10 thoughts on the Future

[chrishcovga]

I loved reading the ( 10 thoughts on the New England Game ) i couldn't resist on upping the "antie" a bit!

Considering the fact that as Bengal fans we probably feel incredible optimism for next year's offense. Coincidentally we probably will enter the '05 offseason with as much confusion with it as well as our defense.

Ok so here's some givens.....

1. Peter Warrick will account for almost 3 million in Salary Cap room, and he's never made an impact to our offense like " Pootie Tang " has in such a short time !

- Our offense & Special teams is better with him regardless, but do we offer him the chance to renegotiate his contract for a couple of years to lessen the Salary cap hit to resign T.J. or do we use him as trade bait..??

2. John Kitna still has a huge fan base in Cincy', but 4 million for a Backup is way too much. Can we convince John to re-up again as well, insuring Palmer for 2-3 more years ?

3. We've proven to the NFL that we can block for Rudi and CP consistently. But a Center has to be the # 1 priority for our TEAM in '05. Braham is on his last legs, and should be welcomed to a coaching spot somewhere on the team!

4. Our Tight Ends are either the most inept at getting open or the most forgotten pieces of the offense. Either we lose the dead weight in Schobel, Kelly & Stewart and bring in a good Free Agent or drafting an elite talent has to be a priority as well..?

5. RUDI.. RUDI.. RUDI... - only a matter of time before we crossed this hurdle huh..? If he's asking for 5 million a year, I say give it to him! He'll probably finish the year with more than 1400 yards ! IF that's not worth top money to a running game then what is..? OH Yeah , he won't be 25 till next season !

6. Defensive Line - Duane Clemons re-signed for another 2 seasons. He's Quantity not Quality. Justin Smith is either a " BUST " or can only be effective with a Top interior DL from either Free Agency or the DRAFT ! Geathers may be an option, Askew may be another, but there is considerable doubt here, and our run defense or lack there-of is shame-ful!

7. Cornerback - Tory James has been the benefit of some good bounces, poor reads and overall solid play. But over the last 3 weeks, we've seen those 30' something legs start to wear down again i.e. 2003! Deltha O'Neal has been locked in for another 5 years, Kiewan Ratliff is improving, but hardly looks the part of an eventual replacement to James!

8. Safety - Madieu Williams is a lock to be our Nickel Corner/ Strong Safety next season. But the Defense has suffered with the long ball in recent weeks, and our Zone coverage is no coverage at all! We have no Playmakers at the free Spot. Kim Herring and Rogers ( IR ) Beckett are completely lost in coverage. Neither should be in Stripes come Next season....

9. Linebackers - I for one will not be on the Brian Simmons band wagon this year. He's playing timid, and continues to attack blockers instead of trying to make a play against the run. He won't sell out and be aggressive. He's playing robot Linebacker instead of being the athlete he is, and taking the next step to greatness. '03 was a Probowl year for him, as well as '01, but '04 has been a back step. Hardy is wearing down, and doesn't have the explosiveness anymore. Webster though injured was hardly impressive, and the youth ( rookies ) have been slow to progress.

10. Coaching - Marvin's the Man. No matter how the Season finishes, he'll continue to improve this team, but our Defensive problems and apparent mis-trust with Leslie Frazier either means Frazier is out the door, or another " assistant " to the DC (defensive co-ordinator ) will come from somewhere!

Let's here your take !!

[HoosierCat]

Questions 1 and 4 are related. If we get serious about the TE position we could live without Warrick. If not, I'd like to see him back. I'd be more willing to part ways if Washington had done better this year.

2. If Jon is willing, I say extend him. If not, it's been real. But no, we can't afford to spend that kind of dough on our backup QB.

3. Yes. C has been ignored far too long.

5. I agree. If he does leave, do we sign a lower-priced RB like Lamont Jordan, or draft another RB in '05?

6. Agreed, our defensive line problems are on the inside, not the outside. Not a great year for DTs in the draft, tho.

7. You can never have too many corners. I think that's the position we should target in the first round.

8. Yup. Need safeties too. Beckett did OK last year and has had injury problems this year, Herring's been nothing special, K2 is K2 and we've seen all out of him we're going to see. Another day 1 position to target.

