DDN: Bengals Will Address Needs in Off-Season

[ShulaSteakhouse]

One team source confirmed that the Bengals will address their needs primarily through the draft.

Bengals like what they see at Senior Bowl (of course they do)

Here are some prospects that have caught the eyes of team evaluators: Pittsburgh OL Michael McGlynn, Michigan CB Jamar Adams and Notre Dame DT Trevor Laws.

When it comes to the troubled linebacker position, the Bengals may look to address that matter in free agency first. The team is not expected to make a big splash in free agency, but there is one player who could be on their radar screen and that is Jets LB Jonathan Vilma.

Vilma missed nine games this season with a knee injury and isn't expected to return to the Jets next season. Word is that Lewis had high regard for Vilma when he was drafted in 2004.

It has been said that there are no real impact linebackers in this year's draft that could help the team right away, so this move would make perfect sense.

Also, look for a bigger, stronger and faster Chris Henry next season. I'm told that the receiver will work diligently over the course of the off-season to accomplish those goals.

Looks like the o-line will be addressed in the mid-rounds (good luck with that as they've had NONE in the past) and aren't very concerned with guards or centers.

I'm guessing the #1 pick will indeed be a DT or DE.

Looks like a hodge podge LB situation again as they don't seem to have any sort of proactive plan there to make a splash or add an impact player

Vilma? Eh.

Pretty much business as usual.

[PhunkE1]

If Vilma's knee issues are behind him I would love to see him in stripes. He's just the kind of player that could light a fire under the rest of the D from his play alone. I would give up a 3rd round pick for him easy. 2nd I'm not as sure about.

[GregCook]

[HairOnFire]

If Vilma's knee issues are behind him I would love to see him in stripes. He's just the kind of player that could light a fire under the rest of the D from his play alone. I would give up a 3rd round pick for him easy. 2nd I'm not as sure about.

I couldn't trade for Vilma under the current circumstances. Just read a report on his rehab and he's unable to run yet, isn't likely to be ready for OTA's, and expressed serious doubts that he'd be ready to go by the start of camp. Considering how serious his injury turned out to be there's no way I could pull the trigger on a deal for a player whose health couldn't be counted on or even tested. Plus, there's just two years left on his contract and under the current circumstances it might be an even money bet that he'd be unavailable or limited for at least the first year.

[Spor_tees]

If Vilma's knee issues are behind him I would love to see him in stripes. He's just the kind of player that could light a fire under the rest of the D from his play alone. I would give up a 3rd round pick for him easy. 2nd I'm not as sure about.

I couldn't trade for Vilma under the current circumstances. Just read a report on his rehab and he's unable to run yet, isn't likely to be ready for OTA's, and expressed serious doubts that he'd be ready to go by the start of camp. Considering how serious his injury turned out to be there's no way I could pull the trigger on a deal for a player whose health couldn't be counted on or even tested. Plus, there's just two years left on his contract and under the current circumstances it might be an even money bet that he'd be unavailable or limited for at least the first year.

Well since he is hurt the Jets can't just release him, which would be the best option for the Bengals to pick him up on an incentive laden deal, but I can see the Bengals shopping one of their late round draft choices to get him, especially with the abundance of comp picks they should be getting.

[Walrus]

If Vilma's knee issues are behind him I would love to see him in stripes. He's just the kind of player that could light a fire under the rest of the D from his play alone. I would give up a 3rd round pick for him easy. 2nd I'm not as sure about.

I couldn't trade for Vilma under the current circumstances. Just read a report on his rehab and he's unable to run yet, isn't likely to be ready for OTA's, and expressed serious doubts that he'd be ready to go by the start of camp. Considering how serious his injury turned out to be there's no way I could pull the trigger on a deal for a player whose health couldn't be counted on or even tested. Plus, there's just two years left on his contract and under the current circumstances it might be an even money bet that he'd be unavailable or limited for at least the first year.

If that's true I would be really worried about signing him, too -- especially considering he'd have to rehab with our medical staff, whose recent track record has been less-than-stellar.

Any link to that report?

[COB]

Vilma? Eh.

Pretty much business as usual.

"Eh" might even be too enthusiastic. I read the report Hair referenced, and it looks bad for Vilma. If Mike Brown is willing to pay that salary for a rehab year, I'll scream.

I disagree on business as usual. We have a new DC, new linebackers coach, and it appears we're switching to a 3-4. That is far from business as usual. (Unless you're talking about the strategy of relying on draft not FA, then it is business as usual).

