CINCINNATI -- Slowly but surely, the Cincinnati Bengals are getting their offensive line back.

And the timing couldn't be better.

Five days before their second preseason game, the Bengals on Monday worked once-injured Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth back into full team drills. It was the first action he received in a live 11-on-11 exercise all this training camp, and it came as formerly injured left guards Clint Boling and Mike Pollak have started getting more live practice opportunities.

It's still unclear if any of the three will be ready to compete in their first preseason game Saturday night when the New York Jets come to Paul Brown Stadium. Even if the trio doesn't play, at the very least it appears all are trending toward making the Week 3 preseason Sunday night game at Arizona on Aug. 24.

Perhaps more than playing this weekend, it will be important for the veteran offensive linemen to play with the respective first- and second-team units by the third preseason game so they can build chemistry.

"It's important for the group to be together," offensive coordinator Hue Jackson said. "It's important for those guys to be able to feel each other, feed each other and then follow [quarterback] Andy's [Dalton] lead. As we continue to move forward, it's important to get the unit together."

The Bengals are still missing one big piece to their starting line group. Right tackle Andre Smith has been out of practices for about two weeks, placed under concussion protocol. He made his first appearance on the practice fields in that time when he showed up, not dressed, for Monday's practice at West Carrollton High School just outside Dayton, Ohio.

There has not been a timeline set of when the Bengals believe he'll be able to come off the protocol, but his rare appearance Monday may be a promising sign the symptoms that have held him out are beginning to lessen. Whenever Smith returns, Cincinnati will be back at full line depth.

As for Whitworth, the veteran whose presence moved swing tackle Marshall Newhouse from left tackle over to right tackle where he's relieving Smith, Monday's milestone was exciting.

"I felt like a little kid who hadn't had a chance to get on the playground," Whitworth said. "To get a chance to get out there and get in with everybody felt good."

Whitworth said his calf, which was injured one day before training camp began late last month, feels fully healed. That's exactly what Jackson has been waiting to hear.

"We're getting some of the animals back," he said. "Hopefully we'll get Andre back soon. I told these guys, we've got to get these guys back to playing. They want to play. That's the good part."

Another Kirkpatrick injury? At some point late in Monday's practice, cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick left with an undisclosed injury. He had practiced for most of the day before pulling himself out of the action and getting part of his left leg and groin wrapped in ice. If Kirkpatrick misses Tuesday's practice, it will be the second injury he has had this training camp.

The backup receiver was sidelined the first week of camp with a right hamstring injury after battling receiver A.J. Green for a ball deep downfield. It was a good contest as the ball fell incomplete. Kirkpatrick didn't seem to noticeably favor the injury during the route, but walked slowly over to trainers after the play was over. We'll be monitoring Tuesday to see if his latest injury isn't anything to worry about, or if it is more serious than it originally appears.