Deltha "I don't want to play nickel" O'Neal

[kingwilly]

ok, now we have Deltha with this...

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6526

Huh, last time I check, he is not a FA next year. Is 08 an option year?

[HairOnFire]

(((shrug)))

Deltha has said the same things for two years now.

[HoosierCat]

Yeah, it's hardly a surprise Deltha is still unhappy.

Whthr he returns or not depends, I would think, on whether the upcoming offseason is a replay of 2003, or of 2007.

If the Bengals decide to gut the D, let players who don't want to be here walk, and spend aggressively in FA like they did on Thornton, Tory, Clemons, Hardy etc., then O'Neal's ticket probably gets punched.

If, OTOH, they decide it's all bad luck and injuries, and they're only a player or two away on D, stay the course, etc., then O'Neal continues to be a grumpy Cincinnati Bengal.

[Bengals1]

Send his @ss packing! Surely we can find somebody else to play nickle corner?

I know, stop calling you Shirley....

[Kirkendall]

O'Neal. Whining? Nooooo.

[kingwilly]

What this shows me is a "me" attittude. Sure, he was asked specifically about "His" plans or possibility to return.

Deltha would be good to play a more "team" oriented story when posed questions like this. It may come off as cliche, but then there is no fuel to toss on to the crsiply burned psyche of the D.

Performance-wise, he has had moments of terrible play but is more often an assett than a liability.

I think Hoosier nails it with what type of off-season we will see, like 03 or 07.

[HairOnFire]

What this shows me is a "me" attittude. Sure, he was asked specifically about "His" plans or possibility to return.

All he did was honestly answer the questions asked....so how that reflects a "me" attitude I'm not quite sure. In fact, can you imagine what the responses would be if he had said he never liked starting, is perfectly happy playing the nickle role, and only wants to return next season playing the part-time role that better matches his current salary.

Frankly, it's obvious he isn't a Marvin Lewis favorite and that was never more obvious than the day Leon Hall was drafted, but I'm guessing whether he stays or goes depends on if the Bengals can find a better player, not whether Deltha goes to sleep happy every night.

[kingwilly]

What this shows me is a "me" attittude. Sure, he was asked specifically about "His" plans or possibility to return.

All he did was honestly answer the questions asked....so how that reflects a "me" attitude I'm not quite sure. In fact, can you imagine what the responses would be if he had said he never liked starting, is perfectly happy playing the nickle role, and only wants to return next season playing the part-time role that better matches his current salary.

Frankly, it's obvious he isn't a Marvin Lewis favorite and that was never more obvious than the day Leon Hall was drafted, but I'm guessing whether he stays or goes depends on if the Bengals can find a better player, not whether Deltha goes to sleep happy every night.

He did honestly answer the question. In doing so, he honestly showed he is not much of a "team" guy. "not quite sure"? it is clear as day so I'd rather not speculate on other what if's.

I agree with you about him not being a ML player and him staying being a function of the team finding a better player, well maybe an equally decent player.

[BengalszoneBilly]

Okay. Deltha said it to the media. Now what does Marvin do about having his decisions whined about in the press? Will it be nothing, or have a private little talk with Mr. O"Neal and threaten to put a boot in his ass if he doesn't like it. I prefer the latter, but knowing Marvin, it'll be nothing.

[HairOnFire]

I just think too much is being made of Deltha's now annual "Why I'm not happy" interview. I get the part about him feeling he's underpaid, and I think it was true for awhile. That said, I think time has proven the Bengals were smart not to renegotiate, and equally smart to draft Deltha's replacement when they did. However, I think his play has been reasonably solid, save for a few breakdowns, and his value as a nickleback and a potential starter remains far greater than his salary. So I'm willing to shrug my shoulders once a year after some scribe bothers to interview the guy.

[ArmyBengal]

Same sh*t, different day with Deltha... Who really cares ?? This guy is nothing more than a nickel next year given that Hall will have a season under his belt and JJ will (hopefully) get over his broken foot from the beginning of the season. Deltha is just another a**h*** and this goes to show it. Yeah he answered honestly and THAT doesn't make him an a**h***, being a non team player and the way he "goes about" answering the question DOES make him an a**h***.

F*CK Deltha !!! Later loser...

WHODEY !!!

[ShulaSteakhouse]

That said, I think time has proven the Bengals were smart not to renegotiate, and equally smart to draft Deltha's replacement when they did.

