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Here are some of the latest news bits surrounding Bengals:

BENGALS BEGIN VOLUNTARY WORKOUTS (Bengals.com)
While their offense worked against a defense for the first time this spring without them Wednesday, the Bengals coaches spent another day grinding through tape and their new playbook...MORE

DALTON IN UNBELIEVABLE POSITION (Cincinnati Enquirer)
You want to talk about casualties of war? The quarterback some thought the best in the draft slipped out of the first round. The Bengals took him in Round 2, and immediately anointed him Savior. The Bengals have a new offensive coordinator, a new offense, a franchise QB retired in his prime and a prime need for Andy Dalton to play immediately…MORE

OWENS, OCHOCINCO NOT EXPECTED BACK (NationalPost.com)
It's no secret in NFL circles that the Cincinnati Bengals had a tough locker room situation last year in terms of chemistry disrupted by the dual disruptive presence of wide receivers Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. Owens won't be back, and Ochocinco appears to be on thin ice...MORE

SMITH SHAPING UP? (ProFootballTalk.com)
Andre Smith, the No. 6 overall pick in the 2009 NFL draft who has started just five games in two seasons, says he’s finally rounding into shape. Smith, who has broken his left foot twice in the last 15 months, is still in a protective boot, so it’s probably safe to say he’s not in playing shape...MORE

NFL cincinnati bengals, andy dalton, carson palmer, terrell owens, chad ochocinco, andre smith

The Cincinnati Bengals have doubled their season win total over the last two games, including Sunday’s improbable upset of the San Diego Chargers.

Playing without wide receivers Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, quarterback Carson Palmer delivered one of his best days of the season as he completed 16-of-21 passes for 269 yards and four touchdowns.

Third-year wideout Jerome Simpson, who mustered just three career receptions before this recent winning streak began, caught six balls for 124 yards and a score.  Rookies Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley continued to show promise and even running back Bernard Scott was involved.

With the T.Ocho Show preempted on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium fans got a taste what life may look like post divas. The team is unlikely likely to resign Owens, who will be 38 next year, and will save over $3 million to let Ochocinco walk.

I am not blaming all of the Bengals’ offensive woes on either Owens or Ochocinco. They did combine for 139 catches this season. However, clearly Palmer and offensive coordinator were at ease without having the pressure of getting the ball to the two veterans.

While I am not ready to jump on the bandwagon and still want to see the team clean house with its coaching staff, there does appear to be some upside in the team’s young targets.

NFL cincinnati bengals, terrell owens, carson palmer, chad ochocinco, jerome simpson, jordan shipley

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The Cincinnati Bengals had a chance to make up a game on Pittsburgh and grab a share of first place in the AFC North, but they blew it on Sunday as they lost 23-20 to the Cleveland Browns.

THE GOOD
Terrell Owens – The veteran moved into second-place on the all-time career NFL receiving yard list by pulling in 10 balls for 222 yards and a touchdown. It was by far his best performance as a Bengal.

Leon Hall – Hall came up with an interception for a third straight game. He continues to prove he’s one of the league’s top cornerbacks.

THE BAD
Cedric Benson – He averaged 4 yards per carry, but the fact he only got 15 carries is not a good recipe for success.  The Bengals only rushed the ball 18 times in the game compared to the Browns 35.

Carson Palmer – Despite showing some signs of life, Palmer continued to make poor decisions and is holding onto the ball too long.  His two fumbles were costly and ultimately the difference in the game.

Penalties – The Bengals continue to shoot themselves in the foot with stupid mistakes. In total, the team was flagged eight times for 79 yards.

THE UGLY
Special Teams – A week after looking so good, the Bengals’ special teams had a day they would like forget. Blocking assignments allowed the Browns to penetrate through the line and block a Mike Nugent field goal.  The team finished with just 49 total return yards on the game with two yards on three punt returns and 47 yards on five kick returns.

QUOTE OF NOTE
"We're frustrated.  I don't think personally, I'm frustrated. From the standpoint of us knowing we have offensive weapons and we're not moving the ball like we're capable of moving it -- that's where the frustration comes in." – Terrell Owens

UP NEXT
The Bengals will look to bounce back next week when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1). The young Bucs have looked good early on this season and are coming off a bye.

