HAPPYJAQ
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Posts posted by HAPPYJAQ
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Gosh, the Bengals have absolutely ZERO confidence in Caldwell's ability to return kicks. Considering he could possibly be passed on the depth chart by any number of WRs already on the roster (not including potential draft picks), I wonder how long it'll be until he's considered a "bust". I know he made some nice plays early, but he absolutely disappeared down the stretch, and I can almost guarantee you that Simmons will not trot him out to return another kick, which negatively affects Andre's value as one of the players on your active roster.
All that said, I don't think the Bengals are done at WR, so this Davis guy would have to beat out Cosby to make this team.
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A FS/SS that it able to both play the run and is a threat to incercept passes in coverage. Call me crazy, but I was interested in seeing what Keiwan could do at FS. He's a pretty sure tackler and better in coverage that Crocker. He's definitely not the answer, but could possibility generate more turnovers. As far as the draft/FA goes, I'm still hoping Earl Thomas could fall to us, although their are a number of safeties in this class that could be Day 1 starters.
I would say a pash-rushing DE, but I'm predicting 10+ sacks for MJ this year. He was getting back there consistently towards the end of last season. Odom is a major question mark coming off the dreaded Achilles injury, and due the fact that we haven't even heard the coaches mention it or bring any guys in so far, says they think Johnson could step in seamlessly, IMO. I think he'll end up being the best player we drafted last year, when it's all said and done.
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After much internal debate, I love this signing.
Better than the signing, this was the guy that Marv wanted and the fact they've signed him long-term might say something to Marvin's desire to be here after the season.
If I was only interested in winning this upcoming year for a Franchise that needs an upgrade at WR, I'm going with T.O, as a HC.
I love the fact that the Bucs fans are absolutely depressed that AB is leaving to come to the Bengals, which admittedly wasn't what I expected (although a very happy surprise), for a guy that was injured for much of last season.
I also like the fact that Chad likes it, which is more than he acknowledged about bringing in Matt Jones.
All in all, Bryant was deemed a player worthy for Top 5 pay at his position just twelve months ago. To get a player of this ability, while completely opening up the draft in the process, was an uncanny move by Mike and Co.
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Here's a thought...
How about offering Brad Smith of the Jets?
He only received a second-round tender and is a guy on the verge of a breakout at WR. With his versatility and explosiveness, I think he would be better than any WR that we could possibly select in Round 2. Smith has great size at 6'2'', 218, and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash coming out of Missouri, although I believe he plays much faster than that. Offer him something like 3 years and about 15 million and get the best all-purpose WR in the league outside of Cleveland, and a player with better WR skills than Cribbs. With the New York Jets already having a 1st and 3rd round tender for Braylon, and Cotchery in the fold, I don't think they'd match for a player that is their 3rd or 4th WR in a ball-control offense.
Plus, you gotta like a guy who's nickname is "Ninja Fists".
I really don't know what to say to that....but let me try....
"A guy on the verge of a breakoput at WR" HUH? What do you base that assumption on ? Do you base it on the fact that he has played 4 seasons, and a total of 60 games, but his career numbers are 60 Receptions for 513 yards and 2 TD's....IN 60 GAMES?
Or maybe your basing that off last seasons eye-popping stats of 7 count 'em 7 receptions for 63 yards and ZERO TD's in 13 games....Yep, sure sounds like he's on the verge off a breakout to me...Why not give up a 2nd Rd pick and $15 million to him? ARE YOU SERIOUS??????
I'll give you the cool nickname....but....c'mon now....
Not based on statistics at all, just the natural progression of his development. Keep in mind that he was a QUARTERBACK his first few seasons in New York, and wasn't even listed on the WR depth chart until AFTER they traded for Braylon Edwards. The guy is still learning to play WR, but has extremely rare ability with the football in his hands, and you can ask the Bengals defense about that.
I'm not saying that he'll be Anquan Boldin in '10, but I think he has the natural talent to be an impact player at WR, and the Jets value him enough in that capacity to offer a high tender even though he's a backup. By all accounts, he's one of the brightest and hardest working players on their football team, so there's no reason to think that he will only improve with more experience.
I'm no NFL salary guru, but I think a contract similar to what Nate Burleson got from Detroit would be in order, for a younger player with the same skillset and more versatility. Devin Hester got 4 years and 40.9 million as a part-time receiver with the Bears in '08, while Cribbs was given 3 more years and nearly 19 milliom to stay with Cleveland just yesterday, so 3 years and 15 million sounds about right to me, all things considered.
