Week 2 Steelers @ Bengals Preview

There not much that needed to be reviewed from last weeks games. As the Bengals single handilydid everything a football team could do to lose a football game. Everything from missed assignments, to dumb mental mistakes, also some turnovers sprinkled in there. No way with those three things are you going to win any football game, especially when you play a NFC power in the Chicago Bears. As for the Steelers, I think it's safe to say their football season pretty much ended last week. They lost one of the anchors, and vet of their Defense, also they best offensive of lineman off a line that wasn't great to start with. They played against a Tennessee Titans football team that's not great but getting better slowly but surely. Titans pretty much dominated the Steelers holding them to just 2 points all the way til the last 90 seconds of the game, with better performance on offense this game would've easily been a bigger margin then the 16-9 in which the Titans won with. Although the Steelers season look hopeless, they still must go out and play and complete the schedule. This week they take the trip to Cincinnati and play the Bengals in a Monday Night Football game, that I'm sure the league wish they could flex.

Steelers
I don't see how they can win this game at all, or even make it a game for that matter but have to sit her and come up with the Blueprint.

* Run Game:

Even though the Steelers backfield is not healthy, nor the offensive front, they MUST find a way to establish an effective run game. They couldn't even establish one first down via the run game last week. Only managing 32 yards on 15 team carries. That won't be good this week, they have to do better to keep the Bengals D honest, and take some pressure off Ben.

* Offensive Line:

This Offensive Line must step up and play better. Everybody know they're not at full strength, but that's no excuse, they must play better. Allowing 5 sack to the Titans can easily be double by this Bengals D that have the best front in the game. They are the vital piece to any success this Team will have.

* Super Ben:

Big Ben must transformed to super Ben if the Steelers going to have a chance to win, with no run game at all it's time to see what type of QB Ben is, should he be with the Elite as many will say, or is he just a system QB who legacy should be based off the Defenses he had playing on his team.... Time to show us Ben.

*DDDDDEFENSE:

Even though this D, is not one of the caliber we used to seeing in Pittsburgh, they are still the strength of this team, and they must show it. This unit have to find a way to slow down an offense that honestly stopped themselves last week against a better D then what the Steelers are.

Bengals
I think we all witnessed what happen last week, as the Cincinnati Bengals went to Chicago and lost to the Cincinnati Bengals. Although they are big favors in this game they can't come out and take this team for granted, I think they going to be pissed off, and fired up come Monday night, and show the prime time viewers they deserve all the hype they getting.

*Mentality Check:

As poorly as they actually played on the field it was mental mistake that really seal their fate last week. Two personal foul penalties at the end of each half of this football game, one that lead to that 3 point difference that was the game, and one that denied the offense an opportunity at the end of the game. Biggest play of the game, a guy missing an assignment didn't help.

*Defense Eat:

This Defense must feast on this battered Offensive. I'm sure Zim and his crew is salavating right now, they must show what everybody call them one the best D in the league

*Smash Mouth:
  

The Bengals approach need to be to break this D down in between the tackles. Pound away at these guy, hit them right in the heart of there unit and open up the pass that way. Although this team is having a hard time with health and confidence, the strength is the secondary and their secondary still consist of all-pro, pro bowlers back there. Don't be surprised if you see more running then expected, RUN THE BALL.

*PROTECT THIS HOUSE:

It's your home opener and your fans are not happy starting off 0-1, especially beating yourself the way y'all did. The quickest way to lose a football game, is to constantly give the ball to the other team when you have it. The Bengals MUST protect the football, don't allow this team to keep this game close, a lost this week, with this unstable fan base, can be Armageddon.

PREDICTION:
When Monday get here, and the jungle start to rock, what you should expect is a pure domination by the Bengals. Realistically there is no way I can see the Steelers beating the Bengals, but the game still has to be played and as we have seen a week ago, the Bengals can beat the Bengals. They say you never make the same mistake twice, and I don't think they will, I have Cincinnati winning this game 24-6.

John G. Dunn II
jgdunn.blogspot.com

Cincinnati Bengals @ Chicago Bears Preview

Week 1 matches up our Cincinnati Bengals with the Chicago Bears. This is one of the best week 1 match up, and also one of the hardest to evaluate and choose. As a fan, you want your team to beat everybody, as a realest and student/teacher of the game you have to evaluate each team weaknesses and strengths and visualize the game before it happen in order to pick a realistic winner. I would normal watch film on each team using NFL GAME REWIND COACHES FILM, to do my evaluation, but seeing that it's week 1 I don't have much to go off of.

