While the Bengals defense settles in to learn a new system during training camp Nate Orchard Jersey , linebacker Vontaze Burfict is just passing through town.
He'll miss the start of the season for a third year in a row, this time on a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancers. It's a conundrum for the Bengals , who have remained loyal to Burfict despite his history of misconduct and suspensions.
His absence will be especially noteworthy this year as the Bengals adjust to a new defense under first-year coordinator Teryl Austin.
When camp opens with the first practice on Thursday, they'll be teaching him the system while also preparing everyone else to play without him for the first month.
"Unfortunately, we're probably too experienced at it," coach Marvin Lewis said.
The results so far haven't been all that encouraging.
Burfict was suspended for the first three games in 2016 because of his history of egregious hits during games, including his blow to Antonio Brown's head during the Steelers' first-round playoff victory the previous season. The Bengals lost two of three and finished with a losing record.
Last year, Burfict got another three-game suspension from the league for his egregious hit on Kansas City's Anthony Sherman during a preseason game. Undeterred, the Bengals gave Burfict a three-year contract extension and got off to an 0-3 start and another losing season.
Burfict is one of the most vocal leaders on the defense. He'll practice with the team until the preseason ends and his suspension begins, preventing him from being around the team for a month.
"We're going to miss the heck out of Vontaze Christian Jones Jersey ," cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick said Wednesday.
Coaches liken it to missing an injured player, though it's not an exact comparison. When a player gets hurt, someone else steps into the job full time. In this case, the Bengals have to get the defense on the same page of the new playbook, while also getting it ready to function without one of its leaders for a significant part of the season.
They signed linebacker Preston Brown to a one-year deal in March, bringing in a player from Buffalo who can help them get through that first month without Burfict.
"We have to have the other guys assume the leadership, the communication, everything that way," Lewis said. "He's such a dominant personality that we almost have to stifle him in order to do that."
Lewis declined to say whether he would hold Burfict out of the preseason games, as he's done in the past when the linebacker faced a season-opening suspension. Austin plans to give Burfict a lot of practice time.
"I anticipate him practicing like nothing is going on and then when we get toward the end and he has to take a break Josh Ferguson Jersey , then he has to take a break," Austin said.
Burfict will miss the season opener at Indianapolis followed by a Thursday night home game against AFC North rival Baltimore and road games against Carolina and Atlanta. He can return for an Oct. 7 game against Miami at Paul Brown Stadium, which is followed by another home game against the Steelers.
He has a history of getting back to speed quickly after returning from a suspension.
"One thing to his credit: He's been able to come back to playing as though he's been playing football," Lewis said.
"If we say he's going to play 20 snaps, he plays 40. If we say 30 snaps, he plays 50. He won't come out once he's in there, and then all he'll do afterward is tell you guys how he's winded and we made him play too much. But he's the one who won't come off the field."
After spending most of his first four seasons in Minnesota as a part-time back, Jerick McKinnon wanted to find a spot in free agency where he could show off his ability as a featured runner.
San Francisco 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan saw enough from his film over those years to decide he was the player they wanted to be their starting running back, giving him a four-year deal that will guarantee him nearly $12 million in 2018.
"It was big for me," McKinnon said Thursday. "It was what I was hoping to have and looking for instead of staying in Minnesota and being in that third-down back role. I was looking for that opportunity. I'm glad this organization Karl Mecklenburg Jersey , this team, coach Shanahan felt strong enough about me and brought me in. I believe it's the perfect fit."
The 49ers said they heavily targeted McKinnon and center Weston Richburg as players they wanted to acquire early in free agency. Richburg agreed to a five-year deal on Wednesday and both players were introduced at a news conference Thursday.
McKinnon spent four years in Minnesota mostly as a backup after being drafted in the third round in 2014 after playing mostly quarterback in college at Georgia Southern. He has rushed for 1,918 yards with average of 4.0 yards per carry, has 142 catches for 984 yards, and has scored 12 touchdowns.
McKinnon had his most productive season last year when he ran for a career-high 570 yards,, while setting personal bests with 51 catches for 421 yards.
The addition of McKinnon replaces Carlos Hyde, who is leaving as a free agent for Cleveland. McKinnon has more speed and is a better receiving threat than Hyde and should fit well into Shanahan's offense.
"He's good enough to make it as a runner alone in this league. He's good enough to make it in the pass game as just a third down threat alone, but when you can do both of those, it gives you a lot of freedom as a coach Patrick DiMarco Jersey ," Shanahan said. "Based off of what downs you put him in and that when you do put him in, the defense doesn't know exactly what type of plays you're trying to run because he can do it all."
Richburg spent the past four seasons with the New York Giants but played only four games last year because of a concussion. He began his career as a left guard before moving to center in 2015. He played there the past three seasons and is considered one of the top pass-blocking players at the position and has the athleticism to thrive in Shanahan's zone-running scheme.
The Niners are hoping Richburg has a similar impact in San Francisco as Alex Mack had in Atlanta when he joined the Falcons when Shanahan was offensive coordinator there.
"I've been around some real good ones in my career," Shanahan said. "He's put it all on tape and he looks right there with all those guys and that's why I value him a ton off the tape. Didn't know a ton about him until I turned on the tape and it was as good as I've seen."
With Richburg in place, the Niners traded last year's starting center Daniel Kilgore to Miami in a deal that included a swap of seventh-round picks. The 49ers had signed Kilgore to a three-year extension last month but felt Richburg was the better option at center so worked to find a new spot for Kilgore.
It's been a busy offseason already for San Francisco. The Niners signed quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo to a five-year deal last month before he even hit free agency, signed cornerback Richard Sherman after he was cut by Seattle, re-signed defensive lineman Cassius Marsh and offensive lineman Garry Gilliam and gave an extension to receiver Marquise Goodwin.
The team also signed defensive lineman Jeremiah Attaochu to a one-year deal Thursday to help bolster the pass rush and still could make a few more moves to upgrade a team that won its final five games last season after Garoppolo took over as starter to finish 6-10.
"We feel like we've improved our team greatly and that excites us," general manager John Lynch said.
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