Cincinnati Bengals: 5 Areas Cincy Needs to Improve to Get Back to the Postseason

The NFL offseason is upon us, and that can only mean one thing—all of us are going to be speculating and predicting what every team in the league must do to improve.  Naturally, it's what we do.

My focus is going to be on the Cincinnati Bengals today.  This young team shocked everyone not only by making the postseason, but simply by winning more than four games.  There was much speculation that the 2011 Bengals could even go winless and be candidates for Andrew Luck.

After a 9-7 season, things are looking way up in Cincinnati.  The problem is, the team's nine wins were against teams that didn't make the postseason—which means that, yes, they were winless against teams that did make the playoffs.  In the end, their amazing season crumbled in the Wild Card round in Houston, as the Texans routed Cincinnati 31-10.

How can Cincinnati not only get into the postseason again but also contend for the AFC North title?

Offensive Guards

I do not like Nate Livings or Mike McGlynn or Clint Boling as players.  Livings was the starting left guard, while the other two split time at right guard. 

Everyone was "so impressed" with the Bengals' offensive line.  I wasn't so much. 

I like the tackles—Andrew Whitworth is silently one of the NFL's premiere left tackles and Andre Smith is slowly beginning to prove that he actually is of first-round worth.  Center Kyle Cook is decent at best, but that'll work for now.

The guards are a problem, though.  They were very penalty-prone and weren't the ones keeping guys from getting behind them.  Whitworth and Smith were effective at their blocks, but Livings and Boling (more so than McGlynn) were terrible.

Lucas Nix out of Pittsburgh would make for a good third- or fourth-round selection to fill the void, plus there should be help available in free agency.

Running Back

This is not an article about Bernard Scott, just for the record.  He is not the problem, as he is extremely fast and shows great potential as a situational back.

This is more about the aging Cedric Benson.  He revived what seemed to be a lost career in Cincinnati and has done very well for himself over the last three seasons.  But 2011 was his worst of the three—it wasn't too bad, but 1,067 yards and six scores just isn't all that impressive.

With his contract ending, it's time for Cincinnati to move on.  Benson isn't a good complement to the passing game anymore and he tends to have some butterfingers.  The Bengals should let Benson test the free agent waters and part ways with the soon-to-be 30-year-old running back.

The big speculation right now is that Cincinnati will take running back Lamar Miller out of Miami with their first of two first-round selections.  While I like Miller, I'd love to see Cincy trade up for Trent Richardson.  As a matter of fact, given the teams that lie ahead of Cincinnati, it's not impossible that Richardson slips to the 18th spot (it's just not that likely).

Receiver to Complement A.J. Green

There's no doubt that A.J. Green is going to be Cincinnati's top receiver for the next several years, but he can't be the only one on the field (ask Larry Fitzgerald about that).

No, Green needs help.  Jerome Simpson was the No. 2 receiver in 2011, but only amassed 50 catches for 725 yards—not bad, but his off-the-field antics are growing in number.  Andrew Hawkins showed signs of being a good receiver and Ryan Whalen is a long shot.

The big question mark already on the team is Jordan Shipley, who was injured early in the season and missed basically all of 2011.  He definitely has the talent, but coming off a knee injury, you have to wonder if he'll be the same player. 

There's a lot of talent in the draft in the receiver department, and there will also be a lot of talent entering free agency—Marques Colston, perhaps?

Off-the-Field Problems

Seriously, this team just can't stay out of trouble.

No one in the front office is going to be able to change this.  The Bengals have consistently had problems with the law since 2005, and it continued just last week when Jerome Simpson was arrested again.

Cedric Benson missed a game in 2011 due to a one-game suspension after serving a small jail sentence before the season.

Stay. Out. Of. Jail!

Secondary

The big issue with the Bengals' secondary at the moment is how Leon Hall will perform after injuring his Achilles in the middle of 2011.  I feel like a cornerback coming off an Achilles injury is like a pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery.

Hall is incredibly talented but we can't be sure how he'll perform.

That leaves everyone addressing the other cornerback position—Nate Clements—and the safeties—Chris Crocker and Reggie Nelson.

Of those three men, I am okay with Nelson sticking around.  He's not the quickest safety in the game, but he makes great open-field tackles and is a decent route-reader.  Crocker, on the other hand, is not so good, and Clements' age showed as the season wore on.

If the Bengals can address their secondary in the draft and free agency, this defense will be top five in the league, no doubt.  They were in the beginning of the year, but gradually fell apart.  Get some fresh faces and younger guys, and the Bengals' defense will be one to reckon with.

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