So much for Marvin being a bad judge of character

[Kazkal]

/wants to stab all the people who said marvin ignored character this year.

Quiet Henry makes noise with hands

6/7/2005 - 6-7-05, 5:25 a.m.

BY GEOFF HOBSON

Henry: Catching on

Rookie wide receiver Chris Henry, all 6-4 and 220 pounds of him, has come in here and caught everything but his past since they took him in the third round.

The kid who was supposed to be so volatile has said about three words total on the field while quickly becoming a quarterback favorite. The guy who was supposed to have an attitude has a great one, shaking reporters’ hands the day after an interview, doing the little extras in the meeting room, hooking up with quarterback Carson Palmer after almost every one of their routes.

His go-up-and-get-it game may remind some of Bengals’ all-time leading receiver Carl Pickens. But all the similarities end after the vertical leap.

“Reading all the stuff coming in, he was supposed to be ‘Chad II,’” says cornerback Keiwan Ratliff. “But he’s pretty quiet on the field. He doesn’t say much of anything.”

But when he’s a NFL receiver, that means you just can’t write him in for a big rookie year. Only six wide receivers in Bengals’ history have caught more than 30 balls their first season in a list that doesn’t include Pickens, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, or Chad I. And since 2000, only 25 of the 63 wide receivers taken on the first day of the draft have had more than 30 catches as rookies.

FIRST CATCHES

ROOKIE YEARS OF TOP AND CURRENT BENGALS WIDE RECEIVERS

Name Year Round Rec. Yds. Avg. TD

Cris Collinsworth 1981 2 67 1009 15.1 8

Eddie Brown 1985 1 53 942 17.8 8

Peter Warrick 2000 1 51 592 11.6 4

Darnay Scott 1994 2 46 866 18.8 5

Isaac Curtis 1973 1 45 843 18.7 9

Speedy Thomas 1969 3 33 481 14.6 3

Chad Johnson 2001 2 28 329 11.8 1

Carl Pickens 1992 2 26 326 12.5 1

Kelley Washington 2003 3 22 299 13.6 4

T.J. Houshmandzadeh 2001 7 21 228 10.9 0

Tim McGee 1986 1 16 276 17.3 1

Billy Brooks 1976 1 16 191 11.9 0

Ron Dugans 2000 3 14 125 8.0 1

David Verser 1981 1 6 161 26.8 2

Tim George 1973 3 2 28 14.0 0

Cliff Russell 2002 (Was.) 3 2 10 5.0 0

Reggie Rembert 1990 2 (by NYJ) 0 0 0 0

“There a lot of variables,” says offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. “There are all the adjustments that have to be made (from college to the pros). The speed of the game, the disguised coverages, the level of competition at defensive back, the complexity of the offenses. If you’re thinking about all that stuff, you’re not running as fast.”

Which is as good as reason as any why only five rookie receivers since 1990 have had 1,000-yard seasons. Bratkowski has coached two receivers who set their team’s rookie records with Joey Galloway in Seattle and Troy Edwards in Pittsburgh. Galloway was a unique athlete and extremely intelligent. Edwards was given a starting job right off.

It’s also a reason why the Bengals aren’t so quick to shelve wide receiver Peter Warrick. Warrick is one of only five Bengals’ receivers to catch more than 500 yards as a rookie. Since 2000, only 17 of the 63 first-day rookie receivers have caught more than 500 yards. It’s just not automatic. Henry isn’t going to be a starter and he’ll have a tough time getting on the field regularly if Warrick is healthy, but Henry also has some things going for him:

# As a rookie, Pickens (26 catches and a touchdown) had to live through a head coaching change and a quarterback change to another rookie. Warrick endured the exact same things eight years later.

# With the release of Eddie Brown just before the 1992 season, the only solid receiving vet left was Tim McGee as Pickens became a starter. Warrick got a ton of snaps as a starter but he had no one around to teach him the game since the Opening Day receiving corps had all of 15 NFL catches.

# After wide receivers coach Richard Williamson left following Pickens’ third season, they had a difficult time controlling him and his combustible personality.

