SB Nation - Dan Santucci

Bengals have eight players on Injured Reserve; Cincinnati has players to fill those roles

Kirkendall — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:41:15 -0000

Remember last year? I know, I know. Why bring up terrible memories of a team that started the season on an eight-game losing streak. Why bring up terrible memories of a team that actually finished a game in a tie causing the entire NFL world to shouting, asking why ties in the NFL? I remember when the active report came in during the fourth week of the season against Cleveland, seeing that Carson Palmer was inactive. It took weeks for me to fully comprehend the implications of Palmer's injury. I was in denial.

This week gave us a few reminders of how much better this team is, in terms of talent and pure luck, which is (if people want to admit it or not) critical to team's successes in a season.

The Bengals placed two players on Injured Reserve this week with arm injuries; wide receiver Chris Henry and safety Roy Williams. This brings the total to eight players on injured reserve since the start of training camp.

Player	Position
Antonio Chatman	WR
Chris Henry	WR
Reggie Kelly	TE
Ben Utecht	TE
Matt Sherry	TE
Antwan Odom	DE
Dan Santucci	C
Roy Williams	S

On November 28, 2008, the Bengals had just put Andrew Whitworth and Scott Kooistra on injured reserved, the 20th players lost for the season due to injury. In fact, I mused at the time that the Bengals could nearly fill out a starting lineup with players on Injured Reserve.

Oh, what a difference a year makes.

While the Bengals can't come close to filling out a starting roster, the biggest difference this year is that the team's depth is strong enough to replace those injured players -- except for maybe Tight End -- and lose limited production. Chinedum Ndukwe, the guy replacing Williams in the starting lineup, has 17 career starts. In the first game he started this season against Cleveland, Ndukwe recorded seven tackles and a quarterback sack. Against Houston, Ndukwe recorded a season-high 11 tackles. Along with Brandon Johnson, Ndukwe recorded a quarterback sack deep in the fourth quarter against Baltimore. NFL.com ranks Ndukwe fifth on the team with 35 total tackles.

Chris Henry is a loss in terms of taking advantage of match-up problems. However, through eight games, Henry only caught 12 passes -- then again, he averaged a team high 19.7 yards-per-reception. Based on the talent and depth chart ahead of him, Henry's loss, in terms of overall production, isn't very significant. The Bengals will likely replace Henry with the receiving committee of Maurice Purify and Jerome Simpson; two unproven players that could surprise/disappoint us.

Antwan Odom is perhaps the biggest injury this team has suffered. Through the first two games, the Bengals recorded nine quarterback sacks -- seven from Odom alone. After going down to injury against Houston, the Bengals production hasn't slacked much -- they've recorded five quarterback sacks in the past two games with the following combination of defensive players: Frostee Rucker (1.0), Brandon Johnson (1.5), Robert Geathers (1.0), Michael Johnson (0.5), Jonathan Fanene (0.5), Chinedum Ndukwe (0.5).

Even though Odom's injury was the biggest this team has suffered, in terms of season production coming to a premature end, the team's tight end spot was decimated by injury. However, there was never really any expectation that tight ends would become vital in the passing game, save for pass protection. J.P. Foschi and Daniel Coats are reasonably good when it comes to rush blocking and the biggest difference between the Foschi/Coats tight end era compared to the Kelly/Utecht era is the dropped passes -- admittedly, there's been a few but fortunately, they're not targeted as much.

Two of the biggest improvements this year over the 4-11-1 team in 2008, is that injury isn't crushing the team's chances and the depth chart is as strong as its ever been during the Marvin Lewis era. And the injuries suffered this season hasn't hurt the team's overall production.

Key to the Season: Offense rides on how much the offensive line improves

Kirkendall — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 16:57:39 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

4 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis clasps hands with guard Bobbie Williams, facing, at the end of practice at their NFL football training camp , Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, in Georgetown, Ky. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Browse more photos »

Quick. Of everything you know about the 2008 Cincinnati Bengals, which aspect of the team was substantially blamed for going 4-11-1? Was it the players that we placed on IR that could actually fill out a starting lineup? Was it the lack of a pass rush? Was it the league's worst offense, along with a defense that, despite popular belief, didn't step up until late in the season (before playing against the Browns in the 15th game of last season, the defense was ranked 22nd overall). My guess is that all of those things applied to an overall product that left Bengals fans frustrated, ashamed and, by most measures, betrayed.