CHICAGO BEARS
This Chicago Bears team is one with a lot of talent, we know the usual suspects that is, Jay Cutler, Brandon Marshall, and Matt Forte. However, coming into this week 1 match-up they have more questions then even these guys can answer.

*The biggest question of them all is how will the Two rookie offensive lineman, Kyle Long and Jordan Mills hold up against the best front in the NFL. Although Long and Mills had good camps, and played well in the preseason, they have never faced the forces they will face come Sunday afternoon

* How ready is Marshall? Brandon Marshall has been nagged by a hip injury. He has missed practically most of the preseason and even worst he hasn't been a full participant in practice lately. There is NO question he's going to play, but how effective can he be?

* Which Jay Cutler will we see? Jay Cutler is, in my opinion, one the most inconsistent QB in the league. He shows signs of elite ability, but also has showed signs of what holds this team back. Which will we see Sunday? His favorite target is not 100% and he's not an idiot he knows what he's facing on the other side of him, will he be poised and pick the weak secondary apart or panic when he see Geno closing in?

*Rookie Coach: Will Marc Trestman be able to handle this football club throughout the duration of this season? He has already been tested by Marshall in his little preseason rant and frustrations, we all know how much of a Hot head Jay Cutler can be, will Trestman be able to handle these guys as they go through what I think will be a tough, up and down season for the Bear.

CINCINNATI BENGALS
The Cincinnati Bengals although I believe have more advantages then these Bears, they have questions of their own.

* #2 Receiver? Who will step up as that #2 guy? This Chicago secondary is really good. Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman are both all-pro DB's Somebody has to step up and take pressure off of Green, so he can try to get some one-on-one coverage and a opportunity to bust the game open.

* Tight Ends- How will the two 1st round draft picks perform? Will they demand respect? Can they control the middle of the field and be the force they are expected to be? They to, like the receivers, can take some pressure off of Green.

* Offensive Tackles- Is Big Whit knee healthy enough to not only play, but take the forces of Briggs and Peppers off the edge? I believe the Bears D will challenge him and Andre Smith who struggles in pass pro.

*Secondary- Can this secondary contain All-pro Brandon Marshall? In my opinion we haven't had a #1 guy in our secondary since Jonathan Joesph, I don't think Leon Hall is that guy that can shut down a teams #1 Wide out. This secondary will be tested, the Bears won't be able to run the football effectively, and we all know the weakness of this D, why wouldn't you test it.

GAME OVERVIEW
When you measure up these two football team based off strength and weaknesses the Bengals are the better football team. On paper, the Bengals are better, but the game has to be played on the field, and I have provided you with things to watch, as you watch the game. All things taking into consideration I see this being a low scoring game, because of the strength of both of these Defensive units. At the end of the day the Bengals D is stronger overall, and I have them coming out on top of this one 17-14.

2013 Cincinnati Bengals Preview

  So here we are about a day away from the 2013 Kickoff of NFL football. I think I speak for most, when I say THANK YOU GOD!!!! Sunday tailgating, frying of the wings and grubbing on the pizza. Cold beers cracking and popping, cheering and jumping slapping hands til the mirrors fall off the wall. Sitting in the stadium with a portion of your fan nation, or as the fan to the opposing team, picking on and smack talking to any fan near with different colors on then you, yeah I will take a handful of months of that!
   So how about them Bengals!?!?!?!?!?!? Well it should be another good one for us, only problem is when you have consecutive years of success, each year expectations become higher and higher and for the Bengals I feel the expectations are higher than they ever been. Problem with having really high expectation, you almost set yourself up for disappointment, the higher the expectation the higher the chance for disappointment. What is realistic expectation for this football team? It's hard, we all know the ultimate goal, but for those of us that can be realistic, we also know that this football team is not the best in the NFL or the AFC for that matter, yes they can play, and compete with every team but can they win? Many writers and experts have the Bengals representing the AFC in the big dance some even have them winning it all, and that's a tall leap for a team who has made back to back playoff appearances, but has failed to win in either appearance.
   2013  bring upon a new year, a team that don't look much different from the last two years, but they are older, more experienced and know how to win. Not to mention the additions that will have an impact on the week to week performance. 10-6 with one the hardest schedules last year, was very impressive and unexpected by most. With a weaken division which is the north, and a slightly easier but still hard schedule, Expectations sit a lot higher for this team. So let me break this football team down as I see it;

                                                         OFFENSE 

Strengths:  When you look at this Offense there is an abundance amount of talent all over the place. Only thing is, talent don't always perform. We all know this offense and team for that matter is whatever A.J. Green is. As long as he remains, arguably the best Wide Receiver in the NFL, this offense will remain one the most dangerous. When you speak about strengths, as far as proven players on this offense, outside of Green the only other consistently proven successful player is Andrew Whitworth, who also quietly carries leadership on this team and in that locker room. Green, and big Whit, Strengths? These two is it.

