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2007 Team Report: Cincinnati Bengals

Quarterbacks

Starter: Carson Palmer
Backup(s): Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe

Starting QB: Carson Palmer has quickly become one of the top quarterbacks in the league. He has a strong arm, is extremely accurate and has already developed into a tremendous leader. In his last two seasons, he completed 65 percent of his passes, averaged 7.65 yards per attempt and tossed 60 touchdowns against only 25 interceptions. Palmer led the league in passing touchdowns a year ago and finished second in that category last year.

Backup QB: The Bengals acquired Ryan Fitzpatrick from the St. Louis Rams just a week before the start of the season; in a move that should solidify what was looking like a shaky backup situation. Fitzpatrick has a quick release is one of the NFL's smartest people; he will be a big upgrade over Doug Johnson, the team's QB2 during much of the preseason.

Running Backs

Starter: Rudi Johnson
Backup(s): Kenny Watson, Quincy Wilson, Chris Perry [PUP], Kenny Irons [IR]
Fullback(s): Jeremi Johnson

Starting RB: Rudi Johnson has been a top-10 fantasy RB in each of the past three seasons, rushing for 4,221 yards and 36 touchdowns over that stretch. The sixth-year pro has great size at 5'10" and 225 pounds, decent quickness, and the durability necessary to carry the ball 20+ times a game throughout the season. Last year, he rushed for at least 100 yards or one touchdown in 12 of 16 games. The only weakness Johnson has is in the receiving game as his hands and route-running skills are not great and he has never caught more than 23 passes in a season.

Backup RBs: The Bengals backup plans were less fluid than they had hoped as promising rookie Kenny Irons was placed on Injured Reserve and oft-injured Chris Perry again finds himself on the PUP list. That leaves the backup duties to Keny Watson, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry last year and led all Bengals running backs with 213 receiving yards, and Quincy Wilson.

Fullback: Jeremi Johnson, a starter since he joined the Bengals five years ago, was a first alternate to the Pro Bowl last year. Johnson is a true fullback -- a blocker, not a ball-carrier -- and has paved the way for Rudi Johnson to run for 1,454, 1,458, and 1,309 yards in the past three seasons.

Wide Receivers

Starters: Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh
Backups: Tab Perry, Antonio Chatman, Glenn Holt, Chris Henry (susp)

Starting WRs: The Bengals are blessed with two gifted starting receivers, including one of the best in the NFL in Chad Johnson. Johnson has had five straight seasons with 1,100+ receiving yards and has scored 35 touchdowns over the past four seasons. He has finished as a top-four fantasy WR in three out of the last four years, and has the confidence to match his productivity. Johnson's 1,369 yards receiving won him the NFL receiving title last year and his fourth consecutive AFC receiving title. Meanwhile, T.J. Houshmandzadeh has developed into an upper-tier receiver himself. After spending a few years in Chad Johnson's shadow, Houshmandzadeh led the Bengals in receptions last year with 90 and broke the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. He also added nine touchdown receptions tying Chris Henry for the team lead. Houshmandzadeh is a sure-handed underneath option in the passing game and a wonderful complement to Johnson.

Backup WRs: The Bengals had hoped that Tab Perry, in his second season last year, would take on a larger role in the offense, but he suffered a season-ending injury in the second game. He returns healthy this year and, due to the eight-week suspension of Chris Henry, will be counted on as the third WR on the depth chart. Antonio Chatman was also limited by injury last year, but the former Packer came into the 2007 training camp in full health and is the favorite to occupy the fourth WR spot.

Tight Ends

Starters: Reggie Kelly temp
Backups: Daniel Coats

The tight end position is rarely used in the passing game for the Bengals. Reggie Kelly is a very good run-blocker, but he has marginal receiving skills. Since joining the Bengals in 2003, he has typically been targeted one or two times per game. He does what the team asks of him, which is to open holes for the running game. Rookie Daniel Coats was a star in camp and has earned the backup role as a result.

Place Kicker

Shayne Graham : Graham had good numbers in 2006, although not quite up to the level of the several prior years. The Bengals ranked tenth in kicker scoring, after having ranked third in 2005, and fifth in 2004. Graham made 25 of 30 FGs (83.3%), after having connected on over 87% of his FGs each of the previous three years. He missed two PATs, the first in his six year NFL career. He did surpass the 100 successful field goals milestone, qualifying him for the official NFL rankings on field percentage. He is now the second most accurate kicker in history.

