Bengals Early Bird Special

Good morning everyone! I hope you all had a relaxing weekend. Now it's time to get back to the daily grind of the work week. Time to endure more wrath from your boss and coworkers. Time to hide behind your cubicle in hopes that your boss doesn't discover you reading this instead of submitting your work....or whatever it is you do during your work day.

Alright we have are quickly approaching preseason games. I can't wait. The anticipation is eating away at me. Since my baseball team is out of the playoff picture (although they are on a hot streak their season is over), I can now start transitioning into football mode. Hopefully this season  the Bengals can manage to win some games (4-12 is my guess and that might be expecting too much).

Personally I'm excited to see A.J. Green race down the field and be a catalyst for the offense. I'm also wondering how Dalton will do in the league. Is he the next Akili Smith or will he be a productive quarterback? I doubt he's the next Smith, but then again anything can happen.

Another element that excites me is the defense. Even though we lost J.J., the defensive group is still an exciting looking group. Hopefully the defense will be able to keep us in games because our offense is probably going to lackluster in comparison to prior seasons. 

Here's a look at what you may have missed or overlooked from the weekend.

• According to Pro Football Talk, there has been absolutely no change in the relationship between Carson Palmer and the Bengals. Well once again that is more of a "duh" moment.
• Jay Gruden believes that there is no reason that the Bengals shouldn't be a great team. There's a difference between training camp, preseason games, and the regular season. The regular season is where all of that work pays off. Hopefully for the Bengals it will pay off.
• False starts could be a problem that thwarts the Bengals.....again.
• According to Willie Anderson, Carson Palmer was in town recently to meet with the team.
• Mike Nugent converted a 54-yard field goal on Saturday. It would seem as if his recovery from his ACL tear is progressing well.
• A scouting report for recently signed corner back Nate Clements.
• A scouting report for recently signed linebacker Manny Lawson.
• ESPN explained the new Total Quarterback Rating.
• ESPN's AFC North blog made some pot-shot remarks against Bengals fans. All respect and credibility is now out the door.
• Wide receiver A.J. Green made a highlight-reel catch over the weekend.
• With the signing of former Titans tight end Bo Scaife, the Bengals could possibly enter the season with four tight ends.
• Reasons as to why the Bengals could consider free agency a success up to this point.
• The man convicted of the Las Vegas shootings has been sentenced to prison. How is this relevant? One name. Adam "Pacman" Jones.
• Friday was the 20th anniversary of Paul Brown's death.
• The Board of Commissioners is floating around the idea of a sales tax increase in order to fund stadiums
• There's a possibility that the league will not discipline players that were arrested during the lockout. That's great news for Cedric Benson, Marvin White, and Adam Jones.
• Marvin Lewis believes that the defense is more physical and athletic heading into the season.
• Jordan Palmer stated that 99 percent of players believe Cedric Benson is the hardest worker on the team. I don't know if that worries me or not.
• Alan Cutler is returning to the Bengals radio network.
• This season could be the year that the Bengals go without a fullback. Now that would be an interesting route for them to take. But hey, who am I to judge?
• Marvin Lewis stated that Cedric Benson needs to become a better receiver out of the backfield. Yes he does. If he can manage to hang onto the ball then that makes him even more of a weapon for the offense.