It was somewhat of a surprise that the Bengals went after two wide receivers in the first four rounds with Coast Carolina's Jerome Simpson and Florida's Andre Caldwell. I asked Michael who runs the Alligator Army blog for the Florida Gators, what should we expect from Bubba Caldwell.

Do not listen to the analysts when they break down Andre Caldwell. Why? Andre Caldwell exists only on box scores and injury reports.

Bubba Caldwell is the guy the Bengals drafted. He is the guy I saw for four years in Gainesville, who went from just being a fast dude to a crafty receiver who could go over the middle and beat coverage long. I am biased because he is a Tampa guy and played in the same youth football league I was in. But for a third round pick, not only did the Bengals get a steal, but they got a player who is ready for the pros right now.

Caldwell's advantage is not his speed or his hands. It is his experience playing different roles. We don't know yet what the effects of the spread offense are on a NFL receiver. It's not the 'pro style' offense that you can break down easily, but how many guys line up at flanker, in the backfield, in the slot, or on the edge? Caldwell would do all of that in one series.

Durability is a concern as Caldwell struggled with a strained knee during the start of the season. Looking at his game log, the three games he missed were between games when the Gators rarely played him. Take out those two games and his yards per game goes from 76 to 93. When healthy, Caldwell can be a game changer. Tim Tebow's performance against South Carolina was tremendous (seven TDs), but Caldwell's 11 catches for 148 and a TD catch wasn't bad either. He also had six catches for 73 and a score in the wild Kentucky game, Caldwell's first game at 100 percent strength. Caldwell finished with 56 catches for 761 yards in 10 games.

Look at last year. Caldwell had only one game with triple digits in receiving yards, but he had 57 catches in 14 games including eight catches against Georgia, Vanderbilt, and Florida State. Against Alabama and LSU, it was five catches in each. Caldwell can be a possession guy who is too fast to be tracked across the middle or out wide where he will beat one-on-one coverage. (You know he ran a 4.37 forty right? And here's him running a 4.5 forty in a 66-yard TD run against FSU in 2006.) Plus, he did play against SEC defenses, and I think the folks in Ohio know it's hard to be successful against that.

There is one more thing to add. Since, "character issues," is always thrown around draft time, it's important to note there is none of that with Caldwell. When he first came to UF he was one of the super athletes Ron Zook recruited who never went to class and was allowed to do what ever he wanted. Thankfully Zook was sent to a place where 8-5 records make him eligible for Sainthood not the electric chair. Caldwell broke his leg the next season, took a medical redshirt, and became an elder statesman in the Urban Meyer regime. He was run blocking, going across the middle, doing the little things. He also started going to class and he graduated in December. He will be a great pro. But, please, call him Bubba.

Note, if you're pissed off about the draft, then I understand. I put a more positive spin on the post-draft wrap-up that I think, and believe, can help this team. If you want to prove differently, go for it.

If you were to ask me "how the Bengals did in this draft" with only one word, I'll go with "solid". Nothing here blows your mind. Nothing will really pump you up like a Carson Palmer pick, or the string of productive cornerbacks the past two seasons. If you were to let me use two words, I'd use "long run" -- drafting a bunch of guys that will likely not make an impression this year, but could be contributors in 2009 and beyond. Perhaps the word should be, contributors. Or role players.

Cris Carter. I love Cris Carter. I grew up watching him in Minnesota. I enjoyed him on HBO's Inside the NFL. And I thought he did a tremendous job on ESPN's Draft Show. Oh, and he said that the Bengals had the best draft.

Keith Rivers. The Bengals selected their man at linebacker for a long time and Lewis wasn't afraid to call Rivers an All-Pro for many seasons. The role of "foundation development" was supposed to take place during the 2005 NFL Draft with Odell Thurman and David Pollack. Three years later, Pollack is retired and Thurman is just now returning after a two-year suspension. Guys like Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson are gone. Rivers offers the team quality leadership, sustaining defensive stability and (I hate this phrase) high character.

Linebackers shaping up. Rivers was the guy Marvin Lewis and company targeted if defensive tackle mega-god Sedrick Ellis was picked. As it happens, the Saints swapped their first round pick with the Patriots and offered their third for Ellis. While we begged for mega-god defensive tackle, I believe the Bengals acquired additional intangibles with Rivers.

