GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- It's near-impossible to overlook 6-foot-4, 345-pound Bobbie Williams when he's standing over the ball.

It's even tougher to overlook the 6-7, 330-pound Andrew Whitworth when the quarterback is standing behind him.

Both Williams and Whitworth took snaps at center in Monday night’s practice, but neither is going to replace starter Eric Ghiaciuc -- yet.

"It's definitely an emergency (situation)," said Williams. "(Eric) Ghiaciuc is our center going in, but it's a long season. Injuries are going to occur. You just have to be ready."

Williams practiced at center during the team's off-season training activities, has done a little more in training camp and had his first live shotgun snaps on Monday.

"As far as with the bullets flying around -- little bullets, no pads -- that was the most excitement I've had doing it," Williams said of his shotgun snaps. "As long as the quarterback feels good, I feel good. I'm an easy pleaser."

For Whitworth, Monday was the first time he played center in practice.

"I'm trying to diversify myself," said Whitworth, who, along with Williams, sandwiches Ghiaciuc at guard. "I want to do all five positions and after taking some snaps at center today, I feel like it's a possibility I could play all five."

Again, Whitworth said it was just preparing for an emergency, as did offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski.

"He's probably a little big for the position, but mentally he's certainly capable of handling it," Bratkowski said of Whitworth. "In that emergency that could happen, that would be as important as everything, the mental aspect of making the calls and running the unit up front."

At 6-4, 303 pounds, Ghiaciuc is rarely called small, but among the Bengals offensive line, he is.

In addition to the guards, the Bengals have 6-7, 342-pound Stacy Andrews and 6-5, 307-pound Levi Jones at tackle and then 6-5, 340-pound Willie Anderson as a back-up.

If, just if, Williams or Whitworth could be slotted into the center spot, that would make room for Anderson, a four-time Pro-Bowler on the starting offensive line.

The mind begins to contemplate the possibilities -- Marvin Lewis has talked about how important the run is going to be for the Bengals, and if you had a rejuvenated Rudi Johnson and a healthy Chris Perry behind that monster line…

But it's just emergency, Bratkowski said. Williams and Whitworth are there in a glass case to be broken only if an alarm sounds and there's no other choice.

"Generally we do it every year. I guess you don't notice it the other times, but we always take one of the other linemen and every other day or so put them at center," Bratkowski said. "Because we've been in this situation before where we run out of centers, so it's best to have a guy trained right now that gets used to snapping and the quarterbacks get used to. But it's nothing more than emergency."

It's more than that, it’s a tease, and it has to be tempting. Alas, for now, it's not to be.

For now.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer are playing soccer -- most of the rest of the team is doing stretching.

Eric Ghiaciuc is sporting the mohawk.

There was a large group of linebackers out early.

Dhani Jones is using the orange defensive leadership jersey.

Now Johnson and Palmer are on to PKs. Palmer stops Johnson's attempt. Palmer's is good.

Anthony Munoz is in the house.

They've got the punt blockign machine out there. If that's not a Rube Goldberg device, I don't know what it is. It's so odd looking. It's like a fake leg and hten six feet away is a handle and a pedal. Shayne Graham is manning the device

Jeff FitzGerald is knocking folks around.

Looks like we're in special teams work.

Done with playing soccer, Chad's playing cheerleader now.

There's a drill where the punt returner has a ball in his hand, has one from the Juggs machine shot at him and then he has to toss the ball in his hand up, catch the ball from the Juggs machine and then catch the ball he threw. It doesn't look easy. James Johnson took one in the nuts. Now they start with two balls, have to throw one, catch the ball with one hand and catch the ball they threw. That doesn't look easy at all. And now catch the ball with a ball in eaither hand.

Rudi Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are out again.

Chatman just took one in the nuts too.

 * And actuall offensenow Chad on the sidelines. Makes the catch, defenders on that side called it out of bounds.

Michael Myers with a pass deflection on a screen. Very nice play.

 * They just set up the QBs on the 50 and then practiced go routes. Those are fun. Didn't complete a whole lot. But still fun to watch.

Back to special teams and the punt teams.

And the Hail Mary practice.

I'm not sure why tonight, but it seems to be the gum chomping night in the Toyota Stadium press box. It's like every person in here has to chomp their gum as loudly as possible right in my ear. If you want to know the best way to get me really, really agitated, that's it.

We've got the full offense and defense out there. They're only in helmets today, but that doesn't mean there isn't some action. It looks to be the two-minute drill against the nickel. Palmer just completed a nice pass to Utecht.

Completed the Hail Mary.

OK, gonna head down to the sidelines. Still gotta figure out what I'm going to write for tonight.

This seems to be a pretty light practice. WE'll see what happens.

* More two-minute work at the end of practice. A long touchdown pass from Palmer to Johnson, who beat Hall deep. 

In the goal line offense, Stacy Andrews is lined up at tight end. After a couple of other plays -- including a really nice naked bootleg by Ryan Fitzpatrick -- fooled everyone on the fake. Andrews then caught a touchdown pass in the goalline situation.

More center for Bobbie Williams and also for Andrew Whitworth. Both -- and Bob Bratkowski -- say it's for emergency only. But Williams did work some with the first team, putting Andrews at right guard and Willie Anderson -- who looks as healthy as he's been in years -- at right tackle. That's the dream line. But the company line is that it's still "emergency only."

