BENGALS FANTASY NEWS

February 16, 2006 9:00 AM ET

Although bookmakers gave a slight edge to the Steelers heading into January's playoff game against the Bengals, it wasn't unrealistic at the time to think that Marvin Lewis' team would beat their top rivals. Unfortunately, Carson Palmer suffered a major knee injury on the team's second offensive play, and, of course, the Steelers went on to win the Super Bowl.

Obviously, the big question of the offseason is how long it will take Palmer to recover from knee surgery to repair his torn ACL and MCL. That being said, the Bengals feel good about their offense, and will most likely use free agency and the draft to improve on the defensive side of the ball. With 31 interceptions, the Bengals defense was known for making big plays, but they were just as likely to give up big plays to opposing offenses.

Keep in mind that while the Steelers took home the Lombardi Trophy, it was the Bengals who won the division for the first time since 1990. Thus, if Palmer makes a full recovery and the front office adds the right defensive personnel, the Bengals could be the team to beat in the AFC North in 2006.

Needs
After the regular season ended, no one would have predicted the Bengals would have a need at the quarterback position, but then Palmer tore a pair of knee ligaments. Bengals officials should feel a sense of urgency to re-sign backup quarterback Jon Kitna, who will be a free agent next month. In addition to serving as a mentor for Palmer, Kitna is also two seasons removed from passing for 3,591 yards and 26 touchdowns. Thus, he could attract some attention on the open market. The promise of a starting job could be enough to lure him away from the Queen City.

Another offensive need is at the tight end position. The duo of Reggie Kelly and Matt Schobel combined for just 183 receiving yards and two touchdowns last season. Ideally, the Bengals would like to find a pass-catching tight end who can complement wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh. They could also be in the market for a new No. 3 receiver, as Kelley Washington will be a restricted free agent, and Chris Henry might be serving time for his most recent arrest on drug and weapons violations. That being said, Washington will most likely be re-signed to play the No. 3 role, so tight end appears to be the bigger need.

Lewis' defense showed signs of improvement last season, but it's still a work in progress. The unit got only two sacks from their defensive tackles all season, so finding a big tackle that can put pressure on the quarterback should be a primary goal of the front office. The Bengals should get some pass-rushing help from last year's first-round pick linebacker David Pollack, who logged three sacks in his last two games after getting off to a slow start due to a contract holdout. One area of concern is strong safety, where Ifeanyi Ohalete logged just 56 tackles and one interception in 15 games.

Salary Cap Situation
The Bengals have roughly $16 million in salary cap space to work with, which is astonishing considering the huge contract extension they gave Palmer last year. Thus, unless Kitna can find a starting job, they should be able to pay him enough to keep him happy in the backup role.

Unrestricted Free Agents
QB Jon Kitna, RB Kenny Watson, TE Matt Schobel, TE Tony Stewart, FB Nick Luchey, CB Rashad Bauman, CB Reggie Myles, LB Nate Webster, LB Marcus Wilkins, LB Hannibal Navies, DE Carl Powell, S Anthony Mitchell, S Ifeanyi Ohalete

Restricted Free Agents
FB Jeremi Johnson, WR Kelley Washington, WR Kevin Walter, G Scott Kooistra

The Draft
The Bengals hold the No. 24 overall pick in the draft. Given the team's propensity for giving up big plays, they are expected to use the draft to upgrade their defensive secondary. Ideally, they would like to find a strong safety to compliment free safety Madieu Williams, who missed the final 12 games of the 2005 season with a shoulder injury. Among the safeties pegged as potential first-round players are Michael Huff (Texas), Ko Simpson (South Carolina), and Darnell Bing (USC). Huff will most likely go in the top-10, and Simpson could be selected in the top-20, leaving Bing as the most likely candidate to still be on the board when the Bengals go on the clock.

If they choose to address their defensive tackle needs, the Bengals will be sorting through a group of players that includes Haloti Ngata (Oregon), Brodrick Bunkley (Florida State), Claude Wroten (LSU), and Gabe Watson (Michigan). Ngata is considered a top-10 pick, meaning Bunkley, Wroten, and Watson are more likely to be available when the Bengals are on the clock.

The dark horse position is offensive line. Current starters Levi Jones (tackle) is a former first-round pick, and his sidekick on the left side Eric Steinbach (guard) was a second-rounder. However, the other side of the line isn't getting any younger and Lewis may opt to add a player who can open holes for Rudi Johnson and keep Palmer's jersey clean. Among the offensive lineman who could be available after the first 20 picks are offensive tackles Winston Justice (USC) and Marcus McNeill (Auburn), and guard Charles Spencer (Pittsburgh).

Injury Watch
Of course, all eyes are on Palmer's surgically repaired knee. Initial reports suggested the injury could be career-threatening. Fortunately, team officials are currently targeting week one for his return to action. "Carson still has much rehab work ahead, obviously, but at this point he is on schedule for our goal of having him ready to open the 2006 season," head coach Marvin Lewis said in a statement released by the team earlier this month.

It's not really an injury, but we couldn't help but notice that Chad Johnson, who is quickly closing in on Steve Smith's title of Angriest Wide Receiver in the NFL, has a problem keeping fluids in his body. No, he's not wetting himself on the field, but on several occasions last season, he clutched his legs in pain and nearly gave his fantasy owners heart attacks in the process. Here's hoping that notoriously cheap team owner Mike Brown isn't skimping on the Gatorade.

Williams suffered his shoulder injury early enough in the season that, barring a setback, he should be healthy enough to take part in the offseason workout program.

More NFL Offseason News - More Teams...

Bengals 2006 Schedule...

More Bodog Football Articles...