The Auburn linebacker, Cincinnati's top pick in last month's draft, had planned to monitor practices but refrain from participating in them, because of the lack of insurance against injury. North Carolina linebacker Brian Simmons, the Bengals' other first-round choice, made the same decision.
But Spikes' agent, James Sims, and Bengals officials reached an agreement Saturday morning. Sims wanted written assurance that the Bengals would not negotiate a cut-rate contract with Spikes if he suffered a minicamp injury.
"It comes down to we will bargain in good faith with him and his agent -- something we would have done anyway -- but putting it in writing seems to be satisfactory to them," said Bengals President and General Manager Mike Brown.
Spikes enjoyed the chance to perform. "It feels great to open up a little bit," he said. "It was harder to grasp everything than I expected, but I'll study my notes."
Though Simmons remained a spectator, Brown said the club was continuing to talk with his agents.
Dauntless Dillon
Running back Corey Dillon made a brief statement about his March arrest on a DUI charge and two other vehicular-related offenses in Seattle.
"Whatever goes on in the offseason in Seattle is basically my business, but the media tends to make it theirs," he said. "But I'm going to put it like this: I ain't been convicted of no crime, and that's the way I'm going to leave it."
Dillon, who gained 1,129 yards as a rookie last year, said he weighed 230 pounds, 10 over his listed playing weight. "But it's a solid 230," he said.
Dillon, whose training regimen includes 200 pushups and 200 situps every other day, vowed to maintain working tirelessly: "That's all I know. When stuff starts getting a little bit easy, I have to worry. As long as I have to apply (myself) and scrap, I'm better off."
Mack encouraged
Bengals coaches are curious to see how strong safety Tremain Mack's left foot responds to daily practices.
Mack, who earned starting status as a rookie last year before severely bruising and spraining the foot in the season's fourth game, declined to have surgery in the offseason. He believes he made the right decision.
"The latter part of last year and the early part of this year, I was thinking I might never play again, the way it was going," Mack said. But since a Spinney Field workout in late March, he added, "It started speeding up, as far as getting better."
John Copeland nurses his torn left Achilles tendon.
(Ernest Coleman photo)
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Copeland's goal
Defensive end John Copeland said he'd like to return from his torn left Achilles' tendon in mid-October, though he hasn't targeted a specific date.
Copeland, who was counted on to start, was injured on April 15 during a workout at Auburn University. He's estimated to be sidelined for 4-6 months.
"I was doing a reaction drill, jumping over a small hurdle back and forth, and when the trainer yelled "Go,' I was going to hit the ground and sprint 5 yards," Copeland said. "When he said "Go,' it just happened."
Copeland initially thought he had merely stepped on the end of the hurdle. "Then I saw my ankle was just hanging," he said.
Etc.
Coach Bruce Coslet was relatively pleased with the physical condition of right tackle Willie Anderson, who struggled with his weight during his first two seasons. "He came in a lot lighter than he came in last year," Coslet said of Anderson, the 1996 first-round draft pick who weighed 353 during the '97 minicamp but was estimated at 340 this year.
Though the Bengals already have four quarterbacks on the roster, they invited Mt. Union College's Bill Borchert for a one-day tryout.
Tito Paul, who started five games for the Bengals at right cornerback last year, received a tryout with the Denver Broncos.
Boomer's gone; his shadow's not Paul Daugherty column
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