Starting CB

[scott91575]

http://www.cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/story/9569122

I still think Joseph is too young. Thoughts?

[Kazkal]

I don't think he should right away even if hes looking awesome sit him atleast 6 weeks getting action in nickle packages after week 6 or so mybe test him out as a starter if hes doing well in nickle..

[ChadJohnson-85]

I would like to see Joseph get 2nd string @ CB, but I wouldnt like to see James take 3rd string either aswell. So I aint sure.

[Dadraftnick]

Tory James is one year away from a Pro Bowl,he has nice size and plays the run well.

While Joseph should be a good starter down the road,lets squeze out of James what we can,while Joseph learns.

The one place you dont want rookie mistakes is at the corner spot because, they can equal big plays.

We have the luxury or letting Joseph learn at the side of the best CB tandem in the NFL so, lets take advantage while we can.

[jditty47]

Tory James is one year away from a Pro Bowl,he has nice size and plays the run well.

While Joseph should be a good starter down the road,lets squeze out of James what we can,while Joseph learns.

The one place you dont want rookie mistakes is at the corner spot because, they can equal big plays.

We have the luxury or letting Joseph learn at the side of the best CB tandem in the NFL so, lets take advantage while we can.

ya seriously. if james shows major slippage this year then mb...but i doubt it. nickel corner will be his role most likely. mb some relief work. he'll rotate with ratliff mostly...

[Stripes]

I doubt he'll take Tory's spot as a starter anytime very soon. I wouldn't be surprised if he can get in there by midseason though. I think he'll play nickleback, rotating with Ratliff, Bauman, and maybe Body. Of those, he'll emerge as the best player, and will supplant Tory in the long run.

[Bobcat Bengal]

Let him sit and learn.

We're finally in a position were we don't have to throw players out there, hoping it works.

There's nothing wrong with letting him slowly transition from a nickel CB this year, to bigger things next year.

Rookie CB's are like QB's, you don't wanna shatter their confidence.

Let JJ get acclimated to the speed of the game and other nuances, then next season, let's see if he's ready for prime time.

I like JJ. I mean, I've heard comparisons to Dunta Robinson, and he's a G.

Even still with JJ's talent, we would give up just as many, if not more, big plays through the air as we did last year if he was in there instead of Tory James.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Hey, if he can beat out Tory, then by all means, let him start. That being said, Tory had an OFF year last year, lacked support from his safeties, and it showed. With Madieu back and Dexter in support, that won't happen again. (Unless both our starting safeties are injured and out for the season for the 3rd season in a row!)

[HairOnFire]

I'm already on record predicting Joseph will earn major playing time by midseason so I'm not sure what to add....other than pointing to the Bengals assessment that Joseph has showed already that he wasn't nearly as raw as they assumed on draft day. Frankly, that's great news for a Bengal team that may or may not have to come to grips with the idea that Tory James is slipping...perhaps badly. Regardless, even if Joseph's technique is far better than first assumed it would be ideal if he could be mentored in practice and the film room for a period of time.

In short, I don't expect Joseph to earn an opening day starters role. More likely he'll be broken in against the true burner types that James and Ratliff don't match up well against, and then earn more playing time as he becomes more comfortable with the Bengals defensive scheme.

And again, the addition of Joseph could be just the thing that is needed to keep an aging Tory James fresh for a playoff push. Even his backers should be able to admit that James had a very poor second half of the season last year.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

HoF you just keep saying Tory is slipping long enough and it might become true. He is one year out of a pro bowl, and the only reason he had an off year was because our safeties couldn't help at all. Tory is a ball player, and that means when you have no safety help, you are screwed. It could happen to any corner in the league. Is Champ Bailey done because he had an off season?

[HairOnFire]

HoF you just keep saying Tory is slipping long enough and it might become true. He is one year out of a pro bowl, and the only reason he had an off year was because our safeties couldn't help at all.

And if you keep blaming the safties for poor CB play you may never understand why the Bengals used a 1st round pick on Tory's replacement.

JJ is here for a reason.

