Cincinnati Bengals OTAs: Latest Player Reports and Analysis

So begins the scorching summer months for the Cincinnati Bengals ahead of what some consider one of the most critical seasons in the franchise's modern history.

The Bengals head to offseason activities looking to usher in a new wave of rookies and further team chemistry before competing for yet another postseason bid.

It's a season running back Jeremy Hill classifies as "now or never," per ESPN.com's Coley Harvey.

With a sense of desperation in hand, let's take a moment to break down some of the more pertinent nuggets of information coming out of Bengals OTAs, which encompasses situations surrounding veterans, rookies and beyond.

All Things Andrew Whitworth

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Perhaps the most interesting situation surrounding the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason centers on left tackle Andrew Whitworth, who before the draft dared the team to select his replacement.

As everyone knows, the team drafted Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher in the first two rounds.

In early May, a Twitter fiasco erupted around Whitworth over tweets sent out from his account concerning his status with the team. The left tackle recently spoke with the media at OTAs about the situation, as captured by Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com:

"

Monday was a tough day for me and probably handled it in ways I shouldn't have, to be honest. To me, it's about always trying to make decisions that reflect my leadership and who I am. Because I hold myself to a high standard, I wish I maybe handled it a little better. But the real truth is, at the end of the day, I love it here, I love leading these guys and our family has always been committed to that and always will be.

"

Whitworth, 33, remains one of the best in the business at what he does, so it's worth keeping tabs on his contract situation with one year left on the paperwork and perhaps two rookies breathing down his neck.

AJ McCarron's Health

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One recognizable name who didn't make an impact last year due to injury was former Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron.

This year, McCarron seems healthy right on time, because the Cincinnati Bengals seem to have a quarterback competition behind starter Andy Dalton thanks to the addition of Terrelle Pryor.

For his part, McCarron made a point at OTAs to tell the media he's back to 100 percent and ready for a fresh start.

"I feel like I'm throwing better than I ever have," he said, per Jim Owczarski of Cincinnati.com. "Some of the coaches have come to me and told me I look like a totally different person than what they even saw at the end of last season."

If McCarron feels as good as he sounds, the next step is to take the sideline knowledge acquired last year and apply it to his on-field development, which could give the Bengals a better backup situation in the present and options down the road, too.

Terrelle Pryor's Future

Gary Landers/Associated Press

Stick with the Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback situation for a moment.

There seems to be a sense Terrelle Pryor can turn his career around under the guidance of Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson, who acted as Pryor's head coach in Oakland.

While the notion may come to fruition, it's important to understand Pryor might be on his last NFL chance, one he seems to self-impose on himself.

In camp, Pryor told Paul Dehner Jr. of Cincinnati.com, "If I can't play quarterback, I can't play football, I'm pretty much done."

Should the Bengals choose to keep just two quarterbacks on the final 53-man roster so they don't sacrifice depth at other spots, Pryor will need to outduel the healthy AJ McCarron. Based on the varying skill sets, age and upside, it makes for one of the most interesting battles on the roster.

Meet Tom Obarski

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Meet Tom Obarski, the Cincinnati Bengals' newest kicker.

Mike Nugent remains on the roster, yes, but there's no such thing as too much depth at any position, so the team inked Obarski to a standard three-year deal this past week, per Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com.

Special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons wants to make it clear the move isn't just to have more bodies for the summer, either, per Tomasson:

"

I don't believe in just bringing in camp leg. If we're going to bring somebody in, we're going to bring somebody in that is competition for a spot. I don't want to waste somebody else's time, and I certainly don't want to waste my own time on developing somebody who's not going to be here anyway.

"

It's clear the Bengals are pulling out all the stops to make sure even the most boring (or secure) positions, such as quarterback and kicker, have nice insurance policies.

Nugent doesn't figure to lose his job, but a shaky summer and preseason can change such a thought in a hurry, so watch out.

Tyler Kroft's Role

Gary Landers/Associated Press

While it seemed obvious the Cincinnati Bengals would select a tight end in the mid-rounds of the 2015 NFL draft with Jermaine Gresham gone and Tyler Eifert coming off an injury, Rutgers' Tyler Kroft might not have been the guy most expected. 

The Bengals selected him, though, and according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, he was the team's highest-graded player at the position, too.

So far, so good for Kroft, too, as Cincinnati.com's Jim Owczarski reveals lingering questions around Kroft's versatility seem a thing of the past based on performances at OTAs:

"A big question about the tight ends the Bengals drafted is if they could get into a three-point stance and execute blocks and get off the line. While all line play observations in a minicamp deserve a bit of a hedge, Kroft at least looked comfortable in all facets."

If Kroft can continue to develop as a blocker and adapt to the pro level at a solid rate, he might be the surprise of the 2015 class as a rookie who makes the biggest impact in his debut season. 

The daunting summer remains young, but Kroft is a big winner out of the gates.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of May 19. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.