The Bengals have to make a bold move, and I was just throwing this idea out there as something to think about. We absolutely need more talent and playmakers at the WR position. Certainly, you don't believe that Matt Jones or even an aging and over-rated WR like Antonio Bryant will be factors on the Bengals in two seasons, do you???
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I think it would be a replacement for Bobbie, although he played both sides in Houston.
He'll always be remembered as the guy that played in the band in college and was bagging groceries before being discoverd by Ephraim Salaam and invited to try out for the football team.
Could be a nice addition, though.
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Akwasi Owusu-Ansah Indiana (PA) 6'0 1/4 207 4.47
I don't know a fricking thing about this guy other than noting how he passes the eye test even from across the room...as well as down the hall...out the door.....and halfway across the parking lot.
It's also a pretty awesome name.
Along with Florida S Major Wright, Iowa LB Pat Angerer and my personal favorite, New Hampshire TE Scott Sicko.
All four are pretty decent prospects, too.
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I like Olsen for what he does in the passing game, but the knock on him is he is a well below-average run blocker, which is something that Marvin and Hayes absolutely have no tolerance for from TEs.
I'd do it for a 4th or later, though. It's obvious that Mike Martz is not going to use him in his offense. I expect a passing team will make a nice offer for him sometime around the draft.
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Decent read on my favorite offensive player in the draft:
WR Mitchell might be nice fit for Bengals
By Carlos "Big C" Holmes | Tuesday, March 2, 2010, 09:07 PM
The Cincinnati Bengals are in search of a deep-threat receiver and could have their eyes fixed on South Florida speedster Carlton Mitchell in April's draft. In a receiving class short on playmakers and speed, the team interviewed more than 30 receivers at the NFL Scouting Combine, searching for that hidden gem.
Mitchell could be that guy and is likely to shoot up draft boards after his performance on Sunday, Feb 28.
The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Mitchell impressed scouts by running a 4.49 in the 40-yard dash. At least five teams had him clocked as low as 4.44. The junior receiver finished in the Top 10 among receivers in the 40-yard run, bench press (16 reps) and broad jump - 10 feet, 2 inches. Mitchell also showed good ball skills and athleticism during receiving drills.
Mitchell interviewed with Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis and his staff Saturday night in Indianapolis.
"I don't know exactly how the team felt about me, but the vibe I got in the room, I say the interview went well," Mitchell said. "Coach Lewis was a very cool, laid-back guy. I'm actually a fan of the team and familiar with what they do offensively. It would be a great fit for me. I would love to play in Cincinnati."
South Florida receivers coach Phil McGeoghan believes Mitchell has what it takes both on and off the field.
"Carlton is very polished in terms of presentation," McGeoghan said during a recent phone interview. "He speaks well and does all the right things. He doesn't go out or drink. He's very focused and a spiritual young man. I think teams are going to be very impressed with the way he presents himself."
When asked to draw a comparison to Mitchell in terms of ability only one name came to mind.
"There are not too many people I would say Carlton is a lot like," McGeoghan said. "But if I had to pick one, I would say he's a lot like Chris Henry. Carlton is a guy who can come in and be a third receiver or spot-duty guy right away. He's a big size/speed guy and those types of receivers are hard to find."
McGeoghan went on to say that Mitchell is a work in progress because he's young, but does more good things on the field than bad.
Big C's take
Mitchell is a rare size-and-speed combination receiver that doesn't come along very often. He's extremely quick, explosive and athletic with nice hands and tremendous leg strength. Covering cornerbacks find themselves back on their heels rather quickly due to the receiver's outstanding acceleration. Aside from his ability to stretch the field, Mitchell is a physical blocker on the perimeter. He is said to be a very hard worker and a student of the game.
Areas for improvement: Coverage recognition … fine-tune route-running, better consistency catching the ball in traffic … needs to be more consistent catching the ball away from his body with his huge hands.
Mitchell is projected as third- to fourth-round selection but should see his value increase.
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Don't know if it's been discussed before, but this is pretty interesting commentary from Coles, via the NJ Star Ledger. Maybe The Carson is the reason he's no longer here:
“I didn’t fit into the offense at all,” Coles told The Star-Ledger Thursday
“(Quarterback) Carson (Palmer) wasn’t comfortable with me. He likes tall receivers. He told the coaches he wasn’t comfortable throwing to me."
