Bengals add trio to Pro Bowl roster
Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton, defensive tackle A.J. Green and tight end Jermaine Gresham were added to the AFC Pro Bowl roster.
They replace a trio of Patriots who will be playing in the Super Bowl - quarterback Tom Brady, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork and tight end Rob Gronkowski.
Dalton joins wide receiver A.J. Green in giving the Bengals the first rookie quarterback-wide receiver duo to be on the same Pro Bowl roster in NFL history.
--Cincinnati Bengals receiver Jerome Simpson faces possible jail time and suspension from the NFL after being indicted on one count of marijuana trafficking of more than eight ounces. The felony count could mean up to five years in prison for Simpson, if he's found guilty.
Federal authorities say they tracked a package that contained 2 1-2 pounds of marijuana to his northern Kentucky home last September.
The indictment comes just a day after Adam "Pacman" Jones, who also completed the final year of a contract with the Bengals, received community service and probation for a disorderly conduct charge stemming from an incident at a Cincinnati bar.
--When he had his season-ending meeting with tackle Andrew Whitworth, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden commented how things won't let up next year, especially with the defensive lines of NFC East and AFC West teams that they will face.
"I'll face the 12 guys that lead the NFL in sacks every year. I can run the list off," Whitworth said. "Between our division guys and Tamba Hali, (Elvis) Dumervil and (Von) Miller, the NFC East ... it would be a lot of fun, be exciting."
--The Bengals' 2012 training camp will be held at the team's facility at Paul Brown Stadium, ending a 15-year run of calling Georgetown (Ky.) College home.
The team will offer greater access to fans that is unavailable at Paul Brown Stadium during the regular season, as well as a number of new special events and attractions.
The decision to shift camp to Cincinnati was influenced by the NFL's new Collective Bargaining Agreement, agreed to last summer, which significantly reduces the number of on-field practice sessions allowed during the training camp period. At Paul Brown Stadium, Bengals coaches and staff will have the advantage of utilizing the team's home facilities and technology.
"Georgetown has been a great place for us, but this is the best way for our team to get ready for the 2012 regular season," said head coach Marvin Lewis. "We are going to be right in our home, and that's where you're best suited with the way the (NFL) rules have changed. We also hope to see some fans who maybe haven't had a chance to see us at camp before, and we're excited to join all the great activities that are happening in the summertime in our downtown."
--While most players try to avoid going to the Pro Bowl, quarterback Andy Dalton said he would welcome the opportunity to join receiver A.J. Green in Hawaii. Dalton is the first alternate at quarterback at the moment.
"I think it would be a great experience," he said.
Whoever ends up going to the Pro Bowl with Green, Lewis hopes that they all use it as a business trip instead of relaxation.
Said Lewis: "They can be a sponge there. I used to motivate Ray Lewis every year that way. Don't go there to hang out by the pool. You go there and come back learning. You learn how other people do things and what makes other people great year after year after year, and that's the opportunity they'll have."
--The team has not announced a deal yet to return to Georgetown College, which means that many are expecting that the team might train in Cincinnati this year. The Bengals have trained at Georgetown since 1996.
Lewis though didn't say where they would train, just saying that camp "will be different."
QUOTE TO NOTE
"If we were having this conversation Feb. 6, we would have closed a book. So, we are just closing a chapter. The book is still being written. But we've got things to do, and it's with a group of guys that I think just scratched the surface a little bit this year, and they realize that." -- Head coach Marvin Lewis, when asked if the end of this season felt more like a book was being closed.
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