The trading deadline didn't come without its fair share of deals:

MANNY OF TO L.A; BAY HEADING TO BOSTON (from Boston Globe)
In a deadline day blockbuster reminiscent of the Nomar Garciaparra deal in 2004, left fielder Manny Ramirez was dealt this afternoon to the Los Angeles Dodgers as part of the three-team trade that will send Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jason Bay to the Red Sox. The Red Sox will also lose Craig Hansen and Brandon Moss as part of the deal. Here are the names involved:

To Red Sox
Jason Bay

To Dodgers
Manny Ramirez

To Pirates
Craig Hansen (Relief pitcher, from Red Sox)
Brandon Moss (Outfielder, from Red Sox)
Andy LaRoche (Third baseman, from Dodgers)
Bryan Morris (Double-A pitcher, from Dodgers)

GRIFFEY JOINS WHITE SOX (from Chicago Sun-Times)
White Sox general manager Ken Williams has been on the prowl for lefty-swinging slugger Ken Griffey Jr. several times in recent years before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, and apparently he has landed the future Hall of Famer. The Sox are sending relief pitcher Nick Masset and second baseman Danny Richar to the Reds.

MARLINS ADD RHODES (from MLBTradeRumors.com)
The Marlins have acquired lefty reliever Arthur Rhodes for 22 year-old righty Gaby Hernandez.  The Fish acquired Hernandez in '05 for Paul Lo Duca.  Hernandez is a solid return for Rhodes, even if he struggled in a Triple A stint this year.  He spent some time on the DL this year with a left intercostal strain. Rhodes, 38, has a 2.86 ERA in 22 innings this year after missing '07 due to Tommy John surgery.

Tune into GetSportsRadio.com for your Trade Deadline Talk:
WIRE TO WIRE: Reds Deal Griffey
FANTASY FASTBALL: Wheeling and Dealing

Fantasy Baseball, MLB red sox, dodgers, pirates, reds, white sox, marlins, mariners, jason bay, manny ramirez, craig hansen, brandon moss, andy laroche, bryan morris, ken griffey, nick masset, danny richar, arthur rhodes, gaby hernandez

The Cincinnati Reds have ended their second era "Griffey" ball.  Ken Griffey Sr. was fortunate to play for the Big Red Machine during his tenure here the team went 832-570 in 1402 games (262 games over .500).  The Ken Griffey Jr. era didn't go quite as well the team went 650-755 in 1405 games (105 games below .500).  the most wins a Reds team with Junior ever had in a season was 85.  In contrast, Senior only played on one team that won less 88 games (66-42 in strike shortened '81). 

It is very debatable who was a better Red,  Senior or Junior.  Senior had .307 BA with a .376 OBP and Junior a .269 BA with a .358 OBP in a Cincinnati uniform.  It is an interesting debate one was a role player here at the beginning of his career on great teams.  The other a superstar on the down side of a career who was looked upon to be th next savior.  It is a tough call to try and compare father and son but it is sure fun to debate.  Here is a look the Griffey's' numbers as Reds.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	K
Ken Griffey Sr.	1047	3857	672	1,186	201	60	60	424	150	422	497
Ken Griffey Jr.	945	3353	533	904	163	8	210	602	17	432	673

MLB reds, ken griffey sr., ken grffey jr., big red machine

The Bengals first round pick, USC linebacker Keith  Rivers, will miss two more practices (7 total) on Thursday and there are no signs of a resolution in the immediate future.

The franchise has a long-history of rookie holdouts.  In fact, since 1997 the only two first-round picks who were at Bengals camp on Day 1 were WR Peter Warrick (2000) and QB Carson Palmer (2003).

This year's negotations are a bit more tricky because of the potential of 2010 being an uncapped year. 

The New Orleans Saints  signed defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis on Wednesday, the seventh overall pick in the draft, leaving just two players unsigned -- Rivers and Jacksonville defensive end Derrick Harvey.

The difference between the contracts for No. 7 overall Ellis and No. 10 overall Jerod Mayo of New England shows why Nos. 8 (Harvey) and 9 (Rivers) are unsigned. Ellis’ five-year deal could be worth up to $49 million and includes $19.5 million guaranteed. Mayo’s deal is for five years, as well, and is worth a maximum of $18.9 million with $13.8 million guaranteed. There is a financial gulf, according to Mark Crunette of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

At least Rivers is a linebacker, so it should be easy for him to pick up things quickly. Still, how does a player that supposedly has so much to do with your defense's success in '08 not have a contract at this point? 