However, that's not the question, is it? What unit of this team was substantially blamed for going 4-11-1? If you had to pick one, I'd be willing to bet that the poll would be overwhelming. The Bengals offensive line. We know the storylines; we've examined them ad nauseam. But let's go through the basics. Because of the poor protection schemes, Carson Palmer had a broken nose during the preseason and missed 11 games after suffering an elbow injury against the New York Giants. Because of the poor protection schemes, the Bengals allowed 51 sacks; most since 2000. And each time a Bengals quarterback were sacked, the offense lost on average 5.3 yards. Because of the rush blocking, the Bengals offense only averaged 3.6 yards-per-rush. The last time the Bengals rushing offense averaged 3.6 yards-per-rush was 1993. The average gain per offensive play was 4.0 yards -- worst average through the Mike Brown era of Bengals football. Now that's putting it into perspective, isn't it?

While I've always been one to defend the offensive line, you just can't dispute how poorly the offensive line played last year. We could try. We could say that Ryan Fitzpatrick, at times unnecessarily, tried to run out of the pocket when he hinted a pass rush. We could say that Chris Perry wasn't what we'd call an NFL-caliber feature back (third down back, change of pace back, perhaps). We could also say that there were no real receiving options behind T.J. Houshmandzadeh, including an unmotivated and injured Chad Ochocinco. We could say all that in defense of the offense line. However, the line was a problem and defending the offensive line last year would be a futile argument.

So what's happened since? Levi Jones was released. Even though he just turned 30-years old, he's yet to catch on with another team because of questions regarding his health. Eric Ghiaciuc signed on late with the Kansas City Chiefs -- he was released after the Chiefs signed center Andy Alleman. As of this post, Ghiaciuc is the second Bengals offensive lineman that started in 2008 that's now unemployed. Contract negotiations with Stacy Andrews never took off, or taken seriously, because of Andrews' desire to play alongside his brother Shawn with the Philadelphia Eagles. And we're not sure if the Bengals put much effort behind signing Andrews; one statistical breakdown showed that Andrews was responsible for 9.5 sacks in 2008.

When you add it up, three offensive linemen that started the season in 2008, are not with the team this year; two players aren't even employed. To say a lot of work was required this offseason to rebuild the offensive line, would be an understatement. Replacing three starters is one way to go.

Aside from Bobbie Williams at right guard, the Bengals will see four new players -- either starters or in Whitworth's case, a starter moving to a new position. Jonathan Luigs was drafted in 2009 and a competition was setup between Luigs, Dan Santucci and Kyle Cook. Eventually, Cook impressed coaches and teammates like Carson Palmer and Andrew Whitworth enough to win the job. Whitworth surprisingly made the move from left guard to left tackle and Anthony Collins, Jones' replacement in 2008, moved to right tackle. Nate Livings started the final six games at left guard last year and will keep his job to kickoff the season.

Then there's Andre Smith. You know the background. I know the background. Here's a quick version. Bengals draft Smith with a bunch of red flags. Prolonged contract negotiations lasted until late in the preseason. Smith broke foot and is very unlikely to take a snap in the first month of the season. If you want more on Smith, do a search on this site.

The truth of the matter is, how well the Bengals offense moves the football will be, in large part, how improved the offensive line improves. I know that's just basic football. However, it's perhaps the most critical question that needs to be answered this year. Afterall, there's a nervous anxiety among fans because if this line can't protect Palmer and he goes down again... well, you saw what happened last year.

Strength in numbers; an examination of who the Bengals started the regular season since 2006

Kirkendall — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:05:45 -0000

When the preseason marches towards a welcomed conclusion, discussion and debate takes place on who the team cuts and keeps. Sometimes the topic goes into salary cap causalities; veterans that are cut, like Willie Anderson and Rudi Johnson last year. Other times, the debate talks about players that surprisingly make the roster. As jsl413 broke down, the Bengals depth is strong in some areas, weak in others. Which means the Bengals could strengthen weaken positions by increasing the depth. It's a numbers game.