Kick and Punt Returners

Kick Returners: Tab Perry; Glenn Holt; Skyler Green; Kenny Watson; T.J. Houshmandzadeh

WR Tab Perry handled almost every kickoff return in 2005 (64 out of 67), and averaged 24.4 yards. His 1562 total yards ranked 3rd in the league. He had only four returns last year before suffering a season ending hip injury. RB Chris Perry then averaged 19.6 yards on 21 returns before getting injured. Rookie WR Glenn Holt stepped in for the remainder of the season and performed well (17 returns, 24.6 avg.). He and Tab Perry will compete for the top spot this year. WR Skyler Green was unable to carryover his college success from LSU to Dallas last year (3 returns, 19.7 avg.). RB Kenny Watson (10 returns, 19.8 avg.) is available as a backup. WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh returned kickoffs in both 2002 and 2004. WR Reggie McNeal played quarterback at Texas A&M, but was tried out on kickoff and punt returns by the Bengals last year. CAMP UPDATE: A player who has been busy is WR Skyler Green. That wasn't the original plan, but injuries to several others have opened the door. Against the Saints he had a 26 yard kickoff return, and averaged 7.8 yards on four punt returns plus on fair catch. HC Marvin Lewis noted, "The one thing we continue to coach him up on is decision-making. We were pleased with his handling of the football in the punt return game. We have to get better with his kickoff return game, and have him run with better tempo and better speed. He's still trying to feel his way through there." Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons added, "He was able to stick his foot in the ground and take the ball vertically. That's something we've been looking to do and I think he showed he could do it." Who has Green been replacing? WR Glenn Holt has missed time with hamstring injury, although he finally returned to practice this week. WR Antonio Chatman was out with a hamstring injury, returned to practice only to re-aggravate the injury, and is out again. WR Tab Perry missed time with a bruised hip, but is working his way back into the mix.

Punt Returners: Antonio Chatman; Skyler Green; Keiwan Ratliff; Deltha O'Neal; T.J. Houshmandzadeh

Reliable, although not necessarily explosive, WR Antonio Chatman was signed as a free agent in 2006, and began the year as the Bengals' starting punt returner. He had only eight returns last year before being placed on injured reserve with a groin injury. CB Keiwan Ratliff, the teams lead punt returner the prior two years, took over for the remainder of the year (27 returns, 6.5 avg.). Skyler Green averaged 13.3 yards (15th) on punt returns during his final year at LSU. He averaged 5.2 yards on five returns for Dallas last year. The potential emergency backups have experience from several years ago. T.J. Houshmandzadeh led the Bengals in punt returns in 2002, and Deltha O'Neal led the Broncos in 2003.

Offensive Line

Projected Starters: LT Levi Jones, LG Andrew Whitworth, C Eric Ghiaciuc, RG Bobbie Williams, RT Willie Anderson
Key Backups: Scott Kooistra, Stacy Andrews, Ben Wilkerson

The biggest concern this season is the loss of left guard Eric Steinbach to the Browns. It appears the job will go to second-year player Andrew Whitworth, who started 13 games as a rookie at both guard and tackle last year. The other positions are in great shape with three excellent veteran players. Levi Jones missed 11 games with injury last year and his absence hurt the club. Right tackle will be manned by 12-year starter Willie Anderson who has been a great player for the club. Bobbie Williams isn't flashy at right guard but is very effective. The loss of Steinbach hurts, but this is still a very strong unit going forward.

Team Defense

Coming off a league leading 44 takeaways in '05, the Bengals had great expectations heading into last season. Instead of taking the next step they went in the opposite direction in many categories. There were some positives to come out of '06. Cincinnati still posted a very respectable 31 takeaways, increased their sack totals by a full 25% and somehow managed to finish in the middle of the pack in scoring defense. On the other hand, only Minnesota surrendered more passing yards while only the Redskins and Titans allowed more total yards. Injuries at linebacker and safety combined with inconsistent play in the secondary were major contributors to the slide and a late season collapse that knocked the club out of the playoffs. The organization made a concerted effort to get younger and faster on defense over the off season. The two significant additions were first round pick Leon Hall who will initially work as the nickel corner, and free agent pickup Edgerton Hartwell who will line up at WLB if he can stay healthy. To make room for hungry young talent, three veterans were shown the door. Gone are 34 year old DT Sam Adams, 34 year old CB Tory James and 32 year old LB Brian Simmons. Replacing them will be second year pro Domata Peko at tackle, last years first round pick Johnathan Joseph at corner and second year man Ahmad Brooks at MLB. In all there will be at least 4 new starters and possibly 5 if Deltha O'Neal continues to plummet out of the graces of Marvin Lewis. The neck injury that will likely end the career of David Pollack, probably spells the end of any plans the club may have had for a switch to a 3-4, but expect this years Bengals to have a new look just the same.

