Mark Curnutte

Daryl Gardener and Carson Palmer are the talk of the town.

Question, from Andrew in Englewood: It appears that Marvin Lewis is concerned with the physical condition of Daryl Gardener. If the Bengals do not sign Gardener, are they going to go after anyone else on their front line?

Answer: Don't give up on Gardener. There's not the sense of urgency to sign a defensive tackle at this point, unlike a quarterback.

Lewis likes Gardener, and Gardener was a Pro Bowl alternate for defensive coordinator Lewis in Washington in 2002.

Gardener only has one option left in the NFL, and it is Lewis.

If Gardener's back is OK and he wants to still play, he will be a Bengal. The two sides have crafted a potentially lucrative deal for Gardener that is low-risk for the Bengals.

Q, from Tom in Saylor Park: Is Palmer ready for this year? Do you think that the Bengals got what they needed in the draft and in free agency?

A: Ready or not, Palmer is the quarterback. He will be well prepared, no doubt. He has worked hard in the classroom and the weight room, and the Bengals gave him plenty of work by making the decision before the start of the offseason program in March.

There will be rookie-like mistakes. But there will be big plays, similar to the 67-yard quick strike bomb Palmer completed to wide receiver Chad Johnson in practice on Tuesday for a touchdown.

Lewis has tried to reduce the pressure on Palmer by adding depth to the offensive line, which should help the running game. Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry have the early look of a productive one-two punch out of the backfield.

The biggest question on this team is the defense. Can it rebound from its fade down the stretch last season, which dropped it to 28th in the league in both points and yards allowed? Lewis' first two free agent signings were linebacker Nate Webster and safety Kim Herring, and they added depth via the draft.

Q, from Tim in South Korea: Much hinges on how well (quickly) Carson Palmer develops this year. He is still essentially a rookie, and many rookies need seasons - not games - to begin making an impact.

Our hopes might have to remain on hold until 2005. Being a Bengal fan born and raised, I hope I am wrong.

What do you think about the upcoming season?

A: The Bengals could be much improved and still finish 8-8 and out of the playoff.

Q, from Jaime in Cali, Colombia: Will the Bengals do a better job than last year? I am a former Boone County High exchange student (1975) and still a Bengals fan after all these years.

A: The Bengals in 2004 will be better than in 2003. But that improvement might not show up in the final record. They could still finish 8-8 or 7-9.

The step to 10-6 or 11-5 is more difficult than the one they made from 2-14 in 2002 to .500 last year.

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E-mail mcurnutte@enquirer.com

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