Bengals cut Levi Jones

[Dadraftnick]

Bengals cut Levi Jones

GEOFF HOBSON

a a The much anticipated release of Levi Jones became reality Wednesday, another step in what looks to be the installation of first-rounder Andre Smith at left tackle.

Jones had the job since the second month of his NFL career, which began when he was the 10th pick in the 2002 draft. He started 89 games and emerged as one of the top left tackles in the game during a 2005 season he was voted a Pro Bowl second alternate. But knee and leg problems limited him to 31 games in the last three seasons.

[ArmyBengal]

If he was healthy (which is in question), I don't like the move.

If he wasn't healthy (which is in question), then I really have no issue with it.

Apparently there were no takers in a trade. Go figure, because when you let the world know you are going to release the guy, why trade for him unless you think there is going to be a high demand for his services. I wish Levi well, but don't want to see him go to another team and have a pro bowl type season.

[CJBestInAFC]

I honestly don't have a problem with this move. Look they were probably trying to get a trade done, but many teams knew just like last year with Willie Anderson that the Bengals will just end up releasing him, and that is exactly what happened. Now teams can sign him to a fraction of what it would have been if they went ahead and traded for Levi. Other teams also got to keep the draft picks it would have taken to trade for Levi.

[Bearcat1975]

I can't say I have a problem with this move either. I didn't like the release of Big Willie last season because it was at the last minute, I felt he was better than our backups, and that he could still play a few more years.

I can't say any of the above about Levi, so with the drafting of Smith the writing appears to have been on the wall.

[BengalByTheBay]

Apparently there were no takers in a trade. Go figure, because when you let the world know you are going to release the guy, why trade for him unless you think there is going to be a high demand for his services. I wish Levi well, but don't want to see him go to another team and have a pro bowl type season.

I don't think they let the world know they were going to release him, it was just fairly obvious to anybody who was paying attention at all. It seems there are a few guys this happens to every year from various teams. As for Levi's recent comments that he was healthy and wanted to go to AZ, I would expect that's pretty much saying what he needs to in order to try to get another year or so in the league. I don't know whether he's healthy or not, but I think the greater likelihood is that he's all but done - Orlando Pace style.

[DesperateDerelict]

Good Luck to Levi, a very solid LT and blind-side protector for many years.

Unfortunately, he'll probably sign with one of our first 3 opponents (DEN, GB, or the Squeelers), giving them 'inside' information and enabling them to offset our line play on both sides of the ball. Sound familiar?

[ArmyBengal]

Telling his agent they were going to release him if they couldn't trade him, talking about it in interviews, and having those interviews posted all over the web kind of constitutes letting the world know, but it's neither here nor there. I agree that he has to say he's doing fine from a health standpoint, but he can say it all day long, he still has to pass a physical. I'm wondering if there is more to that injury since they didn't even keep him for depth.

I guess paying 500,000 to release him is better than the 3 million it would have cost to keep him for depth though...

[HairOnFire]

I don't think they let the world know they were going to release him, it was just fairly obvious to anybody who was paying attention at all.

And if you weren't paying attenetion Levi's agent made sure you got the news about his coming release. That act probably pleased his client as Levi is now free to sign with the team of his choice, but it damaged whatever remaing chances the Bengals had to get anything in trade. That said, even under better circumstances I think Levi would have netted no more than a very late round pick in return, and even that might have been conditional.

As for the timing, I wouldn't have made this move now for the reasons previously discussed. But it's done, and I think it's obvious this move is even more proof Andre Smith made a very good first impression at rookie camp.

[TJJackson]

Now we just need one more guy gone......just one to go.......

(err wait, forgot about Cheech. Make that two)

(speaking of players only. waaaaaaaay too many to name if we go beyond just players)

[HoosierCat]

If he was healthy (which is in question), I don't like the move.

If he wasn't healthy (which is in question), then I really have no issue with it.

That about covers it for me.

[agreen_112]

Now we just need one more guy gone......just one to go.......

(err wait, forgot about Cheech. Make that two)

(speaking of players only. waaaaaaaay too many to name if we go beyond just players)

Sure, why not. We already let the other Pro Bowlers go. Let's drop the one who can probably produce the most on offense (yardage) and then also cut a future Pro Bowler. That would make perfect sence.

Don't give me any bulls**t about last years performance by Chad. He was working with a QB who Chad probably doesn't even know his name, even I can't remember his name. He was a scrub, a backup... Without Palmer, Chad ain't s**t. This team ain't s**t without Palmer (ie 2005 playoff loss and the whole 2008 season)!

This year will be a HUGE year for Henry now that Housh is gone (if Palmer stays healthy). As far as I can see, our depth at WR is as follows:

1. Ocho Cinco

2. C. Henry

3. L. Coles

4. --------

5. --------

6. --------

* -------- (Doesn't matter, we have enough depth and a great enough QB that it doesn't matter who you plug in at 4 5 and 6.)

