5 questions facing the Bengals in training camp

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For the fourth consecutive season, the Cincinnati Bengals sputtered out during the wildcard playoffs. It's becoming routine during the Andy Dalton era for the Bengals to approach the precipice of greatness, before coming to a screeching halt.

Will this be the year the Bengals get over the hump and make their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988?

Here are five questions facing the Bengals in training camp:

Will Andy Dalton finally make the leap?

Andy Dalton's range of performances spanned from historically awful (Week 10 vs. Cleveland) to outstanding (Week 11 vs. New Orleans) and may be symptomatic of his career as a whole. Although he's led the Bengals to the playoffs in each of his first three years, the result each time has been a harrowing wildcard defeat, leaving many to wonder whether this is all there is to Dalton.

Quite simply, Dalton will need to improve if the Bengals are to actualize the full potential one of the league's deepest rosters. Although he was never more accurate than he was in 2014, his touchdown/interception ratio shrunk to almost 1-to-1, a statistic that's arguably worse than it looks considering his propensity to give the ball away at the worst possible time.

If Dalton can make even a marginal jump, the Bengals could be poised for a deep playoff run, but whether the fourth-year pro is capable of anything better than he's shown thus far remains somewhat dubious.

How will the Bengals incorporate Ogbuehi, Fisher?

The Bengals puzzled a number of draft analysts and fans alike when they selected offensive tackles Cedric Ogbuehi and Jake Fisher with their first two picks, despite boasting an offensive line that allowed the fewest sacks in 2014. It appears to be a contingency plan of sorts, with star left tackle Andrew Whitworth and right tackle Andre Smith - both slated to become unrestricted free agents - unlikely to return after the 2015 season.

Ogbuehi is recovering from a torn ACL suffered during his final collegiate game at Texas A&M, and could be shelved due to concern about rushing him back too quickly. Fisher is an interesting case, as many thought he was the offensive tackle with the highest upside in the 2015 class. With a breakout camp, Fisher may force Marvin Lewis to find a role for him.

Will Ogbuehi and Fisher have a real chance of cracking the starting lineup? It's something that must be monitored entering camp.

Will Geno Atkins return to form?

Geno Atkins was compared to Hall of Fame defensive tackle John Randle by Patriots head coach Bill Belichick in 2013, before suffering a devastating ACL injury. Atkins returned in 2014 and played in 755 snaps, but he didn't play at the level that saw him elected to three Pro Bowls.

A year and a half after suffering the torn ligament, it's of paramount importance for Atkins to return to form in a division that boasts two of the league's top five rushers in Le'Veon Bell and Justin Forsett. In 2012, Atkins showcased his all-around dominance, recording 12.5 sacks while continuing to be a menace in the run game.

If Atkins can return to All-Pro form, the Bengals' defensive line - which posted a league-low 20 sacks in 2014 - can be a force to be reckoned with.

Can the Bengals find a second receiver?

A.J. Green has exceeded the loftiest of expectations since being selected with the fourth overall pick in 2011. While he's been the fulcrum of the passing game, Green was never provided with much of a running mate, and determining who will emerge as the Bengals' second receiver remains an intriguing question.

Mohamed Sanu put together the best campaign of his three-year career in 2014, recording 56 receptions for 790 yards and five touchdowns. Sanu will need to show that last season was a marker of his true ability, and not an anomaly.

Marvin Jones was poised for stardom after recording 51 catches for 712 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2013, but missed the entire 2014 campaign due to lingering foot and ankle injuries. Jones records catches in bunches and will need to overcome a tendency to disappear for long stretches of games.

Tyler Eifert caught three passes for 37 yards in the 2014 season opener, before suffering a season-ending dislocated elbow. While it would be unwise to extrapolate a small sample size to be predictive of a larger trend, the former first-round pick is a capable receiver and could provide the Bengals with a legitimate second option.

In Green's four seasons, he's never been paired with a fellow 1,000-yard receiver. But Sanu and Jones showed flashes of stardom, and this may be the year that Green gets some meaningful help.

Is it time for the Bengals to give up on Dre Kirkpatrick?

Like many Alabama-trained defensive backs under Nick Saban's tutelage, Dre Kirkpatrick performed well throughout his collegiate career but failed to translate his full skill set to the professional game. Selected in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, Kirkpatrick has fallen short of expectations.

He saw the field sparingly in 2014, playing in 283 snaps. Although Kirkpatrick has a tenuous grasp on the team's starting left cornerback position, Adam Jones played a larger role in the team's defense, and 2014 first-round pick Darqueze Dennard is in line to rise up the depth chart. The Bengals also drafted Josh Shaw, a talented but enigmatic cornerback from USC who possesses the athleticism to challenge for the job immediately.

It may be too early to write Kirkpatrick off, but with a legion of contenders breathing down his neck, the Bengals' left cornerback position should be watched with great interest entering training camp.