Dez Bryant was still on the board. Why would we draft a TE when our "Ocho of the future" was right there? It would have been dumb, that's why. The Bengals WR's are in their 30's, but Dez was not starting for this team in 2010. Jermaine Gresham is going to. Not only is he better than any TE we had prior to drafting him, he is every bit the potential All Pro his press clippings suggest.
He was not interested in partying because he was drafted, he sat home alone to await news of his destination. He can't wait to get to work, apparently, he loves this game, not the money the game blesses him with. What a novel concept.
Some Bengal fans will have to be convinced however. No matter what happens, it was the right pick to make. Pay no mind to the draft snobs who over think such things and cry like fat kids denied a candy bar when their "mock" gets blown to bits. With Gresham there to be had, there was really no alternative that made much sense.
Ever since Antonio Gates took the league by storm as an undrafted FA, the TE position has been compared to a basketball Power Forward. I see our TE position as having been well manned by a "defensive" type in Reggie Kelly for the better part of this last decade. Kelly wasn't going to score you many points (catch a lot of passes) but on the "defensive end" (blocking wise), he was gonna hold his man to single digits. So in conjunction with three very productive scorers (Ocho, TJ, and Henry), Kelly sufficed. Especially when there were so many other positions in more dire need of a personnel upgrade.
As we stood entering this draft however, only one position could be accurately described as being in shambles. That position was Tight End. The only functional starter we had was Reggie Kelly and he is in his mid 30's and coming off an achilles tear. Unlike DE, where Odom is coming off the same injury but several years younger, the Bengals don't have any Micheal Johnson's or Jon Fanene's who, in Kelly's absence, stepped in and proved themselves as viable, productive options at the position. Foschi was serviceable, but he is a backup and we haven't even resigned him.
TE is the only position where there was a prospect that was not only available to us, but that you could also pencil in as our starter the minute we drafted him. His game tape shows he will in all probability be at least a functional blocker as well as an excellent receiver over the middle and in the red zone.
All indications from last season point towards the running game and defense that were the strength's of this team last season getting even better regardless of whatever additions are made via this draft. This team's number one issue is being able to pass the ball effectively because it was quite obvious that Ocho by himself is not going to get it done.
Call me crazy, but I'm not one of those people who think Carson forgot how to throw. I'm also not going to assume that our receiving corp. is automatically fixed due to the signings of Bryant and Jones. While I do believe that those two should definitely improve the pass game, there are still question marks about both players.
We have incredibly talented defensive units like the Ravens and Jets capable of shutting down even the best offenses, and offensive juggernauts like the Chargers and Colts capable of outscoring anybody to contend with in the AFC. It wouldn't have made sense to not simultaneously address our biggest need positionally as well as the team's weakest unit (receiving corp.). Not when a team is lucky enough to have a guy who addresses both of their biggest concerns fall in their lap.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
With the 21st Pick in the NFL Draft...
So, we're mere days away from the NFL (something like 60 hours!) I figured I should go ahead and create a blog post about it as it pertains to the Cincinnati Bengals. Well, if you want me to be honest, Brad has been begging me to blog for some time now and I told him I would, so here I am. For all of you to tell me how stupid I am and how little I really know about the draft.
So, where to begin? I think the best thing to do is assess team needs, and the needs, in my opinion at least are as follows and in this order:
1. FS
2. TE
3. OL
4. CB Depth
5. DE
Now, looking at that I know what you're going to say "Wait, you want Gresham and Safety is a more pressing need?" The answer is a simple Yes. And why, you may ask, because Gresham, in terms of talent and potential, is one of the handful of elite talent of this draft. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I'ms aying that there's typically 5-10 guys who have that ridiculous level of talent than there's a drop off. A lot of times, the top teams don't take those guys because they're A. Risky & B. typically not worth the money, especially if they don't pan out (I say this comparing their salaries to that of QBs, OTs & DL)
So, going one by one, this means we need to assess the best players of those positions (I'll list the top 3) along with where I have them listed in my latest big board:
FS - 1. Eric Berry (1) 2. Earl Thomas (13) 3. Nate Allen (36)
Now this is a list of INCREDIBLE FS talent. In most years, each of these guys are the best FS talents in the draft, but in this year, you're talking about essentially 3 FS's who may end up as first round picks, and that's incredibly high for a safety. Usually a safe pick, it is typically passed up because it's one of the less valued (financially speaking) positions on the field. I know that some of you are wondering where Taylor Mays is, but the fact is that he's a SS, and we currently have 3 SS's and 4 safeties who like to get beaten deep. Of these guys, Allen is probably a reach and Berry will be long gone (as I think he's the best player in this draft, period) and that only leaves Earl Thomas who I have going 17th overall in my latest mock draft. If Thomas is there, he'll probably be the pick, but I think he'll be gone unless we decide to trade up and nab him.
TE - 1. Jermaine Gresham (17) 2. Rob Gronkowski (47) 3. Aaron Hernandez (63)
Now we're talking about the #2 area of need and I believe that this class is deep, but there's only one person who's on the first tier and that's Jermaine Gresham. The guy can block and catch, although catching is his strong point. He spent the majority of his time on an explosive offense where he was not only one of the main contributors catching but also spent the majority of his time lined up on the line of scrimmage as a pro style TE. Gronkowski is an option as well, but in the 2nd round and Hernandez, to me, will be too much of a Coffman clone to be worthy of a pick. The main reason this is the biggest need is because, currently, our team's tight end situation is Coats, Coffman & Clark. A long snapper, a guy who's never seen a snap and a man who has shown what piss poor hands he has. Needless to say, Gresham is an immediate upgrade by leaps and bounds.
