Here is a unit-by-unit analysis of the Bengals as they begin training camp ahead of the 2010 season today at Georgetown College in Kentucky.
QUARTERBACKS: Starter -- Carson Palmer. Backups -- J.T. O'Sullivan, Jordan Palmer.
Palmer struggled during the second half of last season and many wonder if he can return to that elite level. With upgrades at the receiver position and an offseason where he did not throw as much as last year, Palmer looks to be more rested than last year, where he was trying to prove his detractors wrong about avoiding elbow surgery. Who will back up Palmer though remains a concern. O'Sullivan has a slow release and is often flushed from the pocket and Jordan Palmer has played in only one game.
RUNNING BACKS: Starter -- Cedric Benson, FB Fui Vakapuna. Backups -- Bernard Scott, Brian Leonard, Cedric Peerman, Cordera Eason, FB Joe Tronzo.
Benson set a team record with six 100-yard games, but there are concerns about whether he will be suspended for a violation of the league's personal conduct policy and if he can be durable for an entire 16-game season. He missed two games last season due to a hip flexor injury. Smith is a small back who provides a change of pace with great speed on the outside, but the Bengals are hoping that Peerman could possibly become a back that is in the same style of Benson -- straight ahead and tough between the tackles. Vakapuna is the early favorite to take over at fullback after Jeremi Johnson chose not to return.
TIGHT ENDS: Starter -- Jermaine Gresham. Backups -- Reggie Kelly, Chase Coffman, Dan Coats, Darius Hill, Clark Harris.
Gresham surpassed Lewis' expectations during offseason workouts and appears to be further ahead than hoped. He provides Palmer with a big target over the middle which should help free up receivers and also come in handy in the red zone. Re-signing Kelly was huge because he can mentor Gresham and Coffman, who was not active for most of the season before being placed on injured reserve. With the depth at tight end, the only chance Coats might make the roster is if Vakapuna falters at fullback. Harris is listed as a tight end but is more of a long snapper.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Starters -- Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant, Terrell Owens. Backups -- Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley, Jerome Simpson, Quan Cosby, Dez Briscoe, Freddie Brown, Matt Jones, Maurice Purify.
With the addition of Bryant, the Bengals have a physical receiver who is not afraid to go over the middle and make tough catches, which should take the pressure off Ochocinco. He needs to stay healthy, and the Bengals hedged their bet when they signed Terrell Owens, who also is a physical receiver. Shipley and Caldwell were to be vying for the third receiver spot with the competition appearing to be even, but that has changed with Owens' arrival. Caldwell is the most improved out of the group. Simpson appears to have finally grasped the playbook and can become the deep threat that the team has been lacking, if he can stick. When it comes down to the last spots, Cosby could have an edge due to his value on special teams. Jones appeared slow getting off the line during minicamp and needs to show improvement.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LT Andrew Whitworth, LG Nate Livings, C Kyle Cook, RT Andre Smith, RG Bobbie Williams. Backups -- LG Evan Mathis, C Jonathan Luigs, LT Anthony Collins, RT Dennis Roland, OT Gabriel Manns, OT Andrew Mitchell, RG/T Otis Hudson, C/G Reggie Stephens.
For the first time since 2005, all five starters from the line return which is quite a turnaround from last year when it had three new starters and a fourth that switched positions. While the line did show its strength run blocking, it did have its problems over the second half of the season with pass blocking. Whitworth allowed only 1-1/2 sacks and has the potential to be one of the top tackles in the AFC. Cook was a decisive center who was able to clearly communicate line calls while holding his own against some of the top nose tackles in the conference. The two positions with some uncertainty are left guard and right tackle. Livings and Mathis split time at left guard and the snaps were nearly even while Smith and Roland will vie at right tackle. Both draft picks -- Hudson and Stephens -- could make the roster for the fact that they can play multiple positions on the line.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Starters -- LDE Robert Geathers, LDT Domata Peko, RDT Tank Johnson, RDE Antwan Odom. Backups -- DE Jonathan Fanene, DE Frostee Rucker, DT Orien Harris, DT Pat Sims, DE Carlos Dunlap, DT Geno Atkins, DT Clinton McDonald, DE Rahim Alem.
