It’s finally July. NFL training camps begin later this month. We’re getting closer and closer to the real thing again, but there’s still plenty of time to put our intuition and imagination to the test before the Cincinnati Bengals take the (practice) field once again.

The Bengals could use some imagination right about now. They still have some urgent problems to solve before Week 1 arrives in September. Their problems usually end thanks to the power of deadlines, but we’re going to call our shots now instead of waiting until the last minute like they normally do.

Here are five Bengals predictions that will come true before the regular season begins.

1. Trey Hendrickson will sign his extension before the preseason

I think if one contract holdup gets solved before the other, it’s the one that’s been around for longer. Hendrickson has been away from the team for the entirety of the offseason outside of one impromptu media session during voluntary workouts. He knows his worth, and the closer the season gets, the Bengals will realize it as well.

This could definitely go into training camp, even if the deadline should be the first practice, but I don’t think it’ll last much longer than that. Hendrickson is a workaholic who wants to be out there as much as the team needs him.

I expect an extension to be signed in time before the team’s first preseason game on Aug. 7. That doesn’t mean he’ll play in that game, rather it means he’ll participate in camp at some point and not take this all the way to the start of the regular season.

2. Shemar Stewart will sign his rookie contract right before the regular season

This situation mirrors past Bengals rookie contract holdups of the past, long before the rookie wage scale put an end to those problems. Many of those holdouts lasted until the games got real.

Déjà vu is very real here.

Stewart and his camp managed to make his contract dilemma more intense and contentious than Hendrickson’s plight. The problem is he has essentially zero leverage as someone who has never practiced in the NFL let alone played a down. The Bengals want him to accept new default language. Odds are he’ll eventually say yes, but not before exhausting as much time as possible and getting a concession in return such as an advance on his signing bonus money.

3. Lucas Patrick will clear Cody Ford in right guard battle

This is the most important battle of Bengals training camp, sans Cal Adomitis vs. William Wagner for long snapper of course. Patrick is the newcomer veteran looking to start for a fourth team in his career while Ford aims to remain in the starting lineup after taking over at left guard late last year.

Not exactly the heavyweight fight many expected to take place back in February, but here we are.

Patrick has been around longer and is a better athlete in pass protection compared to the stockier Ford. I think that difference will convince the coaches to start Patrick and utilize Ford as a versatile backup again, but the margins here are razor-thin.

4. Tahj Brooks will make Zack Moss expendable at running back

Rookie running backs are made for the preseason. It’s time for them to run wild behind chaotic offensive lines and against equally inexperienced defenders. It’ll be the perfect proving ground for Brooks as he’s the youngest of the tailbacks projected to make the initial 53-man roster.

Brooks will not overtake starter Chase Brown, nor will he earn more trust than Samaje Perine. Overtaking Zack Moss on the depth chart before September? Entirely plausible.

Moss is already a tad behind recovering from his season-ending neck injury. How involved he’ll be in camp remains to be seen, so Brooks will have ample opportunity to make his case as RB3, which could create a whole new conversation about Moss.

5. Josh Newton will be named a Week 1 starting cornerback

One of the most popular names coming out of the offseason program, Newton is locked in entering his second year. The departure of Mike Hilton opens up a starting gig as the nickelback, and Newton’s main competition, Dax Hill, has yet to be cleared to practice with his nearly healed ACL.

Even when Hill returns to the field, he’ll have a chance to take snaps on the boundary and give DJ Turner and Cam Taylor-Britt a run for their money. Newton looked just as good, if not better, than those two in May and June and made a great first impression throughout his rookie season.

I think it’ll take a disappointing August for Newton to not emerge as one of the top three cornerbacks in this group. He’s in good favor with the coaches and the available role in the slot suits him well.