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Quarterback Carson Palmer was in good spirits during recent OTA practices, and seemed undeterred by naysayers projecting Cincinnati as an NFL bottom feeder.
“I’m very eager to get back out there and participate,” said the six-year pro. “I enjoy practice and getting on the field and working. It should be exciting when you combine the young faces we have with those fighting for jobs.”
OFFENSE
Quarterbacks: After missing most of the season with a detached ligament and tendon in his elbow, Carson Palmer is reportedly 100-percent recovered. The 29-year-old signal caller has been terrific so far in OTAs, hooking up often with Chris Henry on deep routes. Palmer may not be as mobile as he used to be, but he still has one of the best three or four arms in the league. Ex-49er J.T. O’Sullivan will serve as his backup. The journeyman has a solid arm, but proved to be very turnover prone last season. Carson’s brother, Jordan, is the emergency option.
Running Backs: Cincinnati’s gamble on young reclamation project Cedric Benson paid off handsomely, as the former Longhorn ran hard and actually started finishing his runs to the tune of 747 yards in 12 games. Benson also showed some burst on long plays both as a runner and receiver toward the latter part of the year. He’ll be backed up by the versatile Brian Leonard, who’s expected to contribute in a variety of roles, including that of a third-down back. Penn State product Kenny Watson is quick and elusive, but isn’t a sustaining runner. Fifth-round pick Bernard Scott is a gifted athlete with change-of-direction skills and a bagful of past legal issues. At 6’3” 264-pounds, jumbo back Daniel Coats will be counted on to open holes for Benson and company. Coats is a former tight end with soft hands.
Wide Receivers: The high maintenance Chad Ochocinco headlines a deep receiving corps. The 31-year-old wide out was very inconsistent in 2008 and didn’t show the same fearlessness to go across the middle as he has in past seasons. Ochocinco’s paltry numbers (540 receiving yards and four touchdowns) couldn’t even fetch a third-round pick on the trade market. Laveranues Coles is the new man in town and brings an element of toughness despite being somewhat fragile. Coles can be counted on to suit up on most Sundays, injuries and all. While the ex-Jet can no longer be counted on to stretch defenses, Chris Henry can. The 6’4” playmaker is beginning to properly execute his hot reads in practice and no other Bengal receiver has the combination of size, speed, and leaping ability that Henry offers. Whether he can be counted on to stay out of trouble off the field is a different matter. Andre “Bubba” Caldwell showed he can get open and make plays at the end of the year. Jerome Simpson, on the other hand, is still raw. Seventh-round pick Freddie Brown is a tall possession receiver who’ll get to compete with Maurice Purify and Mario Urrutia for a roster spot.
Tight End: Ben Utecht wasn’t much of a factor in his first year in the Queen City, but not having Palmer at quarterback after week five might’ve had something to do with that. The former Colt needs to provide more of a presence over the middle with his sure hands and 6’6” frame. Reggie Kelly is a blocking tight end, but his blocking has fallen off in recent times.
 Offensive Line: Exit Levi Jones, enter Andre Smith at tackle. The rookie will be called upon to step in for the oft-injured Jones and supply some major thump with his run blocking. In his first year, however, coach Marvin Lewis plans on shifting the first-year lineman to the right side and going with Andrew Whitworth as his left tackle. It makes sense, as the 6’7” 330-pound veteran is the more accomplished pass blocker at this point. Anthony Collins showed great feet and balance at right tackle, but will probably be shifted to one of the guard positions. He did a credible job in pushing pass rushers wide as a rookie, as well as stopping the bull rush in his six starts. The steady if unspectacular Bobbie Williams mans the other guard spot, while the heady Kyle Cook replaces Eric Ghiaciuc at center. Rookie center Jonathan Luigs will have to wait his turn on the bench. It may take some time for this new composition to gel.
DEPTH CHART
| 1 |
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 |
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| 2 |
|
FS |
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|
SS |
|
| 3 |
CB |
MARVIN WHITE |
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|
ROY WILLIAMS |
CB |
| 4 |
JOHNATHAN JOSEPH |
COREY LYNCH |
|
SLB |
MLB |
WLB |
KYRIES HEBERT |
LEON HALL |
| 5 |
SIMEON CASTILLE |
|
|
RASHAD JEANTY |
DHANI JONES |
KEITH RIVERS |
|
DAVID JONES |
| 6 |
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|
DARRYL BLACKSTOCK |
RASHAD JEANTY |
BRANDON JOHNSON |
|
CHRIS CROCKER |
| 7 |
K |
|
|
RAY MAUALUGA |
|
DAN SKUTA |
|
MORGAN TRENT |
| 8 |
SHAYNE GRAHAM |
|
LDE |
LNT |
RNT |
RDE |
|
TOM NELSON |
| 9 |
P |
|
ROBERT GEATHERS |
DOMATA PEKO |
JASON SHIRLEY |
ANTWAN ODOM |
|
RICO MURRAY |
| 10 |
|
|
JONATHAN FANENE |
CLINTON MCDONALD |
TANK JOHNSON |
FROSTEE RUCKER |
|
|
| 11 |
KEVIN HUBER |
|
MICHAEL JOHNSON |
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| 12 |
COACH |
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| 13 |
MARVIN LEWIS |
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| 14 |
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| 15 |
WR |
LT |
LG |
C |
RG |
RT |
TE |
WR |
| 16 |
CHAD JOHNSON |
ANTHONY COLLINS |
ANDREW WHITWORTH |
KYLE COOK |
BOBBIE WILLIAMS |
ANDRE SMITH |
REGGIE KELLY |
LAVERANUES COLES |
| 17 |
JEROME SIMPSON |
|
FRANK DAVIS |
JONATHAN LUIGS |
SCOTT KOOISTRA |
|
BEN UTECHT |
ANDRE CALDWELL |
| 18 |
FREDDIE BROWN |
|