But Henry has the luxury of learning from a corps of talented veteran receivers who practice as hard as they play and from a quarterback who has been in the system for three years and is starting for a second season in Palmer. Plus, his receivers coach, Hue Jackson, is out of the demanding, tough-love Willamson mold.

Another rookie, sixth-rounder Tab Perry, hasn’t been here in May and June because of NFL college rules, but the club will be able to evaluate him at next weekend’s mandatory minicamp.

“Chris has been awesome. He still has a ways to go in the NFL, but he’s done everything we’ve asked him and has been diligent about everything we’ve asked,” Jackson says. “I’m not going to say he’s not what people made him out to be because your reputation precedes you. Since he’s been in our organization, he’s been great.

“We can create an environment that will give him an opportunity to be successful,” Jackson says. “If you start the right away, and everybody understands what these things are, what the rules are, what I’m, expected to do, if you get that out there and people understand what is expected of them, you have a pretty good chance of getting that from them.”

Henry took some heat at West Virginia for some on-field histrionics and a news story out of Morgantown in which he claimed the staff was telling the quarterback not to throw it to him.

But those watching him here think he has responded to some TLC that wasn’t present at West Virginia. Instead of getting screamed at virtually every snap, Henry is responding to Jackson’s 24/7 enthusiastic encouragement, they say. And, get this, the quarterbacks want to throw it to him.

“He’s a big target. They’ve got no problem seeing him,” Ratliff says. “You can tell he’s played basketball, that he’s had a few rebounds. Just the way he goes after the ball and the way he protects it. He’s a good route-runner. Like any rookie, he’s getting faster every day he’s out here as he’s picking up more stuff.”

When Henry does talk on the field, it’s to Jackson and Palmer. The QB has been especially attentive.

“Carson has been great. He’s a really good guy,” Henry says. “He gives me pointers and makes sure he talks to me a lot. It’s been fun, and I’m learning a lot from Chad. He talks to me, too, but I just watch him and can get something.”

Henry has been schooled to let the past be the past, and he politely says, “I’m here now and it’s a new start.”

“I need to get into my playbook,” Henry says. “That’s been the biggest change.”

Beyond Jackson’s coaching, head coach Marvin Lewis’ demanding standards, and veteran quarterbacks Palmer and Jon Kitna, the things that Henry has that guys like Warrick, Johnson, and Houshmandzadeh didn’t have as rookies are guys like Warrick, Johnson, and Houshmandzadeh.

Henry has walked into an extremely competitive group of guys. For all of Johnson’s bombast, he’s got to practice as hard as anyone in the league. He cranks it up so much for a mere voluntary practice that he gets the defense lathered into a fever pitch when they stop him. Last Wednesday after one of his three rare drops on an easy ball, the defensive line even burst up the field cheering. Two weeks ago, rookie middle linebacker Odell Thurman got on him after not catching a long ball: “You better than that, 85,” Thurman razzed, parroting the stuff Johnson gives them in the locker room.

“I don’t like the drops, but I love the passion on our team,” Jackson says. “As long as it doesn’t take away from the football and the winning, I love that exchange between the offense and the defense like that. Chad Johnson is a pro. He goes at it hard all the time out there. He helps give us that edge. Peer pressure is a beautiful thing on the field like that. T.J., Peter, all those guys give it everything.”

How much Warrick can play and how quickly Henry can pick up things are probably the biggest factors dictating how much the rookie plays. Maybe the closest comparison in Bengals’ history is Eddie Brown’s 1985 rookie season, which, like, Palmer, quarterback Boomer Esiason was going into his second season. Henry doesn’t figure to play as much as Brown’s 53-catch, 942-yarder that produced eight touchdowns, but Bratkowski is going to get him on the field.

Henry, for now, is more effective on the outside rather than in the slot, but you also have to figure his size and leaping ability will get him used on goal-line situations. Jackson figures he’s dropped “one or two balls,” and others say he has made some marvelous last-instant catches even though he didn’t quite know the ball was headed his way.

