Dhani Jones OUT Rey IN at MLB

[agreen_112]

Newsflash - Rey Mauluga is NOT an OLB. 58 is a inside LB, that's what he has played since HS. At the begining of this year, they said Rey would be getting more reps as a MLB. This is his 2nd season. A rookie is supposed to gel, or break-out, during his 3rd. Yeah he is getting a lot of playing time, but it's at the wrong position. Dhani Jones is garbage. He's a backup on ANY of your top teams. Why is he our starting MLB when we have the future to look towards. Rey can't be much worse at MLB than Dhani "unspectacular" Jones. There's no reason why Dhani should be in there. They need to get 58 in there ASAP. Otherwise, we going to see another busted pick. 58 is NOT an impact player by any means, he's out of position. He needs to be in the middle creating mayhem!

[ArmyBengal]

I would have no issue in seeing Rey in the middle with Rivers and B. Johnson on either side.

Dhani has been the "smart" guy on the defense, but with declining skills.

I like what he brought to the team off the street, but it's time.

All that being said, I don't think it would improve things much, as our front 4 sucks fat balls...

There's always next year right ??

[agreen_112]

I would have no issue in seeing Rey in the middle with Rivers and B. Johnson on either side.

Dhani has been the "smart" guy on the defense, but with declining skills.

I like what he brought to the team off the street, but it's time.

All that being said, I don't think it would improve things much, as our front 4 sucks fat balls...

There's always next year right ??

That's right. The Bengals fail at everything. Rey has no reason to be playing OLB at this point. They put Odell Thurman out there, fed him to the sharks, and he swam. So f**k it, put the old-timer on the bench and play your best players available. The sad part is that the Bengals haven't even mentioned it since training camp. The people in charge here are a cluster-f**k. They have no idea what they're doing anymore.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Sometimes it's like they aren't aware of the whole aging process. I was fairly sure at the end of last year that Dhani had seen his last useful year. It's just how that decline goes - once it starts, it's a one-way trip. You either have to cut him loose or re-design the defense to keep him out of situations where his weaknesses get exploited. They didn't do either, so we have Dhani getting toasted in pass coverage and such.

Belichick has it right - you'd rather miss out on a guy's last useful year than get caught with his first really bad one. They should have started Rey in the middle this year. If there's a silver lining, it's that they should be out of contention early enough to use the last half of the season as a really long training camp for 2011. Get Fat Andre ready to do something useful, get Rey in the middle, get Shipley and (Caldwell? Simpson?) ready to be starting receivers. Get Johnson and hopefully Dunlap a lot more PT. Oh, and dump Chad in the river and be done with it.

[agreen_112]

Sometimes it's like they aren't aware of the whole aging process. I was fairly sure at the end of last year that Dhani had seen his last useful year. It's just how that decline goes - once it starts, it's a one-way trip. You either have to cut him loose or re-design the defense to keep him out of situations where his weaknesses get exploited. They didn't do either, so we have Dhani getting toasted in pass coverage and such.

Belichick has it right - you'd rather miss out on a guy's last useful year than get caught with his first really bad one. They should have started Rey in the middle this year. If there's a silver lining, it's that they should be out of contention early enough to use the last half of the season as a really long training camp for 2011. Get Fat Andre ready to do something useful, get Rey in the middle, get Shipley and (Caldwell? Simpson?) ready to be starting receivers. Get Johnson and hopefully Dunlap a lot more PT. Oh, and dump Chad in the river and be done with it.

You would think Marvin would know this... Baltimore has had one the best organizations in the last decaded.

We got all we could out of 85, he'll be gone next year and he'll continue to burn WR. Hopefully he gets picked up by New England, that would be fun to watch.

[kingwilly]

Dhani was done last year, when his lack of speed cost us games against Houston and San Diego.

I am constantly surprised when Brandon Johnson is one the sidelines. He is a better player than Rivers and Dhani.

It does look like one of the biggest needs will be on the defense. D-line and safety must be addressed early. With Muckelroy, Skuta and a decent draft pick, they should be ready at LB.

Junking Tank, Geathers and Odom would be a start, and unloading Gibril, Roy W, and Crocker means they can rebuild at FS/SS.

[jjakq27]

I heard Lapham talking about the Dhani situation the other night. My read on his comments are that Dhani knows the schemes, coverages etc. but his skill are becoming a liability now. But Maualuga does not have Jones' grasp of the defense and the opponents offensive tendencies that the coach feel comfortable with him making the defensive calls. It's the proverbial Catch-22, I suppose.

