Bengals Coach Expects More From Bernard Scott
by Nick_Crago on Feb 4, 2012 7:30 PM EST
Email
Print
Is it time for Bernard Scott to become a feature back? Bengals long time running backs coach Jim Anderson wants Scott to become more of a complete package before he can move into a starting role.
"He has that versatility, so we just expect for him to work on it, " Anderson said. 'We are going to work on it an everything so that he can be more of the total package."
Scott has spent most of his three seasons in the NFL backing up Cedric Benson. Benson is set to become an unrestricted free agent this March and appears unlikely to return. The question is if Scott can handle a full 16 game workload. He carried the ball 112 times for 380 yards and caught 13 passes for 38 yards in 2011, often providing a nice change of pace for Benson.
Along with Benson, third down back Brian Leonard is also due to become a free agent this March. Depending on what the Bengals decide to do with Benson and Leonard, there may be a changing of the guard at the running back position. Regardless of whether or not Scott is ready to handle the full load, expect the Bengals to attempt to upgrade at running back in either free agency or the draft in April.
The top running backs in the draft are Trent Richardson from Alabama, David Wilson from Virginia Tech, Lamar Miller from Miami, Doug Martin from Boise State, and LaMichael James from Oregon, according to Mike Mayock. Another back to keep in mind is Chris Polk from Washington.
43 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I think I'm alone in this
But I like an idea of having Scott Martin and James..u rotate quick with quicker and quicker with quickest…all bring speed but bring it in different ways… Scott is a one cut burst…Martin a power back with great vision and speed..James brings a different level of speed and is really quick to the edge…and they all can catch…just a thought
by beast_ on Feb 4, 2012 7:51 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Sort of an intriguing idea, but it would take going RB in both the 2nd and 3rd to make it happen.
The Giants did “earth, wind and fire” a while back. So you’re thinking wind, wind and wind?
I don’t mind the idea, but I’d like to have a bruiser somewhere in there. We don’t necessarily need a 240-pounder to be the feature back, but I’d like there to be one on the team who can get the tough yards. How nice would it be to get on the goal line and have confidence that there’s a guy on the roster who’s going to punch it in? It’s been a while.
I’d rather stay away from James and draft Martin (or David Wilson, or someone) in the second, or maybe Miller in the first. The rookie and Scott would be there, then we could pick up a big guy in FA or in the later rounds. That would be very formidable.
Cincy Jungle: Where the Rocky Mountains are in the Pacific Ocean
Miller and Scott would be ridiculous. Martin and Scott would be just as good.
"It’s time people started realizing just how good a player Carlos Dunlap already is, and that starts with the Bengals. They gave him a season-high 58 snaps and what was the result? Carnage on the right side of the Seattle line." -Pro Football Focus
we could get james in the fifth i think
i think pressley could handle goal line…something like a split formation with a gresham and pressley in the back field and green and our new WR on the outside…could hand it to gresh or pressley and then have route options too. just spit balling. and itd be more like lightning tornado and flash flood :)
Speed, speed, speed
Lets burn opposing defs w more speed in the backfield, (scott + 1) then oh wait, Aj Green over the top
by quickslant on Feb 4, 2012 9:21 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I think we need at least on big back
for the 3rd and short. Someone who could just pound right through the line, hole or no hole. I would love to draft Richardson as a big back and james for the quickness.
Scott didn't have the greatest year but...
The line was pretty horrible this year in regards to run blocking. It seem like whenever Scott got the ball the opssing D was in the back field too as soon as he got it! If they can fix that this offseason Scott will be ablle to make things happen. IIf not it won’t matter who is running the ball if they don’t. Scott got 2 of his 3 TD’s out of the shot gun formation so hopefully they recognize that is one of his strengths when the D is spread out to get him the ball in space… Him and another back splitting carries will bring the Running game back to Cicny and keep defenses of balance. Dalton learning the offense and audibles will help the running game too!!!
"Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, I then acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning."
If we finally upgrade the line appropriately..........
everyone will do more. Open the checkbook and make it happen Mikey and Marvin!
"The next person you see that throws something, point em out! You don’t live in Cleveland, you live in Cincinnati!"
- Sam Wyche
by The Van Buren Boys on Feb 4, 2012 8:55 PM EST reply actions
We need to upgrade the O line before!
I think that once that is taken care of, the sky is the limit for whoever we decide to acquire through the draft or via FA. I think in the North we need a quick back that can block and catch. Someone that Dalton can use on screen plays and such. The big play kind of running back will open it up more for Dalton to make the deep threat kind of throws. Can’t wait for Draft day!
by Adrk1178 on Feb 4, 2012 8:58 PM EST via mobile reply actions
We need two new running backs
I think scott has yet to come even close to proving he worth keeping around. I say we should draft a running back and sign one through free agency. I would love to have a new over haul at the running back position. I can’t imagine how well Dalton and Green would do with some decent run support.
