The Bengals have added line backer Ed Hartwell and also re-signed last year's sack leader Robert Geathers. That being said, the Bengals lost quite a few familiar faces. Center back Tory James, safety Kevin Kaesviharn, and wide receiver Kelley Washington all signed on with other teams. Also to consider, wide receiver Chris Henry will miss the first 8 games of the season because of his league-imposed suspension.

The Bengals do have Carson Palmer as quarterback. Palmer had an great comeback last season when many were unsure of his capabilities because of his knee injury sustained in the playoffs in 2005 - 2006. Palmer threw over 4,000 yards and 28 touch downs. If Palmer can keep his knee healthy, many believe he will have an even more impressive year. Palmer will have a complete off season to heal his knee this year after rehab and may be able to get back to 100% health before the start of the season. That should mean a huge improvement, but with 28 touchdowns and 4,035 yards on 62.5% passing last season ago it will be very hard to get those numbers much better. Palmer is up there with Manning and Brady as the top of the NFL class.

In the running back position, the Bengals have the consistent Rudi Johnson. Johnson was one of the most consistent running backs last year rushing for 1.369 yards on 341 carries. Johnson was third in the NFL in carries and ranked seventh in yards, and is even expected to improve those numbers in the 2007 season proving that he is a definite asset to the Bengals.

Also, with ProBowl wide receiver Chad Johnson on one side and TJ Houshmanzadeh on the other side, the Bengals surpass many other teams in the passing game. Johnson is a very talented runner who has consistently put up great numbers the last three seasons with 1,309 yards last year. The pair combined contributed to 16 touchdowns last season. Because of Chris Henry's suspension, that red zone will be sorely missed but Houshmanzadeh and Johnson are expected to be able to pick up on the slack.

The Cincinnati Bengals defense, however, needs some more work. The Bengals have franchised defensive end Justin Smith. Smith is a talented defensive end and is the best defender on the Bengals at this point. The Bengals also added a former Bengal - Edgerton Hartwell. Hartwell was brought in from Atlanta to help shore up the linebacking corps. However, the troubles of Odell Thurman may plague the Bengals defense. Thurman missed the entire season last year because of suspensions and is no eligible to be re-instated this season. If Thurman has learned from his mistakes and hopefully stays out of trouble, this ProBowl caliber line backer is badly needed on the field.

Barring injury or any more suspensions, the Bengals are looking forward to a strong year. With these new changes the Cincinnati Bengals tickets are sure to go fast. Buying Bengasl tickets from a ticket broker is recommended to get great seats.