Defensive Line

Starters: DE Justin Smith, DE Robert Geathers, DT Domata Peko, DT John Thornton
Backups: DE Bryan Robinson, DT Michael Myers, DE Jonathan Fanene, DE Frostee Rucker

Starting DL: The DL shouldered much of the blame for the lacking pass rush and leaky run defense in '05. They can't be blamed for the problems that surfaced in '06. Robert Geathers became the first Bengals lineman to reach double digit sacks in a decade and Justin Smith set a career high with 50 solo tackles (81 combined) as the run defense improved to #15, and the line accounted for 27 of the teams 35 sacks. Smith remains one of the leagues very fine every down ends while Geathers shed some weight from '05 and proved to be an excellent fit in the role of pass rush specialist. Geathers has been playing every down during the preseason games despite the coaches suggestion that he'd remain a situational player. As the season progressed, rookie Domata Peko earned more and more playing time until he was eventually seeing action in all situations. Peko is not huge by NFL standards but at 306 pounds he is a capable run defender and proved to be a solid inside pass rusher, posting 3 sacks in his limited role. He may not be supremely talented but plays with a lot of heart and has already won the hearts of many Bengal fans. Some of the local sports media have already labeled him the next Tim Krumrie. Peko has the confidence of the coaching staff and could make a considerable impact in '07, at the expense of Robinson. John Thornton is a smallish but athletic player who is unspectacular but very consistent and dependable. With Sam Adams gone the Bengals no longer have a 350 pound road grader up front and have elected to go with quickness, athleticism and an infusion of youth.

Backup DL: The Bengals don't have any super stars waiting in the wings but they have a good mix of experienced veterans and young guys with upside. At the beginning of last season Bryan Robinson was working at end on early downs then slipping inside to replace Sam Adams in passing situations. He'll spell Robert Geathers and see snaps inside on passing downs this year. Michael Myers was a 4th round pick of the Cowboys in 98. He's a versatile blue collar type player with plenty of starting experience. Though predominantly a tackle in recent years, Myers has played DE and can be plugged in at any position in a pinch. Kendrick Allen has struggled with numerous injuries over his 4 pro seasons. He's expected to shed some of the nearly 350 pounds that he carried when checking into the Bengals off-season program and should take Sam Adams place in short yardage and goal line situations. Matt Toeaina was the club's 6th round pick in April. He's somewhat of a project but has potential and is expected to contribute down the road. At DE Jonathan Fanene is a late round project from the '05 draft who has made enough on an impression on the coaching staff to remain on the roster, but has played in just 6 games over the past two years due to injuries. This may be his last shot at proving he deserves a roster spot. DE Frostee Rucker is an interesting player here. He was a third round pick last season who never saw a snap due to a shoulder injury, but the coaching staff is optimistic that he will be a major contributor at some point. He would probably need to bulk up from his 260 pounds to be considered for a full time role but could contribute to the pass rush if healthy and may eventually replace Justin Smith who is playing on a one year franchise player contract.

Linebackers

Starters: WLB Landon Johnson, MLB Ahmad Brooks, SLB Rashad Jeanty
Backups: MLB Caleb Miller, MLB Odell Thurman (susp-2007), SLB David Pollack (out with inj 2007), LB Eric Henderson (inj), LB Andre Frazier

Starting LBs: The Bengals are unlikely to return a single starter from opening day '06. David Pollack may never play again due to a neck injury, Brian Simmons has moved on to New Orleans and Landon Johnson (who was an opening day replacement for suspended Odell Thurman) is fighting to keep the starting WLB job. Johnson played mostly at WLB last season but has starts at all three positions over the past two seasons. He may be the team's best pass defending linebacker and will play in the nickel package whether he starts or not. Ahmad Brooks was considered a first round talent by many scouts but the Bengals picked him up for a third in last years supplemental draft after he was booted off his college team. Brooks made five starts at MLB as a rookie with mixed results. In the first two he seemed to be everywhere but quickly began to fade and was soon replaced. Coaching staff and players alike have sung the praise of Brooks over the off-season, both on and off the field. He remains an unknown commodity. Rashad Jeanty was a surprise replacement when Pollack went down. He ended up starting 11 games as an undrafted rookie free agent. Jeanty shows little flash and is not the playmaker the team had in Pollack, but he was a very serviceable starter and is the front runner to retain the job. The big question is, how many of these guys will still be starting by November?

