5 players we can't afford to lose

No doubt, the ultimate fear that strikes the hearts of fans every season (besides a players’ strike) is that devastating injury to the key player which takes away the team’s competitive edge.  After contemplating which Bengals are those whom we cannot afford to lose, I arrived with the following list, subject to your thoughts.  If all five of these players remain healthy throughout the season, I believe we are in the Superbowl.  If not, I am skeptical.

1)     Carson Palmer - Though I like the idea of having a Carson prototype as a backup with the same type of game to mitigate the loss of chemistry with the receivers, the level of play doesn’t appear to be anywhere close.  And going on three seasons now with the Bengals having to cut the number two quarterbacks ahead of Jordan just to force-feed him into the backup role isn’t giving me a good vibe.  The name may remain the same, but the game will definitely change – in a negative way.

2)     Andrew Whitworth – He’s quickly established himself as the staple and cornerstone of the offensive line to the point where we often overlook the value he provides in that left tackle spot.  Losing Whitworth would signal the fall of the Bengals much to the likeness of the torn down Berlin Wall displaying the end of communist Russia.  Crippled Collins, Lurch-like Roland, or fatboy Smith trying to fill in at left tackle?  Scary thought.  The caveat devastating injury would soon be Palmer.

3)     Jermaine Gresham – First time since I can remember (okay, my viewing days only go back to the early 90’s) that we have a legitimate offensive threat at the tight end position who can also block.  Finally, Palmer will have a big target over the middle to take pressure off the receivers.  Lose Gresham and suddenly we are back to painfully watching Reggie Kelly and Daniel Coats botch catches – or Coffman being thrown around at the line of scrimmage like a rag doll.

4)     Terrell Owens – As much as this pains me to say it, I think TO is a critical piece to the offensive puzzle.  Without him, we would have no viable deep threat to stretch the defense.  With the apparent flop of Matt Jones, the only other seemingly vertical threat would be Jerome Simpson.  But after one and a half years, if he couldn’t adequately fill in the void left by Henry last season, I’m not feeling him.  We would then essentially have Chad and a bunch of midgets running around in the passing game.

5)     Kyle Cook – Losing Rich Braham to retirement marked the beginning of a downward spiral for the Bengals.  The emergence of Kyle Cook at the helm of the line triggered the return to the playoffs.  Making blocking calls at the line and being able to withstand the behemoth nose tackles of today’s game is absolutely critical and cannot be overlooked.  Maybe Stephens has the physical ability to step in, but the mental aspect is just as important and it is doubtful a rookie drafted in the seventh round already has that.

Honorable Mention – I wanted to include Andre Smith, though it’s hard to say we can’t afford to lose someone if we don’t necessarily already have him.  I have the feeling this season will hinge on Andre Smith’s recovery from his foot surgery and potential to solidify the right side of the line.  I am just not sold on Dennis Roland or Anthony Collins as a starting tackle in the NFL.  And since his playing time seems to be dependent upon his weight-loss, it appears either the Bengals will be taking a loss or Krispy Kreme will – who no doubt have him on their can’t-lose-customer list.

I’m sure you’ll notice I didn’t list any defensive players on this list.  Typically I would look to the cornerbacks and defensive tackles as the key components of the defense, though this year we have the pro-bowl caliber tandem of Joseph/Hall being backed up by pro-bowl potential Adam Jones and Peko/Tank being solidly backed up by Sims and Atkins.  As for the linebackers, defensive ends, and safeties, I think we have enough depth at those positions there won’t be much of a drop-off between the starters and second-stringers.  And with a healthy dominant offensive line, even Cedric Benson is replaceable.