It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and the Cincinnati Bengals…aren’t playing. Oh well, neither are 29 other teams, and at least the Bengals can hang their hats on their second AFC North championship in five seasons. However, winning their third in six seasons will require a solid draft this coming April, and I grow more uneasy each time I start thinking about the draft.

Why? Because it’s practically a foregone conclusion that the Bengals will cash in most, if not all, of their premium picks on offensive skill positions — and the team’s recent track record in that regard is terrible.

Wide receivers? Since 2003, the Bengals have drafted Kelly Washington (3), Maurice Mann (5), Chris Henry (3), Tab Perry (6), Bennie Brazell (7), Jerome Simpson (2), Andre Caldwell (3), Mario Urrita (7) and Freddie Brown (7). That’s a total of nine picks — including one second- and three third-round selections — across seven drafts, and the only guy worth a damn out of the whole group was Henry. And he’s dead.

The list of running backs is shorter, but no less painful. Jeremi Johnson (4), Chris Perry (1), Kenny Irons (2), Bernard Scott (6) and Fui Vakapuna (7). Johnson had a couple decent years before his weight problems caught up with him and Scott flashed some ability last season, but it was free agency and Cedric Benson which revived the Bengals running game in 2008 and 2009, not any successes in the draft.

Tight end? Since 2002, the Bengals have drafted precisely two, count ‘em, two TEs, Matt Sherry (6) and Chase “Crash Dummy” Coffman (4). Somehow, other teams around the NFL can draft and utilize all these college TEs who allegedly can’t block. But the mystery appears too deep for the Bengals.

When you add it all up, the Marvin Lewis Bengals have used 16 picks on WRs, RBs and TEs (and that doesn’t include picks like QB Reggie McNeal, whom they tried to convert to a WR). These include one first, two second, three third and two fourth-round picks. Remaining from that group are Jeremi Johnson, who failed to impress in 2009 after missing all of ‘08 due to weight and injury issues; Coffman, who couldn’t beat out Dan “Butterfingers” Coats for a roster spot; Simpson, who has barely seen the field in two years and who was thrown under the bus by QB Carson Palmer last season; and Caldwell, who failed to live up to expectations (admittedly high) in 2009 after performing surprisingly well in his rookie season.

So, when I read and hear how the Bengals are going to spend pick after pick on offense, my spirits sink. They have simply not shown any ability to identify, draft and develop top-tier offensive talent, with the notable exception of offensive linemen, in the Lewis era. Indeed, the biggest bangs have come from free agency and guys like Benson and Reggie Kelly, though they’ve had their share of FA flops as well.

I don’t know what the answer is, but the Bengals need to re-evaluate their evaluation process, and re-examine their priorities and strategies, on the offensive side of the ball ahead of April’s draft. Business as usual will only lead to calamity.

Almost. The Bengals almost managed to make it one whole month into the 2010 offseason without someone getting arrested.

Almost.

Unfortunately, last night linebacker Rey Maualuga hit two parked cars and a parking meter while tooling around trashed with a couple girls.

“Subject had slurred speech, blood shot, watery eyes and he was unsteady on his feet,” the officer wrote.

TMZ has photos of the crash and Rey getting tested here.

What is there to say that hasn’t been said a million times before? Memo to Rey: you signed a $4.66 million deal last July. You can afford a cab.

In other Bengals news, the team announced today that associate strength coach Ray Oliver is leaving for the University of Kentucky, where he will take over the Wildcats’ strength and conditioning program.

For those of you who have too much time on your hands today, Bengals bloggers, including your truly, unite over at Cincy Jungle for a roundtable on the team.

Oklahoma TE Jermaine Gresham remains the player most-mocked to the Cincinnati Bengals in this, the second installment of our annual Bengals Mock Draft Big Board. But that’s only because the mockosphere can’t settle on a wide receiver with the 21st pick. Led by Oklahoma’s Dez Bryant and Illinois’ Arrelios Benn, the wideouts collectively draw twice as many votes as Gresham.

Assembled with the help of Walter’s excellent-as-usual mock draft database, I went through drafts updated since the Wild Card game for this update. The results:

By position, wide receiver leads with 57 nods (+20 versus the previous Big Board). After that, it’s 26 for TE (-1); 11 S (+6); 5 DT (-2); 2 DE (-9); 2 RB (-10); and 1 OT (no change).

Previous Big Boards:

January: 1/1

Kickers facing the New York Jets are now 0-for-5 in the playoffs after San Diego’s Nate Kaeding missed three field goals to help put Not So Sexy-Rexy Ryan in the AFC Championship Game. If you’re like me, you’re left wondering what might have been if Shayne Graham could have put two – or maybe just one? – field goals through in the first round. Alas, Bengals fans we must move on.

So now, I’ll steal a page from Woodrow Wilson and offer my 14 points heading into the offseason.

