With the news that David Pollack will miss 2007, no one was surprised. It would have been a near miracle to see #99 on the field at all. It makes you wonder Pollack's mind set. Will frustration amount towards a retirement? Will he regain confidence to throw his body around the field? Obviously, he has to do what's best for him. And by all accounts, he's found a certain peace with his religion and the support of his family. Still, Pollack is a gamer. And it's got to frustrate the hell out of him to be absent from the game for so long.
I believe linebacker is the most up-in-the-air position on this team. It's expected that Ahmad Brooks will start at middle linebacker. But if we see Odell Thurman return to a partial form we saw in 2005, I don't see Brooks holding the starting spot for long. Ed Hartwell is on the outside replacing the departed Brian Simmons. A history of serious injuries has me suspect that Hartwell can compete for a full season. By mid season, the post-training camp depth chart could be radically different.
Rashad Jeanty became a mainstay once Pollack's season prematurely ended. However, even Jeanty wasn't immune to the overwhelming injury bug that plagued the 2006 Bengals. He missed four games (Bengals went 1-3) after suffering a foot injury against Pittsburgh. NFL.com ranked Jeanty 7th on the team with 59 tackles -- Bengals.com has him tied for 8th with 55 tackles.
However, if the linebackers hold a good bill of health, then I don't project Jeanty to start. If I were a betting man, I'd suspect that Landon Johnson would hold that spot. Johnson's reputation as a high-numbered tackler should give him the edge.
All things considered, no change was made on the Projected 2007 Bengals Depth Chart after the official news about David Pollack.
- Ahmad Brooks
- Ed Hartwell
- Landon Johnson
- Rashad Jeanty
- Odell Thurman
- Eric Henderson
- Caleb Miller
- Earl Everett *
- Andre Frazier
- Matt Muncy *
- Cameron Siskowic *
Setting up Bengals 2007 Roster
Madieu Williams' Stock Going Down?
Updating Tight End Roster
2006 Final Roster