NFL cincinnati bengals, cleveland browns, terrell owens, cedric benson, leon hall, carson palmer

QB Game Ball - Kyle Orton, Denver - 35/50, 341 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int
It's doubtful anyone expected much fro the Broncos this season, but after four games Orton has them moving in the right direction. While the running game has been non-existent, the young QB has been able to sling the ball around to the likes of Eddie Royal and Brandon Llloyd with good success. Denver may be defying the trend of winning games by running the ball and playing good defense, but at least through four weeks, Orton has the team looking pretty good.

QB Honorable Mention - Sam Bradford, St. Louis - 23/41, 289 yards, 2 TD, 1 Int (looking to shake off that 'rookie' status.)

RB Game Ball - LaDainian Tomlinson, NY Jets - 19 carries, 133 yards, 2 TD, 3 catches, 22 yards
Before the season started LT looked to be a good fit for the Jets. He could spell a young RB and be a nice third-down back for a young QB. Well, that idea sure has changed. Tomlinson is not going to match the numbers he put up in his MVP-type seasons, but he sure is showing that he's still a stud. There is certainly plenty left in the tank for the veteran and he may end up being the key to the Jets success throughout the year.

RB Honorable Mention - Peyton Hillis, Browns - 27 carries, 102 yards, 1 TD (back-to-back huge games against tough D's.)

WR Game Ball - Terrell Owens, Bengals - 10 catches, 222 yards, 1 TD
Through the first few games with his new team, T.O. has been rather quiet. Actually most of the talk has been about the bad play from his new QB, Carson Palmer. But the two were certainly on the same page in Clevelnad on Sunday. Of course a win would have been nice.

WR Honorable Mention - Reggie Wayne - 15 catches, 196 yards (yeah, he's still Peyton's man.)

The Game-Used Sock Award

Matt Hasselbeck, QB, Seahawks - 20/36, 191 yards, 1 Int
Not much was expected from Hassebeck and the Seattle offense when the season began. But they came out strong in their first couple of games and certainly turned a few heads. So when looking at the oppurtunity to play the lowly Rams most people would assume the veteran QB would put up some nice numbers. So much for assuming. Blame can be placed on the offensive line and even a weak running game. For that matter, Hasselbeck doesn't really have a 'go-to' guy as he spread the ball around - in desperation - to ten different guys against the Rams. But at some point a veteran quarterback has to take the fall. And he has to wear nasty stinking socks on the plane back to Seattle.

Stinky Sock Honorable Mention - Donovan McNabb, Redskins - 8/19, 125 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int (sure, you beat your old team but are you bragging about those numbers?)

Fantasy Football, NFL kyle orton, sam bradford, ladainian tomlinson, peyton hillis, terrell owens, reggie wayne, matt hasselbeck, donovan mcnabb

from Yahoo.com...

When the Cincinnati Bengals signed Terrell Owens, it looked like a sign that they had major concerns about Antonio Bryant's(notes) ability to contribute in 2010.

As it turns out, they did. So much so, in fact, that they cut him today. They just straight up, outright axed Bryant, eating the $8 million in guaranteed money that they gave him back in March on a four-year, $28 million deal. 

In the end, the Bengals gave Bryant that $8 million for 172 days of practicing. Poorly.

COMPLETE ARTILCE

NFL cincinnati bengals, antonio bryant, terrell owens

The Cincinnati Bengals played their third of five preseason tilts on Friday night and may have had their best showing yet as they beat the Philadelphia Eagles, 22-9. Let’s take a look at some of the key notes from the game:

CARSON PALMER – Palmer continues to complete passes (67.44%) as he connected on 15-of-23 attempts for 168 yards, but he has yet throw for a touchdown and was picked off twice. He was able to connect with new target, Terrell Owens, for a 43-yard strike. However, he is only averaging 6.79 yards per attempt for the preseason.

WIDE RECEIVERS – Owens continues to be the favorite target for Palmer in the passing game.  He finished Friday’s game with three catches for 67 yards and now has nine receptions for 108 yards in three preseason games. Meanwhile, Chad Ochocinco has managed to pull in just three balls for 33 yards in that span. There was a Jermone Simpson sighting as he caught a ball for 22 yards. The former second-round pick is likely to be cut later this month.

JERMAINE GRESHAM – The team’s first-round pick, tight end Jermaine Gresham, looked solid again as he pulled in three balls for 34 yards in limited action.

RUNNING BACKS – Cedric Benson churned out his best effort of the preseason (10 att, 30 RuYd), but only averaged 3.0 yards per carry. He did add 29 more yards on five catches.  Bernard Scott scored the team’s first touchdown of the game on a 7-yard run and finished with just 13 yards on two carries before leaving with a shoulder injury.  Cedric Peerman stated his case for a roster by scoring a pair of touchdowns and tallying 47 yards on 12 carries against the Eagles’ scrubs.

