The Cincinnati Bengals Have a Bright Future

In recent years, Cincinnati Bengals fans have dealt with their share of frustrations.  However, I feel the pain and suffering is about to end.  The Cincinnati Bengals have built a talented and youthful roster, with some big-time playmakers.

During the offseason, the Bengals dealt with the Carson Palmer retirement situation.  It brought a lot of negative press to a franchise that has been riddled with problems.  Of course, the Bengals have brought a lot of the problems on themselves.

Owner Mike Brown actually handled the Palmer situation correctly, as nobody should be able to force their way off a team.  I feel that this hard stance sent a message, while also allowing the Bengals to build towards the future.

The Palmer era was coming to an end regardless of the trade demand.  The team was widely inconsistent, having several up and down seasons.  Palmer and the passing game struggled to effectively move the football.  Cinncinnati had a lot of money tied up in Palmer, Chad Ochocinco, and Terrell Owens.  Their inability to win football games was very disappointing.

Palmer's request for a trade was a blessing in disguise.  It allowed the Bengals to start looking towards the future.  The offseason saw the Bengals add key rookies A.J. Green and Andy Dalton.  These rookie starters are teamed with emerging playmakers Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley.

As far as skill players go, Cincinnati has a young and talented core.  These players are already showing a lot of promise.  The skill players are anchored by a good offensive line.  Andrew Whitworth, Andre Smith and Clint Boling are all under 30 years old and very talented.  This week the unit returns veteran guard Bobby Williams from a suspension.

Offensively, you can argue that the Bengals are among the youngest and most talented teams in the NFL.

The Bengals defense has surrendered the least amount of total yards in the NFL.  This unit is very underrated and features some top-level talent.  They have emerging pass rushers Carlos Dunlap and Michael Johnson, who are complemented by Domata Peko and Geno Atkins in the middle.  The starting defensive line does not have anyone older than 26 lining up with them.

At linebacker, Rey Maualuga is beginning to earn a reputation as one of the better linebackers in the league.  Leon Hall and the rest of the secondary are still dealing with the loss of Jonathan Joseph.  However, Nate Clements has done a nice job filling the void.  The secondary will likely be a key focus in the offseason.

Overall, this Bengals team has a bright future.  The quick development of Andy Dalton has helped the city forget about Carson Palmer.  His name will likely only come up after the season, as a possible trade chip.