OL - 1. Russell Okung (5) 2. Bryan Bulaga (9) 3. Trent Williams (11) 4. Bruce Campbell (18) 5. Anthony Davis (19) 6. Mike Iupati (22)
Now this is where it starts to get intriguing. I think Anthony Davis is one of the premier guys and is a guy who could reasonably fall to us. In fact, I've seen mocks where everyone on this list except for Okung have been there when we pick. This is hard to gauge, but if Bulaga is there, I would have a hard time not picking him up and moving Whitworth inside. Williams can come in and play RT or RG as Bobby Williams is getting old. Iupati is a guard and I'm always against drafting a guard in the 1st and Campbell will probably be a Raider. I know everyone thinks we need a guard, but in my opinion, we could benefit more from a tackle and then moving Whitworth back inside than by taking a mauler and keeping Whitworth on the outside.
CB Depth - Joe Haden (8), Kyle Wilson (23), Patrick Robinson (27)
JSCL seems to think we're falling in love with some corners here, but I don't think we add to the CB depth chart til much later in the draft. The reason I list it is because we tried to play last year with, essentially, 3 guys (as one of the 4 was injured at most points in the season) and then using Crocker. We can upgrade in rounds 2-5.
DE - 1. Derrick Morgan (12) 2. Brandon Graham (16) 3. Sergio Kindle (23) 4. Carlos Dunlap (24)
Now this is an interesting predicament because we could conceivably have a great player at an area that has depth but quite a few question marks, as well. Odom has been injured constantly since he's signed on and Geathers is no longer a pass rusher. Fanene has shown he's good in spurts but disappears for long periods at a time and Rucker is a backup. Brandon Graham seems like the prototypical Marvin Lewis pick. Hell of a player who went to and performed extraordinarily well at the Senior Bowl, high character and a team leader. He's also a tweener, as is Kindle. Morgan could be re-united with his teammate The Giraffe, but that's a longshot and Dunlap...would scare all of us. Hopefully someone trades up ahead of us and takes Dunlap before we can (a la Derrick Harvey 2 years ago)
So, conceivably, that would give us the following prospects at 21:
Bryan Bulaga (8), Derrick Morgan (12), Earl Thomas (13), Brandon Graham (16), Jermaine Gresham (17), Bruce Campbell (18), Anthony Davis (19), Mike Iupati (22), Sergio Kindle (23) & Carlos Dunlap (24).
In my opinon, of those guys listed, these guys have a shot of being available when we pick:
Brandon Graham (16), Jermaine Gresham (17), Mike Iupati (21), Sergio Kindle (23) & Carlos Dunlap (24). #20 on my big board is Dan Williams, but he fits better in a 3-4 scheme and our DTs are worked out enough, although I could see us grabbing a DT later on in the draft.
So, what does this say about the draft? It says that it's hard to pick but fun to try. There are a lot of different ways we can go and I'll be happy because I have faith in this staff to make the right picks and maek the most out of the bad ones we get. Typically we do well with our first round picks, but unlike 2007, I don't foresee the #1 guy on our board dropping right to us so we may have to settle for a guy who will be a superstar.
Big Board & Mock Draft coming soon.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tickets Are Now On Sale!!!
Tickets for the Bengals Burger Challenge are up for sale now at www.bengalsworldnews.com
Tickets are $20 plus S&H. A ticket gets you a Large Fatburger meal, meet and greet with the players in attendance, a chance to win an autographed football signed by the players and entered in for a chance to compete against the NFL's #1 and #2 biggest Super Fans, The Bengal Thing and WhoDeyBaby, in a burger eating challenge.
The event is from 1-4PM at Fatburger in Cincinnati. For all details please visit www.bengalsworldnews.com
Tickets are $20 plus S&H. A ticket gets you a Large Fatburger meal, meet and greet with the players in attendance, a chance to win an autographed football signed by the players and entered in for a chance to compete against the NFL's #1 and #2 biggest Super Fans, The Bengal Thing and WhoDeyBaby, in a burger eating challenge.
The event is from 1-4PM at Fatburger in Cincinnati. For all details please visit www.bengalsworldnews.com
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Show Recap 3/21/10
Sorry this is late coming. New job has me up late, etc. No excuses, I'll try harder.
Another good show last night. Sucks that Thad was out, cuz that's my boi, but drew did a hellacious job filling in. Good draft talk, he kept it interesting, and homeboy knows his stuff. If you're in to MMA (Which I' not, but hey, to each his own) check out his blog HERE .
There is a lot of ways we could go in the draft. I really hope Tim Tebow is not one of them. If Alex Smith is not an example of the massive fail that QB's in Urban Meyer's spread option experience, then I don't know what it'll take to convince you. I'm not even sure Tebow is a good enough athlete to succeed at any other spot, either. Scott Frost or Matt Jones written all over him.
Sergio Kindle still intrigues me. I think that Pollack showed that the Bengals tweener experiment was a fail, but that was under Chucky B and not Zimmer. Kindle has some talent and he's someone that I would give a hard look at. My wish list is as follows:
1. Taylor Mays, S, USC
2. Mike Ipitui, OG, Idaho
3. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
4. Damien Williams, WR, USC
5. Sergio Kindle LB/DE, Texas
I know with the Bryant signing, WR, is not so much a need, but Chad's close to 33, Caldwell is still fairly raw, and Jerome Simpson can't get on the field. I think Quan Cosby could be a Wes Welker type, BUT how comfortable would Carson be throwing to him?
Allen DeGraffenreid was a cool cat to interview. Real laid back, former soccer star who was athletic enough to walk on to Ohio State and then play in the NFL and NFL Europe. I was kicking around some roms today and if you play Madden '95, he's on the Scotland Claymores roster.
