The Bengals have one of the stronger passing attacks in the league, but most of that production comes from the wide receiver positions.  The club hopes the signing of former Colts’ tight end Ben Utecht adds balance to their attack.

Utecht was primarily a backup behind Dallas Clark with the Colts, but saw a lot of snaps the past couple seasons as the number two guy and was productive as a starter when Clark was out of the lineup. 

The Bengals hope Utecht can provide them more production in the passing game from the tight end position.  Reggie Kelly has been a decent pass catcher, but his value remains in the run game at the line of scrimmage. 

Utecht has worked himself into an adequate positional type blocker off the line of scrimmage, but most of his assignments will be in the passing game.  He’s a pretty good athlete.  He’s not great off the line and can be neutralized if linebackers focus on jamming him off the line, but he knows how to get open if you scheme him properly in the slot.  He has enough size and speed to create favorable matchups within the intermediate passing game. 

The only question with Utecht is how much more can the Bengals ask of him than he gave Indianapolis in terms of snaps.  Durability has always been one question that surrounds Utecht with many scouts and personnel types around the league. 

In some other recent moves around the league, one of the sleeper signings this spring could be Cleveland’s addition of linebacker Shantee Orr.  Orr is a natural 3-4 linebacker who has good burst off the edge and long arms as a pass rusher.  He’s been stuck playing within the Texans’ 4-3 scheme the past couple seasons.  Orr should fit well in Cleveland with his workman-like mentality and find a role as a pass rusher. 

The Patriots continue to restock on veteran cornerbacks after getting cleaned out here early in the free agent period with the signing of Fernando Bryant last week.  Bryant has been nicked up a lot throughout his career and doesn’t make many plays, but he’s an experienced cover guy who played adequately to solid in Rod Marinelli’s zone scheme in Detroit. 

Carolina added a stop-gap to stabilize their secondary for next season with the recent addition of Terrence Holt to pair with Chris Harris at the safety positions.  Holt has a lot of limitations in man coverage and is very erratic in run support, but provides some veteran leadership and does a passable job in zone coverage.  He shows enough intelligence on the field to help lineup the rest of the secondary.  That is something the Panthers needed in their secondary at this stage. 

I liked the move by Minnesota to add former Kansas City defensive back Benny Sapp.  Sapp is strictly a role player, but plays hard and does everything that is asked of him.  He’s aggressive on special teams.  He has too many limitations in the secondary to play outside the slot, but handles limited assignments well out of the slot – especially as a blitzer. 

Rookies Marvin White and Chinedum Ndukwe lined up as the starting safeties for Cincinnati’s interstate battle against Cleveland.  This is a sign of things to come in the Bengals’ secondary for 2008.

White and Ndukwe have intrigued coaches throughout the summer and into the regular season.  They quickly established themselves as backups behind Madieu Williams and Dexter Jackson.  Williams will be a free agent this coming spring.  He’ll likely be overpaid by somebody else.  Jackson is a stop-gap veteran with limitations.  That means the Bengals could go into the 2008 season with White and Ndukwe as full-time starters. 

White has displayed fairly good speed and loves to hit people.  He’s very strong in run support and plays with a lot of intensity.  White just needs more experience and repetitions this spring to improve his command of the defense and learning how to recognize things better on the field.

Ndukwe has a better feel for the mental side of the game and has flashed the ability to make plays.  He covers a lot of ground and displays good burst to the ball in the air.  He plays hard and has good size in the box. 

Overall, the Bengals are developing a young core in the secondary with another rookie – cornerback Leon Hall and second-year man Jonathan Joseph.  Hall displayed good toughness to re-route receivers and plays instinctively for a rookie.  Joseph is a good athlete and flashes a lot of ability as a cover guy, but still needs more repetitions to continue working on his instincts.  Joseph was rusty for much of the year after returning from a broken foot. 

Pete Kendall and the Washington Redskins needed each other.  Kendall was part of a prolonged exile with the Jets throughout the past several months after sparring with team officials over his contract.  Meanwhile, the Redskins had a hole along their offensive line after allowing Derrick Dockery to sign with Buffalo early in the spring.

The Redskins tried to fill Dockery’s spot at left guard with veteran tackle Todd Wade.   Wade has excellent size and power, but struggled to make the transition from being a career right tackle to moving to the left side to play inside.  Wade never found a comfort zone at that spot with his techniques and feel for the position. 

Enter Pete Kendall.  Kendall is 34 years old, but remains a solid veteran presence and has graded well at left guard over the past couple seasons with the Jets.  Kendall lacks the lower body strength to consistently move guys off the line, but he’s a tough, nasty blocker who plays with tremendous technique. 

Kendall’s addition bolsters the club’s veteran stability upfront and a strong ground game will work together to support a young quarterback in Jason Campbell. 

Chiefs make right decision at quarterback: I believe the Chiefs made the right decision by naming Damon Huard the starting quarterback heading into the season.  Brodie Croyle has intriguing physical tools and the Chiefs were hoping he could win the job coming out of training camp, but he made too many mistakes with the football.  Huard has limitations, but he’s a steady veteran who protects the football.  He gives the Chiefs the best opportunity to win at the beginning of the season.  Huard is also respected by many veterans on the team. 

