Matt Toeina

[kingwilly]

Jones, Dhani - if he wants to stay they would be dumb not to try to keep him

Agreed, but Jones may treat this season as an extended audition and move on quickly. In fact, the recent bits about him biking to practice and games included a mention that he rarely leaves his hotel room and stays late at PBS because he hasn't found anything to do in River City. Hard to guess if he'll stay out of loyalty or leave for a city with more museums and coffeee houses featuring beatnik poetry. (Snaps fingers.)

Manning, Roy - who?

Maxwell, Jim - who?

Mays, Corey - who?

I mentioned this immediately after Mays was signed, but it warrants repeating. Several of the players added are exactly what the Bengals look for in regards to special teams, and if kept might prevent next season from being a repeat of what we witnessed at the beginning of this season.

Dhani was thought to be done after being cut by Philadelphia. We would not have looked at him save for the volume of decimating injuries. He has played well quickly in a new system, which makes one wonder why Philly would cut him (money?).

The injury additions vs the injured. This is the topic of what to do with the guys like Mays, Maxwell, Schelgel, etc. Which of these guys can make enough of an imnpact to supercede a guy like Marshall or Henderson or even Jeanty? If we get back our injured corps of LB's then I think most of these guys will be cut..this also should not preclude us from going after a top LB in the draft.

If we keep the injured AND their replacement signees in a preventative move, this would mean a drastic cut in depth somewhere else. This is not likely as few teams carry more than 7 LBs.

[kenyon1977]

I think the real story here is...man, how far has the Bears D fallen? They're reduced to grabbing players from the *practice squad* of a defense ranked around 30th? What, nobody in the CFL would return their calls?

I agree though, how was it not worth giving this guy a shot?

Probably because the Bears have more scouts at our own practices than we do.

[HairOnFire]

An open letter to Mike Brown:

Dear Mike,

I hope you got the fruitcake I sent you for X-Mas. As always, it was baked with love.

Just passing along a little note in regards to two items that have been bugging Bengal fans too long. No, nothing to do with a practice bubble....as I'm not that stupid.

Just wishing you'd hire a few more scouts. Yeah, I know you don't think they're needed, but they're cheap and easy to enough find. In fact, I think we both know the bars are full of them and others can be found hanging around the showers of high schools and colleges. So please, I beg of you, hire a couple of scouts, the more grizzled the better, and immediately send them on the banquet chicken circuit...if for no other reason than to network with the legion of fired ex-coaches now working for ESPN.

Finally, please purchase a nicer car for yourself to drive. I know you don't like to draw attention to yourself, but you have to realize that in the eyes of your most loyal and bitter fans you're driving a metaphor.

As always....

Your adopted son, Skipper

[ShulaSteakhouse]

An open letter to Mike Brown:

Dear Mike,

I hope you got the fruitcake I sent you for X-Mas. As always, it was baked with love.

Just passing along a little note in regards to two items that have been bugging Bengal fans too long. No, nothing to do with a practice bubble....as I'm not that stupid.

Just wishing you'd hire a few more scouts. Yeah, I know you don't think they're needed, but they're cheap and easy to enough find. In fact, I think we both know the bars are full of them and others can be found hanging around the showers of high schools and colleges. So please, I beg of you, hire a couple of scouts, the more grizzled the better, and immediately send them on the banquet chicken circuit...if for no other reason than to network with the legion of fired ex-coaches now working for ESPN.

Finally, please purchase a nicer car for yourself to drive. I know you don't like to draw attention to yourself, but you have to realize that in the eyes of your most loyal and bitter fans you're driving a metaphor.

As always....

Your adopted son, Skipper

You're so clever and witty Hair, and you're right, Mike Brown's an ok guy and it's not his fault, you've made me see the light. Go Bengals.

[agreen_112]

From what I saw, he had one huge play last night where he broke through the line and tackled the RB 5 yards behind the line of schrimage... Did anyone else notice if he did any good? Him and Peko would've been nicer than Thorton and Peko IMO.

[HoosierCat]

2 tackles in his debut, nothing wrong with that (Peko had 2 in his first outing, by way of comparision). We'll see how it works out.

I agree with Hobson, tho, maybe the bigger loss (so far) was one of the guys coming to town this weekend: Shaun Smith. Most people here freaked at the thought of paying $2 million/year for him, but he's produced: 47 tackles, 2 sacks, a FF. Meanwhile, we're paying twice that for 29 tackles and 1 sack out of Thornton...

[CJBestInAFC]

No but John Thornton was our big free agent acquisition of the last 10 years, he can't lose his job to an undrafted DT. This team continues to amaze me how they seem to get rid of players and those same players make a name for themselves some where else, not to mention a divisional rival, (see Kelly Greg). I think a line with Peko and Shaun Smith would have been a lot better, not to mention a lot younger than Thornton's weak ass.