The Rey Maualuga interview was freaking awesome. I've been working on scheduling that one for weeks, and dude calls in of his own volition. There's a quiet self confidence there that tells you the sky is the limit. I'm psyched he's gonna eat hamburgers with us, and I think we may have a sleeper pick with him. Good to hear the ankle's getting better. Good to hear he's remorseful for the DUI incident (Not that he owes us an explanation, but it shows a level of responsibility that translates onto the field). Hearing about the Polynesian culture from his perspective is unique. It's good to hear if we bring in Ipitui he'll have a support system here.
Had a little bit of a lull with the callers. Scott, your fascination with my sexuality is mildly flattering, but PLEASE try to talk some football every now and then. Jen, my wife has the same tattoo in the same location. Meg, feel free to say more. (Meg did our press release for the Hamburger eatoff that appeared on Lance McAllister's blog HERE ).
Good debate about Bryant between Mike and Jordan. Dude is an enigma, I must confess, but I think he's a better option than Coles. I still stand by my statement that Coles was used wrong and deserved another year.
Vaughn Booker has got a DEEP voice. Dude sounded like Barry White. Gotta love the fact that he's just out there, chilling. If I had that kind of bank, I would be too. Hearing about the sack of Elway was kind of nice. Kinda disheartening to see he does not follow the Bengals closely, but hey, who am I to deny such massive man love for Jared Allen?
Jason Shirley, take two! Fun, fun interview. Dude likes to do Charity stuff, so he's gonna eat some burgers with us. Sounds like the mad man love he has for Coach Alexander is justified. I could see him as the next OC if Mike Brown ever gets the common sense to give Brat the boot. I agree with Shirley 100% on the BCS screwjob that mid majors get, and you gotta love FSU's take all comers philosophy.
Too bad on Gus Parrish and Lynn James. Maybe they reschedule, maybe not.
That's all I have, Bengals fans.
Wind to thy wings.
-M
Another good show last night. Sucks that Thad was out, cuz that's my boi, but drew did a hellacious job filling in. Good draft talk, he kept it interesting, and homeboy knows his stuff. If you're in to MMA (Which I' not, but hey, to each his own) check out his blog HERE .
There is a lot of ways we could go in the draft. I really hope Tim Tebow is not one of them. If Alex Smith is not an example of the massive fail that QB's in Urban Meyer's spread option experience, then I don't know what it'll take to convince you. I'm not even sure Tebow is a good enough athlete to succeed at any other spot, either. Scott Frost or Matt Jones written all over him.
Sergio Kindle still intrigues me. I think that Pollack showed that the Bengals tweener experiment was a fail, but that was under Chucky B and not Zimmer. Kindle has some talent and he's someone that I would give a hard look at. My wish list is as follows:
1. Taylor Mays, S, USC
2. Mike Ipitui, OG, Idaho
3. Demaryius Thomas, WR, Georgia Tech
4. Damien Williams, WR, USC
5. Sergio Kindle LB/DE, Texas
I know with the Bryant signing, WR, is not so much a need, but Chad's close to 33, Caldwell is still fairly raw, and Jerome Simpson can't get on the field. I think Quan Cosby could be a Wes Welker type, BUT how comfortable would Carson be throwing to him?
Allen DeGraffenreid was a cool cat to interview. Real laid back, former soccer star who was athletic enough to walk on to Ohio State and then play in the NFL and NFL Europe. I was kicking around some roms today and if you play Madden '95, he's on the Scotland Claymores roster.
The Rey Maualuga interview was freaking awesome. I've been working on scheduling that one for weeks, and dude calls in of his own volition. There's a quiet self confidence there that tells you the sky is the limit. I'm psyched he's gonna eat hamburgers with us, and I think we may have a sleeper pick with him. Good to hear the ankle's getting better. Good to hear he's remorseful for the DUI incident (Not that he owes us an explanation, but it shows a level of responsibility that translates onto the field). Hearing about the Polynesian culture from his perspective is unique. It's good to hear if we bring in Ipitui he'll have a support system here.
Had a little bit of a lull with the callers. Scott, your fascination with my sexuality is mildly flattering, but PLEASE try to talk some football every now and then. Jen, my wife has the same tattoo in the same location. Meg, feel free to say more. (Meg did our press release for the Hamburger eatoff that appeared on Lance McAllister's blog HERE ).
Good debate about Bryant between Mike and Jordan. Dude is an enigma, I must confess, but I think he's a better option than Coles. I still stand by my statement that Coles was used wrong and deserved another year.
Vaughn Booker has got a DEEP voice. Dude sounded like Barry White. Gotta love the fact that he's just out there, chilling. If I had that kind of bank, I would be too. Hearing about the sack of Elway was kind of nice. Kinda disheartening to see he does not follow the Bengals closely, but hey, who am I to deny such massive man love for Jared Allen?
Jason Shirley, take two! Fun, fun interview. Dude likes to do Charity stuff, so he's gonna eat some burgers with us. Sounds like the mad man love he has for Coach Alexander is justified. I could see him as the next OC if Mike Brown ever gets the common sense to give Brat the boot. I agree with Shirley 100% on the BCS screwjob that mid majors get, and you gotta love FSU's take all comers philosophy.
Too bad on Gus Parrish and Lynn James. Maybe they reschedule, maybe not.
That's all I have, Bengals fans.
Wind to thy wings.
-M
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
With the 21st pick in the 2010 NFL Draft
The Cincinnati Bengals select:
Everson Griffen, DE, Southern Cal
6'4 273 lbs.
Forty time: 4.66
225 lbs press: 32 times
First let me say that if Earl Thomas, Brandon Graham or Dez Bryant somehow magically fall to us, one of them should be the pick.
