Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens

Cincinnati Bengals

OUT
Wednesday: RB Jeremi Johnson (knee), S Nedu Ndukwe (knee), DT Pat Sims (toe)

Did Not Practice
Wednesday: DE Jonathan Fanene (illness)

Limited Practice
Wednesday: WR Andre Caldwell (toe), LB Brandon Johnson (hamstring)

Full Practice
Wednesday: WR Chad Johnson (shoulder), QB Carson Palmer (nose)

Baltimore Ravens

Did Not Practice
Wednesday: DT Kelly Gregg (knee), QB Troy Smith (illness)

Limited Practice
Wednesday: TE Todd Heap (knee), RB Willis McGahee (knee), S Ed Reed (neck)

With three preseason games in the books, I wanted to take the time to review each position (in some cases, units) as we prepare this week to play the meaningless of meaningless of preseason games, as well as upcoming roster cuts. While I'm not trying to predict the roster -- and definitely not projecting depth chart -- I didn't include every player in some scenarios, but included more than what the team is expected to take (mostly because I'm just not sure who they take, or the play is pretty even between the competition).

Quarterback - Even though Palmer has been assaulted on nearly every play (it seems), he hasn't been sharp -- likely a result of being assaulted. Twice against the Saints, Palmer nearly threw interceptions because 1) the ball was overthrown and 2) the pass was too near the middle of the field intended for a receiver sprinting down the sidelines. With the assault by the opposing pass rush, Palmer is becoming too aware of what's going on around the pocket rather than what's going on downfield. Once protection flaws are worked out, and communication issues resolved, we're confident that Palmer will be Palmer and give the Bengals their best chance to win each week.

Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been one of the few successful offensive players, completing 70% of his passes, with a 6.8 pass-per-attempt average and a 101.3 passer rating (all team highs). His 44 yards rushing is third on the team behind Chris Perry and Kenny Watson. Fitzpatrick's performance proves he'll be a coveted unrestricted free agent next season as a "veteran" quarterback that so many teams need.

1. Carson Palmer
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
3. Jeff Rowe

Running Back - While it's exciting to see Chris Perry back to full strength, we've been missing our primary feature back, Rudi Johnson due to another hamstring injury -- this time to the other leg. However, along with their troubles protecting their quarterbacks, the offensive line has struggled rush blocking for Perry -- mostly Eric Ghiaciuc. Since the first game, Perry's yards-per-attempt has fallen from 3.8 to 3.4. Watson's 4.7 yards-per-attempt is encouraging, but a majority of his attempts have come against second team defenses, with only one attempt the entire game against the Saints.

I think the Bengals keep Dorsey over James Johnson. Though neither have done much this preseason, Dorsey is a more explosive back while James Johnson is eligible for the team's practice squad. If the Bengals haven't cut Jeremi by now, they won't.

1. Rudi Johnson
2. Chris Perry
3. Kenny Watson
4. DeDe Dorsey
5. Jeremi Johnson

Wide Receiver - Talk about depressing. With Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh nursing and rehabbing injuries ("supposedly", if you believe in conspiracies), the Bengals have been searching for that evasive receiver we hoped would step up. Jerome Simpson's 144 yards receiving is far above Chatman's 63 yards among the yardage leaders at wide receiver. However, passes are being dropped and receivers are not separating from defensive backs, forcing Palmer to hold onto the ball longer. One has to appreciate this bit of irony. If Chad Johnson was traded, then this unit has absolutely no hope going into the season, even though the team signed Chris Henry to help.

I think Andre Caldwell's injury hurts him big. While he's not on the field battling for a spot, the Bengals would be more inclined to keep Holt for experience and versatility on special teams. Caldwell is another player eligible for the practice squad. This is all based on the assumption when Henry returns, not when the season starts. When Henry is reinstated after the fourth game, the Bengals will need to decide whether to keep Holt or Caldwell -- and it's doubtful, no matter what other writers suggest, that the Bengals will let Henry go.

