Offseason Duties

[schroomytunes]

I would like to see some changes on both sides of the ball, but the main focus should be on the defensive. IMHO I feel that Marvin knows this and he will address it. So as a true fan of the Bengals I will offer my 2 cents on the matter so here goes:

Step 1: Cut or losses by letting go of underperforming vets.

a)Duane Clemons-cap hit of 1.35mil

b)Brian Simmons-cap hit of 1.64mil

--net savings of @3mil

Step 2: Sign Steinbach to extention, and then focus on Levi. I say Steinbach first because guards cost less.

Step 3: Sign solid free agents, but dont overpay!

a)Maake Kemoeatu-Big run stuffing DT that will force double teams and free up Thurman to make tackles.

b)Will Witherspoon-solid OLB who will shut down the corner run game in the powerful AFC North, and allows us to blitz more up the middle.

c)Jamie Martin- solid vet who understands his backup role and has experience with a high profiled offense, also familiar with Zampese.

---all of these guys should be able to fit under our current salary cap situation

Step 4: Draft Solid Guys

-this is a very deep draft especially in areas that we are in desperate need of players S, and TE so here is my proposal.

rd 1) Darnell Bing(SS) Ko Simpson(SS) Tamba Hali(DE) Matthias Kiwanika(DE) Brodrick Bunkley(DT) Marcus McNeill(OT) one of these guys will be there.

rd 2) Jonathon Scott(OT) Greg Blue(SS) Ashton Youbouty(CB) Jesse Mahalona(DT) Dusty Dvorcek(DT) Alan Zemaitis(CB) Dontae Wittner(SS)

rd 3)Fred Matua(G) Brian Iwah(LB/S) Anthony Fasano(TE) Nick Mangold© Elvis Dumervil(DE) Babitunde Oshinowu(DT) Kai Parham (LB)

Rds4-7) I would focus on guys that could be used as backups to improve overall quality depth of the team.

[BengalChamps]

I would be shocked to see BSimmons cut. Especially with ML comments about using more 3-4. I know he is not a Pro-Bowler, but he is a solid NFL starter. If we let him go, he WOULD start for someone else. He is also a leader in the locker room who guys respect.

[blaynero]

Round #1

Bunkley or Bing. Ko is a quite a bit older so I don't think we'll take him. Personally I would take Bing. He has kind hidden by all the talent that USC had plus he would probally be a better fit for us. Bing and Williams would be a nasty tandem.

Round #2

Mahalona or Whitner. It depends if we pick someone up in FA but I would probally go with Mahalona. If we get a DT in FA I would go with Anthony Fassano. I think he might be the best all around TE in the draft. Great hands, great blocking, and he would fit our scheme. Remember our second round pick always seems to be the best one for us. I know Fassano won't be around in the 3rd for us but he could make our offense that much more potent.

Round #3

Dumervil. If he is still left I don't see us passing him up. He could be the steal of the draft. Reminds me of Demarcus Ware. If Justin Smith is still here this guy would free him up a little bit.

[Kazkal]

I donnt wanna see simmons let go but mybe redo his deal mybe not this year but next 2 years because he'll become 2nd stringer soon because of landon

I also wanna see justin smith redone he's very solid and with him still not having double digit season he shoulden't be too $$$

Ashton Youbouty is staying another year i thinkl

[turningpoint]

LMAo at wanting simmons cut to save only 1.64 million..

you couldn't find half the talent he has for that price.

I also wanna see justin smith redone he's very solid and with him still not having double digit season he shoulden't be too $$$

Ashton Youbouty is staying another year i thinkl

I want Smith back also.

Um Youbouty is already declared, and IMO will be a bust if drafted in the 1st round....

he's a nickel corner at best in the NFL.

[Kazkal]

oh thought it was said he was going back...simmons for sure I woulden't mind getting spoon but i'd still want simmons

[HairOnFire]

Round #1

Bunkley or Bing. Ko is a quite a bit older so I don't think we'll take him. Personally I would take Bing. He has kind hidden by all the talent that USC had plus he would probally be a better fit for us. Bing and Williams would be a nasty tandem.

Round #2

Mahalona or Whitner. It depends if we pick someone up in FA but I would probally go with Mahalona. If we get a DT in FA I would go with Anthony Fassano. I think he might be the best all around TE in the draft. Great hands, great blocking, and he would fit our scheme. Remember our second round pick always seems to be the best one for us. I know Fassano won't be around in the 3rd for us but he could make our offense that much more potent.

Round #3

Dumervil. If he is still left I don't see us passing him up. He could be the steal of the draft. Reminds me of Demarcus Ware. If Justin Smith is still here this guy would free him up a little bit.

Take the following for whatever it might be worth...

