I guess Mike Brown doesn't read Blog Blitz. Either that, or he's just stubborn.

In my pre-draft analysis, I argued that the Bengals should take either LB Von Miller or DT Marcel Dareus, if available. If both were taken, I urged the Bengals to draft Patrick Peterson.

Miller and Dareus were taken within two of the first three picks, but Peterson was still on the board at No. 4. The Bengals chose WR A.J. Green of Georgia. Peterson went to Cardinals at No. 5.

So what's the problem? Well, the first problem is finding where the problem starts.

The Bengals defense was weak last season. The offense was mediocre. Playing against the Steelers and Ravens 25 percent of the year, the Bengals offense will never surpass mediocre. However, the defense, with Peterson or any other young defensive stud, had a chance to improve and lower opposing teams' point totals. As I said before the draft, you don’t beat the Steelers and Ravens by outscoring them. You win by stopping them from scoring as many points as you.

Also, the wide receiver position is one of the least valuable in the league. Andre Johnson and Calvin Johnson are arguably the two most talented receivers in the league. Neither has made the playoffs in their careers, though, because there is a guy named the quarterback who has to throw them the ball first, before they can run. The Bengals will argue that Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens are aging veterans who need replacements. However, so is Carson Palmer. The Bengals cannot fix their receiver situation before they clean up their quarterback dilemma. Blaine Gabbert, Jake Locker, Christian Ponder or even Andy Dalton should have been drafted as a successor to Carson Palmer if the Bengals were going to choose an offensive player.

Peterson is going to be a Pro Bowler within three years. I can’t wait to tell Mike Brown, "I told you so."

For Bengals news on Twitter, follow @Bengals_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- JEFFREY EISENBAND
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

Playing in the AFC North is hell. With 25 percentof the season played against the Steelers and Ravens, the Bengals were lucky to escape 2010 with a 20.1 points per game average. They’ll be even luckier if they can do it again.

A common misconception of Cincy fans is that the Bengals must fight fire with fire. It has been a common theme during the Carson Palmer/Chad Ochocinco Era that the Bengals must bolster their offense to overcome their rivals' defense.

That doesn't work, though. The defensive side of the football is the easier side. Troy Polomalu and Ed Reed are going to bat down more third-and-eights than Palmer can throw for ten yards. And neither the Steelers' nor Ravens' defenses are going to diminish any time soon.

So if you can’t score against your divisional rivals, how do you beat them? You stop them from scoring.

Bengals opponents averaged 24.7 points per game last season. If Cincinnati wants to return to the playoffs, the team must improve its defense. This starts with the draft. At pick No. 4, Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis will be tempted to draft a big time offensive player. WR Julio Jones, WR A.J. Green and QB Blaine Gabbert will all expect phone calls when they see the Bengals on the clock.

But this year, the Bengals do not need another offensive player to serve as Ray Lewis' next lunch. They need to draft a top-notch defensive player.

Neither the passing (216.8 YPG) nor rushing (115.2 YPG) defense was particularly good last season. Therefore, the Bengals do not need to get picky deciding between a cornerback or a linebacker. They simply need to draft the best defensive player available at the fourth spot. If DT Marcell Dareus or LB Von Miller (pictured above) is still on the board, the Bengals should not even let the draft clock run down past five minutes. Either of those players can revolutionize the run defense while simultaneously bolstering the pass rush.

If both players are gone, Brown should audible and draft CB Patrick Peterson. The LSU product has the ability to be one of the game's shut-down corners within just two or three seasons. While most draft gurus have Peterson going at No. 7 or No. 8, the Bengals have to realize their unique situation compared to other teams. A top offensive player will serve less purpose in Cincinnati than in any other NFL city. Only a defensive player can bring brighter days to Paul Brown Stadium.

This should not be the Bengals' theme for only the first round. Cincinnati should go after defensive players throughout the draft. Brown should not be afraid to draft four to five defensive players over the course of the three draft days. The Bengals won't beat the Steelers and Ravens by scoring more points than them. They'll win by giving up less.

For Bengals news on Twitter, follow @Bengals_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- JEFFREY EISENBAND
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

One more year.

If Carson Palmer really retires this season he’ll be walking away from about $11 million in salary. He’ll be leaving the Bengals without a legitimate quarterback in an offseason destined to be disrupted by labor unrest. He’ll be sitting out a season in the prime of his career, wasting time that can never be reclaimed.

It doesn’t make much sense. Thus, the best course of action – for both Palmer and the Bengals – is simple.

One more year.

Cincinnati can draft a quarterback early in this year’s draft and give him a year to get ready. They can prepare for life without Palmer and develop a new direction for the franchise. Meanwhile, Palmer can treat this season as a full-blown audition for every other NFL team. Perhaps both parties will even flourish in the first season under new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden. Perhaps the offense will click, the team will excel and Palmer will reconsider his trade request.

It’s not a perfect situation, but it’s the best that both can hope for.

The alternative is that Palmer loses a season in what’s getting closer to the twilight of his career. Bengals owner Mike Brown won’t budge. He’s never been known for getting soft in matters of player personnel. Quite the opposite. He’ll sacrifice wins for the sake of principles.