1. Chad Johnson
2. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
3. Antonio Chatman
4. Jerome Simpson
5. Glenn Holt
6. Andre Caldwell

Tight End - Stable as stable comes. Ben Utecht, another glowing offensive player this preseason, leads the team with 10 receptions, second with 108 yards receiving and only one of two players with a receiving touchdown through three games. Reggie Kelly is the league's best tight end blocker, taking a lot of reps in the backfield. If the Bengals keep four tight ends (which includes long snapper Brad St. Louis), then Daniel Coats makes the team.

1. Reggie Kelly
2. Ben Utecht
3. Daniel Coats
4. Brad St. Louis

Offensive Line - We've talked about their struggles, and fantasized of a Jurassic Line. Still, the running game hasn't really taken off and the quarterbacks are struggling to focus downfield rather than the pass rush -- Bengals quarterbacks have been sacked 10 times, and knocked down three times as much. I'm not sure the Bengals will keep a second center, depending on Bobbie Williams to play that role. On the other hand, you could easily replace Nate Livings with Dan Santucci with limited fall in production. Something of note: Kyle Cook took some first-team snaps against the Saints in the third quarter.

1. Levi Jones
2. Andrew Whitworth
3. Eric Ghiaciuc
4. Bobbie Williams
5. Stacy Andrews
6. Willie Anderson
7. Nate Livings
8. Scott Kooistra
9. Anthony Collins
10. Dan Santucci

Defensive Line - Domata Peko has impressed me this preseason against the rush. He's working the line, challenging double teams and finding ways to stuff gaps at the point of attack. Other than that, I think this unit is just down right dreadful. Fanene and Rucker appear like average ends with limited upside, while John Thornton and Jason Shirley have made a library seem like a Metallica concert. Pat Sims, before his injury, impressed me with his aggressiveness and motor-style play. Hopefully we get him back when the season starts. While Angelo Craig has made plays, I've labeled him a practice squad player until either Rucker or Fanene (even though he signed an extension this offseason) are let go. I see no scenario in the world in which Eric Henderson makes this squad -- nor did I see any scenario that the Bengals sign Chris Henry.

1. Antwan Odom (DE)
2. Robert Geathers (DE)
3. Johnathan Fanene (DE)
4. Frostee Rucker (DE)
5. John Thornton
6. Domata Peko
7. Jason Shirley
8. Pat Sims
9. Michael Myers -- I'm adding Myers here for two reasons. The team could be concerned about Shirley's upcoming court case and keeping Myers adds an insurance policy in case Pat Sims' rehabs slowly.

Linebacker - I'm actually more impressed with this unit than I thought I would be before training camp. At WILL, Keith Rivers and Brandon Johnson have combined for 28 tackles and a sack -- Rivers accounts for 17 tackles and that sack. Corey Mays has been solid at backup middle linebacker and Darryl Blackstock's two sacks leads the team. The thing I would be most concerned about is Dhani Jones' nine total tackles through three games. Ahmad Brooks had some first-team snaps at defense when Blackstock suffered a cramp against the Saints. Also expect Carl-Johan Bjork to make the team as he's exempt from the 53-man roster.

1. Dhani Jones
2. Keith Rivers
3. Darryl Blackstock
4. Rashad Jeanty
5. Corey Mays
6. Brandon Johnson
7. Jim Maxwell
8. Ahmad Brooks
9. Anthony Hoke (?)

Secondary - For the most part, I think our starting cornerbacks have done a decent job working on an island. For the plays that you see them get beat, either a dump-truck named Calvin Johnson used his super-size advantage, or the quarterback found a hole in zone coverage. I don't like the play of our safeties -- Dexter Jackson is Dexter Jackson and Marvin White still struggles keeping the receiver in front preventing long plays. White is a hitter though, and his efforts to make sure-tackles have improved greatly since the first game.

David Jones scares the hell out of me, and I don't see much of an improvement with Castille. O'Neal has accepted his role, and done well, as the team's third cornerback giving the Bengals good depth at the position.

