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"Well, we’ve signed a receiver and I feel really good about that," Lewis said. "I feel good about the direction we took this season and so far with our organization. I think we got some of our needs prior to the draft being filled with veteran players, which enables us when we come to the draft to be completely open. To look at the best prospect and then draft based on that which is a good situation."
Miami Dolphins hosted Rashad Jeanty
by Kirkendall on Mar 19, 2010 9:18 AM EDT
in Analysis
13 comments
First, the Miami Dolphins outplayed the Cincinnati Bengals to acquire guard Richie Incognito. That's fine, I thought. We still Bobbie Williams, who we figure will be signed relatively soon. On Thursday, the Miami Dolphins hosted outside linebacker Rashad Jeanty. For the Dolphins, they are looking for a strong-side starting linebacker. For the Bengals, they could lose a quality special teams guy and a pretty good backup in case something happens with Rey Maualuga.
A restricted free agent, Jeanty was offered the lowest tender by the Bengals. That means if the Dolphins sign Jeanty to an offer sheet and the Bengals elect not to match, then Cincinnati will receive no draft pick compensation. The Bengals will have seven days to match if Jeanty signs a deal with the Dolphins. If Jeanty leaves, you can pretty much assume the team may look at the draft to upgrade their linebackers spot, especially with Dhani Jones entering the final year under contract.
13 comments | 0 recs |
Antonio Bryant picks #81
by Kirkendall on Mar 18, 2010 5:08 PM EDT
in Analysis
18 comments
The Bengals super-awesome free agent wide receiver acquisition of the year, Antonio Bryant decided on wearing #81, reports Geoff Hobson (we think) through the team's official twitter account (we need to come up with something cooler sounding). The first player to wear #81 was Dennis Randall. The last, Ben Utecht.
The most notable players to wear #81 are Carl Pickens (who wore #80 through his first three seasons) and Eddie Brown. And they combined for 753 receptions, 11,003 yards receiving and 86 touchdowns (note: only Pickens' seasons where he was wearing #81 were included).
This is also a reminder that when Pickens played with the Bengals, he was really, really, really good and you have to think that if it weren't for the jerk-nature in which he left the city, or the battle with the Brown family which bore the "Pickens clause", he'd be remembered far more often and far more favorably. Between 1995 and 1996, seasons in which Pickens made the Pro Bowl, the receiver caught 199 passes for 2,414 yards receiving and 29 touchdowns. That's right; 29 frickin' touchdowns. He was also the 1992 AP Offensive Rookie of the year.
Oh, and speaking of Ben Utecht (scroll up), the former Bengals tight end will sing the national anthem at the Reds opening day game. Very cool.
18 comments | 0 recs |
Bengals haven't drafted a Buckeye since 1994; could Aaron Pettrey be the first?
by Kirkendall on Mar 18, 2010 2:05 PM EDT
in NFL Draft
10 comments
On March 12, the Ohio State Buckeyes held their Pro Day putting stocked (not all of whom are first rounders) defensive talent on display. Most notable is that some of the players that stood out are at positions that the Bengals could elect to address during next month's NFL Draft. Like defensive linemen Doug Worthington, Robert Rose, Lawrence Wilson, Thaddeus Gibson or safety Kurt Coleman.
Mocking the Draft ranks Worthington as the 18th best defensive tackle and Coleman as the sixth best strong safety coming into the draft. ESPN is slightly more favorable to Worthington, ranking him ninth among defensive ends.
But one of the more favorable additions by the Bengals could be, of all things, a place kicker. Since the Bengals elected not to re-sign Shayne Graham, Cincinnati is without one. Yes, Dave Rayner is signed and on the squad. I hardly think that he's going to be the team's place kicker come kickoff weekend when they could likely pick up a quality leg through the draft. And yes, people keep leaving the door open that Graham will return. Pettrey is ranked fourth by ESPN.
The last player that the Bengals drafted in the first round out of the Ohio State University is the legendary (for the wrong reasons) Dan Wilkinson in 1994. Actually, he's the last Buckeyes player drafted by the Bengals. At all. Yea, surprised me too. Fifteen players in all have been drafted out of Ohio State. A quick note: We've drafted six Michigan players since the last time we drafted a Buckeye.