At this point, the Bengals first eight linebackers could look like this.

1. Keith Rivers
2. Ahmad Brooks
3. Dhani Jones
4. Rashad Jeanty
5. Odell Thurman
6. Corey Mays
7. Eric Henderson
8. Darryl Blackstock

Of course, 6-8, you could probably mix and match players like Angelo Craig, Roy Manning, Jim Maxwell or Anthony Schlegel. Even so, that list is far more encouraging than how it appeared last season. We have a good pool of linebackers to pick from during training camp. Don't you agree?

No Chad Trade... but acting like Chad is gone anyway. If the Bengals were to make a trade for Chad Johnson, it would have been on Saturday, if at all. It didn't happen. The Bengals did a good job stocking the position with two quality receivers that will likely compete for a spot anywhere between #2 and #5. We're assuming that Chad is a man of his word and never plays for the Bengals again. While it might seem that the position will be weak in 2008 with youth, the Bengals quietly created a youth movement with Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell to go along with Glenn Holt and Marcus Maxwell and Louisville wide receiver, Mario Urrutia. With T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the Bengals still have Antonio Chatman and Doug Gabriel for experience. And as long as Chad and T.J. get the bulk of the practice and playing time, we won't see how good these kids are. Perhaps it's about that time. Let's not lie to ourselves. We are, after all, entering a rebuilding season.

Also, you have to consider that T.J. Houshmandzadeh is entering the final year under contract.

What we missed. I thought for sure the Bengals would address defensive end. Now the Angelo Craig pick could mean that the Bengals will use him as an end (doubtful though). Or it could mean that the team is giving Frostee Rucker a shot and think that Jonathan Fanene can handle that role. If that were the case, the Bengals would have a decent four player rotation at end if Rucker shows up and Fanene sustains production. Not mind blowing, but serviceable with Robert Geathers and Antwan Odom as guys with productive sack seasons.

Setting up a future of new tackles -- but trouble could be brewing. The Bengals could be in serious trouble with their offensive linemen this time next year. Willie Anderson is simply getting older and we can't imagine he'll be able to work through many more seasons. Levi Jones has expressed an interest -- though far less demanding than Chad -- for a trade. Stacy Andrews is locked up for one season. And after playing with a franchise contract, we can't imagine he'll come cheap. Though how many tackles are?

I liked the Anthony Collins pick up. Most reports say he's not ready and will likely be the team's newest project like Andrews -- with great results, I might add. If that's the case, and it takes a good two years to develop the tackle from Kansas, then Collins could easily slid into right tackle once Anderson retires.

As for the left tackle, we can only guess that Levi Jones will settle disputes with his coaches and get back on board. Otherwise, Jones could find himself playing with the Bengals for the final season while the Bengals feverishly knock out a long-term deal with Andrews. Otherwise, look for the team to address offensive line in next year's draft -- it was a need this year, it could be a must next.

Circumstances prevented the Bengals from stock-piling talented tackles. Too many tackles were taken too quickly in this draft -- seven in the first round. And it wouldn't have made sense to that this year. Anything can happen from this point until next year where Jones is back on board and Andrews signs a long-term deal. So the Bengals did the right thing and pick up a guy with big upswing that will need to be mentored for some time.

The Bengals would be wise using patience with the offensive line until more questions are answered. So stock other positions.

Defensive tackles. I'm not going to lie. I can't envision Pat Sims bringing that much more than Domata Peko. Some of you might be fine with that, but I've never thought highly of Peko as an every down defensive tackle. Cincinnati also took a huge risk in Fresno State defensive tackle Jason Shirley coming into the draft with character concerns.

I do think that the Bengals filled a talent gap at defensive tackle at a whole -- but didn't cover the ground I would have liked. Once Ellis went early, the Bengals had to go with Rivers at linebacker. After that, they lost their opportunity with Kentwan Balmer. Many will, and perhaps should, cry out that the Bengals went after a small school receiver while Trevor Laws -- the fourth defensive tackle drafted -- went one spot later. Though one could argue that there will be minimal gaines between Laws and Sims so waiting until the third round might have been the right move. In the end, we just won't know for several seasons.

