Now that the dust has settled ...

... and safety Kevin Kaesviharn has departed the Bengals' roster:

1. The number of pre-Marvin Lewis players is down to seven. There were 10 at season's end. The Bengals terminated the contract of linebacker Brian Simmons, who, like Kaesviharn, is now a Saint. Backup tight end Tony Stewart signed as an unrestricted free agent with Oakland.

Only end Justin Smith remains on the defense, which finished ninth in overall league rankings in 2001.

The six offensive survivors are tackles Willie Anderson and Levi Jones, wide receivers Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, tailback Rudi Johnson and tight end/long snapper Brad St. Louis.

2. The Bengals, especially pre-Lewis, get beat up -- and sometimes deservedly so -- for their drafts. But 2001 turned out to be a huge success with Smith (first round), Chad Johnson (second), Rudi Johnson (fourth) and Houshmandzadeh (seventh). Add Jones in the first round of 2002 and quarterback Carson Palmer in the first round of 2003, and there, pretty much, is the nucleus of the team.

3. Kaesviharn proved to be a valuable player, one of the few who made some big plays on the defense. But $10 million over four years might be a little steep. That money would be much better used to re-sign free safety Madieu Williams to a contract extension before it's too late.

4. The Bengals have six draft picks. The view here is that five of the six had better go to defensive players, with the exception being a tight end in the fourth or fifth round. The Bengals will need draft picks to play and contribute as rookies, and it's time for the likes of end Frostee Rucker and linebacker A.J. Nicholson to behave off the field and play on it. If Nicholson was a fifth-round "steal" -- pun intended -- he should be able to play in the NFL. And the jury is still out -- intended -- on Rucker. Stay healthy. Work hard. Perform.

5. Word around the NFL is that the Bengals should not have too much trouble re-signing No. 2 quarterback Anthony Wright to back-up Palmer.