10 comments | 0 recs |
Holmes: Taylor Mays would "flourish" in Mike Zimmer's defense
by Kirkendall on Mar 18, 2010 1:00 PM EDT
in NFL Draft
19 comments
While you guys were severely irritated at me making the suggestion that the Bengals should draft Eric Berry (if he's there), who will (barring unforeseen circumstances) be gone before the Bengals 21st overall pick, the Bengals could elect to pick up another safety that's far more likely to be around. Even then, Holmes writes, he could be gone after he had a "show-stopping performance" at the Combine last month.
Mays will have to make it past the Seattle Seahawks with the No. 6 and No. 14 overall picks for that to happen. The team is in the market for a safety since releasing Deon Grant. I think this pick is a no-brainer. No one knows Mays better than Seahawks new head coach Pete Carroll, who coached him for four seasons at USC. Not to mention his former position coach Ken Norton Jr., who also joined the coaching staff this offseason.
Should Mays slip past Seattle, he could be there for the Bengals at No. 21.
While Holmes believes that Mays would "flourish" in Mike Zimmer's defense, which encourages safeties to jam the box to "support the run or blitz the passer", he notes things about Mays that aren't all that awesome.
Mays’ questionable instincts and poor change-of-direction skills in coverage could be headed down the same path. The player tends to take bad angles in coverage and would rather make a big hit than make a play on the ball. Mays will need to be more consistent making plays on the ball in the pros. Presentation may be something else to improve on.
According to sources, Mays could see his stock dip on draft day if Seattle fails to pull the trigger. I’m told that Mays did not interview well with some teams at the Senior Bowl and combine. It was also stated that the player came across as arrogant and with an over-inflated ego.
Mays has been brought up several times . One of which was an article written by Geoff Hobson after the Bengals signed Antonio Bryant. "Another thing (signing Bryant) does is crack the first round of next month's draft wide open. Get the tight end in the second round, the wideout in the third and the Taylor Mays and Mike Iupati factions can start dreaming at No. 21."
Mojokong championed Mays during a post written earlier this month.
If Iupati is no longer on the board once the Bengals are on the clock another option could be Taylor Mays, the overgrown safety from USC. Before last season, many scouts had Mays as a top-five pick, but he has since slipped based on his inability to cover slot receivers one-on-one. Yet he made up some of that ground running an astonishing 4.26 unofficial 40-yard dash time at the Combine. That kind of speed, combined with his 6'3''/230lbs. size, would give Mike Zimmer a legitimate freak to work with. Zim developed another big safety, Roy Williams, into a pro-bowler; who's to say he couldn't do the same with Mays?
Mays is a safety/linebacker hybrid type who could help the run defense become even more stout while also being the imposing head hunter striking fear into receivers' hearts as they cross the middle of the field. After drafting Keith Rivers and Rey Maualuga in recent years, the Bengals seem comfortable taking former USC defenders. Selecting this Trojan would allow Zimmer to become even more creative with his scheme and also give him a defensive back that can match up with the bigger receivers in the league. If Iupati is gone and Mays is still there, I think this pick is a no-brainer.
19 comments | 0 recs |
Holmes: If the Bengals want Mardy Gilyard, they'll have to take him in the first round
by Kirkendall on Mar 18, 2010 12:01 PM EDT
in NFL Draft
22 comments
If the Bengals are dead set in drafting Mardy Gilyard during next month's NFL draft, they'll likely have to do it in the first round. Gilyard would most likely be off the board by the time Cincinnati picks 54th (second round) in next month's NFL draft, writes Carlos Holmes.
Gilyard has been worked out by Denver and New England and has a visit lined up with Tennessee. New England owns the 44th, 48th and 53rd overall picks.
Gilyard is an interesting pick, but there's questions. First of all, we highly doubt that Gilyard would contribute to a role more than special teams in 2010 with Chad Ochocinco, Antonio Bryant and Andre Caldwell being the team's first three receivers. Secondly, you'd have to ask yourself if there's other positions that the Bengals could address that would give the team a vast upgrade.
