LEWIS LIKES WINDT: Free agent rookie long snapper Mike Windt should have a chance at making this club. A two-time long-snapper for Cincinnati Elder High School's back-to-back state champs, Windt went on to the University of Cincinnati to snap for the Bearcats' Orange and Sugar bowl teams. He's already got a good thing going with Bengals punter Kevin Huber, a guy that reached All-American status at UC with Windt snapping.
Plus, three times head coach Marvin Lewis said, “Mike is very talented” in Friday’s news conference, making it clear there is going to be a battle with incumbent Clark Harris for the long snapper job. Harris signed early last season in the wake of long-time snapper Brad St. Louis’ woes and Lewis says Harris brings the advantage of playing tight end as well as an ability “to cover the field.”
But Windt, 23, is younger and, as Lewis saw Friday, “Watching out there today, he’s got a lot of ability. Great accuracy, great velocity with it, great feel for it. He’ll get a good opportunity to see if he can do it here for us.”
Lewis said Windt's experience with Huber isn’t a factor because “I don’t think Kevin has time to think about who is snapping.”
Huber is also the holder on field goals and extra points, but Lewis wouldn’t rule out rookie wide receiver Jordan Shipley doing the duties. Special teams coach Darrin Simmons likes to have the kicker, holder and long snapper work together during most of practice, which is a reason the punter does it and a position player doesn’t.
But Lewis said the Bengals have 24 hours in a day to figure something out if Shipley “were the best holder, that would be great.”
Windt is staring at one big obstacle. Because UC doesn't graduate until early June, he can't return to practice with the team until the last two camps. The one thing going for him is he can hook up with Huber anywhere but at PBS.
"It's tough because you'd like to have him around getting used to everything," Simmons said after practice. "He did all right. He's got to learn the tempo of the NFL game. Everything moves from drill to drill and during the drills a lot faster. A lot quicker. That will be a process I would imagine he'll adjust to pretty quickly."
Windt is wearing St. Louis' old No. 48 and he doesn't mind that at all. He never talked to him, but he admired him.
"The guy was one of the best in the league," Windt said. "I copied everything the guy did. I don't know what happened to him (last year), but I always watched him and tried to imitate him."