You see that notably with linebackers. In 2006, Brian Simmons was nearing retirement; his production was falling. David Pollack, while great with potential, was only then starting to adjust from being a defensive end in college to an outside linebacker in the NFL. Rashad Jeanty was a rookie. Landon Johnson was arguably our best linebacker. If you look back to that season, only one linebacker remains (Jeanty) with the Bengals and as far as I can tell, three are still in the NFL (Jeanty, Johnson and Ahmad Brooks). The position didn't improve in 2007 and grew worse when it was decimated by injury. Dhani Jones, an unlikely stability force who would join the team later in the year, became the most productive middle linebacker during Marvin Lewis' tenure. By 2008, the linebackers were on pace to be the most talented group assembled, taking less into the regular season while numerically increasing their numbers at other spots, like running back, defensive tackles -- two spots with limited production. You'll obviously see that again this year, with Jones, Jeanty, Rivers, Brandon Johnson and Rey Maualuga as the depth leaders.

Running backs is another example. In 2006, and even 2007, Rudi Johnson was considered the team's feature back. No competition. Hands down. After all, he set franchise rushing records in 2004 and 2005. However, along with the offensive line's degradation, he started degrading (some will note his inadvisable weight loss regiment, losing all of his strength in 2006) until he was finally cut in 2008. More importantly, the Bengals decided to take two fullbacks because Jeremi Johnson was simply not the force he used to be and the team liked Coats' enough to make room for him. While the talent level dipped, the team decided to strengthen the depth with numbers.

Take note of this. Am I saying that the depth and position is stronger because there's more players? Obviously not. You either have talent or you don't. A combination of average talent still makes that position average. But it is a luxury that most teams have, which largely depends on play-calling philosophy, as well as projecting your opponents philosophies. If you take on more defensive backs in any given year because your passing defense is poor, it allows you additional packages. But it's also dictated by strength. You will note how once the team had Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph, they believed the position strong enough to only take four cornerbacks in 2008, as opposed to five in 2007 and 2006. Safeties increased because a long-standing issue of giving up big plays was still unanswered. You can bank on at least six safeties this year.

After the jump, you can see which players the Bengals took after cutdown day and how many players the team took at each position.

First thing we should note are the roster cut deadlines:

DATE	EVENT
September 1st	Roster cutdown to maximum of 75 players
September 5th	Roster cutdown to maximum of 53 players

Here's a breakdown on what positions the Bengals after final cutdown heading into the regular season.

Position	2006	2007	2008
Quarterbacks	3	3	3
Running backs (including FB)	4	4 (1)	5 (2)
Wide Receivers	6	6	6
Offensive Linemen	9	8	9
Tight Ends	2	3	2
Total on Offense	24	24	25

Defensive Ends	4	5	4
Defensive Tackles	4	3	5
Linebackers	8	7	6
Cornerbacks	5	5	4
Safeties	5	6	6
Total on Defense	26	26	25

Specialists	3	3	3

After the jump, we chart which players the Bengals kept since 2006.

2006

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Anthony Wright, Doug Johnson
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Quincy Wilson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Henry, Tab Perry, Antonio Chatman, Kelley Washington
O-Line	9	Levi Jones, Eric Steinbach, Rich Braham, Bobbie Williams, Willie Anderson, Andrew Whitworth, Eric Ghiaciuc, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Tony Stewart

DE	4	Justin Smith, Bryan Robinson, Robert Geathers, Frostee Rucker
DT	4	Sam Adams, John Thornton, Domata Peko, Shaun Smith
Linebackers	8	Brian Simmons, Landon Johnson, David Pollack, Rashad Jeanty, Marcus Wilkins, Ahmad Brooks, A.J. Nicholson, Caleb Miller
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Tory James, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, Greg Brooks
Safeties	5	Dexter Jackson, Madieu Williams, Kevin Kaesviharn, Ethan Kilmer, Herana-Daze Jones

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2007

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe
RB / FB	4	Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, Clinton Dawson, Jeremi Johnson (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Tab Perry, Glenn Holt, Skyler Green, Antonio Chatman
O-Line	8	Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Stacy Andrews, Scott Kooistra, Eric Ghiaciuc, Alex Stepanovich
TE	3	Reggie Kelly, Daniel Coats, Nate Lawrie

DE	5	Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Bryan Robinson, Frostee Rucker, Jonathan Fanene
DT	3	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Michael Myers
Linebackers	7	Ahmad Brooks, Rashad Jeanty, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller, Lemar Marshall, Andre Frazier, Anthony Schlegel
Corners	5	Deltha O'Neal, Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Keiwan Ratliff, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Chinedum Ndukwe, Madieu Williams, Marvin White, Herana-Daze Jones, Ethan Kilmer