NFL bengals, saints, jaguars, keith rivers, sedrick ellis, derrick harvey

Free agent wide receiver Chris Henry was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy.

Henry was released by Cincinnati in April after his fifth arrest. Commissioner Roger Goodell had suspended Henry indefinitely following his latest arrest. The charges against him on that arrest were subsequently dropped. With the indefinite suspension lifted, he is now eligible to sign with teams.

Interest in Henry may be light for the next few weeks, but he seems likely to catch on eventually because of his Pro Bowl-caliber talent. The Cowboys, Browns, Jaguars, Raiders, and Broncos could take a look.

Henry may participate in training camp and exhibition games if he is signed. He will be eligible for reinstatement following the fourth game of the season. 

NFL bengals, cowboys, browns, jaguars, broncos, chris henry, roger goodell

Fantasy owners, especially those that play in daily leagues, constantly obsess over matchups.  Who to start versus a particular team?  Who to avoid like the plague when they face a particular team?  As such, there is never a "sure thing", just trends and educated guesses. 

Well, unless it's Roy Oswalt pitching against the Cincinnati Reds.  Oswalt, for whatever reason, "O"wns the Reds. 

Last Monday night, in a 5-4 victory, Oswalt worked his magic again against the Reds in Minute Maid park (aka The Juicebox).  Oswalt came off the DL, where he was recovering from a hip flexor, and beat the Reds again.  He went five innings, gave up four runs and struck out five.  But that box score doesn't tell the whole truth.  Oswalt only threw one bad pitch, which Adam Dunn smartly deposited over the right field fence for a Grand Slam.  It was only the second Grand Slam that Oswalt has allowed in his career.  If Roy O. doesn't miss with that fastball, he gives up nothing.

Oswalt's career record versus the Reds is now 20-1.  20-1!  His record versus Cincinnati is better than any other team he faces.

Why do I bring this up?

Oswalt faces the Reds in Great American Ballpark-a Reds team that will be without Ken Griffey, Jr, and could be without Adam Dunn-on Thursday August 7th.  To borrow a phrase from T.O., "getcha popcorn ready".  And start Oswalt.  It's a sure thing.

Fantasy Baseball reds, roy oswalt, ken griffey, adam dunn, astros

According to Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com, Ken Griffey, Jr. has accepted the trade to the Chicago White Sox.  As a 10/5 player, Griffey had the right to veto any trade.  Early reports are that the Reds are getting back relief pitcher Nick Massett and Triple-A 2B/SS prospect Danny Richar.

In addition, the Reds will be picking up half the tab, approximately $4 million, on the remainder of Griffey's contract for this season.  Neither Masset, nor Richar are listed by Baseball America as one of the Top 10 prospects in the White Sox farm system.  Sound like the Reds decided it was just time to cut bait and move on, no matter the haul they were able to get in return.

FULL STORY

Next order of business...Dunn to the Rays?

MLB ken griffey, nick masset, danny richar, white sox, reds

What is Houston thinking?  The Astros are 13-1/2 games out of first and in a dogfight with the Reds and Pirates for last place.  Sounds like a scenario for selling off players, not buying, right?  Wrong, apparently.

GM Ed Wade, following the orders of owner Drayon McLane, is actually adding salary and "talent," first dealing for starting pitcher Randy Wolf, then trading for reliever LaTroy Hawkins.  And he actually gave up players, albeit probably insignificant prospects, to acquire these two while taking on their salaries.

Can someone please inform the Astros brass that they don't have a prayer of contending this year or, at this rate, any year in the near future?  Some teams get it, some don't.  It's pretty obvious which camp Houston falls into.

MLB astros, randy wolf, latroy hawkins, ed wade, drayton mclane

Just one day after starting catcher Jorge Posada had season-ending shoulder surgery, the surging Yankees moved to fill the gap as they acquired 14-time All-Star Ivan Rodriguez.  New York sent right-handed reliever Kyle Farsnworth to Detroit in exchange for the 36-year old catcher.

