1st Round Pick Needs to be....Safety.

[jditty47]

Flat out. Plain and simple.

Look what we have...our offense is sick even without a good solid TE. Our defense has all positions filled with good talent besides a 2nd safety...

DE - Geathers, Smith, and Clemons can do a very solid job with a run stuffer up the gut.

DT - Robinson, Thornton, Moore, Askew - can more than handle it now.

LB - With webster back in the fold we got more than enough talent to fill 3 spots solidly with speed and ability.

CB - O'neal and James are gonna have another outstanding season. Ratliff will learn alot and generate a ton of TO's from the Nickel spot.

S - Madieu and Hering are all we currently have. Another great safety to go with madieu would make our D sick like our offense.

We have tons of speed and all we need now is a hard hitting safety that cleans it up. We finally got our run stuffing DT like we've always wanted....now that we got all the speed in the middle and outside(LB's, DE's, and CB's...all we have to do is seal off the deep. Safety is the best way to use this pick by going by need.

[HoTbOy]

Davis would sure look good in stripes.

[R-U-D-I]

Did you read the mailbag question from Hobson on Bengals.com? He says it will be a safety or a receiver... Can you say bye, bye Pdub?

[schweinhart]

Davis would sure look good in stripes.

If Davis can clock at 4.5 today at UGA pro day, maybe he can dispel some doubts about being too slow to cover at safety.

Brodney Pool is still the best pure free safety for pass coverage in the draft IMO. But Pool ain't gonna knock some slobber outta the mouths of backs like Jamal or Deuce vs. run. I believe Davis can.

[TJJackson]

S - Doubtful T Davis can go from a Combine 4.7 to a pro day 4.5. B Pool is a bit of a reach at this pick, would hope they trade down if he is the target

CB - ML has said that CB and QB are not goign to be addressed in this year's draft. I personally don't know why CB is off the list, I see good quality CBs available at this pick.

LB would be a good place to draft at 17 but there realy aren't linebackers valued around that spot except the oft injured , inexperienced Crowder.

DT - let the new guys (Askew, Moore, and the two 325 pounders picked off of wavers last year) develop, see what they can do, before you give up on them (by drafting another guy). Besides, Travis Johnson is a underachiever with off field issues, and Hawthorne had a poor combine.

DE I think is still a good place to draft, because Clemons is very long in the tooth. I like S Cody for his versatility, and he is probably my pick if I am running the draft for the Bengals.

WR - good possibility here, believe it or not, lots of top quality receivers valued at around this pick. More likely that Kelly Washington is gone than Warrick if this pick is made. On the other hand, a WR drafted here wouldn't start, so I personally would be against it. Still, I'd rather see a WR than another frickin waste of a pick (Chris Perry)

TE - If Heath Miller were healthy and ran a 4.6, I'd say this is the pick. But he isn't and he doesn't so TE isn't a pick here

[ArmyBengal]

If Davis can clock at 4.5 today at UGA pro day, maybe he can dispel some doubts about being too slow to cover at safety.

I think this would also mean he would be gone prior to the #17 pick

Any other safety would not be a "value" pick at #17 and could see us trading down to get one of the others IMO. Still think if one of the speed WRs are there at #17, we pick him up. Per Hobson, "Give Carson more weapons"... Makes me smile to think about !!!

WHODEY !!!

[Bobcat Bengal]

Davis would sure look good in stripes.

If Davis can clock at 4.5 today at UGA pro day, maybe he can dispel some doubts about being too slow to cover at safety.

Brodney Pool is still the best pure free safety for pass coverage in the draft IMO. But Pool ain't gonna knock some slobber outta the mouths of backs like Jamal or Deuce vs. run. I believe Davis can.

40 shuttle difference

THOMAS DAVIS GEORGIA S 4.59 3.97 0.62

He ran a 4.6 basically, I'm sure another tenth off his 40 wouldn't be out of the question.

Check out IndyCat's Speed vs Quickness post, it makes a good point.

[TJJackson]

I still think he's too slow to play in ML's interchangeable safety systm. ie here he'd be a considered a slightly above average speed linebacker.....

[jditty47]

hed play safety for us...he wouldnt play linebacker. hed only play linebacker possibly on special teams.

[TJJackson]

You really think so?

As I understand it, and my understanding may be wrong, Marvin expects his safeties to play both safety positions....that they should be interchangeable. Please let me know if this is your understanding as well.

Assuming for a moment that I have this right, I am saying he'd be fine as a SS but if asked to act in the FS role, he's too slow to handle it well.

