Grüße und Vorstellung » grow together

John Ross got up to top speed Levine Toilolo Jersey , ran past a defender and caught Andy Dalton’s long pass in stride, drawing an ovation from the approximately 950 fans watching the first practice of Bengals camp.

A day later, he made another impressive catch on a deep throw and heard more applause.

Fans haven’t seen any of this since the Bengals made him their first overall pick last year.

The speedy receiver from Washington expected to show his big-play ability during his first season in Cincinnati. Instead, he missed most of camp while recovering from shoulder surgery and wound up playing in only three games.

He didn’t catch a pass and fumbled on a reverse – the only time he got the ball – before another shoulder injury ended his season.

As debuts go, it was about as bad as it gets. He was playing catch-up from the start because of his injury, and every mistake got magnified.

”It was everything,” Ross said. ”When one thing went wrong, six things went wrong. Not to make excuses, but it was so much more than me making one mistake on the field. I think it kind of beat me up mentally and took me away from my game.”

The Bengals are trying to dig out of one of the worst seasons offensively in franchise history. They finished last in the league in yards in 2017, a franchise first. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor was given wide latitude to overhaul the playbook.

The offensive line has been revamped. Coach Marvin Lewis has said repeatedly that the offense needs to have more big plays this season, the kind they thought Ross would provide when they took him with the ninth overall pick in the draft.

Ross ran a record time of 4.22 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the NFL combine, and the Bengals envisioned him providing another deep threat to A.J. Green. Instead Adrian Amos Jersey , Ross barely got on the field. He’s been healthy and making a good impression.

”I’ve kind of showed that I can relax and play the game I’m used to playing,” Ross said. ”Mentally, that was the toughest challenge for me last year. Being hurt kind of messed with me throughout the whole year. When you’re beat mentally, I don’t think you can really be yourself.”

Ross was still recovering from shoulder surgery when camp opened in 2017 and wasn’t cleared to practice at the outset. He wound up playing in only two preseason games and making one catch for 6 yards, his total contribution to the passing game last year.

He’s already way ahead of last year.

”John Ross has done things this offseason we saw at the University of Washington,” said Duke Tobin, director of player personnel. ”We’re looking for him to take the next step.”

EIFERT BACK: Tight end Tyler Eifert was cleared to practice on Monday after working out on a side field the first four days of camp. Eifert was limited to two games last season before more back problems required another surgical procedure. He signed a one-year contract loaded with incentives.

Eifert mostly worked out with the backups on Monday. He made a couple of diving plays late in practice, drawing applause from fans.

”I could understand how it would be frustrating as fans, hearing, `Oh, he’s on (injury) list again or whatever,”’ Eifert said. ”But trust me Tarik Cohen Jersey , it’s 100 times more frustrating for me because all I want to do is be out there, and I’m doing literally everything I can, spending all my time trying to get back out there and stay out there with the guys.”

H-back Ryan Hewitt also was cleared to join practice, leaving only linebacker Vontaze Burfict yet to get approval to practice. Burfict is suspended for the first four games of the season for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancers.

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Deshaun Watson was back in a game this week for the first time since surgery to repair a right knee injury in November, and although he didn't play long, he relished his return.

"I just played five snaps, handed the ball off, threw one pass," Watson said. "So, it wasn't too bad. Good to just go out there for a couple plays and then watch everyone else perform."

The Houston Texans quarterback is looking to build on his limited action as the team prepares for two practices with the San Francisco 49ers next week before hosting them in their second preseason game on Saturday.

Watson's health and development in his second year will be critical as Houston tries to bounce back from a season filled with injuries during which the team went 4-12 for its first losing season since 2013. Though he played in just seven games before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in practice, Watson gave the Texans optimism that he'll be the answer to their longtime problems at the position.

He threw for 1,699 yards and 19 touchdowns and ran for 269 yards and two more scores after Houston traded up to select him with the 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft.

Saturday was the team's first practice back in Houston after the Texans spent the first part of training camp in West Virginia. Although they had to adjust to the hotter temperatures at home Josh Ferguson Jersey , Watson and the Texans got a boost from working out in front of several hundred cheering fans.

"The climate ... it's hot and muggy but at the end of the day we have to come out here and play football and perform and just focus on our task," he said. "So, it's always good to have the fans around and show love. They give us energy and high hopes for this season."

The 22-year-old said he's grown a lot since arriving in Houston last season and is looking forward to building on what he did last year.

"Just really (grown) as a person as a whole and then just the knowledge of the game," he said. "Just being able to understand the offense, understand what the defense is doing and just play faster, just go out there and play and not overthink things."

Coach Bill O'Brien, who worked with Tom Brady when he was an assistant with the Patriots, has enjoyed watching Watson develop and is looking for ways to help him take another step.

"I think there's areas where he and I need to grow together, like in the red area," he said. "We're a little bit behind there but we have to work together on that and see if we can execute better down there, but I think there's a lot of areas where he's gotten better and better, and he'll only get better and better because he works at it and the experience he gets will really help him."

Watson is working behind a revamped offensive line this year after last year's group allowed the second-most sacks in the league. So far Marcell Dareus Jersey , he likes the way the unit is coming together.

"Guys just building chemistry, working hard each and every day, never complaining," Watson said. "They make mistakes, but at the end of the day they correct those mistakes and don't make it twice, just like everyone else on the offense. Just guys that love to play football. They have a passion about going in ... and putting in the work, and (are) passionate about winning."

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