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

2008

Position	#	Players
Quarterbacks	3	Carson Palmer, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jordan Palmer
RB / FB	5	Chris Perry, Kenny Watson, DeDe Dorsey, Jeremi Johnson (FB), Daniel Coats (FB)
WR	6	Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson
O-Line	9	Stacy Andrews, Levi Jones, Eric Ghiaciuc, Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth, Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook, Scott Kooistra, Anthony Collins
TE	2	Reggie Kelly, Ben Utecht

DE	4	Antwan Odom, Robert Geathers, Jonathan Fanene, Frostee Rucker
DT	5	Domata Peko, John Thornton, Jason Shirley, Pat Sims, Michael Myers
Linebackers	6	Keith Rivers, Rashad Jeanty, Dhani Jones, Darryl Blackstock, Brandon Johnson, Corey Mays
Corners	4	Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Simeon Castille, David Jones
Safeties	6	Dexter Jackson, Kyries Hebert, Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch, Chinedum Ndukwe, Marvin White

Specialists	3	Shayne Graham, Kyle Larson, Brad St. Louis

Brandon Johnson and Ben Utecht out against the Saints; Maualuga is questionable

Kirkendall — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:34:48 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

4 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals linebackers Keith Rivers (55) and Rey Maualuga (58) watch practice at their NFL football training camp, Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, in Georgetown, Ky. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Browse more photos »

While the Bengals were surprisingly injury-free during the offseason -- not placing anyone on PUP (Players Unable to Perform) list -- they haven't been immune during Training Camp. Reggie Kelly, thus far, has been the biggest casualty, suffering a season-ending injury during practice last week. Ben Utecht suffered a nasty concussion; but from all appearances, his return seems likely -- though teams take time and caution with players who suffer concussions. Some have sat due to soreness and hamstring issues; for the most part, as it stands now, the Bengals are still on pace to have a relatively healthy team by the regular season.

However, before the regular season game, the Bengals have four preseason games to get through. This Friday the Bengals head to New Orleans with some players on the infirmary list. "We’ll have some guys that won’t participate in the (New Orleans) game; that’ll be Dan Santucci, Ben Utecht, David Jones, Brandon Johnson, Evan Mathis, Antonio Chatman and Pernell Phillips," Marvin Lewis said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference, "Getting (Keith) Rivers back out there this week has been good, and we will make a determination of what to do with Rey Maualuga later on. If not this week, he will play next week."

Depth Chart Changes: Jason Shirley moves to guard; Tank Johnson beats out Pat Sims

Kirkendall — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:18:03 -0000

On Monday morning the Bengals updated their depth chart, via the Bengals.com website.

One of the most glaring changes is that the Bengals moved Jason Shirley from defensive tackle to left guard behind Nate Livings. Jason Shirley. Now a guard. Convinced of this move, the Bengals changed his number from #97 to #70. Interesting. It makes you believe that this is a move to keep Shirley on the team; even though he's losing out battles at his native position. Stay tuned.

Tank Johnson beat out Pat Sims for the starting right defensive tackle position. I suppose it was a matter of time. Johnson is an established player, with pockets of really good play. On the other hand, Sims, while he had some good plays last year, is still young, inexperienced. This is a good Training Camp battle which should immensely improve this line. And don't worry about Sims; based on the team's discussion defensive tackle rotation, he's likely to have his share of snaps.

Also on defense, Michael Johnson's two sacks this weekend and Frostee Rucker's recent inactivity has swapped the two on the depth chart behind Antwan Odom. Rucker is the third-string right defensive end, and possibly a bubble-cut player (on the bubble for being cut).

Jeremi Johnson beat out Fui Vakapuna for the rights to start at fullback. Johnson has done well since coming back on his re-invention tour. He's at a manageable weight and he's contributing in the passing game when he can. Also due to inactivity because of injury, Dan Santucci lost his backup spot at center for rookie Jonathan Luigs.

Not reflective of the site's changes, Joe Reedy writes that "Augustus Parrish is the backup left tackle and Dennis Roland is backing up Anthony Collins at right tackle." He also points out that Coats is listed as the starter over Ben Utecht.

