CINCINNATI, Ohio — Wide receiver Cobi Hamilton, the Cincinnati Bengals’ sixth-round draft pick from 2013, didn’t finish off camp exactly the way he would like as he dropped a few passes he should have caught.
But that barely diminished what was a strong offseason and strong step toward making the Bengals 53-man roster.
Hamilton drew praise from receivers coach James Urban, who called him the most improved receiver on the team during a season spent on the practice squad. This from a player who rewrote the University of Arkansas record books with 90 receptions and 1,335 receiving yards his senior year.
He displayed flashes of brilliance during this month’s offseason training camp, blowing by defensive backs and hauling in acrobatic contested catches in the back of the end zone.
Hamilton will spend much of the next month home in Texas decompressing, but understanding any slack has been eliminated as he returns for the open of camp.
“It’s pretty hard trying to come in and get immediate playing time as a rookie,” Hamilton said. “There’s a lot of stuff you got to know off the field and on the field to earn your time. This year is completely different for me. I know exactly what I have to do to get on the field.”
This year’s first-round pick, Darqueze Dennard, signed his rookie contract last Thursday and practiced for the first time as an officially paid member of the Bengals Tuesday.
While little drama was involved in striking a deal to the rookie pay scale in the new CBA, he did feel better having the situation behind him.
“Yeah, it’s a relief,” Dennard said. “It’s something that’s crossed off. Something that I don’t have to worry about. We can all just focus on football, and (I’m) doing whatever I can to help the team win. It’s not about money or anything like that anymore. We’re able to throw all that out of the way and get back to football.”