A potential sleeper tight end? The Bengals were scouting Fred Davis and Dustin Keller in detail assuming that the team would go after a tight end. While none of us thought that the team would pick one early, we knew they'd hit the position eventually. Matt Sherry brings more dynamics with the team than just a simple third tight end. Consider for a moment that Reggie Kelly would likely play more H-Back than before -- where his talents are best utilized. With Ben Utecht and Sherry lining up in double tight end sets, it gives the Bengals a good look with fast pass-catching tight ends. For example, the team could line up big with two tight ends and pass the ball rather than run like the defense might expect -- we are, after all, a team of trends.

Why I liked the Corey Lynch pick up. With Lynch the Bengals solidify a special teams unit that's incredibly frustrating. He's an in-your-face tackler that can lead a group of talented special teams players for us. He won't win games on defense. He won't scored touchdowns on defense. But he'll be the guy that makes sure the other team doesn't do well on special teams. Admit it, we need that!

Conclusion. From the comments, I can tell many of you are upset with the draft. I still think this team did well stocking positions, addressing their biggest needs early and immensely improved their special teams.

They didn't impress with improving talent on the defensive line, but once the first two rounds had gone by, it wasn't going to be a significant talent increase anyway.

Anyway, that's my opinion. What's yours.

Go here for the Day 2 Open Thread. Talk about the Caldwell pick here.

The Bengals drafting another wide receiver, two of the team's first four picks, is a bit surprising. We knew they'd go with at least one receiver early, but two? This is obvious in reaction to Chad Johnson sitting out -- or being traded. So it makes sense that the Bengals protect themselves and they still have enough picks to fulfill other needs. Still a bit surprising though.

More. I don't think this is a bad pick. Appears to even be a steal. Here's his stats.

Here's a highlight film.

Senior Bowl highlights -- which includes a Caldwell end-around for touchdown.

Caldwell was considered a second-round pick by Scouts, Inc. and ranked one spot higher than Jerome Simpson.

Strengths: Possesses adequate size potential and very good toughness. Displays good initial quickness. Can drive defenders off the line of scrimmage and shows the consistent ability to get open quickly. Does a solid job of finding soft spots in zone coverage. He possesses soft hands. Does a great job of adjusting to poorly thrown ball. Is able to pluck on the run and get upfield without losing much in transition. Runs hard after the catch and isn't afraid to lower his shoulder to initiate contact. He's extremely competitive and will compete for the ball in traffic. He is an aggressive receiver and stalk blocker. Gives a good effort when blocking and works to sustain. He shows good overall versatility as a receiver, including experience in the slot and split out wide, as well as on reverses. He also has experience returning kicks.

Weaknesses: Durability is a big concern due to season-ending leg injury in 2005, as well as knee and hamstring injuries in 2007. Top-end speed is good but not elite. He's quick and athletic but doesn't show good elusiveness in space. Fails to consistently make the first defender miss and doesn't shake enough tackles in the open field. He doesn't show enough creativity or explosiveness as an open-field runner. Has experience in the return game but doesn't project as an impact contributor in that facet of the NFL game.

Overall: Caldwell moved from wide receiver to quarterback as a senior in high school and led his team to a state championship. In his first four seasons at Florida (2003-'06), Caldwell appeared in 42 games (24 starts) and had 129 receptions for 1,588 yards (12.3 average) and nine touchdowns. In 2007, he had 56 catches for 761 yards (13.6 average) and seven touchdowns in 11 games (all starts). For his career, Caldwell also had 41 rushing attempts for 293 yards (7.1 average) and four TDs; two pass completions for 30 yards and a score; and 37 kickoff returns for 752 yards (20.3 average). Caldwell suffered a season-ending leg fracture in the Gators' third game of 2005 and was granted a medical redshirt. Last season he sat out two games because of a medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee and missed much of another game because of right hamstring strain. Caldwell's brother, Reche, is a former Gator and was San Diego's second-round pick in 2002. Caldwell does not possess elite speed as a vertical route runner and he lacks ideal elusiveness as an open-field runner, which is why he's unlikely to make a huge impact in the return game. He also comes with some durability baggage. However, he knows how to get open quickly and he possesses the size, agility, hands and toughness to emerge as a very solid No. 2 or No. 3 receiver in the NFL. He projects as a second-round pick in 2008.

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