But the points for drafting Gilyard are compelling. "The team is in need of a young play-making receiver to groom behind Chad Ochocinco." Gilyard (6-foot-0, 187 pounds) and Chad (6-foot-1, 192 pounds) are nearly equal size. Both are fast and quick. Like Chad, Gilyard is a play-maker. If you're looking for someone to help this year, picking Gilyard in the first round probably wouldn't give you much. But if you're looking beyond this year, then Gilyard might be worth checking into. And if he's there in the second round, which seems unlikely (which was thought of with Rey Maualuga too), then you might have to pull the trigger and take him.
22 comments | 0 recs |
Eagles release Shawn Andrews; could the Bengals be interested?
by Kirkendall on Mar 18, 2010 10:43 AM EDT
in Analysis
9 comments
On Wednesday, the Philadelphia Eagles released former Pro Bowl guard Shawn Andrews after "missing the better part of two seasons." ESPN 97.3 interviewed Andrews, who more or less expected to be released. He says that he "really stepped up" his " training in the last few weeks" and he's getting stronger. "I'm ready to go to whoever is ready to take me and kick some butt again," said Andrews.
The Philadelphia Daily News' Rich Hofmann wrote, in a headline calling Andrews "such a waste".
He was such a good player when his back was right, and his head was right. He was as good an athlete as they've ever had play the guard position. Andrews could have been a cornerstone for this team for a decade -- quirky, yes, but a cornerstone. But now he's gone.
This comes at a very interesting time. If, and that's a bigger if than a James Cameron movie, Andrews has his head on straight and if he's working back towards his old form, the Bengals very well could be interested. This is why John Thornton said that Bobbie Williams should go ahead and sign with the Bengals and get what he can.
There's been no report of any interest from the franchise as of this posting. But we know the Bengals. We tend to like those aging veterans who have hit a bump in the road and give them a little encouragement, a second opportunity, for a cost that would be much cheaper than retaining, say Bobbie Williams. As Thornton points out, Andrews is the brother of former Bengals lineman Stacy. Andrews is six years younger than Bobbie Williams.
It goes without question that Williams does bring other virtues that Andrews probably doesn't. Veteran presence that's been in Cincinnati since 2004. Lockerroom leadership. Knowledge of the system. Those things will (and probably have) weigh heavily on the team's decision to bring Williams back -- which they claim is their first priority.
Still, you can't really put it past the Bengals front office to at least perk up with eyes wide open and have those epic internal discussions, can you?
Your turn. Shawn Andrews. Yes or no?
9 comments | 0 recs |
Bengals Banter: Still accepting applications for bloggers
by Kirkendall on Mar 18, 2010 10:18 AM EDT
in Analysis
0 comments
Only two days remain before we close shop in our "bloggers for hire" search. Only two days remain before you'll lose an opportunity to be a part of a team of obsessive dudes that scours the internet for Bengals information with a purpose. With a ton of people already submitting applications, I wanted to remind everyone else that has desires to promote and share Bengals related news with a twist of opinion to the largest Bengals blog audience on the net. So you think you can do it?
(original post about bloggers opening)
And for those that are unsure about being able to because of work, we're offering up nightly and weekend shifts. For example, if you can blog, you could do so 2-3 days a week starting at 6 at night, or a 4-5 hour shift during the weekends. We'll work with you.
One Man Crimewave doesn't think highly of the team bringing Roy Williams back.
John Thornton thinks that Bobbie Williams should get what he can get while the getting is good.
If you were thinking of heading north to watch the Hall of Fame game between the Cowboys and Bengals, you're too late. The game is already sold out.
Antonio Bryant press conference will be on Bengals.com at 4pm.
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AFC North Standings
| W | L | T | PF | PA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cincinnati
|
10 | 6 | 0 | 305 | 291 |
|
Pittsburgh
|
9 | 7 | 0 | 368 | 324 |
|
Baltimore
|
9 | 7 | 0 | 391 | 261 |
|
Cleveland
|
5 | 11 | 0 | 245 | 375 |
(updated 1.4.2010 at 4:48 AM EST)
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