New Lakota East High School head coach Jon Kitna, the former Bengals quarterback who won the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award 18 years before Joe Burrow, is a big fan.
Kitna and his son Jordan, who happens to be his offensive coordinator, watched Burrow work as visitors at Wednesday's mandatory minicamp practice on the Paycor Stadium field. The heady, chemistry-changing field general who quarterbacked Marvin Lewis' first team to first place in the AFC North in mid-November of 2003 couldn't say enough about Burrow's head.
"His football I.Q. has to be off the charts. How fast he gets from his first read to his fourth read or his check down is phenomenal," Kitna said. "His accuracy, ridiculous."
Kitna said the way he throws the deep ball reminds him of one of his teammates as a rookie in Seattle in 1997. Warren Moon, the Pro Football Hall of Famer.
"I think it's really hard in this league to consistently throw go routes," Kitna said. "In Seattle, it was like we were unstoppable. It didn't matter if he was throwing to (Joey) Galloway or (Mike) Pritchard or James McKnight.
"That's what this kind of reminds of. It can be any of them at any time. Down the field, back shoulder … the accuracy is off the charts."
CAM THE MAN: Sophomore cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt had a good day in seven-on-seven even though the NFL spring rules prohibit defenders from playing and contesting the ball. Not just a good practice, but, like cornerbacks coach Charles Burks, said, "a smart practice."
On one out route there were three superb plays. Taylor-Britt had Pro Bowl wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase blanketed, but Chase was strong enough to pull the ball away from CTB as he went out of bounds on a ball Burrow zipped through a mail slot of an opening.
But the best part of the play was Taylor-Britt held up Chase and didn't let him fall.
"He's a great player. Can't let him go to the ground. You have to keep your guys right," Taylor-Britt said.
A few snaps later on the other side, 1,000-yard receiver Tee Higgins did fall down on a go route after he made a nice catch. But Taylor-Britt, who was there, backed off.
"I just want to make sure I'm in my area and doing my job. After that I just let Tee go up there and high point it," CTB said. "We need these guys in September."
He also went step-for-step with Chase on a go ball and forced Burrow to throw a check-down pass to running back Joe Mixon. Burks says Taylor-Britt is using last-year's experiences in the late season and playoffs to become more efficient.
Exhibit A: When CTB covered the out route, he was in man defense and had to sort through what number Chase was in a trips formation and where his help was.
"After that," Taylor-Britt said, "it's all leverage."
JAYLEN NO LONGER MOODY: Undrafted rookie linebacker Jaylen Moody has had no luck at all in the draft process,
A veteran of 65 games as a special teams standout at Alabama, he could only play eight games this past year with a torn labrum and rotator cuff injury after he won the WILL backer job. Then when he was working out for his pro day, he turned his foot on a simple cut and suffered a fifth metatarsal fracture in the long bone on the outside of the foot.
Moody is certain the injury cost him a draft pick. But now that he's on the brink of being cleared for training camp, he's got a new outlook on it. The Bengals are quite high on his college pedigree and his special teams knack. On his end he feels a nice fit with the coaches.
"I changed my mindset on that. It helped me realize I have to take care of my body better," Moody says. "Be ready for anything it. it was a freak accident. I couldn't control it. I'm happy I'm here. I have the chance to return the favor they gave me."
Despite the injury, the Bengals invited Moody to a top 30 visit to Paycor Stadium before the draft and he felt like he hit it off with linebackers coach James Bettcher and assistant Jordan Kovacs.
"(Bettcher) showed me a lot of interest. I think he values who I am and he can help me grow as a player. I think I'm in a good situation."
Give Alabama head coach Nick Saban the last word on Moody from these quotes that appeared last season on various web sites: "Been a great special teams player for us, has always accepted his role, being a really, really solid backup player. But he's played — he's been able to play very well."
