Pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers litter; should Bengals go after any?

by Kirkendall on Feb 25, 2009 1:41 PM EST in Analysis Comment 13 comments

On Wednesday afternoon, in effort to supposedly get younger, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released five veterans which, again, reminds us that this league hurts veteran players like no other professional sport by an unintentional design. The five veterans are linebackers Derrick Brooks and Cato June, wide receivers Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard and running back Warrick Dunn.

As we keep remind you, and as Mehl reminds me, the Bengals will have six linebackers under contract heading into 2009 once Brandon Johnson and Rashad Jeanty sign their tenders. There's no indication that they're offering Darryl Blackstock anything and Corey Mays' agent has already shown confusion as to why Mays won't be tendered.

So there's an issue of linebackers and where they'll stock the position. Now that Derrick Brooks and Cato June are in the market, that just sweetens the pot -- and suddenly lowers the demand for other free agents. We need an experienced wide receiver as insurance in case Jerome Simpson doesn't turn out this season -- he has to produce this year, or he's walking the Chris Perry line.

Question is, should the Bengals go after one, if not two of these players?

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Don’t think we need a veteran WR though I do like Galloway. But I wouldn’t mind if the Bengals add Brooks or Cato June into the lineup if the price is right. Depth is always nice in a injury prone position like LB.

by voken99 on Feb 25, 2009 2:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Brooks or June would be great...

…both of them would be EXCELLENT. Rotate Derrick Brooks and Dhani Jones at Mike, Rivers and Jeanty at Will, then Cato June and Brandon Johnson at Sam…somebody shoot some holes in this, ‘cause I’m multitasking here…these guys would be fine pickups, though, given the fine, fine LB coach we have in Fitzgerald…he’d have some great stuff to work with. So what if Brooks is over 30? So is Tedy Bruschi, and that guy came back from a stroke to play again! I’m digressing. I’ll quit now and get back to work.

by TheWalrus1971 on Feb 25, 2009 3:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Mauluga or Curry?

Has anyone thought that they are not going to sign anymore LB’s becuase maybe one of those 2 LB’s is there thought process for the first round? Lewis has always wanted a good group of LB’s and either one of them would be an excellent choice. I don’t see them picking an OT in the first round. They have 3 already. (Whitworth, Jones and Collins) I think they are going to draft that Guy from Oregon and a center in the 2nd round which gives them endless possibilities for the 6th pick. Could you imagine Brooks and Curry on the outside LB spots? Curry ran a 4.53 40. they can blitz him constantly. They could also pick up a gaurd in the draft if they use Whitworth at Tackle.(his natural position) I don’t see it so much as they need a OT as they had people playing positions that aren’t their position. Example Whitworth. Dude is a TACKLE not a pulling gaurd.

by Diesel2405 on Feb 25, 2009 5:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

"I don’t see them picking an OT in the first round. They have 3 already."

Well, it “”http://www.cincyjungle.com/2009/2/21/767008/hobson-appears-that-levi-j" >appears" that Jones won’t be on the team next year. Even if you moved Whitworth to tackle, we’re still hampered with depth at offensive tackle. However, it opens up the hole at guard for both a starter and depth… and we still need a center.

So why not keep Whitworth at guard, for this year at least (because I do agree, he’s a tackle and not a guard), draft a tackle early and then a center.

Then again, we did draft Collins in the fourth round and he turned out all right during his rookie season, didn’t he?

I can’t remember a Bengals draft where so many things have to happen, or at least need to be known, before accurately judging their positioning with the first round.

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Kirkendall on Feb 25, 2009 6:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Andre Smith

I’ve heard a couple scouts say that Andre Smith 6’4" 340 is a little slow to be an elite LT, but with his strength, size, and means streak would be a hell of a guard.

I don’t think we’ll take him at 6 or trade up for a second 1st rounder, but I think a road grading guard would really turn the run game around.

With Smith at LG, move Whitworth to RT, and watch Benson put up 1400+yds

by R.F. Mehl on Feb 25, 2009 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

How many LB's do NFL teams usually carry on their active roster?

Rivers, Jones, Jeantry, and Johnson are shoe ins for the active roster (barring injury of course). I think the bengals are one MIKE backer away from having a pretty solid unit. But how many LB’s do teams usually keep active? And can Brandon Johnson play SAM as well or just WILL?

by CincyMike56 on Feb 25, 2009 5:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Linebacker rosters

The Bengals kept six linebackers on the 2008 and 2007 and kept eight linebackers in 2006.

