Madieu Williams

[J24]

Well i was reading a story on Bengals.com about his foundation and they said in it that this is his final year of his rookie deal and that the bengals haven't even started contract negoations yet. I know he did not have the best season last year (I personally thought he was a ProBowler last year, I just thought the Maroney trampling was the onlything on his highlight real that made ESPN and most bengal fans minds.) but I still think he is our best player on D byfar and I also think he is the most underated player in the NFL today. It concearns me that we will sign a D-end in smith to huge money who is a good player but not a great player but yet wont consider signing possibly a top 5 safety in the game.

[Kazkal]

Ya...the maroney play seems to stick in peoples minds but no way madieu is gone after this season IMO....they'll probably see at what level he plays at this year to see how much he is worth and start contract talks at end of year /when the season is over.I highly doubt they'll let him walk for nothing though,plus the franchise tag for a safety is much more friendly then a DE.

PS,People talk about him not being as physical as when he was a rookie but a FS shouldn't have to make plays vs run as much as he has had too if the 7 guys in front of him were doing their jobs.plus Dexter was getting stiff armed as much as madieu was.

[Stripes]

I don't think Madieu is close to a top five safety... to include him in that discussion you'd have to leave out one of the following:

Troy Polamalu

Adrian Wilson

Rodney Harrison

Brian Dawkins

Ed Reed

Sean Taylor

Bob Sanders

Kennoy Kennedy

Kerry Rhodes

Sean Jones

Roy Williams

Mike Brown

I'm not sure Madieu deserves that recognition more than anyone on that list (and there are others in a similar position). I do think Madieu is a solid player, however, and expect him to be a top priority for the Bengals to resign sometime this season or in the offseason.

[Kazkal]

Justins not a top 5 DE but you do what you gotta do to keep em around,

I really doubt it will get to that though.My money is on he's extended before march.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I'm in the camp that thinks that Madieu didn't have a great season last year. He *definitely* didn't have a Pro Bowl season. Much of that can be attributed to the crap in front of him, but it still seemed like he was making cleanup tackles as opposed to really getting it done. I thought his tackling was sloppy, and he suffered in coverage (although 80% of that was Tory making him look bad).

So let's see what happens to him this year. He'll have better corners in front of him, and the LBs...well, it has to be better than last year, even if it isn't good. His shoulder should be solid by now. He should look better than his rookie year. If not, we'll see what another team is willing to pay him and see if it's worth matching, I imagine.

In any event, if I were him I wouldn't look to base a new contract off of his performance last year, if he thinks he's one of the better safeties around.

[J24]

I don't think Madieu is close to a top five safety... to include him in that discussion you'd have to leave out one of the following:

Troy Polamalu

Adrian Wilson

Rodney Harrison

Brian Dawkins

Ed Reed

Sean Taylor

Bob Sanders

Kennoy Kennedy

Kerry Rhodes

Sean Jones

Roy Williams

Mike Brown

I'm not sure Madieu deserves that recognition more than anyone on that list (and there are others in a similar position). I do think Madieu is a solid player, however, and expect him to be a top priority for the Bengals to resign sometime this season or in the offseason.

Ill give you Troy,ED,Rodney Adrian, Bob and Maybe Mike but the rest of them are not in Madieu class espically Roy Williams he is the reason for the term overated.

[kentjett]

He'll be a restricted FA, we have plenty of time to resign. He is pretty much guaranteed to be here 2 more seasons.

[Stripes]

Ill give you Troy,ED,Rodney Adrian, Bob and Maybe Mike but the rest of them are not in Madieu class espically Roy Williams he is the reason for the term overated.

Eh, I'd be inclined to call Roy Williams underrated. That's not because I think he's extremely good, but more because 95% of the time I see his name mentioned on a message board it is accompanied by the word "overrated." The same goes for Michael Vick.

That doesn't make any sense to me.

[HoosierCat]

He'll be a restricted FA, we have plenty of time to resign. He is pretty much guaranteed to be here 2 more seasons.

