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What Does Trent Brown Landing on NFI Mean for Bengals With Training Camp Starting Wednesday?

Another Trent Brown absence, this time for a stint on the NFI list, is another chance for rookie Amarius Mims to show he should start for the Bengals.

CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati Bengals placed offensive tackle Trent Brown on the Non-Football Injury list the day before training camp is set to begin.

While it’s unclear what injury Brown is dealing with, it’s another boost to first-round pick Amarius Mims’ bid to win the starting job.

Trent Brown’s Absence Another Boon For Amarius Mims

The Bengals signed Brown to a one-year, $4.8 million contract in March, six weeks before the team drafted Mims with the No. 18 pick — a move that should not have caught Brown off guard.

“That’s one of the things I talked about with Trent before we even signed him, that [signing him] doesn’t take off the table we may draft in the first round a tackle,” Cincinnati head coach Zac Taylor said at Monday’s pre-camp luncheon.

When Brown met with the media after he signed, he said he was told he was coming here as the projected starter. But he still knew he’d have to earn the job.

“All the things that brings with it, that brings out the competitor in everybody,” Taylor said. “You can imagine what (Brown’s) response was: ‘Fine, I’m the best there is.’ So that’s great competition. Great for everybody.

“We are going to need all the depth we’ve got up front,” Taylor continued. “I wouldn’t even call it a problem. It’s a really good situation to have.”

While Brown initially reported for the voluntary portion of the offseason, he quickly left to return home to Dallas due to a family issue, he said.

“I was here already when the offseason started, but when that happened on Mother’s Day, I had to stay back home and see about my family,” Brown said after reporting for mandatory minicamp. “Everybody was good about it. Everybody was reaching out, making sure I was all right and making sure my family was all right. I was happy about that.”

Brown participated in the minicamp, so whatever his non-football injury is, it must have occurred during the six-week break.

While the Bengals didn’t do any team drills during OTAs, Mims still got to run through install and all other components of on-field work as a member of the first team.

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He’ll be with the group on Wednesday when the team opens training camp with a practice that should include at least one 11-on-11 period (although the team won’t be in pads until Sunday or Monday).

Still, every opportunity Mims gets to play with the first team is another chance to prove he belongs.

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