Weakness: *Just as Green is the heart of this offense, Andy Dalton is the brain, and if that brain don't tell the heart to beat you die, and so will this offense. I only have strengths and weaknesses, i'm not hear to call Andy a weakness, but he has to be better than what he has been in order for this football team to reach it's full potential, I have faith and I believe he will, but we'll just have to see, I really hope he has improved his deep ball accuracy.
*#2 receiver spot, who will play across from Green and how effective will that person be? No one has taken that spot as the #2 guys, there is a couple guys, in Sanu and Jones, that you can put there. What Gruden and Lewis wanted was for some one to take the spot, and I don't think that happen this preseason. The spot will have to be given to a guy, Sanu is charted as the #2 right now.How effective can he be? Nobody knows, we have saw a lot of good in the little bit he gave early last year, before he went out for the year, can he stay health? When teams are not afraid of your #2 guy, it takes away from your #1.
*Jermaine Gresham, this is what I believe is his last chance to be the 1st round pick he was drafted to be. With the addition of Tyler Eifert, another 1st round pick, Gresham have to be the guy to command the middle of the field and demand respect from defenses.
*Last but not least is the offensive of line. Outside of big Whit, everybody else on this line is a question mark, It will be interesting to see if we can get some consistent adequate play out of Boling, and Cook. Andre Smith is probably the biggest question mark on this unit, with his new deal will he play the way he played last year, which was a contract year? Will he even stay healthy enough to play the whole or majority of the season?

                                                               Defense 

Strengths:  *The strongest part of this D is hands down the front line. You have arguably the best interior lineman in Geno "sacks" Atkins, Peko who's a run stuffer next to Atkins, and some of the most athletic ends in the league with Mike Johnson and Carlos Dunlap. Them are just the starters, they have depth there to with Robert "oldman" Gathers who is still a quality force. Wallace Gilberry who's a guy with a rising stock and don't forget the Big, super talented, strong Margus Hunt he just need to get tougher and find some nasty.
*This Linebacker core went from a weakness last year to a strength with the addition of James Harrison. He will have a much different role from what he had in Shitsburgh, but I don't see any reason he won't adjust well. Who can forget about Vontaze Burfict, lead this team in tackles as a rookie and is the leader of this defense in just his second year.

Weakness:  *Rey Mauluga is a question mark for the Defense. You just don't know what your going to get from Rey, will we see the Rey we saw in the first couple years that was hungry, all over the field and looking like a household name? That's what the coaching staff is hoping for since they moved him back to that spot he shined in. Going by what he has done lately, whiffing on tackles, blowing assignments, and shying away from contact, will only find him a seat on the bench as the depth is quickly catching up to him. With all the talent in front and on the side of Rey I think he has no choice but be successful, what scares me more then his failure, is what's behind Rey and the rest the D.......
*The weakest part of the Defense has to be the secondary. Reggie Nelson has been a consistent success, and I guess you can say Leon Hall as well, even though I don't think he's the guy who will shut down opponents #1, but outside them two everybody else gives me concern. Adam Jones is at a point in his career where he can't play every day, which is why he's charted as the #3/nickle corner, Dre Kirkpatrick hasn't been the guy we expect since being took in the 1st round, he still struggling to get Zimms D in his head, so he won't see much field, Newman has a lot of miles on his body, no longer an every down guy and Ghee is strictly on this team in my opinion for special teams. Another guy that I don't really understand why he still here, is Taylor Mays. I guess Coach Lewis love this guy so much he can't cut him loose, or maybe it his locker room presences??? I don't know, what I do know is he'll be strictly a special teams guy, even though he's on the Depth Chart in front of Rookie Shawn Williams. Williams had a disappointing summer, I expected more out of him, and he was just non existent the last four week, I think he'll develop as the season goes on, not enough to take the starting spot of George Iloka. I really love this Iloka guy, he's the guy to watch in the secondary, first time starter, he's mighty aggressive and have no problem sticking his nose in the mix in the run game, but he's weak in coverage, definitely the best guy out of the 3 and deserve the starting job.
    So there it is, this is the 2013 Cincinnati Bengals. Offensively, as you can see there are a lot more weaknesses then strengths, for the sake of this offense these guys are young, and they have a lot of room for improvement and the last 2 years they have found a way to put together back to back playoff appearances, but in 2013 appearance won't be enough! The team will only go as far as the defense decide it will go. Yes the best player on the team is on the offensive side of the ball, but this unit is the Cincinnati Bengals, and if this team is going to make a push in the AFC and in the playoffs it's going to be the D that's going to be the driven force! I have this team finishing 12-4, a top seed and yes winning they first playoff game, but falling one came short of the Super Bowl, which is a successful season for the Bengals........ WHO DEY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See you at PBS