Actually, he'll be unrestricted. This is his fourth year.

[J24]

Ill give you Troy,ED,Rodney Adrian, Bob and Maybe Mike but the rest of them are not in Madieu class espically Roy Williams he is the reason for the term overated.

Eh, I'd be inclined to call Roy Williams underrated. That's not because I think he's extremely good, but more because 95% of the time I see his name mentioned on a message board it is accompanied by the word "overrated." The same goes for Michael Vick.

That doesn't make any sense to me.

yeah he is underated if not being able to notice the ball in the air makes you a great saftey than i dont no what makes a great saftey.

[JoePong]

Madieu Williams is like the Brian Simmons of the secondary. He's a guy with ability who you think should be really good, but just never makes much of an impact. I think he's destined to be just a solid player with high character much like Simmons was.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I thought Madeiu was busting out in '05 before his injury. The Chicago game I was at, he was all over the field and they were using him a lot in run support and on blitzes. He covers a lot of ground fast and can confuse QB's like Polamalu does pre-snap - IF they use him that way.

Last year he always seemed to be in pass coverage, and used differently.

Either way his last two years will hopefully keep his contract size down, with his best days ahead of him. I hope the Bengals' don't do a Sam Shade or Steinbach with him, if he has a good year.

[Stripes]

Ill give you Troy,ED,Rodney Adrian, Bob and Maybe Mike but the rest of them are not in Madieu class espically Roy Williams he is the reason for the term overated.

Eh, I'd be inclined to call Roy Williams underrated. That's not because I think he's extremely good, but more because 95% of the time I see his name mentioned on a message board it is accompanied by the word "overrated." The same goes for Michael Vick.

That doesn't make any sense to me.

yeah he is underated if not being able to notice the ball in the air makes you a great saftey than i dont no what makes a great saftey.

I didn't call him a great safety.

[GapControl]

I don't think Madieu is close to a top five safety... to include him in that discussion you'd have to leave out one of the following:

Troy Polamalu

Adrian Wilson

Rodney Harrison

Brian Dawkins

Ed Reed

Sean Taylor

Bob Sanders

Kennoy Kennedy

Kerry Rhodes

Sean Jones

Roy Williams

Mike Brown

I'm not sure Madieu deserves that recognition more than anyone on that list (and there are others in a similar position). I do think Madieu is a solid player, however, and expect him to be a top priority for the Bengals to resign sometime this season or in the offseason.

Ill give you Troy,ED,Rodney Adrian, Bob and Maybe Mike but the rest of them are not in Madieu class espically Roy Williams he is the reason for the term overated.

Brian Dawkins has done a lot more than Madieu has. Roy Williams is a much bigger hitter than Madieu, too. I think Kennedy`s team`s defense is overall a lot better than the Bengals so it is hard to compare him. On that list, I think Sean Jones compares best to Madieu. Both young, talented, and keys to their respective defenses but haven`t made an impact league-wide.

[bnglsboi8532]

I think Madman Madieu has the talent to be a top five safety! Just if you watched all our games which some of you obviously didn't, he did not play like a probowler at all, you could obviously tell something is not right with him, from his rookie season! After his rookie campaign we all thought he got snub for DROTY! I say we trade for disgruntled safety Sean Taylor he's unhappy in Washington and they just got LaRon Landry so he's more expendible! Team Madieu and Taylor with DJax coming off the bench.

[Stripes]

I don't think Housh would appreciate having Taylor on his team.

[bnglsboi8532]

I think Housh is man enough to forgive, especially if we actually have someone go to the Pro Bowl on defense for a change. Plus whoever said Madieu was by far our best defensive player is crazy, JonJoe, Justin Smith, Robert Geathers, Ahmad Brooks and even Leon Hall and maybe Deltha were better than Madieu, don't get me wrong I would love for Madieu to go back to his old self but is he worth big free agency money going around these days if he plays like he did last year, he was inexisistent!

