Boomer Esiason says he sees no reason at all why the Bengals can’t do what the Arizona Cardinals did last year. That is the good news. The reality is that there are still plenty of questions remaining.

Esiason thinks that with their quarterback and three wide receivers: Laveranues Coles, Chad Ochocinco and Chris Henry, that the Bengals can be just as exciting offensively as the Cardinals if they can get every rolling just right.

However, Esiason, the Bengal’s former quarterback and holder of four team records that he set in 10 years of play in Cincinnati (1984-92, 1997), is concerned about first round draft pick Andre Smith’s maturity and the Bengals’ overall team psyche, particularly if they get off to bad start again.

Esiason thinks Smith was a good player while he was in college, but there were some strange things surrounding him. He stated that you need to be certain the guys you are giving money to really are going to do what it takes to earn it and not disappoint you in any way.

Boomer is also worried about right tack Carson Palmer stepping in and going up against the league’s best pass rushers. Whether or not the Bengals attempt to move the ball using running back Cedric Benson, they will be for the most part a passing team given their talented wide receivers Coles, Henry and Ochocinco.

Boomer was on hand to discuss the Bengals and the AFC conference during a break last week at Esiason’s Big Bang, a pro-am event taking place over two days at Owenton, Kentucky’s Elk Creek Club that benefits Boomer Esiason’s Foundation for cystic fibrosis research.

Esiason, who is returning to CBS’ NFL Today as an analyst and will also do Monday night games on radio, stressed the importance of the Bengals getting a fast start out of the gate. He noted a good start was important because the Bengals had wacky players, and they get even wackier when a team starts losing. Esiason does feel that the Bengals have a mentally strong coaching staff and some mentally strong players, but when times get tough there will be players who will break out.

Esiason, a former star quarterback with the Bengals, empathizes with quarterback Carson Palmer’s trials. He considers Palmer to be one of the league’s leading five quarterbacks.

Palmer, recovering from an elbow injury he suffered last year, has looked good, but the supporting cast is what will determine the Bengals ultimate success.

It’s not just offense, it everything, including the defense and special teams, Esiason noted. It is the team’s mindset and the organization. He hopes that Marvin Lewis, the head coach, can continue his work in these areas and help to bring a positive attitude.

Looking at the AFC North, Boomer sees Baltimore and Pittsburgh as league favorites. For the conference he views New England as the leading contender, with Indianapolis and the Steelers following.

Boomer thinks the Jets, along with the Bengals, could be the surprise teams while Buffalo with Terrell Owens and Kansas City and Matt Cassell, to be teams worth watching.

Gunnar Esiason graduates in two weeks from high school and then in August will be attending Boston College. He hit the golf course with Jack Cassidy, Cincinnati Bell’s President on Wednesday.

At the time of Gunnar’s diagnosis of cystic fibrosis in 1993 the median life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis was 19. Today the expectancy is 36. As life expectancy for cystic fibrosis patients grows longer, treatment for adults has become the most recent challenge for Boomer’s foundation.

Esiason noted that as the organization has grown it has evolved to support the adult side as well. He said they have a problem, but that it is a good problem to have due to the progress on the disease made by medicine. The University of Cincinnati has an excellent adult center, and money has been given by the foundation to the Columbia Presbyterian in greater New York as well.

The Pro-Am last week was a benefit for the Gunnar Esiason’s Cystic Fibrosis and Lung Center located at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. The event has raised over $2 million in 11 years. This year 65 teams participated, which is a record.

Ten years ago doctors told parents like the Esiason’s not to worry about college. Today there are several drugs in the pipeline, and Boomer encourages parents to start saving. Just use that to motivate you, he said.

Gunnar is now 18 years old and everything has been planned by Cincinnati Children’s doctors. Esiason says its just like giving you a road map to follow, and that they are very grateful to have it.