The Bengals Offensive Line Could Be Its Achilles Heal

Jay McDonnell — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 23:15:11 -0000

The biggest thing that makes an offense go is the offensive line. Every expert will tell you that if an offensive line can't protect the passer or open holes for the running back, the offense will struggle. The Bengals have what is considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league with Carson Palmer. When given time to throw, he is the biggest reason the offense has been feared recently. OK, until last season when the offense finished dead last in the total offense category and averaged less than 13 points a game. That was obviously due to injuries to not only Carson, but also to the offensive line leaving Marvin Lewis and Offensive Coordinator Bob Bratkowski to move players around and put them into positions that were unfamiliar.

The best Bengals offensive line in recent memory was the 2005 line of Willie Anderson, Levi Jones, Rich Braham, Eric Steinbeck and Bobbie Williams. That line was able to protect Carson at a level that only Peyton Manning enjoys as Palmer was sacked a total of 19 times and then able to open holes for Rudi Johnson allowing him to gain a team leading 1438 yards rushing. And when Braham went down due to injury, Steinbeck moved over into Braham's position and Scott Kooistra moved into Steinbeck's spot, allowing the offense to not miss a beat. That continuity allowed the offense to continue to play at a feared level, giving us Bengals fans a chance to enjoy something that has rarely been experienced in the past 20 years.

The majority of that stalwart line is for this year, well, not around. Willie Anderson was released after 2007. Levi Jones met the same fate this past offseason, Rich Braham retired after the 2005 season ended, and Eric Steinback signed with the Cleveland Browns in 2007. Only two members of the 2005 offensive line remain. Williams, who has not started in only 3 games out of 81 possible games since arriving in 2004, and Kooistra, who has been with the Bengals since being drafted in 2003. Andrew Whitworth, who returns from last year's beleaguered line, has been with the Bengals since 2006.

Coming into this season, Marvin and Bratkowski have their work cut out for them as they decide who should be starting on the offensive line due to the level of experience. Williams and Whitworth figure to be starters due to their experience with the offense, and possibly Kooistra, who has spent most of his time with the Bengals as a backup. But that is when it gets thin. Everyone expects 1st round draft pick Andre Smith to start at tackle, but he has not signed yet. The early report on him after OTA's is he is above expectations but still lagging in other areas. With the departure of Eric Ghiaciuc, the offensive line lost the most playing experience at the center position. It is now up to 2^nd year pro Kyle Cook who has played only on special teams for 5 full games before injuring his toe last season. He was on the practice squad for his rookie season. The other option is Dan Santucci, who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 and was later cut before that season started, resigning with the Bengals a week later. His playing experience is 2 games on special teams in '07 and was placed on IR (ok, who wasn't) last season after a high ankle sprain in the first preseason game of year.

The center position is considered the quarterback of the offensive. His job is to call out the blocking schemes for each play. Call the wrong scheme and this could cause a missed assignment allowing the defense easy penetration into the offensive backfield which could cause a sack of the quarterback or a loss of yardage by tackling the running back in the backfield. Rich Braham set the standard for future Bengal centers that was not met by Ghiaciuc or any other center since Braham's retirement. There was talk that Lewis and Bratkowski were considering moving either Bobbie Williams or Whitworth to the center position due to their knowledge of the rather complicated offense. But this in not their natural position and could leave the line even more vulnerable. If the Bengals move Williams to center, it will leave 2^nd year pros Dennis Roland and Anthony Collins along with Andre Smith to fill Williams's position. Filling Whitworth's spot - if he is moved from guard to center - would also leave the guard position thin as the experience of those currently listed on the roster, aside from Kooistra, having 2 or less years of NFL experience.

A lot of expectations are surfacing for this edition of the Bengals. With a defense that showed much improvement late last season, the return of a healthy Carson Palmer and the arrival of Laveranues Coles to fill T.J. Houshmandzadeh's position, this group has been getting attention from the prognosticators. But what could unravel these expectations is the offensive line and its lack of experience. Chemistry is the key in this situation and the sooner it develops between them (increasing Carson's comfort level) this team could overcome the lack of experience on the o'line giving the Bengals a chance at competing for a playoff spot instead of continuing the dreary history of this franchise.

Bengals draft picks typically sign in the 11th hour

Kirkendall — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:30:08 -0000

In writing notes for the Inside Slant, FoxSports.com writes that "negotiations also have not started with second-round pick Rey Maualuga."

