So I'm pretty sure all of you by now know I'm completely against taking Patrick Peterson at #4 overall. I don't deny it, he's an extremely rare physical specimen gifted with natural ability to play the game. That's cool, that's fine, and I appreciate that. Great player, all around, any team who lands him is gonna end up with one hell of a playmaker on that back end of their defense and can build around him for years to come.

But it shouldn't be us and I'll be pissed if it is us because, frankly, we don't need him.

I've heard complaints about A.J. Green, calling a WR at #4 a luxury pick. I've heard complaints about Julio Jones (he is more of a system fit which is exactly what we should be looking for). I've heard complaints about Blaine Gabbert, saying he's developmental. I've heard worries of Cam Newton's supposed off-the-field issues as well as his lack of any pure experience as a starting QB at a national level and how that translates to his skill at the position. I've heard worries about Bowers' knee and Fairley's immaturity (seriously, them Auburn players be grown manchilds, all they need is a good ol' hug from they mama and they be set straight).

But they would all be necessary and all help fill a need somewhere along the line. Do you know the two spots where the Bengals have no dire need?

CB and FS.

What positions does Patrick Peterson project to?

CB and FS.

A.J. Green may be a luxury pick but he'd fill a need and give us the best offensive playmaker in the draft. Patrick Peterson is the real luxury pick for us.

I mean, for all the talk about wanting Joseph to stay, why do you want to sign Peterson? Because we won't retain Hall if we sign Joseph? Does anyone remember Adam Jones? I get it, he's no Peterson, but what do you do with him for a year, let him rot on the depth chart behind our three guys and tell him to wait his turn? Since when does Mike Brown not start his first round draft pick in the Marvin Lewis era?

Twice: to give Carson Palmer time to learn the pro game in order to slowly ease him into the system and because Andre Smith can't keep his bloody foot healthy so Mike Brown literally could not play him.

So I don't buy this Patrick Peterson talk. I don't deny that he's a great player and we'll be kicking ourselves if we ever have to play him and he has a great game against us. But that's what you have to take when you have absolutely no need at a position. Do you think we'll be kicking ourselves for not getting Dez Bryant last year if he turns out to be a major superstar with Tony Romo? Probably not. We didn't need him then. We needed Gresham more. So we took him. And if he ends up as a super star, I don't think we'll be kicking ourselves as long as Gresham pans out (and really, hindsight is 20/20).

I mean, since when does Mike Brown not take a position of need? Palmer, Rivers, Hall, Joseph, Smith, Gresham, all picks for position of need at he time of selection. 

Here's what we need: offensive playmakers, DE depth, interior OLinemen, SS. That's it. Patrick Peterson is not any of those.

So draft Bowers. Draft A.J. Green. Draft Blaine Gabbert. I'm with CByers on this, those three men are probably the best picks we can make and I will be a happy man if we walk away with any of them. Fairley's mean streak is nice but we don't have a need at interior DLineman.