Bengals Sign S Olahete, LB Navies

[HoosierCat]

little note at the bottom of the warrick story on bengals.com...

but they are still one over Tuesday's 68-player limit when they signed veteran safety Ifeanyi Ohalete and veteran linebacker Hannibal Navies.

Some info on Navies...

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/stats?playerId=1853

Why are we signing another strong-side LB??? Don't we have Pollack, Landon and whatshisface Stevens, the "poor man's David Pollack"???

[skyline]

Why are we signing another strong-side LB???

...because his name is Hannibal!! How cool is that??

[HoosierCat]

Hey, I'm all for cool names...but who are our final seven?

Brian Simmons

Odell Thurman

Landon Johnson

David Pollack

Marcus Wilkins

Larry Stevens

Caleb Miller

Derek Curry

Hannibal Navies

Curry would almost certainly clear for the PS if they wanted. I guess that means Wilkins is gone...which would suck since he made some big contributions on STs last year.

[Whur CHad At?]

Navies sucks like really bad

[Kirkendall]

Navies sucks like really bad

I love posts like this.

Anyway, from Scouts Inc.

He can be aggressive and he flashes the ability to make plays in the backfield. Navies takes good angles to the ball and he has the range to make plays from sideline-to-sideline. He has the athletic ability to avoid contact in the open field, he can get through traffic quickly and he will make some plays in pursuit. Navies breaks down in space, he wraps the ball carrier up upon contact and he is a reliable open field tackler. However, Navies isn't fundamentally sound and there is some concern about his ability to stay healthy. He lacks ideal lower body strength and he doesn't play with great leverage. Navies doesn't use his hands all that well, he takes too long to shed the block once he's reached and teams will have success running right at him.

[bengalindian]

I'm thinking they'll cut Curry and Hannibal. Perhaps Marvin wanted to tell those last few LBs that there are other players that can take their spots. Maybe Hannibal could show them a thing or two...if not, he'll be gone.

[The_Next_Big_Thing]

Navies sucks like really bad

He may suck, but look at his tackles. He didn't start, but yet nearly ALL his tackles are SOLO tackles. In other words, *gasp* he can actually wrap someone up and tackle them. Maybe they brought him in for the week to give lessons to the guys on our team who have still failed to grasp the concept?

[bengalsLB]

yes we got a big hard-hitting safety :player:

[kingwilly]

He is insurance in case Caleb and Webster continue to be broken down. He also could do well to play some special teams.

Olahete will be interesting to see how he comes out vs Indy....

[Whur CHad At?]

No he sucks he was terrible on a terrible defense last year. If you would of watched him you would know.

[KiLBurn]

Marvin has a history of cutting the walking wounded. See : Peter Warrick, Khallid Abdullah.

For clarity... since this was merged...

The title of this post was "Is Caleb Miller Toast?" speculating that the Navies signing could be to show Caleb the door.

[Tampa Bengal]

Let's hope. Miller was an Artrell Hawkins. Picked to high for his talent level. There is way better talent out there and we don't need him at this point.

[jditty47]

he doesnt suck, the packers scheme is just terrible. mb he can fit it, mb he cant, thats why hes given a shot.

[HoosierCat]

Marvin has a history of cutting the walking wounded. See : Peter Warrick, Khallid Abdullah.

I had that thought, too. But I don't think Marvin will give up on Caleb quite so quickly.

[derekshank]

Okay... I'm not a real close follower of players on other teams that don't usually get national attention, so I don't know much about this Ohately. However... I do know what ML claims he wants in a SS. If Ohately is a big in-the-box kind of SS (like I've heard), it may be good for run support... but Marvin is always talking about wanting safeties that have an ability to drop into coverage... you know, the way Herring couldn't? (see the T.O. highlight that gets played on ESPN every 7 minutes)

If this is really ML's desire, and it seems to be, because that is how he plays them, why is he constantly getting players (Herring, and now Ohately) who are unable, or at least very very poor at these skills?

Either change the scheme based on the personnel you have, or sign the kind of personnel you need for your scheme. This is not the kind of thing you can stay on the fence on. Our defense will continue giving up the big play if that's the plan.

That said... anyone know what the plan is, or this another exercise in futility? A signing that we like at the moment, but after the 2nd big play he gives up, we are cursing his name?

[bengalsLB]

Okay... I'm not a real close follower of players on other teams that don't usually get national attention, so I don't know much about this Ohately. However... I do know what ML claims he wants in a SS. If Ohately is a big in-the-box kind of SS (like I've heard), it may be good for run support... but Marvin is always talking about wanting safeties that have an ability to drop into coverage... you know, the way Herring couldn't? (see the T.O. highlight that gets played on ESPN every 7 minutes)

If this is really ML's desire, and it seems to be, because that is how he plays them, why is he constantly getting players (Herring, and now Ohately) who are unable, or at least very very poor at these skills?

Either change the scheme based on the personnel you have, or sign the kind of personnel you need for your scheme. This is not the kind of thing you can stay on the fence on. Our defense will continue giving up the big play if that's the plan.

