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Read Between the Lines


Section 310

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Maybe the guys we selected will pan out, maybe they won't. However, by

looking at the positions that were selected, I think you can get inside the coaches' heads and see what they believe are the strengths, weaknesses and future moves....

1. Bye-bye Hardy. We have taken Johnson, Thurman and Miller early in the last two drafts. Lewis is not going to pay them to sit. Webster should be a little uncomfortable as well.

2. Warrick is not right. You don't draft 2 more receivers and re-sign Broussard if Warrick is healthy.

3. Washington is a bust. Again, why draft Perry and Henry if the squirrel is ready to step up to the plate.

4. Willie may be allowed to play out his contract. The team has made no effort to restructure and lengthen the term of his deal. They have drafted yet another tackle to back up he and Jones. Willie has also battled nagging injuries for a couple of seasons. OR, they believe they will not be able to re-sign Jones when his contract is up.

5. While the team may use a 4-3 defensive base, they have too many linebackers and hybrid guys to believe that they won't experiment with a 3-4 in certain situations.

6. Lewis must have confidence in Geathers, Askew and Moore.

7. Justin Smith will be allowed to walk after this season. He has not lived up to the hype and Pollack/Geathers are capable replacements.

Just some thoughts.

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I agree with 1,2, and 3.

4. Willie may be allowed to play out his contract. The team has made no effort to restructure and lengthen the term of his deal. They have drafted yet another tackle to back up he and Jones. Willie has also battled nagging injuries for a couple of seasons. OR, they believe they will not be able to re-sign Jones when his contract is up.

They've been in talks about restructuring/extending Willie's current deal for some time and being a multiple pro-bowl player, I suspect it'll happen before training camp. http://www.bengals.com/press/news.asp?iCur...=0&news_id=2807

5. While the team may use a 4-3 defensive base, they have too many linebackers and hybrid guys to believe that they won't experiment with a 3-4 in certain situations.

I think you're right about using the 4-3 base defense this season, as Chuck B and Marvin have said as well. However, they also said the 3-4 will be used more in situational downs in 2005.

7. Justin Smith will be allowed to walk after this season. He has not lived up to the hype and Pollack/Geathers are capable replacements.

Personally, I think this is a double-edged sword. Being as high a pick as he was, you'd suspect he would have the ability to take games over -- he hasn't. However, on the flip side, he's not given much of a chance to succeed with the personnel around him in recent year. Having Pollack will enable us to see if the problem is Smith or the system he's played in.

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I pretty much agree with everything except 7. If Pollack works out at OLB he won't be any threat to Smith's DE job.

Yea, I guess with Pollack, in most instances, will be a wait in see thing in terms of how well he can transition -- and Marvin sees something special in him so I'm on board with whateva...

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I pretty much agree with everything except 7. If Pollack works out at OLB he won't be any threat to Smith's DE job.

Yea, I guess with Pollack, in most instances, will be a wait in see thing in terms of how well he can transition -- and Marvin sees something special in him so I'm on board with whateva...

I think Pollack will be fine down the road, but given that he has to deal with all the usual college-to-NFL rookie transition stuff as well as learning a new position, I'd be prepared for him to struggle a bit this coming season.

And that raises the interesting question of, can you afford to let Hardy go? Especially if Nate Webster can't come back from injury and the middle is going to be manned by Landon and Odell. That leaves Abdullah to back Simmons and...heck, I dunno, Marcus Wilkins?...to back Pollack.

OTOH, if Nate can get back on his feet then we can leave the middle to him and Odell and have Abdullah and Landon as our OLB backups.

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I still think, with our LB's, that Marvin is putting the piece in place for a 3-4. Yea, yea, I know, he said (as well as Chucky B.) that this team is staying with a 4-3. But our roster is shaping up more and more like that. :ph34r:

Pollack, Landon, Odell, Simmons, Nate (???), Hardy (if no cut), Caleb (no S).

Our movement this off-season is very LB heavy, so it seems. But that's my impression... nothing more.

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Alright I'm getting tired of this - there's no reason whatsoever the Bengals would completely change their scheme at this point, again, after bringing in guys the last 2-3 years who fit it and are learning it still.

Webster's history, Hardy is history, Simmons will soon be gone in a year or so.

They needed to replace them and Caleb Miller is not starting material and never will be probably.

Abdullah is coming off a majory injury and his ability to contribute is questionable at best still.

So where are the LB's supposed to come from? Don't forget they were 26th against the run last year and routinely lose to Baltimore and Pittsburgh because of this reason alone. They didn't end up that way because their LB's are good.

Broussard and Tab Perry are practice squad material for now, there's too many people in front of them and there's no reason to release or trade a "healthy" Warrick at this point at all - none.

Henry won't come in and do much, just like Kelly Washington, he's raw, needs time, and might make a nice play here and there throughout the year, but that's about it.

You DON'T CUT WARRICK OR WASHINGTON BECAUSE YOU DRAFTED HENRY OR FOR A 6TH ROUND PICK WHO HASN'T PLAYED ALL THAT MUCH TO BEGIN WITH.

Cliff Russell and Kevin Walters have a lot more to worry about than Warrick or Washington.

They brought Russell in last year because they wanted another big, fast WR to compliment Chad and TJ - not to necessarily replace Warrick. This is a 3 WR offense many times, with 4 being out there in one form or another quite a bit as well.

Russell is gone and Perry may not make it either unless he has some breaks.

No more conspiracy theories and converted players!!! It's not going to happen!! :)

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The thing i like about J. Smith is he is very good at stopping the run and tackling every year he is at the top of the list for tackles, but i agree with the sack situation and i hope that changes this year. To me he never stops on a play hes always running down field tackling, i need to see more out of Geathers before i can say let J. Smith go. For the linebackers i read that Chad Brown was coming in for a visit will they pick him up for depth and let hardy or webster go or both.

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Walter will make the team as a WR before Perry...they can put Perry on the PS

Not if Perry outplays him. Walter has been nothing spectacular.

He hasn't had the chance to. I just think he has more potential. I think he has the physical ability and from what I've heard about him he has excellent work ethic.

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Walter will make the team as a WR before Perry...they can put Perry on the PS

Not if Perry outplays him. Walter has been nothing spectacular.

He hasn't had the chance to. I just think he has more potential. I think he has the physical ability and from what I've heard about him he has excellent work ethic.

I agree I am a Kevin Walter fan as well. I think the kid needs a shot. He can beat out half these guys.

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