Report Card Grades for Every Positional Unit on Cincinnati Bengals' Roster

Now that all the roster additions through free agency and the 2012 NFL draft seem to be wrapping it up, it is a good time to grade each positional unit of the Cincinnati Bengals. 

The Bengals are a team on the rise thanks to the suddenly great player personnel decisions in the past three years. For the first time in a long time, there is not a positional unit on the Bengals that one can point out as the glaring weakness for the team.

Positional units are not only ranked on the quality of the starters, but the quality of the depth behind them as well. Having good starters is one thing, but in a league as brutal as the NFL, having quality backups helps to differentiate the very good teams from the elite teams. 

Here are report card grades for every positional unit on the Cincinnati Bengals' roster.

Quarterback

The Bengals are in a good position at quarterback. Second-year player Andy Dalton performed like a veteran last season despite a shortened offseason and attempting to adapt to the NFL. 

Dalton is as susceptible to the sophomore slump as anyone else, but it is all good news so far this offseason. He has put on more weight and improved his arm strength, which was his one glaring weakness during his rookie campaign.

Behind Dalton is a veteran backup in Bruce Gradkowski, who not only serves as a mentor to Dalton, but a more than capable quarterback on the field should Dalton suffer an injury. 

Grade: B

The Bengals have someone in Dalton who they believe is the quarterback of the future, and a backup that can guide him along that path. 

Running Back

The Cincinnati Bengals brought in former New England Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis this season to replace Cedric Benson. 

Green-Ellis is a minuscule upgrade over Benson in that he better fits the offense the Bengals are trying to run. The two had similar numbers last year, and that could be a cause of concern for Cincinnati. Green-Ellis was the benefactor of having Tom Brady at quarterback, so he often did not face many defenders in the box.

Behind him in the committee is Bernard Scott, a scat back who can reach the endzone on any play. There is also the reliable Brian Leonard, who has an ability to pick up crucial third downs. Finally, there is Cedric Peerman, the special-teams all-star, who will fight with rookie Dan Herron for a roster spot.

Grade: C

The Bengals' running-back unit is about the same from a year ago, albeit a little younger and with a better attitude. That could be serviceable enough as long as the rest of the offense progresses. 

Tight End

At tight end, the Cincinnati Bengals suddenly have a surprising amount of depth. Last year's starter Jermaine Gresham has the potential to be one of the better players in the league at his position thanks to his all-around ability, which includes run blocking and catching passes. 

After Gresham is the wily veteran Donald Lee, who was a nice surprise for the offense late last season. He will fight for a roster spot with Colin Cochart and rookie Orson Charles. Cochart has shown flashes of great versatility at the position while Charles is almost a carbon copy of Gresham. 

Grade: B+

The Bengals have the right amount of potential and veteran presence at the position. Gresham is a star, and Charles could very well work his way up to that status in the Bengals' offensive scheme. 

Wide Receiver

The Cincinnati Bengals have a top-15 receiver in A.J. Green, a player who will only continue to improve as he learns more about the position this offseason.

However, the depth behind Green is a bit murky after losing both Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson to free agency. The Bengals believe they have a solid contributor in Armonn Binns, but he has struggled to make an impact yet. 

The team also drafted Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu in the 2012 NFL draft. Both have a shot at seeing time at the No. 2 spot on the field. Jordan Shipley will reprise his role in the slot, with Andrew Hawkins seeing some time there as well.  

Grade: A

The Bengals have the ideal NFL receiving unit. The team has the stud No. 1 receiver every quarterback hopes for, and a reliable slot receiver that catches everything thrown his way. There is a committee for the No. 2 spot right now, but the amount of candidates is staggering.

With the Bengals wide receivers and tight ends, they could have one of the best passing attacks in the entire NFL next season depending on how Andy Dalton and the offensive line plays. 

Offensive Line

Speaking of the offensive line, the unit is poised to be a strength for the Cincinnati Bengals next year. Andrew Whitworth still holds down the left-tackle spot as one of the most underrated in the NFL. Andre Smith is set at the right tackle position after having a breakout season last year. 

At left guard, the Bengals brought in Travelle Wharton, a clear upgrade over last year's starter Nate Livings. On the right side, the team used a first-round pick on Kevin Zeitler, who might not be as good as Bobbie Williams from a year ago, but he has long-term potential.

The real weakness on the line is at the center position with Kyle Cook. He is unable to get a massive push in the run game and typically relies on those around him in pass protection. Cook is not horrible by any means, but an upgrade is in order sooner rather than later. 

Grade: B

The real strength of the Bengals' offensive line is its impressive depth. Anthony Collins is back, and he could be a starter on some teams. He is a swing tackle that backs up both right and left tackle. Otis Hudson and Clint Boling are promising young backups, and Dennis Roland has been solid in spot duty. 

Defensive Line

The Cincinnati Bengals may have found one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL in Geno Atkis. He is the best pass-rushing tackle in the NFL and is stout in run defense as well.