[JoePong]

It does NOT "appear" that we are switching to a 3-4. There is no chance that we will switch. There is nothing to even suggest that we will outside of the imagination of a few retarded and not very bright "fans."

[generaldreedle]

If the medical reports on Vilma are true, and he will not be ready to go by the start of training camp, I would only make the deal if the Jets picked up part of his salary for this year.

[COB]

It does NOT "appear" that we are switching to a 3-4. There is no chance that we will switch. There is nothing to even suggest that we will outside of the imagination of a few retarded and not very bright "fans."

OK JoePong. You know there is no chance they'll switch. I think there is a chance they'll switch. After the Dolphins game, Marvin was asked to elaborate on his "blow it up" interview from a week before. He said:

"It's been five years. There are things around here that are a little stale. We got to take all those binders from the last five years and get rid of them."

Marvin speaks in cryptic riddles. What do you suppose he meant when he said get rid of all those binders? What's in the binders? He went on to say they needed to:

"Get the offices clean, the boards; clean up, as though there are new people coming in. Whoever's there, we're new people coming in, and understand that. The players have to understand that."

When he said get the boards clean, he meant the white boards, or grease boards, on which they scheme, gameplan, diagram blitzes, coverages, etc.

Why is he talking about throwing away all the binders, getting all the boards clean? I submit to you that Marvin is seriously considering switching to a 3-4. And that potential change is what he's talking about the players having to understand. What's so hard to understand if you're a linebacker playing in a 4-3, and coming back to a team still playing the same 4-3? Nothing.

Cryptic riddles, JoePong.

[HairOnFire]

You don't need to bother yourself with cryptic riddles to realize that the Bengals are indeed considering a switch to the 3-4. Just read Zimmer's comments immediately after being hired. He states flatly that the Bengals are considering a switch and won't make a final decision until later this month.

For whatever it might be worth, I did a little reading between the lines and I took that to mean that the decision to switch would be based in part upon whatever LB coach was hired, the speculation about which current free agents could be kept, and the first serious discussions amongst the new staff about which players might be available in the coming draft....or in free agency.

[BengalByTheBay]

outside of the imagination of a few retarded and not very bright "fans."

Oh the irony!

[JoePong]

Sorry guys. But you just don't get Marvin. That's not at all what he was talking about.

By the way, Marvin was talking mainly about the offense when he was talking about things getting stale. I know exactly what he meant because I have been saying the same thing for the last year. I even used the exact same wording when I said the offense was "stale" and they had gotten in a rut when the same players being in the same system for so long now...they were just going through the motions. When I made that statement, I was ridiculed on this board, and people made jokes about Montana and Rice getting stale because they were together so long.

They need to throw out the binders and the tendencies and the predictability and change things up for no other reason than to keep things fresh instead of being on cruise control.

[volcom69]

Do u not read Bengals.com this team has no idea what they are running yet and they will decided by the end of this month, if u read the articles its all right there. Zimmer even said that they arnt sure yet so why even try to figure it out and just wait and see what they do, but i do hope they go with a 3-4 something different and who knows it might work for them cause the the def they run now sure as hell dont.

[Pidge]

Not an "expert" regarding 3-4/4-3, so forgive me if these are silly questions. Do we even have the D-line personel for the 3-4 system should a change be made? Like, who the hell plays nose tackle? Do we get Fanene to eat some doughnuts and play at NT or is he put at DE in the 3-4? Also, who's our best LB at pass rushing?

I fear change. Though our current D hasn't set the world alight anyway so if it did happen, I'd embrace it.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Not an "expert" regarding 3-4/4-3, so forgive me if these are silly questions. Do we even have the D-line personel for the 3-4 system should a change be made?

Not just no my British friend, but not even close. The only reason the talk is taking shape is vague statements about it from the Bengals website, and the number of linebackers currently on roster. Problem is IMO the Bengals currently have have no player capable of playing nose tackle. If they draft that direction, it would speak volumes of which defensive set they'll play.

[COB]

Sorry guys. But you just don't get Marvin. That's not at all what he was talking about.

By the way, Marvin was talking mainly about the offense when he was talking about things getting stale. I know exactly what he meant because I have been saying the same thing for the last year. I even used the exact same wording when I said the offense was "stale" and they had gotten in a rut when the same players being in the same system for so long now...they were just going through the motions. When I made that statement, I was ridiculed on this board, and people made jokes about Montana and Rice getting stale because they were together so long.

They need to throw out the binders and the tendencies and the predictability and change things up for no other reason than to keep things fresh instead of being on cruise control.

JoePong rockin' the hizzy!!