Coles, who has had two previous stints with the Jets, said he’d like to end his career as a Jet.
“They’ll be the first team we call to see if they’re interested,” he said.
/>http://www.nj.com/jets/index.ssf/2010/03/ -
Walter is a solid #3 WR, and nothing more. He proved that in Houston. The last thing we need is another possession receiver and 11.5 ypc screams that he is just that.
As far as Marshall goes, it looks like Seattle is pretty interested in him, especially since Burleson was signed by Detroit. Nate was one player that could have helped this team, and it's surprising that the Bengals didn't go after him.
With a thin and old UFA market for WRs, I'm hoping the Bengals try to get a player or two through the RFA market. They've been active in this area the last few seasons, but the downside is that teams have more flexibility to keep their own players in an uncapped year.
Here's a thought...
How about offering Brad Smith of the Jets?
He only received a second-round tender and is a guy on the verge of a breakout at WR. With his versatility and explosiveness, I think he would be better than any WR that we could possibly select in Round 2. Smith has great size at 6'2'', 218, and ran a 4.46 40-yard dash coming out of Missouri, although I believe he plays much faster than that. Offer him something like 3 years and about 15 million and get the best all-purpose WR in the league outside of Cleveland, and a player with better WR skills than Cribbs. With the New York Jets already having a 1st and 3rd round tender for Braylon, and Cotchery in the fold, I don't think they'd match for a player that is their 3rd or 4th WR in a ball-control offense.
Plus, you gotta like a guy who's nickname is "Ninja Fists".
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I like Boldin, but I think his statistics are slightly inflated in the Arizona offense. You also have to consider the injury factor with him, and he's been struggling with that the past few seasons.
I also don't see him as a field stretcher, per se, although he's a player that could fill the TJ role perfectly and is a plus blocker.
The other thing is how much do you pay a guy with injury questions, who turns 30 in October? He'll certainly want to be paid at the Top 10 at his position.
If the Cards are willing to part with him straight up for a 3rd (and maybe a 5th or 6th), I'd do it. Otherwise, no deal.
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The only way to rationalize this move, at this particular point, is to believe the Bengals feel strongly about being able to upgrade the position through the UFA market.
Or a trade could be in discussion.
Either way, I'd like to see the Bengals go hard for either TO or Marshall. Our best receiver will be 32 years old this season, and there's very little behind him.
If this team is truly in "win now" mode, we'll see a major addition at WR in the next few days.
Despite the obvious baggage, it would make the most sense to trade for or sign Marshall. He's one of the Top 5 overall receivers in the league and still very young. If his tender is only a first, he could probably be had for a 2nd, 4th and a conditional pick in '11. It would take just as much to go up and get Bryant, who has just as many question marks. To me, it's a no brainer to make the move for Marshall, even it it means you pay him 7-9 million a year.
Hell, we just paid Coles about 10 million for about 40 catches.
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Carlon Mitchell remains my hope if we're talking WR still in the third round. Mike Williams is also interesting, and I'm growing on Marcus Easley, although he scares the hell out of me.
Mitchell had been off my radar until this weekend, but yeah....he looks like a guy who could not only step in and immediately fill Chris Henry's drastically overrated decoy role, but also...eventually develope into an actual upgrade. And most importantly, he won't cost an early pick.
Funny that we can agree on a prospect at this point, although I'm sure there will be room for disagreement between now and April
I also see Mitchell as a Chris Henry-type, and probably the best deep threat in the entire draft. He's a measurables guy with decent production in college, and they're saying today he'll run in the high 4.3s at his Pro Day. In that case, he probably won't be there by the time we pick in the 3rd and he has a chance to sneak into the 2nd for a team that is desperate for a field-stretching WR...like the Bengals.
I loved Chris Henry as a Bengal, but this guy has the chance to be even better, with the exact same skillset. I think he's more explosive in the RAC department than Chris was, but Chris probably had better ball skills.
Here's a good look at Carlton Mitchell:
/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7VAx4di8D4 -
It's odd, but I'm now of the mindset that the WR, TE, and OG positions should NOT be the first round pick. There seems to be a bunhc of talent that should be available where they should be drafted, talent wise, and that's in the 2nd and 3rd round. I really could see them drafting a Safety if someone were to fall to us at #21. You just never know though.
Once free agency kicks off and players start moving, it will change the dynamic of those teams picking ahead of us and we should have a better idea of the players that may or may not fall to our spot.