He instrumental in the Marlins' 2003 World Championship and led the Tigers' World Series a year later. Rodriguez, who has won the Gold Glove award 13 times, was hitting .295 with five homers in 82 games this season. The future Hall of Famer was hitting .381 in his last 31 games.

 "He's still an everyday guy," Yankees manager Brian Cashman said. "He's an upgrade in spite of everything we've got." 

As for the Tigers they get a much-needed shot to the bullpen in Farnsworth, a player they traded to Atlanta three years ago for prospects.

What Farnsworth, who's pitched some of his best ball in years in the last two months with a 2.82 ERA since May 27, represents to the Tigers is some perceived stability in the bullpen. Nothing spectacular. But at this point, they'll be satisfied with dependable.

"This one came out of the blue, but it makes us better," said Dave Dombrowski, general manager and president of the Tigers.

Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News thinks it's a move the team had to make.

"So Pudge Rodriguez is gone to the Yankees, a strange ending to a very good four-plus seasons here," Wojnowski wrote on his BLOG. He's a future Hall-of-Famer who gave the Tigers credibility before they earned it, but someone of note had to go because the Tigers were desperate for pitching help. And believe it or not, Kyle Farnsworth automatically becomes the team's most-important reliever. his certainly isn't a slam-dunk move by general manager Dave Dombrowski because Farnsworth has consistency issues. But it's a necessary move, and I don't have a problem with it."

Fantasy Baseball, MLB yankees, tigers, ivan rodriguez, jorge posada, kyle farnsworth, brian cashman, dave dombrowski

In this installment of the FFRTW we'll look once again at the position long considered to be fantasy gold, the running back. This time around we'll take a look at the Detroit Lions third round selection out of the University of Central Florida, Kevin Smith. With Kevin Jones out of Detroit, the starting RB position will most likely go to Smith. His only competition in camp is Tatum Bell who most likely won't do enough to take the starting job heading into the season. Barring injuries during the preseason or an off-the-wall decision by head coach Rod Marinelli, Smith should start the season as the featured back for the Lions.

Last year as a junior at UCF, Smith nearly broke the college single season rushing record by running for 2567 yards. He scored 30 total TDs (29 rushing) last season The only concern going into this season is that he ran the ball 450 times last year in just 14 games, but he ran for 5.7 yards per carry. But while that many attempts may be alarming, its also a good indicator that the guy is durable and probably won't break down, especially considering he'll probably only run the ball about 300 times in 16 games.

The Lions haven't had a reliable back since a guy named Barry Sanders was there. I'm not saying Smith is anything close to Sanders, but he could be the answer at the RB position the Lions have been looking for since Sanders retired. If he is, that's good news for any fantasy player that decides to draft him. In my opinion, out of all the rookie RBs going into this season, Smith could end up with the best stats come season's end. Other than Matt Forte of the Chicago Bears, Smith is likely the only player that won't have to worry about rushing attempts being taken away by someone else. Even guys like the Steelers, Rashard Mendenhall, the Panthers, Jonathan Stewart and the supposed rookie sensation, the Raiders, Darren McFadden, have guys they will have to compete with for carries.

A 1300-yard season with close to double digit TDs isn't out of the question for Smith if he remains the starter in Detroit all season. With that potential out there, drafting him in the middle rounds as your RB3 or FLEX player isn't a bad idea at all. He could end up putting up the numbers equal to what you'd expect out of an RB2, which would end up making him a steal if taken in the middle rounds. He was ranked 35th in the GSI.com rankings that were released last week. In the GSI.com writer's mock draft done over the last few weeks, Smith was taken in the seventh round, right about where he should be. (Be aware, if you use the rankings from Yahoo!, they have Smith listed as playing for the New York Jets, not the Lions...that is wrong, obviously.) Draft Smith in the middle rounds in confidence. My prediction is you won't be sorry.

Fantasy Football kevin smith, lions, rashard mendenhall, jonathan stewart, darren mcfadden, matt forte

The Denver Broncos perfected the art of "zone blocking" and obviously are known for their smaller, but athletic offensive line (that has in the past cheated with chop blocks, etc.). However, those type of cut blocks and zone schemes are part of the zone blocking on the offensive line.