What do you guys think Leonard could do in a starting role?
by Cincinnati222 on Feb 4, 2012 9:53 PM EST via mobile reply actions
A little less
than Hillis. And I mean Hillis during this year. So not so good. Leonard can’t make plays happen. He can only make due with what the O-line gives him. We need a back that is a treat every time he touches the ball.
Thats a good ?
Let him try. To be big dog
by njbengalstat on Feb 4, 2012 11:27 PM EST up reply actions
Run him and shipley til they r blue. West coast Leonard is perfect
Quick screen and stiff arm u in the face
by njbengalstat on Feb 4, 2012 11:31 PM EST up reply actions
Scott looked good his rookie year - since then ... meh
Broke some 60 yard runs, some good Kickoff returns – seemed explosive
Since then it hasn’t really happened. – don’t know if rookie year was a fluke, does not get enough touches – the idea that he could be a top notch back or contributor has taken two steps back
Doesn’t seem like quite enough info to tell yet – and he still under contract. The switch off w/Benson did not work – Scott not quite enough time and Benson grumpy on the side lines.
Pressley needs to be replaced in my opinion
We could pick up a big RB in the First or 2nd round & a good FB in the 6th round that would definately give us an advantage in the running game like Evan Rodriguez (WV) or Brad Smelley (Alabama) and we could put some effort in getting Scott up to Par and out run game could be much more Dynamic, and devoting a 6th round pick towards the run game is nothing in my opinion.
Even with a improved line
Scott as a starter will be a huge mistake. He will never be a feature back. If the Bengals go into training camp as the number 1, it will be egg on the face of this organization.
by EPK1979 on Feb 4, 2012 11:27 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Agree
But with a upgraded line Scott could produce,i dont think he is durable enough to be the 20-25 carry guy week in and out
Scott proved the year we had larry Johnson,and Benson got off that year,if there is room to run he can be very explosive
"A team is more than a group of individuals,its a group of individuals that come together to make a team"
scott wasn't complete enough to be a starter...
…but benson was? i don’t think it’s an issue of how complete scott is, but rather how durable or conditioned they perceive him to be. scott is more “complete” than benson, but more “complete” doesn’t always mean a better fit for what the coaches want.
this
CincyJungle.com Contributor for the NFL Draft
Follow me on Twitter @JoeGoodberry for Bengals & NFL Draft talk
by Joe Goodberry on Feb 5, 2012 2:02 PM EST via Android app up reply actions
Where are we going to run??
We cant even block up front, if we want to start having a lot of different combination of RB’s it starts with the O-line blocking ability and moving defenders off the ball
I know I'm gonna hear it...
…but I’m really tired of hearing about BScott and his “potential.” Unless a back has a serious injury, it should not take 3 to 4 years for one to win a starting job, especially on a club such as ours where the ball is being passed around to different backs. The superior back will simply rise to the top and take the spot that’s rightfully his, and with the way that Ced has run these last two years, it’s not like BScott hasn’t had that opportunity. A back either has it, or they don’t. Ced was running for a contract this year, and we were in the playoff hunt all season long. It’s not like a big contract and politics was keeping Ced in the starting role.
When Corey Dillon went down…did we hear about Rudi Johnson’s “untapped potential?” No, because Rudi grabbed his lunchpail and simply decimated everyone in his path until Corey became an afterthought and was shown the door. It’s because he had it, and wanted it, and in BScott (who has had plenty of time and opportunity)…I’m not sure if I see either.
I’d honestly like to see Ced Peerman get more carries than Scott next year. He reminds me of a young Rudi Johnson. He’s a little wrecking ball…small, shifty, and explosive, and if he plays the running back position in any way like he plays special teams, I think he can be a viable force to be reckoned with. Our own MJD. Or at the very least, a pint-sized version of Ickey Woods (he even wears his number!)
The ball isn't really being passed around
The incumbent always stays the incumbent until hey get hurt. I haven’t seen a time recently when the starter was benched for someone who was outplaying them until said person got hurt. I’m talking about all positions, not just RB.
I would say that the ball was passed around plenty this year...
