Head coach Zac Taylor celebrated his 41st birthday and the annual initiation rite known as Rookie Minicamp Friday morning when he gathered the newest Bengals for an hour in the IEL Indoor Facility before sending them home.
It’s a dated term since there are no longer five practices jammed into the weekend. “Rookie Orientation,” is more like it because most of them will be back Monday to join the veterans.
“I advise these guys to look over the roster and know who these veterans are,” said Taylor after he dismissed them. “‘These guys have made a lot of plays for us. They have earned your respect even if you don’t know who they are yet.’ That’s kind of their homework for the weekend.”
Two undrafted free agents have already completed the assignment.
Tulane cornerback Lance Robinson is best friends from childhood with Bengals three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, but Chase is also no stranger to SUNY Cortland wide receiver Cole Burgess.
Burgess, who like Chase starred for a national champion, didn’t hesitate after practice when asked to name his favorite NFL receiver.
“If I’m being honest, No.1 in the locker over there,” said Burgess, nodding to a locker room housing the vets. “He’s my favorite guy. We were in the same class. I was watching him at LSU and since he got in the league, and I’ve been following his and Joe’s (Burrow) career. I just like his game and the way he plays.”
Robinson knows Chase’s game so well that it impacted their one-on-ones during his workouts before the draft.
“He knows my tendencies, I know his tendencies,” Robinson said. “We stayed away from each other. He said, ‘You do your thing, I’ll do my thing.’ I feel like if I can do well against him, I can do well against anybody.”
They’ve known each other since they were about five years old is how Robinson figures it. The families, too. They were born 19 days apart in March of 2000 in New Orleans and…
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