alleycat Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/review/te...atibengals.htmlYou have to give Marvin Lewis a lot of credit because he has taken a franchise that was the laughing stock of the league on a yearly basis and transformed them into one of the most exciting, up and coming teams in the NFL. The offense looks to be on solid ground but there is still some work left to do on the defensive side of the ball. Did they take a step towards correcting that with this draft? You would be hard pressed to find a more productive, dominating defensive player in college football the past few years than Georgia defensive end David Pollack. Despite his lack of ideal physical tools he routinely mopped the floor with opposing offensive lineman on a weekly basis. Due to his lack of preferred size he fell into the Bengals laps at #17 and they intend to play him as a strongside linebacker, replacing Kevin Hardy. It will probably take him a little while to adjust to his new position in a 4-3 scheme but if anyone can do it this guy can. Could this be the next Tedy Bruschi? It certainly looks that way. Just prior to the draft there was widespread speculation that Cincy might consider trading down in round one to take Georgia linebacker Odell Thurman, so to find him still available with their choice in round two must have been a beautiful sight for the Bengal brain trust. A fast and athletic linebacker with a nose for the big hit, Thurman could realistically play inside or outside and with Nate Webster coming off a serious injury it wouldn't be a surprise me if Thurman assumed that job in the middle early on in his career. In round three the team rolled the dice and selected West Virginia wide receiver Chris Henry. Based on physical tools (6-4, 197, 4.42) and production (10 TD's in 2003 and 12 TD's in 2004) he should probably have been a Top 10-15 overall pick but due to character and maturity concerns he could have easily fallen further than he did. If Lewis can keep the kid's head on straight he could be a stud and a steal at #83 overall, however he could end up being a major bust as well. This is the ultimate gamble on greatness and with Peter Warrick possibly on his way out this could be his successor. With their next two picks in rounds four and five the Bengals looked to the same Central Michigan program to select center Eric Ghiaciuc and offensive tackle Adam Kieft. Two of the top sleepers in the draft, there is a chance Ghiaciuc could earn a spot in the starting lineup replacing Rich Braham real early on while Kieft will add some much needed depth behind Willie Anderson and Levi Jones. In round six the team took a flyer on another wideout in Tab Perry of U.C.L.A. A player with very good size and better speed than expected, Perry has the tools you look for and could develop into a nice possession receiver at the pro level. With their final choice the team selected defensive end Jonathan Fanene of Utah, who will further bolster the depth they have at end. All in all you have to like what Cincinnati did this year and I wouldn't be surprised if three of their choices (Pollack, Thurman, Ghiaciuc) were starting for them before the season was through. Pollack is a high-character guy but they did take two players with some questions in that area on day one with Thurman and Henry so that is something to watch out for. At the end of the day though the Bengals did a very nice job and should get an instant impact out of the majority of their early selections. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobcat Bengal Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Ive been watching draftcountdown do articles on different teams in the draft.They gave us a good grade to begin with, so I wasn't suprised to read this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Orange Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 You know the whole character issues becomes less and less of an issue when players with questionable character are put in the right system. I think the Bengals have created and strengthened that system since ML's arrival. I think it can be overloaded by the wrong element, but I would imagine that those boys (coaches) would keep a close eye on that. Everybody says that Pollack is the perfect guy for our situation, and I agree. We need him as a vocal leader and someone who is going to raise the bar even further with his work ethic. But I also believe that Chris Henry is the perfect guy for the situation. It will even do Chad some good to be bringing up a young buck and showing him the way. I will really enjoy seeing the student becoming the teacher in Chad, and don't forget the calming affect I believe that Housch will have on him. Plus a heckuva quarterback that was born to throw the long ball...God is on Chris Henry's side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IckeyShuffle Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 Big Orange, please for the love of God and all things sacred, change your avatar!!!! I can't focus on Bengal news and issues while I'm puking in my trash can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Big Orange Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 I'm just trying to spread the beauty of who I am Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DontPushMe Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 All in all you have to like what Cincinnati did this year and I wouldn't be surprised if three of their choices (Pollack, Thurman, Ghiaciuc) were starting for them before the season was through. Not if you ask some of the geniuses on here. Come on, doesnt draft countdown know that we signed a killer undrafted free agent who would of gone in the first round if he hadnt had this injury that was easily proven to be obsolete? Come on, the guy didnt fall because he sucks, all the NFL teams just forgot to do medical exams on him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJ29 Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 I agree. I think that Wilkerson will eventually be the starter. If you dont think that he can play, ask Odell. The guy called him "the best lineman he's ever faced" I dont think that he would make that up. I'm not trying to not ghiciac?, but I just think that Big Ben is a better player. Most people had Wilkerson as a 2nd rounder before he got hurt, and we picked him up undrafted. I think that once he's healthy he'll be right up there with Gooky...ak.... whatever. That's my word... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TecmoFever Posted May 11, 2005 Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 NJ29--Don'tPushMe was being sarcastic, so you were excitedly agreeing with something that he didn't really believe.And I have to agree that The Big Orange is killing us with his pictures. Please let us stick to football. As far as The Big Orange's comments on Chris Henry go, it prompted me to start a new poll on him. Check it out and vote.Setting the record straight... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alleycat Posted May 11, 2005 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2005 For what it's worth, Scott Wright of nfldraftcountdown also listed two bengals picks as potential booms or busts - players who will either be stars or never reach their potential. They were Chris Henry and Odell Thurman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPW Posted May 12, 2005 Report Share Posted May 12, 2005 I don't recall anyone saying that Wilkerson would have gone in the 1st round ?But what the heck is with this quoting of what Odell Thurman has to say about Wilkerson ?Just How the Hell would Thurman Know if Wilkerson is any good or not ???Has Odell had the same, "Up-Close-Personal-Face-to-Face" kind of experience with the guy's Play, that DPM has had ???Maybe Thurman meant to say...IMHO ?Odell Thurman must not have known that "the genius" has already proclaimed that Wilkerson just flat out sucks.Or just maybe, could it be that the genius' proclamation is baseless ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BengalszoneBilly Posted May 12, 2005 Report Share Posted May 12, 2005 Maybe Thurman meant to say...IMHO ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.