                                                                                                                              John G. Dunn

Thing To Take Away From Week 1 Preseason Win

 I think I speak for about 75% of America when I say, FOOTBALL IS BACK!!! It always a happy time of year when the boys of fall is back in between the lines. From things such as fantasy, tailgating, cheering for your team and hating others team, this time of year gives us such of high that make time fly. As they say times flies when your having fun. For many fans, even though their happy football is back, the preseason can be a really big tease. I used to be the same way, until I got in the coaching business, then I learned there is a certain way you have to watch preseason. You can't watch preseason as a fan, you have to watch it as an observer and evaluate the players play, to give credit and critique guys and you will know the move of your team as if you was sitting in coaches meetings.

This past Thursday the Bengals gave us a lot to observe, as they blew out the Atlanta Falcons. Mostly good not a lot of bad, but in preseason teams don't really worry about winning or losing, the preseason is used to fill out the roster, see your rookies in game action, and put players in situations where you think they can be used. This not, by any means, me saying as Bengals fans you shouldn't be happy, ecstatic, satisfied, and excited for your football team, cause you should. I'm just saying when you watch Hard Knocks tonight don't expect it all to be praise and good words. As I watched and did my observing I can tell you what you might here in meetings;

I think the brightest spot had to be that Bengals defense. Coach Zimmer has to be a happy guy, even though I can promise he won't show it, he has to be very pleased with how his Defense played and not just the starters, even the 2's and 3's. All around the D was, what he expected very dominant stingy, and aggressive.  

I think the brightest spots on the D this past week had to be George IIoka at Safety. I think he was a guy the Defensive coaching staff had a close eye on, as he was playing with the first time, and let me say he had a great showing. He was all over the field, watch the game he was on every tackle it seem, always around the ball, and had no fear of coming up in putting his nose in the run offense. I think if the season started next week he has to be the Starting strong safety, he's everything Coach Lewis want in a strong safety, big, strong, aggressive guy, the same type of guy coach Lewis have been waiting for Taylor Mays to become. Mays, had the typical Mays type game Thursday and with Williams being the rookie, and Miles having a good game (2nd on team in tackles) and also being the better special teams guy, if Mays don't step it up I think this could be the year that Mays is released, he has been nothing but disappointment since he got here, and I think he is definitely running out of time and opportunity. Another guy that I think stood out on Defense was J.K. Schaffer. He also played extremely well in Atlanta Leading the team in tackles with 6, he also seem to always be able to be around the ball when he was on the field. In my opinion this linebacker core is the weakness of the D, and a guy like J.K. Schaffer could make this team and be a quality back up, playing the same role that Dan Skuta played. It just week one though so keep your eyes on these two guys, let's see if they can keep it up.  

On the other side of the ball, the back up guys wow'd me with their performance, putting up 34 points was definitely not expected. 

I think the undisputed bright spot of the offense had to be, no not Dane Sanzenbacher, but Josh Johnson the back up Quarterback. Yes, I'm calling it, after just one preseason game, Josh Johnson is your #2 quarterback. What more must he do? He made Thursday look like a game of pick up football, he picked the Falcons D apart not just in the air but also on the ground, leading the team in both categories. I think the only thing that will stop him from winning the back up job, is injury. The guy in the backfield with him for most the time Giovanni Benard on the other hand, can back up BJGE, but I think he can only be used on a third down basis. It's just week 1, which is good cause we get more time to see the Rookie, but one thing he clearly showed this past week is that he can't run between the tackles. If he ever expect to be the featured back  he must learn how to be productive running in between the tackles, it still early and he's just a rookie, so he has the time to learn and get better at, however anybody who expected him to be the starting back this year, I doubt that's gone be happening this year. He'll get his share of plays, but if he can't show in the next 3 weeks a better ability to run between the tackles, his plays will strictly be on a third down basis. 

Dane Sanzenbacher played out of his mind, if the coaching staff eyes wasn't open before, they definitely are now. I though when they signed Dane, they bring him in to strictly be a body for camp and eventually practice squad player. The best chance I though he had making this team was as a special teams guy, and no not a returner. Like the staff, he opened my eyes, and I'm sure he opened yours as well.