[derekshank]

I don't think they let the world know they were going to release him, it was just fairly obvious to anybody who was paying attention at all.

And if you weren't paying attenetion Levi's agent made sure you got the news about his coming release. That act probably pleased his client as Levi is now free to sign with the team of his choice, but it damaged whatever remaing chances the Bengals had to get anything in trade. That said, even under better circumstances I think Levi would have netted no more than a very late round pick in return, and even that might have been conditional.

As for the timing, I wouldn't have made this move now for the reasons previously discussed. But it's done, and I think it's obvious this move is even more proof Andre Smith made a very good first impression at rookie camp.

Agreed. I'll tell you what I like about it though. The last two seasons have been a very obvious youth movement. It's time to cut the fat. No more starting a veteran simply because they have experience. If you are declining, if you miss a lot of time because of injury, if you have an entitlement attitude... take it somewhere else.

If only they could use this new found philosophy on Chad.

[derekshank]

Now we just need one more guy gone......just one to go.......

(err wait, forgot about Cheech. Make that two)

(speaking of players only. waaaaaaaay too many to name if we go beyond just players)

Sure, why not. We already let the other Pro Bowlers go. Let's drop the one who can probably produce the most on offense (yardage) and then also cut a future Pro Bowler. That would make perfect sence.

Don't give me any bulls**t about last years performance by Chad. He was working with a QB who Chad probably doesn't even know his name, even I can't remember his name. He was a scrub, a backup... Without Palmer, Chad ain't s**t. This team ain't s**t without Palmer (ie 2005 playoff loss and the whole 2008 season)!

This year will be a HUGE year for Henry now that Housh is gone (if Palmer stays healthy). As far as I can see, our depth at WR is as follows:

1. Ocho Cinco

2. C. Henry

3. L. Coles

4. --------

5. --------

6. --------

* -------- (Doesn't matter, we have enough depth and a great enough QB that it doesn't matter who you plug in at 4 5 and 6.)

You're crazy if you think Henry is going to start ahead of Coles. Henry has all the physical tools, but has shown time and time again that neither his head nor his heart are in the game. He can be a productive role player... but he's not a better WR than Coles - not by a long shot.

Anyway... this is the wrong thread for this.

[Dadraftnick]

We could end up paying for this, the same way we will be paying for letting go Willie Anderson for years to come.

It is hard to know if Jones just came back too soon from his injury and will return to his pro-bowl form, sometimes it takes a year or two to return from an leg injury.

OR, was that injury the end of his career?

I know one thing , it would have been nice to have him around for a back up or he could have been moved to G.

I would sure as hell hate to have him go to the Steelers or some other team in the division if he can return to form.

The important thing is that Mike Brown gets to pocket the money that he would have paid him.

Mike could have used the money that he is saving by cutting him, to pick up a free agent or to keep T.J. but, aw shucks!, there is no free agents left to spend the money on .

Mike will have to pocket the money.

This has become an anual event.

Why didnt Mike cut him before free-agency ?

Because , he now has the excuse that there are no free-agents.

If, he had cut him before free-agency fans would have been screaming that they had plenty of money (cap room) to sign T.J. or pick up (? fill in the Blank) player X in free agency.

[HoTbOy]

I have no problem with this either, saw it coming with the drafting of ASmith...Even if healthy IMO it was just a matter of time before he got hurt again then were in the same boat, we know now that we may have to get another OLman or be content with what we got...One of the reasons that the past 2 seasons went the way they did was because LJones and WAnderson(before he left for Bmore) were always hurt...

[HoosierCat]

We could end up paying for this, the same way we will be paying for letting go Willie Anderson for years to come.

Yes, we could.

The important thing is that Mike Brown gets to pocket the money that he would have paid him.

Mike could have used the money that he is saving by cutting him, to pick up a free agent or to keep T.J. but, aw shucks!, there is no free agents left to spend the money on .

First of all, the move doesn't free up any cap space of note, which limits the ability to spend the "pocketed" money. Second, no amount of money was going to convince TJ Houshmana**h*** to stay here, he made that perfectly clear. Third, the Bengals are still talking with Roy Williams and are bringing in Rod Hood, so FA seem to be going on just fine, thank you.

Why didnt Mike cut him before free-agency ?

And if the top tackles all came off the board before six...?

[JaxonFord87]

Maybe this paves the way for Roy Williams.

[richmond_mat]

You cannot spend starter-probowl-caliber money on a back up. If he were healthy enough to be a productive back up then I imagine he was offered a chance to renegotiate his contract. That is a bitter pill formerly elite athletes have a hard time swallowing.