The key will be what happens with Brandon Marshall and TO. If Brandon stays in Denver and TO goes to Baltimore, Bryant could conceivably drop, especially with the newly revealed "character red flags". In a draft this deep at OT and especially on defense, we could see a number of solid prospects drop, as well.
It Dez isn't there, I believe it'll be the best pash-rusher available, beit a LB or DE.
If the character issues and lack of motivation is true, why would we want to add a player like that? This team took steps forward in maturity with Housh leaving. Why would we want to take a step backward?
Were you upset when we drafted Rey, MJ and Bernard Scott (not to mention one of the biggest pre-draft question marks of all time in Andre Smith) last year?
Each of those players had character/motivation issues, too.
My point is, the Bengals, more than maybe any other team in the NFL, is willing to take chances on players like Dez Bryant if everything checks out OK from their perspective. People say the Bengals always get burned in the end, but where would this Franchise be without another character/motivation question mark at the time he was drafted in Chad Johnson/Ochocinco back in '01? He was the 8th WR selected that year, due mostly to questions about his speed and his motivation to play football. I realize he's the exception, but sometimes a player is worth the gamble, especially considering a guy like Bryant that is a top-10 talent going where the Bengals pick.
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This WR class reminds me a little of the '06 class. There isn't much that's worthy of an early pick... and if you need a WR at all, you better be the first one to take one.
The Steelers traded up that year to draft to get Santonio Holmes. Other than him in the first, Greg Jennings in the 2nd, Brandon Marshall in the 4th, and Marques Colston in the 7th... there hasn't been anything of note from that draft. But there were 16 WRs taken in the first 4 rounds alone.
My opinion is if they don't take a WR in the 1st, it's unlikely that any WR they take will have much of an impact.
For you guys on the Mardy Gilyard bandwagon... would you care about him at all if he didn't play for Cincinnati? He's essentially a less physically gifted version of Golden Tate. All the same concerns about a prima donna attitude and claims that he only performed well against 2nd tier talent. Frankly, I wouldn't trust Gilyard to be much more than a KO/Punt returner. Hardly worth a 2nd round pick.
Good post, and an excellent point on Gilyard. The Senior Bowl performance put me back on the positive about Gilyard, but I also don't see him as a 2nd round talent. The truth is, he's probably not an outside WR in the NFL, as his already-maxed out build will never allow him to consistently beat bump-and-run coverage, without elite vertical speed. He's a speciality player, who needs proper coaching on technique and discipline. He's definitely more of an immediate slot guy and returner at this point.
...But then there's the Desean Jackson argument.
I personally don't seem him in that class, but Mardy does have similar instincts, ball skills and acceleration.
Carlon Mitchell remains my hope if we're talking WR still in the third round. Mike Williams is also interesting, and I'm growing on Marcus Easley, although he scares the hell out of me. He's a tremendous athlete, with good college production and extremely raw. He might be the Jerome Simpson of this draft, but he did perform well against better competition.
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Todd McShay says that Jermaine Gresham is the biggest risk in the entire draft. I don't want anything to do with this guy.
The players in the locker room all seemed to think Coffman was coming along quite well, and didn't understand why he wasn't being activated... until he was placed on IR. I think the Bengals have their 1st round TE already. They might take another on day 2... but the Bengals needs more help on the O-Line in my opinion. If they don't go O-Line in round 1, I'm hoping for more defense.
You can never really go wrong in selecting a first-round OL, but I think the Bengals are looking for an impact player on either side of the ball. I do believe the Bengals will select an OL in the first 5 picks, but not with their top pick overall. I still think that the Mathis/Livings rotation was average-to-good, and both are young players still adjusting to a new position in their own rights. They should only get better and are relatively cheap. We'll get another mauler to go on the right side at some point early, though.
I'll admit, these LBs are looking pretty damned good.
How about a Rolando McClain or Sean Weatherspoon at #21? Weatherspoon looks like Jon Beason #2, and has one of those Ray Lewis-type personalities, while we all know about McClain. Off the field issues aside with Rey, we could use more production at LB, and their always seems to be tremendous value at LB in the mid-to-late first round.
I wonder whatever happened to all of the Brandon Spikes pimps from last year and before?
It kinda reminds me of the Rey pimps from his Junior season, once he didn't declare for the draft.
The question is, are we sold on what we have at LB right now? Personally, I think we could use another impact player there.