Mike Zimmer has said that he wants to turn the pressure up on quarterbacks this season, and most of that starts on the defensive line, which had its share of injuries last year. If Odom, who missed the last 11 games due to a ruptured Achilles, can return and post a double-digit sack season, that could mean an increase for Robert Geathers as well. Johnson appears recovered from his foot problems of last season while Sims, who broke his arm in the last regular season game, will be back for training camp. Dunlap and Atkins still have a lot of room to improve but there is no pressure to start right away.
LINEBACKERS: Starters -- MLB Dhani Jones, OLB Rey Maualuga, OLB Keith Rivers; Backups -- MLB Abdul Hodge, OLB Brandon Johnson, OLB Dan Skuta, OLB Rashad Jeanty, MLB Dan Skuta, MLB Roddrick Muckelroy, OLB Michael Johnson, OLB Vincent Rey.
It's a position group with plenty of youth that continues to improve. Rivers, who is entering his third season, needs to have a breakout year after having an underwhelming second year. He finished second on the team in tackles, behind Dhani Jones, but had very few big plays of note. Maualuga still is not completely healed from last year's ankle injury and has been feeling pain in the leg. When he was out there during OTAs he was playing in his natural spot in the middle a little bit more. Expect the Bengals at times to go with a 3-4 setup where Maualuga and Jones are in the middle and Michael Johnson is playing one of the outside spots. The second-year player has been practicing exclusively with the linebackers during offseason workouts and was moved there because of his potential to cause havoc rushing the quarterback. Johnson could still play on the line on some downs though. With Maualuga and Johnson at SAM, the one player who could be on the bubble is Jeanty, who didn't practice during the offseason as he recovers from a leg injury he suffered in the playoff loss to the Jets.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: Starters -- LCB Johnathan Joseph, RCB Leon Hall, SS Roy Williams, FS Chris Crocker. Backups -- CB David Jones, CB Adam Jones, CB Brandon Ghee, CB Morgan Trent, S Chinedum Ndukwe, S Gibril Wilson, S Kyries Hebert, S Tom Nelson, S Rico Murray, CB Johnny Sears, S Jeromy Miles
Joseph and Hall had six interceptions apiece and were named co-MVPs. While there are no doubts about who will start at the corners, there is a four-way battle to see who will be the third corner between Adam Jones, David Jones, Ghee and Trent. Adam Jones, who has played only one season in the past three, participated in OTAs and was able to hold his own against the receivers. The one thing that impressed defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer was that he was able to take criticism in the meeting room and continues to adjust. Trent and David Jones were solid at times last year and struggled at others. Ghee has been compared to Joseph coming out of college which means he might be a year away from really contending for a roster spot. With Williams returning from a forearm injury and the signing of Wilson, the safety group has better veteran depth and is better able to withstand an injury. Nelson is still recovering from a knee injury and did not practice in the offseason which puts him behind Hebert in the competition for the fifth and final spot.
SPECIAL TEAMS: P Kevin Huber, PK Mike Nugent, PK Dave Rayner, LS Clark Harris, LS Mike Windt, KR Bernard Scott, KR/PR Adam Jones, KR/PR Jordan Shipley, KR Andre Caldwell, PR Quan Cosby.
Special teams coach Darrin Simmons has plenty of competition for those spots. Huber had a solid rookie season with the punt coverage unit ranked first in the league in net yards. The kicking competition between Nugent and Rayner is not expected to be resolved until the end of the preseason, but in a mini competition during minicamp Nugent looked to have the early advantage on accuracy and distance. Scott and Cosby both excelled in the return game last year, but they face competition. In his two years at Tennessee, Jones returned four punts and kickoffs back for touchdowns and Shipley was a capable returner at Texas.