Cornerback

In 2010, the Bengals had arguably the best cornerback duo in the NFL with Leon Hall and Johnathan Joseph. However, Joseph left last offseason for Houston. They signed Nate Clements to be his replacement. The 32 year old Clements was decent, but he’s in a contract year in 2012 and he is also a declining player. Meanwhile, Leon Hall was signed long term, but tore his Achilles and is no sure thing heading into 2012. I expect them to draft one or two cornerbacks this April. They need at least one to be the long term starter after Clements, but they could use another one as depth for Hall as neither of their two depth cornerbacks, Adam Jones nor Kelly Jennings, were that great last season.

Running Back

The Bengals are going with a youth movement on offense with players like Andy Dalton, AJ Green, and Jermaine Gresham all being high picks in their last 2 drafts. However, Cedric Benson stands out like a sore thumb. Benson is a 29 year old free agent who has averaged less than 4 yards per carry in each of the last two seasons. Someone like Trent Richardson would fit in well if they were to move up for him. With 3 picks in the first 2 rounds, that’s definitely a possibility.

Guard

The Bengals had a very underrated offensive line last year, but the weak link was left guard Nate Livings, who is a free agent this offseason. At right guard, Bobbie Williams is still a good player, but he’ll turn 36 next season so that might not be the case for much longer. He’s also a free agent. They drafted Clint Boling in the 4^th round last year, but they could use another guard in the mix.

Safety

The Bengals’ safety play was so bad in 2010 that they traded for Taylor Mays. Mays barely played this season because he sucks and their safety play continued to be subpar. They could use a young, talented safety in the mix.

 

Wide Receiver

Jerome Simpson broke out this season, his first as a starter, with 50 catches for 725 yards and 4 touchdowns. However, he also got himself arrested for marijuana possession. A free agent this offseason, he is not expected back with the team so they might need a new #2 wide receiver opposite AJ Green depending on what they think of their internal options.

Offensive Tackle

Andre Smith was finally healthy for a full season and he wasn’t too bad at right tackle. But, how long will that last for? He could be a guard long term still.

Defensive Tackle

The Bengals love rotation on their defensive line, but they could use another defensive tackle for depth purposes.

Outside Linebacker

The Bengals drafted Dontay Moch in the 3^rd round last year to be their 3^rd linebacker with Rey Maualuga and Keith Rivers. However, Moch didn’t play at all this year with injuries so he might not be ready in 2012. Manny Lawson played well in his place this year, but he’s a free agent. He could be resigned to be that 3^rd linebacker in 2012. They could also use Thomas Howard in that spot. Howard was decent this season as a replacement for Keith Rivers, who also missed the year with injury. Rivers is also a question mark going into 2012.