ANDRE SMITH – Freddie Childress…I mean Andre Smith made his first start of the preseason, but looked terrible.  He was beaten consistently off the ball and flagged for two penalties.

****

KICKING BATTLE – There continues to be little separation in the team’s kicking battle and neither option seems to be very appealing. Mike Nugent missed a 59-yard field goal, but that is to be expected. Raymer has done nothing to impress and wide-left on his 34-yard attempt. Suddenly Shayne Graham is not sounding that bad.

ADAM JONES – Adam “Pacman” Jones returned a kick for 44 yards and a punt for 22 yards and looks like a lock to make the roster as a returner / nickel back.

DEFENSE – The unit looked solid from top to bottom. They held the Eagles to just three field goals and played with intensity after looking lifeless in the previous two exhibition games.  Dhani Jhones forced a fumble as did Jonathan Joseph, who knocked Eagles’ wide receiver Jeremy Maclin out of the game.  Defensive back Morgan Trent came up with three second-half interceptions as he battles for a spot. Rookies Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins each recorded a sack.

PENALTIES – It may only be the preseason, but the Bengals have continued a 2009 trend by being flagged early and often.  Friday night was no different as the team was penalized 10 times for 75 yards. Through three preseason contests they have 29 penalties for 269 yards, YIKES!

INJURIES – Veteran free agent Gibril Wilson suffered a torn ACL and MCL and is out for the season. He was expected to add much-needed depth in the secondary and now will require surgery.  Bernard Scott left the game in the second quarter with a shoulder injury. Wide receiver Antonio Bryant did not dress as he continues to battle a knee injury.

BLACKOUT – The game was aired nationally on FOX Sports, but blacked out in the Cincinnati and Dayton markets. It will be replayed on Saturday at 4PM on NFL Network.

NFL cincinnati bengals, carson palmer, cedric benson, terrell owens, andre smith, chad ochocinco, dhani jones

The wide receiver position is where a lot of the big personalities in the NFL preside. It’s also a position where rookies can make an immediate impact. For this reason, it’s always good for some interesting battles in the preseason. Here are a couple of the wide receiver battles to keep an eye, each one with major fantasy implications:

Indianapolis: We all know that Reggie Wayne is the star wideout for the Colts and is still a fantasy stud. But, when Anthony Gonzalez went down with an injury last year it helped to showcase some real talent for the Colts. Pierre Garcon and Austin Collie both proved to be more than serviceable in the absence of Gonzalez and now will battle for the other starting role alongside Wayne. It might be important to the players to be called a starter, but all three receivers will have a role in the fantasy world, regardless of whether they’re a starter.

Fantasy perspective: Among the three, Garcon has the best big-play potential and showed to be the most consistent. He’s also a third-year player, so the sky is the limit. Garcon is an excellent sleeper candidate and definitely a WR3. Gonzalez will be back to form and is probably just a tick below Garcon. Any injuries or slumps in the preseason can move Gonzalez back ahead of Garcon, so watch closely. Austin Collie is probably the odd man in this trio. He still has value and should be drafted for depth in most leagues and makes a great handcuff to Garcon or Gonzalez.

New York Giants: The Giants became a passing team last year. Steve Smith broke out to become a fantasy star. Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham also had huge games as well. This pair will battle for the other starting role alongside Smith. Nicks is the likely leader in the race and has more upside than Manningham.

Fantasy perspective: Nicks has nice fantasy value. He seems to be an excellent route runner is someone Eli Manning learned to look for and target. Nicks, in his second year, has a lot of value in keeper leagues as well. Count Nicks as a solid WR3 or low-end WR2 in deeper leagues. Manningham is too inconsistent to be counted on in a week-to-week basis. But, you don’t want to miss out when he does have a big game. Manningham is a WR3/Bye week filler and also is a necessary handcuff for Nicks owners.

Dallas Cowboys: When the Cowboys drafted Dez Bryant in April, most thought that meant the end of the Roy Williams era in Big D. When Bryant said he wouldn’t carry Williams’ pads in practice it got even more interesting and the battle for the second wide out position (with Miles Austin entrenched as the #1 wide out) was on. It’s hard to imagine that Bryant won’t have a big role in the Cowboys offense, but thus far in preseason, Williams has performed. Of course, Bryant got hurt and will miss some time. The missed time in camp and the preseason could hurt his short-term value.