That said... anyone know what the plan is, or this another exercise in futility? A signing that we like at the moment, but after the 2nd big play he gives up, we are cursing his name?

if he improves our run D i'd be fine of he occasionaly gave up a big play

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Ohately = see Rogers Beckett (not all bad, not very good)

Here today, gone tomorrow.

We've gone from Pittsburgh-west when Leblow was here to Redskins-west (Where Marvin was familiar with Davies from I believe)

I think the quick pick-ups and drop of Warrick is sending a message of sorts - although they needed a safety obviously - but guys who complain and don't practice or play - and guys who don't get it done in practice or camp or the preseason - will be gone no matter who they are - and ultimately I'm not really opposed to that.

But I think Warrick was a fan favorite and an exciting player who was very consistent here if nothing else when he played, and releasing him kind of lowered the excitement level of the offense from the fans' perspective.

It just reeks of a penny pinching move and I am just sick as hell of that.

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

It just reeks of a penny pinching move and I am just sick as hell of that.

Well, now, let's give them a break. It's not like Mike Brown has a history of that or anything.

[HoosierCat]

Ohately = see Rogers Beckett (not all bad, not very good)

Beckett was a solid player. If Olahete plays at Beckett's level, SS just became a nonissue.

[walshfan]

Ohately = see Rogers Beckett (not all bad, not very good)

Here today, gone tomorrow.

We've gone from Pittsburgh-west when Leblow was here to Redskins-west (Where Marvin was familiar with Davies from I believe)

I think the quick pick-ups and drop of Warrick is sending a message of sorts - although they needed a safety obviously - but guys who complain and don't practice or play - and guys who don't get it done in practice or camp or the preseason - will be gone no matter who they are - and ultimately I'm not really opposed to that.

But I think Warrick was a fan favorite and an exciting player who was very consistent here if nothing else when he played, and releasing him kind of lowered the excitement level of the offense from the fans' perspective.

It just reeks of a penny pinching move and I am just sick as hell of that.

Id say a guy who didnt go about rehabbing properly....didnt do s**t in practice ande runs his mouth to the press about wanting to get out of here doesnt reek of penny pinching ( if you call 2.3 mil pennies)... he called Marvin's hand and Marvin obliged him.. why pay a wideout that much money when he was going to be a 3 or 4 receiver? If he was healthy? I doubt he still is!

[kingwilly]

I hope Ohalete is better than beckett. Beckett was awful in coverage/zones and was burned multiple times as far as I recall.

Beckett was decent in run support but then so is/was Herring. For the sake of our pass D, i hope Ohalete has some wheels and can actually make plays in coverages/zones better than beckett did or herring could.

[ShulaSteakhouse]

Id say a guy who didnt go about rehabbing properly....didnt do s**t in practice ande runs his mouth to the press about wanting to get out of here doesnt reek of penny pinching ( if you call 2.3 mil pennies)... he called Marvin's hand and Marvin obliged him.. why pay a wideout that much money when he was going to be a 3 or 4 receiver? If he was healthy? I doubt he still is!

We'll see, could be a Marvin message, or Mike Brown simply waiting for him to heal to avoid a settlement all along, and sell a few extra season tickets in the process.

I have no idea what Warrick will or won't do elsewhere, but it'll SUCK watching him on ESPN highlights for some other team if he's truly 100%.

The fact that Squirrel has been out 2 weeks now with his hamstring makes this even more strange. Maybe we'll be seeing more of Walter now regardless.

[schweinhart]

I hope Ohalete is better than beckett. Beckett was awful in coverage/zones and was burned multiple times as far as I recall.

Beckett was decent in run support but then so is/was Herring. For the sake of our pass D, i hope Ohalete has some wheels and can actually make plays in coverages/zones better than beckett did or herring could.

Ohalete has played free safety, not strong, for both the Deadskins and Zona. He became expendable when the Skins drafted Sean Taylor and I'm not exactly sure why the Cardinals dumped him but I suspect it involves switching Antrell Rolle to safety and starting Eric Green at CB.

From what I've seen of Ohalete, he'll be as close to an interchangeable safety who can defend against larger backs as well as anyone else who's been available the last couple seasons. I wouldn't underestimate his ability in coverage, but it's not gonna be at the Madieu level. Plus when he hits a receiver, they are fully aware of his presence.

I keep thinking that ML passed on him on waivers last year but that's wrong. The Deadskins released him on August 17 2004 and the Cards were awarded him off waivers on Augsut 18....And the Cards were ahead of the Bengals on waiver wire claims in 2004 due to the Bengals 8-8 record.

I believe that ML would've taken Ohalete before the start of 2004 if he'd have fell to them. There was some confusion about Ohalete being a UFA after the 2004 season since he was listed as one by Pat Kirwan's list on NFL.com. But that was a wrong listing. IIRC, the Cards ended up extending his contract, which makes the decision to get rid of him somehwat surprising.

But I for one am excited to see the Bengals get Ohalete. From here on out, I quit bitching about the safety position.

[Spain]

Herring is on his way out, he will be cut soon to make room for simon, Welcome to KK as our starting free safety!

[DC_Bengals_Fan]

Herring is on his way out, he will be cut soon to make room for simon, Welcome to KK as our starting free safety!

As Sports Guy would say, I just threw up in my mouth.

I've wanted to know since April how we didn't get a damned safety this offseason.