And BScott had a lot of chances to cash in. He was receiving the majority of the carries on the teams second possessions, and was a part of the team’s no huddle packages on a number of occasions throughout the year. Ced was playing pretty lackluster for someone in a contract year, and for whatever reason, BScott couldn’t get the team to instill it’s faith in him, either on the field, in practice or on film. And Ced gave Scott every chance in the world to step up and take his job from him, ranging from suspensions, to late game ineffectiveness and let’s not forget that Ced was coughing up the ball like a sick Persian cat at the end of the season. The fact that Scott at that point STILL could not win the starting job says something to me. The opportunities were definitely there, and Scott just couldn’t push through because he’s not a feature back in this league.
by TrivialPsychic on Feb 6, 2012 2:18 AM EST up reply actions
Scott is a good utility back.
But I don’t think he will be much more than that. Scott’s problem is this—he isn’t that big, and he isn’t that fast. He’s good in the open field, making cut backs, etc. but he isn’t going to outrun or blast over too many people. I could see him as being an effective part of a RBBC and I still believe that we need to find more ways to get him the ball through the air but I don’t ever foresee him as getting more than 15 touches a game.
Hammer and sicle
We need a guy that just pulverise a defense on the runs where we need a yard or less,and then a guy,that can cut through the defense to keep the defense honest so we can go over the top to AJ. If we can accomplish that then we have play action working for us and if dalton could learn to do it where he even fakes out the camera man omg what a scary offense.
Biggest problem is 4 RB
Can’t think of another team off hand with this many. It’s like a handbrake on our offence
One of them (Peerman) only plays special teams. If the Bengals carried 3 runningbacks, which position would you add another guy to?
Paul Brown Stadium, where everyone's hopes go to die.
To the O-line
to have more depth for injuries
OLine or 3rd QB
If they were all contributing to run game then probably wouldn’t be a problem It’s too much of a luxury as it is now. With Peerman the most baffling thing was why he wasn’t used as RB at all when Benson was out. Depth on the whole team is a major issue especially the OLIne
4 average RB
I would like to draft Trent Richardson cuz he would be a true everydown feature back. But I dont think he will be there at 17 and I wouldn’t want to give up a bunch to trade up for him. I think FA will be the way to go for our stating RB, like Michael Bush or Marshawn Beast Mode Lynch. If we do get a RB in FA then we could draft a speed guy in the later rounds for a change of pace like LaMichael James
I totally agree
I think we need two new running backs. Whether we draft both. Or on from FA. I love the thought of having Richardson and James. Good way to mix it up. And by drafting two also helps protect us from if we draft someone and they turn out a bust, then the other one could step up
Scott is a complimentary back at best.
We saw the emergence of the 2 back system with 2 guys that could be starters. It’s not that easy to find 2 starter quality backs so now it’s 1 starter and a complimentary back. We really didn’t have either this season. IMO they knew that Benson would be shown the door so they gave Scott some carries so they could really see what they had in him. Which again IMO wasn’t much. If keeping Scott saves us from using 2 picks on RB’s than that’s fine but we need someone that is way better to carry the load.
by Bigcatdaddy on Feb 5, 2012 1:55 PM EST via Android app reply actions
Total Fluff
Why do coaches say things that are completely meaningless? After 3 years of developing Scott into a role player we now think we can make him a complete player in 3 months. C’mon!
Scott is what he is. He is either a complete RB that has not been given the opporutnity to show it OR he is an incomplete RB and he always will be. You can’t change people in an offseason.
Are we still looking @ that kid in canada
the 6’4" 250lb bruiser? i know hes recovering from injury any timeline when we could work him out?
I dont know
But I know we worked him out twice during the season. Maybe the injury scared the Bengals off
by EPK1979 on Feb 6, 2012 9:48 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
GET REAL....YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST, BUT WE SHOULD.......
Drop both Scott and Benson. Scott reached his ceiling years ago and Benson doesn’t have it all. With FA Matt Forte and Ray Rice about to hit the market (although we won’t get either), we should at least kick the tires on both of these guys. If they are not available, keep Leonard and Peerman, draft some form of combination from James/Miller/Richardson with 2 of our first 3 picks. Ideally we need Forte or Rice, but that’s just not gonna happen…but I can dream.
"Winning isn't eveything, it's the only thing."
I would actually be okay with this...
… we need to remake the RB corps and the guy I would say is a “lock” is Leonard.
Clean the backfield
Benson & Scott OUT (Leonard is under contract through 2012, Peerman is useful for ST, Pressley is average FB).
Sign Hillis, draft Miller/Martin/Wilson/Polk (2nd round)
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Cincy Jungle
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Alex Smith vs. Cam Newton should be a referendum for Newton’s amazing rookie season
- Things to know about NFL men who served in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam
- How Kyle Orton almost cost the Colts Andrew Luck
- Detroit Lions DT Nick Fairley arrested again; now has more NFL arrests than NFL sacks
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