[HairOnFire]

The following might be based upon nothing but speculation, as he didn't claim to have spoken to an inside source, but Dan Pompeii just stated on ESPN's "First Take" that the decision to switch to the 3-4 rests almost totally with the Bengals ability to sign Justin Smith to a long term contract. If they can get an agreement with Smith they'll stay with the 4-3. If they can't then they'll let Smith walk away and switch to the 3-4. Pompeii also claimed that David Pollack returning from injury would make the transition to the 3-4 an easier decision to make, but for whatever it might be worth...I think the opposite is true.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Pompeii also claimed that David Pollack returning from injury would make the transition to the 3-4 an easier decision to make, but for whatever it might be worth...I think the opposite is true.

Ditto. Pompeii is simply hitting the crack pipe too hard.

[HoosierCat]

The following might be based upon nothing but speculation, as he didn't claim to have spoken to an inside source, but Dan Pompeii just stated on ESPN's "First Take" that the decision to switch to the 3-4 rests almost totally with the Bengals ability to sign Justin Smith to a long term contract. If they can get an agreement with Smith they'll stay with the 4-3. If they can't then they'll let Smith walk away and switch to the 3-4.

I would say that's a fairly obvious conclusion. The biggest stumbling block to a 3-4 switch in the past has always been the "Justin doesn't fit" argument.

Pompeii also claimed that David Pollack returning from injury would make the transition to the 3-4 an easier decision to make, but for whatever it might be worth...I think the opposite is true.

Agreed. Pollack seems to me more suited to a 4-3.

[TJJackson]

It does NOT "appear" that we are switching to a 3-4. There is no chance that we will switch. There is nothing to even suggest that we will outside of the imagination of a few retarded and not very bright "fans."

Well, that settles it....if JoeWrong thinks there isn't any consideration being given to a switch to base 3-4, then clearly they are thinking about it a quite seriously.

Thanks JoeWrong!

[cincyhokie]

Agreed. Pollack seems to me more suited to a 4-3.

Agreed. Not as a starter in the 3-4. If we ran a situational 4-3 he would fit there as a backup.

[Pidge]

Not an "expert" regarding 3-4/4-3, so forgive me if these are silly questions. Do we even have the D-line personel for the 3-4 system should a change be made?

Not just no my British friend, but not even close. The only reason the talk is taking shape is vague statements about it from the Bengals website, and the number of linebackers currently on roster. Problem is IMO the Bengals currently have have no player capable of playing nose tackle. If they draft that direction, it would speak volumes of which defensive set they'll play.

Thanks Billy. Would Ellis fit a 3-4? He'd probably be a DE in a 3-4. Bollox, let's just try and get this 4-3 bidniss down pat first.

[HoosierCat]

Thanks Billy. Would Ellis fit a 3-4? He'd probably be a DE in a 3-4. Bollox, let's just try and get this 4-3 bidniss down pat first.

HairOnFire relayed this down on the draft board...

Mike Mayoch said on this mornings Senior Bowl telecast that he discussed Ellis with Pete Carroll off camera yesterday and Pete claimed Elli's best position is as a NT. He went on to add that over his entire career at USC Ellis had actually played that position more often than any other, and not only held up well, but his burst and explosion are the things that make him special at that position. For whatever it might be worth, Mayoch disagreed with Carroll, feeling that Sedrick's skills would be a better fit in a traditional 4-3 role, and I think I agree. As for Ellis himself, they showed an interview with him earlier in the week where he said he was as comfortable in the 3-4 as in the 4-3, and had experience playing every spot on the line...including NT and as a 3-4 DE. (GASP!!!!)

[Pidge]

Thanks Billy. Would Ellis fit a 3-4? He'd probably be a DE in a 3-4. Bollox, let's just try and get this 4-3 bidniss down pat first.

HairOnFire relayed this down on the draft board...

Mike Mayoch said on this mornings Senior Bowl telecast that he discussed Ellis with Pete Carroll off camera yesterday and Pete claimed Elli's best position is as a NT. He went on to add that over his entire career at USC Ellis had actually played that position more often than any other, and not only held up well, but his burst and explosion are the things that make him special at that position. For whatever it might be worth, Mayoch disagreed with Carroll, feeling that Sedrick's skills would be a better fit in a traditional 4-3 role, and I think I agree. As for Ellis himself, they showed an interview with him earlier in the week where he said he was as comfortable in the 3-4 as in the 4-3, and had experience playing every spot on the line...including NT and as a 3-4 DE. (GASP!!!!)

Much obliged HC and HOF.

*heads off to the draft board*