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I like the Moecki kid from Iowa, in the later rounds to fulfill the need at TE. He is a complete TE, he can block well, has good hands and ran a faster 40 than Gresham.
I like him, too. He reminds me of a more athletic Foschi, believe it or not. The only drawback is that he is another in this TE class that has struggled with injuries, and his history in that regard might be the worst of the bunch. This year's TE class has to be the one with the most prospects with injury concerns of all time.
It sounds like the Bengals kicking the tires on USCs Anthony McCoy, who's supposed to be pretty athletic. He ran a 4.79 at 6'5'' 259, which is decent. He also chipped in 19 reps on the bench. By most accounts, he's a solid blocker who might develop into a great blocker with some added strength and a jack-of-all trades, master-of-none type. I think he's a mid-third round prospect.
/>http://www.kffl.com/team/12/nfl -
I've noticed that too about PFT. It's consistently slanted negatively and sarcastically. Pretty annoying.
Florio's anti-combine (derisively calls it the Underwear Olympics). His point is that you get some combine superheroes who climb the chart based on workouts despite being mediocre at actual football. I think there's some legitimacy to that, seems like there's a Vernon Gholston every year.
To an extent, you could make a case that years of college football tells you why you *should* take a kid. The combine exists to tell you why you *shouldn't*. If I'm a scout, I want to see whether a guy has the physical skills to make the transition, whether he's coachable, and how he acts when he doesn't have his coaching staff around. Seems like a lot of the guys who really bombed the interviews tend to end up as head cases in the NFL too.
I agree on Florio, but that's his gimmick.
I also agree on what was posted about what the Combine should be used for. I think Tom Dimitroff made a good point yesterday during the coverage that his staff uses the Combine performance to help compare similar prospects of the same position, and not to gauge their overall potential as NFL players. He says a fourth-round graded prospect could never leap into first-round consideration based on his performance at the Combine, based on how they evaluate players. I think that's precisely the reason the Bengals sometimes overdraft, and it's because of measureables. Kenny Irons, Jerome Simpson and the entire '04 draft immediately come to mind with that.
It's interesting to note that the Bengals coaches always talk about how fast a guy is, how he performed within his group at the Combine or specific physical traits ("large hands", "long arms", etc.), at the post-round press conferences on draft day.
I guess the Bengals would rather attempt to coach up a guy with superstar potential, than settle for a ready-to-play prospect with marginal potential.
In saying all of that, I think one WR that the Bengals will look hard at for sure is U of L WR Scott Long. He had a decent, but not great season for the Cards and has good size. He's a long-strider at 6'2'' and about 215, but I know he ran low 4.3s in the Spring and a solid 4.46 on what seems to be a slow track in Indy. He also registered the best vertical (41.5 inches) and 3-cone drill, placed #4 amongst WRs in the broad jump and added 20 reps in the bench. He might be an interesting 5th round pick.
Here's a good look at the results from yesterday from Scout.com:
/>http://profootball.scout.com/2/950015.html -
It's odd, but I'm now of the mindset that the WR, TE, and OG positions should NOT be the first round pick. There seems to be a bunhc of talent that should be available where they should be drafted, talent wise, and that's in the 2nd and 3rd round. I really could see them drafting a Safety if someone were to fall to us at #21. You just never know though.
Once free agency kicks off and players start moving, it will change the dynamic of those teams picking ahead of us and we should have a better idea of the players that may or may not fall to our spot.
The key will be what happens with Brandon Marshall and TO. If Brandon stays in Denver and TO goes to Baltimore, Bryant could conceivably drop, especially with the newly revealed "character red flags". In a draft this deep at OT and especially on defense, we could see a number of solid prospects drop, as well.
It Dez isn't there, I believe it'll be the best pash-rusher available, beit a LB or DE.
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Marvin simply wants full control over roster decisions that are made, and he should. After all, it's the head coaches livelihood that is at stake if they don't win football games.
It's clear that Marvin and Mike have different ideas on how to build the best possible football team, from a personnel standpoint. I think Mike has relented some over the past year or two, but it's still not enough to satisfy Marvin.
I remember a point during "Hard Knocks", when they questioned Marvin on that exact issue, and he acknowledged the decision-making process on players, and Marvin basically said that Mike Brown makes all the final decisions.
The downer is that as the son of the great Paul Brown, Mike will never allow for someone else to make football decisions without Mike's input and the ability/option to override his own coaches' decisions on player personnel. Same reason we've never had a GM.
