Here is my all-time Bengals team. For each position I only chose one player from Bengals' history. For fun, I also include their best year to illustrate why I chose them.
Offense -
Quarterback - Ken Anderson (1981)
* Anderson was an all-pro that year and led the Bengals to their first Super Bowl. That year he passed for 3,754 yards. In 1981! Those numbers would still be good in today's league.
Runningback - James Brooks (1989) and Corey Dillon (2000)
* Brooks had his best season as a runner in '89 when he took over the carries full-time when Ickey Woods went down early with a knew injury. He was a dual threat. That year it seemed like he was always good for one 40 or 60 yard run per game.
* Corey Dillon set the all-time rushing record vs. Denver in 2000. He was a beast who never had enough talent around him to really shine.
Wide Receiver - Isaac Curtis (1975) and AJ Green (2013)
* Curtis was a phenomenal deep threat. In '75 he averaged an amazing 21 yards per grab.
* Green is the most gifted receiver the Bengals have ever had. He doesn't have Curtis' speed, but he has size and fluid movement that make him a match up nightmare.
OLT - Anthony Munoz (1988)
* Really Munoz (as the Bengals sole Hall of Famer) was excellent in all of his seasons. I just chose 1988 as the representative year as that was when he helped guide the Bengals to their second Super Bowl.
OLG - Max Montoya (1988)
* He and Munoz made for an amazing left side, and one that would help the Bengals lead the league in rushing in both '88 and '89. When he left after the '89 season for LA because then owner Paul Brown didn't want to pay a guard much money, it was the first sign of the lost decade to come when the Bengals would become known as the Bungals.
C - Rich Braham (2005)
* One of my favorite Bengals. He came over from Arizona and excelled at both guard and center. He helped give the Bengals a balanced attack in '05 when they could toss it to Chad Johnson downfield or hand it of to Rudi Johnson.
ORG - Eric Steinbach (2007)
* Had the Bengals won more (as they are doing now), he'd have made a few Pro Bowls. Amazing athlete from the offensive linemen factory of Iowa.
ORT - Willie Anderson (2005)
* Next to Munoz, Anderson is our best lineman ever. He was dominant and when he decided to finally get in shape, he was amazing. 2005 was his first Pro Bowl nod, and it was about six years too late.
TE - Bob Trumpy (1970)
* An amazing talent at TE for the Bengals. This was one of his two Pro Bowl seasons.
Defense
Left DE - Eddie Edwards (1983)
* Edwards is our career sacks leader, even though he is about 47 sacks short because the league didn't keep the stat until 1982.
DT - Geno Atkins (2012)
* Our best defensive lineman ever (and that's saying something given the man I'm going to talk about after Atkins). He was dominant in every single game in 2012. My personal favorite: the second to last game in Pittsburgh when he single handedly destroyed the Steelers offensive line.
NT - Tim Krumrie (1988)
* The heart and soul of so many Bengals' defenses. One of the toughest Bengals ever. He often led the team in tackles . . . as a nose guard!
Right DE - Justin Smith (2001)
* Smith is a beast for the 49ers now, but he got his start with the Bengals. He came in at the tail end of the Bungals years, but his rookie year was phenomenal, despite missing all of training camp and the preseason with a contract holdout.
WLB - Vontaze Burfict (2013)
* Probably the Bengals greatest undrafted free agent signing ever. Burfict is the face of our current defense. He was a force this year. Just look at his monster game vs. the Browns this year when he was all over the field, including forcing a fumble, picking it up, and scoring a touchdown. Soon to be a very, very rich man.
MLB - Bill Bergey (1969)
* Bergey would later star for the Eagles, but he got his start with the Bengals, earning all pro honors his rookie year.
SMB - Takeo Spikes (2001)
* The best linebacker not name Ray Lewis from the AFC North. He was an absolute stud for the Bengals, but he forced Marvin Lewis' to send him on his way because he was tired of all the losing. It was at the worst time too because - oddly enough - the Bengals would go to the playoffs 5 times under Lewis and Spikes would never get the chance to play in the playoffs.
SS - David Fulcher (1989)
* He was force in their Super Bowl year of 1988 (and could well have been the MVP of the Super Bowl had they actually won), but 1989 was his best year when he lead the league in interceptions and made the Pro Bowl.
FS - Reggie Williams (1992)
* Williams was part of the lost decade, but he was their second first round selection in 1992 (following - ugh - David Klingler), but he was a beast his rookie year.
CB - Ken Riley (1976)
* It's insane he isn't in the HOF. In 1976 he picked off 9 passes for 141 yards and one TD. A true shut down corner and ball hawk.
CB - Eric Thomas (1988)
* He was a beast in '88, picking off two passes in the AFC championship vs. the Bills. Too bad a torn up knee in the '90 offseason ruined his career.
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