Breaking Down the Bengals' Roster

(Photo by Mark Lyons/Getty Images)

After releasing center Digger Bujnoch last Friday, the Cincinnati Bengals now have 85 players on their roster. Teams can have up to 80 players under contract, but draft picks don't count against that limit until they sign contracts.

Here is a breakdown of the entire 85-man roster, with quick-hit thoughts about each position:

Quarterback: Carson Palmer, Jordan Palmer, J.T. O'Sullivan, and Billy Farris

Quick Hit: If healthy, Carson Palmer will start.

O'Sullivan, who started eight games for San Francisco last year, gives the team a solid insurance policy.

Farris (a rookie) and Jordan Palmer (Carson's younger brother) will compete for the final spot.

Running Back: Kenny Watson, Cedric Benson, Bernard Scott, Fui Vakapuna, Brian Leonard, Marlon Lucky, James Johnson, and DeDe Dorsey

Quick Hit: Benson will seize the starting job with a good camp.

Leonard, an excellent blocker and workhorse, will see playing time. Draft pick Scott, who has a history of legal troubles, has tremendous upside. Draft pick Vakapuna, a 253-pound tank, will be used in short-yardage and goal-line siutations.

Wide Receiver: Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Andre Caldwell, Chris Henry, Quan Crosby, Freddie Brown, Antonio Chatman, Greg Orton, Maurice Purify, David Richmond, Jerome Simpson, and Mario Urrutia

Quick Hit: Coles will bring character and work ethic to the receiving corps. Any of the youngsters—Caldwell, Crosby, Brown and Urrutia—could earn a major role as the No. 3 with a solid preseason.

With the loss of T.J. Houshmandzadeh to free agnecy, Ochocinco must regain his 2007 form to provide the offense a deep threat.

Tight End: Ben Utecht, Chase Coffman, Daniel Coats, Reggie Kelly, Matt Sherry, and Brad St. Louis

Quick Hit: Former Indianapolis Colt Utecht will start. He and 11-year veteran Kelly will mentor third-round draft pick Coffman, a dynamic pass-catcher recovering from foot surgery.

Daniel Coats (a hybrid TE/FB) and Brad St. Louis (a veteran long snapper) will also earn roster spots thanks to their versatility.

Fullback: Jeremi Johnson, Chris Pressley, Fui Vakapuna and J.D. Runnels.

Quick Hit: Most pundits peg Johnson as the starter. But Pressley, who Univ. of Wisconsin coach Brett Bielema called "one of the more impressive men I have come across," might wow the coaching staff with enough tenacity and toughness to usurp the starting spot. He hits harder than any rookie fullback in many years.

Center: Kyle Cook, Jonathan Luigs, Dan Santucci, and James Smith

Quick Hit: Four players and zero NFL starts.

Not as bad as it sounds though.

Cook has earned rave reviews during OTAs, and Luigs won the 2007 Rimington Trophy as best center in collegiate football. Cook, who has experience in the Bengals system, will likely start.

Guard: Bobbie Williams, Andrew Crummey, Andrew Whitworth, Scott Kooistra, Colin Dow, Nate Livings, and Evan Mathis

Quick Hit: Veteran Williams will start at right guard. Nate Livings, who started the final six games of 2008, earns the nod at left guard.

Whitworth, who will start at left tackle, could move to left guard if Livings doesn't work out.

Offensive Tackle: Andre Smith, Dennis Roland, Anthony Collins, and Andrew Whitworth

Quick Hit: First-round draft pick Andre Smith will start at right tackle. The coaches love his athleticism and size.

Whitworth will start at left tackle with youngster Collins backing him up.

Defensive End:  Antwan Odom, Eric Henderson, Frostee Rucker, Michael Johnson, Dan Skuta, Robert Geathers, and Jonathan Fanene

Quick Hit: Odom and Geathers will start, but Bengals finished 31st out of 32 teams in sacks in 2008. On third downs, they need third-round draft pick Johnson to show he's a potentially elite pass-rusher.

Undrafted rookie Dan Skuta, who won two national championships at Grand Valley State, could be the biggest surprise to make the roster.

Defensive Tackle: Tank Johnson, Clinton McDonald, Domata Peko, Pernell Phillips, Jason Shirley, Pat Sims, and John Thornton

Quick Hit

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