“It’s going to come down to how long he gets comfortable,” Bratkowski says. “You have to put them in spots and give them smaller packages for when they’re going to play. Let them isolate on a few things where they can have success. If you only use him in three receiver (sets), you knock off at least a third of the offense that they have to be concerned with. At the same time, if injuries occur, you have to play more.”

For the time being, anyway, Henry is playing plenty, catching more, and not saying much of anything.

“He’s a tough matchup,” Ratliff says. “He’s a big, physical receiver who runs good routes. . .He’s not like Chad, or T.J. T.J. talks a lot out there, too. He’s like Cliff (Russell). He doesn’t talk much.”

Henry shrugs.

“I really don’t usually say out there,” he says.

“About all it’s been,” Jackson says, “is Yes Sir and No Sir.”

[jungleboy73]

I told you guys, this kid is gonna be damn good. I followed him during his career, and if he would have had a QB that could throw the ball and some decent coaching, he would have been a first rounder no question.

I'm sure he had his problems at WVU, but hell, he's just a kid. I think with a little TLC, this kid is gonna do some big things for us in the future. He was an absolute steal in the third round. He could end up being cast from the same mold as Moss when it comes to end zone fade routes. Hope I'm not wrong, but I have a really good feeling about this kid's future....

[The Big Orange]

I really, really liked this article for a number of reasons...

First, you can just tatse the environment that our coaches are setting our newbies up in...if they can succeed, they probably will in this system.

They also put a huge value on practice, something that a ton of coaches can't seem to do. Not just for new guys, but returning guys as well. For everybody except for Clemmons (and I don't know what the hell is wrong with him) to show up, that's huge. I mean all I have to do is go on KFFL and see the long list of guys on other teams who aren't showing up, or worse, their coaches are excusing. We have a great example in Chris Perry of someone who chose not to practice and what happened to him. He's almost an after thought. Compare him to Pollack whom it look likes we're planning on using in every position both on offense and defense and you see the reward system and the committment environment they have for guys with a good attitude.

The other thing I saw is how clear they are on their expectations for each player. Whether kids come in with a lot of tools (work ethic, positive attitude, teachability, etc.) handed to them by their parents, previous coaches, or mentor types, being absolutely clear on their expectations certainly gives every rook laser vision for what their immediate goals should be. Clear, measurable, and timelined goals. Our coaching guys are super smart. It's a lot more than raw talent. It's what a coach can do with that talent.

[w8th]

I hope the article (and you guys) are right about Henry. He did some really immature on field things at WVU. Of course he is just a kid and WVU's head coach believes in motivation by intimidation. He may be the type that just doesn't handle frustration well.

Also it may take him a while to learn the playbook........

Maybe if he's handled the right way he'll mature and be a productive player. I certainly hope so. He's got a TON of physical talent.

[jungleboy73]

Well said w8th. Welcome to the deranged brady bengal bucnch board.

[Kazkal]

I hope the article (and you guys) are right about Henry.    He did some really immature on field things at WVU.  Of course he is just a kid and WVU's head coach believes in motivation by intimidation.  He may be the type that just doesn't handle frustration well.

Also it may take him a while to learn the playbook........ 

Maybe if he's handled the right way he'll mature and be a productive player.  I certainly hope so.  He's got a TON of physical talent.

one of his character problems was he got hit with a beer cup and went off no?

[LABengalsFan09]

Who Russell Crowe?

[Kazkal]

I think there was a phone in that case

[ShulaSteakhouse]

He's a rookie in his first practices, it's as if they expected him to come out and start mouthing off to people?

Henry had problems his junior year getting suspended from the team and ejected from a game, and pouting when things didn't go his way.

[DontPushMe]

You know whats funny? You guys think any of this means anything. All of these things were being said about kelly washington 2 years ago, and look how that turned out. Ill believe it when i see it.

[Sox]

I believe what I have watched for the last two years.I've seen almost every WVU game,as I'm a WVU fan.

Henry is more talented,and runs better routes than KW.

He will be a factor this season.

[w8th]

one of his character problems was he got hit with a beer cup and went off no?

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04310/407188.stm

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05002/436003.stm