More and more teams are moving to this method, out of necessity (having smaller o-linemen) or because of the success it can bring. So, when drafting your fantasy team, look beyond your magazines and look beyond basic numbers and pay attention to teams that are switching schemes, either offense or defense. Zone blocking has turned unknowns into Pro Bowlers and can lead your fantasy team if you select one of these beneficiaries of zone blocking. Runners who run directionally, with a quick burst can thrive in a zone blocking scheme.

In this case, let's talk about the fantasy implications of some zone blocking schemes.

Denver Broncos - This is where it all started and where Mike Shanahan perfected it. And from Terrell Davis to Mike Anderson there have been many benefactors along the way. The most recent benefactor is Selvin Young, a waiver wire stud from last year. This year you can count on Young to take full advantage of the full-time job and put him down for 1,000 easily and at least 7 TDs.

Oakland Raiders - Never ones to let their rivals one up them, the Raiders employed zone blocking last year and led the NFL in rushing attempts. Compile that figure with the drafting of Darren McFadden, and Jamarcus Russell still being very inexperienced and expect a heavy amount of running from the men in black. Expect McFadden to get a little over a half of the carries while Justin Fargas will get the remaining. As such, both are just average fantasy RBs, but have a leg up on other RBs at the same tier level as them as they'll be in a nice running scheme that suits their styles.

Houston Texans - The Texans were so disatisfied with their running last year that they brought in zone blocking expert Alex Gibbs to coach the o-line and of course Gary Kubiak (former Bronco) is the head coach. So, the Texans are switching their blocking, big deal, right? Well that's good news for Chris Brown, who is supposed to be the backup to the washed up Ahman Green. Brown could be a nice sleeper pick. Also, in deep leagues, especially keeper leagues, keep an eye on Steve Slaton. At West Virginia they ran zone blocking for the spread offense and Slaton is the right type of back to prosper in such a system.

Green Bay Packers - Their switch last year to zone blocking netted them a trip to the NFC championship and led to a rising star in Ryan Grant. Grant is perfectly suited for this system and that's why I say don't hesitate to take Grant in Round 1.

Detroit Lions - Mike Martz is gone (thank God), so in comes a new system. The entire Lions offense will benefit from this zone blocking, not just the running game. Jon Kitna won't be chucking the ball all the time, Roy Williams and Calvin Johnson will be more open by an improved running game. Speaking of running, the Lions moved up in the draft to take rookie Kevin Smith for one reason - he ran in a zone blocking system in college at Central Florida. For this reason, of all the rookie RBs, I like Kevin Smith the most. 1,000 yards isn't out of the realm of possibility in this system. Watch how closely the Lions o-linemen are picking the scheme up in training camp

Fantasy Football zone blocking, broncos, raiders, texans, packers, lions, selvin young, darren mcfadden, justin fargas, chris brown, ahman green, steve slaton, ryan grant, kevin smith

The best slugger on the trade market has landed in Anaheim, as Mark Teixeira was dealt from the Braves to the Angels in exchange for Casey Kotchman and Stephen Marek.  It marks the second straight year that the power-hitting first baseman has been traded at the deadline.

The Angels will likely bat the switch-hitting Teixeira behind Vladmir Guerrero, giving him a great chance to produce runs. Teixiera was hitting .283 with 20 HRs and 78 RBIs at the time of the deal with 27 doubles and a .512 SLG. 

The Braves were not going to resign the free-agent-to-be and got good value in the 25-year old Kotchman and the heralded propsect, Marek. At 25, Kotchman still has upside and will fill the void at first in Atlanta, where things are looking bleak for the near future. Marek was also one of their top prospects. A move to the pen this year has him looking like a potential closer.

"They have the best team in baseball. I'm not going to go over there and make them any different, other than just hopefully add a few more runs. They have all the pitching they need, they have great defense," Teixeira told ESPN.com.

The Angels already have the best record in the game (65-40). But their offense ranks just ninth in the American League in runs scored and 11th in on-base percentage. And their .399 team slugging percentage ranks 10th in the AL and 22nd in baseball.  The addition of Teixeira should help them improve on those numbers instantly.

Fantasy Baseball, MLB braves, angels, mark teixeira, casey kotchman, stephen marek, vladimir guerrero

Does anybody else get the feeling that Packers' GM Ted Thomspon is in the middle of a Southwest Airlines' commercial?  We are all just waiting for the ding and $69 flight to anywhere in the US to pop up. The problem is if Aaron Rodgers flops, Thompson will need to book a flight out of Green Bay.