He won't be missed. BTW the squeeelers let larry foote walk and he is healthy.

[HoosierCat]

You cannot spend starter-probowl-caliber money on a back up.

$3 million a year is hardly big bucks in NFL terms.

He won't be missed. BTW the squeeelers let larry foote walk and he is healthy.

Whether he's missed remains to be seen. And yes, the Steelers let Foote walk. They also have a replacement in house, Lawrence Timmons, who they have been developing for two years.

We have an unsigned rookie.

Bit of a difference.

[blueridge]

When Levi Jones was around people complained that he was a turnstile, a malcontent or a key contributor to the decline of the OL's play. Now that he's gone, people are wringing their hands like old women and worrying that Levi might go to another team in the division and...what? Turn 24 years old? Finally become a pro bowler? Jesus, grow a pair already. It was time for Levi to go. He's not a guard and you don't pay-no one pays- 3 million dollars a year for OL depth. Trade him? For what? What trade value did he have? Everyone knew he was on the way out, and now he's gone. So long, Levi, next! And don't bring up Willie Anderson. It was his time last season. It was interesting to see how Baltimore tried to sign Orlando Pace to play RT for them in 2009 and how they drafted Oher who is now set to play RT this season. Willie can't seem to hold a job. How long do you think Baltimore will keep him around for depth? The Bengals are doing the right thing here but, for some people, any big decision they make is automatically a reason to start baying at the moon. Blah blah blah blah blah.

[COB]

If he was healthy (which is in question), I don't like the move.

He said he was healthy.

Of course, the last time he louldy proclaimed how healthy he was, Jared Allen ran him off the field. Literally. Allen abused him so soundly (I think he gave up something like 4 sacks) that Levi got yanked and he's been mediocre ever since.

So when Levi says he's healthy, I believe him. And by healthy he means, "I'm ready to wave at guys as they go around me."

[Kazkal]

I wouldn't want a guy who is unhappy with the team protecting Carsons Blind side :|, I wanted to keep him for depth but really have no problem with seeing him go.

[HairOnFire]

If he was healthy (which is in question), I don't like the move.

He said he was healthy.

Of course, the last time he louldy proclaimed how healthy he was, Jared Allen ran him off the field. Literally. Allen abused him so soundly (I think he gave up something like 4 sacks) that Levi got yanked and he's been mediocre ever since.

Not that it matters now but Levi's play had become pretty mediocre long before Jared Allen thumped him. Levi had spent the weeks leading up to that game complaining about being unfairly relegated to " Marvin's doghouse"...a punishment Jones said was not only unfair and undeserved, but vindictive. Lewis countered by saying Levi would play only if healthy and only if he could perform better than other options. All of which prompted our own Kid Steakhouse to whine for weeks about Lewis stupidly playing inferior players over a healthy and unappreciated Levi Jones, an act so unforgivable Steakhouse whined Lewis should be fired immediately.

And then Levi finally got his chance to play.....and the results were so bad it prompted Mike Ditka to say something along the lines of..."I don't know who that guy is buy he doesn't even know the basic fundamentals of blocking."

Good times.

[BengalByTheBay]

Telling his agent they were going to release him if they couldn't trade him, talking about it in interviews, and having those interviews posted all over the web kind of constitutes letting the world know, but it's neither here nor there. I agree that he has to say he's doing fine from a health standpoint, but he can say it all day long, he still has to pass a physical. I'm wondering if there is more to that injury since they didn't even keep him for depth.

I guess paying 500,000 to release him is better than the 3 million it would have cost to keep him for depth though...

Last thing I heard was Marvin saying he would be here if he was healthy. I don't recall any statement coming from the team about Levi being traded or cut. I do recall a lot of "rumor mill" stuff about it, but there's been a pretty strong rumor about somebody else being traded that hasn't come to pass, so I'm not sure that counts for much of anything. The Bengals don't control what rumor is posted where on the internet and, as we see time and again, most of those rumors end up being BS. The fact that Levi's agent thought it made sense to telegraph his being cut is also beyond the Bengals' control and, quite frankly, an odd strategy. We'll see what it nets Levi at the end of the day. IF he ends up on a squad we face, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

And, yeah, any team that's interested in him will kick the tires pretty hard. So, I suppose we'll see if he hits the field this season. If I had to guess, I'd say probably not.

[HoosierCat]

The fact that Levi's agent thought it made sense to telegraph his being cut is also beyond the Bengals' control and, quite frankly, an odd strategy.

It makes more sense when you add in the fact that both Levi and Andre Smith are represented by the same agency, Priority Sports.

This is a win-win for PS. They get the chance to do a new deal for Levi and get a fresh cut of that action, and they increase Andre's leverage at the negotiating table later this summer.