For a team that had aspirations of winning its division and making it to the playoffs, the 2007 season for the Cincinnati Bengals can only be described as a disappointment. The Bengals finished 8-8 overall and received uninspiring performances from Carson Palmer, Rudi Johnson and Chad Johnson, all of whom were expected to make big contributions. Rudi was hurt, but even when he did play he wasn’t that good as he averaged 2.9 yards per carry. "Ocho Cinco's" season was on par with his other seasons, but he didn’t establish himself as an elite receiver as he still has yet to catch more than 10 touchdowns in a season. Palmer had his worst season since his first year as a starter and set a career high in interceptions with 20.
With Rudi hurt, Chris Perry got a chance to run…except he was hurt too. So with Perry hurt, rookie Kenny Irons got a shot to…oh wait, he got hurt too. So with their top three running backs hurt, the Bengals turned to Kenny Watson, who became a pleasant surprise for Cincinnati. Watson set career highs in carries (178), rushing yards (763), touchdowns (seven), receptions (52) and receiving yards (374). He also averaged a very respectable 4.3 yards per carry. So, yes, despite the disappointing season, some things did go well for the Bengals, including TJ Houshmandzadeh's 9 out of 10 games with double digit fantasy points to start the season, though after that, it seems the uninspired performances got to him, too, as he failed to reach double digit fantasy points the rest of the season.
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Key Departures
Chris Henry (WR) — Henry was arrested, again. This time it was for allegedly punching a man in the face and throwing a beer bottle through a car windshield. Henry claims he was doing it to protect a woman, but regardless of how true that is, the Bengals decided to release him. It is a shame to see such talent go to waste but Henry has nobody to blame but himself. While he was a Bengal, Henry caught 88 passes for 1,370 yards and 17 touchdowns in three seasons. His best effort came in 2006 when he caught 36 passes for 605 yards and nine touchdowns. On the field, his departure will leave a huge void in the slot, something the Bengals are hoping to remedy with more throws to the tight ends.
Justin Smith, Madieu Williams, Lemar Marshall, Landon Johnson, Caleb Miller and Bryan Robinson (DEF) — In case you were wondering what direction the Bengals were moving in during the offseason, you need to look no further than the free agents lost from the defense. Smith (DE), Johnson (LB) and Williams (S) were all starters while the other players all received significant playing time at different parts of the season. While Smith, Williams and Johnson all had potential to be good defensive players, there’s no way around the fact that they simply underperformed. While losing all these players would hurt any team, the Bengals ranked in the lower third of the league in every major defensive category. Management’s belief is that the Bengals can only go up.
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Key Additions
Doug Gabriel (WR) — Gabriel was recently signed because the Bengals not only cut Henry, but they also cut backup receiver Tab Perry. That leaves just Antonio Chatman to play behind Johnson and Houshmandzadeh. Gabriel did not play in the NFL in 2007, and last played for the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders in 2006.
Ben Utecht (TE) — Utecht spent the last four years as an backup tight end for the Indianapolis Colts but it was only the last two years when he actually did anything. In 2006 and 2007, Utecht caught a combined 68 passes for 741 yards and one touchdown. His average yards per catch went up from 10.2 two years ago to 11.7 last season.
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2008 Bruno Boys Crystal Ball
Carson Palmer (QB) — Palmer is now in the prime of his career and despite throwing a career-high 20 interceptions last year, actually put up some numbers to get excited about when looking towards this season. First of all, he passed for a career high 4,131 yards and was sacked a career-low 17 times. His numbers are also trending up in completion percentage, attempts and completions which are not only positive sings that he has rebounded well since his knee injury three years ago but that he still has not reached his ceiling. As we look at his supporting cast, the loss of Henry won’t hurt as much. Now, the situation with Chad Johnson is a sticky one but if the audacious receiver plays in Cincinnati this year, then expect big things from Palmer, something along the lines of 4,200 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Rudi Johnson (RB) — Unfortunately, Johnson is on the downside of his career. All the carries have finally caught up to him and he will never be the back he was as recently as two years ago. With a healthy Perry, Irons and Watson behind him, it only makes sense that the Bengals will likely relegate Johnson to a timeshare role. The question then becomes how many carries will he end up with? This will be a situation to monitor closely in training camp and preseason, but for now expect about 150-170 carries for 520-600 yards and three or four touchdowns.
