The Bengals ended their training camp schedule Wednesday in regular-season Friday style with a half-speed run-through in front of Thursday's flight to Philadelphia for the preseason finale.

Which means the most physical camp in the Joe Burrow Era has ended, So it was quite fitting that linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr. ended this throwback camp switching on some old-school Frank Sinatra on the locker room music vault to serenade his mates on the way out the door.

Knight, a relative of music icon Gladys Knight, likes his music great and varied, befitting his role as the club's poet laureate in the tradition of two-time Super Bowl Bengals great Reggie Williams.

"Another day to put hay in the barn," Knight said. "It's not closing a door. It's not opening another door. You just continue to reap what we're sowing since we've been back in OTAs. Continue to plant those seeds. Continue to watch them grow into that beautiful fruit we want."

But before the fruit must come the dirt, and Knight was smack in the middle of much of the grime as he and backer Barrett Carter drew praise for how they've bounced back from learning under fire as rookies last season.

And Knight bounced around several altercations, most recently on Tuesday when he grabbed Carter and hugged him after a dustup with running back Samaje Perine.

"No doubt," Knight said of the difference between his two camps. "Absolutely we've had a little chippiness and that brings out the best in everybody."

Position To Watch

When the Bengals make their final cuts this weekend (if they haven't already), they have to decide in their hunt for the first tackle off the bench if there's somebody better not yet in Paycor Stadium.

Heading into Friday's finale in Philly (8 p.m.-Cincinnati’s Local 12), it would seem that Javon Foster, locked in a tussle with backup guard Jalen Rivers for the job, has a lot going for him.

Also in the mix is practice squad incumbent Andrew Coker, among others. Foster is the man getting most of the reps.

Foster isn't experienced. He's a fourth-round pick of the Jags from 2024 with only four games under his belt. But as guys like offensive line coach Scott Peters and left tackle and captain Orlando Brown Jr., say, he's got some unique traits for a 6-5, 320-pounder.

"He might have some of the best feet on the team, just in terms of his foot speed and quickness," Brown said. "It's really, really unique in a way, and I think it's helped him a lot just being able to be consistent because he's got such a large amount of pop in his feet.

"He's been playing his ass off all camp right and left tackle. He's prepared every day."

That's the word. Consistent. Peters uses it. Head coach Zac Taylor uses it. He'll have to be consistent Friday because as Peters says, "somebody has to step up and really show us that 'Hey, I'm the guy.'"

Foster and Peters point to a drastic improvement in his sets, a big reason, they say, he played better against the Bears last Saturday than the Lions two weeks ago.

"He's always kind of used his hands OK, and sometimes the sets get you in trouble," Peters said. "So what he did last week was he came out and didn't have any mental errors, knew what to do, took the right sets and performed well."

The sophomore Rivers could be in a bit of a different situation. He could be here again as a backup guard, which he played for the last year before switching back to tackle after the Lions game when a third tackle didn't emerge. Peters knows they've given him a difficult task.

"Jalen hasn't played a ton of tackle, and especially tackle on the right side," Peters said. "But he's a true pro. He takes the mental reps. Imagine. People are usually left-hand dominant or right-hand dominant, and to think that you can go out there and just seamlessly do that on both sides without working through it is why people have prominent sides. And I think the whole goal is to try to see a seamless transition from left to right. So hopefully, we get that done with both of those guys."

But then, the entire swing tackle thing is daunting. Even though the No. 3 doesn't get many reps during the season, he has to come in on either side at a moment's notice to play against the edges, more than likely the best athletes on a defense.

Peters plans to start Friday's game like he did Saturday at Paycor, Rivers at left, Foster at right. Potentially, he says, they'll switch at some point. Foster played both Saturday, when Rivers kicked into left guard after left tackle.

The release of incumbent swing man Cody Ford on Monday seemed to indicate they think they've got people in the building.

Position of Note

All-Pro wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase surfaced in the locker room Wednesday after Tuesday's practice scare and wasn't seen on the field. Just a scare, but the Bengals certainly haven't been afraid of using their first-year wide receivers, along with others, with quarterback Joe Burrow. CFL-import Dohnte Meyers and fourth-rounder Colbie Young out of Georgia, are trying to get in a flow with Burrow as they negotiate wide receiver Tee Higgins’ rest days with Chase out.

Offensive coordinator Dan Pitcher is quick to turn on the brakes.

"They put out a good job when opportunities presented. There were a lot of reps (Tuesday), so that's what you hope to see.  There's some growing pains still, but they're making steps in the right direction. It wasn't just them, others as well."

Pitcher pointed to vet No. 3 receiver Andrei Iosivas, who has "had a good camp all the way around, so everybody's got to be ready if opportunity presents. (Tuesday) was a good  example of that.

"(Young and Meyers) carry themselves like pros, and they're both very serious about the job. And I think they both are cognizant of the opportunity in front of them, but that it's an everyday thing. Dependability is the biggest thing when you're not yet established within the offense. They've got be dependable for us to trust them."

Quote of the Day

"A salute is form of respect, a form of acknowledgment and showing respect for someone superior to you or of equal rank to you.

It's just something that I wanted to incorporate  into my football life to show that respect for all the military people out there and everyone that's been with me along the journey, and just showing them that's still part of me."

-Bengals rookie defensive tackle and Naval Academy grad Landon Robinson on why he salutes to celebrate a sack.

Slants and Screens

After the Bengals backup offensive line played so well against the Bears Saturday, the starting offensive line came up with what may have been its best protecting periods of the season in practice on Monday and Tuesday. Peters pointed to left guard Dylan Fairchild heading into his  second season in the NFL and his second as a starter.

"When you know guys are in the right place, the right time, and the sets are taken properly, and now we've increased our abilities with our hands," Peters said. "I think Dylan Fairchild really started using his hands better, which is a big benefit. He was a rookie. He's a talented kid. A lot of size, he can anchor against most people. But one thing I wanted, one area of improvement, was his hands usage. So we've been harping on it, and he's finally started to really let that go. I appreaciate that.  That's part of the success we've had the last couple of days." …

One guy Peters won't move is sixth-round pick Brian Parker II. That's all Parker has done in the first two games. Left guard. Right guard. Center. But he's played so well at left, look for him to stay at right against the Eagles.

"I think I ran block well at right (Saturday)," Parker said. "I just need match up the steps in the pass." ….