Your Draft Grades Please

[membengal]

Its at least a C & trending better.

Mauluga is closer to an F.

[Spor_tees]

Its at least a C & trending better.

Mauluga is closer to an F.

Once Andre gets charged with punching a waiter in the face at Montgomery Inn for taking his plate before he is done eating...will his grade go down?

[membengal]

Probably.

[HoosierCat]

Its at least a C & trending better.

So, just to be clear, a D is "f**king stupid" but a C is just right?

I submit that it is possible that your sense of proportion may need some slight adjustment.

[membengal]

I said "at least a C", I have been travelling, and can't commit a whole huge post, but I think, yeah, you are being a jackaninny with that kind of grade for Smith.

[membengal]

To expound briefly, yes, his first two years were a disappointment. In fairness, they were largely a disappointment tied to the broken foot. I know everyone likes to giggle over his girth, but it was a broken bone that knifed those two years.

When he has made the field, which he did last year, he was good. And by all accounts pretty damn good. In fact, he made some end of the year best-tackle lists and etc. Not many, but some. That is an indication that the observers liked what they saw.

So, yeah, I think a "D" grade for him at this point is dinkish. And churlish. And other adjectives.

He has a chance going forward to be what he was drafted to be, which is a tackle you can put on an island and leave alone. He headed that direction last year. Its not like the other tackles taken in or near him have really excelled. Monroe is a disappointment, no? I can tell you that Oher has worn out a signficant welcome in Baltimore with a lot of people wondering if he should be replaced or kicked inside. As between Smith and those two, I am happy that the Bengals have Smith.

As for Rey, when he has been on the field, he has disappointed the hell out of me. Weak at the point of attack, too easily washed out of the play, too easily blocked, bad angles, etc. Just not very good. And he came in with a LOT of hype on this board, and he hasn't come anywhere close to living up to it. When you add in the off-field crap, I think he is "D" dry-humping an "F".

[COB]

Its at least a C & trending better.

So, just to be clear, a D is "f**king stupid" but a C is just right?

I submit that it is possible that your sense of proportion may need some slight adjustment.

You want the grading scale to be linear? Regardless, I think both grades are low. I give the pick a B minus. True he was useless for a couple years, but he got the job done last year. And tackles are getting harder and harder to find. For example, his draft mate Oher over in Baltimore is trending towards barely a starter, possible backup if they can find anyone to play in front of him. Meanwhile the skin zepplin is climbin' that mountain! Smith is better, now, today, in season 2012. My grade is based on where he sits now.

Also, I don't agree with all those Fs for the late rounders. A total miss in those rounds is not unusual. If you can get a couple seasons of backup/special teams out of a 6th rounder, that is like a B.

[HoosierCat]

I said "at least a C",

Well, what's "at least a C"? Is that B or an A you're too afraid to give him? If so, why? And if not, kvetching over one letter grade strikes me as foolish.

To expound briefly, yes, his first two years were a disappointment. In fairness, they were largely a disappointment tied to the broken foot. I know everyone likes to giggle over his girth, but it was a broken bone that knifed those two years.

And those injury problems were in part the result of Smith's poor work habits and letting himself go in the offseason. Remember how he showed up weighing 400 lbs., and Marvin put him a fat suit to run laps all camp?

When he has made the field, which he did last year, he was good. And by all accounts pretty damn good.

Good, yes, pretty damn good, no. He improved -- which wasn't all that hard considering how little impact he made in his first two seasons. Just staying on the field all year was an accomplishment.

He has a chance going forward to be what he was drafted to be, which is a tackle you can put on an island and leave alone. He headed that direction last year.

And if he were a 4th-round project pick, that would be great. But he isn't. He was the 6th overall pick in the draft and here we are going on four seasons later talking about how maybe he finally does what we expected him to do out of the gate. That's not "almost a C." It's arguably not even a D. No, that would technically be a "massive bust."

Over the years, a lot of high Bengals picks have gotten labeled as busts while doing a lot more than Andre has over the past three years. Justin Smith comes immediately to mind. Jermaine Gresham, too. I've defended them, but I can't defend Smith.

[Kazkal]

Being nate livings a big ol F on his play id give bigdre C plus or B minus for last year.imo hes second best linemen we have on the team with bobby more likwly he'll be gone