1. This team overachieved. Any sane fan would have gladly taken a 10-6 record, an AFC North title and a 6-0 division record heading into this season (that means they beat Pittsburgh twice! Who Dey!). Before the year, the offensive line was unproven and the scrap-heap defense was still a question mark. Now, it’s a strength.

2. I can’t say I’m all that excited about offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski returning for another “W. Bushian” reign running the offense. The offense seemed disjointed all year. Yes, there was a clear commitment to the running game, but that shouldn’t render the passing game completely inept. Overall, the offense suffered from a lack of imagination and effectiveness.

3. Bernard Scott needs to be on the field more. I was hoping before the AFC playoff game that Bratkowski might give him some plays in the slot just to get him in the game. Instead he was limited to kickoffs, where he made a huge play out of the gate and never got to touch it again.

4. Quan Cosby looks good in the slot. I’m not exactly sure why Cosby hasn’t been used more to begin with. Maybe he doesn’t exactly possess prototypical NFL size, but he always seems to get open and catches just about everything near him. Wes Welker is a bit undersized too. Cosby derserves a long look in the offseason.

5. This team overcame a lot in regard to injuries. The top two tight ends went down in training camp. The best pass rusher was lost early on. The same happened to a starting safety. A gamebreaking receiver (Chris Henry) was injured and then died tragically. And later in the year, the team lost a top-flight linebacker (Rey Maualuga) and then a worthy replacement (Rashad Jeanty) on the first play of the postseason. A playoff game was a pretty good achievement in that light.

6. A few Bengals need to be coached up in the offseason: 

Jerome Simpson – A good part of Bengaldom is clamoring for a receiver in the first round of April’s draft. The trouble is, receivers rarely make a huge impact in their first year. So a better bet for offensive sucess next season would be to get Simpson onto the next level. Have him in the weight room every day. Fly him out to California so he can catch passes from Carson and run routes with Chad all summer. The Bengals need Simpson to be good. He’s a better bet for an impact season than a rookie receiver.

Chase Coffman – Another segment of Bengaldom is going ga-ga over Oklahoma tight end Jermaine Gresham. But the problem is, Cincy already has a solid receiving tight end on the roster. And Gresham’s knock is his ability to block. I’d rather take my chances with a Coffman-Reggie Kelly/J.P. Foschi platoon next season, than use a first-round pick on a position that could already be filled.

Michael Johnson – Johnson was great at knocking down passes this season, but I thought he would be a little bit better off the edge. He needs to enhance his quickness and pass-rush ability to help the Bengals next season. Once Antwaan Odom went down, Cincy’s pass rush wasn’t much better than it was a season ago. Johnson could play a big role in an improved rush.

7.  Carson is getting a bad rap. Yes, his completion rate was down and yes, the passing game took a hit, but both statistics can be explained. Cincy’s receivers dropped a ton of passes this season (including a nice chunk from the tight ends alone) and the loss of Chris Henry really hurt the offense’s ability to go deep. No one was that upset with the passing game when it was carving up Chicago when Henry was healthy. Soon after his injury (and sadly his death), things fell apart. Laveranues Coles and Andre Calwell simply couldn’t replace what Henry had. Can Jerome Simpson or a free agent do it? If not, the team has to find someone who can.

8. Cedric Benson is going to need a break next season. Benson’s myriad carries this year come with a price. The team needs to work in B. Scott and my man-crush Brian Leonard (anyone else notice his hustle play in the playoffs to recover a crucial fumble?) a little more next year to save Ced from burning out. Those guys can steal some carries in the early quarters and set up Benson for a nice closer role in the fourth quarter.

9. Forget free agency. I’d rather see the team focus on re-signing some of its own. Jonathan Joseph has a year left on his rookie deal. Leon Hall has two. I’d like to lock them both up if possible. Plus, Tank Johnson and Roy Williams should come cheap enough to warrant a return. Bobbie Williams is a leader on the offensive line. It’s probably impossible to do everything on that list this season, but the team certainly needs to try. There was enough talent on this year’s team to advance deep into the playoffs with a few more breaks (or made field goals). No need to start over from scratch.

10. I think it’s time for the Shayne Graham era to end. Those two missed field goals against the Jets and another one a few years ago against Pittsburgh that cost the team a playoff berth are too much to overlook. He doesn’t have a very strong leg and his vaunted accuracy seems to disappear when it counts. He’s a nice guy for sure, but I think it’s time for both parties to move on. Perhaps Mike Nugent can rediscover his magic in the Buckeye State or a rookie placekicker can play as well as Kevin Huber did this past season. There are also a few veterans who could be available in free agency – Stephen Gostkowski, Jeff Reed and the always-entertaining Sebastian Janikowski.

11. It’s time to bargain shop in free agency this season, something the Bengals always seem to be good at. Receivers Malcolm Floyd, Ohio native Lance Moore, or Great White Hope Kevin Walter could be fairly cost-effective, but productive receivers. Filling that hole in free agency would free up the Bengals in the upcoming draft.

