C.J. Uzomah Jersey

CINCINNATI (AP) — Cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick looked around the locker room on the first day of the Bengals‘ voluntary workouts and noted that not all that much had changed.“Certain new faces William Jackson Jersey , but it’s still kind of the same team,” Kirkpatrick said.A third straight losing season prompted the Bengals to finally end coach Marvin Lewis’ run at 16 seasons without a playoff victory. Zac Taylor and a youthful coaching staff were brought aboard and handed a team closely resembling the one that finished at the bottom of the AFC North last season.The draft will be an important chance to fill some big holes overall, and maybe even pull a big surprise in the first round when the Bengals pick No. 11 overall.Cincinnati’s needs are obvious. With Vontaze Burfict gone after a subpar season, the Bengals have to get a starting linebacker. They also could use an offensive tackle and a defensive end early in the draft. At some point, they’ll get a tight end, a running back and yes, another quarterback for depth behind Andy Dalton, who’s entering his ninth season.Unless the Bengals pull a surprise and take a quarterback in the first round, their draft will be more about filling holes than going in a different direction with the roster. Most of the changes will be in the playbooks, not on the depth chart.“We’re going on a new journey,” Kirkpatrick said.Some things to watch with the Bengals during the three days of the draft:QB INTRIGUEWhen Lewis became head coach in 2003, the Bengals took Carson Palmer first overall and let him learn behind Jon Kitna for a season. While it’s unlikely the Bengals will have a chance for one of the top quarterbacks at No. 11, it will be interesting to see what owner Mike Brown decides if Trey Hopkins Jersey , say, Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins is still available at that spot. Most likely, the Bengals will end up taking a quarterback on the third day of the draft for depth behind Dalton and Jeff Driskel.BURFICT’S REPLACEMENTCincinnati’s most noteworthy offseason move was releasing its most volatile player. Burfict had another suspension, more injuries and a subpar seventh season. Preston Brown and Nick Vigil return, but the Bengals need another linebacker.Either LSU’s Devin White or Michigan’s Devin Bush could move into a starting role immediately, and at least one of them will likely be available at the No. 11 pick.OH THAT LINEThe Bengals gave right tackle Bobby Hart a three-year deal and added guard John Miller from the Bills, but the offensive line still needs work. They’ll look for a tackle in the early rounds. They’re also in the market for another defensive end. The line struggled to get consistent pressure last season, when the defense finished among the worst in franchise history .TIGHT END TIPPING POINTThe Bengals have been at their best offensively when Tyler Eifert is healthy. He set a club record for tight ends with 13 touchdown catches in 2015, the most recent time Cincinnati reached the playoffs. He’s been limited to 14 games the past three years by various back and ankle injuries.Eifert returns on a one-year deal, and C.J. Uzomah got a three-year deal after leading Cincinnati’s tight ends last season. The Bengals will add another tight end at some point.TAYLOR’S TIMEThe Bengals lean heavily on their coaching staff to scout draft picks. They had to assemble a coaching staff late because Taylor was with the Rams through the Super Bowl. The draft will provide some insights into how the new coaching staff evaluates players and how it’s moving ahead with new coordinators on both offense and defense. Maybe all the displays of unity at NFL games last weekend also overshadowed an awful week for Pro Picks. We sure hope so: It was more like Poor Picks. And that came with a rare win in a Thursday night game, Rams over 49ers. Hopefully, we can get it right with this week’s opener, Bears at Packers Clayton Fejedelem Jersey , then follow it up with some more winners. Green Bay struggled to beat lowly Cincinnati in overtime last Sunday, hours after Chicago stunned Pittsburgh, also in OT. Working extra time heading into a short week isn’t exactly an ideal way to prep for a Thursday nighter. The Packers were undermanned, particularly on the offensive line, against the Bengals and had to stage a big rally to win. The Bears used their impressive running game to overcome the Steelers. With so little rest between outings, the disparity in talent can tend to get skewed a bit. Green Bay appears to be a Super Bowl contender when healthy. Chicago has the look of an also-ran in a tough division. Still, this is Bears-Packers, one of the more emotion-packed series in pro sports. The Packers, No. 4 in the AP Pro32, are 7-point favorites over their long-time rival Bears (No. 25). PACKERS, 21-16 KNOCKOUT LEAGUE TIP The Patriots made us sweat but survived as Houston couldn’t make a third-and-1 conversion that might have clinched an upset. We’ll go with SEATTLE to keep us going. No. 17 (tie) Los Angeles Rams (plus 7 1-2) at No. 5 Dallas Rams seem to be putting together nice offense. We already know Dallas has one of those. BEST BET: COWBOYS, 30-19 No. 11 Tennessee (minus 2) at No. 21 Houston It’s early, but Texans loss would be very damaging in division. UPSET SPECIAL: TEXANS Andrew Billings Jersey , 20-17 No. 24 New Orleans (minus 3) vs. No. 22 Miami at London Rebound time for Dolphins after that New Jersey fiasco. DOLPHINS, 23-21 No. 9 Pittsburgh (minus 2 1-2) at No. 14 Baltimore Best rivalry in football, nasty and physical, but clean. STEELERS, 20-13 No. 6 (tie) Oakland (plus 2 1-2) at No. 6 (tie) Denver Both teams come off offensive stinkers. RAIDERS, 26-21 No. 17 (tie) Carolina (plus 8) at No. 3 New England Both teams come off defensive stinkers. PATRIOTS, 36-23 No. 13 Washington (plus 7) at No. 1 Kansas City, Monday night Redskins might be better than we thought, can prove a lot here. CHIEFS, 24-23 No. 15 Jacksonville (minus 3 1-2) at No. 29 New York Jets Road favorites destroyed us last week. We barely learned a lesson. JAGUARS, 19-17 No. 19 Buffalo (plus 7 1-2) at No.2 Atlanta Falcons have escaped twice on road, but routed Green Bay at home. FALCONS, 22-16 No. 26 New York Giants (plus 5) at No. 20 Tampa Bay Just a feeling Giants aren’t bad enough to be 0-4. GIANTS C.J. Uzomah Jersey , 17-13 No. 12 Philadelphia (pick-em) at No.27 (tie) Los Angeles Chargers Just a feeling Chargers aren’t bad enough to be 0-4. CHARGERS, 27-23 No. 27 Cincinnati (minus 3) at No. 32 Cleveland Just a feeling Bengals aren’t bad enough to be 0-4. BENGALS, 21-20 No. 31 San Francisco (plus 7) at No.23 Arizona Just a feeling … oh, never mind. CARDINALS, 20-16 No. 30 Indianapolis (plus 13) at No. 16 Seattle Until Andrew Luck is behind center, staying away from Colts doing anything special. SEAHAWKS, 22-6 No. 6 (tie) Detroit (no line) at No. 10 Minnesota Really like what we have seen from Lions thus far. LIONS, 24-20 — 2017 RECORD: Last week: Against spread (5-9-1). Straight up (8-8) Season Totals: Against spread (18-27-1). Straight up: (29-18) Best Bet: 2-1 against spread, 2-1 straight up. Upset special: 3-0 against spread, 3-0 straight up —