I'll be surprised if a coach as talented as Marvin Lewis will re-sign here without the ability to get his own players, or the players he thinks gives him the best chance to win on Sundays, without the threat of veto by the Owner.
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Yep, Tate looked like he wasn't exactly in top shape for the most important day of his pro career, thus far. Not to overblow that fact, but it's more alarming to see it in a WR than it is an OL.
But...
I went back and look at his game-to-game performance from last year, and it's pretty impressive. Granted, it was a relatively soft schedule for the "Golden Domers", but only two teams (Washington State and Purdue) were able to keep him under 100 yards receiving after the second week of the season. He also chipped in two 200-yard games, including a monster 9 for 244 against Washington. That's outstanding production, IMO.
As I still believe he's the second coming of Laveranues Coles, the question is would you spend your 1st round pick on a younger version of a player already on the roster??
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Can't help to think that Golden Tate is Laveranues Coles, version 2.0.
Great Combine performance, though.
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Gilyard runs a 4.56, which probably solidifies him as a mid-3rd round pick. Possibly good news for the Bengals, or bad, depending on how you look at it. Obviously, he'll need a solid Pro Day. He said yesterday he would run faster than a 4.5, so this must be a disappointing day for him.
Benn ran 4.48, which is about a tenth slower than I thought he'd come in.
I guess we'll have to wait and see on Tate, but I think he'll be a 4.5 guy, too.
No real speed burners so far, other than Jacoby Ford, who ran a 4.27.
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Well I'd be happy with Most positions in any round...I'd still be sad if We Passed on Mays or Earl THomas for a Linebacker harhar.
I'd crap myself if we could get Taylor Mays....I just don't think he'll fall that far, especially after he runs at the combine. That said, I definitely not use a 1st Rd pick on Earl Thomas...In my opinion he is the 3rd best Saftey in the draft...and a distant 3rd...His coverage skills are good for a safety, I just think he may be a tweener in the NFL. Not a great Safety, Not a great CB, but decent at both. He's not that big 5'10" 195lbs. There has been talk that he might be able to play CB...
Worst case scenario for Mays, if he doesn't work at Saftey, he could make one hell of a WLB, they could move Rey to MLB, and Rivers to the strong side.....Urlacher was a hell of a Safety in college, and was moved to MLB in the NFL(although thats one of the few successful transitions) but Mays is fast, he has the size, and we know he can lay some wood.
Say no to Mays. I see WAY too much Darnell Bing in this guy. He has no ball skills, and can't cover ANYONE. I can see Mays being one of those guys that ends up dropping to the third round. Watch the tape and watch it closely. This guy is a HUGE RISK.
And as for .Earl Thomas being too small; Ed Reed is only 5'10 190 lbs. and one of the best safeties in the league. Not the best tackler, but like Thomas has great ball skills. Thomas would be an EXCELLENT first round selection. But my heart is leaning toward Gresham
I kind of think Mays gets a bad wrap...he wasn't asked to cover at USC, it doesn't mean he can't but you comparing him to Bing is fair.
I completely agree with your assessment of Earl Thomas, I would love to get him but I bet anything he doesn't get past the Texans right before us if not earlier.
I was pimping Gresham but he didn't look great at the Combine at all running a 4.75 and struggling to catch the ball. Plus, the way Marvin has been pimping Chase Coffman makes me wanna at least give him one more year before we think about replacing him. Also, the way Brat uses tight ends doesn't make me wanna use a 1st round pick on one...plus it is such a deep draft for tight ends and none of them deserve to be 1st round pick imo but if they fell to us in the 2nd I would grab one.
I like Mays' swagger and his run support ability, and I'd compare him to the current day Roy Williams, ironically. He's strictly a two-down player. Conversely, Gresham is a player who probably won't be playing on running downs early on.
Earl Thomas?
It's obvious that some of you haven't really watched him play. He's only a RS SOPH, who he's a guy who might have the most upside of any player in this draft. This dude has some of the most incredible ball skills and instincts I've ever seen on a DB (maybe only Reed better at S), and was a First Team All-American this past season. I believe he had something like 10 INTs and 5 FFs in 27 career games at Texas, which is major production in a big-time conference. He's smallish, but very physical for his size, and exactly the kind of guy that Coyle was talking about he needed this time last year as a player who has CB skills and can play S. In fact, he's roughly the same size as our current starting FS in Chris Crocker. He'd be an immediate upgrade there, and give us more depth at the position. The only negative I can find on Thomas is that he does have a tendency to freelance and not follow his assignment at times, but many of the all-time greats at S (Reed, Sharper, Dawkins, etc.) have that tendency, too.