9. I think we'll be OK -- not great but OK -- at LB if we can get a defensive line worth a darn. I'd definitely keep an eye out in FA, tho.

10. Yeah, Frazier needs to make it happen. It ought to, tho. "Thanks" to the injuries the young guys got a lot more PT than they might have, so the total experience level will be that much greater next year.

[kevnz]

1. It depends on the kind of cap hit getting rid of him would bring. If it's not a lot of relief then you have to keep him just because of what he brings to the table on special teams. But TJ is probably either playing P-Dubs or himself out of Cincinnati.

2. I think Kit would be willing to sign a long term contract now. He seems to love it here and he's Carson's biggest fan.

3. Of course we need a young center....Badly.

4. Again, high priority. I say Kelly has to go cause he's getting paid to much to not contribute in the passing game. However Schobel and Stewart aren't costing much at all so it's kind of hard to get rid of them unless you can find a suitable replacement at bargain prices.

5. Rudi, yes at 5 mill or less, more than that....It depends on the contrac structure, Hell give him about 4 mill base and let him earn anything above it. Rudi scares me cause I can see some dumbass owner paying him 8 or 9 million just to get him to sign and keep the Bengals from matching.

6. DT, just like last year...I'd really like to see what Askew will be able to do after a year of work.....But we need another DT

7. I see Tory playing Nickel next year and Ratliff starting opposite O'Neal

8. Yeah, I see safety as a troubled spot....I would prefer to see this postion addressed in free agency.

9. Again I'd like to see what our young'uns can do with a year under their belt.

10. Well I think Marvin needs to sit down with Frasier and figure out how the hell to stop teams running all over us. The thing is, if you look at the system, it's a bit like the Eagles system (where Frazier last coached) and they are weak against the run too. Is it a flaw in the system? I don't want to see another new defense installed with a learning curve, so I'm hoping it's simply a matter of one or two pieces getting put into place.

[DontPushMe]

5. I agree. If he does leave, do we sign a lower-priced RB like Lamont Jordan, or draft another RB in '05?

Are you kidding? Or have you just forgot that we drafted Chris Perry?

The coaches plan was for Perry to start next year, everyone should understand that, for some reason they dont. Rudi at 5M a year? Hell no. We have proven time and time again we have no problems finding a runningback. Rudi is nothing special. Hes a downhill power runner, with no breakaway speed, poor receiving ability, and less agility. Perry is the total package at RB, all he has to do is recover from his injury and he will be our starter next year.

Cant beleive you guys havent figured this out yet.

[Bobcat Bengal]

JFK, its not like they're just gonna let him go on the market for nothing though.

Rudi literally has their hands tied. If every GM feels the same way you do, then noone will bite. But this organization will NEVER live this down if they just let him go, its a lose/lose situation.

I blame Chris Perry.

I'm not liking this mini-tradition we have, where the 1st rounders are sitting for an entire year.

[schweinhart]

Housh has worked his way up w/ tremendous season. Best comp I can find is Dez White who signed 2 yr deal w/ Falcons in 2004 for $600K to sign and base pay of $535k and $700k. However, White didn't have 1,000 yd like Housh could have. So Housh could fetch up to twice as much on free market if not signed 1st. As 1 who called for Housh to be cut at start of 2004, I've seen enough to say he's shed the fumbling, reckless running, dropped pass, out-of-focus rap he had. I say pay as much as $1 mill to sign w/ base pay on 3 yr deal starting at $600K.

Also draft 1st day another P-Dub type receiver -- small, fast deep, and ultra-quick on cuts and comeback routes. Give Palmer all the tools he needs at WR.

2. Keep Kitna at current contract. Last I could find, Kitna gets $3 mill base and has 2005 cap hit of $5.2 mill w/ $1 mill roster bonus due March 1 and if pro-rate bonus is half of the $2.375 mill for restructured extension signed this year. For Bengals to maintain playoff caliber, a back-up QB of Kitna's ability to lead an offense w/ success could be crucial and is worth the hit. If not believed, see Chris Chandler and his 6 INTs yesterday.

