Predicting Cincinnati Bengals' First Wave of Roster Cuts

There are no easy decisions in the NFL when it comes to summer roster cuts, but it's easy to think the Cincinnati Bengals have it more difficult than most. 

So it goes when coach Marvin Lewis and his staff continue to excel in draft after draft. It's been an odd cut year for the Bengals already, with names like Mike Pollak and Greg Little being shown the door (the latter's back) and one of the team's longest-tenured players, Robert Geathers, also cut earlier this year.

Expect things to get crazier as the summer advances and morphs to fall thanks to impressive depth at most spots.

For now, the first cuts should prove rather timid as the coaching staff trims the fat off several areas. Here's a look at some notable projected first cuts based on roster needs, performance and more.

Onterio McCalebb, WR

Al Behrman/Associated Press

With outstanding depth at cornerback, former Auburn star Onterio McCalebb made the switch earlier this offseason to wide receiver.

In this case, there's no smoke screen—it's a last-ditch effort by the coaching staff to give McCalebb a shot at the final roster. He was never going to get past the starting three at corner, let alone two former first-round picks.

At wideout, though, McCalebb could carve out a niche as a returner. In college, he took back two kickoffs for touchdowns, and it's what the Bengals are trying to do with him this summer, as ESPN.com's Coley Harvey tweeted: "Heard at end of minicamp this might happen, but new WR Onterio McCalebb is getting some chances at back end of KR rotation. #Bengals"

Still, the team has Brandon Tate and seventh-round rookie Mario Alford for the job, not to mention proven contributors such as Adam Jones and Giovani Bernard. More often than not, experiments are the first thing to go in opening cuts. This year won't be an exception for the deep Bengals.

Tanner Hawkinson, OL

The Bengals did everything right this offseason to ensure the present and future at offensive tackle and across the line as a whole. 

Not only did the team bring back Eric Winston after a successful late-season stint, it drafted Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi in the first two rounds of the draft. With Andrew Whitworth and Andre Smith perhaps on the way out, the approach made sense.

The above makes life difficult for 2013 fifth-round pick Tanner Hawkinson, though. He's a high-upside player, but his odds of performing better than Winston in a backup role this summer are not great.

Cincinnati, given its contending status these past few years, couldn't afford to wait. It happens, although it's hard to imagine Hawkinson won't get a shot elsewhere.

Brandon Ghee, CB

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Corner isn't an easy puzzle to figure out in Cincinnati.

Leon Hall, Adam Jones and Dre Kirkpatrick are the starters, with Darqueze Dennard right behind. There are also promising rookies Josh Shaw and Troy Hill (undrafted), as well as veterans such as Brandon Ghee and Chris Lewis-Harris.

Much of the cut decisions come down to how the Bengals want to reach their 10 defensive backs on the 53. It's a matter of four or five safeties, or five or six corners.

Versatility comes to mind. Ghee has proven a steady backup in recent years with a few different teams, but odds are the Bengals want to go the youth route this time. Ghee is 28 years old and has never appeared in more than 10 games in a season.

Injuries will have a say at corner, as they always seem to do, but if all things remain equal, look for the Bengals to go with youth.

Terrell Watson, RB

The Bengals seem to do this every year: nab a solid young running back and stash him on the practice squad in case of emergency.

This year, the role seems to belong to Terrell Watson out of Azusa Pacific. The depth chart above him isn't hard to figure out. Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill rotate as starters. Rex Burkhead is a third-down back who can line up at wideout. Cedric Peerman is the special teams ace. James Wilder Jr. is a bulky back who might see time at fullback.

As for Watson, NFL.com's Lance Zierlein penned an interesting bottom line before the draft: "Upright power back with a bit more foot quickness than expected. Watson can make defenders miss in the hole, but he lacks the burst NFL teams will be looking for. His nose for the end zone is intriguing and he's worth a camp invite."

Watson could surprise, but right now, he seems a lock for taking a bow and staying with the team via other measures.

Pat Sims, DT

Al Behrman/Associated Press

Barring a major surprise, the Cincinnati Bengals are not going to keep five defensive tackles on the roster. 

There's no point—on passing downs, guys like Wallace Gilberry, rookie Marcus Hardison and others can kick inside. As the team has shown year after year, it's easier to keep five or six versatile ends than five plodding tackles.

This creates a rough spot for the Bengals, though. The team still has—at least for now—Domata Peko starting next to Geno Atkins, with Brandon Thompson, Devon Still and Pat Sims behind them.

Sims looks like the odd man out if Still and Thompson show any sign of upside and the coaching staff's love for Peko holds strong. He's going into his age-30 season and is as one-dimensional as Peko, so the coaching staff will need to decide which one gets shown the door.

Odds are the brief reunion tour ends soon. Sims has appeared in all 32 games over the course of his past two seasons and will find a team wanting to put him on the field, but Cincinnati is too deep, unless one of the younger guys fails to show anything in camp.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of August 2. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.