Kenny Watson (RB) — After last season’s breakout, there’s no way they can keep this guy on the bench, can they? No, but to expect a repeat of 2007 would be unrealistic. Rudi is still technically the starter and Perry is still on his rookie contract, so those two guys immediately earn priority over Watson. Irons is still coming back from injury, but the team didn’t draft him in the second round over more pressing needs just to see him sit on the bench. Expect a drastic drop in carries, probably somewhere around 100 carries for 475 yards and four touchdowns. Add in about 30 receptions for 250 yards and one touchdown.
Chris Perry (RB) — Perry has to be one of the most unlucky players in the NFL. His career has been plagued by injuries and last year he didn’t even play in a regular season game. We’ve seen the potential Perry has. In 2005 he averaged 4.6 yards per carry and caught 51 passes in 14 games. If he can stay on the field, Perry could be a decent fantasy football option in deep leagues. Until he proves he can stay healthy, expect a minimal impact to the tune of 50 carries for 200 yards and one touchdown along with 20 receptions for 150 yards.
Chad Johnson (WR) — Johnson and coach Marvin Lewis are not playing nice with each other. Luckily for fantasy football owners, nice matters little on Sundays. As long as Johnson is a Bengal he’s going to put up good numbers. With the expected output of Palmer (as mentioned above), Johnson could put together his finest season while he angles for a better contract. To project "Ocho Cinco" at 100 catches for 1,500 yards and 10-12 touchdowns is not a reach, but first you need to make sure he is fully commited to performing on Sundays.
T.J. Houshmandzadeh (WR) — Houshmandzadeh really broke out last season, setting career highs in receptions (112), receiving yards (1,143) and touchdowns (12). Houshmandzadeh has established himself as an elite receiver, but it’s unrealistic to continue his upward trend to continue as teams focus more attention him. Expect 85-90 catches for 1,000 receiving yards and 9-10 touchdowns.
Ben Utecht (TE) — The signing of Utecht was done for two reasons. First, the Bengals want to cover their behinds for the loss of Henry but they also wanted the ability to throw to the tight ends to help open up the offense, particularly the running game. Utecht has proven he can be a good pass catcher, but probably won’t do much more this season than he did with the Colts last year. Expect 30-35receptions for 350-400 receiving yards and one touchdown.
Shayne Graham (K) — Graham had another stellar season, scoring over 115 fantasy football points for the fourth consecutive year. As long as the Bengals offense continues to produce as it has, Graham will continue to enjoy the same success he has. Expect between 120-130 fantasy football points for the fifth straight season out of the 7 year veteran.
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Rookies to Watch
Keith Rivers (LB) — Unless you play in a league that uses IDPs, you probably won’t be picking up Rivers. But Rivers provides an immediate playmaker at a position where the Bengals were left using backups and practice-squad guys last season. With a solid secondary and a serviceable defensive line, perhaps the Bengals defense was just one good linebacker away from being fantasy football relevant. Pay attention to how Cincinnati plays in its first three games before picking up the defensive unit, as they have the playmakers to get the job done but always seem to underperform.
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Other Team Capsules
NFC WEST - ARI I STL I SF I SEA
NFC SOUTH - ATL I CAR I NO I TB
NFC NORTH - CHI I DET I GB I MIN
NFC EAST - DAL I NYG I PHI I WAS
AFC WEST - DEN I KC I OAK I SD
AFC SOUTH - HOU I IND I JAX I TEN
AFC NORTH - BAL I CIN I CLE I PIT
AFC EAST - BUF I MIA I NE I NYJ