SAM ADAMS CUT

[WhoDeyForever]

I think Peko will be starting..He showed a lot of promise last year..Peko will be a stud..Sad to see Big Sam go though

[Kazkal]

No doubt peko will be starting...from hobson

. You have to believe Peko is going to get a lot more snaps

-He was getting quite abit last season since sam only got 10-15 heh.

[HairOnFire]

My own completely uninformed guess is that while Marvin does respect these guys, he wants to make it on his own, so to speak. That is, he wants to get away from the "great Baltimore D of 2000" thing, show that he can be a Super Bowl coach w/o Sam and Goose and Ray-Ray and all that.

Well what choice does he have? Marvin's Raven defenses are rapidly retreating into the rear view mirror of history and nobody seems more aware of that fact than Lewis himself. He's shown declining players like Jamie Sharper, Peter Boulware, and even Sam Adams only a modest level of interest, and he's been wise to show caution. Plus, players like Edgerton Hartwell may be familiar to him, but "back in the day" Hartwell was too young to play an important role for Lewis....much like Adalius Thomas.

[HairOnFire]

As for BRob, the thing keeping him on the team is his ability to play DE, so the wild card affecting whether he stays or goes will probably be Rucker, whether he amounts to anything or not. If Rucker does anything in the preseason I could see Robinson getting cut.

Rucker can slide inside from time to time but IMHO he doesn't fit the DT/DE profile as well as Fanene, a player the Bengals seem determined to keep for reasons I can't quite determine. But Robinson will either make the roster or not based upon his own merit, and if he's found lacking the Bengals can make do for a season with Rucker, Fanene, or even Xzavie Jackson....an interesting 285 lb undrafted DE that seemed to get lost in the Earl Everett buzz. Granted, that group won't excite anyone but it might be enough to get the team to the next draft where better options can be found.

[BENGALTHEM]

Personally I'm shocked in regards to the release. This came out of no where. We didn't even draft a DT. They could have used him in certain situations. I remember last year he came off the line on 4th and 1 and stuffed a RB in the backfield. He's still one of the quickest off the snap. Could they have restuctured his contract to a lower figure since he's not an every down DT? Oh well, good luck to Big Sam I Am Adams. The coaches know what's best for the team.

[HoosierCat]

Well what choice does he have? Marvin's Raven defenses are rapidly retreating into the rear view mirror of history and nobody seems more aware of that fact than Lewis himself.

Oh, I'm not suggesting he's passing up a top D or anything -- but there's no doubt (as you note) that he's had many opportunities to bring in ex-Balti guys who still could have contributed...and has seemed about as enthusiatic about the idea as he might be in a plate of dog dung appetizers. OTOH the Bengals have still brought or back in multiple oldsters like Myers, B-rob, Tory last year, and Willie, so it doesn't appear to me to be strictly an age thing.

OTOH maybe he got wind that he Eagles were going to release DT Sam Rayburn and is just opening a slot for more d-line competition! (memo to mem: SIGN 'EM!!!)

[HairOnFire]

...but there's no doubt (as you note) that he's had many opportunities to bring in ex-Balti guys who still could have contributed...and has seemed about as enthusiatic about the idea as he might be in a plate of dog dung appetizers. OTOH the Bengals have still brought or back in multiple oldsters like Myers, B-rob, Tory last year, and Willie, so it doesn't appear to me to be strictly an age thing.

Well, when he was signed Tory James did have some gas left in his tank, as I'm hoping Myers does. After all, one or two seasons of respectable play from an aging veteran and you've got yourself a band-aid, right?

But I guess what I'm getting at is how little preference Marvin has shown to aging players he's had a past relationship with. Yeah, he's no different from any other head coach in the sense that he'll attempt to fill holes in his roster with an aging vet or two, but ex-Ravens seem to have no advantage over the "Old washed up dudes" from other teams.

And that's the way it should be.

[Tasher]

As for BRob, the thing keeping him on the team is his ability to play DE, so the wild card affecting whether he stays or goes will probably be Rucker, whether he amounts to anything or not. If Rucker does anything in the preseason I could see Robinson getting cut.

... or even Xzavie Jackson....an interesting 285 lb undrafted DE that seemed to get lost in the Earl Everett buzz.

There is a Karl Zander sighting? Where Where?

My hats off to Sam. He came in to play a role, got hurt and played all season through it. You gotta give props to that.

[GapControl]

I knew there were too many DTs but I didn`t expect Sam to get it. Unless he has a bad injury, we should have kept him. He could come in on obvious running downs and be a locker room presence, too.

I guess it is Big Toes time to shine. Or the oft injured Allen. Myers doesn`t have the weight to replace what Sam did.

[bengalsfansince68]

Myers did, however, have enough weight to more than triple Sam's numbers.

[jjakq27]

I never thought he would be a big impact guy but why him over Thornton? I know he's a NT and Thornton is a UT but still Thornton is the worst of the bunch and he's eating up massive cap.

Thornton is 30 and Adams is 34. Plus who knows if Thornton will be around after August anyway?

I feel bad for the guy,always liked sam...wonder if this mean junglecats goes byebye.