With Hawkins going down, everybody was wonder who would step up, nobody expected it to be this guy. However, he was the one and he has made himself a true contender to make this roster and gain a role on this team where he can be productive. With his performance Thursday, he has put a lot of pressure on this whole receiving staff except Green, Jones, and Sanu. I think his performance does the most damage to Hawkins. Receiver is the deepest position in Bengals camp as far as #'s go, I think there will be at least 3 cut come Sept, they may even cut 4 and Hawkins can possibly one them guys. I know nothing you may want to believe it, but if Dane keep this up, and Hawk stay out for an extended period of time he can and will be cut. Also with Dane being a threat as a returner, Ben Tate should be concerned too.

Preseason week 1 is in the books, and it is what it is, just week 1. As it may not be of an importance for you, for all the guys named above, every week counts, and every day is part of a job interview, especially gamedays. Keep an eye on these guys, as you watch Hard Knocks tonight, see how these coaches evaluate these guys, one thing for sure, competition has heated up in Bengals camp, and competition is never a bad thing, as a coach it makes the job a lot more difficult, but that a problem any coach would love to have. Bengals are 1-0 and only get a lot more interesting and complex when it come to evaluating these guys in these positions.

John G.Dunn II

jgdunn.blogspot.com

Garza sends message to Cueto and the Reds.

The final day of the Cubs' road trip provided some postgame fireworks as Matt Garza sent a warning to Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto after an alleged purpose pitch.

Garza, who lasted only four innings in the second start of his comeback, said the league should investigate an incident in which Cueto threw a pitch over the head of David DeJesus in the sixth inning.

"It's kind of b.s. on his part, just totally immature," Garza said. "If he has something to say about it, he knows where to find my locker and definitely I'll find his. I took total disrespect out of that one."

The Cubs came back from a four-run deficit to beat the Reds 5-4 in 10 innings, ending a six-game losing streak in surprising fashion.

After the pitch over DeJesus' head, plate umpire Bob Davidson issued a warning to both teams before Garza issued one of his own.

"Cueto should learn, you don't go after guys' heads," Garza said. "Don't wake a sleeping dog. I think that's kind of immature on his part and totally uncalled for. He's lucky retaliation isn't in our vocabulary here."

Garza said DeJesus "plays the game the right way" and didn't deserve the purpose pitch.

"If Cueto has any problem, he can throw at me and I'll definitely return the favor," he said. "I didn't like that one bit. We don't retaliate. We just take it game by game and try to better ourselves. Hopefully he learns to grow the hell up. ... You're up 4-0. Grow up. I hope he hears this because I really don't care."

Manager Dale Sveum said DeJesus apparently annoyed Cueto by stepping out of the box before a pitch in the first inning. He said Davidson told him Cueto was "goofing around trying to throw over his head."

Sveum asked Davidson why he didn't thrown Cueto out of the game.

"He said, 'Because I know he wasn't trying to hit him,'" Sveum said.

Sveum said the incident "woke the dugout up." After Cueto left with a 4-1 lead, Alfonso Soriano tied it with a two-run homer in the eighth, and Welington Castillo's RBI double won it in the 10th.

Garza said it took "a lot of effort" for a pitcher with Cueto's style to throw a pitch over a left-handed hitters' head.

"I don't know what the deal is between him and (DeJesus), but he needs to cut it out because I'll stop it," he said. "And that's just the way it goes. If he wants to do it like that, then so be it. … This could be a warning. This could be just nonsense. However he takes it. But I don't like (it when) the game was played that way.

"You don't throw with intent and try to hit someone. Hopefully the league looks at that. I don't want him to get suspended or anything. I just want him to learn a lesson. Hopefully his (teammates) will warn him and say 'Hey, take a look at this.'

"But it is what it is. They run their own show. We run our show, and we'll see them again in a month."

In response to that.....................................

Dusty came out of his shell. Baker, following a tiff between the Chicago Cubs and one of his pitchers, suggested that Major League Baseball use hockey's time-honored tactics when it comes to settling disputes on the field: Let the players fight.

In this case, Matt Garza of the Cubs and Johnny Cueto of the Reds. From C. Trent Rosecrans of Cincinnati.com:

Baker went one further: “Just put them in a room, let them box and let it be over with,” he added. “I always said this, let it be like hockey, let them fight, someone hits the ground and it’s over with. I’m serious about that.