Atkins pairs with a rotation of Domata Peko, Pat Sims and rookies Brandon Thompson and Devon Still. Peko is adequate at filling running lanes but is much more important as the vocal leader of the defense at this point.

Thompson and Still are intriguing young players who have the potential to be contributors right away thanks to the deep rotation defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer utilizes.

At the ends of the line, the Bengals lost Frostee Rucker and Jonathan Fanene to free agency. To fill the gap, the team brought in first-round busts Derrick Harvey and Jamaal Anderson. Robert Geathers is still a starter as he is adequate at both defending the run and pass. 

The keys to the pass rush for the Bengals are ends Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap. Both were inconsistent last season; Johnson wore down as the season progressed, and Dunlap could not stay healthy last season.

Grade: C+

Depth and inconsistency at defensive end hurt the grade here. Losing two key contributors and replacing them with busts is a huge risk.

A 4-3 defense relies solely on the ends for a consistent pass rush, and the Bengals only have one player at that position in Dunlap who has proven he can get to the quarterback if he is 100 percent healthy. 

Linebacker

Linebacker is quietly one of the more talented units for the Cincinnati Bengals. The starters are the same as last year with Thomas Howard, Rey Maualuga and Manny Lawson returning. All are solid when healthy, a problem that has been jeopardizing Maualuga's status as the starter.

The depth is where this unit rises above most. Dan Skuta is a great backup that can play multiple positions and was seeing snaps in the playoff game last year. Roddrick Muckelroy returns from injury and is a capable middle linebacker. 

The speedy Dontay Moch is going to be an invaluable pass-rushing presence if he can stay healthy, and Vincent Rey is yet another quality backup. There is also the well publicized Vontaze Burfict, who is a long shot to make the final roster. 

Grade: B+

Going into next season, the Bengals have two above-average starters, with Howard being the one exceptional starter. The depth of the unit is impressive, and if the starters are not careful, they could be losing their jobs soon. 

Cornerback

The Cincinnati Bengals have learned from their mistakes from a year ago and have ensured the team has an overwhelming amount of depth at the cornerback unit. 

Last season, the team was burned as Leon Hall went down with an injury, forcing the team's punt returner, Adam Jones, to act as the No. 1 corner across from Nate Clements. 

The three aforementioned players return this season. Hall is an unknown as he recovers, and Jones will again see the majority of his duties switch back to special teams. The Bengals signed free agents Terence Newman and Jason Allen to ensure depth.

Finally, Cincinnati drafted Dre Kirkpatrick and Shaun Prater in the 2012 NFL draft. Kirkpatrick could push to start, but he has had issues with health already. Brandon Ghee is still on the roster as well but is on the outside looking in at this point.

Grade: C

There are a lot of question marks with this unit. Hall may never be the same after such a devastating injury, and all of the veterans are prone to regressing or simply giving up the big play.

The youngsters of the unit are unproven at best, and a trial by fire would be unwise. The unit has a long way to go before it climbs back into the upper echelons of the NFL. 

Safety

The Cincinnati Bengals had quite the scare this offseason as starting free safety Reggie Nelson almost left for greener pastures via free agency. However, Nelson is back in the fold for the foreseeable future. 

As of now, the starting strong safety appears to be the young Taylor Mays who takes the reigns from the recently released Chris Crocker. Mays has difficulty reading and reacting to plays, but he has the sheer athleticism to put himself in a good position most of the time. 

Behind the starters sit young players such as Robert Sands and Jeromy Miles, along with rookie George Iloka. Sands is still attempting to adapt to the NFL, while Miles is a huge special-teams contributor. Iloka has impressed thus far in camp and could play a rotational role next season if he continues on this path. 

Grade: C

The unit overall is still green with inexperience. Mays could be a complete bust at strong safety; he certainly was in San Francisco. Nelson is solid but still consistently makes mistakes. The backups have no starting experience whatsoever.  

Special Teams

Mike Nugent returns as the kicker this year for the Cincinnati Bengals, while Kevin Huber is back as the punter. Nugent is a solid kicker, but some more consistency as the season wears on would be helpful. Huber is average at best, but there is no competition for him in camp so the team appears to believe in him.

For returning punts, the team is likely looking at corner Adam Jones, who is one of the best in the league when healthy. Receiver Jordan Shipley will likely field the punts if Jones suffers an injury.

The Bengals used a few different pieces to return kickoffs last season and will likely do so again in 2012. Last year Brandon Tate, Bernard Scott and Cedric Peerman saw time returning kicks, and they will likely have a chance this year as well. Sprinkle in Andrew Hawkins and Marvin Jones, and the team certainly does not lack options when it cones to returning kickoffs. 

On the defensive side of things, the Bengals being one of the younger and deeper teams in the NFL helps. Players like Cedric Peerman, Dan Skuta, Vincent Rey, Brandon Ghee and more make for solid kick and punt coverage. 

Grade: B-

Huber really brings down the grade here as does Nugent's regression over the course of a season. The Bengals have a solid group of returners and a solid crop of special teams players to defend kick returns. 

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