Mike Mayoch ranked the CB & Safeties on the NFL Network today and offered several surprises. He claimed Huff would be drafted as high as top 10 as a CB, Whitner was the only pure safety in the draft who deserved a 1st round grade, ranked Darnell Bing as a high 2nd round pick, and predicted Ko Simpson was a likely 3rd round pick, low 2nd round at best. He gave Ko props for his size, speed, and hitting ability but also said he was very raw and undisciplined and should have stayed in school another year.

As for corners, he claimed there were 7 who carried 1st round grades, but doubted that many would actually be selected. The only real surprise to me was how highly he ranked Youbouty (3rd or 4th). Tye Hill and Jimmy Williams were the two corners with 1st round grades whose rankings pointed to a slip into the 2nd round.

[tigerclaw]

cut tory james , and thorton , clemons to save $. not simmons. youbody is ok against the run but gets burnt often. he`s a 3rd rounder at best

[NJ29]

Yo! Will Witherspoon, hasn't been mentioned at all yet, and I think it's about time. The guy's a player. Good call. That being said, I don't think that we will pony up the necessary dough to get him.

[Spain]

Where going to take Gillis, Im telling you.

[da boss]

Yo! Will Witherspoon, hasn't been mentioned at all yet, and I think it's about time. The guy's a player. Good call. That being said, I don't think that we will pony up the necessary dough to get him.

if we could get witherspoon i will dance around downtown naked. he would be a MAJOR upgrade on defense. i think he gets overlooked because of all the big names on carolinas D.

[Kirkendall]

cut tory james , and thorton , clemons to save $. not simmons. youbody is ok against the run but gets burnt often. he`s a 3rd rounder at best

- Tory James is $3.8 million against the cap in his final season. He's expected to earn $2.75 million in '06.

- Thornton is $3,583,333 against the cap in '06 with three seasons to go on his deal (including '06).

Cutting both of them, especially with Thornton would cost us a lot.

Brian Simmons is by far the leader on this defense. The other veterans admit Simmons is the man the younger guys look up to. He's a solid lockerroom presense and he's a solid defensive player. Cutting him as a means of saving money is taking a step back. And I don't know about any of you, but I'm really really tired of taking steps backwards. And the thing about Landon Johnson is, and I love the guy, is he sometimes disappears in games. You don't see him much drilling a running back at the point of attack and has difficulty sealing up the end. I do think Johnson will start eventually, but he's not better than Simmons. Not at all.

Then we look at Simmons' contract -- some of you are giving wrong data. He's expected to earn $2,840,000

with $3,440,000 against the cap. He's signed through the next three seasons.

I watched Ashton Youbouty his entire OSU career and honestly, if James is let go and the Bengals pick him up, he'd start at CB -- even with Ratliff on this team. He's really good and I don't think some of you guys are giving him a lot of credit.

Youbouty is far superior than many starting CBs in the league and will start if a team picks him up to sure up their CB position. He will be picked up in the first two rounds and he will start in '06.

[NJ29]

Where going to take Gillis, Im telling you.

Yo! Whatever you Say.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

I'm onboard with Schroomy as to what i'd like to see happen. But it's hard to imagine them cutting Simmons before his contract is up. He still has value, but don't think he'll be here after his deal is done.

[turningpoint]

seriously also if you think of the cap situation it;s at 92 million...

so the avg salary for each player on the 52 man roster is about 1.8 million...

simmons is making below that #....our defensive leader is making less then avg. and you guys want to cut him...LMAO.

he's above the mean, but below the average.

I hope to god Simmons plays his career out here, he's the kind of guy that IMO wont hang on too long and will quit when he knows it's time to quit.

[Spain]

LJ lead the team in tkl for loss with 6. Before Waterboy came in. Simmons isnt getting cut because LJ will be busy subbing everyone. The way he should learn. Simmons isnt going anywhere. Marvin is a big Simmons and Jsmith fan. He has stated that these had been victimized with Bad Ds.

[schweinhart]

Take the following for whatever it might be worth...

Mike Mayoch ranked the CB & Safeties on the NFL Network today and offered several surprises. He claimed Huff would be drafted as high as top 10 as a CB, Whitner was the only pure safety in the draft who deserved a 1st round grade, ranked Darnell Bing as a high 2nd round pick, and predicted Ko Simpson was a likely 3rd round pick, low 2nd round at best. He gave Ko props for his size, speed, and hitting ability but also said he was very raw and undisciplined and should have stayed in school another year.

As for corners, he claimed there were 7 who carried 1st round grades, but doubted that many would actually be selected. The only real surprise to me was how highly he ranked Youbouty (3rd or 4th). Tye Hill and Jimmy Williams were the two corners with 1st round grades whose rankings pointed to a slip into the 2nd round.

I didn't see you had this Hair and posted Mayock's safety rankings in the draft forum.

