AFCN: All Your Busts Are Belong to Us?

[HoosierCat]

So says Edholm over at Pro Football weekly. He predicts that all three AFCN first round picks from this year -- Keith Rivers, Joe Flacco and Rashard Mendenhall -- will be busts. On Rivers:

When we look back, there might not be much difference between Rivers and guys such as Landon Johnson, Ahmad Brooks and other linebackers the Bengals have had recently. Rivers is a fine, rare athlete — probably the best pure specimen I saw at the Senior Bowl — but I don’t think he’ll ever be more than a solid tackler who lacks in the playmaking department.

The second sentence, basically summarizing the CW on Rivers, is unremarkable. But Rivers should be better than Landon, and any comparison between anyone and Brooks right now is just dumb IMHO -- due to his lack of playing time we have no idea if there's anything there or not.

OTOH I hope he's right about Flacco and Mendenhall.

[CJBestInAFC]

I'd take a solid tackler that lacks in the playmaking department. Sounds a lot like Brian Simmons, and if they get another Brian Simmons out of Rivers that is fine by me. Simmons was a great player for the Bengals just not a superstar. If he turns out to be a Simmon's clone I don't know how you can label him a bust. I also don't think Mendenhall will be a bust either unless he gets injured. I think the Steeler mentality of running the football will help Mendenhall a lot. I do agree Flaco has bust written all over him, but you never know.

[HoosierCat]

If he turns out to be a Simmon's clone I don't know how you can label him a bust.

My sentiments exactly.

[Wraith]

I thought the Rivers/Simmons comparison valid before the draft which is fine for a late first early second round player, problem was that Rivers was picked #9. Since he has come to Cincinnati he has displayed alot of leadership qualities that make him more similar to a more athletic Takeo Spikes which is just fine by me.

[Defender]

Keith Rivers never had the opportunity (read: misfortune) to be coached by Ricky Hunley or have Breshnahan as his D coordinator. With Mike Zimmer and Jeff FitzGerald, you could easily argue that Keith Rivers is being set up to succeed in a way Landon Johnson, Ahmad Brooks and other recent Bengal linebackers never were.

[Thurmanation]

I'd take a solid tackler that lacks in the playmaking department.

I made my leagues all star team as a ILB in my last year of play and i can tell you, I was way more of a instinctive play maker then a solid tackler, so in my books id take a play maker over a solid tackler although its good to have both (the guy i played beside in HS currently plays for the Colorado Crush, and he was a solid tackler but one sure hell of a dumb ass on the field)

[BengalszoneBilly]

With Mike Zimmer and Jeff FitzGerald, you could easily argue that Keith Rivers is being set up to succeed in a way Landon Johnson, Ahmad Brooks and other recent Bengal linebackers never were.

I hope this indeed comes to pass with our tandem of new defensive coaches.