8 Early Winners and Losers of the Cincinnati Bengals Offseason

The Cincinnati Bengals will grab the limelight once again this Summer when they return to HBO's Hard Knocks.

This fresh-faced and hungry young team will have no place to hide when cameras descend on Cincinnati.

And, there's certainly no shortage of story lines waiting to be seen.

The Bengals have an unprecedented opportunity to showcase their abilities over the coming months. 

So let's take a look at who's making the most of it and who's falling flat.

Here's eight early winners and losers of the Cincinnati Bengals offseason.

WINNER : The Fans

On Monday the Cincinnati Bengals officially announced their return to Hard Knocks.

The HBO series has been wildly popular with fans, and the Bengals are making their second appearance.

Following their 2009 stint, Cincy went on to win the AFC North.

They're now a very different team to the one that last appeared on the show. Chad Johnson and Carson Palmer are gone, and Andy Dalton and A.J. Green are set to be the stars.

It's debatable whether or not another appearance will do much to help or hinder the Bengals in 2013.

But, having gone through the process before, Marvin Lewis and the Bengals front office know exactly what to expect and how to handle the potential distraction this could bring.

LOSER: Andre Smith

Just when you thought the Bengals were out of the woods, Andre Smith returned to his disappointing ways.

Smith signed a three-year $18 million deal back in April after failing to attract much interest as a free agent.

Following that, he skipped voluntary OTA's and no-showed at the Bengals mandatory minicamp.

Marvin Lewis was not best pleased with his freshly re-signed right tackle:

"I think we all have to make choices once in a while in life that we pay a cost for...In this case I have to do it that way. I have to be fair, I mean, we are not necessarily dealing with a death in the family or something like that or your wife is having a baby or so forth. In this case, this is something there has to be ramifications from this."

Smith had an impressive year in 2012, but with a new contract signed and sealed, it'll be interesting to see if his level of play falls off. 

WINNER: Gio Bernard

Big things are expected from Giovani Bernard in 2013, so it's a good job he's getting rave reviews.

Marvin Lewis has spoken highly of the former UNC running back, drawing particular attention to his impressive work-ethic.

If Bernard continues to turn heads as we get closer to opening day, we could see him really challenging BenJarvus Green-Ellis for carries.

Green-Ellis will most likely stay in pole-position on the depth chart, but he won't be a feature back. 

This two-headed running attack is set to be one of the story-lines of the season for Bengals fans. We'll get our first glimpse in August on Hard Knocks.

LOSER: Adam Jones

Earlier this month Adam Jones was arrested for allegedly hitting a woman at a nightclub in Cincinnati.

Footage of the altercation emerged on the internet shortly afterwards.

Jones has since claimed that he was acting in self-defence.

It's yet another disappointing moment in a career plagued by poor decisions.

Jones has turned things around in Cincinnati, becoming a valuable and popular member of the roster. He's spent the last few years trying to show that he's turned the page, and in a matter of seconds he's undone all of his hard work.

WINNER: Rey Maualuga

Rey Maualuga enters 2013 with a generous contract under is belt.

He was given a two-year $6.5 million deal which proved a surprise to many.

Considering the underwhelming contribution Maualuga made in 2012, many had expected Vontaze Burfict to shift into the MLB role this year.

So far, we've no signs that this will be the case. 

Rey Maualuga seems to have done enough to earn the faith of his coaches even if the fans are clamouring for his head.

As things stand, we'll see James Harrison at SAM, Rey Maualuga at MLB and Vontaze Burfict at WILL. However, Cincy Jungle have reported that the Bengals are spending considerable time focusing on their nickel package, which leaves Rey sidelined.

LOSER: Orson Charles

Orson Charles should not be in the situation he's in.

However, with Tyler Eifert and Jermaine Gresham locked in to bigger roles with the offense and recent addition Alex Smith having a great offseason, the water has been muddied for Charles.

He's clearly aware of the dwindling playing time headed his way and has elected to transition to the Bengals paper-thin full-back corps.

Jay Gruden says Charles is getting to grips with the nuances of the run game:

“It’s just a matter of how you go about your business as far as run block from that position, cutting off and getting back to linebackers is different than from a fullback position,” Gruden said. “On the outside zones, inside zones, leading up on linebackers, it’s a different approach. He’s fighting through that, he’s learning that.”

With Chris Pressley nursing a quad injury and John Conner the only other full back on the team, the outlook is good for Charles.

But, a year ago we were expecting to see endless streams of Charles/Gresham two TE sets. Now, Charles faces losing out to both Eifert and Smith. 

He needs a strong training camp to get his name back in the mix where it belongs.

WINNER: Alex Smith

Following the Bengals mandatory minicamp, the Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy noted positive reviews of TE Alex Smith:

"

Gruden pointed out one player having an outstanding offseason program has been free agent tight end Alex Smith. The former Browns TE and Dalton nearly connected on a nice double move down the sideline Wednesday. It’s obvious how well he’s done fitting in to this point and adds to the depth at what last year was a paper-thin position.

"

Smith spent the last three seasons with the Cleveland Browns, where he took on more of a flex-back role.

Where he factors in for the Bengals has yet to be revealed. It would be reasonable to believe that he could become the number three tight end on the roster when the season kicks off.

He's making the most of the offseason, having caught a TD pass from Andy Dalton to round out the final day of minicamps on a high note.

LOSER: Dre Kirkpatrick

Which Bengals rookies are you most excited to see in 2013?

Gio Bernard? Tyler Eifert? Margus Hunt?

How about Dre Kirkpatrick?

He's not a rookie, but given how little we saw of Kirkpatrick in 2012, he certainly seems like one.

The injury-plagued corner says he's determined to start this year. His comments are admirable if a little far-fetched. But, he does hope to be back by training camp.

Cincy Jungle recently asked Kirkpatrick about his status and summarised his response as:

"

While he did not come out and say he was back to 100%, he did say the knee was coming along fine.

"

His latest surgery came in early 2013. It was designed to clean out his knee and help it get back to full strength.

There seems to be no official timetable on his return, which makes you question whether his training camp goal is a little optimistic.

Kirkpatrick's struggles to regain fitness could well factor in to HBO's plans this Summer.