| 02 September 2011
It sure seems as though the Cincinnati Bengals are on a “five-year plan” beginning this season … and for once that doesn’t sound like a bad idea from the front office.
The Bengals re-signed three key veteran players through the 2015 season this week, including center Kyle Cook, cornerback Leon Hall and left tackle Andrew Whitworth.
Cook signed for four years at $15 million, with $5 million guaranteed. Hall inked for four years at $39 million, with $14 million guaranteed (and a $5 million roster bonus for March, 2012).
Whitworth was already signed through 2013, so he merely signed a two-year extension, terms of which have not been released yet.
I like all of these moves. While the Bengals let the better corner get away when Johnathan Joseph signed with the Houston Texans, at least they didn’t wait around in getting Hall locked up. And I could end up being wrong about the Joseph vs. Hall debate. One thing Hall has going for him is he’s extremely durable, especially compared to Joseph (who missed the preseason with a pulled groin). Also, Hall, 26, is a bit younger than Joseph, 27 (although that is almost irrelevant with such a small gap).
As for Whitworth, he’s quietly developed into one of the best left tackles in the NFL. A second-round pick out of LSU in 2006, Whitworth was actually considered a guard or a right tackle when he entered the league. However, he quickly proved he could handle the most-glamorous position on the offensive line, if there is such a thing. Also, left tackles are usually the highest-paid offensive linemen and it’s good to see Whitworth being taken care of.
Cook literally came out of nowhere in 2009 to earn the Bengals’ starting center position and has never looked back. The undrafted free agent only played one year of center at Michigan State (although he was a three-year starter, including two at guard) so having a lengthy and successful career in the NFL probably even surprises him. The bottom line is the Bengals have finally found their center of the future; at least they believe they have. Cook, 28, has several good years left in him and has been one of the biggest pleasant surprises to pass through Cincinnati in recent memory.
With quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green beginning their rookie seasons, no one is expecting big things out of the Bengals this season. But Dalton and Green have looked solid and appear as though they will be a productive tandem for years to come. The Bengals are doing a nice job of building a foundation around them (I can’t believe I’m actually saying that) by locking up three of the important veterans on the team.
There are several other impressive young players on the team such as tight end Jermaine Gresham, defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, defensive tackle Geno Atkins and middle linebacker Rey Maualuga. So, in a couple years, the Bengals could have a formidable team.
This year? I’m predicting 6-10. The schedule is extremely easy or my prognostication would be much-worse than that. But this is the easiest schedule I can ever remember the Bengals playing. It’s never completely smooth-sailing when you have to play Pittsburgh and Baltimore twice, but suffice to say I’d love for the Bengals to have a schedule like this every year.
However, this is still a bad football team we’re talking about and anything more than six wins will be shocking.
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