So you want my opinion?

The Bengals cut down to 53 players on Saturday. At the request of some readers who might not realize my primary responsibility is to write for the newspaper product, here are my views on the personnel moves and some related issues:

-- More moves will occur, maybe as many as three or four, before the opener Sept. 10. If a speed running back becomes available (keep your eyes focused on New Orleans) and a linebacker, if not a kicker, the Bengals will strike.

-- Departed Doug Johnson has been voted one of the least popular teammates in the NFL. He also wasn't very good. He threw two interceptions -- all his fault -- in the directions of Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh on Friday night. They're pretty good. No blaming Bennie Brazell for cutting the wrong direction.

-- I like Ryan Fitzpatrick, acquired in the trade from St. Louis. But the Bengals are in bad shape, even with Fitzpatrick, behind Carson Palmer. I still question the decision to draft Jeff Rowe in the fifth round and invest in him for the relative long term. I think the Bengals were unwisely cheap in not trying to bring back Anthony Wright.

-- But, hey, name me a backup quarterback who wouldn't be a major step down from Palmer?

-- Mike Brown and his daughter, Katie Blackburn, both did their undergraduate work at Dartmouth College. As Ivy Leaguers, for the time being, they now have a quarterback from Harvard (Fitzpatrick) and a tight end from Yale (Nate Lawrie).

-- Why did the Bengals keep defensive end Frostee Rucker? He is injury-prone. And based on his track record of legal problems, he has the potential to drag the organization through the mud once again. Reports are Rucker will miss the opener because of a league-mandated suspension.

-- The Bengals did do a good job of cutting ties with another potential off-field troublemaker in wide receiver Reggie McNeal. On the field, McNeal did not do much with his chance to win the No. 4 receiver job.

-- You can never have too many Samoans on your roster. Defensive linemen Domata Peko and Jonathan Fanene stuck as two of the eight. A third Samoan, Matt Toeaina, will hopefully clear waivers and be signed to the Bengals practice squad. These are guys who will only do you proud as an organization. They work exceptionally hard and produce.

-- If Fanene can stay healthy and on the field, he will make plays. For his sake, I hope his hamstring problems are behind him.

-- The Bengals are taking a roster gamble by keeping three players on the 53 who won't be able to play until October -- safety Ethan Kilmer (knee), linebacker Rashad Jeanty (lower leg) and wide receiver Antonio Chatman (hamstring). Coach Marvin Lewis doesn't have much wiggle room getting down to 45 players to dress on Sunday.

-- Tight end Daniel Coats could be the steal of the rookie free agent class. Credit goes to Bengals tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes for spotting him. Coats could be a big-time receiver, though he didn't look too smooth in dropping a couple of balls against the Colts.

-- There were hints even back in June that linebacker Ed Hartwell wouldn't be here opening day, but his release was still a surprise.

-- Heading into the start of my eighth season on the Bengals/NFL beat, I see health a major difference between winning and losing. If you can keep all or most of your best players healthy and avoid a glut of injuries in one position, you have a chance to win.

-- I am a beat reporter, so criticism that I should do more opinion don't bother me. My first and most important job is to report the news for the newspaper version of our product. Then it's the Web product. Then it's this blog.

-- In radio interviews, when the topic of the Bengals' troublemaking players come up, I also try to point out that there are a lot of people in the locker room who would make ideal neighbors. Tops among them are Palmer and defensive tackle John Thornton. It didn't surprise me one bit that their teammates voted them as season-long captains.

-- I liked watching punter Kyle Larson kick extra points Friday night in the conventional, straight-forward manner. I'm old enough to remember the tail end of George Blanda's career and the square-toed high-top kicking shoe he wore. I also remember former Saints kicker Tom Dempsey, who was born with a partial right foot, and the adapted square-toed cleats he wore. Larson said he had a square-toed kicking shoe when he was younger.