[TJJackson]

Tory James might not be a bad FS, come to think of it

[derekshank]

Safeties certainly had something to do with Tory's slippage... but those same safeties didn't hurt Deltha Oneil, who had the best percentage of broken up long passes in the NFL. Like it or not, Tory relies far too much on his safeties, and this is because he has lost a step. It happens to everyone, not just Tory. So there is no reason to take it personally.

Now that we have better safeties, So Tory shouldn't get torches as often, but that doesn't mean that Joseph won't be the better player by mid-season.

Besides... with Tory's size, he could be one of the best nickle corners in the league. I'd love to watch him blitz the QB from the nickle position.

[jditty47]

hold the f**k on? how did torey have a bad year last year? are any of u real fans? did u watch every game last year? do u not remember every single game they shy'd away from james' side throwing the ball? he is still good, u ppl are tripping. now with a complete secondary opposing offenses wont know who to throw at now.

joseph was drafted for the future and for great depth. corner is one of the hardest positions to find a gem at. marvin has drafted a player in the first round every year hes been here at a different skilled position for a reason.

who of u really wants to see KK on the field? or bauman? having 4 good corners is a huge asset in this league - and u never know when injuries will hit. corner was probably our weakest depth position on our roster before the draft...thats why he was taken.

[Kazkal]

Aye and most of his interceptions were off his skill not a poorly underthrown ball that hit him in the chest theres a reason why you gotta love his long arms

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

HoF you just keep saying Tory is slipping long enough and it might become true. He is one year out of a pro bowl, and the only reason he had an off year was because our safeties couldn't help at all.

And if you keep blaming the safties for poor CB play you may never understand why the Bengals used a 1st round pick on Tory's replacement.

JJ is here for a reason.

DUH! Because it takes years for a corner to develop. Because we have little depth behind Tory and Deltha. Because he was the best player available when we picked.

Open your eyes!

[HairOnFire]

DUH! Because it takes years for a corner to develop. Because we have little depth behind Tory and Deltha. Because he was the best player available when we picked.

Open your eyes!

Years to develope? Please, JJ is going to play soon, play often, and hopefully play well. And next season his mere presence will put a proverbial bullet to head of a slowing Tory James.

No depth? The Bengals have a 2nd round pick playing nickle corner, and plenty of adequate options capable of filling the dime role. They don't lack for depth. What they needed desperately was a starter who could replace James, probably in a hurry, and that's what they drafted JJ to do.

Best player available? Prior to the draft I spent months arguing for a CB to be taken in the first round soley because of pure need. And go figure, that's exactly what the Bengals actually did.

Finally, it's my open eyes that tell me that you're still making excuses for Tory's poor play last season. In fact, even when my eyes are closed I can still see teams like the Colts and Steelers easily beating James for 60-yard scores simply by having a wideout run by the guy.

[derekshank]

hold the f**k on? how did torey have a bad year last year? are any of u real fans? did u watch every game last year? do u not remember every single game they shy'd away from james' side throwing the ball? he is still good, u ppl are tripping. now with a complete secondary opposing offenses wont know who to throw at now.

joseph was drafted for the future and for great depth. corner is one of the hardest positions to find a gem at. marvin has drafted a player in the first round every year hes been here at a different skilled position for a reason.

who of u really wants to see KK on the field? or bauman? having 4 good corners is a huge asset in this league - and u never know when injuries will hit. corner was probably our weakest depth position on our roster before the draft...thats why he was taken.

Yes I did watch every game last year... and in fact watched most of them several times. Granted, CB's are the most noticed when they are getting lit up... but nearly every big pass given up was against Tory... because you can go back and watch every game... Deltha didn't get burned deep even once!

Someone was giving up all those big plays. Sometimes it was Ratliff, and sometimes it was Tory because we had bad safeties, but the fact remains, Tory got lit, Deltha didn't. Tory often bit on pump fakes going for the INT. I'm not against that at all... assuming you have safety help. Tory never learned to be a shut down corner, and that is why we gave up so many points through the air toward the end of the year.

I agree that Tory will bounce back this year with safety help, but there is no denying that he got beat a lot last year. I think Tory will hold down his starting job longer than most... but we didn't draft Joseph for next year. We drafted him to play... and somewhere around week 10, he will.