And that’s precisely what could happen if Palmer does sit out. Cincinnati doesn’t have a solid option behind their franchise quarterback. Backup Jordan Palmer, Carson’s brother, has little game experience and hasn’t exactly shown great promise. Third-stringer Dan LeFevour was a rookie last season. And the NFL’s looming work stoppage has put a freeze on free agency.

Neither party has a decent backup plan. It’s a lot like a marriage where no one is really happy. But it’s not time for a divorce either.

One more year.

For Bengals news on Twitter, follow @Bengals_Live.

For more on the Cincinnati Bengals, check out FanSided's StripeHype blog.

-- NATE WILKINSON
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

ESPN’s James Walker reached out to the world’s most famous Bengals fan, Nick Lachey, to get a sense of what life is like these days for a fan of the orange and black. Yes, Mr. Lachey agrees with the rest of us. It ain’t pretty.

Lachey isn’t your typical celebrity sports fan. He knows his stuff and is often seen at Bengals, Reds and University of Cincinnati basketball games. His opinion and analysis on the miserable entity this franchise has become mirrors that of most fans However, when a high-profile celebrity shares their opinion, people listen.

Lachey does not hold back when asked to describe the current state of the franchise. He accurately rips into each topic thrown his way.

On Carson Palmer… “Being a very highly compensated franchise QB in the NFL is more than learning terminology and throwing passes. It’s about being a leader, and Carson has proven that he cannot be that. If there is a team that thinks he is worth trading for, do it.”

On Mike Brown… “Since Mike Brown has taken over, we’ve been the laughingstock of the league, all the while supported by a fan base that has refused to give up on the team. After years, even decades of “bungled” draft picks, unfortunate injuries, and off the field embarrassments, I see this as a breaking point for the Bengals and the fans in Cincinnati. People are tired of giving their hard-earned money to a team that seemingly cares more about growing the family fortune than it does about competing for a championship.”

“I think it’s time for Mike Brown to admit he’s not the football man he thinks he is and hire people who are.”

I completely agree with everything he said. I would guess that 99% of Bengals fans agree with it too. However, it is the last part of the interview that will sting the Brown family where it matters (to them) most.

Message to the fans… “I have leased a suite for the past five seasons and commuted back and forth from Los Angeles to watch the team I love, many times flying back feeling as if the joke were on me. My message to the fans in Cincinnati would be this — the power is in our hands.”

“As hard as it is, the only way we can show our resolve is to quit blindly supporting the same old dysfunctional, losing cycle that is the Mike Brown Bengals. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein said that and he was a pretty smart guy from what I’ve heard. Bengal fans, don’t go insane.”

Lachey doesn’t come out and say he isn’t planning on leasing a seat for the upcoming season, but it sure sounds like he is considering it. If that is true, I am sure he isn’t the only one.

Fans, bloggers and radio personalities can have screamed for change. Nothing has happened. Now, the demand is coming from a high-profile person with a significant financial interest. Will Lachey’s opinion mean anything to the Brown family?

Probably not.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- RUSSELL WIGHT
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

The 2010 season was something of an earthquake for the Cincinnati Bengals. Sky-high expectations were built by an offseason of big-name acquisitions. Super Bowl dreams floated through the sky. For once, everything seemed relatively stable and secure.

Then, the earthquake hit.

The Bengals lost their first game in New England. Penalties and lackluster performances began piling up. The team went on a 10-game losing streak that tied a franchise record and finished with 12 losses overall. A long streak of home sellouts came to an end.

Everything was in shambles. But there was hope resting in the offseason. Surely, new bodies would be brought in to sort through the rubble. Changes would be made to ensure that this could never happen again. Lessons would be learned.

Sadly, none of that happened. Bengals owner Mike Brown brought back Marvin Lewis. Up to this point, no coordinators or coaches have been changed. Nothing is different from that disastrous season last year. The clean-up effort has stalled.

And then the aftershocks started. Chad Ochocinco – or is it Johnson this week? – started sniping with Lewis. Then last week, word broke that Carson Palmer, the franchise quarterback, the stable, steadying influence on a team of turmoil, wants to be traded. The last pillar has crumbled. Nothing seems to be secure for this season - or any of the ones after it.

So what now?

Mike Brown must do what he does best and play hardball. Palmer has to play for the Bengals this year unless the sweetest sweetheart deal arrives in a trade. Cincinnati has no other choice. Palmer’s backup is his brother Jordan, a quarterback with NFL size but virtually no NFL experience. Free agency is nonexistent until a bargaining agreement is reached. And the draft picks available at No. 4 aren’t that enticing, nor will they be ready to play in the fall of 2011.

Thus, the Bengals must keep Palmer. Convince him to give the team one more season while auditioning for every other franchise. Draft a quarterback and put together a contingency plan. It’s far from an ideal situation, but it’s the best the Bengals can do.

An earthquake of a season has been followed by some aftershocks. Safety and stability seem a long way away.

For Bengals news on Twitter, follow @Bengals_Live.

For more on the Cincinnati Bengals, check out FanSided's StripeHype blog.

-- NATE WILKINSON
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com