Green, Dunlap, and Whitworth key cogs in preparation for season

Even though the Bengals are coming off of a supreme performance against the Falcons, something seems missing with the starting groups on both sides of the ball. Andrew Whitworth and AJ Green are still recovering from injuries to their legs, crucial limbs to play their respective positions, and Carlos Dunlap is struggling to take snaps after a head injury. The Bengals are rightly taking it slow with three of the best five players on the team, but there comes a time in the preseason when the integral players need to knock the rust off.

Expectations for AJ Green are huge this year. He has been consistently rated as the second or third best receiver in the NFL. Star wideouts like Calvin Johnson have had major success in their third seasons, and Green's acumen for the game could easily propel him to over one hundred catches and fifteen touchdowns. The sky is truly the limit. 

Andrew Whitworth arguably plays the most important position on the roster, protecting Andy Dalton's blind side. Whitworth has done an exceptional job at this as an underrated Pro Bowler, and the Bengals need to get away from letting Anthony Collins take snaps on the left side with the starters. If Collins is competing for any starting position, it should be right tackle where he has played well in the past. The continuity of the offensive line is the Bengals' most unrecognized strength, but the starting line from 2012 needs more experience taking snaps with one another.

Carlos Dunlap is a boom or bust player for the Bengals. He has battled many injuries over the past few years, but has shown promise to become a double digit sack ace at times. During his rookie year, Dunlap seemed virtually unblockable in a limited amount of games as a third down rusher. Dunlap's presence opens up lanes for Geno Atkins and Domata Peko to wreak havoc. Coaches underestimate the preseason a great deal because of a fear of injuries and low snap counts for starters displayed in games. Although records in the preseason should be taken with a grain of salt, the in-game action is necessary to prepare for the opener. There is no doubt Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III will be out of sync when he opens up the year without preseason experience. The Bengals need Whitworth, Green, and Dunlap fully in NFL game shape by preseason week three against Dallas or problems could occur early in the year.

Hunt debuts against Falcons

Margus Hunt has the benefit of playing behind Michael Johnson and Wallace Gilberry this season. Those two have been around the league for a long time and are expected to provide Hunt with a shorter learning curve than most rookie defensive ends. Hunt should be pretty comfortable learning the techniques of an NFL defense all throughout this season because he won't feel the pressure of having to step into the line of fire right away. The Bengals are most likely grooming the rookie from SMU to take over the starting job in a year or two. Hunt is twenty-six years old but has only played the game for four years after coming to the United States from Estonia. Hunt was a talented shot putter in his native country, but his adventurous spirit drove him to the U.S. to eventually pick up the game of football and become the Bengals' second round draft pick.

Hunt is one of the most athletic defensive ends to ever participate in the draft process. According to Mel Kiper, Hunt's pure physical ability is as strong as anyone he's ever seen. Hunt is a towering player whose 6'8, 280 pound frame should intimidate tackles immediately. Hunt has learned the game well enough to earn a reputation as a dominant player on special teams in college and an eight sack rusher his senior year. 

Against the Falcons tonight, Hunt will be on a defensive line with Devon Still and and Dontay Moch. Moch, Still and Hunt all have the same standout pass rushing abilities in common. The defense hasn't been concentrating much on the second round pick just because of the mega-talents Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson already featured on the Bengals' line. Hunt can earn his way onto the field on third down snaps by performing well in the preseason. To be able to go up against backup linemen on the Falcons will be a good measuring strip of Hunt's progress since being drafted. If he looks like a mismatch out there, he may be bumped up to competing with Robert Geathers and Gilberry for regular season snaps. 

The pick on the Bengals' part was a smart one in that the team can afford to take a chance on potential alone with Hunt. The worst case is Hunt doesn't reach the field at all this season, which may be cause for inner motivation for Hunt's NFL future. I don't think that will end up happening though. I believe Hunt will have multiple sacks in the preseason and open the eyes of Mike Zimmer. If Hunt can keep his pad level low enough, he will be a nightmare on the outside. Pass rushers with a combination of immense size and speed are just hard to find in the league. JJ Watt has been the ideal pass rusher for the last couple of years. Hunt is taller and almost as strong as Watt, and probably is quicker off the line as well. All everyone can do is wait and see if Hunt has the fire to excel in the league. His physical tools are already better than most, so he may just have the DNA to mold into a star. 

Depth chart released--Insights on the defense

The Bengals' defense is largely expected to take that next step into the NFL elite this season after retaining every key player on the unit and keeping underrated Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer. The offseason has been reasonably quiet in terms of positioning battles with the defense, so when the depth chart was released, a scan of the starting lineup looks similar to last season at each position group. There can still be movement and spots on the team up for grabs especially at the backup units on the defensive side of the ball, however.