It's pretty common that draft picks tend to sign late in the offseason -- like right before training camp starts. Last year, the Bengals officially signed five draft picks on the day players reported to camp: Jerome Simpson, Pat Sims, Andre Caldwell, Anthony Collins and Corey Lynch. Most of them had agreed to deals beforehand, electing to actually sign when they arrived to Cincinnati for training camp. The Bengals signed Kenny Irons, Jeff Rowe, Matt Toeaina, Dan Santucci and Chinedum Ndukwe a day before the 2007 training camp. The Bengals reported to training camp in 2006 on July 29 and on that day (or the day before), the Bengals signed Andrew Whitworth, Domata Peko, Ryan McNeal and Ethan Kilmer. To say that the Bengals, and other teams, wait until the 11th hour with a majority of their picks, would be an understatement.

However, "team officials foresee no problems in signing their middle- to late-round picks. It's the first-round pick though that continues to be a concern as the team looks to be preparing for a long standoff with Andre Smith."

Joy.

The Bengals Feel Optimistic and Confident

Jay McDonnell — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 17:00:15 -0000

There is a feeling in the air that has put a positive vibe in the Bengals locker room. Chad Ochocinco has proclaimed "we are going to the playoffs". Carson Palmer is comparing last season's feeling in the locker room to how "confident" this team feels this year. We know that Carson chooses his words wisely, never trying to inflame a situation. But Chad has a reputation for taking a stick and smacking the hornets' nest hoping not to get stung. These recent statements show how confident and optimistic they are. I, too, am an optimist; my wife will vouch for that. But folks, this is the Bengals.

Should we, the fans, be as optimistic as the team we support? Should we go around boasting how the Bengals are going to make the playoffs and go to the Super Bowl before training camp has even opened? I will leave that up to you to decide. But for me, I reserve the right to hold back my optimism; this is because of the history the team has established over the past decade and half.

The Bengals were active in the offseason making a number of changes to the roster in hopes of improving a team that makes the playoffs when the moon and stars align just right. Were the changes during the offseason good enough to support this optimism? I think so, but that is only on paper. Once things start on the field, this may tell a different story.

Despite not resigning T.J. Houshmandzadeh (and T.J. will be missed) they were able to sign a viable replacement in Laveranous Coles from the New York Jets. He had a good season last year catching 70 passes scoring 7 times, leading his team in that category. His longest play last season was 54 yards. His physical toughness has been typified as he led the league early in his career with 104 consecutive starts that ended mid-season 2007. Expect his number of catches to increase along with his number of TD's because of defenses looking to double cover Chad.

One of the more surprising moves was the signing of Tank Johnson from the Dallas Cowboys, who was released after a subpar season. The word though on Tank and his struggle at Dallas is that the style of defense was not to his liking as they run a 3-4 style of defense, versus the 4-3 system that both Bengals run along with the Chicago Bears (where Tank made his reputation as a defensive force). Putting him along side emerging Domata Peko could make the defensive front more formidable then previous seasons.

Also to help a defense that was starting to gel last season was the signing of Roy Williams, also from the Cowboys. The Bengals defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer, was Williams's first defensive coordinator at Dallas. Williams was a 5 time Pro Bowler before suffering a fractured forearm early last season. His last full season, 2007, Williams was credited with 92 tackles, of which 73 were solo. He may become the run stopping safety that Bengals have been looking for.

What I consider the biggest surprise of the offseason was the drafting of Rey Maualuga, former USC teammate of Keith Rivers. He could become a force that the other teams who passed on him may grow to regret. He came out of college as a highly touted linebacker who is expected to challenge the incumbents for playing time. With Maualuga playing alongside Keith Rivers, they could provide a defensive line backing corps that should make the opposing offense's game plan around them.

But there are a couple areas of concern that should cause caution in displaying unbridled optimism - that is with the offensive line and Carson's elbow. Returning starters from last season's team are Andrew Whitworth and Bobbie Williams. To help with the offensive line, they drafted Andre Smith who should start but lacks experience with the offense. Currently the Bengals have only 2 centers on their roster with a total of 5 years experience between them, which could leave Carson vulnerable to up the middle blitzes. So the Bengals have a bit of a dilemma. Do they move Whitworth who has some experience with the center position or do they go with the inexperience of Dan Santucci or Kyle Cook? Whatever the decision is, the concern will be for them to keep Carson from taking too many hits or giving up to many sacks. If that is to occur, it could be a rough season for Palmer and company.