Fantasy perspective: Every fantasy owner in your league will take Bryant before Roy Williams, even if Williams performs better early. And in keeper leagues, Bryant has a lot of value. Bryant could be taken as early as round 5 in deeper leagues while Williams will slip. For owners playing for this year, and in non-keeper leagues, Williams could make for a nice find.

Cincinnati: The Bengals wide receivers are the star of this team. With Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens playing together as Batman and Robin, the battle for the remaining WR spots got a lot tougher. Considering the Bengals had also signed Antonio Bryant to a long-term contract and drafted Jordan Shipley, there will be quite a scrum for the third and fourth receiver roles.

Fantasy perspective: It seems irrelevant to discuss who will be the Bengals third receiver, but with so many offensive weapons the expectations are that the Bengals will pass a lot more, making this one of the vital roles to monitor. Andre Caldwell showed some development last year for the Bengals, but also had some big mistakes. Caldwell, even if he wins the role has little fantasy value, outside of deep leagues. Antonio Bryant, if he is healthy, will be taken and can be counted on as a WR3. However, Bryant has struggled in camp with a nagging knee injury and good money says he will be put on the injured reserve list. That leavesShipley, also a special teams star, as the best of the bunch. In keeper leagues, Shipley has more value. I still don’t think Shipley is going to put up impressive numbers this year, so only draft him late or as a handcuff to either TO or Ochocinco.

Tampa Bay: The Buccaneers have an impressive array of young talent on offense. Drafting Mike Williams and Arrelious Benn to go with second-year QB Josh Freeman makes the Bucs a nice place to look for young, cheaper talent for your fantasy squad.

Fantasy perspective: It’s likely that both Williams and Benn will be the starting wide outs for the Bucs and both of these guys have a lot of potential. Neither is an anchor WR for your squad but both make for excellent WR3 candidates. I would draft both of these guys over veteran options of equal ranking.

Chicago: Mike Martz is the new offensive coordinator for the Bears. This has a lot of fantasy owners and NFL experts calling for an offensive explosion in Chicago. I’m not as sold as I’ve explained in previous columns. I think Martz is more overrated as an offensive guru. That being said, the Bears have an intriguing battle at receiver going on. Devin Hester, Johnny Knox and Devin Aromashodu as well as Earl Bennett will battle it out for the love and attention of Martz and Jay Cutler. Who will come away as the starters is the question.

Fantasy perspective: Hester is the sexy pick by many draft experts, but of this group I think Johnny Knox is the one you want. When it’s all said and done, I think Knox will be a solid WR2 and is one of the biggest sleepers. Likewise, Aromashodu has some sleeper value to him as well. He makes a nice handcuff to Knox or Hester, who I think will be taken in rounds 6-7.

Fantasy Football fantasy football advice, wide receiver position battles, chad ochocinco, terrell owens, dez bryant, devin hester, pierre garcon

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The Cincinnati Bengals kicked off their 2010 preseason schedule in a Hall of Fame Game match-up versus the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.  As expected, the starters on both sides of the ball played sparingly.  The team had a few bright spots, but there appears to be plenty they still need to work on before training camp breaks. Here are few of my observations:

T.O.’s debut – Despite only playing two short series, Owens definitely made a splash in the Bengals’ offense. He was targeted four times and caught three balls, but had one of the nullified as Chad Ochocinco lined up in the neutral zone.

Carson Palmer – Palmer completed 2 of his 5 passes in limited action with both of his completions going to Owens.  The veteran quarterback has drawn plenty of criticism this offseason and did nothing to dispel those concerns here. It will be nice to see him get more playing time so he can get into a flow.

Backup quarterbacks – One of the team’s biggest weaknesses is their depth at the quarterback position. J.T. O’Sullivan could be the worse the No. 2 QB in the entire league. He looked awful completing just 4 of 11 passes for 31 yards and an interception as he finished with a measly 7.0 QB rating. Jordan Palmer wasn’t much better throwing a pair of picks on 10-of-20 passing. If Carson goes down the Bengals’ season is over.

Offensive line – As much as the attention that has been on Palmer’s performance, the offensive line to me is going to be the X-factor to this season. While they were great at run blocking during the 2009 campaign, the unit’s pass protection had some holes.  This game did nothing to calm my concerns. Dallas consistently applied pressure on the quarterback all night long. Last year’s first-round pick Andre Smith is looking more and more like he’s going to be a big bust.