Baker to Garza: Say it to Cueto's face

Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker responded to Matt Garza's warning to Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto, saying Garza should've settled the matter himself instead of talking about it.

John G. Dunn II

Coach Gruden says Gresham Job Is Not In Jeopardy

If your like me, the moment the Bengals draft Tyler Eifert with their first round draft pick in the draft, the first thing came to mind was the inconsistent play of Jermaine Gresham and how this was the star to the End for the once top pick of the Cincinnati Bengals. Not so fast Coach Gruden says. "We didn't bring Eifert in here to replace Gresham. He is here to be a part of a 2 TE attack we want to add to our offense." When asked was it a tatic to push Gresham to work harder and push his self to exceed he true potential, Gruden said "Guys should be working hard, to be their very best regardless."

While stating that he is not trying to be like the Patriots, he (Gruden) has admit he has studied the Pats and how they implimented their 2 tight end set. At this point as fans and observers, you don't know what to expect out of Gresham, there has been moments where he showed the type of weapon we all expected him to be, but I think far to often we've more seen the Jermaine Gresham who showed up in Houston first round of the playoffs, and the Gresham who can't take control of the middle of the field and take pressure off Green and the guys on the outside. All these thing being concerned for me, and maybe you but not Coach Gruden;  "Jermaine has already proven he is a good, solid all-around tight end, solid blocker," Gruden said. "He's a big target for Andy. Tyler is a different dimension, little bit more fluid." So how different will the offense looked, When Gruden was asked, he said pretty much the same. "It's just that our base package will probably feature more two tight ends, two receivers rather than one tight end two backs," Gruden said via National Football Post. "We can get everything in our running game in that personnel group. It's taking out a fullback and putting in a heck of a pass catcher and hopefully a good blocker. We like to mix up our personnel groupings and keep defenses off balance hopefully and be diverse in what we do. Our goal is to get our best players on the field." That statement answered another question for me, based off my post yesterday, take the Full back off the needs list. I have a good feeling we won't see a lot of fullback feature in this offense. One thing is pretty clear when it comes to Gruden, he is very excited with his new toys, “It will be great to get [Eifert] in there and work with Jermaine. Those two guys together will be something to deal with,” Gruden said.

John G. Dunn II

Missing Piece, Still Needs to be Filled

Fortunately for the Cincinnati Bengals, there are not many holes to fill on the current roster. In fact, after the draft, the Bengals should have their starters almost set in stone for 2013. However, there are some missing pieces that could be added to improve depth or provide positional battles in camp.

While looking at the Bengals' roster, there are some noticeable voids at certain positions behind the incumbent starter. There are plenty of positions that have very young, inexperienced players as the initial backup.

This could provide some nasty problems if the Bengals are hit by the injury bug in 2013.

Rationally speaking, these positions should be filled by low-cost veterans that could provide more stability if needed to step into the lineup. There are not many of these instances on the Bengals' roster, but some should still be addressed.

Let's take a look a five missing pieces that Cincinnati could still add to address needs at a reasonable price. After all, the Bengals are still in very good shape at $21.9 million under the salary cap (via Spotrac.com).

Chris Pressley is a serviceable fullback, but that is really where you draw the line with him. He is not terrible in any aspect of his game, but he does not shine in one particular category either.

In 2012, Pressley was ranked 19th out of 25 eligible fullbacks in the league (via Pro Football Focus, subscription required). He received negative grades in every statistical category.

Pressley is not the kind of fullback that fits in a West Coast offense. He is not a reliable receiver, and with the addition of a faster running back in Giovani Bernard, he may not be able to keep pace as a lead blocker.

To make matters worse for Pressley, he is coming off of a season-ending knee injury suffered late in the 2012 season. There will be no telling if he is full-go until the team puts the pads back on.

At the very least, the Bengals should bring in another fullback to compete in camp alongside Pressley. Yes, John Conner is still around, but he was brought in as more of a band-aid during Pressley's absence.

Bringing in a veteran such as former Buffalo Bills fullback Corey McIntyre could be very beneficial for the Bengals at this juncture.

McIntyre has more speed, athleticism and agility than Pressley and can be a receiver out of the backfield when asked. He only played 103 snaps in 2012 but was given positive grades across the board by Pro Football Focus in that span (subscription required).

The Bengals have some great starting cornerbacks returning for the 2013 season. Incumbent starter Leon Hall will top the position, followed by Terence Newman and Adam Jones.

In the mix will also be last year's first-round draft pick Dre Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick has said earlier this offseason that he wants to start in 2013. He wants to make his way up the depth chart and become the complementary corner to Hall.

