Up today: The Cincinnati Bengals
1. Will the Bengals be better off making a fresh start without unhappy quarterback Carson Palmer?
It's hard to make a case for that, especially this coming season. Palmer, who sustained a major knee injury in the 2005 season, isn't as mobile as he once was. He missed most of the 2008 season with an injury to his throwing elbow. But in the past seven seasons with the Bengals, he has thrown for 154 touchdowns.He knows the defenses of the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Now, he wants out, though Bengals owner Mike Brown said he won't trade Palmer. The quarterback put his Cincinnati home up for sale in March. Whether the Bengals trade him or he retires, it certainly appears he is finished in Cincinnati. Maybe the Bengals can find a veteran quarterback in free agency. As of now, the veteran QBs on the Cincinnati roster are Jordan Palmer (three seasons) and Dan LeFevour (one season). Neither has started an NFL game. Rookie Andy Dalton, a second round pick from TCU, will compete for the starting spot. It would have been ideal to have him watch and learn behind Palmer for a season. Now, Cincinnati could be starting over at the quarterback position in a division where Pittsburgh has Ben Roethlisberger and Baltimore has Joe Flacco.
2. Will the Bengals be better off without T.O. & Ocho combo at wide receiver?
The potential definitely is there. Terrell Owens had a one-year contract last season and won't be back. Chad Ochocinco has a year left on his Bengals contract but it remains to be seen whether they keep him. But help is on the way. With the fourth pick in this year's draft, the Bengals selected wide receiver A.J. Green from Georgia. "I had a lot of people speak to me about what a dynamic player he is. He gives us a great threat, plays at a high level, does a great job running after the catch and has been a complete receiver," coach Marvin Lewis said after the pick. In addition, Jordan Shipley had 52 catches for 600 yards and three touchdowns last season. Jordan Simpson, going into his fourth season, had a pair of big games in the final two weeks of last season (18 catches, 247 yards and three touchdowns). That adds up to promise for the future. The Owens-Ochocinco combo didn't offer that.
3. Can Marvin Lewis deliver a consistent winner?
In eight seasons under Lewis, the Bengals have been a roller coaster team. They won the AFC North in 2005 with an 11-5 record. They won it again in 2009 with a 10-6 mark. But those are his lone winning seasons in Cincinnati, and he's 0-2 in the postseason. Last season, the Bengals were among the league's bigger disappointments as they dropped to 4-12. But Lewis agreed to a contract extension in early January. He's been in this position before. In 2008, the Bengals were 4-11-1. They rebounded in 2009 with their division title run. That year the Bengals had Palmer at quarterback, Cedric Benson ran for 1,251 yards, the defense played solidly and Lewis was chosen as Coach of the Year. Palmer wants out this year. Whether the Bengals can retain Benson remains uncertain with NFL free agency on hold. But when he agreed to an extension, Lewis sounded like a coach making a fresh start. "I feel there is a conviction behind what my vision is. I think that the beams are more focused," he said.
4. What is the Bengals' top free-agent priority?
Keep Benson. He has run for 2,362 and 13 TDs in the past two seasons. He is a workhorse. The Bengals will especially need that if Dalton becomes their quarterback. After last season, Cincinnati parted ways with longtime offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. They have replaced him with Jay Gruden, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive assistant under his brother, Jon. Gruden could be busy enough nurturing Dalton. "He's going to be a great quarterback in this league, in my opinion," Gruden said after the draft. But having a runner such as Benson in the backfield would be a key asset if Dalton is under center.
5. What are the Bengals' biggest problems ahead?
There are two of them: the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the AFC North, these are two teams that build solidly through the draft. They play with consistency year after year. Both have talented, franchise quarterbacks. In other words, right now they are everything the Bengals have not been. It will take a major about-face for the Bengals to get to that level. Pittsburgh and Baltimore aren't going away. The four games against them represent one-quarter of the Bengals' schedule. In 2009, Cincinnati swept the division, also including the Cleveland Browns, at 6-0. Matching that is a tall order, but Cincinnati at least has to get competitive again with the big two.
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