-After receiving his forty plus million dollar extension, it seems Carlos Dunlap has finally been inserted into the starting lineup. Dunlap suffered a concussion in practice, but that won't keep him out more than a week. Dunlap and Michael Johnson on the other side of the defensive line can generated over twenty sacks in 2013. Domata Peko and Geno Atkins start at the inside spots on the defensive line, but expect Devon Still to get plenty of action next to Atkins this season.

-The linebacking starters have been known since James Harrison signed with the Bengals this offseason. Harrison, Rey Maualuga, and Vontaze Burfict can punish players with the ball, so expect some forced fumbles to show up on the stat sheet this season from that position group. Emmanuel Lamur is the fourth linebacker on the team and will be in on third down and longs over the course of the year. He is one of the best young prospects on the Bengals. Sean Porter is the only other linebacker on the roster who can earn snaps with the starters. Aaron Maybin and Vinny Rey have been in the NFL for a few seasons now and it is time for them to step up.

-Dre Kirkpatrick is somehow behind Brandon Ghee on the depth chart at this stage, but that could very well be for motivational purposes. Kirkpatrick has flashed ball skills during training camp and has provided a blanket of coverage that has to be recognized by the coaches. He is beginning to flash his first round potential. The cornerback position looks like it is pretty solid heading into 2013.

-Reggie Nelson is the consistent starter at the free safety spot, but the news of the day is George Iloka getting the nod at strong safety. He is the right pick based on his coverage skills, which are better than the competition right now. Iloka has learned how to read the quarterback from Chris Crocker, who stepped in out of nowhere and played well in 2012. Iloka was one of the greatest defenders in Boise State history, and his rangy athleticism could hold off Shawn Williams and Taylor Mays until the start of the season, although I'm still not convinced the Bengals won't make a call to Crocker at some point.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Training camp observations

The preparation for 2013 has fully begun with the start of training camp. The Bengals play in a week against the Falcons, and they are beginning to integrate the important details to make the approach of this season successful. The first family night of the Bengals season was a success for fans and players alike on Thursday evening. The team was able to practice inside Paul Brown Stadium and begin to compete with some live hitting action in pads. 

-Tyler Eifert looked like an elite red zone weapon. The Bengals found him on the goal line by lining him up on the outside and throwing a fade route that Eifert fought for and secured. Eifert is tall and strong enough to battle defensive backs from the outside. Putting Eifert on one side of the field and AJ Green on the other should open up some holes in the defense.

-Missing Green and Carlos Dunlap is hurting this team. The starters need to be in practicing with the first unit and an explosive pass rusher and a dominant receiver are two key cogs in any system. Robert Geathers and Marvin Jones are respectable players who will contribute in 2013, but without Green and Dunlap, the potential to have two top five sides of the ball is not quite there.

-The make or break spot on defense this year is the linebacker position group. All three projected starters are thick run stoppers who are known for ferocious hits. It remains to be seen whether Rey Maualuga, James Harrison, and Vontaze Burfict can cover tight ends and receivers over the middle. Maualuga is in better shape than last season and has the attitude to bounce back from a rough last game in 2012, but even if he covers well, the team needs big years from their pass rushing ace Harrison and Burfict, a second year man.

-Injuries are starting to pile up. The Bengals hope to have everyone back by the start of the season, but Green, Brandon Thompson, Andrew Whitworth, Carlos Dunlap, and Andrew Hawkins have all suffered reasonably serious injuries. These players each need a couple of weeks to get into playing shape, so the goal for all of them should be to play in preseason game number three. Realistically, the Bengals will take it very slow with Green and Whitworth, who are leaders of the offense. 

-Is continuity king? The Bengals will have a chance to play all their offensive starters back from a season ago, and the defense will only insert Harrison, Dunlap, and George Iloka or Shawn Williams into the opening day starting eleven. The Bengals have more weapons off the bench like Eifert and Gio Bernard on offense and Emanuel Lamur and Dre Kirkpatrick on defense, but the team better hope each of the starters continue to grow and develop together, or the same problems on third down and covering tight ends could once again haunt the team.

Rich Hidy 

Cincy Sports Spot 

Extension of Dunlap leaves Johnson in limbo

The Bengals agreed to a contract extension with one of their defensive ends yesterday. The extension was not the one that had to get done with Michael Johnson before the deadline of the franchise tenders officially going through for the 2013 season. Instead, Carlos Dunlap got the big five year extension worth $40 million. It's an interesting signing for the Bengals more based on potential than production at this point.

No doubt Dunlap is the most talented defensive end on the roster. He has freakish pass rushing ability with a combination of a quick first step and brute power. However, Dunlap has had trouble staying healthy and consistent since his rookie season. Dunlap was unstoppable in 2010 when he recorded 9.5 sacks in just twelve games after becoming the team's second round pick out of Florida. Dunlap followed that year with 4.5 sacks in 2011 and six in 2012, and he also picked off a pass for a touchdown last year.