[derekshank]

Sean Taylor's lockerroom presence is the last thing the Bengals need. Marvin White is the hard hitter you're looking for, and without the baggage. I have high hopes for him to develop into a very good strong safety before Dexter's contract is up.

I also think the criticism of Madieu is a bit unfair. He's not known as a hard hitter, but he was a very solid tackler before the shoulder injury. I'm not sure how much that was a factor in '06... but I'll say that being victim of a couple stiff arms doesn't mean he's gone soft. He's not a LB or even run stopping strong safety. He's bound to get embarrassed from time to time when he's trying to take down an RB on an island (Maroney and Tomlinson are both in the top 10 in the NFL in yards after contact). Hell... Rudi made Ray Lewis his bitch last year. It happens.

When it comes to pass coverage, he can hardly be blamed for all the problems. Pass coverage is his strength (How many safeties in the league have had rumors about moving to CB?). Tory James was terrible, Deltha O'Neal was disinterested, and Dexter Jackson was injured a good part of the year. How can a single safety be blamed for the complete lack of pass-rush and poor CB coverage?

Madieu is fine, and if some of the pieces come together around him, this forum will be singing his praises again soon enough.

[Stripes]

Madieu is fine, and if some of the pieces come together around him, this forum will be singing his praises again soon enough.

I don't disagree. At his best, I figure he'll be a borderline top ten safety, and that's more than good enough to warrant keeping him around a long time.

[Kazkal]

He'll be a restricted FA, we have plenty of time to resign. He is pretty much guaranteed to be here 2 more seasons.

No he wont he was a 2nd rnd pick signed a 4 year contract.... 5th year = URFA.

I thought Madeiu was busting out in '05 before his injury. The Chicago game I was at, he was all over the field and they were using him a lot in run support and on blitzes. He covers a lot of ground fast and can confuse QB's like Polamalu does pre-snap - IF they use him that way.

Madieu is far better in coverage then polamalu... I just think last year was like a soph slump for him we all know he has the abilty and skills.

[ArmyBengal]

Don't get me wrong either, I may have not been enamored by Madieu's season last year (I personally thought it nowhere resembled anything looking like Pro Bowl), but hope for nothing but good things from him this year with a stronger supporting cast and another year healthier. I'm hoping for him to make a big impact in the secondary this season. He's not going anywhere anytime soon...

WHODEY !!!

[HoTbOy]

I have to agree with the person who said that if they paid JSmith, they have to pay MWilliams if he is in their plans...MWilliams did slip abit from the prevoius year, but I still think that he can be a PB safety...If he can't make it at FS I would try him at corner before I just let him walk...

[HoosierCat]

I have to agree with the person who said that if they paid JSmith, they have to pay MWilliams if he is in their plans...MWilliams did slip abit from the prevoius year, but I still think that he can be a PB safety...If he can't make it at FS I would try him at corner before I just let him walk...

Maybe they do, but I get the definite impression that this is a make or break year for the defense at large. If it doesn't improve significantly, I think there's a good chance Marvin just blows it up come next February. And by "blow it up" I mean potentially cutting ties with everyone outside of Peko, Geathers, J Joe, Hall and White. I doubt it would end up being quite that dramatic, we'd need a lot of guys to play real badly, but I don't think there will be much mercy come next offseason.

[cincy9275]

i think maybe the injury set him back a year in developing . because his rookie year other than the first jets game he played really well and i think he was a prowbowler that year. yea i was kinda down on him a bit this past season but with the help he got in the draft and dexter has a year in. i look for him to have a very good year.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Don't forget the Bengals' don't pay top 5 or even 10 $ for certain positions, which includes Safety.

Marvin White very well could've been the latest Madeiu replacement drafted, who will also not be re-signed after his initial rookie contract in four years (whenever it's done).

The better Madeiu plays, and the more he commands, the less likely the Bengals' are to re-sign such a player.

Then again, who knows, if JS leaves and frees up all that cap space.