So if Leonard has a season ending injury?

[TJJackson]

I love what he brought to the table and absolutely LOVED that Pittsburgh game. This year ?? Just not the same situation that last year was and his loss will have less of an impact this season than it would have last season.

Yes and no. One place they don't seem to have added was the all-purpose short-yardage back who can run, block, and catch. I like having a guy like that. Absent signing the corpse of Michael Westbrook, who takes on that role? Or do they just use the TEs in those situations?

Michael Westbrook....hmm....I thought he was a WR turned kung fu fighter?

I dont think he was ever a short yardage RB

[ArmyBengal]

Well, Carson seemed to not be happy with the thought of losing Leonard for certain packages he claims were set up just for what he brought to the table, so if Carson is unhappy, by default, I am unhappy. Without knowing the full depth of how many plays there were designed for him, it's hard to tell, but I'm still simply of the mindset that this team has other weapons that would make this loss less than what it would have been last season.

I still really hope he's back to healthy. It's not like anyone is rooting against the guy here...

[HairOnFire]

Because the ladies love Peter Cetera I, by default, love Peter Cetera.

[jjakq27]

Looks like Leonard is out until the beginning of the season.

http://www.bengals.c...47-a701bef58a0a

GEORGETOWN, Ky. – For once a mid-game diagnosis held up and running back Brian Leonard does indeed have a mid-foot sprain.

A very relieved Leonard watched Wednesday night's practice at Georgetown College on crutches, a few hours after the final battery of tests had ruled out torn ligaments and a broken bone. It was a complete reversal of what he thought Sunday night as he glumly sat on a golf cart in the final moments of the Hall of Fame Game.

It was thought he had torn ligaments and the dreaded career-threatening Lisfranc injury.

But now it looks like he'll be back early this season.

"They have a time frame set, but you can never really follow a time frame," Leonard said after practice. "It's how you feel. That's how I'm going to base it off. You really don't know. It's how your body reacts to it. If I feel good and in shape and don't have any pain cutting off it, I'll be back as soon as I can."

He says he will be back after the first couple of regular-season games, which is why the Bengals didn't put him on season-injured reserve. But it will cost them another roster spot at the 53-man cutdown because they'll have to go with an extra running back.

"Really, it came out the best way possible," Leonard said.

[bwillycuse]

Good news on Leonard but that is an important roster spot. We will see, maybe he can rush it back.

[Stripes]

Good news.

[jjakq27]

I heard that Brian Westbrook has signed a one year deal with the 49ers.

[HairOnFire]

I think it will be a combinatin of James Johnson, the TE's and Shipley to cover the loss of third down consistency that Leonard brought to the team last year.

I wanted to bump something with a James Johnson mention and the above will do.

While I'd replace Johnson's name with that of Bernard Scott I thought last night was a pretty good reminder why the Bengals didn't need Westbrook. Nutshelled, Scott gives the Bengals the same explosive skill set, and even before Leonard was injured the Bengals were talking about increasing Scott's role on 3rd down. Adding a player like Westbrook not only doesn't help you do that....it could result in fewer opportunities by splitting the job. Granted, it adds insurance behind Scott, but I think a more compelling argument can be made for adding depth behind Benson, as Johnson now does. Not to mention other important factors like Johnson being younger, far cheaper, and without the concussion baggage that Westbrook carries.

Moving on, another solid blocking demonstration by Joe Tronzo!......but also another game where the Bengals filled roughly half of the FB snaps using TE's and OL's. If that habit continues after Vakapuna returns, and I'm guessing it will, then I'd say the Bengals fondness for heavy packages hasn't ended so much as it's shifted back into the backfield.

[volcom69]

I think it will be a combinatin of James Johnson, the TE's and Shipley to cover the loss of third down consistency that Leonard brought to the team last year.

I wanted to bump something with a James Johnson mention and the above will do.

While I'd replace Johnson's name with that of Bernard Scott I thought last night was a pretty good reminder why the Bengals didn't need Westbrook. Nutshelled, Scott gives the Bengals the same explosive skill set, and even before Leonard was injured the Bengals were talking about increasing Scott's role on 3rd down. Adding a player like Westbrook not only doesn't help you do that....it could result in fewer opportunities by splitting the job. Granted, it adds insurance behind Scott, but I think a more compelling argument can be made for adding depth behind Benson, as Johnson now does. Not to mention other important factors like Johnson being younger, far cheaper, and without the concussion baggage that Westbrook carries.

Moving on, another solid blocking demonstration by Joe Tronzo!......but also another game where the Bengals filled roughly half of the FB snaps using TE's and OL's. If that habit continues after Vakapuna returns, and I'm guessing it will, then I'd say the Bengals fondness for heavy packages hasn't ended so much as it's shifted back into the backfield.

They did this a few years ago when they had Coates play FB, and i thought it was horrible. Just put a FB in there either Fui or Tronzo. If they want to do Jumbo package that is fine with me, then do what you did last year i thought it worked out pretty good. Please no more TE acting like FB

[HoosierCat]

I think it will be a combinatin of James Johnson, the TE's and Shipley to cover the loss of third down consistency that Leonard brought to the team last year.

I wanted to bump something with a James Johnson mention and the above will do.

While I'd replace Johnson's name with that of Bernard Scott I thought last night was a pretty good reminder why the Bengals didn't need Westbrook. Nutshelled, Scott gives the Bengals the same explosive skill set, and even before Leonard was injured the Bengals were talking about increasing Scott's role on 3rd down. Adding a player like Westbrook not only doesn't help you do that....it could result in fewer opportunities by splitting the job. Granted, it adds insurance behind Scott, but I think a more compelling argument can be made for adding depth behind Benson, as Johnson now does. Not to mention other important factors like Johnson being younger, far cheaper, and without the concussion baggage that Westbrook carries.

Moving on, another solid blocking demonstration by Joe Tronzo!......but also another game where the Bengals filled roughly half of the FB snaps using TE's and OL's. If that habit continues after Vakapuna returns, and I'm guessing it will, then I'd say the Bengals fondness for heavy packages hasn't ended so much as it's shifted back into the backfield.

They did this a few years ago when they had Coates play FB, and i thought it was horrible. Just put a FB in there either Fui or Tronzo. If they want to do Jumbo package that is fine with me, then do what you did last year i thought it worked out pretty good. Please no more TE acting like FB

I think it's just the coaching staff desperately trying to find one or two extra roster spots. They have talent at several positions, including WR, DB and LB, that they are looking at having to cut, and if they can find a way to go without a true FB then that's one fewer of the other guys that goes. Fui can be IR'd and Tronzo PS'd, and even if that means having to keep Coats he's their only blocking TE if old man Kelly goes down. Or they can hang onto Matt Jones or have Skuta play two ways or hang onto "Da." Jones or whatever. In short, this is all about squeezing maximum value out of that 52nd and 53rd roster spot. And that that's a problem is a good thing.

[Willian Watson]

I heard that Brian Westbrook has signed a one year deal with the 49ers.

Yes. Brian Westbrook signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday.

[ArmyBengal]

Who cares about Westbrook ??

Moving on...

Here's to hoping Leonard gets healthy sooner rather than later, but I like having the depth we currently have and the ability to plug other guys in there familiar with the system like James Johnson.