The what it's worth part seems kind of 2-fold. Mayock hypes players he likes but he also is connected to better info I believe because he accesses scouting personnel from teams with his league pass. The other part of it is that Mayock himself was a NFL safety -- not that in and of itself would necessarily give more credence to what he says about the position but add in how he's connected to the league, like Pat Kirwan and Gil Brandt, and I think it does mean more than say a Kiper or Scouts, Inc. or some other anaylst.

Bengals wise, Whitner makes a lot of sense -- more so than KO or Bing IMO. The reason? He's the next most versatile DB behind Huff and on a par with that of Madieu. The most interesting bit of info that I heard Mayock say was that some teams think he can play corner. I'm pretty sure he could at least play slot in the nickel vs. either the quickest of slot WRs or the best TEs. Neither KO nor Bing offer this versatility. Another factor that would make Whitner appealing at #24 would be the fact that he is a strong safety by college trade and could be the primary one for the Bengals without sacrificing the interchangeability at the safety position that appears to be a Marvin trademark.

[Columbusbengal]

I would be shocked to see BSimmons cut. Especially with ML comments about using more 3-4. I know he is not a Pro-Bowler, but he is a solid NFL starter. If we let him go, he WOULD start for someone else. He is also a leader in the locker room who guys respect.

I think the future of Simmons will depend on the continued development of Landon Johnson and, even more important, whether Nate Webster returns at 100% - Marvin really loved him.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

cut tory james , and thorton , clemons to save $. not simmons. youbody is ok against the run but gets burnt often. he`s a 3rd rounder at best

Cut Palmer to save money. I mean it's not like he was just in a pro-bowl or anything.

Yeah, that's it.

James is a quality cornerback still, and his pay is not that high in comparison to other corners who have had pro-bowl seasons so recently.

[HairOnFire]

Mayock hypes players he likes but he also is connected to better info I believe because he accesses scouting personnel from teams with his league pass. The other part of it is that Mayock himself was a NFL safety -- not that in and of itself would necessarily give more credence to what he says about the position but add in how he's connected to the league, like Pat Kirwan and Gil Brandt, and I think it does mean more than say a Kiper or Scouts, Inc. or some other anaylst.

Mayoch frequently says things that leave me scratching my head, but his unwavering stance on Randy Starks a few years ago earned my lasting respect. At the time every single draft source I had seen was projecting Starks as a 1st rounder who was an even money bet to be gone by the time the Bengals picked....prompting him to be included on every Bengal fans wish list. Mayoch repeatedly went way out on a limb bashing Stark's effort and technique, and not only discounted the idea that Starks was worthy of top 15 consideration, but ranked him as a likely 3rd or 4th round pick. We all know how things turned out. So it really gets my attention when Mayoch defies the consensus opinion about a highly ranked player like Ko Simpson, and ranks him as a 2nd or possibly 3rd round pick.

[schweinhart]

Mayock hypes players he likes but he also is connected to better info I believe because he accesses scouting personnel from teams with his league pass. The other part of it is that Mayock himself was a NFL safety -- not that in and of itself would necessarily give more credence to what he says about the position but add in how he's connected to the league, like Pat Kirwan and Gil Brandt, and I think it does mean more than say a Kiper or Scouts, Inc. or some other anaylst.

Mayoch frequently says things that leave me scratching my head, but his unwavering stance on Randy Starks a few years ago earned my lasting respect. At the time every single draft source I had seen was projecting Starks as a 1st rounder who was an even money bet to be gone by the time the Bengals picked....prompting him to be included on every Bengal fans wish list. Mayoch repeatedly went way out on a limb bashing Stark's effort and technique, and not only discounted the idea that Starks was worthy of top 15 consideration, but ranked him as a likely 3rd or 4th round pick. We all know how things turned out. So it really gets my attention when Mayoch defies the consensus opinion about a highly ranked player like Ko Simpson, and ranks him as a 2nd or possibly 3rd round pick.

No doubt Mayock tells it a lot like he sees it -- and I like that because he's into it. I got no facts for it but I do think he does change his view on a player if he's getting feedback from scouts that the player isn't being looked at as highly as Mayock thinks he should be. The example this year would be Tye Hill. Can't swear to it but I'm pretty sure Mayock was jumping Hill up into the 1st half of the 1st round only to bump him down to his 7th CB because Moss got the better of him in the Senior Bowl (One play was all I remember and it looked like Hill thought he had help over top). Hill's size could be a disadvantage for him but I thought it kind of off for Mayock to seemingly jump ship like that IIRC his commentary during the week of practice.

As for Mayock's potential 1st round DTs, I believe he had Ngata, Bunkley, Watson, Orien Harris, and John McCargo. Mayock did say both Watson and Harris have the consistency problem and personally I don't think Harris offers much at all as a 4-3 DT. McCargo is an interesting choice and he did show a lot of quicks for a 295 pound DT to match his knack for penetrating the backfield and fighting off blocks to get in on tackles. But McCargo in the 1st seems a bit much to me based on what I saw in a few NC State games.