Bengals Early Bird Special: Saying Goodbye to Dhani Jones

Good morning everyone! We've reached the midway point of the week. And hopefully you're in one piece. 

On Tuesday Dhani Jones officially retired from the NFL. And truth be told I'm sad to see him go. For the past four seasons he has been one of my favorite Bengals' players to watch on defense. Not only did I admire the way he played the game, but I also praised him for the way he conducted himself on and off the field. 

Jones was the glue that held the Bengals together during his tenure in Cincinnati. He was a leader with his style of play on the field along with his ability to come through in the clutch. Not only was he a brick wall at stopping opposing offenses, he was a wise decision-maker when it came to his game, and a leader for everyone on defense.

He was truly a class act and it's disappointing to see one of the good guys depart from the game. But at some point everyone's time comes. And for Jones that was now. I wish him the best of luck for the future. Any organization that he works for will be lucky to have him.

Alright here is a look at what you may have missed or overlooked from Tuesday.

• Hey I bet you want to hear more about Carson Palmer, right? Okay well probably not, but here is an update on his situation. Mike Brown remains "mum" on a possible trade involving Palmer. Alright, so that really wasn't much of an update.
• This week Cincy Jungle's week five "Unsung Hero" award goes to......check out yourself. No point in me telling you.
• The Jaguars have replaced the amazing Matt Turk by signing a former Bengals punter.
• Cedric Benson has been suspended. He decided to appeal his suspension. However, the decision on his appeal could take another few weeks. So for now, let's hope Benson makes the most of his playing-time.
• With a win on Sunday against the Colts, Marvin Lewis will tie Sam Wyche as the winningest coach in Bengals franchise history. 
• Former Bengals linebacker Dhani Jones has officially announced his retirement from the NFL. Good luck Dhani! I wish you the best of luck in your future. Also, I'll miss your bow ties.
• Jason La Canfora of NFL.com, believes that the Bengals "could be an intriguing team." Could be? I think they are an intriguing team as it is.
• Mel Kiper Jr. and his hair examined the Cincinnati Bengals.
• The Power Rankings for the NFL have been released and the Bengals keep climbing the ladder. Winning will do that, especially when it's against teams that they are "expected" to lose to.
• As if this doesn't come as a surprise, but Sunday's Bengals' game against the Colts has officially been blacked out.
• This week the Samsung Game Ball of the Week goes to......again look for yourself. I'm not going to give it away.
• Each year it seems like the Bengals acquire a new nickname. And this year one that suits them is.......
• The FanPost of the day regards the need to fill up Paul Brown Stadium and show some support for our Bengals. For once the Bengals (okay not actually for once), but to our surprise they are exceeding our expectations.
• Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green have been nominated for Pepsi NFL Player of the Week. Both of them are deserving of the award in my opinion.
• So far this season the rushing game has looked inconsistent. How much of the running games' struggles should be blamed on the offensive line and the running backs themselves? Or should it be recognized that the Bengals have squared-off against some opponents that have solid rushing defense? I think it's a bit of both.