3. Draft center in 2nd or 3rd round. See if Braham will stay for vet min. of $755K. Maybe also Fontenot because Larry Moore fills back-up C and G. Moore signed 3 yr deal w/ $200K to sign and $1.1 mill avg. salary.

4. Draft TE day 1 and maybe day 2 also. Kelly signed 4 yr deal w/ $2 mill bonus of overall $6.8 mill contract. Cutting Kelly presents problem for ML. He has to show vets he's committed to them if they decide to come here. Still, somebody's going to have to go next yr. Kelly seems logical.

5. Franchise Rudi or he's gone. After watching Kitna hit Rudi on screen yesterday, I'm wondering where that play has been all yr. Rudi looks akward catching ball over middle but maybe he can work on pass game to complement his outstanding running and solid blocking.

6. Draft Day 2 DT. See if Terrance Martin and Shaun Smith bring enough to stick next year. Clemons, Smith, and Geathers are DEs w/ Hardy as 4th. Powell's days as a Bengals should be finished this year, regardless of how much ML likes him personally.

7. Greg Brooks will be back next year. Leave CBs as are. Most of the time they match up well enough.

8. Beckett will likely have to be replaced. Too many concussions. Draft Day 2. The others, including Terrell Roberts, are serviceable.

9. Hardy probably stays another yr but SSLB should be Day 2 draft pick. Roster cuts to fill MLB as backup or possible starter depending on Webster. Landon Johnson should develop into Simmons' replacement w/ some more size and if his shoulders stay in sockets.

10. Frazier or Breshnahan as DC. Brat stays as OC. ML sticks around at least a couple more seasons. Believe it or not, folks, the Bengals head coaching position is not the top of the totem pole. Some day ML will be gone.

[schweinhart]

1. Whoops.

P-Dub cap hit for 2005 should be $3.69 mill for $2.28 base, $1.2 pro-rate bonus on 7yr void to 6, and $200K workout bonus. Only real investment to see if P-Dub is still capable is the $200K. Otherwise, he could be cut after June 1 to defray about $2.4 mill to 2006 cap.

[Bobcat Bengal]

I might stop watching the Bengals if Coach Lewis leaves.

Honestly.

[jditty47]

I might stop watching the Bengals if Coach Lewis leaves.

Honestly.

who said anything about lewis leaving?

[redsfan2]

I might stop watching the Bengals if Coach Lewis leaves.

Honestly.

who said anything about lewis leaving?

Where the hell did that come from ???????

No way the coach leaves. For one thing he'd never be able to get on the plane with Mike hanging off one leg and Troy on the other.

[CTBengalsFan]

5. I agree. If he does leave, do we sign a lower-priced RB like Lamont Jordan, or draft another RB in '05?

Are you kidding? Or have you just forgot that we drafted Chris Perry?

The coaches plan was for Perry to start next year, everyone should understand that, for some reason they dont. Rudi at 5M a year? Hell no. We have proven time and time again we have no problems finding a runningback. Rudi is nothing special. Hes a downhill power runner, with no breakaway speed, poor receiving ability, and less agility. Perry is the total package at RB, all he has to do is recover from his injury and he will be our starter next year.

Cant beleive you guys havent figured this out yet.

then what happens when next year Perry sucks? or can't stay on the field. then we have to "wait for next year" again. the Bengals MUST resign Rudi, who cares if he's just a downhill runner? so are jerome bettis and duce staley and how are they doing? how was stephen davis last year?

not to mention he's 24!!!!!!!! what a young proven talent, you can't let that slip away.

[HoosierCat]

5. I agree. If he does leave, do we sign a lower-priced RB like Lamont Jordan, or draft another RB in '05?

Are you kidding? Or have you just forgot that we drafted Chris Perry?

