Bengals Veterans Sing Shemar Stewart's Praises

Despite being in a months-long contract dispute, former Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Shemar Stewart seemingly hasn't missed a beat on the field.

The Cincinnati Bengals selected Stewart with the No. 17 overall pick back in April, and things turned ugly almost immediately. He and the team were locked in a nasty feud over the language of his contract, and he missed much of the offseason as he held out to get what he wanted. The two sides finally agreed to a compromise on July 25, finally allowing him to take the field without distraction.

After just a few practices, Stewart has already made an impression on his veteran teammates.

Bengals D-Linemen Impressed With Shemar Stewart

A pair of Bengals defensive linemen - defensive tackle B.J. Hill and nose tackle T.J Slaton - heaped praise on Stewart throughout the rookie's first week of training camp. Hill, who's entering his eighth season with Cincinnati, specifically praised his mental game and how well he's learned defense in a short time frame.

"I think he's a very smart player the way he's been picking up the defense," Hill said, per the Bengals' website. "He's been here, what? Less than a week. He's picked it up pretty well."

Slaton, meanwhile, praised Stewart's athleticism that made him such an enticing prospect. Stewart, who's listed at 6-foot-5 and 267 pounds on the Bengals' website, ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash at the combine, earning him the highest Relative Athletic Score in the metric's 40-year existence.

"Very quick, twitchy guy. Fast. Naturally strong guy," Slaton said. "He's got the physical tools. All he needs is the details that help him out. I think he'll be a great player."

Stewart has also impressed with his versatility, lining up on both ends as well as the interior. If he can do that in actual games, it will be a big boost to the Bengals' defense as a whole.

"He's been making some plays out there for us," Hill said. "He's a strong, physical, big-time athlete who can do a lot of things for us. Inside or outside. Glad to have him on our side. When he learns this defense, things are going to very explosive for our defense."