Three to watch for in Bengals preseason

By Connor Byrne  |   Monday, August 07, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Cincinnati Bengals
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With the Cincinnati Bengals kicking off their preseason schedule in just under a week, now's a good time to take a look at some interesting things to keep an eye on in their four exhibition contests. Though many dismiss the August schedule as little more than a waste, it could be quite telling for the defending AFC North winners.

Does Sam Adams have anything left?

Head coach Marvin Lewis brought in the 6-foot-4, 330-pounder earlier in the offseason, hoping he'd clog the middle like he did back in 2000 with Lewis' infamous Baltimore Ravens defense. However, the 33-year-old's weight has finally begun to catch up with him. Adams hasn't participated in camp much which has added to a frustrating offseason for the Bengals.

The 12-year veteran probably won't participate vastly in the preseason, but getting it together before the regular season opener on Sept. 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs could be quite important.

The supplemental rookie, Ahmad Brooks.

In July's supplemental draft, the Bengals used a third-round choice on the controversial Brooks. He was a star performer at linebacker for Virginia, but was kicked off the team for issues with drugs, among other things.

Had Brooks been able to maintain his spot on the Cavaliers' defense, there's little doubt he would have been a top 15 pick in next April's draft. With second-year man Odell Thurman out thanks to failing a drug test, Brooks will need to step up. If he wants to be an impact player early in the season, he'll need to learn the league's ins and outs in the four exhibition matchups.

Carson Palmer's omnipresent knee concerns and the backups behind him.

Last January, Palmer was hit in the knee by former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen. The blow begat a torn ACL, which begat surgery, which, of course, begat large amounts of rehabilitation for the Pro Bowl signal caller. There's some hope the ex-Heisman winner will be able to participate at some point in the preseason, but Cincinnati fans shouldn't hold their breath. However, his performance in a scrimmage last Friday, when he went 4-for-9 for 57 yards, was encouraging.

Expect backups Anthony Wright and Doug Johnson to compete fiercely for the Bengals' No. 2 quarterback position. Since there's a chance Palmer won't be ready by the opening game of the season, the reserves must show some capabilities of running a title-caliber offensive unit. If they can't, opinionated but tremendous receiver Chad Johnson certainly won't be pleased, and that could spell trouble for Cincy.

For the Cincinnati Bengals and their excited fans, those three aspects will be focused on greatly in the exhibition schedule. Without question, the trio is full of question marks. A good turnout from the above players could mean another playoff season in the Queen City.

--Connor J. Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.

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