Resetting the Bengals off-season, thus far.

by Josh Kirkendall on Mar 6, 2008 3:31 PM EST in Analysis

Every once in awhile we have to reset what's going on during the off-season and where (or what) we think the team should focus.

The Bengals "are expecting to receive three or four compensatory picks". [Enquirer.com]

Madieu Williams and Justin Smith signed on with other teams creating a void at their positions.

Safety. Even though Williams left, the break-the-bank contract he got from the Vikings was almost laughable for Bengals fans. Williams was good, but that good? Now we have Dexter Jackson and Chinedum Ndukwe as the likely starters while Marvin White breathes down Jackson's neck. Ethan Kilmer and Herana-Daze Jones, good special teams guys, are likely the fourth and fifth back ups.

However, the team appears to be going after at least one safety this off-season after Marlon McCree was offered a contract.

Williams leaving didn't upset the team's balance at safety. We already had the veteran presence with Jackson as well as two young kids and two guys that will do anything asked of them. And since Williams suffered a three-quarter-season-long injury in 2005 -- ironically the Bengals' most successful season by a long shot -- the coaching staff, media and fans feel that Williams' talent (or potential) took a big hit.

End. A Justin Smith led defensive line didn't produce the pass rushing atmosphere that Marvin Lewis insisted we'll have in 2008. By letting Smith go, the team saved over $16 million with signing eight-sack defensive end, Antwan Odom. Jonathan Fanene signed a three-year deal giving the Bengals a decent three-man rotation at end. Bryan Robinson is unlikely to return. Therefore, drafting an end in one of the first three rounds seems logical if you don't demand that he's an immediate impact player; more like a situational pass rusher while putting Geathers at pass-rushing outside linebacker. Of course, 3-4, 4-3, yada, yada, yada. More pass rushers. More pass rushers. More pass rushers.

You'll note that I'm not including Frostee Rucker here. He's been here two seasons and I've said his name, maybe, three times.

Defensive Tackle. This is the team's biggest weakness. Between them, John Thornton and Michael Myers, are aging tackles that offensive linemen really don't worry about. Then again, you could probably file Domata Peko under that classification also. If I were a betting man, then I wouldn't have my car nor house. But I would say that the Bengals will draft a defensive tackle in the first round. Not only that, but I could legitimately see two first-day picks at defensive tackle -- most likely the second coming from the possible third-round compensatory pick.

Linebacker. Talking about not having a fuggin' clue. Will the team sign back Landon Johnson? The longer that Johnson sits in free agency, the more I think the team will bring him back. How's Ahmad Brooks recovery? Will he be durable enough to be an NFL linebacker? Can we trust Odell Thurman, if he's reinstated, to keep his head straight while, at the same time, getting back into football shape after two lost seasons? David Pollack? Will the Eric Henderson experiment finally have substance behind it (i.e., not a season on IR or the practice squad)? We could go on for hours.

Eric Ghiaciuc. Unless our starting center -- anointed the starter after Rich Braham broke his leg and subsequently retired -- improves, I seriously doubt he returns after this season -- which is the final year of his contract. With big guys like Kasey Hampton, Shaun Rogers, Corey Williams and even Kelly Gregg, most in variant 3-4 formations, the offense needs a guy that can handle defensive tackles. Perhaps he's working on that flaw this off-season. Last season many of Rudi Johnson's stuffed rush attempts came from defenders up the middle.

More on offensive line. Unless something dramatic happens, like nothing happening on December 21, 2012, Willie Anderson and Levi Jones will start at tackle. However, Andrew Whitworth and Bobbie Williams could be competing for their jobs with Stacy Andrews. Why? I don't think that a $7.5 million lineman, under contract for only one season, should be sitting the bench. Whitworth would be the obvious demotion because he could back up any spot on the offensive line except for center.

Tweet Comment 4 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

It happens every year

I am convinced that the Bengals must go one direction in the draft. I certainly could be wrong but it sure doesn't feel like it. Last year, I was certain that we should've taken Reggie Nelson. I was pretty upset when we passed on him because I think he is going to be an awesome ball hawking free safety. That being said, I was happy with Leon Hall on the whole and our young safeties are promising so I think we did a good job last year.