Assuming they don't, let's look at all the players that might be available when we pick at #21 that the Bengals might actually select:
Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Ga. Tech
Golden Tate, WR, ND
Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Taylor Mays, S, USC
Brian Price, DT, UCLA
Jared Oldrick, DT, Penn State
Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Everson Griffen, DE, USC
Sergio Kindle, OLB/DE, Texas
Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU
Daryl Washington, LB, TCU
Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
I would eliminate all the CB's and DT's from the list initially. This draft is very deep at CB so we don't need to take one at #21, plus we still have Hall and JJoe. DT was a position I thought we should look at because Oldrick and Price are very talented, but since we re-signed Tank Johnson we have a good 3 man rotation with Peko, Tank and Sims. Plus we like to move our DE's (Odom, Fanene, Johnson, Rucker) inside to DT on obvious passing downs, so DT should not be a priority in this years draft.
Of the remaining, let's compare the players of similar positions.
Mike Iupati and Maurkice Pouncey are the two best interior linemen in the draft, and we do need to get better at pass protecting in the middle. I would actually take Pouncey over Iupati for the Bengals. The problem for the middle of the O-Line wasn't run blocking but pass blocking. Iupati while a dominant run blocker still has a long way to go in pass protection, where he would actually be a downgrade over Nate Livings or Evan Mathis. So I would cross out Iupati from the list.
At LB, Daryl Washington and Brandon Spikes are two players that the Bengals are rumored to have interest in. Washington is a really intriguing prospect and would be great at WLB. The only problem is we already have Keith Rivers at WLB. It would be great to lineup Maualuga next to Spikes, but a trio of Rivers, Rey and Spikes would probably be the most physically gifted and dumbest trio of LB's in the NFL. Anyone that reads River's tweets knows what I'm talking about. In Zimmer's scheme you need intelligent LB's which is why Dhani Jones has been flourishing. I like having one veteran LB in the group, who I wouldn't want to replace with Spikes or Washington immediately, but after a season or two in the system I would. But at #21 if we selected a LB they would need to start from week 1. So while both would be good additions, I would cross both of the list at #21 (Would love to have either in the 2nd round though).
At WR, Golden Tate and Demaryius Thomas would have been at the top of my draft list before Antonio Bryant signed. Tate I would eliminate because he like Coles is short. Carson doesn't feel comfortable throwing to 5'11 guys so why keep trying to force it? Thomas I really like and wouldn't be upset at all if we drafted at #21. But he does have a broken foot and we all saw how that limited Coffman his rookie season, so there is some hesitation there on immediate return.
At DE/OLB, you have Kindle, Dunlap, Hughes and Griffen. Off the bat I would eliminate Dunlap, because he looks like another Florida DE bust (Jarvis Moss, Derek Harvey, etc...). He was supposed to light up the combine but was out-shined easily by Everson Griffen another physically gifted athlete. Kindle and Hughes would provide that hybrid pass rushing LB/DE that Marvin Lewis tried out in Cincy with David Pollack. If we ran the 3-4, I would support taking a player in that mold, but I always thought Pollack was out of place here in Cincy and would have been much better with a true 3-4 team, like Ahmad Brooks, who is starting to flourish in the 49ers defense. So out of this group, I think Griffen would be the best fit.
So after eliminating some prospects, the list is dwindled down to the following:
Everson Griffen, DE, USC
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Taylor Mays, S, USC
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Ga. Tech
Let me start off by saying I would be happy with any of those 5 players at #21. Now lets go through each player.
Gresham would provide a great red zone threat but he is coming off major surgery and under Brat we don't utilize the TE much. So we might find better value in the 2nd or 3rd round. TE's like Gronkowski, McCoy or Dickerson can be had in the 2nd or 3rd rounds and their production would probably be similar to Greshams with the way we use TE's in the offense.
Mays would be a great project for Coyle and Zimmer who are phenomenal with defensive backs. But in the 2nd round you can probably get a good safety like Nate Allen, Rashed Jones or Morgan Burnett. Even after the 2nd round you still have really good safety prospects like the under-rated Terrell Skinner and the hard hitting Major Wright.
Maurkice Pouncey could probably start at LG immediately for us, but Livings and Mathis did well for us last season. They need to improve on their pass blocking but another year in the system and some continuity for the O-Line should do wonders for them. Plus #21 overall is pretty high to take a guard in the draft, so unless we trade down, I'd rather wait to take a guard.
Demaryius Thomas, I'm having a tough time making a case against. I love his potential but after signing Antonio Bryant, I think the bigger need becomes our pass rushing issues.
Finally there is Everson Griffen. The highly talented DE out of USC. Coming out of high school, he was a top recruit but he never really lived up to his expectations at USC. He was benched his sophomore year for Clay Mathews, but seeing the production Mathews has delivered for Green Bay, I wouldn't say that is too much of an insult. He improved his Junior year but didn't have ground breaking numbers. Physically he is up there with Jason Pierre-Paul. While JPP has a quicker first step, Griffen is stronger and is more stout against the run. Watching several USC games this season, you can see how unstoppable Griffen looked at times. He commanded double teams and utilized his strength well to break though them. The Bengals defense needs to get more pressure from just their 4 down linemen. Having Odom back will help but he hasn't played a full 16 games yet for us. After Odom went down the Bengals got some good production from Fanene but he wore down as the season went on which showed his best value is as a rotational player. Michael Johnson has a lot of potential but like Fanene he's more of a rotational player. Robert Geathers has struggled to get pressure and is often stopped by just a TE. Replacing Geathers as the starting DE with Griffen could take this defense to the next level. Which it will need to do with the offenses this team has on the schedule in 2010.
