STATUS

Bengals

OUT: RB De De Dorsey (hamstring), S Dexter Jackson (thumb)
DOUBTFUL: LB Corey Mays (ankle)
QUESTIONABLE: CB Johnathan Joseph (ankle), QB Carson Palmer (right elbow), RB Kenny Watson (hamstring)
PROBABLE: LB Dhani Jones (foot), T Levi Jones (knee), DT Domata Peko (hand), RB Chris Perry (hamstring)

Cowboys

OUT: G Kyle Kosier (foot), S Roy Williams (forearm)
DOUBTFUL: S Pat Watkins (neck)
QUESTIONABLE: DE Stephen Bowen (hamstring), C Andre Gurode (ankle), DT Tank Johnson (ankle), CB Terence Newman (groin)
PROBABLE: RB Deon Anderson (knee), TE Jason Witten (shoulder)

Practices

DNP - Did Not Practice
LP - Limited Participation in Practice
FP - Full Participation in Practice

Tackles as a statistical category is an inexact science that tends to be suspect; for example, when I re-watch the games with play-by-play on the NFL.com's Game Center, sometimes the player they record as making the tackle is nowhere near the play. Plus, it's not very definitive. Basically, if you come up out of the pile, there's a good shot that they'll give you the tackle. In most cases, the team keeps their own records, and it's a lot more padded in a forgiving basis.

Then you look at the tackling leaders in the NFL and see a Cincinnati Bengals defensive player at the top of the list. Seriously. A. Cincinnati. Bengals. Defensive. Player. Entering the fifth week of the NFL season, Dhani Jones' 41 tackles is five more than London Fletcher and D'Qwell Jackson.

Jones has recorded double-digit tackles against the Ravens (10), Titans (10) and Giants (12), falling one short against the Browns (9).

No, this doesn't mean that Dhani Jones is the best defensive player this side of the Reagan Administration; he could be tackling people after 6-8 yard gains for all we know. But still, the fact that a Cincinnati Bengals defensive player has the most tackles in the NFL than anyone else, is both surprising, and somewhat pleasing in a season where positives are more queer than cheap gas.

And don't no one take down my good feeling post of the week telling me how other teams have bye weeks. Please?!

Curnutte is flying the banner of moral victory. In truth, I have no problem with that. I've always been a champion of allowing one to have their own opinion -- no matter what others think of it. Unless it's really, really stupid.

Keith Rivers had two assisted tackles against the Giants. On the other hand, Dhani Jones had 12 tackles, David Jones had nine and our young safeties combined for 13 (Ndukwe with seven, Marvin White with six).

"Is close good enough"? No. It's not. But it sets the table for the next game.

Feel bad because the Bengals lost. Feel good because the Bengals are a better team than we've given them credit for.

Walker threw a Cincinnati Bengals player into his "Who's Hot" list.

Don Banks: "Ever since that Week 17 moral victory against undefeated New England last December, No. 10 refuses to let the Giants lose." There it is again. Moral Victory. It won't be long before that term becomes illegal at Cincy Jungle -- a first.

A Kenny Irons update. "No surprise he was in Auburn, as I assume he’s got plenty of time on his hands now. I only got to talk to him briefly because he was too busy buying drinks for white girls at the bar."

The Giants are soft?

Bengals starting MLB Dhani Jones, a Giant from 2000 to '03, was calling his former team "soft" on the field Sunday, according to one of the Giants who asked for anonymity because the on-field chatter is often considered to be between players only. The player said a few Giants were celebrating in Jones' direction after WR Amani Toomer's catch that set up Carney's game-winner.

Jones? A talker? I don't believe it. Somehow I feel that Joey Porter is somehow involved.

The Bengals came away relatively healthy Sunday, with David Jones suffering the most serious; a second-quarter concussion on the 71-yard punt return by Figurs that was called back after a block above the waist penalty.

Dhani Jones went down momentarily for dehydration -- after an IV, he returned. Johnathan Joseph suffered a shoulder injury two players later, but returned soon after.

The Bengals announced their team Captains on Monday: Carson Palmer, Bobbie Williams, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Dexter Jackson, and Dhani Jones. Good group of veterans. I like it.

Curnutte observes the team's first regular season practice. Mostly of note is how the team looks health-wise. Antwan Odom, Dexter Jackson, Chad Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Rashad Jeanty returned to practice fully. Pat Sims, Andre Caldwell and Dan Howell (practice squad) worked on the sidelines with strength and conditioning coaches while "Chinedum Ndukwe (leg) went inside after stretches."

This is the irony of the Bengals team this year. Everyone suggests that our offense will be the only reason we win games; our defense is so bad, we're told to believe, that it couldn't even contain the Louisville Cardinals offense.

James Walker named his all-AC North team, on offense and defense.

OFFENSE: Big Ben got the nod over Honorable Mention, Carson Palmer. Behind Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes, is Honorable Mention, T.J. Houshmandzadeh. No reference of Chad Johnson Ocho Cinco. Bobbie Williams is the only player on the Bengals offense to get the nod over everyone at their respective position; with Andrew Whitworth getting the Honorable Mention.

DEFENSE: Johnathan Joseph was the only player named to lead his respective position; Robert Geathers was named Honorable Mention. Shayne Graham got the nod as the division's best place kicker.

Apparently Pat Kirwan forgot about Keith Rivers when talking about rookies starting during kickoff weekend.

Don Banks surprisingly ranked Ryan Fitzpatrick as the league's 28th best backup quarterback while predicting the Bengals finish third in the AFC North at 6-10.

This blog named the Cincinnati backfield, the worst in the NFL. We think it's about fantasy football rankings, but we don't care. It still pisses us off, right?

With three preseason games in the books, I wanted to take the time to review each position (in some cases, units) as we prepare this week to play the meaningless of meaningless of preseason games, as well as upcoming roster cuts. While I'm not trying to predict the roster -- and definitely not projecting depth chart -- I didn't include every player in some scenarios, but included more than what the team is expected to take (mostly because I'm just not sure who they take, or the play is pretty even between the competition).

Quarterback - Even though Palmer has been assaulted on nearly every play (it seems), he hasn't been sharp -- likely a result of being assaulted. Twice against the Saints, Palmer nearly threw interceptions because 1) the ball was overthrown and 2) the pass was too near the middle of the field intended for a receiver sprinting down the sidelines. With the assault by the opposing pass rush, Palmer is becoming too aware of what's going on around the pocket rather than what's going on downfield. Once protection flaws are worked out, and communication issues resolved, we're confident that Palmer will be Palmer and give the Bengals their best chance to win each week.

Backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has been one of the few successful offensive players, completing 70% of his passes, with a 6.8 pass-per-attempt average and a 101.3 passer rating (all team highs). His 44 yards rushing is third on the team behind Chris Perry and Kenny Watson. Fitzpatrick's performance proves he'll be a coveted unrestricted free agent next season as a "veteran" quarterback that so many teams need.

1. Carson Palmer
2. Ryan Fitzpatrick
3. Jeff Rowe

Running Back - While it's exciting to see Chris Perry back to full strength, we've been missing our primary feature back, Rudi Johnson due to another hamstring injury -- this time to the other leg. However, along with their troubles protecting their quarterbacks, the offensive line has struggled rush blocking for Perry -- mostly Eric Ghiaciuc. Since the first game, Perry's yards-per-attempt has fallen from 3.8 to 3.4. Watson's 4.7 yards-per-attempt is encouraging, but a majority of his attempts have come against second team defenses, with only one attempt the entire game against the Saints.

I think the Bengals keep Dorsey over James Johnson. Though neither have done much this preseason, Dorsey is a more explosive back while James Johnson is eligible for the team's practice squad. If the Bengals haven't cut Jeremi by now, they won't.

1. Rudi Johnson
2. Chris Perry
3. Kenny Watson
4. DeDe Dorsey
5. Jeremi Johnson

Wide Receiver - Talk about depressing. With Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh nursing and rehabbing injuries ("supposedly", if you believe in conspiracies), the Bengals have been searching for that evasive receiver we hoped would step up. Jerome Simpson's 144 yards receiving is far above Chatman's 63 yards among the yardage leaders at wide receiver. However, passes are being dropped and receivers are not separating from defensive backs, forcing Palmer to hold onto the ball longer. One has to appreciate this bit of irony. If Chad Johnson was traded, then this unit has absolutely no hope going into the season, even though the team signed Chris Henry to help.

I think Andre Caldwell's injury hurts him big. While he's not on the field battling for a spot, the Bengals would be more inclined to keep Holt for experience and versatility on special teams. Caldwell is another player eligible for the practice squad. This is all based on the assumption when Henry returns, not when the season starts. When Henry is reinstated after the fourth game, the Bengals will need to decide whether to keep Holt or Caldwell -- and it's doubtful, no matter what other writers suggest, that the Bengals will let Henry go.

1. Chad Johnson
2. T.J. Houshmandzadeh
3. Antonio Chatman
4. Jerome Simpson
5. Glenn Holt
6. Andre Caldwell

Tight End - Stable as stable comes. Ben Utecht, another glowing offensive player this preseason, leads the team with 10 receptions, second with 108 yards receiving and only one of two players with a receiving touchdown through three games. Reggie Kelly is the league's best tight end blocker, taking a lot of reps in the backfield. If the Bengals keep four tight ends (which includes long snapper Brad St. Louis), then Daniel Coats makes the team.

1. Reggie Kelly
2. Ben Utecht
3. Daniel Coats
4. Brad St. Louis

Offensive Line - We've talked about their struggles, and fantasized of a Jurassic Line. Still, the running game hasn't really taken off and the quarterbacks are struggling to focus downfield rather than the pass rush -- Bengals quarterbacks have been sacked 10 times, and knocked down three times as much. I'm not sure the Bengals will keep a second center, depending on Bobbie Williams to play that role. On the other hand, you could easily replace Nate Livings with Dan Santucci with limited fall in production. Something of note: Kyle Cook took some first-team snaps against the Saints in the third quarter.

1. Levi Jones
2. Andrew Whitworth
3. Eric Ghiaciuc
4. Bobbie Williams
5. Stacy Andrews
6. Willie Anderson
7. Nate Livings
8. Scott Kooistra
9. Anthony Collins
10. Dan Santucci

Defensive Line - Domata Peko has impressed me this preseason against the rush. He's working the line, challenging double teams and finding ways to stuff gaps at the point of attack. Other than that, I think this unit is just down right dreadful. Fanene and Rucker appear like average ends with limited upside, while John Thornton and Jason Shirley have made a library seem like a Metallica concert. Pat Sims, before his injury, impressed me with his aggressiveness and motor-style play. Hopefully we get him back when the season starts. While Angelo Craig has made plays, I've labeled him a practice squad player until either Rucker or Fanene (even though he signed an extension this offseason) are let go. I see no scenario in the world in which Eric Henderson makes this squad -- nor did I see any scenario that the Bengals sign Chris Henry.

1. Antwan Odom (DE)
2. Robert Geathers (DE)
3. Johnathan Fanene (DE)
4. Frostee Rucker (DE)
5. John Thornton
6. Domata Peko
7. Jason Shirley
8. Pat Sims
9. Michael Myers -- I'm adding Myers here for two reasons. The team could be concerned about Shirley's upcoming court case and keeping Myers adds an insurance policy in case Pat Sims' rehabs slowly.

Linebacker - I'm actually more impressed with this unit than I thought I would be before training camp. At WILL, Keith Rivers and Brandon Johnson have combined for 28 tackles and a sack -- Rivers accounts for 17 tackles and that sack. Corey Mays has been solid at backup middle linebacker and Darryl Blackstock's two sacks leads the team. The thing I would be most concerned about is Dhani Jones' nine total tackles through three games. Ahmad Brooks had some first-team snaps at defense when Blackstock suffered a cramp against the Saints. Also expect Carl-Johan Bjork to make the team as he's exempt from the 53-man roster.

1. Dhani Jones
2. Keith Rivers
3. Darryl Blackstock
4. Rashad Jeanty
5. Corey Mays
6. Brandon Johnson
7. Jim Maxwell
8. Ahmad Brooks
9. Anthony Hoke (?)

Secondary - For the most part, I think our starting cornerbacks have done a decent job working on an island. For the plays that you see them get beat, either a dump-truck named Calvin Johnson used his super-size advantage, or the quarterback found a hole in zone coverage. I don't like the play of our safeties -- Dexter Jackson is Dexter Jackson and Marvin White still struggles keeping the receiver in front preventing long plays. White is a hitter though, and his efforts to make sure-tackles have improved greatly since the first game.

David Jones scares the hell out of me, and I don't see much of an improvement with Castille. O'Neal has accepted his role, and done well, as the team's third cornerback giving the Bengals good depth at the position.

1. Leon Hall (CB)
2. Johnathan Joseph (CB)
3. Deltha O'Neal (CB)
4. David Jones (CB)
5. Simeon Castille (CB)
6. Dexter Jackson (S)
7. Marvin White (S)
8. Chinedum Ndukwe (S)
9. Corey Lynch (S)
10. Herana-Daze Jones (S) -- mostly for his special teams work.

Anyway, those are my impressions at this point. If you have more, or want to adjust my impressions because I always miss at least one player (or two) when I do these things, it's all yours.

Offensively, the Bengals are clearly struggling. Much of it has to do with an offensive line that struggled pass blocking. But other factors include the lack of a consistent running game (while Palmer was in), T.J. Houshmandzadeh being out and Chad Johnson not really apart of the passing offenses game plan (plus injury); overall spirit and attitude seemed low. Nothing has come together for this first-team offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick improvised in the pocket, while Kenny Watson loved the Jurassic Line's potential run blocking -- note, Dave Lapham and Anthony Munoz love the Jurassic Line. Once Watson and Chris Perry were removed from the game, the Bengals offense skydived without a parachute. It also doesn't help the Bengals when the offense goes three and out three times in the second half as well as failing to convert a goal-line rush attempt with the team's smallest running back.

Defensively, I saw more good than bad. Twenty seven points wasn't allowed by the first team -- 17 of the Lions 27 points came in the fourth quarter. I thought the cornerbacks were average, but I attached that to a bigger and tougher Calvin Johnson -- who was Kitna's only receiver while he was in the first two series'. I thought the secondary as a whole, was average. Not terribly bad, but for the love of god, they have room to improve.

I believe that Deltha O'Neal, aside two first down receptions allowed, moved himself to the team's third cornerback -- if he's not, I'm writing a letter to someone. David Jones isn't the type of cornerback that can sit on an island. Darryl Blackstock and Brandon Johnson are two of the most underrated free agent acquisitions. Ahmad Brooks isn't just in danger of being cut, but he's so far behind other linebackers on the team that if he's not cut, I'll be surprised. He makes no impression during the game, even against third team offensive players. Dhani Jones is playing better than last season. One thing that impressed me about Keith Rivers is that when the play goes away from him, he stays home, watching cutback lanes; he's not over-pursuing. He's the team's perfect WILL linebacker. The Bengals front four puts zero pressure on the quarterback, allowing the passer to sit in the pocket comfortably (numb). Even hall of fame cornerbacks can't defend an NFL wide receiver for seven-plus seconds.

With all that said, the Bengals first-team defense gets a passing grade from me. I'm not expecting shutout football, nor every drive to end in three-and-outs. I expect the other team to score -- they're also professional football teams. However, just to point out that our first-team defense wasn't all that bad, take a look at the breakdown by half:

In fact, if you take out the touchdown given up to Jon Kitna and Calvin Johnson on the Lion's second drive, the Bengals defense forced the Lions into four drives with five plays or less, all ending in punt.

It wasn't until the Bengals brought in their second and third-team that the struggles began. The game's final three possessions for the Lions ended with a field goal and two touchdowns.

Offensively, the Bengals were disgusting. Palmer throws a pick, Shayne Graham misses a field goal (actually, a block) and the Bengals punt twice before Ryan Fitzgerald takes the Bengals 99 yards on 13 plays for the team's lone touchdown.

Concluding... what I'm going to offer you is something to think on. The Bengals defense is improving. While they're not instantaneously blowing people away, the first team did much better against the Lions than the Packers. And if we got that effort in the first half, all of last season, we'd be pumped. With two games left to work, I believe the Bengals defense will be vastly improved over last year -- if not the best of the Marvin Lewis era.

As for the offense, well, they have a lot of work to do -- like the offensive line getting comfortable and receivers stepping up.

5 - Sacks allowed by the Bengals offensive line.
2 to 1 - Pass to run ratio by the Bengals offense (48 passes, 21 rushes)... note, five pass calls actually ended in sack.
13 - Number of different receivers by the Bengals offense.
33 - Yards returned by one Antonio Chatman punt return -- thanks to DeAngelo Craig.
114 - Yards receiving by rookie receiver, Jerome Simpson.

Chad Johnson says "I'll be back in a week." However, Marvin Lewis has already declared Johnson out next week against the Saints. Either way, it doesn't appear that he'll miss any regular season time healing from a shoulder strain.

Marvin Lewis on Jerome Simpson: "Every time we turn on the lights, he comes through and makes some good plays." Palmer had a different take, but felt Simpson is improving. Palmer says that Simpson has a "long way to go before he can come into a game and you can count on him."

Pat Sims "left the locker room on crutches with a sprained foot and turf toe, respectively."

It would seem that the Bengals.com depth chart is either a bit behind, or evident that Keith Rivers will get limited work on the first-team defense. As of Saturday afternoon, the site lists Brandon Johnson and Jim Maxwell ahead of Keith Rivers as the team's WILL linebacker. Rivers got work with the first team this week in practice, making us believe that Rivers, at least, moved up to the second WILL linebacker. And truthfully, we're wondering if the team is going to move Brandon Johnson to the SAM while Rivers starts at WILL this Sunday against the Lions.

It would be foolish by the team to leave Rivers out of the starting lineup when the reality is that he'll likely start the season as the team's first-team WILL. At the same time, it would be foolish not to reward Brandon Johnson for his hard work and high-value performances in practice and scrimmages by benching him in favor of Rivers and Darryl Blackstock -- the second SAM behind an injured Rashad Jeanty.

It should be noted that Brandon Johnson has never played SAM backer, but Mike Zimmer sees potential. "It limits some things you can do with your fronts, but it improves some other things. It improves our speed, our coverage ability. He should be OK (rushing off the edge)."

In truth, Brandon Johnson is behind the eight-ball, but in a good way. Dhani Jones will be the team's starting linebacker. Keith Rivers, being a hellva talented first-round linebacker, will most likely start at WILL. So you figure that Johnson will backup Rivers at WILL -- or perhaps challenge Corey Mays as the second MLB during 3-4 formations.

The SAM position can be somewhat of a toss-up. Rashad Jeanty is injured and will likely be out for a couple more weeks; though he figures to get the starting spot at SAM. Ahmad Brooks has fallen to the third-man on the charts, still learning the position. If Brandon Johnson performs well at SAM the remainder of training camp (if the team even entertains the notion), while Jeanty will be out for a couple of weeks, Johnson has a chance to become the team's starting SAM for the entire season.

In one sense, it's all in his hands (stepping up and performing as SAM). In another, it's totally out of his hands (team chooses to make him a backup rather than competing for the starting spot).

Either way, it's a nice problem to have after last season.

ESPN.com's Bill Williamson (think of the horror if I were Micky McKirkendall) named Keith Rivers as one of ten rookies this season that could have the greatest impact.

The USC product will be given every opportunity to become an instant contributor in Cincinnati. Rivers' stock rose as the draft approached, and the Bengals jumped on him with the No. 9 pick. Cincinnati is hungry for impact defensive players, and the smart, athletic Rivers might be the answer. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis is a defense specialist; he is licking his chops to work with Rivers.

On the total opposite side of the galaxy, Dennis Dillon lists Dhani Jones as one of the ten players that impressed their coaches during minicamp and OTAs.

Dhani Jones, MLB, Cincinnati Bengals. Jones, 30, revived his career after Cincinnati picked him up off the street last September. He started the final eight games on the weak side, finished second on the team in tackles and was the special teams captain. It looks like Jones now will move into the middle and give new coordinator Mike Zimmer’s defense a veteran presence inside. That also should help accelerate the development of third-year ‘backer Ahmad Brooks, who will move outside.

Sports Illustrated's Michael Lombardi, gives Marvin Lewis some free advice:

• Were Marvin Lewis, I would spend extra time this summer in camp preparing for the special teams units of the Browns and Ravens. The Bengals ranked 29th in the NFL last year in opponents' average starting field position after a kick off. They also ranked 17th in the NFL in allowing 9.1 yards per punt return. The AFC North will feature two of the best kicking teams in the NFL this year, and the Bengals will need extra time and more talent to be able to win this phase of the game.

"Fooch", blogger at Niners Nation (five points if you can figure out the team without clicking on the link), pointed out to me this afternoon that there were actually eligibility requirements for practice squad players -- they have freaking eligibility requirements for Practice Squad players?!

Under Article XXXIV:

PRACTICE SQUADS

Section 1. Practice Squads:
(a) The League may elect in any League Year in accordance with this Article to establish practice squads not to exceed eight (8) players per Club. The League’s election in any one season shall not determine or affect its election in any subsequent season.
(b) The League may elect to allow some or all Clubs to add to their practice squads one additional player, who shall not count against the limit above, whose citizenship and principal place of residence are outside the United States and its Territories (“International Player”). The League’s election in any one season shall not determine or affect its election in any subsequent season. Such International Players shall be subject to the same terms and conditions of employment that apply to other practice players except that they (1) may not, during the term of their practice player contract, negotiate or sign an NFL Player Contract with any Club; and (2) may not practice with any Club following the last Conference Championship Game unless both Conference Championship teams have such a player. In addition, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4 below, such International Player shall be eligible to serve on a Practice Squad for three additional seasons after the completion of the player's year(s) as an International Player. As set forth in Article XXXIV, Section 3, the weekly salary for such international players shall not be included in the employing Club's Team Salary and shall be deducted from the calculation of the Salary Cap in the same manner as any Player Benefit.