[DuffMan]

That 3 million that we would save by cutting Thorton keeps looking more and more tempting...

[GapControl]

I'd give anything to rid of Thorton.

[agreen_112]

Get rid of Thorton, Justin, Dexter, and Deltha. Cut Miller and Shclegal while your at it for all I care... This defense defines Bungles. Most importantly FIRE CHUCK!!!

[cincyhokie]

2 tackles in his debut, nothing wrong with that (Peko had 2 in his first outing, by way of comparision). We'll see how it works out.

I agree with Hobson, tho, maybe the bigger loss (so far) was one of the guys coming to town this weekend: Shaun Smith. Most people here freaked at the thought of paying $2 million/year for him, but he's produced: 47 tackles, 2 sacks, a FF. Meanwhile, we're paying twice that for 29 tackles and 1 sack out of Thornton...

Thorton has 29 tackles! That's WAY better than I thought his stats were. Keep him!

[Kirkendall]

I'd give anything to rid of Thorton.

Would you give your testicles to science?

[Bengals1]

Curnutte had some great thoughts on Toenia:

-- If I were a Bengals fan, I would be more upset about the likes of Frostee Rucker, the third round pick in 2006. Why has this second-year defensive end been active only four times this season?

-- Where's the righteous indignation about letting Eric Steinbach leave in free agency and failing to re-sign him before March 2007? He's probably going to the Pro Bowl and the playoffs. The Bengals classified Steinbach as a guard, and they went ahead of re-signed tackles Willie Anderson and Levi Jones. Anderson had not had injury problems until this season, when knee and heel problems issues have forced him to miss nine games. And Jones, after a slow start, has played better. But Jones has a history of knee problems. You could see in training camp 2006 that Steinbach was going to be the odd-man out. The Bengals place a premium on tackles over guards, even a rare talent such as Steinbach, and on cornerbacks over safeties.

-- And, again, with the benefit of history, what about drafting Chris Perry instead of Steven Jackson?

It's the first-day drafts, not the second-day picks, as well as some questionable decisions in free agency, that are a bigger reasons that the Bengals are 5-9 right now. Not Matt Toeaina

[TJJackson]

-- If I were a Bengals fan, I would be more upset about the likes of Frostee Rucker, the third round pick in 2006. Why has this second-year defensive end been active only four times this season?

Hi there.....I'd like to introduce myself....TJ Jackson, president and founder of the Frostee the Slowman hater's Club. Nice ta meetcha. I'm upset about plenty of things. Losing Big Toe is one. Having Frostee still on the roster is another. I can manage to be upset about more than one thing at a time, thank you. Particularly with all the many, many things wrong with this particular team.

And, again, with the benefit of history, what about drafting Chris Perry instead of Steven Jackson?

You mean the fellow I refer to as Two Carry Perry, the glass running back? I was angry that afternoon in 2004 when they called his name, and I am angrier yet now.

It's the first-day drafts, not the second-day picks, as well as some questionable decisions in free agency, that are a bigger reasons that the Bengals are 5-9 right now. Not Matt Toeaina

Actually, each draft pick is important, particularly given the difficulty that the Bengals have in attracting even mediocre free agents. I'll remind you that Tom Brady was a round 6 pick, TJ was a 7th rounder, etc etc. This year, you had a team that was going nowhere, and by week 12 (to be generous) it was definitely time to start taking playing time away from guys who'd be gone and giving it to rooks who needed development. At that time, Big Toe should gone on the active roster and Thornton or BRob (gone next year) should have been inactive the remainder of the season. Instead, we kept giving playing time to old dudes like we were in the playoff race or something. Now we have to draft and develop yet another guy on the DL when we have plenty of other holes to fill, and maybe we have to pay old and average (at best) Thornton or BRob star money for another year. Insanity. Logic says - if you are out of the playoffs, start developing players for next year.

[Jet23]

The fact that they are slow to play rookies and build for the future is yet another example of the organizational philosophy of the WORST OWNER IN THE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL SPORTS. The goal of 31 Owners is to win a championship. SOP's goal is to not look stupid, which he rarely attains.

If there continues to be a waiting list to watch this crap product, there are some seriously stupid people around here. Hair, I am sure you will be seeing Uncle Mike this holiday season. Tell him I said hey.

[HoosierCat]

Curnutte had some great thoughts on Toenia:

Where? As TJ points out all those subjects have been discussed extensively, not just here but on every Bengals message board. Curnutte really needs to get out more.

