CINCINNATI —The Cincinnati Bengals opened their three-day mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with one glaring absence. Right tackle Andre Smith is not present and is not expected to be at the camp as he deals with some undisclosed personal issues.
Head coach Marvin Lewis called Smith’s absence a “minor distraction.”
“He's really dealing with something he's got to get through,” said Lewis. “We would have hoped he would have been here and picked up on some of the things we felt like were good to work on this point in the year for himself personally with football. But he's got some personal things he's dealing with.”
The Bengals are also dealing with the fallout of cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones being arrested on Monday on an assault charge stemming from an incident outside of a downtown nightclub last Wednesday. Jones was released on his own recognizance Tuesday after pleading not guilty to the charge. He is participating in the minicamp in a limited basis because of a calf injury.
Jones was unavailable for comment during Tuesday’s open locker room session.
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday in an e-mail that the league would look into the situation at the appropriate time but would not speculate on any potential outcome now.
“The situation Adam Jones is in obviously is not something you want to get involved in,” said Lewis. “It's unfortunate that he's in this situation. That's really about all I can add to it. Obviously this has got to work its way out whatever way it does.”
Lewis said Smith is subject to being fined for missing the minicamp, up to $66,150 per the new collective bargaining agreement. While not being specific about what the personal issue involves, Lewis did say it had nothing to do with a January incident at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in which Smith was arrested. Officials said he carried a loaded .38 caliber handgun into the security area.
The absence is also not related to Smith’s past troubles with being in proper condition, according to Lewis, but he should expect to take a hit in the wallet because of his absence.
“I think we all have to make choices once in a while in life that we pay a cost for,” said Lewis. “In this case, I have to do it that way. I have to be fair, I mean, we are not necessarily dealing with a death in the family or something like that or your wife is having a baby or so forth. In this case, this is something there has to be ramifications from this.” Smith was a free agent this past offseason but signed a three-year contract worth $18 million in April to remain with the team that made him the No. 6 overall pick in the 2009 draft. After playing in just 13 games his first two seasons because of weight issues and injuries, Smith has started 30 games over the past two seasons, plus both playoff games the Bengals have played.
Smith did not participate in the team’s offseason conditioning program or any of its organized team activities.
Anthony Collins is the top reserve tackle. He has been taking snaps at left tackle during OTAs and this minicamp with the first unit while Andrew Whitworth recovers from offseason knee surgery. The Bengals also have veteran Dennis Roland and rookie Reid Fragel getting extra snaps at right tackle with Smith out of the picture.
The Bengals are returning all of their starters on offense from a season ago.
“Obviously, we want him here. I think it would help everybody out, but he's got stuff going on — personal stuff that, sometimes that stuff happens,” said quarterback Andy Dalton. “We obviously want him here, but we understand that there is stuff outside of football, too.”
The Bengals tentatively are planning to open training camp on July 25. Smith is expected to be in attendance.
“Obviously, there's certain things that come with not being here these three days, so, that's unfortunate for him,” said Lewis. “I think once we get through a week of training camp, then everything will be good. We have to focus in and coach with the guys we have here right now, and that's a good thing.”