Backup LBs: Last season the Bengals shuffled linebackers all over the place in an attempt to fill all the holes created buy injuries and suspensions. In the process they learned that Landon Johnson and Caleb Miller are both good versatile linebackers. Caleb Miller demonstrated huge improvement in his third season. He may be best suited at MLB but can hold his own on the weak side as well. The Bengals will be without their top two draft picks of 2005 again this year. David Pollack will miss this season as he continues to recover from a neck injury. The door remains open for him to return as a defensive end in 2008, but he is unlikely to play another snap in the NFL. After expecting him Odell Thurman to be re-instated before training camp, the Bengals will be without him again. Commissioner Roger Goodell denied Thurman's application for reinstatement on the eve of camp and won't reconsider until after the 2007 season. The team suffered another blow when converted OLB Eric Henderson, who was showing signs of becoming a viable pass rusher in the nickel, had surgery for a broken wrist suffered in the second preseason game.

Defensive Backs

Starters: CB Johnathan Joseph, CB Deltha O'Neal, FS Madieu Williams, SS Dexter Jackson
Backups: CB Keiwan Ratliff, CB Leon Hall, SS Marvin White, FS Chinedum Ndukwe

Starting DBs: After sending both starting corners to the pro-bowl between the '04 and '05 seasons, the Cincinnati pass defense crumbled in '06 when they ranked 31st. Tory James was sent packing and Deltha O'Neal has been put on notice. Last year's first round pick Johnathan Joseph will replace James. Joseph was considered somewhat raw as a rookie but saw significant action and made an excellent showing. He is younger, faster and ultimately more talented that James. The only thing Joseph doesn't bring to the table is experience. Deltha O'Neal made the pro-bowl in '05 on the strength of a league leading 10 interceptions but his '06 was far from spectacular as he posted just 1 pick, missed 4 games with injury and didn't play particularly well even when healthy. Strangely O'Neal followed a similar pattern in Denver before he jettisoned by Mike Shanahan. If he doesn't endear himself this pre-season, O'Neal could find himself out of the lineup. Madieu Williams was all everything as a rookie but missed the '05 season with a shoulder injury. No one really knew what to expect from him after the move to FS in '06. As it turned out, Williams was one of the few bright sports in an otherwise dark season for this group. '06 wasn't as statistically impressive as his rookie campaign but Williams proved that '04 was no fluke. Dexter Jackson was supposed to be part of the answer to the Bengals leaky run defense. The club did improve in that area but Jackson missed a few games with injury and never made the kind of impact that was expected. When healthy he's solid run defender who gives up a little in coverage but is an overall asset. The Bengals secondary is younger and more talented top to bottom for '07. They should show a great deal of improvement so long as the safeties remain healthy.

Backup DBs: One position the Bengals can be comfortable with is corner. Few teams are as strong 4 players deep. '04 second round pick Keiwan Ratliff has gained a lot of experience over the past three seasons. He has shown signs of being a very good player but has been a little inconsistent. Most of Ratliff's action has come as the nickel corner but he could get a shot at replacing O'Neal in the lineup this year, at least for the short term. That job will eventually fall to first round pick Leon Hall. Hall is expected to step into the nickel role as a rookie but in reality there may be a 3 way competition to establish the pecking order opposite Joseph. Things are not so peachy at the safety position where Kevin Kaesviharn will be missed. While he was never considered the starter, Kaesviharn was a very capable and experienced backup. 4th round pick Marvin White will likely step in as the top backup at safety though should he be called upon, he would almost surely lineup at SS regardless of who he replaced in the lineup. He's a hard nosed run defender who will be groomed for the starting job. beyond White the safety position gets very thin. 7th round pick Chinedum Ndukwe is the next option off the bench. He's a project to say the least and is not FS material. Cincinnati is deep on the corners but an injury to Williams at FS could be disaster.

Last modified: 2007-09-01 21:06:55