1. Leon Hall (CB)
2. Johnathan Joseph (CB)
3. Deltha O'Neal (CB)
4. David Jones (CB)
5. Simeon Castille (CB)
6. Dexter Jackson (S)
7. Marvin White (S)
8. Chinedum Ndukwe (S)
9. Corey Lynch (S)
10. Herana-Daze Jones (S) -- mostly for his special teams work.

Anyway, those are my impressions at this point. If you have more, or want to adjust my impressions because I always miss at least one player (or two) when I do these things, it's all yours.

Offensively, the Bengals are clearly struggling. Much of it has to do with an offensive line that struggled pass blocking. But other factors include the lack of a consistent running game (while Palmer was in), T.J. Houshmandzadeh being out and Chad Johnson not really apart of the passing offenses game plan (plus injury); overall spirit and attitude seemed low. Nothing has come together for this first-team offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick improvised in the pocket, while Kenny Watson loved the Jurassic Line's potential run blocking -- note, Dave Lapham and Anthony Munoz love the Jurassic Line. Once Watson and Chris Perry were removed from the game, the Bengals offense skydived without a parachute. It also doesn't help the Bengals when the offense goes three and out three times in the second half as well as failing to convert a goal-line rush attempt with the team's smallest running back.

Defensively, I saw more good than bad. Twenty seven points wasn't allowed by the first team -- 17 of the Lions 27 points came in the fourth quarter. I thought the cornerbacks were average, but I attached that to a bigger and tougher Calvin Johnson -- who was Kitna's only receiver while he was in the first two series'. I thought the secondary as a whole, was average. Not terribly bad, but for the love of god, they have room to improve.

I believe that Deltha O'Neal, aside two first down receptions allowed, moved himself to the team's third cornerback -- if he's not, I'm writing a letter to someone. David Jones isn't the type of cornerback that can sit on an island. Darryl Blackstock and Brandon Johnson are two of the most underrated free agent acquisitions. Ahmad Brooks isn't just in danger of being cut, but he's so far behind other linebackers on the team that if he's not cut, I'll be surprised. He makes no impression during the game, even against third team offensive players. Dhani Jones is playing better than last season. One thing that impressed me about Keith Rivers is that when the play goes away from him, he stays home, watching cutback lanes; he's not over-pursuing. He's the team's perfect WILL linebacker. The Bengals front four puts zero pressure on the quarterback, allowing the passer to sit in the pocket comfortably (numb). Even hall of fame cornerbacks can't defend an NFL wide receiver for seven-plus seconds.

With all that said, the Bengals first-team defense gets a passing grade from me. I'm not expecting shutout football, nor every drive to end in three-and-outs. I expect the other team to score -- they're also professional football teams. However, just to point out that our first-team defense wasn't all that bad, take a look at the breakdown by half:

In fact, if you take out the touchdown given up to Jon Kitna and Calvin Johnson on the Lion's second drive, the Bengals defense forced the Lions into four drives with five plays or less, all ending in punt.

It wasn't until the Bengals brought in their second and third-team that the struggles began. The game's final three possessions for the Lions ended with a field goal and two touchdowns.

Offensively, the Bengals were disgusting. Palmer throws a pick, Shayne Graham misses a field goal (actually, a block) and the Bengals punt twice before Ryan Fitzgerald takes the Bengals 99 yards on 13 plays for the team's lone touchdown.

Concluding... what I'm going to offer you is something to think on. The Bengals defense is improving. While they're not instantaneously blowing people away, the first team did much better against the Lions than the Packers. And if we got that effort in the first half, all of last season, we'd be pumped. With two games left to work, I believe the Bengals defense will be vastly improved over last year -- if not the best of the Marvin Lewis era.

As for the offense, well, they have a lot of work to do -- like the offensive line getting comfortable and receivers stepping up.

5 - Sacks allowed by the Bengals offensive line.
2 to 1 - Pass to run ratio by the Bengals offense (48 passes, 21 rushes)... note, five pass calls actually ended in sack.
13 - Number of different receivers by the Bengals offense.
33 - Yards returned by one Antonio Chatman punt return -- thanks to DeAngelo Craig.
114 - Yards receiving by rookie receiver, Jerome Simpson.

