Cincinnati Bengals: 5 Preseason Position Battles to Watch

When you think of the New England Patriots or the Green Bay Packers, you probably think "victorious" or "amazing."

In terms of the Cincinnati "Bungals" as it is—you probably just think "disaster."  Needless to say, that leads to many position battles on a young team.

Cincinnati had a very good draft, as I've said many times before.  Their team is very young and in two to four years, these Bengals are going to be one of the best in football.

Unfortunately for the Queen City, 2011 is just not going to be a playoff year.  Many think it will be a disaster, which isn't my standpoint, but it will not be a playoff one nonetheless.

The position battles this year will be interesting because the Bengals have a lot of positions that they just got too many options with.  There aren't many multi-year veterans to take the reigns, so who will be the young guns leading the charge?

DT: Tank Johnson vs. Pat Sims

Currently this hasn't been a huge battle, given the injury of Pat Sims.  In fact, both Sims and Tank Johnson have been plagued by injury in their time in Cincinnati.

Nonetheless, Johnson and Sims are big men that know how to rush a quarterback.  The rest of the defensive line is set with Robert Geathers, Domata Peko, and Carlos Dunlap.  This nose tackle battle will be interesting because both men are veterans, contrary to the "young guns" I've mentioned.

Johnson certainly has the edge, given the injury to Sims.  He has been in trouble over the years (ever wonder why he's in Cincinnati?), but if he can maintain a presence on the field, Johnson can really give offensive lines a huge fit.

Sims is certainly no slacker—he's amassed 101 tackles over three seasons with the Bengals.

With Sims possibly missing the entire preseason, this battle may not last, but it will definitely be one that picks up in the regular season.

SS: Reggie Nelson and Gibril Wilson

The most interesting part of this battle is that most people are going to know who Gibril Wilson is—he's been one of the best safeties in the league.  He's been in the league since 2004 and has picked off quarterbacks 13 times in his career.

Nelson hasn't been around as long and has picked up nine interceptions in his time.  Nelson is listed to be the starter over Wilson as of now, but Wilson should take over by week one.

I say this because of Wilson's superior experience and he has shown that he can be one of the best secondary defenders in the entire league.  He has maintained a great combination of hands and speed to be a nightmare for quarterbacks and receivers.

Nelson is not a bad player by any stretch of the imagination, but he isn't as experienced or as explosive as Wilson.  Watch for Gibril Wilson to break through in the preseason.

CB: Morgan Trent vs. Pacman Jones

Here's another battle that may be cut short due to injury, as Jones has been off and on the field.

Morgan Trent has only been in the league for a couple years, and has made 54 tackles in those two seasons, with only a single interception. 

2006 saw Pacman make 63 tackles and four picks in that season alone, but that's where it's gone downhill for him due to trouble with the law.

Jones still has something to give to the league, but it comes as unfortunate to Jones that Trent is making quite the impression in practice these days.

Jones' injury could highly influence this battle, but there may not be a true starter until week five or six.

No. 2 WR: Jerome Simpson vs. Andre Caldwell vs. Jordan Shipley

The Bengals have a corps of wide receivers that are young and highly inexperienced.  However, that is not at all implying that they're bad receivers.

A.J. Green is going to be the top receiver.  Let's establish that right now.

The number two slot is more tricky—Jordan Shipley is a second-year man out of Texas, Andre Caldwell will enter his fourth season and Jerome Simpson will do the same.

This spot should not go to Caldwell, but Cincinnati has said that it's his to lose.  In 15 games in 2010, Caldwell caught 25 passes, but none for touchdowns.

Simpson accomplished more in just three games, catching 20 balls for over 250 yards and three touchdowns.  He had finally busted out of his shell.

Shipley is probably the most deserving—being a third receiver in 2010, he managed to have 600 yards and three touchdowns. 

However it goes this preseason, these three guys will be entertaining to watch, and not in the way that Ochocinco and Owens claimed to be.

QB: Bruce Gradkowski vs. Andy Dalton

This is the one that will really have Cincinnati talking.  As all football fans know, the QB is going to be the most important position on your team.

Bruce Gradkowski is supposed to be the veteran presence in Cincinnati.  Whether or not I agree with that selection is neither here nor there, but that's what he is.

Rookie Andy Dalton has been taking the preseason starting snaps, but there is no word on who will be the regular season starter. 

Neither man performed badly last week against Detroit, but they weren't spectacular either. 

Here's what I make of Bruce Gradkowski—a man who was never great, but never a man who made a ton of mistakes. 

So it's that veteran personality against the man who won the Rose Bowl in January.  This battle will last the entire preseason.