Anthony Munoz talked to the team after practice

 

I'll have more on that in a bit.

 

First team offense

WR Chad Johnson

LOT Levi Jones

LG Andrew Whitworth

C Eric Giaciuc

RG Bobbie Williams

ROT Stacy Andrews

TE Reggie Kelly

WR T.J. Housmandzadeh

QB Carson Palmer

HB Rudi Johnson

FB Daniel Coats

First team defense

LDE Robert Geathers

LDT Domata Peko

RDT John Thornton

RDE Antwan Odom

SLB Rashad Jeanty

MLB Dhani Jones

WLB Brandon Johnson

LCB Johnathan Joseph

RCB Leon Hall

SS Dexter Jackson

FS Marvin White

First team special teams

P Kyle Larson

K Shayne Graham

KO Shayne Graham

PR Deltha O'Neal

KOR Glenn Holt

LS Brad St. Louis

H Kyle LArson

Second team offense

WR Marcus Maxwell

LOT Anthony Collins

LG Nate Livings

C Dan Santucci

RG Scott Kooistra

ROT Willie Anderson

TE Ben Utecht

WR Antonio Chatman

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick

HB Kenny Watson

FB Bradley Glatthaar

Second team defense

LDE Jonathan Fanene

LDT Michael Myers

RDT Pat Sims

RDE Frostee Rucker

SLB Darryl Blackstock

MLB Corey Mays

WLB Jim Maxwell

LCB Deltha O'Neal

RCB David Jones

SS Chinedu Ndukwe

FS Kyries Hebert

Second team special teams

PR Antonio Chatman

KOR Andre Cladwell

Third team offense

WR Jerome Simposon, Glenn Holt, Travis BRown

LG Justin Britt

C Kyle Cook

RG James Blair

ROT Dane Uperesa

TE Nate Lawrie, Matt Sherry, Brad St. Louis

WR Andre Cladwell, Mario Urrutia, Maurice Purify, Clyde Logan

QB Jeff Row, Jordan Palmer

HB CHris Perry, DeDe Dorsey, James Johnson

FB Tyler Whaley, Jeremi Johnson

Third team defense

LDE Angelo Craig

LDT Jason Shirley

RDT Antwon Burton

RDE Eric Henderson

SLB Ahmad Brooks, Dan Howell

MLB Anthony Hoke

WLB Keith Rivers

LCB Ethan Kilmer, Jonathan Zenon

RCB Simeon Castille

SS John Busing

FS Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch

Third team special teams

PR T.J. Houshmandzadeh

KOR Antonio Chatman

RB Kenny Irons was waived by the Bengals from the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list.

This one appears to be the end of the Irons era with the Bengals.

GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- As the Bengals’ Monday morning practice concluded, Chad Johnson approached several members of the team’s secondary and said, “85 is back.”

He was back at practice, that’s for sure. If his feet looked a step or two behind following June ankle surgery, his mouth was at full speed.

Johnson spent much of the practice mouthing with safety Dexter Jackson, but sprinted by members of the local media without any noticeable limp. He declined comment as second time when approached by the media when he exited the training room.

“We’re working him slow. He’s got some things to work on,” offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski said. “When you’ve been away from it, playing the real game out here is different than the rehab he’s been doing. He’s got a good start out of it. We’re going to work him in slowly, bring him along a little at a time.”

Johnson participated with the first team and at the end of practice caught a long pass from Carson Palmer over Leon Hall.

“He looked good, he’s got a lot of work to do to get back in shape and just get ready for the long season ahead of him,” Palmer said. “It’s always good to get your returning starters, especially one of the best players on the team, get him working and get ready for the season.”

Bratkowski said it was possible that Johnson could participate in Monday’s preseason opener at Green Bay.

Fellow receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh was still out with a “sore leg.”

“It’s just very much preventative,” Bratkowski said. “We want to make sure we don’t rush him back out and put him in the position where it’s a long-term thing and can effect opening day.”

However, running back Kenny Watson was back at practice after missing several days with an undisclosed injury.

“Both of us have been there working, trying to get back,” Watson said of Johnson. “We were checking on each other, making sure we were OK. It’s good to be back playing with my teammates. I think they know I can go and they’re ready to ease me in. I’m ready to jump right away. They hid my helmet from me.”

Johnson couldn’t hide -- all eyes were focused on him and every move during the two-hour practice. After his tumultuous off-season that included several trade demands, an bizarre showing at the team’s mandatory mini-camp and eventual surgery on both ankles in June, Johnson reported to camp on time, but hadn’t practice with his teammates until Monday – missing a total of nine practices, including Friday’s scrimmage and Saturday’s mock game.

“It’s good to have our guys back,” Palmer said. “He looked good, just has a lot of work to do, a lot of cleaning up to do. He’ll get better and better as camp goes on.”

Bratkowski is expecting even more than that.

"They've told us he'll be better than he was last year, physically," Bratkowski said. "That was bothering him last year. It was an issue, as soon as he gets healed and the strength and flexibility back, he'll be fine."

thelotd.com/ctrent