Brett Favre has faxed his reinstatement request to the league office, according to Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com. Green Bay is now forced to make a decision -- accept Favre back, trade him or release him. It's a tough call for the team to make.  Favre has left them and Rodgers hanging in the balance year after year, but if you don't want him you have to give a chance to play elsewhere.

Surpringsly when I was in Milwaukee earlier in the month and reading the blogs on some of the newspapers that cover the Packers, it appears that most of the "Cheeseheads" are pointing the finger at Favre.  I can see the point, I just don't agree with it.

Favre didn't want to retire in March, the team forced his hand. Now, he wants to play. If they don't want to let him it's understandable. It's time to move on and look towards the future. But Favre led that team to a division title last year and all the way to a NFC Championship Game at Lambeau Field. Clearly, there are teams that want and need him.  The Packers just don't want to see him go to the competition (mainly Minnesota or Chicago). 

Your are telling me that if your company forced you into retirement, that you couldn't go get a job with a competitor. Favre didn't sign a non-compete, no players do. He signed a contract and now he's going to play it out, even if it means being the Packers' third string quarterback.  The only legacy being tainted here is the Packers' legacy, man I bet Packers' fans are longing for the days on Ron Wolf now.

The Packers gave Favre a contract and they can't have their cake and eat it too. If they want to keep then put him on the team. 

Add to the mix the holdout of Ryan Grant and the defending NFC Central champs are not getting off to a good start on this season. On Sunday, running back Ryan Grant’s agent termed the Green Bay Packers’ offer to his client “a punch in the face,” in part because it included a signing bonus that was less than the one linebacker Brady Poppinga received with his recent contract extension, according to the Green Bay Gazette.  

NFL packers, ted thompson, aaron rodgers, brett favre, ryan grant

Every year their are newbies to fantasy football, for all you welcome to the fun here are some basics from the GSI archives:

MORE FANTASY 101: Starting Your Own League 

Class is in session and it’s now time to learn a bit about fantasy football. This isn’t going to be the type of “Jim Harrick Jr.” class where you can succeed by just knowing that football is played with a football. This is the type of class, like the one Mr. Shoop taught in the movie “Summer School”, where you’ll have a good time but also learn a thing or two. Unlike Mr. Shoop’s class, however, acing this class will not only have you a few steps ahead of your competition, but hopefully a little bit closer to a fantasy football title. But, before you can be taught how to win your fantasy football league, you’ll need to know the basics first.

What is fantasy football?
Simply put, fantasy football is when a person comprises a team of professional football players, and then gets a point value based on the performance of each athlete. The total amount of points that a team accumulates each week is then put up against the points of everyone else in the league. Whoever has the most points at the end of the season is declared the winner.

Now that you have the formal definition of fantasy football, lets get into what it really is. Fantasy football is a way in which men and women can test their projecting and management skills against each other on a weekly basis. These series’ of showdowns culminate with an ultimate winner being declared. Essentially you are a virtual General Manager that has control over every aspect of a team.

How do I get into a league?
There are multiple ways to get into a fantasy football league. The first, and most traditional method is to start a league with a bunch of friends. Get a group of them together, hold a draft, and then track your players as they either make you look like a genius, or have you squirming like you just heard Carl Lewis sing the National Anthem.

The second way of joining a league, which is becoming increasingly popular, is through the Internet. Many companies offer both free, and pay service, fantasy football leagues. What these companies do is bring together a group of people (that may not know each other) that all want to join a fantasy football league. They then put these people in a league together and let them compete against each other. If you want to get your friends together and start your own fantasy league, then many of these companies allow you to do that as well.

The benefit of doing your fantasy football league through one of these companies is that they will usually help you conduct your fantasy draft, and keep track of all the points. This allows everyone to not have to worry about calculating the points, and instead allows them to focus their attention on their team.

How does your team score points?
Each league is different, but the most common statistical categories in which a player can score points is yards, and touchdowns, and in the case of kickers and defense, field goals and turnovers. The more of each stat that your player accumulates, the more points he gets for your team. It’s that simple.

