We've been keeping an eye on the developments of the actions of certain parties that oppose the NFL's "Blackout rule". About a month ago, the FCC came out and said that they will reconsider the policy this offseason because of the many complaints from fans. Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has been the most public figure in opposition to this policy and has been active in gathering support to his cause. After all, Cincinnati was responsible for six of the 16 total blackouts in 2011.

Despite that report from the FCC a few weeks back, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell proclaimed that the league is standing firm with the rule, claiming that the blackouts "have served the league well over the years" and "they want the stadiums filled." As it currently stands, the league works with the FCC to enact the policy.

Senator Brown has apparently been successful in garnering support to end the blackout rule, as four other U.S. Senators recently wrote a letter with Brown to the FCC.

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As the Bengals scouting department (both scouts) start combining rankings and scouting reports to come up with a consensus draft board, I'm also putting my own rankings aside to bring you the first Bengals-oriented big board of the draft season. This big board will evolve throughout the off-season as the Bengals fill their holes in free agency and prospects work out for scouts and NFL teams. I'll also try to keep an eye out for all of the mis-information that we'll be hearing until late April.

This board has already eliminated the elite prospects that have no shot at being available come picks 17 and 21(Luck, RG3, Kalil, and Claiborne). I have combined my own personal grades and rankings with others whom I trust (Not ESPN). Then I added in how each prospects fit into the Bengals plans and kept in mind the tendencies the Bengals have shown on draft day in the Marvin Lewis era. Punch all of those factors into the draft computer and out comes my list of the 25 prospects (in order) that the Bengals would draft. Somewhere amongst these players are at least two that will be wearing stripes in 2012.

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Before free agency opens on March 13, the Bengals can use the franchise tag on a player starting on Feb. 20. Some free agents are Reggie Nelson, Mike Nugent, Pat Sims and there are others that they should re-sign as well.

Do you think any player on the team's roster that is set to become a free agent is worth the franchise tag? If so, who should they use it on?

Go.

With the draft quickly approaching, mock drafts are piling up around the internet. Pick a position on the field, sans quarterback, and there is a mock draft that has the Bengals using one of their first round picks on that position. One of the most common positions these drafts have the Bengals selecting is RB, and one of the most common players the Bengals are predicted to select is Alabama RB Trent Richardson.

Comments concerning Richardson are endless and one of the most eye-catching is that Richardson is a better prospect coming out of college than Adrian Peterson was when he came out in 2007. This is very high praise for a running back as Peterson is widely known as one of the best, if not the best, running back in the NFL. One question that comes to mind, though, when talking about Richardson's prospectual value in the 2012 draft is that if he is that valuable (ranked no. 3 overall on Mel Kiper's Big Board) then why are many analysts projecting him to drop to no. 17?

If Richardson is passed up by 16 teams, is he really that valuable? Why would other teams, who have a mediocre or barely average running back, pass on the best RB since Adrian Peterson? If he is that valuable, would the Bengals be better off trading up to pick Richardson early?

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It's always an interesting situation with restricted free agents in the NFL. Though they carry the "free agent" name, they traditionally haven't had anywhere near the freedom that unrestricted free agents enjoy. Under the past Collective Bargaining Agreement, if a team wanted to lure a restricted free agent away, they would have to give up the hefty price of a first and third round pick as compensation. Needless to say, not many teams went that route and opted to roll the dice as a way to fill their roster.

With the heated battle between the NFL Owners and players last spring and summer, this was a point of contention. Players that fell into restricted status felt as if they were trapped and were constantly being forced into a situation like the Chargers' Vincent Jackson was in 2010. Owners felt that the compensation to a team for restricted free agent was way too steep and this caveat needed to be changed in the new CBA.

Though it may have been lost in the shuffle with all of the new CBA changes, this issue was ultimately altered in the new agreement, and it could have an effect on the Bengals and the free agency market as a whole this offseason.

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Ladies and gentlemen, the season is over which means it's time to get started on our annual CincyJungle.com mock draft. Last year, we had a great three-round mock draft in which I picked A.J. Green for the Bengals in the first round, Christian Ponder in the second round and Texas cornerback Curtis Brown in the third round.

For the rest of the teams, for those of you who are new, Cincy Jungle readers emailed us which non-AFC North team they would like to pick for and then once all that was taken care of, we got started.

So, first thing's first. If you would like to participate in the 2012 Cincy Jungle Mock Draft by making the picks for a non-AFC North team, here's what you have to do:

Email me at JasonGarrisonWhoDey [at] Yahoo [dot] com with the team you would like to pick for. The teams will go on a first come, first serve basis, but here's a few things to keep in mind....

• When you email me, include your contact information (best email to reach you at all times) so we can get ahold of you if we absolutely have to.
• Make sure that you have a Cincy Jungle account. You will need to if you want to participate. If you don't have one, set one up before you email me.
• Please pick a team that you are somewhat familiar with and tell me how you're familiar with them.
• Please do no pick the Bengals or any other AFC North teams.... they have been spoken for already.
• If you do pick a team, please be committed to keeping up with us and making your picks.
• Have fun with it.

So having said that, decide which non-AFC North team you would like to represent in our third annual Cincy Jungle Mock Draft and email me at JasonGarrisonWhoDey [at] Yahoo [dot] com. If the team you pick has already been selected, I'll let you know so you can pick another one. If you get the team you picked, I'll email you back to let you know it's all yours.

Thanks and we look forward to completing the 2012 Cincy Jungle mock draft with you.

UPDATE: As of now, the following teams have been spoken for:

• Dolphins
• Vikings
• Redskins
• Cowboys
• Lions
• Giants
• Raiders
• 49ers
• Eagles
• Panthers
• Packers
• Patriots
• Seahawks
• Chargers
• Buccaneers

For more from Cincy Jungle, make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Now that the 2011 season is over it's time to look over every last detail from the Bengals performance. At times they looked like an unstoppable force while there were other days that they looked like headless chickens running around the field. The offense did a respectable job considering it was led by two rookies. However, the defense was suppose to be the glue that held this unit together.

And for the most part it did.

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