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Brandon LaFell settled in with Cincinnati Bengals for second year opposite A.J. Green

By Jeff Wallner, The Sports Xchange
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon LaFell (11) celebrates his touchdown with A.J. Green (18) during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 23, 2016. File photo by John Sommers II/UPI
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Brandon LaFell (11) celebrates his touchdown with A.J. Green (18) during the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on October 23, 2016. File photo by John Sommers II/UPI | License Photo

CINCINNATI -- This time last year, Brandon LaFell was just trying to get acclimated in Cincinnati, learning a new playbook, terminology and routines.

LeFell had just arrived from New England having signed a free-agent deal to give the Bengals some veteran support alongside wide receiver A.J. Green.

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"It was a guessing game every day," LaFell said on Tuesday, the first of three Organized Team Activities (OTAs) days. "What plays we're putting in, how's practice going to go, what are we going to do in the weight room.

"This year, it's just second nature, just waking up every day going out here and playing fast."

It's all about football now.

And, after catching 64 balls for 862 yards and a team-leading six touchdowns, LaFell has established himself as an integral part of the Bengals' offense. This year, though, he has plenty of company.

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Cincinnati drafted speedy John Ross from the University of Washington in the first round, then in the fourth managed to nab physical Tennessee Volunteers receiver Josh Malone.

The Bengals already have Tyler Boyd coming off a standout rookie campaign and deep threat Cody Core. LaFell said he's enjoying being a mentor for the group.

"My role is to be the vocal leader of that group," LaFell said. "A.J. (Green) leads by example, I'm the vocal leader. I just want to go out and make plays, teach the young guys the speed of the game. Answer any questions they've got."

The Bengals have voluntary OTAs until mid-June. The team's mandatory mini-camp will be held June 13-15. Training camp begins July 27.

Cincinnati is coming off a disappointing season in which they finished 6-9-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

If tight end Tyler Eifert and stay healthy and he gets protection from a revamped offensive line, quarterback Andy Dalton should have plenty of big-play options at his disposal.

There are some uncertainties surrounding the running game, which will be vital for the offense's success.

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Can Jeremy Hill rebound from a dismal 2016 season? Will Giovani Bernard be back to full speed in a reasonable amount of time coming off an ACL tear? And, how will dynamic rookie Joe Mixon perform amid a bevy of scrutiny?

Green will be motivated after falling 36 yards short of 1,000 receiving yards when a hamstring injury caused him to miss the final five games. He finished with 66 catches for 964 yards and four touchdowns.

It was the first time in Green's six NFL seasons that he failed to reach 1,000 yards.

Ross hasn't joined the team yet and might not be fully recovered from shoulder surgery by the start of training camp. But, LaFell is excited to see the Bengals receiving corps together for the first time.

"I felt like midway through the year before A.J. got injured, we started clicking a lot," LaFell said. "We added some young guys in the draft, one guy who's as fast as I don't know what.

"We added Malone, who is really talented, a big receiver who can run and catch. We've got a lot of talent in that room. We have a lot of competition which is going to be good."

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