This year...the one answer to me that the Bengals MUST do is get a monster Defensive Tackle. Our D-line to me is about the same right now with Smith gone and Odom in. We saved money by staying the same but our D-line is incomplete. We have all these picks and not all of the guys we draft will be able to make the team as it stands. We have to trade up to land Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis. We just have to. The fall off after that for D-tackle is very steep and a starting D-line of Geathers, Peko, Thornton and Odom ain't going to get it done.

That being said...do you have any idea what it would take to move up to say the 3rd-6th spots?

I shouldn't do this to myself but I'm having dreams of Glenn Dorsey in stripes. Ellis is a fine player as well. If we go offense like Hobson suggests, that would be a debacle.

by mp45242 on Mar 6, 2008 6:00 PM EST reply actions

No offense meant

Hobson's dead wrong about going offense- early, anyway. We don't need to stretch for a Jones, Mendenhall, or Jackson, when guys like Kevin Smith from Central Florida and- my personal favorite- Chris Johnson from East Carolina.

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/chris-johnson?id=262&campaign=gsi_g

Johnson outran McFadden at the combine, has done 10.38 in the 100, returns kicks real well, and led the nation in all-purpose yards this past year. We could probably get him with a compensatory pick in the 3rd.

Far as trading up- for Ellis or Dorsey(much as I'd love to see Vernon Gholston here I don't think he's worth that sacrifice), about half the mocks I've checked, out of 50-60 of them, have us getting Ellis at 9. Several even have Dorsey falling because of injury concerns but I don't think we can count on either one. I think the Pats would trade down, maybe for a compensatory pick or two and we could get Ellis at 7. The 6-5, 330lb, Red Bryant;

http://www.nfl.com/combine/profiles/red-bryant?id=200

in round 2 would really help to solidify the middle.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Mar 6, 2008 6:35 PM EST reply actions

Re: Defense

Cincy will have to go after a DT. They'll do this either by trade or draft and I'm sure the team prefers to do it outside the draft because they can get a proven player for lower numbers.

I say this because if you look at the team they don't have tremendous depth after Pecko. So regardless of the roster the team desparately needs more depth at DT.

Now the funny thing about this scenario is that they still need more talent on the DL and I think they will either add another DT or DE in the lower rounds of the draft.

After that it gets kind of interesting because you can't really tell which direction the team will go. To me I feel that they have to solidify their LB position because all they have right now are a bunch of maybes. Turman may play or he may not. Hard telling but maybe he has lost something over the last 2 seasons. Same thing with Pollack. (Me thinks that if you have doubts about whether you should play again then perhaps you shouldn't because pro football is a dangerous, dangerous sport) Same for Jeanty and Brooks. Have they healed and are they ready to play. To an end I think that Cincy should not count on maybes and they should work on having 4 top notch LBs period.

After that they could go in any direction for players. I kind of think that if they upgrade the TE position that they will do so via waivers because I think that unless there is a masher in the draft that it's just not worth spending an early round pick on an unproven player at TE.

After the early picks on defense I expect them to make moves for offensive players and I think they have to go after and OC to fix things on offense. All told, with all the picks they have, I think that Cincy's role in the draft will be defense, offense, and then defense again.

An interesting side question to Cincy having the #9 pick, if they don't trade to move up in the draft and stay at #9, is would Cincy take QB Ryan if he is available when they pick. Remembering the old adage of taking the best player available, would Cincy dare to take Ryan even though they have 2 Palmers and 2 other QBs? I know that money comes into play here, but would you take Ryan just to stop some other team from having him or would you pass on him? If you think about Cleveland, isn't this similar to what they've done at QB?

by davidincincinnati on Mar 6, 2008 10:21 PM EST reply actions

RE: QB

Interesting take, David. I don't think the Bengals would pick up a QB with the Palmer brothers, offering Fitzgerald a tender and drafting Rowe (5th) last season. If they did, there'd be tons of backlash -- well, more than exists today. I like your outside the box thinking though.

by Josh Kirkendall on Mar 7, 2008 12:14 PM EST up reply actions