I don't think re-negotiating with him was ever an option or a thought for the Bengals. It was a good trade, but assuming they had any intention of re-signing him, is speculative. The Bengals' don't re-negotiate with anyone unless it's a franchise QB.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I just think too much is being made of Deltha's now annual "Why I'm not happy" interview. I get the part about him feeling he's underpaid, and I think it was true for awhile. That said, I think time has proven the Bengals were smart not to renegotiate, and equally smart to draft Deltha's replacement when they did. However, I think his play has been reasonably solid, save for a few breakdowns, and his value as a nickleback and a potential starter remains far greater than his salary. So I'm willing to shrug my shoulders once a year after some scribe bothers to interview the guy.

True. He's actually had a decent season this year. I'm sure Marvin will give him a good dose of STFU and everything will be fine.

[Kirkendall]

That said, I think time has proven the Bengals were smart not to renegotiate, and equally smart to draft Deltha's replacement when they did.

I don't think re-negotiating with him was ever an option or a thought for the Bengals. It was a good trade, but assuming they had any intention of re-signing him, is speculative. The Bengals' don't re-negotiate with anyone unless it's a franchise QB.

Or a WR with a Spanish name. Or a tackle, or two. Or a guard.

[generaldreedle]

What this shows me is a "me" attittude. Sure, he was asked specifically about "His" plans or possibility to return.

All he did was honestly answer the questions asked....so how that reflects a "me" attitude I'm not quite sure. In fact, can you imagine what the responses would be if he had said he never liked starting, is perfectly happy playing the nickle role, and only wants to return next season playing the part-time role that better matches his current salary.

Frankly, it's obvious he isn't a Marvin Lewis favorite and that was never more obvious than the day Leon Hall was drafted, but I'm guessing whether he stays or goes depends on if the Bengals can find a better player, not whether Deltha goes to sleep happy every night.

I agree. I don't feel he was expressing the "me" attitude at all in the article.

[HairOnFire]

Same sh*t, different day with Deltha... Who really cares ?? This guy is nothing more than a nickel next year given that Hall will have a season under his belt and JJ will (hopefully) get over his broken foot from the beginning of the season.

With all due respect, you don't know that. As it currently stands any modest injury to Hall or Joseph shifts Deltha back into a starters role, and that would be true next season as well unless the Bengals spend another draft pick on a CB or find a suitable replacement in the wildly expensive free agent CB market. And again, Deltha's salary next season isn't all that big.

[TJJackson]

Deltha will be (in 2008) auditioning for his supposed big FA contract in 2009. I expect his agent will advise him to work hard, play hard, and keep his mouth shut....and one hopes he does all three.....and I don't expect him back when his contract elapses.

Ergo, in 2008 we need to groom a nickel corner replacement, probably with a mid round draft pick

I doubt we tap the FA market for a nickel corner...too much cash for too little in return

[HairOnFire]

Ergo, in 2008 we need to groom a nickel corner replacement, probably with a mid round draft pick

I doubt we tap the FA market for a nickel corner...too much cash for too little in return

My thoughts exactly. My only question is whether to draft a third CB this season or next. Next year seems far more likely for more reasons than I'd care to list, but I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a mid-round CB prospect in the coming draft if that player was clearly the BPA on the board.

[agreen_112]

I see this as a Loose-Loose situation... The Bengals want Joseph and Hall as our #1 and #2 CB's and Deltha doesn't want to play nickle. We want to groom the young CB's as much as possible by feeding them more PT. Its loose-loose because either the young-ins won't get the much needed PT they need to develop if Deltha is kept as a starter or they say Delttha your the nickle, take it or leave it.

[TJJackson]

I've never heard of a loose loose situation

I have heard of a lose lose situation

In any case it is win-win because we ARE playing our young corners (as we should) and Deltha who is one year away form his ticket out of Cincinnati is going to have to have a gangbusters year in 2009 to get the new contract he wants

[BengalszoneBilly]

I've never heard of a loose loose situation

Well there was this one time in 'Vegas with two worn out hookers, but I really can't go into detail here...

[TJJackson]

I imagine things are kinda loose around the Billy household since your unfortunate demise and subsequent barrels of cash and liquor arriving for your bereaved widow

[BengalszoneBilly]

I imagine things are kinda loose around the Billy household since your unfortunate demise and subsequent barrels of cash and liquor arriving for your bereaved widow

Well for a dead man T.J., I'm partying pretty damn hearty, but I wish I could locate the cash you were alluding to. Crap! The wife must have squirelled it away when I was "sheet faced" in the morgue!

[TJJackson]

You will recall she spent all the cash on a boob job - "Billy would have wanted it that way"

[ArmyBengal]

Hair, I get you and yes, one injury pushes Deltha back into a starters role. That's just me not liking a guy, nothing more... I'm sick of him always being or at least appearing to be unhappy with the Bengals. Anyway, I think he will be back and he may even have a good year, but that is not always a given either.

Just look at Justin Smith.....

WHODEY !!!