Also when you look at the DE prospects that will be available for us after the first round: Corey Wootton, Jermaine Cunningham, Lindsey Witten, Brandon Lang, etc... There is a noticeable drop off from Griffen. Any DE we take after the 1st will probably end up 5th or 6th on the depth chart and competing just for a spot on the roster with Rucker instead of competing for a starting role like Griffen would be.
So for me, I think the pick comes down to Everson Griffen or Demaryius Thomas, with the slight edge going to Griffen...
Everson Griffen, DE, Southern Cal
6'4 273 lbs.
Forty time: 4.66
225 lbs press: 32 times
First let me say that if Earl Thomas, Brandon Graham or Dez Bryant somehow magically fall to us, one of them should be the pick.
Assuming they don't, let's look at all the players that might be available when we pick at #21 that the Bengals might actually select:
Mike Iupati, OG, Idaho
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Ga. Tech
Golden Tate, WR, ND
Devin McCourty, CB, Rutgers
Kyle Wilson, CB, Boise State
Taylor Mays, S, USC
Brian Price, DT, UCLA
Jared Oldrick, DT, Penn State
Terrence Cody, DT, Alabama
Carlos Dunlap, DE, Florida
Everson Griffen, DE, USC
Sergio Kindle, OLB/DE, Texas
Jerry Hughes, OLB, TCU
Daryl Washington, LB, TCU
Brandon Spikes, LB, Florida
I would eliminate all the CB's and DT's from the list initially. This draft is very deep at CB so we don't need to take one at #21, plus we still have Hall and JJoe. DT was a position I thought we should look at because Oldrick and Price are very talented, but since we re-signed Tank Johnson we have a good 3 man rotation with Peko, Tank and Sims. Plus we like to move our DE's (Odom, Fanene, Johnson, Rucker) inside to DT on obvious passing downs, so DT should not be a priority in this years draft.
Of the remaining, let's compare the players of similar positions.
Mike Iupati and Maurkice Pouncey are the two best interior linemen in the draft, and we do need to get better at pass protecting in the middle. I would actually take Pouncey over Iupati for the Bengals. The problem for the middle of the O-Line wasn't run blocking but pass blocking. Iupati while a dominant run blocker still has a long way to go in pass protection, where he would actually be a downgrade over Nate Livings or Evan Mathis. So I would cross out Iupati from the list.
At LB, Daryl Washington and Brandon Spikes are two players that the Bengals are rumored to have interest in. Washington is a really intriguing prospect and would be great at WLB. The only problem is we already have Keith Rivers at WLB. It would be great to lineup Maualuga next to Spikes, but a trio of Rivers, Rey and Spikes would probably be the most physically gifted and dumbest trio of LB's in the NFL. Anyone that reads River's tweets knows what I'm talking about. In Zimmer's scheme you need intelligent LB's which is why Dhani Jones has been flourishing. I like having one veteran LB in the group, who I wouldn't want to replace with Spikes or Washington immediately, but after a season or two in the system I would. But at #21 if we selected a LB they would need to start from week 1. So while both would be good additions, I would cross both of the list at #21 (Would love to have either in the 2nd round though).
At WR, Golden Tate and Demaryius Thomas would have been at the top of my draft list before Antonio Bryant signed. Tate I would eliminate because he like Coles is short. Carson doesn't feel comfortable throwing to 5'11 guys so why keep trying to force it? Thomas I really like and wouldn't be upset at all if we drafted at #21. But he does have a broken foot and we all saw how that limited Coffman his rookie season, so there is some hesitation there on immediate return.
At DE/OLB, you have Kindle, Dunlap, Hughes and Griffen. Off the bat I would eliminate Dunlap, because he looks like another Florida DE bust (Jarvis Moss, Derek Harvey, etc...). He was supposed to light up the combine but was out-shined easily by Everson Griffen another physically gifted athlete. Kindle and Hughes would provide that hybrid pass rushing LB/DE that Marvin Lewis tried out in Cincy with David Pollack. If we ran the 3-4, I would support taking a player in that mold, but I always thought Pollack was out of place here in Cincy and would have been much better with a true 3-4 team, like Ahmad Brooks, who is starting to flourish in the 49ers defense. So out of this group, I think Griffen would be the best fit.
So after eliminating some prospects, the list is dwindled down to the following:
Everson Griffen, DE, USC
Maurkice Pouncey, C, Florida
Jermaine Gresham, TE, Oklahoma
Taylor Mays, S, USC
Demaryius Thomas, WR, Ga. Tech
Let me start off by saying I would be happy with any of those 5 players at #21. Now lets go through each player.
Gresham would provide a great red zone threat but he is coming off major surgery and under Brat we don't utilize the TE much. So we might find better value in the 2nd or 3rd round. TE's like Gronkowski, McCoy or Dickerson can be had in the 2nd or 3rd rounds and their production would probably be similar to Greshams with the way we use TE's in the offense.
Mays would be a great project for Coyle and Zimmer who are phenomenal with defensive backs. But in the 2nd round you can probably get a good safety like Nate Allen, Rashed Jones or Morgan Burnett. Even after the 2nd round you still have really good safety prospects like the under-rated Terrell Skinner and the hard hitting Major Wright.
Maurkice Pouncey could probably start at LG immediately for us, but Livings and Mathis did well for us last season. They need to improve on their pass blocking but another year in the system and some continuity for the O-Line should do wonders for them. Plus #21 overall is pretty high to take a guard in the draft, so unless we trade down, I'd rather wait to take a guard.
Demaryius Thomas, I'm having a tough time making a case against. I love his potential but after signing Antonio Bryant, I think the bigger need becomes our pass rushing issues.