Admittedly, I'm hoping he has a bad Combine performance, so we'll even have a shot at getting him.
/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK_tq6nqCPU
2010 Cincinnati Bengals
in Cincinnati Bengals
Posted
Been away for a while and economic situations have forced my wife to work from home, in the midst of a new baby girl, so needless to say my time on the net has been more than limited. That said, I'll offer my opinions on the Bengals as to what we should/could expect for the upcoming regular season. I'd love for the best DIEHARD Bengals board on the net to evaluate and respond on my opions:
QB - I think we've misled ourselves to believe that we're set here. I'm a huge Carson fan, and have always believed that we've had the best QB in the game, as far as measurables go. The truth is, there is as much pressure on the QB position this year as there has been since the year before we selected Akili in the Top 5 when he came out. Optimistically, I'd like to see Carson return to his pre-2008 form, but realistically, he's probably closer to last year's form than of his glory days/years. If he doesn't throw for at least 60% completions and over 25 TDs, we could be looking at grooming his eventual successor soon. Behind him, there is nothing that could get us past the first round of the playoffs. We need a quality backup in the worst way.
RB- Benson is a stud. He's by far that second best RB to play in Cincy since Corey Dillon. I think the injury to Leonard will be a blessing in disguise as it'll force the Bengals to use B-Scott on more than just an occassional series. I see him as being a more explosive Eric Bieniemy, who did well here in his limited role. We still need another back that can tote the rock for about 15-18 carries a game, though.
WR - Three years ago, I would think you'd consider a WR set consisting of Ochocinco and TO on the same team to be as good as it gets. Luckily for the Bengals, both of these guys are ageless, so they'll should still be effective in advancing years for a WR. If Chad, TO, Bryant, Shipley and Gresham can chip in another 2900-3200 yards in the air combined, this should be a team that plays in the AFC Championship, at minimum.
OL - Part of my rationale with the previous number, is that I expect the RBs to account for 1300-1600 on the ground. That would make us an offense that gains 4200-4800 yards on offense, at a mimimum. Combined with the D, this should be pretty formidable. The offensive line being as consistent as last year, would be essential. Call me crazy, but I'm expecting a breakout year from Anthony Collins. He should expect to play a lot this year, with the Andre/Roland situation at RT.
DL - We are the deepest here. Peko, Tank, Geathers, Odom, Fanene, Atkins, Rucker and the rookie Dunlap are as about the best it'll get on an NFL roster, in terms of talent, depth and versatility. Keep in mind that one of those guys might get cut (depending on how the roster shakes out), and all but Dunlap have made numerous plays for the Bengals on defense. Should be pretty interesting, but Atkins looks to be a tremendous steal, by all reports. I didn't even consider the fact that Mike Johnson might be playing some snaps at DE on passing downs. Any comination of Odom, MJ, Dunlap on the field at the same time should be hard to match up against. Add in an Atkins or Fanene, and it becomes almost unblockable on passing downs.
LB - Rey, Rivers, Dhani, BJ, and Muck. The sacking LBs get the numbers and accolades, but remember that Zim likes to get pressure out of his front four, and maybe one LB/S on a blitz. I didn't evem mention MJ, who could be the next Adalius Thomas or Terrell Suggs for Marvin. Mike Johnson is my pick to have a breakout season this year, of all players on the Bengals.
DB - Hall and J-Jo are the best tandem out there. Mix in a healthier Roy, along with a Crocker, Ndukwe and Wilson (who Carson is enamored with) and this is the deepest Bengals secondary in at least 20 years. Adam Jones also looks like a player, IMO. Trent and Ghee look to be in a battle for the 4th CB spot. Throw in David Jones, and it least one of those guys will be on an opening day roster for another team come September, and it's an awesome situation to have, especially at CB.
K- Simmons will find one, just as he did in Shayne, who was cut a bunch of times before he landed in Cincy.
I really, really believe that this team will repeat as AFC North champions. How far they go will depend on the offense, and in particular, the passing game. I love Carson Palmer, but this is them most important year of his career.
Kinda like what Ocho said, if not now, then when?? We're more of a veteran team than a young, untested team, at this point.