Carson has proclaimed his elbow healed without surgery and that he is throwing pain free. That all sounds good. But right now he is on a pitch count and not throwing as many passes in practice as he may have done in the past. This may be a preventive measure now, but come time for the start of the season, he may have to throw more often which may inflame the elbow again. And if this happens and he is forced to sit, the offense will suffer just as it did last season due to J.T. O'Sullivan's lack of experience with Bob Bratkowski's offense.

On paper, the Bengals look good. But don't all of the teams in the league prior to the start of the regular season. I like the fact that the Bengals feel confident and optimistic. That shows they are excited about the future and may have forgotten the past. But we have seen this before when expectations are high and the Bengals feel confident that they can match those expectations. Then the team somehow gets snake bit and they fall out of the playoff picture before mid season. Heartache then sets in for us fans when reality hits with the disappointment of another season of suffering. Yes, I did say I am an optimist and my wife will gladly answer anyone who challenges that. But I am also a realist and I will wait until mid-season before I start buying into the vibe that Carson and Chad are selling.

Kyle Cook at center, Nate Livings at left guard and (maybe) not worrying about Chris Henry anymore

Kirkendall — Tue, 19 May 2009 23:47:56 -0000

Is Chris Henry ready to dominate the Steelers secondary again?

Kyle Cook. Dan Santucci. Jonathan Luigs. Andrew Crummey. Digger Bujnoch. Bobbie Williams. The list isn't fearsome. Never has been. However, it is a list of potential centers heading into the 2009 season. We can scratch Williams off now. No way the Bengals replace their right guard. We can scratch Andrew Crummey off, and maybe Digger Bujnoch, if the team's depth with guards is set. The primary topic of who plays center in 2009 has always been a three-way discussion between Cook, Santucci and Luigs.

Cook got the call Tuesday morning. Geoff Hobson writes that Bob Bratkowski said the position is Cook's to lose. Carson Palmer is fine with that. "Kyle's smart enough and capable and athletic enough to step right in and take over and do a great job for us." Not bad, when you're endorsed by the God of Golden Arms. The only question is can the 300-plus pound Cook protect the God of Golden Arms, and open rushing lanes, against those big uglies in the get-your-face-kicked-in AFC North?

Also on Tuesday, Geoff Hobson writes, Nate Livings got the call to replace Whitworth, who is now the team's starting left tackle. He earned it. Once the Bengals had to replace players who fell to injury, the team's offensive line really solidified, which highly contributed to the team's three-game winning streak to close the season. Livings and Anthony Collins were a big part of that.

In other things that Hobson wrote that I really liked seeing.

Palmer predicted Henry will "have a great year," and he said he could see Henry playing 50 to 60 snaps a game in that spot (X) even though he's primarily worked out of three-receiver sets. Palmer said the first play out of the huddle Tuesday, Henry read the blitz and executed his "hot" route.

Could Henry be the Bengals' comeback player of the year, so to speak? We've never argued his talent. Through the first two seasons of his NFL career, 22.4% of his receptions went for a touchdown. In his first three career games against the Steelers, he was highly effective.

Date	Score	Rec.	Yards	TDs
December 4, 2005	38-31	5	52	0
September 24, 2006	28-20	5	69	2
December 31, 2006	17-23	4	124	1

Since 2006, he's been, well, troubled. With that trouble, from 2007 on, Henry hasn't recorded a 100-yard game (recorded 99 yards in 21-7 win over Baltimore) and only four total touchdowns in 18 total games played.

We know what Henry can do -- literally, in both possible scenarios. He can become troubled again. Or he can whip on the Steelers. I hope the latter, obviously. The most encouraging part is that he appears to be really rededicating himself. Other than having lingering memories of his mug-shot proudly wearing his Cincinnati Bengals uniform, there's little reason to suspect that Henry will embarrass us anymore.

Hopefully the Leon Hall curse doesn't return. Note: Leon Hall curse is now what I call it when I step on my soapbox or make a bold pronouncement and something happens that day, or the next day, to make me look utterly foolish. This doesn't include dumb things I might say, which we call the Peter King Incident.

How will the starting lineup for the Bengals offensive line shake out?

Kirkendall — Sat, 16 May 2009 17:44:56 -0000

Second-year tackle Anthony Collins could be a wild card in the offensive line musical chairs scenarios, starting at right tackle early and then left tackle later.

