Wut's with the Bengals?

[HAPPYJAQ]

I would've liked a C. I think a veteran in the middle was the most glaring need but the Bengals obviously disagree. Otherwise, it's been a pretty decent offseason. Hobson has put his "we're out of cap space" thoughts out there, so I guess we're done.

If the Bengals can still get a quality FB, I'd rate the offseason as a B-.

[ArmyBengal]

Just me, but I would have rathered them spend the money on Jason Smith than Coles, but obviously they know FAR more than I do in regards to the makeup of the roster. I'm also looking forward to seeing Coles in the lineup. I just think not getting a Center in FA really pins us to taking one in the 2nd or 3rd at the latest. Guaranteed money is also a consideration. I guess they are comfortable in what they think they have in Santucci, Cook, and Crummey. I can't say I am, but what can we do ??

[HAPPYJAQ]

Just me, but I would have rathered them spend the money on Jason Smith than Coles, but obviously they know FAR more than I do in regards to the makeup of the roster. I'm also looking forward to seeing Coles in the lineup. I just think not getting a Center in FA really pins us to taking one in the 2nd or 3rd at the latest. Guaranteed money is also a consideration. I guess they are comfortable in what they think they have in Santucci, Cook, and Crummey. I can't say I am, but what can we do ??

Sancucci shouldn't even been considered. Has he even been on the field since he was drafted? I liked what I saw out of Cook and Crummey is a question mark. If he's fully recovered from his broken leg, he might be a steal. He would've been a 3rd or 4th round pick, had he not been injured and I think he rushed himself back too fast. He was a 1st team All-American, despite missing some games after the broken leg his Senior season.

I get the feeling the Bengals are going to commit to the Bobiie Williams switch to Center. Bringing in George Foster, who is a RG/RT type makes sense. That's the only rational reason to think of why they haven't at least brought a C in to visit. With the unpreditability of the draft, they couldn't be holding out and hoping they land their guy in the draft, could they? The last time they did that, it didn't work out well, to say the least.

[TJJackson]

I get the feeling the Bengals are going to commit to the Bobiie Williams switch to Center

Again........Marvin was very, very clear following the "Jurassic Line" experiment (wherein Bobbie was indeed moved to Center) early last year, expressing in no uncertain terms that the experiment had failed, and it wasn't going to be tried again.

[James_Brooks21]

Just me, but I would have rathered them spend the money on Jason Smith than Coles, but obviously they know FAR more than I do in regards to the makeup of the roster. I'm also looking forward to seeing Coles in the lineup. I just think not getting a Center in FA really pins us to taking one in the 2nd or 3rd at the latest. Guaranteed money is also a consideration. I guess they are comfortable in what they think they have in Santucci, Cook, and Crummey. I can't say I am, but what can we do ??

I don't think they could have taken the risk of having Chad Johnson and Chris Henry to be the mentor to our young receivers. Who knows where Chad head is really at right now especially after losing T.J., he's not the right person to be mentoring the young receivers and we all know we count count on Henry you never know when he will do something stupid. Drafting Jason Smith and paying him money does not have anything to do with their free agency money with Coles, I don't know how you made that connection that since we got Coles we can't draft Jason Smith. Unless you are talking about a Jason Smith that I don't know about. I'm not against taking a center in the second round this is supposed to be a center heavy draft, I would rather have a young good center at a decent price then a two year fill gap like Birk that iwll have us looking for another center in two years. I think the Bengals will be fine this year, one of my main concers is with them finding another decent corner I'm not a David Jones fan at all.

[Bearcat1975]

I get the feeling the Bengals are going to commit to the Bobiie Williams switch to Center

Again........Marvin was very, very clear following the "Jurassic Line" experiment (wherein Bobbie was indeed moved to Center) early last year, expressing in no uncertain terms that the experiment had failed, and it wasn't going to be tried again.

I remember that quote. But lets keep in mind they threw that idea together at the last minute. Then they tried it for a game, almost got Carson killed, then shelved it.

I remember thinking at the time, if they would commit to it from the start of camp, perhaps Williams could grow into it. I still feel that way, and quite frankly, I would feel better with Williams under center more than I would some rookie or bottom of the barrel free agent.

[ArmyBengal]

Just me, but I would have rathered them spend the money on Jason Smith than Coles, but obviously they know FAR more than I do in regards to the makeup of the roster. I'm also looking forward to seeing Coles in the lineup. I just think not getting a Center in FA really pins us to taking one in the 2nd or 3rd at the latest. Guaranteed money is also a consideration. I guess they are comfortable in what they think they have in Santucci, Cook, and Crummey. I can't say I am, but what can we do ??

I don't think they could have taken the risk of having Chad Johnson and Chris Henry to be the mentor to our young receivers. Who knows where Chad head is really at right now especially after losing T.J., he's not the right person to be mentoring the young receivers and we all know we count count on Henry you never know when he will do something stupid. Drafting Jason Smith and paying him money does not have anything to do with their free agency money with Coles, I don't know how you made that connection that since we got Coles we can't draft Jason Smith. Unless you are talking about a Jason Smith that I don't know about. I'm not against taking a center in the second round this is supposed to be a center heavy draft, I would rather have a young good center at a decent price then a two year fill gap like Birk that iwll have us looking for another center in two years. I think the Bengals will be fine this year, one of my main concers is with them finding another decent corner I'm not a David Jones fan at all.

