Chick Ludwig released his "fab five" -- five players that, in your opinion, are those that you must build around. Ludwig's are Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Robert Geathers, Leon Hall and Keith Rivers. Personally, I'm too fickle to create a list. Mine would change more than any history of stable Ohio weather. But I'm going to do this anyway. Don't let the fact bother you I might have 20 updates by lunch-time amending my list.
- Carson Palmer - No brainer.
- Stacy Andrews - I really believe the Bengals need to get this guy signed to a long-term deal. He's versatile, young and able while Willie Anderson is close to retirement and Levi Jones has entertained a trade demand.
- Robert Geathers - Even though his production slipped last season, Geathers can still have a monster career if he and Antwan Odom create match-up problems forcing tight ends and running backs to stay and block giving the defense an indirect advantage. There's a lot of expectations riding on the Geathers/Odom tandem this season.
- Four DBs - OK, I'm cheating here. And I'm actually making this #4 and #5. But Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph, Chinedum Ndukwe and Marvin White combine for a youth movement with enough upside that gets me optimistically thinking that the Bengals could have one of the best secondaries by 2010.
There, my list. I know, awful. Who would you replace and why?