Drafting linemen in the first two rounds, only way to go. I disagree with Geoff Hobson's assessment that if the Bengals decide to start Anthony Collins and/or Andrew Whitworth at tackle next season, that they'd need the experience of Bobbie Williams at guard -- if they can't adjust during off-season camps, then maybe they shouldn't be here. The question he responds to is simple, why not move Williams at center? It would be a tremendous failure on the Bengals part to draft less than two offensive linemen during the first day; a tackle in the first, a center in the second. Keep Williams and Whitworth at guard, while thinking guard in the 2010 NFL draft. There's good talent there in the draft, especially at tackle and center. We're not in need of skill players, and a great offensive line can make running backs like Rudi Johnson look great and prevent us from using a backup quarterback through 3/4ths of the season.
Look, I love Beanie Wells, and I suspect that many Cincinnatians are looking at him during the first day. However, he's not going to do much with our offensive line. Nor has he put to rest the obvious durability issues that I believe could pose serious concerns with NFL teams.
Updating our IR Starting lineup. Nine players, who have started at least one game this season (including long-time starter Jeremi Johnson), are on Injured Reserve -- if you include Carson Palmer who would be on IR with any other team. Since we didn't update our list yet with Eric Henderson, we figured now is as good as any. The starting lineup is still missing defensive tackles; however we can place Henderson at OLB (of course, with limited experience) to give us a starting lineup with three linebackers. We also can move our offensive line around to complete our offensive starting lineup. And yes, I think the starting IR offensive lineup could probably put up more points than what we're putting on the field Sunday.
QB: Carson Palmer (eventually, I'm sure)
RB: DeDe Dorsey
FB: Jeremi Johnson, Reagan Maui'a
WR: Antonio Chatman, Marcus Maxwell
TE: Matt Sherry
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Scott Kooistra, Kirk Barton
C: Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook
RG: Justin Britt
RT:
DE: Frostee Rucker, Robert Geathers, Eric Henderson
DT:
LB: Keith Rivers, Abdul Hodge
CB: Johnathan Joseph, Ethan Kilmer
S: Dexter Jackson, Corey Lynch, Herana-Daze Jones, Marvin White
- Justin Britt (G)
- Antonio Chatman (WR)
- Kyle Cook (C)
- DeDe Dorsey (RB)
- Robert Geathers (DE)
- Abdul Hodge (LB)
- Dexter Jackson (S)
- Jeremi Johnson (FB)
- Johnathan Joseph (CB)
- Corey Lynch (S)
- Reagan Maui'a (FB)
- Keith Rivers (LB)
- Frostee Rucker (DE)
- Dan Santucci (C)
- Matt Sherry (TE)
- Ethan Kilmer (S/CB)
- Marcus Maxwell (WR)
- Herana-Daze Jones (S)
- Scott Kooistra (T/G)
- Andrew Whitworth (G)
- Marvin White (S)
- Kirk Barton (G/T)
- Eric Henderson (DE)
More, more, so much more in store for the bore. Ryan Fitzpatrick is auditioning for a job next season... one on one with Willie Anderson... Chris Perry and Chinedum Ndukwe sat Friday's practice (Perry is out Sunday)... Chick Ludwig agrees with Cincy Jungle, the Bengals could pull this one out (aka trap game)... finishing 4-11-1 looks better (yeap, it's true).
Lewis on Jason Shirley (link to C Trent):
"I see new life in Jason Shirley, he had a much better practice week than he’s had the entire season for getting to play however many snaps he got to play in the last game. And it’s just different when you get a chance to go out there and play and then you get a chance to see. It’s like a new lease on life and it gets you enthused and excited when you know you’re going to have a chance to play, if you haven’t had a chance to play. It’s tough for a young guy to come in and not play, or any players. Ask Carson. It’s tough when you don’t get to play."
Lewis is super-cereal about the future.
"I think what it does is give -- there are a lot of young guys out there playing -- it's a lot of guys, if you look, there are five or six guys who were here a season ago, which is amazing thing. You have some guys who are injured who are going to be the core of your football team. And you have new guys who are going to have the chance to experience the growth and development, not only in themselves, but as a football team. When you get your other guys back and you're ready to start a new season, and they've got something to do prove, but we're getting to see other guys mature and round up and round into better spots and so forth, like Kyries (Hebert) and some of these other guys. It's amazing, Chris Crocker, etc., there are some guys. When I looked in, hell, there are 30 heads in the defensive meeting room because of all the guys on IR. So, I mean, that's a lot of people. You're going to add some new people and better people."
"I do," he said. "I think we found some of those guys. I see new life in Jason Shirley, he had a much better practice week than he's had the entire season for getting to play however many snaps he got to play in the last game. And it's just different when you get a chance to go out there and play and then you get a chance to see. It's like a new lease on life and it gets you enthused and excited when you know you're going to have a chance to play, if you haven't had a chance to play. It's tough for a young guy to come in and not play, or any players. Ask Carson (Palmer). It's tough when you don't get to play."
As for the title of this post, well, it had little to do with the Bengals. I just super-love this episode of Al Gore's making us aware of Manbearpig.