Biggest Need This Offseason: Bengals Have To Stock The Roster With Safeties

The Bengals certainly need a playmaking/difference-maker/enforcer at the safety position.

I like DeAndre McDaniel in the third round (his character concerns might cause him to drop that far). The kid has first round talent and is not afraid to mix it up. He also has tremendous ball skills, even though his pass coverage skills seemed to have dropped from the previous season.

If we look for more of an enforcer-type, I like Jeron Johnson as a possible mid-round pick. This guy is a big time hitter, a four year starter ( so he has played in some big games for Boise State), and a very aggressive and willing tackler ( classic ‘in the box’ safety). He is a little undersized, does not have blazing speed, and has had off the field issues, but overall I think JJ will be a more than productive NFL safety for a long time.

Should NOT be tendered an offer by the Bengals. By all accounts, Chinidum is a nice guy and very involved in the community, but the guy is a true liability (both in coverage and against the run) on defense. Specifically, I will make the argument that Ndukwe single handedly lost the game against Saints this year. I am generally against the notion that a single player can cost a team a win, but in this case ( game against the Saints) the film simply doesn’t lie. As an aside, I live outside of the 75-mile blackout radius ( and also have DirecTV’s NFL Sunday Ticket ), so I was able to watch the game (dvr-ed it as I do all Bengals games, so I can go back and watch).

The biggest issues after the Saints game was Pat Sims being drawn offside on the Saints game winning TD drive, as well as the whole clock mismanagement issue on the Bengals last drive. However, for people who were able to watch the game (and re-watch it, as I do), it was abundantly clear just how bad of a safety Ndukewe really is. For example, the Chris Ivory long TD run was a direct result of a comically bad angle Ndukwe took to make the play. if Ndukewe had been in the right place by not taking the absurdly wrong angle, the run would have been for 8 yards, instead of a 50- yard plus TD run. Then, in pass coverage, he took another horrendously bad angle to try to make a play on the ball, and the ball went over his hand, and was caught for a first down on a critical 3rd down play in the third quarter. The saints went on to score a TD on the same drive. If chinny takes a more reasonable angle on the third down pass play, he more than likely breaks up the pass, and the Saints are forced to punt.

I encourage all Bengals fans to google the Chris ivory TD run against the bengals and watch the angle Ndukwe takes. As I watched live on the day of that game, I literally jumped off my couch and had a few choice words for chinny.

Lastly, I have never took a liking to his ‘celebratory’ gesture he does when he makes a “big” play ( which, in his mind, is a routine tackle after a rb gains good yardage). We all know his gesture – the annoying one in which he uses his two thumbs to point to his last name on the back of his jersey. Hey Chinny, it’s NOT the name on the back of the jersey that matters, pal. I have always been extremely annoyed by this. Simply put, Ndukwe should NOT be re-signed.

Nelson did really well as a FS. Brandon Ghee should be converted to safety as the backup FS/SS.