At some point, the Chiefs need to answer the question on Croyle.  There’s no debate he has the physical tools and makeup to become a starting quarterback.  The Chiefs have to find the right time to hand the reins to Croyle with the understanding that there will be growing pains.  The Chiefs must learn if Croyle can handle the physical demands of being a starting quarterback in the National Football League after questions about his durability surfaced during his college career.  And ultimately, they have to determine whether he can lift the team to a higher level and display the mental toughness to eventually become a long-term fixture at quarterback for their franchise. 

Bengals add depth: Cincinnati made a solid move by adding veteran linebacker Lemar Marshall.  Marshall has experience at both the weak side and in the middle.  He’s not very big, but he’s smart and plays to his assignments.  Marshall is also solid in pass coverage.  He replaces what they lost when they cut Brian Simmons last spring.  Marshall is coming off a subpar 2006 season as a starter in the middle with the Redskins, but was slowed by some knee and ankle problems.  Marshall bolsters the Bengals’ depth at linebacker.  Ed Hartwell began camp in competition on the weakside, but is taking a lot of reps at middle linebacker now to act as insurance if Ahmad Brooks can’t handle the mental responsibilities that comes with the position.  But Hartwell lacks the speed that Marvin Lewis wants in the middle and has a history of knee problems the past couple years. 

Gaither pushing for starting spot with Ravens: Rookie Jared Gaither has opened a lot of eyes during training camp.  Gaither was highly coveted by the Ravens coming out of the Supplemental Draft for his incredible size and upside, but there were questions about his mental toughness and work ethic.  But he’s been a surprise thus far.  He’s worked hard and hasn’t backed down in practice.  He’s been moving well and matching up well in pass protection.  The Ravens planned on allowing Gaither to settle into the left tackle position behind Jonathan Odgen this season, but he could open the season as the starting right tackle ahead of Adam Terry. 

Quarterback derby heats up in Cleveland: While Brady Quinn has opened a lot of eyes during the exhibition season, the question remains on what will happen with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson.  Frye will likely get the opening game nod despite Quinn’s intriguing performances.  The Browns will likely also keep Ken Dorsey.  Dorsey is extremely smart and has a tremendous understanding of Rob Chudzinski’s scheme.  He’s been an invaluable resource for Quinn thus far.  But will the Browns keep four quarterbacks to open the season?  A few teams are keeping an eye on this situation as there is interest in Derek Anderson.  Anderson needs to learn to make better decisions with the football and isn’t very mobile, but has good size and scouts like the way he throws the ball. 

A lot of eyebrows were raised when word got out around the league that the Philadelphia Eagles released veteran linebacker Jeremiah Trotter. 

Trotter faded down the stretch last season as his knees continued to deteriorate.  He wasn’t getting to as many plays against the run and has been a liability against the pass.  He dropped a lot of weight this past spring to take some pressure off his knees and was moving better during the off-season.  But Eagles’ coach Andy Reid was happy with the progress of his young linebackers and felt now was the right time to make the move.  The Eagles will miss the leadership Trotter provided.  He was a major component of the soul of this Eagles’ team.  But the Eagles still have the heart of this team – Brian Dawkins - and Takeo Spikes will be a solid veteran leader at linebacker. 

Omar Gaither will make a few mistakes with only five starts under his belt, but he’ll grow into the position as he gains more experience.  Gaither has good ball awareness and is often around the ball.  He’ll be active against the run if the Eagles protect him upfront.  And most importantly, Gaither provides good range against the pass. 

Vikings add depth at wide receiver: If healthy, former Packer Robert Ferguson can provide some help at wide receiver.  He’s very strong and has the speed to stretch the field, but he’s still a little unpolished in many aspects of the game since he’s lost a lot of development time with injuries throughout his career.  If Ferguson can contribute on a consistent basis, he’ll take pressure off rushing their intriguing rookie class of receivers into key roles this season.  Bobby Wade is their most accomplished veteran, but is just an adequate slot receiver with good skills after the catch, but inconsistent hands.  Troy Williamson has the speed to stretch the ball and has shown more consistency with his ball skills this summer.  Rookie Sidney Rice could be eased into the passing game – especially in red zone situations. 

Raiders try to bolster front four: A lot of people were surprised at the trade to acquire Denver’s Gerard Warren, but the Raiders view this as an opportunity to bolster their strong defense.  Rob Ryan loves to generate pressure with his front four and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.  That’s what Warren brings when he’s healthy.  Warren loves to shoot gaps and make plays in the opposing backfield.  Warren battled a lot of nagging injuries last season, but had a tremendous season in 2005 with Denver.  Terdell Sands and Tommy Kelly have battled to gain most of the snaps next to Warren Sapp, but neither is a disruptive player.  Sands is strong against the run and can clog the interior.  Kelly is versatile enough to play some tackle and end, but has never played up to his strength against the run inside.  Anttaj Hawthorne has flashed some natural instincts at times, but lacks ideal quickness, strength, and intensity to make a difference on the field.  The addition of Warren also gives the Raiders some options with Sapp.  Although Sapp is coming off a solid season and is in tremendous shape after dropping a lot of weight this past spring, he’s also 34 years old.  The Raiders are considering various exit strategies with Sapp.