On the 2008 squad:
Keith Rivers
Rashad Jeanty
Darryl Blackstock
Brandon Johnson
Corey Mays
Dhani Jones

On the 2007 squad:
Ahmad Brooks
Rashad Jeanty
Landon Johnson
Caleb Miller
Lemar Marshall
Andre Frazier

On the 2006 roster:
David Pollack
Brian Simmons
Landon Johnson.
Rashad Jeanty
Marcus Wilkins
Ahmad Brooks
A.J. Nicholson
Caleb Miller

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Kirkendall on Feb 25, 2009 5:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Walrus- do we really want Cato June playing strongside? hes about 225 LBS and is getting old. Hes only a cover 2 LB, we dont need him. And Derrick Brooks is one of my favorite players, but again he is only a Weakside LB. maybe he can play middle, but hes never done it.
Diesel- Curry will NOT be there at pick 6. He may go #1. he is the for sure no doubt best player in the draft and the safest pick. so that means the Lions wont take him. but the Rams or Chiefs will haha.
CincyMike- Last season the Bengals liked to keep 6 LBs and only 5 usually made the gameday active roster. thats until injuries and suspensions got to them, But i think 6 is kind of low and they usually kept 7 or 8 in years past.

by firstPick on Feb 25, 2009 5:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well, okay...

…but didn’t Cato play the middle in Indy before going to Tampa?

by TheWalrus1971 on Feb 26, 2009 3:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Much as I salivate over Curry in a Bengals uniform, he’ll be long gone by six. Detroit may surprise everyone and go with him and, if not, KC or Cleveland will. Stranger things may have happened, so… Derrick Brooks? Probably a real positive in the locker room, not sure about how much he’d contribute on the field. I’m starting to lean towards USC LB, Brian Cushing over Maulauga after the combine and watching some tape.

So why not keep Whitworth at guard, for this year at least (because I do agree, he’s a tackle and not a guard), draft a tackle early and then a center.

Um, because that just leaves us down a starting guard- and with an extra tackle- next year.

by IgnatiusJReilly on Feb 26, 2009 12:54 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I am sure that I will catch some heat about this comment, but I think all of you are forgetting how useless it will be to have any of them when it comes time to score. If Palmer doesn’t have anyone to throw that ball to then what good are we. I think we can all agree that TJ is gone. Personally, I think we should have used Chad for all the trades we could get last season. He doesn’t want to be here and I think it he played like it too. I think that Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard would be some WONDERFUL additions. They are still some prime WR, and lets face it they haven’t had the benefit of a steady QB either. Pair them up with Palmer and I see us seriously looking at a 50/50 season AT LEAST (Sorry, been a Bengals fan to long to buy into that “This is the year we go undefeated” crap). I don’t trust Henry yet and it doesn’t seem that any of the others are ready to step up. I will give some much deserved props to Holt and Chatman for effort, but I don’t see them ready to be in that number one spot. I hate to see TJ go, but I can’t blame him after being over shadowed by Chad (even though he was the one doing all the work). I say Lewis should entertain Galloway and Hilliard to see if he can get a package deal. Both are experienced, use to working together, and understand the hard work needed to be where we want to be. That is my two cents.. let the flaming begin!

by ibwebb on Feb 26, 2009 3:02 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

"If Palmer doesn’t have anyone to throw that ball to then what good are we"

Oh, that’s a very legit point actually. And I think the Bengals will make a run for receivers in FA for sure.

The Bengals have a lot of needs — in fact, when you think about it, they need to address every position on offense. If not starters, then their depth. In my personal view, based on priority, the Bengals need to keep Palmer protected, otherwise, he could be hurt again.

But you’re right, he definitely needs people around him at the skill positions.

Blogger at CincyJungle.com -- SB Nation Cincinnati Bengals blog.

by Kirkendall on Feb 26, 2009 9:08 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

"If Palmer doesn’t have anyone to throw that ball to then what good are we"

If Cincinnati stokes the O-Line, re-signs Cedric Benson, brings back a healthy (this time!) Ben Utecht and maintains Chris Henry as the true deep threat that he is, I hold that you could put two cigar store indians out there on the ends and the Bengals STILL have a legitimate shot at a top-10 offense!

Without a big, mean, nastier-than-the-rest-of-the-division-put-together line, the vicious cycle just continues.

by TheWalrus1971 on Feb 26, 2009 3:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs