One year ago, Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons—responsible for the elevation of the kicking game in Cincinnati—went to training camp without several of his core “teams” players. The Bengals had lost tight end Tony Stewart (Raiders), safety Kevin Kaesviharn (Saints) and linebacker Marcus Wilkins (Falcons).

Simmons pieced together new coverage units, but injuries took a toll. The team again lost No. 1 kickoff return man Tab Perry. Injuries to linebackers Ahmad Brooks, Caleb Miller, Lemar Marshall and Eric Henderson took big bodies from Simmons on the coverage teams.

Safety Herana-Daze Jones, the leading special teams tackler, went on the injured reserve list in November because of a knee injury. Attempts to improve the punt return team were hurt by an injury to wide receiver Antonio Chatman. Injuries at running back required special teams ace Kenny Watson to start, removing him from Simmons’ rotation.

On the fly, Simmons pieced his team back together. The Bengals in midseason signed linebackers Dhani Jones (voted permanent special teams captain by teammates for the season), Corey Mays (who finished second with 15 special teams tackles) and Anthony Schlegel (released in the offseason).

Rookie defensive backs Marvin White, Chinedum Ndukwe and Leon Hall made significant contributions as the season wore on. So did rookie free agent tight end Daniel Coats. Running back DeDe Dorsey blocked a punt and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown against Arizona.

Wide receiver Glenn Holt (entering the season as the No. 1 kickoff return man) returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score and had a 24.1-yard average. He will be challenged by rookie wide receiver Andre Caldwell, who showed explosiveness earlier in his career at Florida as a kickoff returner.

Simmons returns a new core of players, though the Bengals did not upgrade an area of need with a new punt returner. They were last in the NFL in 2007 in punt returns with an anemic 4.9-yard average.

The Bengals drafted some players who figure to make the roster because of their ability to contribute in the kicking game. Besides Caldwell, sixth-round safety Corey Lynch could be a playmaker on coverage teams.

Camp Calendar:   The Bengals will next get on a field for two practices July 28 for training camp at Georgetown (Ky.) College near Lexington. Reporting day is July 27, a Sunday. The preseason opener is Monday night, Aug. 11, at Green Bay. The intra-squad scrimmage is Aug. 1, and the annual mock game Aug. 2.

Notes, Quotes

• Chris Henry is free to pursue employment with another NFL team. The former Bengals wide receiver has been exonerated of all charges stemming from the April arrest that caused the team to waive him. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that prosecutors decided Monday, July 14, to dismiss a misdemeanor assault charge against Henry after Hamilton County Municipal Judge Richard Bernat ruled against them on several motions immediately prior to the scheduled start of Henry’s second trial on the charges.

Henry is broke, his lawyer says. But he is now free to pursue a job with another team, depending, of course, what course of discipline NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might hand out.

• The end of business Tuesday was the deadline for NFL teams to sign their designated franchise players to multi-year contracts or an extension, according to league rules. Offensive lineman Stacy Andrews, the team’s franchise player, had signed his one-year tender of $7.455 million before the start of the offseason strength and conditioning program in March.

Andrews now will play under the one-year tender, and it can’t be extended until after the final regular-season game. The Bengals had hoped to sign Andrews to a long-term contract to reduce his salary cap number for 2008.

• Discussions are underway with representatives for first-round pick Keith Rivers, the former Southern Cal linebacker selected by the Bengals with the ninth overall pick in the April draft.

• After a wild offseason punctuated by unflattering comments in the media toward the Bengals organization, wide receiver Chad Johnson has apparently fallen back into the fold. He had a productive minicamp in June, which he had threatened to skip, and cooperated with the team to have a team doctor perform minor ankle surgery a few days later. Johnson is expected to be ready for the start of training camp.

Quote To Note:   “I told him I was married already.”—Veteran right guard Bobby Williams, when asked about having quarterback Carson Palmer’s hands on his backside during minicamp; Williams got work as a backup center behind starter Eric Ghiaciuc.

Strategy And Personnel

The Bengals completed a contract July 15, for the first of their 10 rookie draft picks, announcing that they had signed defensive tackle Jason Shirley to a four-year deal.

The Bengals also have agreed in principle on four-year contracts for two other draft picks, sixth-round tight end Matt Sherry and seventh-round wide receiver Mario Urrutia, agent Joe Linta, who represents both players, confirmed.

No additional terms were available on the Shirley contract. He was the team’s fifth-round pick. Sometimes, deals can get hung up in translation from verbal agreement to written contract, but those hang-ups are less likely with lower-round draft picks.

The Bengals also are nearing a contract agreement with seventh-round defensive end Angelo Craig, formerly of the University of Cincinnati. Sixth-round safety Corey Lynch should be following closely, too.

DRAFT CHOICES SIGNED

• DT Jason Shirley (5/145): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

• TE Matt Sherry (6/207): $1.76M/4 yrs, $40,000 SB; 2008 cap: $305,000.

• DE Angelo Craig (7/244): 4 yrs, terms unknown.

DRAFT CHOICES UNSIGNED

• LB Keith Rivers (1/9).

• WR Jerome Simpson (2/46).

• DT Pat Sims (3/77).

• WR Andre Caldwell (3/97).

• OT Anthony Collins (4/112).

• S Corey Lynch (6/177).

• WR Mario Urrutia (7/246).

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

Quarterback:   Starter—Carson Palmer. Backups—Ryan Fitzpatrick, Jeff Rowe, Jordan Palmer.