Finally there is Everson Griffen. The highly talented DE out of USC. Coming out of high school, he was a top recruit but he never really lived up to his expectations at USC. He was benched his sophomore year for Clay Mathews, but seeing the production Mathews has delivered for Green Bay, I wouldn't say that is too much of an insult. He improved his Junior year but didn't have ground breaking numbers. Physically he is up there with Jason Pierre-Paul. While JPP has a quicker first step, Griffen is stronger and is more stout against the run. Watching several USC games this season, you can see how unstoppable Griffen looked at times. He commanded double teams and utilized his strength well to break though them. The Bengals defense needs to get more pressure from just their 4 down linemen. Having Odom back will help but he hasn't played a full 16 games yet for us. After Odom went down the Bengals got some good production from Fanene but he wore down as the season went on which showed his best value is as a rotational player. Michael Johnson has a lot of potential but like Fanene he's more of a rotational player. Robert Geathers has struggled to get pressure and is often stopped by just a TE. Replacing Geathers as the starting DE with Griffen could take this defense to the next level. Which it will need to do with the offenses this team has on the schedule in 2010.
Also when you look at the DE prospects that will be available for us after the first round: Corey Wootton, Jermaine Cunningham, Lindsey Witten, Brandon Lang, etc... There is a noticeable drop off from Griffen. Any DE we take after the 1st will probably end up 5th or 6th on the depth chart and competing just for a spot on the roster with Rucker instead of competing for a starting role like Griffen would be.
So for me, I think the pick comes down to Everson Griffen or Demaryius Thomas, with the slight edge going to Griffen...
Monday, March 15, 2010
Cincinnati Roster Breakdown - Strengths, Weaknesses and Improvements
One can take a quick look at the Bengals' roster and see the strengths and weaknesses of the team. Despite what some fans and critics believe, the quarterback position is a strength of the team. The team is pretty deep at running back with Benson, Scott and Leonard, and the offensive line is gifted in the area of run blocking.
On defense the team's greatest strength is Leon Hall and Jonathan Joesph at corner. We have a strong linebacker corp with Dhani Jones, Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga. The defensive line is solid at tackle with Domato Peko leading the way alongside with Tank Johnson, Patrick Sims and others. The defensive end position is still a mystery, and it hinges upon how well Antwan Odom comes back from his Achilles injury.
But, for as many strengths as the team has, they have an equal amount of weaknesses. On offense our line isn't very good at pass protection. Cincinnati's offensive line was inconsistent all year long; at times it felt like we were watching Willie Anderson and Levi Jones in 2005, and at certain points I could have sworn I saw Stacy Andrews and an injury maligned Levi Jones on the field.
We can look forward to watching Andre Smith become the starter, and Kyle Cook was was pleasant surprise at center. Whitworth held his own at LT, although it's still plain to see that he's a better LG than LT. Evan Mathis and Livings were never all that impressive at LG, and the team doesn't currently have a right guard, but we'll get to that later.
Perhaps a bigger weakness on offense is the lack of quality wideouts. Ochocinco was the only WR who was polished before the Antonio Bryant signing, which was needed. Still, some feel that Cincinnati should look for another wideout, and many of those people are clamoring for Terrell Owens. Personally speaking, I think that he carries too much baggage and a wide receiver corps that sports Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant and Andre Caldwell is pretty good.
The offense lacks tight ends who are...well to put it bluntly, we lack tight ends who don't suck. Daniel Coates has never shown that he's anything more than an average at best blocker who has bad hands, and Chase Coffman can't get onto the field. Reggie Kelly is unsigned and coming off of an injury and J.P. Foschi hasn't shown anything to merit optimism other than he isn't Daniel Coates. Strangely enough, Foschi is a free agent and Coates is under contract.
Our fullback situation is a strange one. Jeremi Johnson appears to be an adequate fullback, but it feels like every year he's overweight or hurt. He no longer possesses the ability to be a pass catching threat out of the backfield, and after watching him play it feels like he's not the same blocker that he used to be. Still, he's serviceable, and as long as he's healthy he's not detrimental to the team.
The offense needs to resign Bobbie Williams at RG, Reggie Kelly at TE, look at but not necessarily sign another FB and look at left guards as well.
The defense has its fair share of weaknesses as well. We aren't very well off at safety. Before Roy Williams got hurt, he was playing very well for us at strong safety. The problem is that his health is a huge question. When he's on the field he's good, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy for roughly three seasons. Chris Crocker is a good tackler, a leader and a guy who has great football smarts, but he is only an average free safety. I don't think that there's any free agent safety who is an improvement for the team. It really looks like we're going to have to find a guy who we like in the draft. I know that a lot of people are high on Ndukwe, but he's never been good in coverage. He does have a knack for making big plays, but for as many highlight picks or hits there's just as many botched coverage breakdowns and missed tackles.
Middle linebacker is also a concern. Dhani Jones is a solid player who has an incredible football IQ. However, he's in a similar situation as Crocker in regards to what his physical ability lets him do. That being said, he's one of my favorite players. I think that we have his replacement in Rey Maualuga, which means that at some point we have to find either another MLB or another SAM to account for Maualuga moving to MLB.
Then we get to DE. We have tremendous depth at DE. I think that Michael Johnson is going to be an absolute monster in this league. He's very fast and quick, he has some of the longest arms I've ever seen, and he's stronger than people give him credit for. The team is going to need him to step up next year because we won't know how Odom's Achilles is until he gets onto the field. Also, Robert Geathers is not what we thought he was. When we gave him a big contract we thought we locked up a budding pass rushing beast. Maybe it was the move to linebacker, maybe he overachieved or maybe it was a little of both, but he's not that guy and he never will be.
Taking a DE early in the draft is a respectable move, and while we a great DE rotation, we're not sure if our stud DE will be the same.