The coaches plan was for Perry to start next year, everyone should understand that, for some reason they dont. Rudi at 5M a year? Hell no. We have proven time and time again we have no problems finding a runningback. Rudi is nothing special. Hes a downhill power runner, with no breakaway speed, poor receiving ability, and less agility. Perry is the total package at RB, all he has to do is recover from his injury and he will be our starter next year.

Cant beleive you guys havent figured this out yet.

Uh, Earth to DPM, even if Perry is the starter -- and he likely will be if Rudi goes -- they're going to go with more than two RBs. So we're either going to sign a (relatively) cheap FA or draft another RB. The question is, which way do they jump, and if they draft an RB, when? I think it should be late day one or early day two -- but what do they do if that mid-first-round pick comes up and a top RB is still on the board? Do you yield to the prospect of locking up two top-shelf RB prospects for less than what Rudi would cost? I'm not saying the will or even should, but if Rudi is gone that possibility opens up...

[Kirkendall]

The coaches plan was for Perry to start next year

First time I heard that...

[schweinhart]

I might stop watching the Bengals if Coach Lewis leaves.

Honestly.

No need to fret Tate. ML is signed through the 2007 so there's another 3 yrs.

However, I would hope that Mikey would consider offers as both a professional courtesy and opportunity to make the team better if ML was insistent on taking a job elsewhere before then. Only the Steelers jobs seems like the kind of once-in-a-lifetime op that would definietly lure Lewis out of Cincy at this pt and Cowher has pulled the rabbitt out of his backside this year to pretty muck lock that job up for awhile.

But if ML should for whatever reason opt out of Cincy after 2007 or before then, the Bengals right now are the team that he built and that will remain in tact for a good while. So no need to stop watching Bengals if ML goes -- his imprint would still be all over the team.

[DontPushMe]

5. I agree. If he does leave, do we sign a lower-priced RB like Lamont Jordan, or draft another RB in '05?

Are you kidding? Or have you just forgot that we drafted Chris Perry?

The coaches plan was for Perry to start next year, everyone should understand that, for some reason they dont. Rudi at 5M a year? Hell no. We have proven time and time again we have no problems finding a runningback. Rudi is nothing special. Hes a downhill power runner, with no breakaway speed, poor receiving ability, and less agility. Perry is the total package at RB, all he has to do is recover from his injury and he will be our starter next year.

Cant beleive you guys havent figured this out yet.

Uh, Earth to DPM, even if Perry is the starter -- and he likely will be if Rudi goes -- they're going to go with more than two RBs. So we're either going to sign a (relatively) cheap FA or draft another RB. The question is, which way do they jump, and if they draft an RB, when? I think it should be late day one or early day two -- but what do they do if that mid-first-round pick comes up and a top RB is still on the board? Do you yield to the prospect of locking up two top-shelf RB prospects for less than what Rudi would cost? I'm not saying the will or even should, but if Rudi is gone that possibility opens up...

i didnt say anything about that, i know they wouldnt go with just perry and watson next year

i expect them to keep perry, watson, and yeah either sign a FA like blaylock maybe, or draft one in the 4th or 5th round, someone like darren sproles

[chrishcovga]

5. I agree. If he does leave, do we sign a lower-priced RB like Lamont Jordan, or draft another RB in '05?

Are you kidding? Or have you just forgot that we drafted Chris Perry?

The coaches plan was for Perry to start next year, everyone should understand that, for some reason they dont. Rudi at 5M a year? Hell no. We have proven time and time again we have no problems finding a runningback. Rudi is nothing special. Hes a downhill power runner, with no breakaway speed, poor receiving ability, and less agility. Perry is the total package at RB, all he has to do is recover from his injury and he will be our starter next year.

Cant beleive you guys havent figured this out yet.