Chad Johnson says "I'll be back in a week." However, Marvin Lewis has already declared Johnson out next week against the Saints. Either way, it doesn't appear that he'll miss any regular season time healing from a shoulder strain.

Marvin Lewis on Jerome Simpson: "Every time we turn on the lights, he comes through and makes some good plays." Palmer had a different take, but felt Simpson is improving. Palmer says that Simpson has a "long way to go before he can come into a game and you can count on him."

Pat Sims "left the locker room on crutches with a sprained foot and turf toe, respectively."

It would seem that the Bengals.com depth chart is either a bit behind, or evident that Keith Rivers will get limited work on the first-team defense. As of Saturday afternoon, the site lists Brandon Johnson and Jim Maxwell ahead of Keith Rivers as the team's WILL linebacker. Rivers got work with the first team this week in practice, making us believe that Rivers, at least, moved up to the second WILL linebacker. And truthfully, we're wondering if the team is going to move Brandon Johnson to the SAM while Rivers starts at WILL this Sunday against the Lions.

It would be foolish by the team to leave Rivers out of the starting lineup when the reality is that he'll likely start the season as the team's first-team WILL. At the same time, it would be foolish not to reward Brandon Johnson for his hard work and high-value performances in practice and scrimmages by benching him in favor of Rivers and Darryl Blackstock -- the second SAM behind an injured Rashad Jeanty.

It should be noted that Brandon Johnson has never played SAM backer, but Mike Zimmer sees potential. "It limits some things you can do with your fronts, but it improves some other things. It improves our speed, our coverage ability. He should be OK (rushing off the edge)."

In truth, Brandon Johnson is behind the eight-ball, but in a good way. Dhani Jones will be the team's starting linebacker. Keith Rivers, being a hellva talented first-round linebacker, will most likely start at WILL. So you figure that Johnson will backup Rivers at WILL -- or perhaps challenge Corey Mays as the second MLB during 3-4 formations.

The SAM position can be somewhat of a toss-up. Rashad Jeanty is injured and will likely be out for a couple more weeks; though he figures to get the starting spot at SAM. Ahmad Brooks has fallen to the third-man on the charts, still learning the position. If Brandon Johnson performs well at SAM the remainder of training camp (if the team even entertains the notion), while Jeanty will be out for a couple of weeks, Johnson has a chance to become the team's starting SAM for the entire season.

In one sense, it's all in his hands (stepping up and performing as SAM). In another, it's totally out of his hands (team chooses to make him a backup rather than competing for the starting spot).

Either way, it's a nice problem to have after last season.

Questions answered? Before the game, I threw up 10 questions. Not sure if any were answered, and it's foolish to take the first pre-season game and project the team as anything. Still, let's answer the questions after the Bengals 20-17 win Monday Night.

1) #3 Wide Receiver
Marcus Maxwell had a nice 19-yard reception and a nine-yarder. Maxwell's frame and technique reminds me of a green T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Hey, it took T.J. a long time to prove he was worth anything. Jerome Simpson showed good athleticism and Andre Caldwell hauled down an 11-yard pass for first down. It's not that any receiver played bad -- other than bad routes, or blown up plays, which we hardly know about -- but who really stepped up in your opinion.

2) Defensive tackle rotation and rookie DTs Sims and Shirley.
Domata Peko had several nice plays, pushing off the offensive linemen and strafing down the line of scrimmage for, at least, a hit. Jason Shirley, as the game progressed, seemed to get to the quarterback easier, and it seemed that boy has a motor. Admittedly, I don't have HD, and pointing out DTs are often hard enough for me. So it could have been Pat Sims. All and all, the Packers rushing offense was successful after Brandon Jackson and Kregg Lumpkin rushed 13 times for 80 yards (6.2 yards-per-carry).

3) Tight end contribution (an idea of the passing offense’s philosophy, which includes double-TE formations)
Reggie Kelly caught a five-yard pass -- the first completion by the Bengals. Ryan Fitzpatrick targeted Utecht twice, and Palmer looked at him three times -- first was incomplete, second was a four-yard gain and the third was a 14-yard touchdown pass.

4) Pass rush (includes Fanene and Rucker's improvements?)
Rucker and Fanene were nonexistent in the pass rush, though Robert Geathers sprinted around the tackle to pick up an early sack. Most of the success came from the team blitzing linebackers and safeties (Jackson, Herbert).

5) Keith Rivers, Chris Perry, rookie WRs (Caldwell, Simpson)
Rivers was as advertised. Chris Perry was back. Caldwell and Simpson made some nice grabs. I was generally happy with all four.

6) Offensive line combinations (Bobbie Williams at center?)
It's hard to praise the offensive line after the Bengals first-team started the game with three three-and-outs before picking up a first down and a touchdown. I don't recall seeing Williams at center, Santucci replaced Eric Ghiaciuc and Kyle Cook replaced Santucci after it was reported that the backup center broke his right ankle. Stacy Andrews didn't play long, out before the end of the first quarter replaced by Scott Kooistra after Willie Anderson was told to sit the game with a minor shoulder problem.

7) Is Kenny Watson better than last season?
I didn't pick up that Watson was better than last year on the minimal attempts he was given. At the same time, I didn't see a bit of degradation either.

8) Daniel Coats blocking out of the backfield.
I just didn't make it a point to watch him blocking. At the same time, that's a good thing. When a blocker does his job, neither he or the person he blocks make an impact on the play and become essentially invisible.

9) Aggressive cornerbacks, disrupting timing off the LOS (defensive coverage philosophy)
For the most part, I was happy with our cornerback play. Sometimes the receiver would pick up a step on the cornerback, or David Jones was on the field -- who had a rough, rough start.

10) Linebackers (Dhani, year 2… Brandon Johnson and Darryl Johnson, Arizona Cardinal cast-offs)
With Rivers being an obvious positive, and Brandon Johnson holding firm his stepping-up role, I thought the Bengals linebackers were generally positive, though again, the Packers ran the ball pretty well -- which is against the linebackers and defensive line.

By The Numbers

• Bengals converted only four of 15 third down attempts while the Packers converted eight of 17.
• Two penalties by the Bengals as a whole -- Frostee Rucker was offsides and Nate Livings false started. The off-sides by Rucker allowed the Packers to pick up a first down on third-and-three. After picking up the first down, Rodgers converted a 22-yard pass (then an incomplete), an 11-yard pass and then a 30-yard touchdown.
• The Packers picked up 15 first downs through the air -- however, they passed 53 times.
• The Bengals play selection: 27 pass attempts, 33 rush attempts.
• Bengals special teams allowed 40 yards on six punt returns.
• Bengals defense allowed four plays of 20-yards or more -- the longest play by the Bengals was a 19-yard pass reception by Marcus Maxwell.

The Ryan Fitzgerald offense before the end of the first half, utilized Ben Utecht and Chris Perry, combining for three catches for 25 yards giving Shayne Graham a 43-yard field goal attempt.

Palmer on Utecht and Perry: "(Perry) can stay in the backfield and pick up a safety pressure and get outside with runs. With Ben, his versatility is he can get back in the backfield on the run game and he can (pass block) in max protection."

Moving Bobbie Williams to center could be a possibility after reports claim that Dan Santucci suffered a broken right ankle.

Corey Lynch, in last weekend's scrimmages, had two interceptions and a sack. On Monday Night, he had a fumble recovery and two tackles on special teams.

Marvin "Mr. Obvious" says: "But we have to tackle better. Our tackling really left something to be desired."

Marvin White learned a lesson Monday Night. "It's not like college, where you pretty much hit a guy and he does down. I learned something from this game. That's the idea. Learn something every game."

Mike Zimmer was satisfied with the Bengals defense Monday Night, "we're not the '85 Bears. But for the first time, it was OK."

Antonio Chatman "endorses Packer Rodgers".

Former Bengals safety Madieu Williams is lost for up to six weeks due to an undisclosed injury.

Generally, when training camp begins through an early segment of the regular season, the defense has a natural advantage. It takes time for the offense to gel, to get their timing, and to generally learn the playbook. The defensive playbook is generally simple compared to the offense, and relies on gap control, responsibility and instinct. So it's not really a surprise if the defense outshines the offense early, like the defense winning 44-27 against the offense during Friday night's intra-squad scrimmage.

I said in the comments of another post that perhaps the team's best off-season acquisition is the team's defensive coordinator, Mike Zimmer. Not because of the scheme, or the talent. Rather he's installing a mentality of a toughness and aggressiveness we haven't seen in here in a long time. Zimmer said of Friday's scrimmage: “I thought they did what I asked them. I said if you make a mistake make it full speed. Play hard. And we've been stressing all week, tackling. We surrounded the ball real well and played physical. I thought we did a decent job of stopping the run.”

Carson Palmer went 6-10 for 51 yards passing recording a 21-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Chatman. Leon Hall was covering. Chris Perry recorded 50 yards total (9-33 rushing, 3-17 receiving). Rudi Johnson, DeDe Dorsey and Kenny Watson all sat. Jerome Simpson caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Fitzpatrick after sprinting down the sideline outpacing Deltha O'Neal.

"I'm just here to play my best," Brandon Johnson said. Johnson continues to shine closing the window for Keith Rivers to make the starting lineup while David Dunn plays his little games. Michael Myers recorded two sacks on Ryan Fitzpatrick and cornerback Simeon Castille sacked Jordan Palmer while Corey Lynch recorded a pick against young Palmer in the end zone. Jordan did score a touchdown pass to rookie tight end Matt Sherry on a ten-yard pass.

If you watched the highlights on Bengals.com, you got a good dose of Marvin White. It seemed he did a fine job filling gaps, killing cutback lanes, on nearly every rush. The defense held the offense to 48 total yards rushing on 23 attempts.

Overall, the coaches and players were satisfied with the progress they've made this off-season. Units and players from all positions -- except for running backs who were down three players -- made good plays. Defensively, the unit is heeding Mike Zimmer's attitude, especially the defensive line that held the offensive line allowing Brandon Johnson to roam; though five defensive linemen had at least one tackle.

Around the Web.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh may take it easy, or even take off, next week "with a nagging hamstring".

Players Brandon Johnson, Antonio Chatman, Jerome Simpson, Michael Myers, Simeon Castille and Corey Lynch all shined when the big stars were out.

Brandon Johnson is taking full advantage of a River-less camp.

Second-year Jets cornerback, Darrelle Revis (who would have been drafted by the Bengals if he was available and Leon Hall was drafted earlier), says that Chad Johnson was the toughest for him to cover.

The Ravens are dealing with a rash of injuries during camp. But Rexx argues it's not Harbaugh's tougher camp that's the reason. After a February domestic battery incident, Ravens cornerback Fabian Washington will be suspended for the season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Observations from the Steelers; the receivers could be their best group in 30 years, Big Ben is getting better, Mendenhall is "showing promise" while Moore is team's third-down back (as of now).

The Browns did an interesting concept (and I'm not sure if they've done it before). On Friday night, the Browns held their intra-squad scrimmage in Cleveland Browns Stadium; the money you pay to get in goes directly to charity. The crowd was big and the hot dogs were $1.

We've been reading plenty of positive reviews with players that are stepping up in roles where starters are either hurt, missing, or simply struggling (to keep their weight down).

Important Dates:

August 26: Deadline to get roster down to a maximum of 75 players.
August 30: Deadline to get roster down to a maximum of 53 players.

Brandon Johnson. Keith Rivers' agent isn't near the Bengals camp, or Cincinnati, or anywhere in Kentucky, one beat writer writes. His holdout appears to be stalled, either because of ridiculous demands or waiting on Derrick Harvey to sign with the Jaguars. The man designated as the team's backup WILL, Brandon Johnson, has taken the spot and even impressed the team's starting quarterback. "I'm excited to see him," Palmer said. "He's made some unbelievable plays on defense." Rivers time to make camp and keep the starting job that was given to him for kickoff weekend, is running desperately thin. If his holdout misses any chunk of the pre-season games, then I would expect that Rivers 2008 season may be as a backup until he has the chance to out-perform Brandon.

