Dalton unfazed by losing blockers: 'No panic on my end'

Despite losing his two best offensive linemen on the first day of free agency, Andy Dalton is staying positive about his team's chances of rebounding from their worst season since he was drafted.

"There's no panic on my end," Dalton told his team's website Thursday. "I feel like we've got a lot of talent. We just have to put it all together."

The Cincinnati Bengals saw All-Pro left tackle Andrew Whitworth take a payday with the Los Angeles Rams, while guard Kevin Zeitler let the Cleveland Browns make him the NFL's highest-paid player at his position. Dalton is choosing not to pout about the losses, remaining confident in the players who are still in orange and black.

"We’re going to have to figure it out," Dalton said. "Those are big shoes to fill. Whit arguably has been the best tackle in the NFL for a while. Guys are going to have to step up and play because obviously that’s a big piece of what we do."

Whitworth and Zeitler's positions will likely now be filled by 2015 second-round pick Jake Fisher and 2016 fifth-rounder Christian Westerman, unless the Bengals address those spots in free agency or the draft. Cincinnati has yet to add any new faces through free agency, but re-signed cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick and receiver Brandon LaFell.