The team also needs a pass rusher. I don't think it matters if the pass rusher is a DE or a LB, but we need one. Cincinnati managed to have the fourth ranked defense overall (yards per game), and was stout against the run and the pass. The thing is that we were average at rushing the passer with the 16th overall sack total for defenses. We had 34 sacks. A fourth of those came from a guy who played in six games. That's not good enough if we want to get out of the first round of the playoffs.
I'm not trying to pick on our defense. They're obviously the strength of this team and Zimmer turned a ragtag group of castaways into one of the best defenses the NFL has to offer.
If Cincinnati focuses on these areas of weakness and don't regress in their areas of strength the team should make a big push for the second round of the playoffs.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
On defense the team's greatest strength is Leon Hall and Jonathan Joesph at corner. We have a strong linebacker corp with Dhani Jones, Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga. The defensive line is solid at tackle with Domato Peko leading the way alongside with Tank Johnson, Patrick Sims and others. The defensive end position is still a mystery, and it hinges upon how well Antwan Odom comes back from his Achilles injury.
But, for as many strengths as the team has, they have an equal amount of weaknesses. On offense our line isn't very good at pass protection. Cincinnati's offensive line was inconsistent all year long; at times it felt like we were watching Willie Anderson and Levi Jones in 2005, and at certain points I could have sworn I saw Stacy Andrews and an injury maligned Levi Jones on the field.
We can look forward to watching Andre Smith become the starter, and Kyle Cook was was pleasant surprise at center. Whitworth held his own at LT, although it's still plain to see that he's a better LG than LT. Evan Mathis and Livings were never all that impressive at LG, and the team doesn't currently have a right guard, but we'll get to that later.
Perhaps a bigger weakness on offense is the lack of quality wideouts. Ochocinco was the only WR who was polished before the Antonio Bryant signing, which was needed. Still, some feel that Cincinnati should look for another wideout, and many of those people are clamoring for Terrell Owens. Personally speaking, I think that he carries too much baggage and a wide receiver corps that sports Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant and Andre Caldwell is pretty good.
The offense lacks tight ends who are...well to put it bluntly, we lack tight ends who don't suck. Daniel Coates has never shown that he's anything more than an average at best blocker who has bad hands, and Chase Coffman can't get onto the field. Reggie Kelly is unsigned and coming off of an injury and J.P. Foschi hasn't shown anything to merit optimism other than he isn't Daniel Coates. Strangely enough, Foschi is a free agent and Coates is under contract.
Our fullback situation is a strange one. Jeremi Johnson appears to be an adequate fullback, but it feels like every year he's overweight or hurt. He no longer possesses the ability to be a pass catching threat out of the backfield, and after watching him play it feels like he's not the same blocker that he used to be. Still, he's serviceable, and as long as he's healthy he's not detrimental to the team.
The offense needs to resign Bobbie Williams at RG, Reggie Kelly at TE, look at but not necessarily sign another FB and look at left guards as well.
The defense has its fair share of weaknesses as well. We aren't very well off at safety. Before Roy Williams got hurt, he was playing very well for us at strong safety. The problem is that his health is a huge question. When he's on the field he's good, but he hasn't been able to stay healthy for roughly three seasons. Chris Crocker is a good tackler, a leader and a guy who has great football smarts, but he is only an average free safety. I don't think that there's any free agent safety who is an improvement for the team. It really looks like we're going to have to find a guy who we like in the draft. I know that a lot of people are high on Ndukwe, but he's never been good in coverage. He does have a knack for making big plays, but for as many highlight picks or hits there's just as many botched coverage breakdowns and missed tackles.
Middle linebacker is also a concern. Dhani Jones is a solid player who has an incredible football IQ. However, he's in a similar situation as Crocker in regards to what his physical ability lets him do. That being said, he's one of my favorite players. I think that we have his replacement in Rey Maualuga, which means that at some point we have to find either another MLB or another SAM to account for Maualuga moving to MLB.
Then we get to DE. We have tremendous depth at DE. I think that Michael Johnson is going to be an absolute monster in this league. He's very fast and quick, he has some of the longest arms I've ever seen, and he's stronger than people give him credit for. The team is going to need him to step up next year because we won't know how Odom's Achilles is until he gets onto the field. Also, Robert Geathers is not what we thought he was. When we gave him a big contract we thought we locked up a budding pass rushing beast. Maybe it was the move to linebacker, maybe he overachieved or maybe it was a little of both, but he's not that guy and he never will be.
Taking a DE early in the draft is a respectable move, and while we a great DE rotation, we're not sure if our stud DE will be the same.
The team also needs a pass rusher. I don't think it matters if the pass rusher is a DE or a LB, but we need one. Cincinnati managed to have the fourth ranked defense overall (yards per game), and was stout against the run and the pass. The thing is that we were average at rushing the passer with the 16th overall sack total for defenses. We had 34 sacks. A fourth of those came from a guy who played in six games. That's not good enough if we want to get out of the first round of the playoffs.
I'm not trying to pick on our defense. They're obviously the strength of this team and Zimmer turned a ragtag group of castaways into one of the best defenses the NFL has to offer.
If Cincinnati focuses on these areas of weakness and don't regress in their areas of strength the team should make a big push for the second round of the playoffs.
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Show Recap 3-15-10
Nice show last night, a little bit of a lull trying to get Fui and Shirley on, but it was worth the wait, and extending the show.
Quick personal note: Brad and I are NOT gay for each other. I have no problems with gay folk, hell, IMO, they should be able to marry, etc. But this is a football blog, not politics, so I'll leave that alone. I'm just sayin', Brad and I are not swapping sausages.
Good, spirited debate with Thad on Gresham and pick #21. I still oppose wasting a pick on the guy. He'll never be used properly and he'll pine to get out of here like Takeo Spikes and Corey Dillon did.