[BENGALTHEM]

Here Here,

we need a hard hitting SS, somebody that will put the smack down.

We will take thomas davis at #17 if available.

I was right about Perry last year and I will be right about the pick for this year.

Plus, I need somebody that can execute a nice hit stick when I play madden.

WHO DEY!!

[HairOnFire]

You really think so?

As I understand it, and my understanding may be wrong, Marvin expects his safeties to play both safety positions....that they should be interchangeable. Please let me know if this is your understanding as well.

Assuming for a moment that I have this right, I am saying he'd be fine as a SS but if asked to act in the FS role, he's too slow to handle it well.

You didn't ask me, but that's not the way I'd put it. My take is that Marvin isn't limiting his options by looking only for players who neatly fit into traditional FS and SS roles. Lines may be blurred a bit, but I doubt very much that he's looking for completely interchangable players who can play both safety positions equaly well over a long period of time. Instead, I think we're talking about an overall defensive blueprint that features speed, quickness, and playmaking ability at every defensive position...including some places where it's not normally found.

The desire for speedy quick-twitch types is hardly unique, but a defensive design that WILLINGLY sacrifices outstanding size and power at positions like SS, ILB, or even DT is untraditional....a point absolutely nobody will care the moment better results are achieved.

[jditty47]

ya and for some of u saying he cant play both positions...he can, mb not on definate passing situations, but he can play both. You act like we dont have the depth to throw in madieu or ratliff or herring...if we add a pure SS we'd be solid and fearsome.

[BengalszoneBilly]

My take is that Marvin isn't limiting his options by looking only for players who neatly fit into traditional FS and SS roles. Lines may be blurred a bit, but I doubt very much that he's looking for completely interchangable players who can play both safety positions equaly well over a long period of time.

I think Coach Lewis learned a valuable lesson from last season and studied the effects from the avalanche of injuries the defense suffered to so many players at key positions. This has him engineering a "fix" to this problem, and it includes obtaining players possessing those characteristics and talents you mentioned earlier:

Instead, I think we're talking about an overall defensive blueprint that features speed, quickness, and playmaking ability at every defensive position...including some places where it's not normally found.

For lack of a better term I'll call this fix "Marvins Critical Defense Service Pack Update 3.0! Why not? It sure as hell fits! Last season the Bengals defense had almost as many holes in is as Microsoft's new Windows XP, Internet Explorer, and Outlook Express combined! By Marvins focus on obtaining smart and talented players that can be multi-dimensionable in the positions they play, I doubt he'll have any cause to release "Marvins Critical Defense Service Pack Update 4.0" anytime in the forseeable future! Marvin Lewis seems intent in his job as Head Coach in not making the same mistakes twice or letting problems persist without being addressed. Sadly it appears the people at Microsoft don't happen share this agenda.

Okay...seriously folks. I sincerely doubt Marvin Lewis was too pleased with what he saw overall from a defensive perspective in 2004. Also remember his defensive backround, as he was a linebacker as a player, and a defensive coach/coordinator before he came to Cincy. The point I'm trying to make is that IMHO, Coach Lewis is always going to be primarily DEFENSIVE MINDED in his approach to the game. We saw what can result from that from his days coaching in Baltimore and Washington.

Each team has undeniably fine defensive units that are still in place in both cities since he moved on. (Isn't it just a shame that for as fearsome as Baltimore and Washington's defenses are, their respective offensive team mates seem unable to find their collective asses with both hands!! This "paradox" of these two teams really brings a tear to my eye, so I should probably stop laughing! )

[TJJackson]

Lordie, Thomas Davis ran a sub 4.5 40 at his pro day

http://nfldraft.scout.com/2/362368.html

[Bobcat Bengal]

Thomas Davis it is!

I mean, he seems like he'd be perfect for our division.

Pittsburgh has their Polamulu, Raven's have their Ed Redd, Browns have their Sean Jones, NOW we should have our Thomas Davis.

SmashMouth fun for everyone!

[Bobcat Bengal]

Lordie, Thomas Davis ran a sub 4.5 40 at his pro day

http://nfldraft.scout.com/2/362368.html

So what was that you were saying earlier?

A little crow perhaps?

The scouts say that he'll be gone to the Saints at pick 16, but Kiper has him going to somebody (I can't remember) at 23 or something.

[TJJackson]

yum yum, give me some

*munch*

*spit feathers*

*rinse*

*repeat*

[Qc_Bengals]

Davis and Madieu... That would be the best safety duo in the league for years to come.