[agreen_112]

I heard Lapham talking about the Dhani situation the other night. My read on his comments are that Dhani knows the schemes, coverages etc. but his skill are becoming a liability now. But Maualuga does not have Jones' grasp of the defense and the opponents offensive tendencies that the coach feel comfortable with him making the defensive calls. It's the proverbial Catch-22, I suppose.

It's called simplifying... Make it work. Lap is an idiot. There is NO REASON why Rey shouldn't be playing MLB at this point.

[jjakq27]

I heard Lapham talking about the Dhani situation the other night. My read on his comments are that Dhani knows the schemes, coverages etc. but his skill are becoming a liability now. But Maualuga does not have Jones' grasp of the defense and the opponents offensive tendencies that the coach feel comfortable with him making the defensive calls. It's the proverbial Catch-22, I suppose.

It's called simplifying... Make it work. Lap is an idiot. There is NO REASON why Rey shouldn't be playing MLB at this point.

There was a comparison to Odell Thurman at one point. Spectacular play one minute, exploitation by the opposing offense the next.

But as you said, at this point what does it matter.

[walzav29]

I agree. They said that Fitzgerald cross trains the LB's. I would like to see Rey in the middle, and MJ and weakside.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

I heard Lapham talking about the Dhani situation the other night. My read on his comments are that Dhani knows the schemes, coverages etc. but his skill are becoming a liability now. But Maualuga does not have Jones' grasp of the defense and the opponents offensive tendencies that the coach feel comfortable with him making the defensive calls. It's the proverbial Catch-22, I suppose.

Somebody has a headset, right? Make the calls from the sidelines. I mean it's great that Dhani knows all that, but you can't play 11 on 10. Couldn't you make it work? Have Rey wear the headset and relay the calls, maybe let somebody else make last second adjustments?

[volcom69]

I agree. They said that Fitzgerald cross trains the LB's. I would like to see Rey in the middle, and MJ and weakside.

No quit trying to make players something they are not!!!! MJ is not a LB he is a DE, and needs to be used there. He needs to be there speed rusher on the outside. Only way you make him a LB is if you are using the 3-4

Brandon Johnson needs to start he needs to playing OLB. He is the best blitzing LB and the best coverage LB. Anybody notice how much better the defense is when Rivers is hurt? Right now this LB core is horrible, there is nobody out there dominating the game. Time to mix it up, put Rey,Rivers,Johnson on the field.

Put MJ,Atkins,Peko,Dunlap on the line in the front 4. Start blitzing, but use stunts, and blitz the saftey and CBs more. Make it more exotic, dont make it so obvious.

Watch the game yesterday notice the pass rush, it all gets bunched up in the middle, where is the speed rush from the outside???

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

No quit trying to make players something they are not!!!! MJ is not a LB he is a DE, and needs to be used there. He needs to be there speed rusher on the outside. Only way you make him a LB is if you are using the 3-4

...

Brandon Johnson needs to start he needs to playing OLB. He is the best blitzing LB and the best coverage LB. Anybody notice how much better the defense is when Rivers is hurt? Right now this LB core is horrible, there is nobody out there dominating the game. Time to mix it up, put Rey,Rivers,Johnson on the field.

I agree with your assessment of Rivers. And even if he isn't perfect at LB, MJ's not bad. I wouldn't cry if we had Rey and Johnson and Johnson playing out there.

Hell, maybe that's the Bengals' problem: they don't have as much Johnson as they used to.

[Horsemen]

I heard Lapham talking about the Dhani situation the other night. My read on his comments are that Dhani knows the schemes, coverages etc. but his skill are becoming a liability now. But Maualuga does not have Jones' grasp of the defense and the opponents offensive tendencies that the coach feel comfortable with him making the defensive calls. It's the proverbial Catch-22, I suppose.

It's the proverbial Marvin Lewis/Bengals style pick, COULD have and SHOULD have traded down for James Laurinaitis. Unfortunately MLB wasn't even on the radar and the only reason we took Maualuga was because he dropped and this inept F.O. seen "value pick!" I thought it should've been on the radar and actually wanted us to grab one in the 1st then grabbed RT Eben Britton in the 2nd.

That isn't to say he's bad or what have you, but he's better fit for the 3-4 at SILB, where he's playing the ILB spot but the WILB is responsible for making the calls and the defensive captain. Even at that though, we don't know nor do the coaches how can can handle the responsibilities in the game until he does so in real NFL games.

I'm not sure I buy that though. During Lewis' tenure here we've continually seen promising prospects sit on the bench while his pets remain the starters until they leave in FA, retire or get injured. This seems to be another case of that.