Daniel Coats. During Oklahoma drills, Daniel Coats "hammered" Dhani Jones. As Jeremi Johnson's participation during camp is reduced to conditioning to lose the weight he gains every off-season, it opened the door for Coats to become the team's starting fullback. Jeremi is still listed as the team's starting fullback on the team's website, but Coats is quickly giving the team confidence that he can take the role. You have to wonder, not only will Coats be the team's starting fullback, but will Jeremi Johnson even survive the first round of cuts?

James Johnson. Every article and reference to Rudi Johnson, isn't just positive, rather it's impressive. His bulk has returned, as well his leg power, yet he's quicker now. Chris Perry is wooing the crowd with his athleticism, drawing reviews that Perry's multi-faceted role has returned fully. Kenny Watson enabled the Bengals to have some success on the ground last season and adds incredibly to the team's depth while DeDe Dorsey turned some impressive rushes last season. Since Dorsey has missed time, and Rudi Johnson taking time off as a benefit of being a veteran (and to keep his legs fresh), James Johnson shows up. With great vision, and hands out of the backfield, Palmer compared the Kansas State free agent to Warrick Dunn. Dorsey will return next week, and will stuff the running back position more, but I'm not sure Dorsey will have another shot at making the squad; not after hearing the impression people are having with James Johnson.

A quick note: When the season ended last year, we had no idea what this team would look like at running back. We thought Rudi Johnson was done, that Chris Perry was too injury-prone, that Kenny Watson wasn't an ideal feature back and DeDe Dorsey being an inexperienced back with limited playing time. Yet, we're better off now than we were this time last year and the only difference is that the Bengals may have struck gold with a college free agent.

Marcus Maxwell. From all reports, no player has risen above the rest to claim that number three wide receiver spot that's being waged between six prospect players. Since Chris Henry was released, the unknown with Chad Johnson's off-season, the year after this one for T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Bengals needed to develop a new core of receivers beyond 2009. And thus far, they're doing just that. Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell figure to be the team's future, while guys like Mario Urrutia and Glenn Holt fill in as critical components. But then there's Marcus Maxwell, a seventh-round draft pick out of Oregon. Wide receiver picked in the seventh-round from a school inside the state of Oregon? Hummm. Working extremely hard over the off-season, Maxwell has been labeled as the Bengals secret weapon. Maxwell is 6'3", 210 pounds out of a small California town named Hercules. Yea, he's making the squad.

Frostee Rucker. If there's a player that's playing with the attitude of "last chance", then it has to be Rucker (you could define that with Jeremi Johnson too, but I really believe that his chance has already left him). When Antwan Odom suffered an injury during the team's first day of training camp, the position became a fight. Even though Odom's timeline is still indefinite, he'll return in time for kickoff weekend, it's expected. In the meantime, Rucker's door for opportunity widened and he knows that now is his time to step-up.

Geoff Hobson's Friday night scrimmage primer -- Chris Perry is happy, James Johnson has explosiveness, Daniel Coats is nervous, and Brandon Johnson is stepping up.

Great story on David Jones.

The Bengals are making another push to sign T.J. Houshmandzadeh beyond 2008.

Q & A with Ben Utecht.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell will be in Cincinnati's camp Saturday morning.

The spot for the #3 quarterback is heating up. "(This weekend is) very critical. With Jeff and I getting maybe six reps a day, if I do six right and he does six right, that's not enough to tell who's the better player."

Chick Ludwig on Chinedum Ndukwe: "...Ndukwe is among the tone-setters on defense. He has adopted coordinator Mike Zimmer's physical style."

Our old boy, Chris "Slim" Henry has been suspended for the season's first four games. That's not his biggest worry though; he's still unemployed.

Another our old boy, Kevin Kaesviharn is fighting or a starting job with the New Orleans Saints.

Still no change on the Derrick Harvey front meaning that signing Keith Rivers still isn't close.