What is a draft?
A draft is a forum in which each person selects which players will be on their fantasy team. A draft can be held over the Internet or in person (depending on how your league chooses to run their league). Once the first person selects a player then the next person is up. Once a player is selected by a person (also called an “owner”), then that player is no longer available to be chosen by another team. This continues until each person in the league has selected a player. Once every person has selected a player, then the person who selected last gets to choose first the next round, and everyone drafts in reverse order (ex. It’ll go 1-10 in round 1 and then 10-1 in round 2). Once all the required positions are filled then the draft is over.

Here are some basic terms that you are likely to come across in the world of fantasy football:

Owner: The person who runs/drafts a fantasy football team (the GM).

Commissioner: The person who is the head of the fantasy league that usually sets the rules, and makes sure that everyone competes fair.

Round: The order in which a player is selected in a fantasy draft.

Trade: When an owner wants to exchange a player(s) to another team in exchange for player(s) on their team.

Transaction: Adding, dropping, or trading a player.

Waiver Wire: When a player is not drafted, or they are dropped from a team, they are put on the waiver wire. A player on the waiver wire is eligible to be picked up by any team.

Team Name: A fictional name that an owner creates to designate the name of their team.

Fantasy Football fantasy 101, fantasy basics

The Cincinnati Reds threw in the towel on 2008 after the final game of the New York Mets series.  It was game number 100 of the season the squad is 2-8 since.  That includes four straight losses and being outscored 28-7 in that span.  This team is so bad that they aren't even going through the motions. 

It is deeply concerning that the veterans haven't stepped up to lead and now the rookies are showing the physical & mental fatigue that goes along with the rigors of their rookie years.  Hopefully the youngsters will realize that they are the only ones that can make themselves winners by hard work. 

The veterans on this team need to be cleaned out.  The imagine has been tarnished and the pride and prestige of this organization has never been taken as seriously by this group of proffesionals.  Their performance is a cheat to the younger players and disservice to the fans.  It is a 100% shame.

MLB reds

The Bengals opened up training camp on Monday at Georgetown College and it did not come without some storylines...

--The team's top free agent addition, defenisve end Antwaan Odom, suffered a sprained left foot.  Head coach Marvin Lewis indicated that there was no timetable for his return.

--Wide receiver Chad Johnson is at camp, but did not practice as he recovers from ankle surgery. The off-season distractions appear to be a distant memory.  The ankle is still sore and he runs with a pronounced limp. He warmed up with the team on the field, then went into the trainer's room, according to the Associated Press. "I know he wanted to be out here," receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh said. "But what he's got going on right now with his ankle is tough. But it will be cool. He'll get better and we'll win some games."

--Injured running back Kenny Irons (knee), who was released by the team on Friday as they needed to get down to the 80-man roster requirement, cleared waivers and now will rejoin the team and head to the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform List. He will resume his rehab in Cincinnati on Tuesday. Its promising for the long-term, but don't count on seeing Irons in '08.

--Fullback Jeremi Johnson was not cleared by the Bengals' medical staff on Monday due to weight. Are you kidding me? What does that say about his committment to winning. His listed weight is 270 pounds, but two different people that I spoke with that were in attendance Monday at camp told me the guy was at least 300, if not 310 pounds. Lewis wasn't too happy about it either. "He's battling for his job," the coach told the Dayton Daily News. "There's no question about it. He's battling for a spot on this team. Guys are asked to report at a certain level and be there. We've got to move forward, so we're going to move on. Hopefully, he can catch up and earn a spot. Unfortunately, I've been talking about this for too long."

--Linebacker Keith Rivers still remains unsigned. The team's first round pick, the ninth overall pick, Rivers appears to want a deal that is significantly more than what linebacker Jerod Mayo signed with New England at No. 10, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Mayo received a five-year contract worth $18.9 million and $13.8 million in guarantees and bonuses. 

--Both of the offensive line shake-ups that have been discussed were on display Monday. Stacey Andrews worked with the first team at right tackle, taking over the starting job from veteran Willie Anderson. In addition, guard Bobbie Williams was seen taking snaps with Carson Palmer on the side as the team looks for answers at center. 

NFL bengals, marvin lewis, antwaan odom, chad johnson, antwaan odom, kenny irons, jeremi johnson, keith rivers, willie anderson, stacey andrews