By Mark Curnutte
Enquirer staff writer

GEORGETOWN, Ky. - Keiwan Ratliff participated in two minicamps and several weeks of the Bengals' offseason conditioning program, but his dream has yet to come true.

A Bengals fan growing up in Columbus, Ratliff will realize his dream today.

INSIDE CAMP

Today's schedule 8:45-10:30 a.m. practice (with NFL game officials) 6:30-8:30 p.m., intrasquad scrimmage 8:45 p.m., autograph session Directions From downtown: Take I-75 South about 70 miles to Exit 126 (Georgetown, Ky.). Turn right off ramp onto U.S. 460 West. Stay on 460 for about 2 miles. Turn right at light onto Lemons Mill Road (1962 West). Turn right into driveway flanked with Georgetown College/Bengals signs. Coming up The black-orange mock game is 1 p.m. Saturday and will run about 90 minutes. Camp is closed Sunday. The team does not practice. Injury report • Tackle Levi Jones (car accident), wide receiver Patrick Johnson (unknown) and cornerbacks Reggie Myles (groin) and Greg Brooks (intestinal virus) might be back Monday. • Guard Eric Steinbach (elbow) and wide receiver Maurice Mann (ankle) could be back by the middle of the week. • Offensive lineman Scott Kooistra (knee) could be back late next week or early the following week. • Linebacker Kevin Hardy (back spasms) is day-to-day. Palmer watch Quarterback Carson Palmer showed poise against a heavy rush, stepping up in the pocket and rolling right to buy enough time to connect with Chad Johnson on a comeback route. Palmer continues to be gracious with his time in both signing autographs and talking regularly with both print and electronic reporters. Thursday's highlights Wide receiver Kelley Washington and safety Kim Herring had a violent collision after a pass completion, with Herring's arms and shoulders slamming into Washington's mid-section. Both players were down for a few seconds but got up under their own power. Free agent cornerback James Allen had another interception. Preseason schedule Aug. 14 - at Tampa Bay, 7 p.m. Aug. 21 - NEW ENGLAND, 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 - at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 3 - INDIANAPOLIS, 7:30 p.m.

He will put on a Bengals helmet and shoulder pads, and as he said after signing his contract Thursday at training camp, "go out and hit somebody."

Ratliff, the team's first of two second-round picks and 49th overall, signed a three-year contract that includes a team option on the fourth year. He received a $1.425 million signing bonus.

The yearly base salaries are league minimums of $230,000, $305,000, $385,000 and $460,000. The overall value of the contract is about $2.8 million.

Ratliff, a cornerback from Florida who led the Southeastern Conference with nine interceptions last season, will practice for the first time today but will not play in the team's intrasquad scrimmage tonight.

Ratliff is the 10th of 11 Bengals draft picks to sign. Only first-round pick Chris Perry remains unsigned, and a source told the Enquirer that talks with Perry "are nowhere."

Asked if he had any update on Perry, coach Marvin Lewis said, "No."

Ratliff missed 10 practices in his five-day holdout and lost ground to fellow second-round pick Madieu Williams in the team's defensive rotation.

Williams, applauded by Lewis for his outstanding play in the first week of camp, is vying with Ratliff for the nickelback job on passing downs.

But Lewis, who introduced Ratliff to the media after Ratliff signed his contract in a training camp meeting room, wasn't worried about the rookie's ability to catch up.

"He was a very quick learner. ... We'll see where he is conditioning-wise (and) let him ease into it."

Though Ratliff missed the practice time, he did work out in Columbus at his alma mater, Whitehall-Yearling High School. He also said he studied narrated film of training camp practices sent to him on DVDs by defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle.

"I was trying to get mental reps," Ratliff said. "It was easier to watch those, because (Coyle) was talking to me through them. He was talking like we were at the meetings. He was telling me what to look for and how to watch the film."

The Bengals like Ratliff's mental abilities as well as his physical talent. Coyle said when watching tape of the Florida defense with Ratliff, he was able to describe what every member of the defense was supposed to be doing on every play.

Ratliff drove from Cincinnati with his mother and stepfather Thursday afternoon but arrived too late to practice at 4 p.m. After a short news conference, Ratliff had dinner and attended his first training camp meeting.

Ratliff was still listed as second on the team's depth chart at left cornerback, behind starter Deltha O'Neal.

Asked what the hangup was on finishing the deal, Ratliff said: "Money. It's worked out now, so it's in the past."

Agent Drew Rosenhaus, who flew from Florida late Wednesday to hammer out contract details in person with the Bengals, attended practice and Ratliff's news conference.

Rosenhaus was believed to initially want a signing bonus of $1.430 million.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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