Football's Hot Stove League is heating up. Fans have questions, not to mention opinions, about what the Bengals will do in the draft.

        Question, from Jeff in Naples, Fla.: Why would the Bengals draft a quarterback and not a left tackle in the second round? Shouldn't the Bengals draft a left tackle in the first round and not a cornerback? And if they do draft a left tackle in the second round, who are they going to get?

        Answer: The front office thinks the team needs a quarterback to develop, especially because of the uncertainty over Akili Smith's recovery from hamstring surgery.

        There's also a belief in the organization that the quality of tackles in the draft, unlike guards, depreciates markedly after the first two or three prospects. The plan is to get another year out of Richmond Webb.

        The top two tackles projected in the draft are Bryant McKinnie of Miami (Fla.) and Mike Williams of Texas. Who goes next is a guess. Other possibilities are Marc Colombo of Boston College and Joaquin Gonzalez of Miami (Fla.).

        Q, from Mike in Cincinnati: Because Mike Brown seems mistaken about Peter Warrick's game-breaking abilities, why not trade Warrick for some defensive talent and use Danny Farmer instead?

        A: Warrick's transition to the NFL has been more of a challenge than he expected, but don't sell him short. He had 70 receptions this season and showed toughness in the slot by going over the middle and taking a lot of hard hits. Any perceived problem with Warrick might be more of a problem with how he's used.

        Farmer displayed his talents when given an opportunity late in the season, and he should see more playing time in 2002.

        Q, from Tyler in Maysville: Last season, the Bengals thought about free agent quarterback Gus Frerotte. Do you think they will consider him again this year?

        A: Yes, the Bengals might make another run at Frerotte. But they can't talk about him because he's still under contract with Denver for another few weeks.

        Q, from Greg in Proctorville, Ohio: Seeing how JoJuan Armour became a starter after his experience in NFL Europe, who are possibilities for going to Europe this year?

        A: The only confirmed Bengal going to Europe is long snapper/defensive lineman Randy Chevrier, who was picked up off waivers from Dallas. There's hope in the organization that quarterback Scott Covington will go overseas and get some playing time, which would help him come training camp.
       Q, from Dave in Tucson: I see cornerback (Edward) Reed of Miami (Fla.) is listed in Mel Kiper's top 10 picks in the entire draft. What is his status?

        A: Reed played safety and is considered one of the top five safeties in the draft. He is outstanding on the blitz and a hard hitter.

        Q, from Donald in Alexandria, La.: From what I'm reading, the Bengals are looking to get a cornerback in the first round. Why do that when the defense was ranked ninth overall this past season? Shouldn't their first priority be on offense?

        A: You make a good point. The Bengals might be thinking a top cornerback could push them up to a top-five defense that can control games.

        But the argument the Bengals should go after a tight end or a top tackle is a good one. So is the club's stance on a cornerback.

        Q, from Ted in Newburgh, Ind.: A third-round pick placed on injured reserve for the season who says he could have played in Week 2 sounds awful. Should we have any true hope at all that Sean Brewer will be a factor in 2002?

        And why do the Bengals always fall apart in the third round? With only a few exceptions, their good second-round work is offset by poor third rounds.

        A: Brewer will get a long look in training camp. Depending on how he looks in minicamp and May workouts, and if Houston grabs Tony McGee in the expansion draft, Brewer could be the No. 1 tight end.

        Actually, the Bengals' previous three third-rounders have been productive players. Wide receiver Ron Dugans has been an effective spot receiver and starred on special teams. Cory Hall starts at free safety. In 1998, the Bengals drafted two starters with third-round picks, linebacker Steve Foley and guard Mike Goff.

        And, in that same span (1998-2000), their three second-round cornerbacks haven't panned out as well as expected. Cornerback Mark Roman is developing. Charles Fisher hurt his knee and is out of football. And Artrell Hawkins didn't deliver on his promise until his fourth season.

        Q, from Jeff in Philadelphia (formerly of Hyde Park): Why didn't coach Dick LeBeau use (kicker Neil) Rackers in fourth-down situations in the two Tennessee games? I think Rackers has a bright future, and if he could hang in there through this season, he should be stronger in the future.

        A: LeBeau said he was playing a field-position game and rattled off statistics about how, leaguewide, the probability of making field goals drops with distance.

        Q, from Ben in Lexington: How could the Bengals management possibly believe that Jon Kitna is a viable quarterback option? He has the weakest arm in the NFL. All season long, he clearly demonstrated a lack of ability to see the field and throw to open receivers. He also complained constantly and demonstrated to me that he is not a leader.

