GEORGETOWN, Ky. -- Here are five observations from the Bengals' training camp.

Camp Classic Moment

The Bengals have only practiced at small but picturesque Georgetown College for five years, so there aren't a lot of Kodak moments from a school located about 20 minutes north of Lexington, Ky. Certainly the injury to Darnay Scott last year, in which he snapped the tibia and fibula of his left leg while blocking on a sweep, rates as the most frightening and perhaps the most significant event of the franchise's time here. "You just knew when you heard that 'snap' sound that it wasn't a good thing, and I just feel like everybody realized what we had lost," said quarterback offensive tackle Willie Anderson. "It was like everything went downhill from there." Also notable was that, midway through quarterback Akili Smith's first practice here in 1999 -- a session that came nearly four weeks into camp because of a negotiating stalemate -- a violent thunderstorm kicked up and the players were ordered off the field amid scary lightning bolts. The storm ended a weeks-long drought for the area. But one longtime Bengals observer noted that it might also have been the football gods' reaction to Smith. Three seasons later, and with Smith not yet entrenched as the starter, no one is certain yet exactly what message the gods were sending. — Len Pasquarelli

1. Dennis Erickson hasn't worked in the NFL since 1998 and the Oregon State coach is thousands of miles from here. Still, the shadow of Erickson was undeniable when the Cincinnati Bengals opened camp on Saturday morning. The new Cincinnati offensive coordinator is Bob Bratkowski, who held the same post on Erickson's staff with the Seattle Seahawks and is greatly influenced by the style of his onetime boss. Veteran quarterback Jon Kitna, who is battling for the starting job, was signed by Erickson as an undrafted free agent in 1996. And a pair of rookie wide receivers who figure to make the team, second-round choice Chad Johnson and seventh-round selection T.J. Houshmandzadeh, both played for Erickson at Oregon State. Almost all of the terminology and lexicon of the Cincinnati offense now is gleaned from Erickson and his design.

2. The Bengals desperately need wide receiver Darnay Scott fully recovered from the fractured left leg that sidelined him the entire 2000 season. Almost as significant as the fact he is the Bengals' best deep threat, having averaged 15.7 yards per catch over his career, is the experience factor Scott brings. Not counting 2000, Scott has played six seasons and has 329 receptions for 5,156 yards and 34 touchdowns. The other 10 wide receivers on the camp roster average one season of experience, 12.7 catches, 146.6 yards and 0.5 touchdowns. Scott looked a tad overweight on Saturday and coach Dick LeBeau allowed the veteran might have to drop a few pounds. LeBeau also acknowledged that, if Scott is still a vertical threat, it will dramatically enhance the play of second-year veteran Peter Warrick. The team's first-round choice in 2000, Warrick will play mostly in the slot this year, with Scott and Chad Johnson projected as the outside receivers.

3. Look for Warrick to get expanded time as a punt returner in 2001. The former Florida State star had just seven returns in his rookie campaign, but he ran one of them back 82 yards for a score. On a team that might struggle to score again this year, Warrick is one of the few potential playmakers, and the staff has to come up with a way to get him more than the 4.6 "touches" he averaged per game in 2000. "A guy like that," said LeBeau, "you look for ways to get the ball in his hands." The Bengals scored a franchise-worst 185 points in 2000, the second-lowest total in the league. Warrick's seven touchdowns -- two rushing, four receiving and one returning -- tied tailback Corey Dillon for the team high.

4. Fifth-year defensive end Reinard Wilson might benefit from the fact Kevin Henry was placed on the "physically unable to perform" list on Friday evening and first-round choice Justin Smith is a camp holdout. But as Cincinnati's first-round choice in 1997, and a defender who has generated just 15 sacks in 61 games, Wilson is probably getting his last shot to prove he can contribute. A hybrid player who has bounced back and forth between end and linebacker, Wilson is working only at the former of those positions in camp but doesn't seem to have much wiggle or upfield explosiveness. This is a team that still doesn't have a defensive lineman on the roster who ever had double-digit sacks in a season. However, the depth is better in the front four. Unless he suddenly becomes the pass rusher the Bengals thought they were getting when they drafted him, Wilson could have a difficult time making the team. Another veteran end fighting the numbers game is five-year pro Jevon Langford, who spent part of the offseason launching a boxing career.

5. As first reported by ESPN.com on Friday, standout weakside linebacker Takeo Spikes missed the opening of camp to arrange health care for his father, who is battling a malignant brain tumor. His spot was taken for the time being by second-year vet Armegis Spearman, a former undrafted free agent who started 11 games as a rookie after middle linebacker Brian Simmons suffered a knee injury last year. Spikes probably will report in the next couple days and the team certainly will welcome a player who rates among the best unheralded linebackers in the league. But even without Spikes here, linebacker appears to be the Bengals' deepest position. The starting trio of Spikes, Simmons and strongside 'backer Steve Foley is solid. Adrian Ross, Canute Curtis and Spearman are all experienced backups.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.