In the spring of 2006, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted LSU offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth in the second round. While blogging the draft that year, I wrote:

If this pick isn't telling enough, you haven't followed the whole Willie Anderson side-show in recent days. Either that, or the Bengals are finished thinking backup Stacey Andrews as a project. Or Anderson's age and body breaking down is causing the team to plan for the future now. In all honesty, I see this is the ball rolling to getting ready for an Anderson-less Cincinnati team after the 2006 season. And yes, I'm well aware Whitworth played left tackle.

Ideally Whitworth was targeted to become Willie Anderson's replacement once he left the team in some form or another. It didn't turn out that way after the Bengals decided to extend Anderson's and Levi Jones' contracts. Since both starting tackles wouldn't be unseated by a rookie, Whitworth essentially would become a backup tackle, at best, while possibility projected as a left guard. I remember at the time that the scenario existed, but we weren't enthusiastic nor understanding of the move. After all, we only knew Whitworth as a left tackle. We also feared losing Steinbach, who we believed was a big reason for the offensive line's performances, which was rated as one of the best in the league before 2007.

In truth, it would seem he was always going to be a guard in the NFL. Making his career start at left guard during the opening weekend in 2006, Whitworth replaced Eric Steinbach at left guard, who replaced an injured Levi Jones. With that configuration, and Eric Ghiaciuc at center, the Bengals offensive line allowed 17 sacks through the first five games that season. Andrew Whitworth started against Carolina at left tackle, and nine subsequent games after that until he was replaced by Jones against Denver. The next week against Pittsburgh, Jones got hurt (again) and Whitworth finished the season at left tackle. It was slowly realized that the Bengals would be allowing Steinbach to hit free agency while grooming Whitworth as the next left guard. However, injuries to Levi Jones forced Whitworth to play left tackle that season.

For the rest of his young Cincinnati career, Whitworth started at left guard while being a backup left tackle when Levi Jones would sit due to injury or because of a coach's decision.

Even though he's not the most experienced, Whitworth is the de facto leader of the Bengals offensive line, co-anchoring (with Bobbie Williams) a lot of inexperience. Andre Smith is a rookie and figures to start; provided immaturity issues don't weigh him down. The center will be manned by youth; whether it's rookie Jonathan Luigs or Dan Santucci or Kyle Cook, the combined playing experience is very limited. Then there's Anthony Collins, who seems to always be forgotten, figuring as the starter opposite of Smith. Based on how he performed last year against some of the league's better pass rushers, I don't have a problem placing him back at left tackle to start the season. Remember, Collins shutdown James Harrison and limited Terrell Suggs; two defensive super-stars in the AFC North with teams that the Bengals have to beat if they are to compete in the division.

However, because of the unknowns, it makes you wonder where Andrew Whitworth will play? He has experience starting at left guard and tackle. And if they place him at one spot, they have alternative options at the other.

For instance, if he slides out to left tackle, who becomes the team's left guard? Since the Bengals have three centers that will compete for the starting job, one has to figure that one of the competing centers can slide out to left guard. However, moving Whitworth from left guard is based on the coaches evaluations of Collins and Smith. If they are ready, then there's no need to move Whitworth -- in fact, it wouldn't make sense. Ideally the Bengals would like Smith and Collins starting at the ends, with Whitworth and Williams and whoever wins the center competition in the middle.

However, if for some reason, they move Whitworth to left tackle, then what? The following list charts possibilities and where players could end up starting. (Note: this is not a depth chart).

Let's not forget two things, which aren't featured in the chart. Nate Livings should have as much a right to compete at left guard as any center that could make the transition. Santucci played every game his senior season at Notre Dame at right guard, so he has the experience.

The theme that we've really latched onto is options. From the offensive line, to running backs, to linebackers and safeties, we have options. Evaluations through training camp will go a long way to determining where players start. As with all early first round picks, there's the possibility that Andre Smith holds out, which will obviously set an early stage of giving Whitworth a majority of his snaps at left tackle. If that's the case, then we can suspect the Bengals go with the second chart to start the season, slowly pushing Smith into one of the tackle positions. And if that's the case, then Collins will probably have to work both tackle spots because it would seem like he's the one changed with being the other versatile lineman when Smith starts; which figures to be the right side while Whitworth figures to start at left tackle, if he starts at tackle.

In conclusion, there is no conclusion.