Jessie Bates isn't exactly in his bailiwick just quite yet in his first preseason as an NFL safety. But while they're looking to add more bass to his communication skills, they think they've got a catchy tune that can evolve into a hit. Head coach Marvin Lewis has gone so far to sing praises heralding Bates as a contributor potentially soon.

"So far, so good," said safeties coach Robert Livingston, seeking a bigger stage of chances this Saturday (7 p.m.-Cincinnati's Channel 12) i the massiveness that is Jerry World.

There have been challenges. Bates is a laid-back Midwest kid learning a positon that demands East Coast chatter. He's a self-described "film room junkie," that doesn't have any game tape yet. He's a ball hawk that is cordoned off from the center of the field during carefully choreographed practice sessions designed to keep everyone healthy.

But despite all that, they think Bates has been what they had in mind when they took him in the second round back in April. He's been play-book sound and stop-watch fast as new defensive coordinator Teryl Austin continues to rotate him with starters George Iloka and Shawn Williams early, often and relentlessly.

"He's gifted and as talented as we expected. He came up in some nice fits in the run game and made some good tackles," said Lewis before Tuesday's practice as he sketched out Bates' NFL debut. "He's demonstrated in practice how to get to the right spots on the field, and we just have to keep moving.

"He's what we wanted."

If Bates hasn't had his hands on the ball all that much as the center-fielder of the future looking to turn over the poor turnover count, the second-youngest guy on the team is wise enough to counsel patience. And they like that about him, too.

"I can't go out of my job just to go find the ball," Bates said after Tuesday's practice. "Sometimes I have to play the middle of the field and read the quarterback. These quarterbacks are a lot better than the ones in college. They look me off sometimes. The time will come when I'll have my first interception."

He got his first big hit out of the way in last Thursday's pre-season opener. Even Bates has been wondering about that, not because he can't do it but because he felt he took some poor tackling angles during his last season at Wake Forest and wants to improve. When Bears running back Taquan Mizzell squirted up the middle in the red zone during the second quarter, Bates hit the 185-pound Mizzell the way a 205-pounder is supposed to hit another little guy and stopped him at the Bengals 3 to keep an eight-yard burst eight yards.

"There's a small sample of everything, but he's been good," Livingston said. "You look at that play. Except for maybe one or two plays in practice, that's the first time he's tackled someone in about seven months and he stepped up in the gap. So far, so good."

He'll have to do more of that in Dallas Saturday when the Bengals play one of the NFL's more prolific running games and Bates is expected to tackle some much bigger backs. But so far, so good.

Like Tuesday's play in a team period. Wide receiver John Ross ventured into the middle and Bates was there, suddenly, where he should be and had to pull up. But with Bates right there, Ross dropped the ball in tight quarters.

"It's kind of hard when you have to protect your guys," Bates said. "Once you come out of your break you have to be careful and not take it out of your guys. Kind of like a business decision, almost."

Shawn Williams, a third-rounder five years ago as an in-the-box safety at Georgia when then Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer vowed to make him cover, too, has some words of wisdom. Don't try to show them you're a tackler. Don't try to show them you're a ball hawk. Don't be all things to all people. Just to yourself.

"There's nothing he needs to prove. He just needs to get better himself and be the best he can be and that will help us win," Williams said. "Just go have fun. It's football. The game hasn't changed since you were seven years old. Go have fun. Go make plays. Do what you do in practice.

"You've got more of a role than just go line up and cover somebody or just go rush this A Gap. You've got to line up. You've got to get other players in line. You've got to make checks. Rotations. There's more thrown at safeties than anybody. That's why he's here. They feel like he can do it."