Penalties – One of the team’s Achilles’ heals last season was penalties. They got penalized 10 times for 90 yards here. Some of that can be written off to preseason football, but it is something that is worth watching.

Michael Johnson – Last year’s third-round pick continues to impress. The team moved him from defensive end to an outside linebacker this season and he responded by coming up with two sacks on Sunday night.

Adam Jones – Jones, who started in place of Jonathan Joseph (did not play), showed some promise. He made a nice play out of the gate as he broke up a ball intended for Miles Austin. There were a few lapses though too. He returned a kick for 31 yards and a punt for nine yards.

Jordan Shipley – The rookie wideout only caught two balls for 17 yards, but his 63-yard punt return in the game’s final minute setup the team’s only touchdown.  Shipley is going to be valuable role player this season.

Matt Jones – Lost in the off-season signings is wide receiver Matt Jones. A long shot to make the team, the former first round pick of the Jaguars looked solid during his time in the game.  He finished with 42 yards on three catches and had another catch neglected on a challenge. Keep your eyes on him.

Injuries – The team did not escape the game without injuries. Safety Chris Crocker (ankle) and running back Brian Leonard (ankle) both went down on the night. Crocker’s injury appears to be minor, but Leonard is holding his breath.

NEXT UP:  Sun 8/15 - Broncos at Bengals, 7:00 p.m.

NFL cincinnati bengals, terrell owens, carson palmer, michael johnson, adam jones, jordan shipley

--The Bengals are set to kickoff the NFL preseason schedule on Sunday versus the Cowboys in the annual Hall of Game in Canton, Ohio. The game will be aired nationally on NBC-TV at 8:00 p.m. and there are some good reasons to watch.

--The team came to terms earlier this week with first-round pick, tight end Jermaine Gresham on five-year deal. The 6-foot-5, 261-pounder will get $15.85 million over five years, with $9.6 million guaranteed. He immediately began to work as the team’s No. 1 tight end.

--Beat writer Geoff Hobson notes that newly acquired wide receiver Terrell Owens is still struggling to develop chemistry with quarterback Carson Palmer.

--Last year’s first-round pick, offensive tackle Andre Smith, continues to disappoint. He showed up at camp at 370 pounds and head coach Marvin Lewis didn’t hold back when he talked to SI.com’s Peter King saying he "doesn't think Alabama shot him straight with its pre-draft info (the kid's work ethic leaves a lot to be desired) and Smith was not diligent enough in the offseason rehabbing a foot injury."

--Though there is a long way to go in the kicker position battle, the team currently lists Mike Nugent over Dave Raymer on their depth chart as they look to replace Shayne Graham, who departed via free agency and has since signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

--Most of the so-called experts are picking the Ravens to win the AFC North, but not CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco. He wrote “duplicating their run through the AFC North won't be easy, but this Bengals team is clearly better than the one that ended the 2009 season.”

NFL cincinnati bengals, jermaine gresham, terrell owens, carson palmer, andre smith, mike nugent, dave raymer

Free agent wide receiver Terrell Owens has agreed to 1-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals for $2 million, according to the team's website.

He can earn up to another $2 million in incentives, according to ProFootballTalk.com.

Friend and now teammate, Chad Ochocinco, shared his excitement on Twitter.

"My homeboy is a Bengal all our games have been moved to pay-per-view,” the team’s leading receiver indicated.

At 36, Owens may not possess the skill set he once did. However, he is still one of the top receivers in the history of the game and provides the team a valuable weapon and significant insurance in the event Antonio Bryant (knee) is not ready to contribute.

Owens caught a career-low 55 balls for 829 yards and five touchdowns in 2009, his only season in Buffalo.

FANTASY IMPACT: Owens’ arrival will definitely bump quarterback Carson Palmer’s fantasy value up. He goes from around 12-15 on the list to a top 10 player. Ochocinco also benefits greatly. His targets could go down, but not as much as his double coverages from opposing defenses. As for Owens himself he could provide nice value at the right spot. He should be in your top 25 and could easily move up. It will be most interesting to see how his arrival, coupled with the first-round selection of tight end Jermaine Gresham in April’s draft, will impact the team’s play-calling and the number of carries for running back Cedric Benson.

Fantasy Football, NFL cincinnati bengals, terrell owens, chad ochocinco, carson palmer, cedric benson