30-year old starting QB Carson Palmer just hasn’t looked the same since the Steelers hit him with a cheap shot in the playoffs a few years ago but they need him to get his groove back.  The running game of the Bengals masked Carson Palmer’s so-so season.  He played in all 16 games for the Bengals last year and he completed 282 of 466 passes (60.5%) for 3,094 yards with 21 TD passes and 13 INTs (83.6 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 39 times for 93 yards (2.4 ypc) with 3 TD carries last year.  Palmer has now played in 81 games in his career with the Bengals and he has completed 1,662 of 2,631 passes (63.2%) for 18,724 yards with 128 TD passes and 80 INTs (87.9 QB Rating).  Palmer has also carried the ball 147 times for 266 yards (1.8 ypc) with 5 TD carries in his career in Cincy.  The Bengals have improved the depth and quality at both WR and TE and they hope that will spur Palmer to get back to his former Pro Bowl self in 2010.  Palmer has led the Bengals to a 42-39 (51.9%) record in his career starts with them during the regular season.

The Bengals better hope that Carson Palmer stays healthy so they don’t have to use his backup, 30-year old J.T. O’Sullivan.  O’Sullivan played in 3 games for the Bengals last season in which he completed 4 of 11 passes (36.4%) for 40 yards with 0 TD passes and 0 INTs (47.5 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 3 times for 12 yards (4.0 ypc) last season for the Bengals.  O’Sullivan has now played in 17 games in his NFL career and he has completed 145 of 257 passes (56.4%) for 1,866 yards with 9 TD passes and 13 INTs (69.9 QB Rating).  O’Sullivan has also carried the ball 39 times for 145 yards (3.7 ypc) in his NFL career.  O’Sullivan has a career record of 2-6 (25%) in games he has started in his NFL career.

Nepotism at it’s best is why 25-year old Jordan Palmer is the Bengals’ #3 QB.  They look the same but this Palmer is very short on talent and the Bengals would be in deep trouble if he were forced into the starting lineup for any reason.  His only NFL experience came in 2008 for the Bengals when he played in 3 games.  In those games, Palmer completed 7 of 12 passes (58.3%) for 41 yards with 0 TD passes and 2 INTs (25.3  QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 1 time for 4 yards that year.

PROJECTED GRADE FOR THE BENGALS QBs in 2010:  B

The Bengals have signed 28-year old safety Gibril Wilson.  Wilson played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last season and he had 93 tackles, he defensed 8 passes and he had 1 sack.  Wilson has now played in 84 games in his NFL career and he has 585 tackles, he has defensed 38 passes, has 8.5 sacks, he has forced 7 fumbles and he has 13 interceptions.  This, unlike the PacMan Jones signing, was a very solid move for the Bengals as Wilson could work his way into a starting job for them in 2010.

The Bengals have signed 26-year old CB/PR/KR Adam “Pac Man” Jones to a 2-year contract for the veterans minimum with incentive bonuses.  Jones last played in 2008 with the Cowboys.  He has played in 39 games in his NFL career in which he made 147 tackles, he defensed 29 passes, had 1 sack, forced 2 fumbles and he had 4 interceptions (1 returned for a TD).  Jones also has returned 84 punts for 807 yards (9.6 avg) with 4 TD returns and 70 kickoffs for 1,803 yards (25.8 avg).  While Jones is a talented football player it should come as no surprise that he wound up in Cincinnati which is like the halfway house of the NFL.

The Bengals have picked OG Reggie Stephens with the 228th overall pick (7th round) of the NFL Draft.  He is a massive man at 6’2″, 322 pounds but he is not much of a athlete as he has next to no athletic ability.  Stephens played in 12 games (all starts) for Iowa State last season and he played in 43 games (40 starts) in his four years there.  If the Bengals can get Stephens in better shape and they can coach him up Stephens might get some P.T. down the road for them.

The Bengals have picked WR Dezmon Briscoe with the 191st overall pick (6th round) in the NFL Draft.  Briscoe has great size at 6’3″, 200 pounds and he runs a 4.55 40.  Briscoe is a outstanding possession receiver with the power to run over defensive players.  He is not a burner by any means but most draft experts had him going in the 2nd or 3rd round so the Bengals got outstanding value with this pick.  Briscoe played in 11 games (10 starts) for Kansas last season in which he caught 84 passes for 1,337 yards (15.9 avg) with 9 TD grabs.  He played in 37 games (33 starts) in his three years in college and he caught 219 passes for 3,240 yards (14.8 avg) with 31 TD grabs.  This was a solid pick for the Bengals as Briscoe has a nice upside.

The Bengals have picked OT Otis Hudson with the 152nd overall pick (5th round) of the NFL Draft.  Hudson was likely a reach by the Bengals as most draft experts didn’t think he would get drafted.  He will need coached up as he played his college ball against inferior competition at Eastern Illinois.  Hudson does have outstanding size at 6’5″, 331 pounds so maybe down the road he will be able to help the offensive line.

The Bengals have picked OLB Rod Muckelroy with the 131rd overall pick (4th round) of the NFL Draft.  Muckelroy is a good athelte at 6’1″, 236 pounds and he runs a 4.7 40.  Muckelroy plays all out as he has a very high motor which should get him on the field quickly for the Bengals.  He played in 13 games (all starts) for Texas last season in which he had 102 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, he broke up 5 passes and he had 1 interception.  Muckelroy played in 42 games (30 starts) in his time with the Longhorns in which he made 283 tackles, 23.5 tackles for a loss, he had 5.5 sacks, broke up 9 passes and he had 2 interceptions.  This was a good pick for the Bengals as Muckelroy could develop into a starter down the road and maybe be a special teams ace from day #1.

The Bengals have picked DT Geno Atkins out of Georgia with the 120th overall pick (4th round) of the NFL Draft.  Atkins is a bit undersized at 6’1″, 286 pounds and he doesn’t always play his hardest every down.  That means it will be up to the Bengals’ coaches to be on him all the time to get him to play up to his ability.  Atkins played in 13 games (3 starts) at Georgia last season in which he finished up with 36 tackles, 10.5 tackles for a loss, he had 3 sacks, forced 1 fumble and he recovered 1 fumble.  Atkins played in 50 games (23 starts) in his four years at Georgia and he finished up with 106 tackles, 33.5 tackles for a loss, he had 11 sacks, broke up 2 passes, he forced 1 fumble and he recovered 1 fumble.  This is a boom or bust pick for the Bengals as Atkins could either develop into a starting tackle in the NFL or he could just as easily be out of the league in three years.