By Mark Curnutte
The Cincinnati Enquirer

PHOTO GALLERY

Photos of Tuesday's practice

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - The Bengals donned full pads for the first time Tuesday morning and ran 14 plays of full contact.

That session went off without a hitch. Earlier in practice, coach Marvin Lewis had to stop a full-contact rush game drill because the first play ended in a skirmish.

Right guard Matt O'Dwyer and linebacker Kevin Hardy tangled after the play. Lewis stopped practice and called the team together for about 15 seconds.

"We have to practice together, and both sides want to win. And probably both guys were right and both guys were wrong," Lewis said. "We just want to make sure that we understand that we have to work together. I thought we were beyond that, but we obviously weren't because it happened on the first play."

The plays were closely watched.

Corey Dillon ran the first play and was tackled for a short gain.

"Give me my ugly 4 (yards), give me my ugly 4," Dillon yelled from the bottom of the pile.

On another pass play, wide receiver Ron Dugans gave ground after a catch. Disgusted, Lewis looked at the sidelines and waived off the first down.

PRIME TIME: Cornerback Artrell Hawkins and wide receivers Peter Warrick and Chad Johnson were among more than a dozen young NFL players to attend a casual weekend with former players Deion Sanders and Michael Irvin in Dallas in May.

"Deion coached us up and we got a chance to hang out with him at his house," Hawkins said. "In addition, you get a chance to be with guys like (Redskins cornerback) Champ Bailey who've been to the Pro Bowl and borrow some things they do. What better way to spend a weekend and learn with Deion?"

Sanders had called Lewis, told him what he had planned and asked Lewis if he would like to send some of his players there.

MORE BODIES: The Bengals acquired rookie offensive lineman Noah Swartz off waivers from Dallas.

Swartz, who is 6'8, 318 pounds, played college ball at Toledo. He is 23 and had signed with the Cowboys after the draft as a rookie free agent.

Swartz joins former Mariemont High School star Alex Sulfsted and second-round pick Eric Steinbach as additional bodies on the offensive line.

Washington released Sulfsted on Saturday. The Bengals claimed him Monday.

"This has been my dream since I was a little kid," Sulfsted said of rejoining the Bengals, where he was a practice squad member in 2001. "I'll do whatever. Tackle is my natural position."

WORDS OF WISDOM: Lewis made sure to seek out Johnson during the afternoon practice after Johnson took off his helmet in frustration.

"This is the NFL. You're supposed to catch the football and block people, too," Lewis said. "You can't take your helmet off. It's a 15-yard penalty."

Johnson has been catching just about every ball, if not every one, thrown his way. He made two toe-dragging sideline catches later in practice.

"The point is to be a pro and that's how you practice," Lewis said.

Johnson apparently was upset with the physical play of cornerback Tory James in the afternoon practice, which was not in pads.

While stretching after practice, Johnson yelled across the field, "It's me and you, 26," which is James' number.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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