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Who makes the team at LB now?


HAPPYJAQ

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MLB is a huge question mark, after Dhani Jones. I think the Bengals will allow Brooks to back up there, since that is his most comfortable position, with a switch with Jones coming at some point (and Jones moving to SLB, opposte Keith Rivers). By the way, the Rivers drafting looks HUGE now! That would leave Jeanty, Blackstock, Johnson, and Mays to realistically back up, for two slots on the outside. If you assume that Jeanty makes if for his experience on both sides, that would leave Blacksock, Johnson and Mays in a battle for the final spot. Who makes it or do the Bengals pick up someone from the free-agency/waiver wire, or a possbile June 1st cut?? The other scenario would be if the Bengals picked up a Special Teams ace like Marcus Wilkins/Andre Frazier for the final spot and go with 5 LB's from scrimmage and hope that maybe Geathers could play there again in a pinch (only if the last DE is a better player/prospect than the last LB). It should be more interesting, if nothing else, now.

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Are you serious? How can you definitively state that after we've seen so little of him? He tore it up in the opener last year. I hope to see more of the same from him this year.

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err. I think you mean Jones 5 sacks right? err. I think you mean Brooks 1 sack, right? I mean they each even had a sack for the Bengals last year, tell me you didn't just throw that up there without even checking last years Bengals stats.

They also have Blackstock who had 3 sacks last year for the Cardinals as a backup. They brought in Odom who had 8.5 sacks last year for the Titans. In a 4-3 aren't you looking for your DE to pressure the passer and your LBs to handle containment? I could be wrong but I think that is the traditional role.

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Our LB's are s**t once you get past Rivers on the depth chart.

Point of order: technically, Rivers isn't on the depth chart. He's not even on the team. They have to sign him to a contract first. And signing anyone to a deal just became more difficult today with the owners voting 32-0 to opt out of the CBA. Both sides will be scrambling now to add clauses dealing with what happens in the event of a work stoppage and all that. And even in a normal year, the Bengals often find it a challenge to get their first round selection in on time.

In short, Bengals + new contract wrinkles + top 10 money = holdout.

I hope Im wrong.

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Unless Rivers is one of those rare types who is more about being the best player he can rather than the richest, one who tells his agent that he'll be fired if he isn't signed by the opening of camp - yes, this is a rare bird indeed - then yes, I agree, we can probably expect a loooOOOOOOng holdout from Mr Rivers.

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My stats are coming from Hobson on Bengals.com but now rethinking he probably does not know what he is talking about and I realize i misread Jones sacks. I do not think Brooks had a sack though.

"The starting outside backers have 0.0 NFL sacks, but Ahmad Brooks showed a penchant for blitzing from middle backer last year, and a lot of it is scheme. "

http://www.bengals.com/news/news.asp?story_id=6801

Regardless, I do not look forward to a team that has a street free agent starting at middle backer which is not even his most comfortable position. Rivers should be strong, but it all starts up front with the DL. Hopefully Sims can be big, and eat up some blockers otherwise look for the run to run over the bengals.

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Our LB's are s**t once you get past Rivers on the depth chart.

Point of order: technically, Rivers isn't on the depth chart. He's not even on the team. They have to sign him to a contract first. And signing anyone to a deal just became more difficult today with the owners voting 32-0 to opt out of the CBA. Both sides will be scrambling now to add clauses dealing with what happens in the event of a work stoppage and all that. And even in a normal year, the Bengals often find it a challenge to get their first round selection in on time.

In short, Bengals + new contract wrinkles + top 10 money = holdout.

I hope Im wrong.

Well, if you want to get technical about it than yes, River's isn't on our depth chart. He may hold out, he may not, but the truth is this; He's the best LB we have, which is kinda scary... Jeanty's a backup, Jones is a backup, Brooks is a huge question mark, and everyone else is even more of a question mark.

If these rookie WR's are as good as the hype; trading Chad Johnson for a LB may not be a bad idea.

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I believre our coaches love this Blackstock guy!! From what I remember from a few years back and from posters here and other places is, he was a serious stud in college...

T.J. said on the main site that he's heard the new LB's looked good. I immediately thought about Blackstock, as well. I am OK with Jones, Jeanty and Rivers starting in the new scheme. I am excited to see what Fitzgerald can do to develop these guys. The way I look at it, if you take away Ray Lewis and Terrell Suggs, he has coached average players to Pro-Bowl seasons. Even Ozzie Newsom himself said he was a good hire and was sad to see him go. The only real question to me is depth, particularly at MLB.

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Well since they cut the best LB prospect(aside from rivers) i dont really look forward to this seasons D what so ever, Odell was what was keeping me optimistic.

Rivers could be a dud, or a stud, but even if hes great he doesn't make up for the lack of talent in the front 7 right now, had Odell played this year as he did in 05' then wed be going somewhere. Now since then we have a washed up LB from the eagles starting at MLB(and no im not talking about Spikes, i wish i was.) and Brooks who was injured all last year, and a Rookie. Our DT's havent gotten much better though i hope Sims comes to play, DE is still a question mark since all we did was trade out Justin Smith for Odom. The secondary i feel will do well and probably carry this defense,for now i see another 25-32 in the league for rush D.

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My stats are coming from Hobson on Bengals.com but now rethinking he probably does not know what he is talking about and I realize i misread Jones sacks. I do not think Brooks had a sack though.

Uh...do your homework....in the Baltimore game Brooks had 6 tackles(5 solo 1 assist) 1 Sack, 1 Quarterback Hurry, and 1 Forced Fumble.

If you claim your stats are coming from Bengals.com, go to Bengals GameCenter and check the stats for the Baltimore game bro. :read:

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Interesting note that I gound on Mike Zimmer's defenses in Dallas in 2000 and 2001. In the two years COMBINED, linebackers had a grand total of 1 sack (Darren Hambrick). In 2001, the TEAM accounted for 9 interceptions. Last year in Atlanta, his linebackers had 5 sacks, although John Abraham had 10. Last year's Falcons also had only 16 INT's (3 less than the Bengals). I don't neccessarily believe that good stats equals a good defense, as his '01 defense finished in the top 5. It is obvious that he asks the LB's to do more than rush the passer.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/dal/stats?year=season_2000

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/dal/stats?year=season_2001

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/teams/atl/stats

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If anything, we have young players competing for playing time this year. No Pollack or Thurman.... huge upside with Brooks and Rivers and hopefully consistent play from Blackstock, Jones and others.

I think we are better simply because Caleb Miller is gone. Will we miss Landon Johnson? He was everywhere in every game but never a difference maker.

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In hindsight, I am disappointed that neither Johnson or Miller developed into a difference maker at LB. I am also somewhat surprised that Miller is not getting a look on any other team right now; I think he could be a decent backup (if healthy) at MLB, especially on passing downs for someone. There is talk that the Bengals will move Brooks back to MLB and Henderson back to OLB. I think we'll be OK, even without Odell.

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