However, that will be tough sledding for him, as he is not game-tested yet and still has lots of learning to do at the NFL level.

After Kirkpatrick are very inexperienced corners Brandon Ghee and Shaun Prater. Neither of these players have seen active playing time in the NFL's regular season.

This means that the position could severely suffer if one of the top three starters would be unable to perform. The Bengals should be enticed to bring in a veteran cornerback that would be able to step in and contribute in a pinch.

By signing a veteran corner at a low cost, the Bengals are afforded a low-risk, high-reward payoff. If the younger guys show up at camp and impress coaches, the free-agent veteran would be cut with minimal loss to the team.

Bringing in former Cleveland Browns cornerback Sheldon Brown could be a great fit here. He is coming off of a solid season where he ranked 21st out of 113 eligible cornerbacks (Hall ranked 25th) on Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Brown is entering his 12th season in the NFL and clearly has plenty left in the tank. Signing him to a one-year contract could be very beneficial for both parties.

The strong safety position has been one of the Bengals' most glaring weaknesses for the past several seasons. The team has attempted to place many different types of players there with little or no success.

Currently, the roster battle for this position would be between Taylor Mays, Jeromy Miles and rookie Shawn Williams.

Mays and Miles have tried—and failed—to fill this position and may never be NFL ready. Williams is a rookie, and although he has great upside, he still needs to develop.

Bringing in a solid veteran safety to compete for the starting job would be a great move by the Bengals here.

The veteran would not only help Williams to develop into a starting-caliber NFL safety but would also be able to push Mays and Miles to get better.

This move seems like an absolute no brainer.

One nice veteran free-agent fit for the Bengals is former Arizona Cardinals safety Kerry Rhodes.

Rhodes excels in coverage and does not hesitate to help in run support. He is a very versatile safety and could allow free safety Reggie Nelson more freedom at his position.

Pro Football Focus ranked Rhodes the fourth-best safety in the NFL last year (subscription required). His only negative grade came from rushing the passer—something that he is not regularly asked to do.

He would demand a higher contract, but given the opportunity to start could allow Williams to develop his coverage skills while he learns the position.

This seems like a perfect match for what Rhodes and the Bengals should be looking for.

The center position is, without a doubt, the weakest link on the Bengals offensive line.

Last season, three centers started for the Bengals. The highest graded center by Pro Football Focus was rookie Trevor Robinson, who ranked 26th out of 36 eligible centers (subscription required).

That is not a good stat if you are Andy Dalton.

After being sacked 46 times in 2012, Dalton needs better protection for blitzes up the middle. Dalton's NFL quarterback rating without pressure averages to a 93.4. While he is pressured, it drops to a meager 47.3 according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

These numbers should be convincing enough to upgrade any offensive line position possible before training camp gets underway.

With Robinson and Kyle Cook on board, as well as developmental rookie T.J. Johnson, Cincinnati does not have much in its arsenal at the center position.

A player such as former Kansas City Chiefs center Ryan Lilja would fit in nicely here.

Lilja brings a great amount of experience to the roster as well as a stronger force while run blocking. Lilja is not a great improvement in pass protection but is a better option than any center currently on the roster.

Allowing Lilja to come in and compete for the center position could do wonders for the rest of the positional group. Each player would continue to improve during a fierce competition in training camp.

Regardless of who comes out as the Week 1 starter, each player will significantly improve.

There were not too many frowns on the faces of Bengals fans when it was announced that Rey Maualuga had been re-signed to the team. Those frowns grew even longer after head coach Marvin Lewis said that he would like Maualuga to continue to start as the middle linebacker.

Maualuga ranks 53rd overall—that's dead last—in the Pro Football Focus middle linebacker rankings (subscription required).

To make matters worse for Cincinnati, backup Dan Skuta was lost in free agency to the San Francisco 49ers. Also, the signing of James Harrison on the strong side keeps Vontaze Burfict on the weak side. This means that Maualuga's current backup is J.K. Schaffer.

No, that's not good.

The Bengals need to address the issue of bringing in another linebacker with experience in the middle. This player should also be a veteran with the ability to lead. The player should still be able to contribute consistently—he may need to due to Maualuga's injury history.

So, who do the Bengals bring in here?

This makes for a tough decision because certain players such as Karlos Dansby will be too expensive to sign at this point. The Bengals need a perfect balance of affordability and consistency.

A great fit here would be former Houston Texans middle linebacker Bradie James.

James is entering his 11th NFL season after coming off of a one-year deal with the Texans. He made $825,000 in base salary during that span. This is a perfect scenario for Cincinnati.