I was a little disappointed with the Andrew Crummey interview. He shadowboxed around a lot of questions and when I saw that, my heart just wasn't in it. He seems like an ok enough guy, but I had more fun interviewing Digger Bujnoch back in the day with a knot of nervousness in my stomach because he was my first interview. I'll try harder next time.
Oh, and anybody but Jordan (Jordan the guest, not Jordan Palmer) feel free to call in and talk to us. Seriously, we don't have the AM/FM benefit of sponsors, etc, so we're 2 hours NON STOP. We could use the diversion.
Another personal note: I don't have a problem with Justin Bieber. I can do without his music, and seeing 47k posts a day about him on my tweet feed is kind of annoying. That's not his fault. Keith, Tom, quit snickering.
David Pollack was a great interview. I still disagree with him on both Gresham and Denarius Thomas, and it would have been silly for me to point out the kind of self homer he was being when he said I should let Thad talk, but hey, I guess a "degree" from the U of Georgia will do that to you. Just kidding. But seriously, David was a very engaging guest, he knew his stuff, he loves the game of football, and he could talk for HOURS. I hope to eventually have him on again.
Glad Roy Williams is back. Even if he did date the ugly stepsister of Destiny Child's members. That being said, that's like getting shot down by Scarlett Johannsen and having to settle for Drew Barrymore.
Yea, yea, Tank Johnson is back too. Called me a dufus-faced jalopey too. You know what Tank? I may be ugly, but at least I ain't got no money.
Fui Vakapuna was a real pleasure. I felt a swell of pride when R.C. called in and talked to him. Insightful stuff from him on the BYU TE, even if prior experience with BYU TE's (Dan Coats, anyone?) should scare the Bengals half to death. I was close to tears when the subject of Slim came up. Scary part is, I barely knew the guy. Fui was basically family. That must be hard. Oh, and I'm thrilled he's gonna eat some burgers with us!
Shortest interview we've ever done? Jason Shirley. 47 seconds.
Jordan Palmer was a hoot. Dude seems really laid back and fun loving. He's got his hands in a lot of stuff, and he seems well set for whatever he does after football, which is amazingly fore sighted and smart. He also does not seem bitter about his lot in life, which is amazing. He seems content to ride it out as 3rd fiddle to his brother until a chance comes along or he decides to do something else. It was great seeing that competitive desire to face Carson head to head though. Dude was humble too, even finding a way to praise Cooper Manning over himself. Meant to ask him if he liked burgers, but he didn't seem to be the type. Alas, maybe next time.
All in all, a nice show. Fun stuff and good times had by all.
Talk at ya next week.
Wind to thy wings, Bengals fans.
-M (Soon to be T)
Quick personal note: Brad and I are NOT gay for each other. I have no problems with gay folk, hell, IMO, they should be able to marry, etc. But this is a football blog, not politics, so I'll leave that alone. I'm just sayin', Brad and I are not swapping sausages.
Good, spirited debate with Thad on Gresham and pick #21. I still oppose wasting a pick on the guy. He'll never be used properly and he'll pine to get out of here like Takeo Spikes and Corey Dillon did.
I was a little disappointed with the Andrew Crummey interview. He shadowboxed around a lot of questions and when I saw that, my heart just wasn't in it. He seems like an ok enough guy, but I had more fun interviewing Digger Bujnoch back in the day with a knot of nervousness in my stomach because he was my first interview. I'll try harder next time.
Oh, and anybody but Jordan (Jordan the guest, not Jordan Palmer) feel free to call in and talk to us. Seriously, we don't have the AM/FM benefit of sponsors, etc, so we're 2 hours NON STOP. We could use the diversion.
Another personal note: I don't have a problem with Justin Bieber. I can do without his music, and seeing 47k posts a day about him on my tweet feed is kind of annoying. That's not his fault. Keith, Tom, quit snickering.
David Pollack was a great interview. I still disagree with him on both Gresham and Denarius Thomas, and it would have been silly for me to point out the kind of self homer he was being when he said I should let Thad talk, but hey, I guess a "degree" from the U of Georgia will do that to you. Just kidding. But seriously, David was a very engaging guest, he knew his stuff, he loves the game of football, and he could talk for HOURS. I hope to eventually have him on again.
Glad Roy Williams is back. Even if he did date the ugly stepsister of Destiny Child's members. That being said, that's like getting shot down by Scarlett Johannsen and having to settle for Drew Barrymore.
Yea, yea, Tank Johnson is back too. Called me a dufus-faced jalopey too. You know what Tank? I may be ugly, but at least I ain't got no money.
Fui Vakapuna was a real pleasure. I felt a swell of pride when R.C. called in and talked to him. Insightful stuff from him on the BYU TE, even if prior experience with BYU TE's (Dan Coats, anyone?) should scare the Bengals half to death. I was close to tears when the subject of Slim came up. Scary part is, I barely knew the guy. Fui was basically family. That must be hard. Oh, and I'm thrilled he's gonna eat some burgers with us!
Shortest interview we've ever done? Jason Shirley. 47 seconds.
Jordan Palmer was a hoot. Dude seems really laid back and fun loving. He's got his hands in a lot of stuff, and he seems well set for whatever he does after football, which is amazingly fore sighted and smart. He also does not seem bitter about his lot in life, which is amazing. He seems content to ride it out as 3rd fiddle to his brother until a chance comes along or he decides to do something else. It was great seeing that competitive desire to face Carson head to head though. Dude was humble too, even finding a way to praise Cooper Manning over himself. Meant to ask him if he liked burgers, but he didn't seem to be the type. Alas, maybe next time.
All in all, a nice show. Fun stuff and good times had by all.
Talk at ya next week.
Wind to thy wings, Bengals fans.
-M (Soon to be T)
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