Uh, Earth to DPM, even if Perry is the starter -- and he likely will be if Rudi goes -- they're going to go with more than two RBs. So we're either going to sign a (relatively) cheap FA or draft another RB. The question is, which way do they jump, and if they draft an RB, when? I think it should be late day one or early day two -- but what do they do if that mid-first-round pick comes up and a top RB is still on the board? Do you yield to the prospect of locking up two top-shelf RB prospects for less than what Rudi would cost? I'm not saying the will or even should, but if Rudi is gone that possibility opens up...

i didnt say anything about that, i know they wouldnt go with just perry and watson next year

i expect them to keep perry, watson, and yeah either sign a FA like blaylock maybe, or draft one in the 4th or 5th round, someone like darren sproles

Get a clue on our running back situation OK,

1. Chris Perry was not drafted to be the " MAN ". He was a Mike Brown pick to force negotiations with Rudi.

2. Rudi will most likely have to be " Franchised to hold him, because we lost the right to Max Tender him last year. - So Rudi's not leaving without compensation.

3. If Rudi is asking for too much ( not what I've heard -Bob Trumpy & Boomer Esiason ) - Cincy would still be in a great situation to grab another running back in the draft do to the fact that there are 5 legitimate first round graded running backs for next year.

4. - Marvin has already stressed to Katie, and Mike Brown how bad he wants' " HIS PLAYERS " , so I have little to no doubt Rudi is a Bengal next year !

5. IF Chris Perry was the total package, then why the problems with one his health..? and (2) his knowledge of the playbook..?- If you can't stay healthy, let alone know your assignments on the football field : You don't deserve to be on the football field !

6 . Derrick Blaylock..?? Man are you fricken serious..?

[skyline]

1. Chris Perry was not drafted to be the " MAN ". He was a Mike Brown pick to force negotiations with Rudi.

I love how everyone has joined in on this theory. It seems like anything that happens that Bengals fans disagree with is automatically credited to Mike Brown.

Lewis made the pick, and I'll either believe that

1) He picked him, because he thought he could play.

or...

2) He took him for the same logic that you're crediting to Mike Brown. Because we need insurance and it would help in negotiations with Rudi. If that IS the case, then you still have to believe he took Perry because he believed that he could be the Bengals' starting RB. If Marvin didn't believe this, and negotiations with Rudi fall through, then he's left in a pretty bad situation. If he didn't think Perry was capable, then he would have drafted one of the other RBs.

Now, I could believe that Mike Brown might have suggested to draft a RB, but I highly doubt he told coach Lewis exactly which one to take. Even if he did we still don't have any proof of it, and discussing it as fact seems a bit absurd.

[AGrizzlyBaer]

as for the cb situation, maybe god willing dennis weathersby will be able to play football again, i know a strech, but after everything this guy has gone through, i would love to see him get a chance

[chrishcovga]

1. Chris Perry was not drafted to be the " MAN ". He was a Mike Brown pick to force negotiations with Rudi.

I love how everyone has joined in on this theory. It seems like anything that happens that Bengals fans disagree with is automatically credited to Mike Brown.

Lewis made the pick, and I'll either believe that

1) He picked him, because he thought he could play.

or...

2) He took him for the same logic that you're crediting to Mike Brown. Because we need insurance and it would help in negotiations with Rudi. If that IS the case, then you still have to believe he took Perry because he believed that he could be the Bengals' starting RB. If Marvin didn't believe this, and negotiations with Rudi fall through, then he's left in a pretty bad situation. If he didn't think Perry was capable, then he would have drafted one of the other RBs.

Now, I could believe that Mike Brown might have suggested to draft a RB, but I highly doubt he told coach Lewis exactly which one to take. Even if he did we still don't have any proof of it, and discussing it as fact seems a bit absurd.

I'll trust Mike Brown the day he steps in front of a moving bus that was on fire with a gasoline suit on,heading down a steep hill crashing into a deep ravine covered in jagged rocks and broken glass !

- Yeah i think that pretty much covers it !

P.S. For all intensive purposes, I hope Chris Perry's rookie year is just an abbiration and he and Rudi form an elite combo like What we had with Ickey and James Brooks.

* Don't think I want this guy to fail, I just want to see him perform as well as Steven Jackson or Kevin Jones have!

:player: I can actually feel the butterflies building in my stomach imagining 2000 yards on the ground and a quarterback that should average about 3600 + yards a year and 30 scoring passes. Cincy's future looks bright no matter how Perry turns out !

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

To me, the priorities for next year....