An interesting competition is shaping up behind Carson Palmer, where the returning No. 2 quarterback, Fitzpatrick, did not look sharp in minicamp. No matter who wins the second and third positions, the Bengals are in deep trouble if anything were to happen to Carson Palmer. His goal this year is to better manage the game and rely less on the pass game. Carson’s little brother, Jordan, will pressure Rowe for the third spot.

Running Back:   Starters—RB Rudi Johnson, FB Jeremi Johnson. Backups—RB Chris Perry, RB Kenny Watson, RB DeDe Dorsey, RB Kenny Irons, FB Daniel Coats, FB Tyler Whaley, RB James Johnson, FB Bradley Glatthaar.

Rudi Johnson and Perry have remained healthy through the spring, and Perry’s addition brings a dimension to the offense it has missed since 2005, when he had 51 receptions. Coats can push Jeremi Johnson for the fullback job because of Johnson’s weight problems. Watson is steady and dependable and a boon to special teams. Dorsey is shelved until at least training camp because of a hamstring pull. Coach Marvin Lewis is pleased with Rudi Johnson’s health and return to the 225-pound range and determined to return to the times (2004 and 2005) when the Bengals were a power-running team.

Tight End:   Starter—Reggie Kelly. Backups—Ben Utecht, Nate Lawrie, Matt Sherry.

Utecht will be on the field a lot with Kelly in two tight-end sets. The Bengals will undoubtedly throw more this season to their tight ends, including Kelly, than they have in recent memory. Sherry could develop on the practice squad. Kelly remains an invaluable, unselfish player.

Wide Receiver:   Starters—T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chad Johnson. Backups—Marcus Maxwell, Glenn Holt, Antonio Chatman, Andre Caldwell, Jerome Simpson, Mario Urrutia, Maurice Purify, Clyde Logan, Travis Brown.

For the most part, the Chad Johnson soap opera is at a commercial break. Agent Drew Rosenhaus said the disgruntled receiver will attend training camp and honor his contract, which has four years remaining. Houshmandzadeh is getting better with age, though the team has not seriously talked to his agent about an extension after the 2008 season, his last of a four-year contract. Rookies Simpson and Caldwell, especially Caldwell, have impressed and could use a year to further develop. Maxwell, Holt and Chatman are the other veterans with the best chances to stick.

Offensive Line:   Starters—LT Levi Jones, LG Andrew Whitworth, C Eric Ghiaciuc, RG Bobbie Williams, RT Stacy Andrews. Backups—RT Willie Anderson, T/G Scott Kooistra, C Dan Santucci, G Nate Livings, T/G Anthony Collins, T Dane Uperesa, C Kyle Cook, G James Blair, G/C Justin Britt.

Andrews, the team’s franchise player, is expected to start somewhere, even if it means using 13th-year pro Anderson in a backup role, as strange as that is to conceive. The line is being pushed by coaches to improve its run blocking and help re-establish the Bengals as a power ground team. Pass protection set a franchise-low record with 17 sacks allowed in 2007. Coaches were not pleased with the work of backup centers during minicamp and might make Williams the backup to Ghiaciuc.

Defensive Line:   Starters—RE Antwan Odom, RT John Thornton, LT Domata Peko, LE Robert Geathers. Backups—E Eric Henderson, T/E Jonathan Fanene, T Michael Myers, T Pat Sims, E Frostee Rucker, T Jason Shirley, E Angelo Craig, T Antwan Burton.

The Bengals like three of their linemen a lot—given the big contracts paid Odom, Geathers and now Peko. Coaches say the interior of the line is not responsible for the inconsistent run defense. But they signed Odom and bolstered the linebacker corps, keeping Geathers at end, in the hopes of improving the NFL’s worst pass rush in 2007.

Linebacker:   Starters—WLB Keith Rivers, MLB Dhani Jones, SLB Rashad Jeanty. Backups—Ahmad Brooks, Darryl Blackstock, Corey Mays, Jim Maxwell, Brandon Johnson, Anthony Hoke, Dan Howell.

Coaches have settled early on their starters, with Jones emerging as the leading candidate to wear the new defensive communicator device. Intelligence matters. Blackstock and Brooks could be turned loose as pass-rush specialists. Mays and Maxwell are anchors on special teams.

Defensive Backs:   Starters—RCB Leon Hall, LCB Johnathan Joseph, SS Chinedum Ndukwe, FS Marvin White. Backups—CB Deltha O’Neal, CB David Jones, CB Simeon Castille, CB Blue Adams, SS Dexter Jackson, FS Herana-Daze Jones, FS Kyries Hebert, SS John Busing, SS Ethan Kilmer, S Corey Lynch.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer’s scheme makes cornerbacks play tighter and more physical in coverage. Hall and Joseph are up to the challenge. Jones could challenge veteran O’Neal for the third cornerback job. Jackson might start because of his experience and savvy, but it will be difficult to supplant Ndukwe and White. There could be six safeties on the 53-man roster because of the importance of players such as Jones and Kilmer on special teams.

Special Teams:   K Shayne Graham, P Kyle Larson, LS Brad St. Louis, KR Glenn Holt, PR Antonio Chatman.

The Bengals did not get a new return man for special teams coach Darrin Simmons, though rookie receiver Andre Caldwell might get a look on kickoffs. The return of several defensive backups bodes well for coverage units. There shouldn’t be the dearth of available bodies this season. Last year, offseason losses were exacerbated by a rash of injuries to backup linebackers

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