12. Marvin Lewis deserved Coach of the Year honors. He led a mostly flea-market type roster to a 6-0 record in perhaps the NFL’s toughest division. He held the team together through two tragedies. And he finished with double-digit wins in Cincinnati, something that escaped seemingly every coach in the 1990s. Kudos to Marvin. Now, take us to the Super Bowl.

13. For a change, the Bengals seem to have a good core of talent and a sense of stability. The team has drafted rather well in recent years and now needs to secure those players long-term. There is even a good bit of depth that has been severely lacking for a decade. A good offseason could make for a rosy outlook in 2010.

14. I think Taylor Mays would look pretty good in orange and black. Keep the USC pipeline flowing with a big safety who could be groomed to take over for Crocker or Williams. An edge rusher like Florida’s Carlos Dunlap, even though he has some alcohol issues (who doesn’t in Cincy?), would also be a nice addition. As the Giants showed a few Super Bowls ago, you can never have too many pass rushers. I’d rather not reach for offense if there’s a blue-chip defender staring the team in the face. I also would be willing to trade up in the draft for once if a big-time player is only a few spots away. I think this team is close enough to playoff success that a gamebreaker could bring just that. Keep your fingers crossed.

Enjoy the offseason Bengals fans. We’ll keep you posted when things heat up.

Confounding his critics once again, Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown moved swiftly in the wake of last week’s Wild Card loss to re-sign defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Reportedly, it is a three-year deal.

Keeping Zim was easily the Bengals’ No. 1 priority this offseason. Prior to his arrival, the defense had not finished better than 19th in the Marvin Lewis era. But under Zimmer, the defense ranked 12th in 2008 and 4th in 2009. That No. 4 finish is the best for a Cincinnati defense since 1983 (1), and the last two years represent the best consecutive defensive finishes since the Bengals ranked 7th and 5th, respectively, in 1975-76.

Mad props to the organization for getting this done. And to Mike Zimmer, thanks for staying. It’s been a hallmark of this team over the years that talent can’t wait to flee, and it’s another sign of the ongoing turnaround in Cincinnati that you didn’t.

With victories by the Baltimore Ravens and Arizona Cardinals (and, unfortunately, the New York Jets), the Cincinnati Bengals secured the 21st pick in the 2010 draft.

The 21st selection gives them the highest pick of any playoff team.

Some guys I like, in no particular order.

Cincinnati Bengals franchise player Shayne Graham missed two critical field goals en route to a 24-14 loss to the New York Jets in the Wild Card round at PBS. Graham was by no means the only striped goat of the game, but his very makeable 35 and 28 yard misses validated the widespread impression among fans that he’s choker. Graham has almost certainly played his last game as a Bengal.

Shayne wasn’t the only one providing ammo to his critics tonight. Offensive coordinator Sideshow Bob underutilized RB Cedric Benson early on. Despite the fact that Benson was en fuego all night, tearing up the field, making great moves, and imposing his will on the Jets’ D, the Bengals continued to try to throw the ball. WR Laveranues Coles hurt his thumb early, WR Andre Caldwell got rolled up, WR Chad Johnson was locked up with CB Darrelle Revis all night — but heaven forfend the Bengals run the ball!

Not only was the WR corps a wreck, but QB Carson Palmer made all his critics look right. High throws and bad decisions abounded. Despite having time all night, he couldn’t find receivers, and when he did, he couldn’t hit them. Jets rookie QB Mark Sanchez looked like a seasoned veteran by comparison.

The defense was mostly stout, but had a few big breakdowns that led to Jets’ scores. It took a hit early, losing LB Rashard Jeanty on the opening kickoff, but Brandon Johnson filled in admirably. Two turnovers by the offense, combined with its inability to score, simply gave the D no room for error.

This was not how I hoped the season would end, obviously. However, I never expected the Bengals to get this far in the first place. So while I am immensely disappointed tonight, I’m also very proud of these guys. Let’s get some injured guys back, have a strong draft, and pick up where we left off next September.

Here’s the last toast of the evening, here’s to those who still believe
All the losers will be winners, all the givers shall receive
Here’s to trouble-free tomorrows, may your sorrows all be small
Here’s to the losers, here’s to the losers, here’s to the losers
Bless them all!

WHO-DEY!

Who-Dey! Less than two hours to go until the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets kick off Wild Card Weekend at Paul Brown Stadium. The Enquirer’s Joe Reedy tweets that it’s 24 degrees on the field, where QB Carson Palmer is warming up without gloves, per C. Trent, and WR Chad Ochocinco is running around with no apparent knee issues.

RB Larry Johnson is a surprise inactive against the Jets. He was suffering from tendinitis in his knee earlier this week. Other inactives include DT Orien Harris and WR Jerome Simpson.

I’m headed out to a playoff party in about an hour, so enjoy the game and GO BENGALS!