1. Resign Rudi Johnson. If it costs $6 million, so be it. He is an elite back, one of the top 10 backs in the league.He is currently #6 in yardage, and averages above 4 yards a carry on the season. He has broken a run for over 50 yards, and all of this facing tough defenses all season who set out to stop Rudi and force the "rookie" quarterback to beat them.

2. Resign TJ Alphabet. The faster we sign him to an extension, the fewer other teams that make him bigger offers. IF Warrick comes back, he's a great #3 receiver, and Washington makes a great #4 receiver and we don't need to draft any receivers next year. On the other hand, if Warrick doesn't come back good, we have our top 3 receivers, and Warrick can be #4 until he retires or finishes his contract. The best teams in the league have two or three WRs that they can depend on. We need this.

3. Offensive Line Depth - We absolutely MUST get a top center in the draft, and another guard/tackle like Michael Munoz would be a good idea to make sure we have depth. I don't see Fontenot or Braham signing on for another year. The old farts are ready for retirement.

4. Defensive Tackle/End - Clemons needs to stick around, Geathers needs more snaps, and Askew damn well better be ready. That being said, we need to let Marvin hand pick a couple more dline draftees. I like his ability to pick defensive players.

5. Secondary - I think we are fine in the secondary. Yes, James is getting older, but Ratliff is learning. Another off season of working with Lewis, Frazier, and Bresnahan, and he will be a great corner. I think our safeties will be healthy again next year, and Herring and Beckett will fight for the starting free safety. Of course, if Marvin wants to draft another Madieu Williams, I'll jump for joy. Kaesvaharn should be resigned at league minimum and do what he did this year, be a backup in case of injury. As a 3rd stringer, he's done pretty well, considering how little he is paid.

6. Quarterback - Let Kitna play out his contract. He has earned it with his excitement and sideline coaching of Carson Palmer. No backup in the league does as much to help the starter as Jon does. God bless him!

7. Hire a gunman. That's right folks, we need someone to shoot every last one of our tight ends! Ok, so maybe we laugh at them all, point out to the entire league that not one of them could get it done consistantly and they were the weakest link, GOODBYE! No veteran in the league is going to blame Marvin for cutting these guys loose the way they have performed. Keeping them around is worse! Then find some basketball player and send him to the Antonio Gates School of Asskicking Tight End Play!

8. Keep filling the stands! We win at home when the crowd is roaring. As fans, we need to keep the excitement up all off season!

[DontPushMe]

its so funny that bengal fans are so oblivious to the plans of this team

yeah, they drafted a runningback 26 overall to help negotiate a contract with a less talented player

and i love it how when a pick is not liked by fans, its a mike brown pick, and when its a pick the fans like, its marvin lewis's. In a couple years when Perry is our starter and Rudi is somewhere else, or backing up perry, Perry will of been a 'lewis pick'

get real

"3. If Rudi is asking for too much ( not what I've heard -Bob Trumpy & Boomer Esiason ) - Cincy would still be in a great situation to grab another running back in the draft do to the fact that there are 5 legitimate first round graded running backs for next year."

lmao, one of the funniest things ive ever read on a bengals board, yeah, lets draft a RB in the first round 2 years in a row, cause everyone knows, if a rookie doesnt play in his rookie year, hes a bust, too bad we didnt pick up a quarterback in the first round of the last draft!

[TubThumper]

1) With Warrick, I'd say it all depends on his health. The receiver to dump is Washington if you can afford Warrick and Houshmandzadeh. I've never been as impressed as a lot of people with Warrick as a break-away threat, aside from returning punts. But Warrick has been developing as a gritty possession guy and all-around receiver, who is elusive enough to cause problems. That's worth a lot if he's healthy. Except for the beginning of this year I've always been impressed with Houshmandzadeh. Now he's showing what I thought he had all along and more. Keep him.

2) Good point about Kitna. I like him as a backup and love him as a team guy. It would be nice to be able to continue to afford him.

3) The Bengals need to address the overall quality of the interior offensive line and the center position in particular. They also need to make sure that they address depth at tackle. This isn't a crisis area but it's not quite as solid as it needs to be.

