It is a relaxed atmosphere, meant to help the players bond as much as work on techniques, patterns and timing. There are no meetings, but plenty of social time. Some of the players brought their families and made a mini-vacation out of it.
''This is a way for us to get started, to get guys thinking about football again, and present some of the new little wrinkles we're thinking about,'' Anderson said.
''Everybody realizes that we played very well the last half of the season and now we've got to get off to that kind of start this year.''
This is the third year players have gathered in what started as a suggestion by quarterback Jeff
Blake, and this is the largest gathering. It probably didn't hurt that this year the Bengals picked up the tab; the past two years, players paid their own way.
Because there is no guarantee of good weather in Cincinnati this time of year, Blake figured it would be beneficial for players to convene in Florida, where he lives in the offseason.
''I thought it would be good for us to get together in a warm place and a good environment,'' Blake said. ''It gets you started a little early and gets you thinking about football Š We haven't seen each other since December. It feels
good to see guys again and talk to them and see how everything's going. It also feels good to get the football aspect going again.''
After two days, Anderson said the attitudes were great and much was getting accomplished.
''I spent a lot of time before we came out here deciding what we wanted to work on,'' he said. ''We had an agenda that I put together and Bruce OK'd that we started working on literally weeks ago. So we've got specific things that we want to get accomplished down here.''
The notable no-shows include quarterback Kerry Joseph, who is playing in the World League of American Football, and restricted free-agent receiver Darnay Scott.
''I'm not disappointed,'' Blake said of Scott's absence. ''Darnay's going through a lot of personal things. His contract's not done yet, and he doesn't know what's going on with that. I'm sure he's training and working out, and I'm sure he'll be fine when (mini) camp comes around in May. I just have to deal with who we have here now.''
Carter watch
When running back Ki-Jana Carter came to this camp last year, he was just beginning his playing comeback from his knee injury. Now he's
healthy and - according to Anderson and Blake - looking good.
''His speed looks real good, he's cutting real good,'' Blake said. ''He's catching the ball great. We're not running the ball down here; we're just throwing it. I can't wait to see him running now.''
Taking a look
With the NFL draft just a few weeks away, former University of Cincinnati defensive backs Sam Garnes, Chris Hewitt and Jermaine Trent worked out Wednesday at Spinney Field for Bengals director of pro personnel Jim Lippincott, defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and defensive backs coach Ray Horton.
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