Probably not. It's an investment. Besides Griffey Jr. is part owner along with Dr. Kremchek so it doesn't all belong to Sam.

I am most disappointed that Sam didn't come to camp in shape after signing last year. I am sure that had alot to do with his knee troubles.

I will also miss the disproportionately small number on his jersey. I always looked like a baby's bib to me.

Good luck to him elsewhere as long as it isn't in our division. Too bad it didn't work out.

[HoTbOy]

I am not surprised either, SAdams did nothing for me last year when he was in defenses threw on 1st down to tire him out by rushing the QB, and when they did run he was to tired to make a play...I thought they played better with DPeko anyway...

[The PatternMaster]

Well what choice does he have? Marvin's Raven defenses are rapidly retreating into the rear view mirror of history and nobody seems more aware of that fact than Lewis himself.

OTOH maybe he got wind that he Eagles were going to release DT Sam Rayburn and is just opening a slot for more d-line competition! (memo to mem: SIGN 'EM!!!)

I hope so, I like Rayburn and think he would fit in nicely with our hard working bunch.

[oldschooler]

Adams a Raven again?

The agent for Sam Adams, who was released Monday by the Bengals, said an AFC North team has called and said it plans to offer the defensive tackle a contract.

Angelo Wright wouldn't say which team it was, but the most likely one would be the Baltimore Ravens. Not only has Adams played for Baltimore, but it is also the only team in the division that plays some 4-3 defense.

http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/s...C3_7M6NTDJ.html

[HairOnFire]

I get some right, and I get some wrong. Let's put this one in the latter bunch as I would have bet a weeks pay that Sam Adams was headed straight for retirement.

[HoosierCat]

I get some right, and I get some wrong. Let's put this one in the latter bunch

Maybe. Don't forget that Wright is a master at talking up alleged interest in his clients. Remember how the phone was supposedly ringing off the hook last year? Some teams will probably kick the tires and maybe someone signs him, but I was confident his best days were way behind him last year and see no reason not to continue to believe that now.

[Jet23]

I don't pretend to know everything that went on behind the scenes, but I find it hard to believe there wasn't room on the DL for him. But hey, that's another 1.2 million towards the grievance and injury settlement kitty...

[MacD BengalFan]

I am not surprised either, SAdams did nothing for me last year when he was in defenses threw on 1st down to tire him out by rushing the QB, and when they did run he was to tired to make a play...I thought they played better with DPeko anyway...

Plus, the opposing offensive lineman easily pushed him aside on running plays causing a big hole for the running back to run through. If was to a be the run stopper the Bengals wanted, I think he failed miserably. Easily blocked or moved out of the way. Domata Peko showed that he will be the stopper the Bengals have always coveted.

[SteelerFan87]

But I thought Adams was supposed to be the answer to all your run D problems?

[Stripes]

But I thought Adams was supposed to be the answer to all your run D problems?

Maybe he wasn't, but the Bengals showed major improvement against the run last season regardless.

[jjakq27]

But I thought Adams was supposed to be the answer to all your run D problems?

Maybe he wasn't, but the Bengals showed major improvement against the run last season regardless.

(In a whispering voice)....Deltha O'Neill and Tory James........

[hrod382]

I may have asked this already but what DT's do we have on the roster that are capable of playing UT?

I know Thornton and BRob but which of the FA/draftees are capable?

[Stripes]

(In a whispering voice)....Deltha O'Neill and Tory James........

Eh, I'm sure the bad pass defense influenced the Bengals run defense ranking to some degree, but I doubt that was as big a factor as the team actually getting better.

[oldschooler]

(In a whispering voice)....Deltha O'Neill and Tory James........

Teams ran an average of 28 times, and passed

an average of 34 times per game, against the Bengals.

Just to compare, teams ran against the Bears an average of 25 times,

and passed an average of 36 times a game. Teams ran against the Stealers

an average of 25.5 times, and passed an average of 33 times a game.

And Baltimore had teams run an average of 23 times, and pass an average

of 32 times a game against them.

So it appears that teams with "good" Defenses also had teams pass

against them more than they ran.

3rd down is what killed the Bengals Defense, and where most of the

damage was done. Hopefully with the subtraction of "3rd and Tory"

that problem is fixed . . .

[oldschooler]

Given Sam Adams' problems with weight -- last year he reported to the Bengals at 375 pounds -- it would be natural to assume that the defensive tackle was recently cut by Cincinnati because he was in poor shape again.

Adams weighed in for the start of the team's offseason conditioning program at 347 pounds, a little more than the 335 they wanted him at for the start of training camp, but not in the scale's stratosphere.

Adams wasn't the difference-maker the Bengals had hoped he would be, in part because of his weight problems and knee problems. He had offseason knee surgery, and club officials probably expected him to report in the same weight range he was in last year, which would certainly have justified them cutting him.

Because he came in at a svelte 347, some observers were surprised he was cut and not John Thornton. Thornton works hard, but he is a little undersized and doesn't have Adams' track record or potential.

The Bengals still have enough options at defensive tackle to put some heat on Thornton. Team insiders say he had better prove his worth during training camp, or he might be shown the same door as Adams.

http://www.columbusdispatch.com/dispatch/c...C3_TT6OM58.html