Cory Hall is the utility infielder of the Bengals' secondary. He can play just about any position, and this weekend he finds himself back at free safety because of the absence of rookie second-round draft pick Lamont Thompson.

        Listed as the starter at free safety on the minicamp depth chart, Thompson is not in attendance because of a disagreement with the Bengals regarding injury coverage.

        So Hall, who had been listed as the starter at strong safety, is back at free. He started four games at strong safety last season before being moved to free safety, where he started nine.

        He prefers strong safety, which involves playing closer to the line and concentrating more on running plays. JoJuan Armour, who is listed as the backup strong safety, is back as the starter — for the time being.

        “It's not hard,” Hall said of the position change. “It's just different. At strong safety, you see a lot more action. Plus, I like being there because I can use my speed to get quicker reads, better than others.”

        Free safety is the last line of the defense.

        “We have no apprehensions about playing JoJuan or Cory at safety in NFL games,” coach Dick LeBeau said. “We've already seen that work pretty well.”

        REST FOR GUS: Quarterback Gus Frerotte, who had surgery on his throwing shoulder in December, didn't throw during Sunday's second practice. He did participate fully in the morning practice.

        “He's not that far removed from the surgery,” LeBeau said. “He's doing great. There's no sense in not being prudent about it.”

        A year removed from the installation of a new scheme, the Bengals looked crisp offensively again Sunday.

        “Real good energy level, some pretty daggone good execution,” LeBeau said. “We're light years ahead of where we were at this stage last year.”

        “Everything seems to be going smooth,” center Rich Braham said. “We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off last year. We don't have all the mistakes where you stop and have to repeat plays.”

        HAMSTRUNG: Rookie tight end Matt Schobel didn't practice Sunday afternoon. He has a tender left hamstring that was iced and wrapped at the end of the morning workout.

        “It's a low-grade strain,” trainer Paul Sparling said. “His right hip is sore, too. It's compensatory. He wasn't rehabbed properly at college.”

        Schobel, the third-round draft pick, will miss this morning's practice and has been told not to work the hamstring until he returns May16 to Cincinnati, if he is signed.

        With projected starter Sean Brewer also out with a slight hamstring tear, Kirk McMullen and Brad St.Louis have been getting most of the work at tight end during minicamp.

        CAMP COMPETITION: Veteran defensive end Vaughn Booker wore long sleeves and long pants in the morning workout in an effort to lose some extra pounds.

        Booker said coming off the field that he knows he's in a fight to keep his job as the starting left end.

        “These (young) guys, they're already in shape,” said Booker, 34, listed at 300 pounds. “I kind of lost discipline in coming in like this.”

        Booker is being pressured for playing time by Eric Ogbogu, signed as a free agent last week from the Jets, and rookie seventh-round draft pick Joey Evans Jr. from North Carolina.

        LOCAL TIE: Free agent quarterback Gavin Hoffman, who played at Pennsylvania, was recommended to Bengals president Mike Brown by Cheviot lawyer Greg Nolan.

        Nolan's son, former St. Xavier High School kicker Evan Nolan, was a freshman at Penn this past season. Greg Nolan, who saw most of the Quakers' games, called Brown to suggest the Bengals look at Hoffman.
       The Bengals liked Hoffman, who had had a tryout last weekend with the Philadelphia Eagles, and signed him to a two-year contract.

        “If it doesn't (work) out, I'll blame (Nolan),” said Brown, laughing. Brown himself is a former Ivy League quarterback at Dartmouth.

        THAT'S A WRAP: Minicamp will come to a close today with a practice from 10a.m.-noon at Paul Brown Stadium.

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