4) They should look at a free agent or mid-round slide TE or two to push one of their current TE's off the roster.

5) I'm of two minds about Rudi. On one hand he's a durable, productive back and locker room plus. On the other hand, good backs aren't as hard to get as some other resources, and there might be one already in-house. Rudy is a steady back but not spectacular. Spending the money on other needs may give more bang for the buck. I tend to lean toward signing Rudi though, because the 1200-1400 yards he's scheduled to rack up this year have been tough yards and they prove that he's a work horse that can stand up to the pounding of the NFL. Think what he can do if the holes get bigger and defenses are spread out by the developing pass attack.

6) The defensive line is the real critical area, and I agree that the inside is more of a priority than the outside. One difference-maker here can help sort out the existing components of the line, and since the defense has shown an ability to rush the passer at times, an active inside run-stopper with a good bull rush seems to be the target.

7) I agree that you can never have too many cornerbacks. They should look at some aggressive cover guys and let the squad sort itself out on the field.

8) Improvement up front and on the corner will help the safety position, but Beckett and Herring have become question marks. It won't hurt to look at a good safety prospect, but this isn't a dire need. Remember that some of what we fail to see from the Free position may result from the Bengals asking their safeties to function differently from some teams. You're not going to see the center-fielder type as much from the Bengals. When the coverages get blown, things really look bad. Team discipline is another factor that can take pressure off of this area.

9) I would look at various levels of linebackers - a difference maker type at either middle or outside, and then some "who's that guy?" types that can run. Then I'd let rehab and on-field competition sort the mix out. There are 4 or 5 linebackers on the IR. Nate Webster took a while to get his bearings but when he went down he was starting to look good. Khalid Abdullah was showing promise when he went down. Johnson has done well playing out of position, and Miller was also pressed into service prematurely. Miller gets bounced around a lot, but he's got the off season to gain some weight and come back battle-tested. I wouldn't panic here, but I wouldn't stand pat. Again, improvement up front will make this unit better, and Simmons and Hardy may not be completely through yet.

10) I wouldn't make any coaching changes until I've made some changes up front on both sides of the ball. That and a year of progress along the learning curve for the whole organization will give a fairer evaluation.

[HoosierCat]

3. If Rudi is asking for too much ( not what I've heard -Bob Trumpy & Boomer Esiason ) - Cincy would still be in a great situation to grab another running back in the draft do to the fact that there are 5 legitimate first round graded running backs for next year."

lmao, one of the funniest things ive ever read on a bengals board, yeah, lets draft a RB in the first round 2 years in a row, cause everyone knows, if a rookie doesnt play in his rookie year, hes a bust, too bad we didnt pick up a quarterback in the first round of the last draft!

Nobody is saying that Perry is a bust. But the fact remains that there are, as chrish points out, several first-round RB prospects who ought to be on the board when we pick. And if Rudi walks out, we could pick one, and lock up two top RB prospects for the next 4-5 years for oh, about 20% of what it would cost to keep Rudi. Again, I'm not saying that's what they should do, but it's not an absurd proposition.

[BengalPappaw]

For all the Chris Perry critics (me included), remember that last year we were criticizing T.J. because he was injuried so much and was NOT contributing.

Now that T.J. is healthy, we see that he can be a significant contributor.

I believe that Chris Perry will be the same way. He is a talented running back and I believe will be every bit as good as Rudi. [i can't beleive I said that!] But, I believe Chris Perry hasn't had the chance to show all that he can do.

Jim Anderson knows running backs and if he says Chris Perry will be good -- then I'm willing to wait and see. Rather than throw $5M to Rudi. That is too much money. If Rudi would stay for $2-3M, then I'd give him the money. I believe there are plenty of good runnung backs available. So don't fall on your sword for Rudi.

If you do fall on your sword, remember two things. 1) That someone is watching and cares and 2) you hit the sword.

[Bobcat Bengal]

I might stop watching the Bengals if Coach Lewis leaves.

Honestly.

who said anything about lewis leaving?

Schweinhart.