Five-time Pro Bowl safety Roy Williams is hoping for a new start with the Cincinnati Bengals, and he’s trying to get a jump on things by slimming down to his rookie weight.

Williams is 222 pounds now and could enter training camp late next week at 220 –- his weight when he entered the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys as the eighth overall draft pick in 2002.

Williams reported to Cincinnati at 236 pounds for his initial visit in the spring, but he dropped the excess weight under orders from defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who was the safety’s position coach and coordinator for much of his career in Dallas. Williams typically played around 225 pounds but had added weight over the past few seasons.

Williams has been working out twice a day for most of the summer, with one of those workouts being with a speed coach. Williams is hoping to rebound from his least productive season, having played just three games last season with the Cowboys (six tackles) because of a fractured arm. Dallas released Williams after the season.

– Steve Wyche

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