Section 2. Signing With Other Clubs:
(a) Any player under contract to a Club as a practice squad player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club at any time during the League Year, to serve as a player on any Club’s Active or Inactive List, and any Club is completely free to negotiate and sign such a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period, except that such player shall not be permitted to sign a Player Contract with another Club to serve as a practice squad player while under contract as a practice squad player.
(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) above, a practice squad player may not sign an NFL Player Contract with his Club’s next opponent later than 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the sixth day preceding the game (except in bye weeks, when the prohibition commences on the tenth day preceding the game).

Section 3. Salary: Minimum salary for a practice squad player shall be $4,700 per week for the 2006-07 League Years, $5,200 per week for the 2008-10 League Years and the 2011 League Year if it is an Uncapped Year, and $5,700 per week for the 2011 League Year if it is a Capped Year and the 2012 League Year, including postseason weeks in which his Club is in the playoffs.

Section 4. Eligibility:
(a) The practice squad shall consist of the following players, provided that they have not served more than two previous seasons on a Practice Squad: (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; and (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s). An otherwise eligible player may be a practice squad player for a third season only if the Club by which he is employed that season has at least 53 players on its Active/Inactive List during the entire period of his employment.
(b) A player shall be deemed to have served on a Practice Squad in a season if he has passed the club’s physical and been a member of the club’s Practice Squad for at least three regular season or postseason games during his first two Practice Squad seasons, and for at least one regular season or postseason game during his third Practice Squad season. (A bye week counts as a game provided that the player is not terminated until after the regular season or postseason weekend in question.)

Section 5. Active List:  If a player on the Practice Squad of one club (Club A) signs an NFL Player Contract with another club (Club B), (1) the player shall receive three weeks salary of his NFL Player Contract at the 53- player Active/Inactive List minimum even if he is terminated by Club B prior to earning that amount, and (2) Club B is required to count the player on its 53-player Active/Inactive List for three games (a bye week counts as a game) even if he is terminated or assigned via waivers to another club or is signed as a free agent to another club’s 53-player roster or another club’s Practice Squad prior to that time. If the player is terminated from Club B’s 53-player roster and signed to Club B’s Practice Squad, he shall continue to count on the club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List but shall not count against the eight-player Practice Squad limit until the three-game requirement has been fulfilled. If a player is terminated prior to the completion of the three-game period and is signed to Club B’s Practice Squad or is signed or assigned to another club’s 53-player roster or Practice Squad, any salary (as that term is defined in Article XXIV, Section 1(c)) that he receives from any NFL club applicable to the three-game period shall be an offset against the three weeks salary that he is entitled to receive from Club B.

Let's see, what am I looking for this season? Actually, a lot. I am looking forward to seeing how Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry rebound. I'm looking forward to seeing Chad Johnson pipe down, celebrate a few touchdowns and watch T.J. Houshmandzadeh throw his body away for a cheap two-yard reception on third-and-one. Carson Palmer and every god-like thing associated. I'm looking forward to seeing Stacy Andrews -- who obviously now believes he can have a long successful NFL career and grow as such. I'm looking forward to Pat Sims and Jason Shirley (well, more like praying that we'll see him), our backup wide receivers, the tremendous upside in the secondary and our offense FINALLY incorporating the tight end -- eeee-fect-ively.

Finally, I'm also looking forward to Keith Rivers and Angelo Craig (the only two linebackers drafted during the NFL draft -- any year -- on this roster). And no, I'm not including Brooks; though the argument could be made. I'm specifically speaking about the NFL draft, not the Supplemental. But if you want to include him, you're more than welcome.

Odell Thurman, David Pollack, Caleb Miller, Landon Johnson, A.J. Nicholson, Khalid Abdullah... are all gone. In fact, only the two linebackers drafted, on this team, right now, are Keith Rivers and UC's Angelo Craig.

Daryl Blackstock (signed UFA, 2008)
Ahmad Brooks (supplemental draft, 2006)
Anthony Hoke (signed CFA, 2008)
Dan Howell (signed CFA, 2008)
Rashad Jeanty (signed FA, 2006)
Brandon Johnson (signed FA, 2008)
Dhani Jones (signed FA, 2007)
Jim Maxwell (signed FA, 2007)
Corey Mays (waiver, 2007)

That's all I have to say, really. Just something to munch on. A side note, Rivers now has a Yard Barker blog.