I agree that losing the Big Toe isn't high on the list of the Bengals' problems, but it's yet another thing they didn't need. When they lost Smith to Cleveland last March, Toe was clearly drafted in hopes of being his replacement (with an aging vet, Myers, signed as a stopgap for a year or two). Now, Smith is still gone, Toe is gone, B-rob and Justin appear to be going, Rucker looks like a bust, Myers is old, Fanene can't stay healthy and Thornton sucks. At least with Toe, they had three defensive linemen to, hopefully, build around. Now it's down to Peko and Geathers.

[Kirkendall]

Curnutte had some great thoughts on Toenia:

Where? As TJ points out all those subjects have been discussed extensively, not just here but on every Bengals message board. Curnutte really needs to get out more.

I agree that losing the Big Toe isn't high on the list of the Bengals' problems, but it's yet another thing they didn't need. When they lost Smith to Cleveland last March, Toe was clearly drafted in hopes of being his replacement (with an aging vet, Myers, signed as a stopgap for a year or two). Now, Smith is still gone, Toe is gone, B-rob and Justin appear to be going, Rucker looks like a bust, Myers is old, Fanene can't stay healthy and Thornton sucks. At least with Toe, they had three defensive linemen to, hopefully, build around. Now it's down to Peko and Geathers.

I got home from work, grabbed a beer, sat back, threw on star wars, with a grin on my face and a cigarette in hand. Then I saw this post. The beers quadrupled, the cigarette flared out long ago and Alderaan was just destroyed.

[cincyhokie]

Reading threads like this make it easier and easier to consider selling my season tickets....disgusting. All of your good well thought out points are true.....and disgusting. Go Reds.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Reading threads like this make it easier and easier to consider selling my season tickets....disgusting. All of your good well thought out points are true.....and disgusting. Go Reds.

In looking at the Reds, I have hope for good things. New owner. New manager. What's not to like?

What I wouldn't give for the Bengals to do the same.

[BTG]

Curnutte had some great thoughts on Toenia:

Where? As TJ points out all those subjects have been discussed extensively, not just here but on every Bengals message board. Curnutte really needs to get out more.

I agree that losing the Big Toe isn't high on the list of the Bengals' problems, but it's yet another thing they didn't need. When they lost Smith to Cleveland last March, Toe was clearly drafted in hopes of being his replacement (with an aging vet, Myers, signed as a stopgap for a year or two). Now, Smith is still gone, Toe is gone, B-rob and Justin appear to be going, Rucker looks like a bust, Myers is old, Fanene can't stay healthy and Thornton sucks. At least with Toe, they had three defensive linemen to, hopefully, build around. Now it's down to Peko and Geathers.

I got home from work, grabbed a beer, sat back, threw on star wars, with a grin on my face and a cigarette in hand. Then I saw this post. The beers quadrupled, the cigarette flared out long ago and Alderaan was just destroyed.

I thought I sensed a great disturbance in the Force. It was as if a million voices cried out at once, and were immediately silenced.

[HoosierCat]

Curnutte had some great thoughts on Toenia:

Where? As TJ points out all those subjects have been discussed extensively, not just here but on every Bengals message board. Curnutte really needs to get out more.

I agree that losing the Big Toe isn't high on the list of the Bengals' problems, but it's yet another thing they didn't need. When they lost Smith to Cleveland last March, Toe was clearly drafted in hopes of being his replacement (with an aging vet, Myers, signed as a stopgap for a year or two). Now, Smith is still gone, Toe is gone, B-rob and Justin appear to be going, Rucker looks like a bust, Myers is old, Fanene can't stay healthy and Thornton sucks. At least with Toe, they had three defensive linemen to, hopefully, build around. Now it's down to Peko and Geathers.

I got home from work, grabbed a beer, sat back, threw on star wars, with a grin on my face and a cigarette in hand. Then I saw this post. The beers quadrupled, the cigarette flared out long ago and Alderaan was just destroyed.

I thought I sensed a great disturbance in the Force. It was as if a million voices cried out at once, and were immediately silenced.

Don't worry, fellas...I'm sure that "A New Hope" will be drafted...one always is, right?

(And hopefully he isn't Jar-Jar Binks...)

[HairOnFire]

What just happened to this thread? One minute I'm scrolling through it, reading passionate screeds about missing fat men, when the conversation is suddenly hijacked by the pocket protecter gang. So what's next, open bidding on a Luke Skywalker lunchbox?

"Bastardos." - Pidge

[Pidge]

What's important to remember is that it doesn't really matter. Had he stayed here, he would have sucked great hairy balls. As it is, he'll no doubt go into the HoF someday.

[Bengals44]

What just happened to this thread? One minute I'm scrolling through it, reading passionate screeds about missing fat men, when the conversation is suddenly hijacked by the pocket protecter gang. So what's next, open bidding on a Luke Skywalker lunchbox?

"Bastardos." - Pidge

wtf?

[jjakq27]

Did anyone see the Bears game today? Did Toe get any snaps?