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|
DANIEL COATS |
ANTONIO CHATMAN |
| 19 |
QUAN COSBY |
FB |
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QB |
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RB |
CHASE COFFMAN |
GREG ORTON |
| 20 |
|
REAGAN MAUIA |
|
CARSON PALMER |
|
CEDRIC BENSON |
|
DAVID RICHMOND |
| 21 |
|
FUI VAKAPUNA |
|
J.T. O'SULLIVAN |
|
KENNY WATSON |
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| 22 |
|
CHRIS PRESSLEY |
|
JORDAN PALMER |
|
DEDE DORSEY |
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| 23 |
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BILLY FARRIS |
|
BERNARD SCOTT |
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| 24 |
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BRIAN LEONARD |
MARLON LUCKY |
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| 25 |
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| 26 |
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DEFENSE
Defensive Line: Cincinnati’s pass rush was practically non-existent in 2008 with only 17 sacks. Last year’s high-priced free agent acquisition, Antwan Odom, was ineffective prior to going down to a shoulder injury. The former Titan’s decision to pack on about 40 pounds is questionable in that it may deprive him of his speed and agility. Robert Geathers is projected to start at the other end position, though it remains to be seen how he’ll recover from microfracture surgery. Third-round pick Michael Johnson is a work in progress that needs to bulk up. Things look more promising at defensive tackle with starters Pat Sims and Domata Peko defending the run. Sims delivered 50 tackles in 11 games as a rookie. His wide base and lower-body strength should make him a force to be reckoned with for years to come. Backup Jason Shirley is another massive tackle with impressive lateral movement who can eventually serve as a nose tackle if Cincinnati ever makes the move to a 3-4 setup.
 Linebackers: A change to a 3-4 scheme could be the sensible thing to do given the young talent Cincinnati currently rosters at linebacker. The versatile Keith Rivers can do it all, from providing excellent pass coverage to blitzing the quarterback. Brandon Johnson revealed himself as a productive defender with 83 tackles and two interceptions in place of Rivers, who suffered a broken jaw in week seven. Johnson and explosive rookie Rey Maualuga will duke it out on the strong side, with last year’s starter Rashad Jeanty taking a backseat to both despite his hitting prowess. Middle linebacker (turned TV star) Dhani Jones is the weak link in this group, but the Bengals are dead set on keeping him in the starting lineup due to his strong instincts as a tackler.
Secondary: Cincinnati seems to be in good shape with their defensive backs. Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph form a young, promising duo at corner. Hall is smart player who usually holds his own against the opposition’s top receiver. Joseph needs to show more consistency, but is a willing run defender. Strong safety Chinedum Ndukwe can make plays in coverage, but will be challenged by newcomer Roy Williams for a starting role. Chris Crocker came on late last season and looks to have the upper hand over Marvin White for the starting free safety spot.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Shayne Graham is an accurate performer with an 87.5-percent career success rate on field goals. Punter Kyle Larson put in a lot work last year with 100 punts, but his average fell to 39.5 yards. His 21 kicks inside the 20 yard line played a big role in keeping him in a Bengal uniform. Caldwell provides terrific straight-line speed as the team’s number-one kick returner, while the small and porcelain-like Antonio Chatman is the punt-return specialist.
CINCINNATI BENGALS OFF-SEASON TRACKER
Acquired
QB J.T. O’Sullivan
RB Brian Leonard (Trade)
WR Laveranues Coles
DT Tank Johnson
SS Roy Williams
Drafted
RB Benard Scott, Abilene Christian
FB Fui Vakapuna, BYU
WR Freddie Brown, Utah
TE Chase Coffman, Missouri
OT Andre Smith, Alabama
OL Jonathan Luigs, Arkansas
DE Michael Johnson, Georgia Tech
DT Clinton McDonald, Memphis
LB Rey Mauluga, USC
CB Morgan Trent, Michigan
P Kevin Huber, Cincinnati
Re-signed
RB Cedric Benson
LB Darryl Blackstock
LB Brandon Johnson
LB Rashad Jeanty
DB Chris Crocker
K Shane Graham
Undrafted Free Agents
QB Billy Farris, Colorado State
RB Marlon Lucky, Nebraska
FB Chris Pressley, Wisconsin
WR Quan Cosby, Texas
WR Greg Orton, Purdue
WR David Richmond, San Jose State
LB Dan Skuta, Grand Valley State
CB Rico Murray, Kent State
DB Tom Nelson, Illinois State
Departures
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick: UFA Bills; $6.9M/3 yrs, guarantees unknown
RB Chris Perry (released)
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh: UFA Seahawks; $40M/5 yrs, $15M guaranteed
WR Glenn Holt: Not tendered as RFA/Vikings; 1 yr, terms unknown
TE Nate Lawrie (released)
OC Eric Ghiaciuc: UFA Chiefs; terms unknown
OT Levi Jones (released)
OT Stacy Andrews: UFA Eagles, $40.98M/6 yrs, guarantees unknown
OT Kirk Barton (released)
DE Eric Henderson (released)
DT Orien Harris (traded Rams)
LB Corey Mays: Not tendered as RFA/Chiefs; terms unknown
DB Mike Doss (released)
DB Dexter Jackson (released)
P Kyle Larson (released)
Unsigned
CB Jamar Fletcher
DT John Thornton
DB John Busing (not tendered as RFA)
PROJECTION
Cincinnati has enough talent on its roster to take advantage of a friendly schedule and eke out a .500 record, but that probably won’t happen if they don’t make any strides in applying pressure to on the quarterback. The Bengals’ projected record is 7-9.
Bo Marchionte also contributed to this report
Photo Credit: College Press Box, SEC Sports Media
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