        A: Kitna doesn't have the strongest arm, but he had 751 yards passing the last two games. There was validity in his stance that the receivers weren't where they should be many times.

        He showed promise, but management actually is looking at other quarterback options for 2002. The Bengals are talking about drafting Kurt Kittner from Illinois and could be shopping for another free agent. Kitna will have to earn the job. It won't be handed to him.

        Q, from Cam in San Francisco: Do you agree with the plan to draft Kittner in the second round? It seems to me that either he or Akili Smith would then be No. 3 and receive no snaps in practice.

        Why not draft not an offensive lineman, Andre Gurode, or a tight end, Dan Graham, who can play immediately? Then draft a quarterback like Rohan Davey in the third round? I realize it's easy to play armchair GM, but this seems to make more sense.

        A: Graham is highly rated, but he's relatively short for a tight end, not quite 6 feet 3. The Bengals don't really need interior offensive linemen. Taking a top tackle would make more sense.

        As for Kittner, he would be No. 3 unless Kitna or Smith is horrible. Kittner sounds as though he would be a good development project, a smart guy who wouldn't be rushed.

        Q, from Mark in Fort Walton Beach, Fla.: We all know about the Bengals' problems at cornerback, and realistically we can't hope that a draft pick will make an immediate impact at that position. After watching Ron Dugans display a willingness to get down the field and make hits on special teams, I can't help but wonder — why not try to convert him to cornerback? We really don't need him in the receiving corps.

        A: Credit Dugans for his willingness to play special teams, but cornerback is a different animal. This isn't to say Dugans couldn't do it eventually — he's a little big and maybe not quick enough — but a top rookie cornerback would have more immediate impact. Dugans, actually, would make a better safety than a cornerback. Special teams coach Al Roberts said Dugans hits like a safety.

        Q, from Gina in Orlando, Fla.: I won't pretend to understand the salary cap. But why can some teams sign all the players they want (Washington Redskins) and the Bengals can't sign what they need (Takeo Spikes, Brian Simmons)?

        Please help me understand. I have been a Bengals fan all my life, and it is frustrating!

        A: Some teams, Jacksonville comes to mind, will defer money in big contracts to later years. Teams will pay star players and big-name free agents smaller salaries in the first or second years of their contracts, and that will allow the teams to bring in more high-priced stars. Washington did this prior to the 2000 season and had to get rid of a lot of players, such as Deion Sanders.

        Trouble is, that practice catches up with you. The Jaguars have to shed some $25 million in salaries to reach the estimated $71 million cap in 2002. That's one reason tackle Tony Boselli was exposed in the expansion draft to Houston.

        The Bengals are unwilling to play back-loading games with player contracts. What frustrates some fans is, the Bengals won't even play a little. They'll stay under the cap year after year and are very aware of the future.

        But give them credit for spending a lot of money last offseason: Running back Corey Dillon received the biggest contract in franchise history. They signed free agents Tony Williams, Kitna, Lorenzo Neal and Richmond Webb, all of whom started. The Bengals compromised to sign top draft pick Justin Smith, who looks like a future star.

        Q, from Vicki in Beavercreek: Who was responsible for coaching David Klingler and now Akili Smith? Klingler never had a chance, and now I'm afraid that Smith will have the same fate. Smith's got a great arm. He's quick. He's got the intellect and good size and strength. When he finally played this year, he showed much more poise and, from all indications, much better understanding of the new offense. I say, get him a good QB coach and turn him loose.

        A: Former Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson is the quarterbacks coach. He joined the staff in that role in 1993, Klinger's second season. Anderson was offensive coordinator from midseason 1996 through the end of 2000. Anderson worked with Smith for much of the offseason before the 2000 season.

        But the failure of draft picks to develop and realize their potential is an organizational failure, not just one person's fault.

        Q, from David in New Orleans: I realize that the Bengals have already expressed interest in drafting Kittner in the second round. A player they could take later is Rohan Davey from LSU. What are the chances of the Bengals taking him? The word around the LSU program is that, despite Davey's physical attributes, his greatest strength is what he has in his head and in his heart. He approached the game at LSU as a professional, and he studied longer and harder than anyone. I think Davey has a far greater upside than the erratic Kittner. What do you think?

        A: I think you sound like part-scout and part-fan. Davey has been impressive. So has Kittner. My only question on both of them is this: If they're so good, why are they considered second- and third-round picks?

        Mark Curnutte covers the Bengals for the Enquirer. He can be reached here.
               

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