Let's see, what am I looking for this season? Actually, a lot. I am looking forward to seeing how Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry rebound. I'm looking forward to seeing Chad Johnson pipe down, celebrate a few touchdowns and watch T.J. Houshmandzadeh throw his body away for a cheap two-yard reception on third-and-one. Carson Palmer and every god-like thing associated. I'm looking forward to seeing Stacy Andrews -- who obviously now believes he can have a long successful NFL career and grow as such. I'm looking forward to Pat Sims and Jason Shirley (well, more like praying that we'll see him), our backup wide receivers, the tremendous upside in the secondary and our offense FINALLY incorporating the tight end -- eeee-fect-ively.

Finally, I'm also looking forward to Keith Rivers and Angelo Craig (the only two linebackers drafted during the NFL draft -- any year -- on this roster). And no, I'm not including Brooks; though the argument could be made. I'm specifically speaking about the NFL draft, not the Supplemental. But if you want to include him, you're more than welcome.

Odell Thurman, David Pollack, Caleb Miller, Landon Johnson, A.J. Nicholson, Khalid Abdullah... are all gone. In fact, only the two linebackers drafted, on this team, right now, are Keith Rivers and UC's Angelo Craig.

Daryl Blackstock (signed UFA, 2008)
Ahmad Brooks (supplemental draft, 2006)
Anthony Hoke (signed CFA, 2008)
Dan Howell (signed CFA, 2008)
Rashad Jeanty (signed FA, 2006)
Brandon Johnson (signed FA, 2008)
Dhani Jones (signed FA, 2007)
Jim Maxwell (signed FA, 2007)
Corey Mays (waiver, 2007)

That's all I have to say, really. Just something to munch on. A side note, Rivers now has a Yard Barker blog.

It was pointed out by loyal reader IgnatiusJReilly, that Eric Henderson, a hybrid DE/LB (if that's even the case) worked mostly with the defensive ends during Tuesday's OTA. Geoff Hobson projects that the Bengals will keep seven linebackers and four defensive ends. In 2007, the Bengals kept seven linebackers. In 2006, they kept eight.

If they keep eight (the higher number), we can project the following will make the team:

1. Odell Thurman
2. Keith Rivers
3. Dhani Jones
4. Ahmad Brooks
5. Rashad Jeanty
6. Corey Mays
7. Brandon Johnson
8. Darryl Blackstock

Guys like Jim Maxwell, Anthony Hoke and Dan Howell, unless they blow our freaking mind (man) will be casualties when the Bengals need to bring the roster to 53.

Now, let's presume the eight defensive linemen (a constant number in 2006 and 2007):

1. Antwan Odom (DE)
2. Robert Geathers (DE)
3. John Thornton (DT)
4. Domata Peko (DT)
5. Michael Myers (DT)
6. Jonathan Fanene (DE/DT)
7. Pat Sims (DT)
8. Eric Henderson (DE)

Guys like Titus Adams, Michael Marquardt and Antwon Burton would be the defensive line's casualties. But, as you noticed, where does Pat Sims go? As it is, the Bengals have three true defensive tackles and Fanene that's played end and tackle. He just signed a three-year deal, so we'd assume that the Bengals will dump Rucker in favor of Sims. Then where does Jason Shirley go? Obviously the Bengals won't let Odom, Geathers, Peko or Fanene go. Myers could be cut, as could Thornton (salary cap). But that's putting a lot more faith on a character guy that I believed the Bengals wouldn't take. Anyway, I removed Myers and Rucker.

1. Antwan Odom (DE)
2. Robert Geathers (DE)
3. John Thornton (DT)
4. Domata Peko (DT)
5. Pat Sims (DT)
6. Jonathan Fanene (DE)
7. Eric Henderson (DE)
8. Jason Shirley (DT)

It would seem to me, with those two units, that the Bengals are already set. Unless, of course, the underdogs start blowing people's minds. Guys like Myers and Rucker could be the first to go and the linebackers, Johnson and Blackstock aren't guaranteed a spot at all.