Payne comes home: Seth Payne and the Jaguars are a strong match.  Payne loves Jacksonville and the Jaguars need insurance at defensive tackle.  Marcus Stroud and John Henderson are the strength of the Jaguars with their ability to shut down run lanes inside and protect their host of athletes at linebackers.  But Stroud is still working his way into form following ankle surgery and backup Tony McDaniel has moved outside due to injuries at defensive end.  Payne is a very strong interior player who can clog lanes inside against the run.  Payne can’t be counted on these days as a starter due to his injury of knee problems – including a torn ACL last October – but should be a solid backup.

Bengals lost pass rush depth: Losing linebacker Eric Henderson with a fractured wrist is a blow to the Bengals’ defense.  Henderson possessed a lot of natural pass rush ability and was expected to provide depth in their pass rush behind Robert Geathers and Justin Smith.  Henderson actually has more pass rush ability than Smith with his natural instincts and technique.  Jonathan Fanene could now have an opportunity to play off the edge in pass rush situations.  Fanene comes off the ball well and has upside as a pass rusher.  Unfortunately, Fanene is raw and hasn’t had enough snaps as a pass rusher to develop his techniques and moves. 

Erasmus James is back on the field again following a long battle back from a 2006 knee injury.  His return to the starting lineup won’t be easy with the development of Ray Edwards.  Edwards flashed natural pass rush ability and athleticism coming off the perimeter last season and has built upon this during the spring and into training camp.  Edwards has continued to develop as a pass rusher and has added bulk to become respectable against the run.  Edwards has a good opportunity to post double digit sacks. 

In other news with the Vikings, not many people are talking about the addition of former Dolphin defensive tackle Fred Evans.  Keep an eye on this move.  Evans was let go by Miami after a series of off-field incidents, but has tremendous potential.  His blend of size and power makes him an ideal fit to significantly upgrade their interior rotation behind Pat Williams and Kevin Williams.  Evans plays with a lot of intensity and shows good on-field smarts for a young veteran.  He’ll learn a lot from Pat Williams over the next several months and could step in the starting lineup in 2008 if they failed to re-sign Williams. 

Bengals: Losing rookie Kenny Irons to a knee injury was a blow for the Bengals’ at running back.  Rudi Johnson is expected to have another solid year pounding away at opposing defenses, but the Bengals wanted a versatile back who could push Johnson and enhance their depth – especially with the uncertain future of Chris Perry.  Unheralded Kenny Watson will again be called upon to fill a key role in the backfield.  Watson lacks the speed to bring diversity to the backfield, but is a tough inside runner who is also very efficient in the passing game.  Quincy Wilson will also have an opportunity to establish himself in a backup role.  Wilson is a very tough runner between the tackles, but lacks speed and needs a lot of polish in the passing game. 

Jaguars: The addition of veteran Sammy Knight was a very smart move by the Jacksonville front office.  The Jaguars decided to go with youth at safety with Reggie Nelson and Gerald Sensabaugh.  Both bring good athleticism and the ability to make plays on the ball, but lack experience.  Josh Gattis and Nick Sorensen have failed to distinguish themselves as backups and also lack experience.  Knight has very limited athletic skills, but is a savvy veteran who is like another coach on the field.  Expect Knight to provide strong support and insurance in the secondary for the Jaguars.

Jets: Sione Pouha has been a washout prior to this season for the Jets and missed last season with a knee injury.  But keep an eye on Pouha throughout the preseason.  Pouha was envisioned as a future nose tackle a few years ago with his blend of size and natural strength at the point of attack, but he played more too passively on the field.  Coming off the knee injury, Pouha has finally awaken after reporting to camp in tremendous shape and an improved mindset.  Pouha still enough bulk to develop at the nose tackle position, where the Jets have struggled to clog gaps against the run.  Dewayne Robertson has worked hard enough to be decent, but is more of a one-gap defender than a nose tackle type, which has created some problems for the Jets in establishing a strong run defense.  

Cardinals: I believe Arizona will have a tough time replacing Chike Okeafor, who is out for the season following a torn biceps tendon.  Okeafor was a proven veteran pass rusher, but also brought a solid level of professionalism to the defense.  Darryl Blackstock and Calvin Pace will attempt at replacing Okeafor.  Blackstock has natural quickness off the edge and has added bulk during the off-season, but has a lot to prove in developing into a bonafide pass rusher and making adjustments when taking on blockers.  Pace is a former defensive end who runs well and has upfield quickness, but lacks intensity and has struggled at the point of attack in the past.  The Cardinals head into the season with a lot of questions about their pass rush.  Their only established pass rusher at this point – Bert Berry – has experienced tough luck with injuries the past couple years and now has reached age 32.  On a positive note, Berry has shed some weight with the switch to rush linebacker and has been moving around very well during training camp, but must prove he can still play a 16-game season.