1st Round: Keith Rivers

[NJ29]

It probably won't happen, but we now have prototype players physically at each linebacker position if Odell gets his act together. Odel showed that he's an impact player in this league, and if he can do it again, this team will be much better. If Brooks stays healthy he has the potential to be a great strong side linebacker.

The other thing that stands out to me with this pick is the commitment to speed on defense recently, which I like. Odom and Geathers are speed rushers, and Rivers, Odell, and Brooks are all extremely athletic linebackers when healthy. Not to mention guys like Joseph in the secondary. If they pick up a good defensive tackle to play opposite Peko, this defense could see drastic improvement next season. All the key pieces of the defense are very young (Rivers being only 21), and they could be good for a long time.

[TJJackson]

The Bengals just wasted a top 10 pick in my opinion. I like Keith Rivers and he's a solid player... but not worth that high of a selection. They could have landed a Landon Johnson clone in the 2nd or 3rd round instead of reaching for this guy.

Any guy i take in the top 10 better be a playmaker and Rivers is not that. He's weak rushing the passer and he's not a playmaker. He's just a solid guy that will show up for work everyday and play his role but nothing more.

And for another year the Bengals will have a big hole at Dtackle. We and everybody else on earth knew teams were going to move ahead of them to take the linemen but they twiddled thumbs and let those guys get snapped up. Very disappointing to me.

Obviously, every idiot has an opinion.

How true.

Comparing CDM's well detailed statement to your trite negation, I can certainly say that yet another such idiot has been identified....and here's the clue you'll certainly need, blueridge - the idiot is not CDM (in this case).

[HoosierCat]

Rivers was a good pick. Worst case scenario is that we just drafted Brian Simmons II. Given our LB situation, that's a win. However, it's undercut by our failure to address the line in round 2. If the d-line continues to suck, the quality of our LBs is a footnote. DT in the 3rd is a must.

[TJJackson]

I think it was an alright pick, because Ellis was already gone.

Your extensive, though provoking analysis above fails to consider the tiny cost it would have taken to get the GREAT player - Ellis - instead of Rivers.

[jjakq27]

I think it was an alright pick, because Ellis was already gone.

Your extensive, though provoking analysis above fails to consider the tiny cost it would have taken to get the GREAT player - Ellis - instead of Rivers.

In the past I would have said this is typical Bengals draft mentality at work. Someone good will be there even if it isn't the guy we really want. But hopefully the new DC and LB coach know what they are doing and maybe Ellis didn't fit the system they envision but Rivers does. We shall see.

[CarsonDaMan]

The Bengals just wasted a top 10 pick in my opinion. I like Keith Rivers and he's a solid player... but not worth that high of a selection. They could have landed a Landon Johnson clone in the 2nd or 3rd round instead of reaching for this guy.

Any guy i take in the top 10 better be a playmaker and Rivers is not that. He's weak rushing the passer and he's not a playmaker. He's just a solid guy that will show up for work everyday and play his role but nothing more.

And for another year the Bengals will have a big hole at Dtackle. We and everybody else on earth knew teams were going to move ahead of them to take the linemen but they twiddled thumbs and let those guys get snapped up. Very disappointing to me.

Obviously, every idiot has an opinion.

How true.

Comparing blueridge's well thought out and supported statement to your trite negation, I can certainly say that yet another such idiot has been identified....and here's the clue you'll certainly need, CDM - the idiot is not blueridge.

I think you're mixed up on who said what in that scenario.

[TJJackson]

Yeah, I fixed it. my bad. I had it, uh, reversed.

[COB]

I didn't see anybody better at knowing where the lanes are. And he can tackle. He doesn't miss tackles."

I've got no problem with sure and steady. How many long runs have we given up because guys whiffed in the hole? Just make the sure plays and we'll go from there.

Good article too BTW.

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...260394/1066/SPT

Thanks for that. How soon we forget. 06 and especially 07 I bitched constantly about our defensive player's completely crappy tackling skills. Then I haven't given it a second thought since I started focusing on the draft. But the book on our new DC is that he emphasizes fundamentals like tackling. And that may have had something to do with the Bengals willingness to bypass Ellis to get Rivers. He probably just really liked what he saw from Rivers. Still, ignoring DT in the first two rounds is baffling to me. It's a mystery.