Oops, I meant Jason Brown the center from the Ravens NOT Jason Smith the OT in the upcoming draft. Sorry for the confusion there.

Anyway, Chad Johnson and Chris Henry ARE mentoring the young WR's and have been for over a year. TJ was also part of that last year. That's my whole point for seeing them move on from that and go in a new direction. Carson is the one running the offense and has more mentorship than the WR's anyway.

The WR's aren't going to be what takes us to the playoffs if we still have no line and are unable to run the ball. Give me an o-line that can control the LOS and create holes for Benson and a defense that keeps up in games and we are set. There are plenty of teams that do very well, that I bet most couldn't name their #3 WR, let alone their 4th or 5th.

I'm just sick of Chad...

[Bearcat1975]

I'm just sick of Chad...

Tell me about it. If they just let him walk for nothing, and still had to absorb the cap hit, I will still be ok with the decision.

His nonsense and crappy attitude does so much intangible harm to the Bengals. The day he is no longer a Bengal, the Bengals will instantly be a better team.

[ArmyBengal]

If Chad does good things for the Bengals and the TEAM wins due to those things, GREAT. I'm just saying, I'm sick of everything else in the mean time. Even thinking about him now irritates me. I don't know, maybe another 1400 yards, 10 TD's, and a trip to the playoffs would help get over that feeling !!!

[Bearcat1975]

If Chad does good things for the Bengals and the TEAM wins due to those things, GREAT. I'm just saying, I'm sick of everything else in the mean time. Even thinking about him now irritates me. I don't know, maybe another 1400 yards, 10 TD's, and a trip to the playoffs would help get over that feeling !!!

Sure that would be the ideal. But I draw a parallel between Chad and the Bengals and Dunn/Griffey with the Reds.

Chad has been with the Bengals longer than most, so the new guys look to him for queues on how things are.

Think about what he passes on to each younger guy. Last year alone.

It really would take 1400 yards and silence...for me anyway. The Chad Johnson who studied film all night and slept down at PBS is the Chad Johnson I would like to see. But that Chad is long gone.

[ArmyBengal]

If Chad does good things for the Bengals and the TEAM wins due to those things, GREAT. I'm just saying, I'm sick of everything else in the mean time. Even thinking about him now irritates me. I don't know, maybe another 1400 yards, 10 TD's, and a trip to the playoffs would help get over that feeling !!!

The Chad Johnson who studied film all night and slept down at PBS is the Chad Johnson I would like to see.

I loved that guy and miss him. He had so much fun playing the game and gave the fans something to look forward to. I remember when the fans use to have fun thinking about ways for him to celebrate. He brought the fans closer to the game and the players.

Like I said, I miss that Chad...

[HAPPYJAQ]

If Chad does good things for the Bengals and the TEAM wins due to those things, GREAT. I'm just saying, I'm sick of everything else in the mean time. Even thinking about him now irritates me. I don't know, maybe another 1400 yards, 10 TD's, and a trip to the playoffs would help get over that feeling !!!

The Chad Johnson who studied film all night and slept down at PBS is the Chad Johnson I would like to see.

I loved that guy and miss him. He had so much fun playing the game and gave the fans something to look forward to. I remember when the fans use to have fun thinking about ways for him to celebrate. He brought the fans closer to the game and the players.

Like I said, I miss that Chad...

Yeah, it's kind of like the 1998-01 Corey Dillon or Takeo Spikes from around the same years. Those guys were awesome for the team, fans and city...until they got tired of what every other player who plays for the Bengals for more than a few seasons does, which almost always leads to that player wanting out of Cincinnati.

Maybe this will never change. The interesting thing is there are players on several teams like this, but Bengals players who want out seem to be magnified in the media for some reason.

I read a quote from Charles Collins last week that said Simpson reminded him of a raw Chad Johnson when he coached him in JUCO, in every way. Then Chad came into the Bengals when Carl Pickens had recently left and Darnay Scott was feeling like he wanted out, prior to Darnay being released.

For me, statistics that Chad could put up for the team don't matter as much as his impact on the team, off of the game field. Keep in mind that Marvin says we are going to a dramatically different, ball control offense, so maybe we don't need two 90-catch, 1200 yard receivers anymore. I kinda think of the prospect of not having both T.J. and Chad to being similar to how Minnesota revamped their offense once they traded Randy and opted not to resign Cris Carder and Jake Reed. They went to a running team that relied on their defense and I could easily see Ced Benson being somewhere between Chester Taylor and Adrian Peterson, as far as his talent and production in a running offense goes.

The best thing for Cincinnati to do would be to trade Chad and get past that 2005 season, that was clearly a mirage, looking back. If not, than we are stuck in the perpetual cycle we've been in and a once-promising 2008 draft class looks like a bunch of guys who will never see the field in Cincinnati.