Bengals Making A Roar

One of the biggest and earliest acquisitions of the 2010 NFL offseason, was the Cincinnati Bengals signing of wide receiver Antonio Bryant. But before taking a single snap with his new squad, the Bengals decided to release Bryant several weeks prior the start of the regular season and only five months into a 4-year deal worth a reported $28 Million dollars. Bryant did however earn a $7 Million dollar paycheck in bonuses from the team that recently let him go, despite not playing a single down. Other than spending an extra several million bucks, the move makes a little more sense considering they also have the recently acquired T.O., who just so happens to be the player they chose Bryant over in the first months of the offseason. The early release of Bryant only adds to the long list of poor personnel decisions the Bengals have built a bad reputation for having.

But even with the departure of Bryant, the Bengals are one of the more stacked teams in the wide receiver department with players such as Andre Caldwell, Jordan Shipley, and the tandem everyone is anxiously waiting to see play alongside one another -- Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. With Bryant no longer in the mix, the move creates more leeway for the T.O. & Ocho show to flourish. And with the wide variety of talented wide-outs for QB Carson Palmer to throw to, the Bengals have to be a prime candidate to repeat last year's success and make the playoffs for a second straight year given the upgrade. However, sites like Sports Illustrated would disagree, as their latest issues of the popular magazine has the Pittsburgh Steelers projected to not only make it to the Super Bowl, but to win it, beating out the Green Bay Packers, excluding the Bengals from making the Playoffs.

If you ask me, I'd say they're on one if they think Pittsburgh will win a ring with their QB Ben Roethlisberger absent for the first 4-games, if they couldn't do it last season with him present for the full year. As for my predictions, I think it'll be a division rival of the Bengals and Steelers who makes it to the big game -- the Baltimore Ravens. As for the NFC, I too believe it will be the Green Bay Packers. With that said, here's to another season of exciting Football!