[BengalChamps]

He looked a little like Brian Simmons on the tape i watched of him. Hopefully he can be more of a game changer than Simmons was.

[kingwilly]

speaking of missed tackles, when they showed J. Stewart's highlights when his name was called, there were two runs against USC where Stewart shed/flicked Mr. Rivers...he of "no missed tackles".

not bagging on him but just pointing out what I saw

[kurgan74]

Rivers is a monster and a great get for the Bengals. Many of us had our hearts set on the DT Ellis, but

it was nt meant to be.

I am sure the Bengals (I hope) were trying to make a deal to move up, but the Patriots very likely were

trying to leverage more from the Bengals. Who knows the Patriots might have told the Bengals it would cost

them their 1st and second rounders to move up 2 slots when they were offering th pick to New Orleans

for the 1st and 3rd. As i turns out the price paid by the Saints was not high. However, the asking price

for another AFC team was likely much higher than that of an NFC team.

Besides it will be nice not seeing another of the LB's whiff or get run over in th hole.

[skyline]

ESPN has a video interview posted that they did with Keith, and he seems like an intelligent and well-spoken guy. It's good to watch...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=cin

[DDOGG]

Not bad, he seems ok.

[skyline]

Here's another encouraging video. DROY, perhaps?

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/...49&n8pe6c=3

[COB]

ESPN has a video interview posted that they did with Keith, and he seems like an intelligent and well-spoken guy. It's good to watch...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/clubhouse?team=cin

That was good to watch. That interview put the nail in the coffin regarding any credibility the wonderlic test had in my evaluation of players. They need to scrap that test and find something that measures emotional intelligence and memory, not just cognitive ability.

[Kazkal]

Another reason why people shouldn't think Rivers=Simmons well Rivers says to lead by example hes also a vocal leader the mofo will yell something Bsimms would Never do...Mmmmmmmm hopefully Brooks stays healthy and odell finds the one that we loved in 2005 because I'm really excited about our starting corps this year vs last.

[kingwilly]

I am starting to see the light here wrt our LB corps.

Jeanty/Brooks/Odell/Rivers/Henderson/Jones

much better than how things looked about week 5 last year

Jones/Schlegel/Marshall/Miller/Johnson

[TippCityRick]

Listened to his interview on the radio Saturday after the pick with my wife. Her comment was "how can you not like this guy. He sounds like he has a clue." I thought he sounded commanding and understood what it means to be a first round draft pick. We'll see on Sunday's this fall.

[HAPPYJAQ]

Rivers is the best pick they could have made at this point. Now only do they get a 8-10 year backer who is one of the few players in this years drafts that could be leaders and were also available after the 10th pick, we is a physical speciman who will improve under the tutelage of Fitzgerald. He is a better overall player, at the same point, as Brian Simmons, who had a great career (if unspectacular) here. In addition, they get another underclassman, who can contribute on Day 1. This is even more important if you consider the fact that the Bengals HAD to draft an receiver early and chose perhaps the most physically impressive one in the draft in Simson. All that said, the Bengals have a strong chance of 3 starters in at the LATEST of '09, with their first 3 picks. Consider that their is a strong chance that Collins starts sometime in '09, Caldwell a strong contributor in '09 and potentially having one or as many 3 strong contributors in this draft, it has to at least be seen as very solid if not one of the best in many years

[HoosierCat]

Rivers is the best pick they could have made at this point. Now only do they get a 8-10 year backer who is one of the few players in this years drafts that could be leaders and were also available after the 10th pick, we is a physical speciman who will improve under the tutelage of Fitzgerald. He is a better overall player, at the same point, as Brian Simmons, who had a great career (if unspectacular) here. In addition, they get another underclassman, who can contribute on Day 1. This is even more important if you consider the fact that the Bengals HAD to draft an receiver early and chose perhaps the most physically impressive one in the draft in Simson. All that said, the Bengals have a strong chance of 3 starters in at the LATEST of '09, with their first 3 picks. Consider that their is a strong chance that Collins starts sometime in '09, Caldwell a strong contributor in '09 and potentially having one or as many 3 strong contributors in this draft, it has to at least be seen as very solid if not one of the best in many years

Welcome aboard, Happyjaq!