The Bengals can bring in James on a one-year deal with similar terms and have a very valuable piece in place as a backup middle linebacker.

James is still able to contribute as well. He ranked 29th overall last season out of all middle linebackers and received positive grades in coverage and run defense by Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

If the Bengals can find a way to make this happen, they will add some much-needed experience to their linebacker corps this year and allow fans to breathe a little easier.

The Cincinnati Bengals have made the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, but the team is still searching for their first playoff win since 1990.

In an effort to take that next step, the Bengals spent their first two draft picks on offensive skill positions in 2013, first selecting Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert before making North Carolina's Giovani Bernard the first running back selected in the second round.

At first glance, the Bernard pick may have struck some as odd. After all, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who joined the Bengals in free agency a year ago, topped 1,000 yards on the ground in 2012, and at only 27, the "Law Firm" is in the prime of his career.

However, there's plenty of reasons to like the Bernard pick if you're a Bengals fan, as the youngster could add an entirely new dimension to the Cincinnati offense.

With all due respect to Green-Ellis, he's the very definition of a plodder. Green-Ellis is a bruising, between-the-tackles, "three yards and a cloud of dust" type, and while he did top 1,000 yards in 2012, Green-Ellis also averaged less than four yards a carry doing it.

The 5'8", 202-pound Bernard, on the other hand, is a much different animal in the backfield. Bernard is a smaller, quicker back who relies on his agility and quickness to generate yardage. Bernard is also a very dangerous receiver, as evidenced by his 92 receptions over the past two years at North Carolina.

It's a classic "thunder and lightning" backfield scenario.

This isn't to say that Bernard is guaranteed a prominent role in the Cincinnati offense; offensive coordinator Jay Gruden told Geoff Hobson of the team's website that Bernard will compete with fellow rookie Rex Burkhead for the third-down role with the Bengals, although he also lauded the skill set that Bernard brings to the Queen City. However, in my opinion it's in Gruden's (and the team's) best interests to look at Giovani Bernard as more than "just" a third-down back.

For a blueprint on how Gruden could look to best utilize the two ball-carriers, he need look no further than the New York Giants teams of a few years back.

In both 2007 and 2008, the Giants had a very similar situation in the backfield, with Brandon Jacobs in the Green-Ellis role and Derrick Ward playing the part of Giovani Bernard.

Jacobs was the lead back, the hammer who picked up tough yards and wore down defenses. Ward served as the change-of-pace back and a receiver out of the backfield.

It was a carry-share that worked well for the Giants. In 2007, the Giants ranked fourth in the NFL in rushing and won the Super Bowl. In 2008, the team gained over 157 yards a game on the ground—tops in the NFL—and won 12 games en route to a division title.

Ward was much more than just a third-down back for those teams; he topped 150 total touches in 2007, and that number grew to over 220 in 2008, when Ward also chipped in over 40 catches.

By the 2009 season, the roles began to reverse, as Jacobs' production declined and Ahmad Bradshaw began to assert himself as the lead back in the Big Apple.

Gruden and the Bengals should adopt a similar course of action with Bernard and Green-Eillis.

In the early-going as Bernard acclimates to the NFL, it's Green-Ellis who should receive the majority of the carries. Then, assuming that Bernard begins to perform as advertised, increase his workload until the Bengals are running almost an even split in the backfield.

Thunder and lightning. The bull and the ballerina (not the best metaphor, but I'm trying to alliterate here!).

Giovani Bernard might not have the frame to withstand 300-plus carries a season, but 225 or so is well within reason. That's going to both cut down on the punishment that Green-Ellis takes and also open up a Cincinnati offense that has grown a tad too predictable.

The Bengals need to do a better job of keeping opposing defenses honest instead of allowing them to load the box against Green-Ellis and then blanket A.J. Green in coverage on third down.

Bernard's ability to hurt defenses as a pass-catcher could do just that, whereas a fresh Green-Ellis would be a very nice option as a "closer" blasting away at tired defenses.

Never mind that using two viable backs properly could allow the Bengals to dominate time of possession. It may be an antiquated notion, but the fact remains that your opponent can't score if they don't have the ball.

This isn't meant as a knock on Green-Ellis, but to be frank, he is what he is: a very good (but not great) bulldozer of a running back. He can move the sticks, but he does it in one manner and one manner only.

Bernard is a much more versatile weapon. I'll freely admit that I felt headed into the draft he was the top player at his position available in this year's class, and I like the pick for the Bengals.

Now, it's just a matter of using him properly.