The problem with giving Dunlap a pay raise at this point is he has failed to start more than a single game in each of the past two seasons. Dunlap is still just twenty-four years old and will undoubtedly grow in Mike Zimmer's defense, but although he looks like one of the best defensive ends in the NFL at times with his 6'6, 280 pound frame, he also plays too fragile during games and has never made it through an entire regular season. Dunlap has taken plays off during his career, although that may be due to not being one hundred percent healthy during a few games. In order for this extension to be worth the money for the Bengals franchise, Dunlap will certainly be counted on to start at one defensive end spot for the next several years starting in 2013.

Michael Johnson is probably the more deserving player of an extension right now. The Bengals could have waited until the end of the year to re-sign one of their two players in order to find out who had the better 2013 season. The Bengals wanted to get one player extended or the other before training camp, and the fact that Johnson is playing on a one year deal worth over $11 million could end up haunting the Bengals after the season. The Bengals were negotiating with Johnson along with Dunlap, but the final offer for Johnson that was close to the dollar amount that Dunlap received was not sufficient for a veteran still coming into his own after 11.5 sacks. Johnson, the 6'7, 270 pound fifth year player out of Georgia Tech can play his way to the ultimate pay day in free agency next year if he follows up last season with a similar 2013. Johnson is the more consistent option for the Bengals at defensive end right now. He started fifteen games last season and along with the sack total of 11.5, he also had fifty-two tackles, a pick, two pass deflections, and a fumble recovery.

Michael Johnson will be playing with a massive chip on his shoulder this year after the Bengals decided to stick with the franchise tag contract and pay the player behind him on the depth chart. I predict Johnson will have a historically great season for a Bengals defensive end and like Jonathan Joseph a few years ago, leave the Bengals to become a premier defensive player on a team with more salary cap room.

Rich Hidy
Cincy Sports Spot

Bengals d-line returns in tact

The Bengals defense finished in the top 10 last season in large part due to generating a total of 51 sacks. The majority came from 2 contributors in the starting lineup, Geno Atkins and Michael Johnson. Atkins is widely considered the best defensive tackle in the NFL. He had a total of 12.5 sacks and was virtually unblockable last year. The scary thing for opposing NFL teams is that Atkins hasn't even reached his prime as a player yet as a 25 year old player in his fourth season. If Atkins continues to improve and stay healthy, he could end up a Hall of Famer at the end of his career.

Atkins on the inside opened up rushing lanes on the outside of the defensive line with Michael Johnson's 11.5 sacks. Johnson is a physical specimen with his 6'7, 280 pound frame. He took a huge step in 2012 and earned the franchise tag this offseason. The Bengals are hoping Carlos Dunlap steps up and earns the starting gig opposite Johnson in his contract year. Dunlap is probably the team's most talented lineman since being drafted out of Florida in the second round in 2010. Dunlap has shown flashes of being dominant, especially in his rookie season. He finished last year with 6 sacks, but his main problem is staying healthy and productive on the field. Dunlap can't just be a third down specialist this season if he wants to cash in and receive a long term extension.

What makes the defensive line the Bengals' deepest position group is the second unit of linemen, who can support both the pass and the run. This veteran group knows what it takes to be consistent in the NFL. Robert Geathers and Wallace Gilberry will return to the team after both earning new contracts. Geathers has been a Bengal for his entire career, and although he isn't the same pass rusher he once was, he is a dynamic presence in the locker room. Gilberry bursted onto the scene last year with his best season as a pro. He was picked up during the season and ended up third on the team with 6.5 sacks.

Domata Peko is a rock solid run stopper whose infectious personality makes him one of the primary leaders on the team. Peko is joined by Brandon Thompson and Devon Still, 2 second year players looking to make an impact. Still could be a starter this year if he can improve on his pass rushing skills, which helped him get drafted in the second round in 2012. Thompson has a similar style to Peko, and a combination of Still and Thompson on the field in a 4-3 set to give Atkins a breather could be an effective second unit.

The final lineman that could push this team into a category of one of the best position groups of all time is rookie Margus Hunt. Hunt, a 6'8 former track and field star out of SMU, will be molded to play like Michael Johnson if Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer has his way. Hunt will work his way on the field in third down packages, probably across from Johnson. Imagine trying to throw the ball over those two huge linemen with their hands up.

The Bengals have a lot to work with on the defensive line. The defense could be dominant this season if the line steps up like last year in the battle in the trenches. A standout defensive line makes the entire defense better, including a weaker secondary, which the Bengals could have if Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick are not on the field.