A few notes that have impacts with the Bengals. But a quick note about the site. There have been serious hardware issues that the techies at SB Nation have been addressing the past two days. They claim that everything should be stabilized now. Let's move on.
A fairly healthy percentage of mock drafts are giving Sedrick Ellis the nod as the Bengals clear-cut choice. And most people are fairly satisfied with that pick. We need a talented defensive tackle, badly. But there's a scenario developing. The Rams, it would appear, are favoring LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey as the second pick in the NFL Draft -- not allowing the Rams to go ahead and negotiate with their choice simply because of television coverage is ludicrous.
The New Orleans Saints also see Dorsey as a coveted pick, but they appear to be looking at defensive tackle nonetheless. Here's the problem. They've made it clear that they're interested in moving up the draft. It was generally expected that the Saints would jump several spots to pick Dorsey. But if the Saints leap-frog the Bengals, then Sedrick Ellis may be playing in the Bayou instead of the Queen City. I believe if the Bengals miss Ellis, it will be New Orleans that screws it up for us. Pete Prisco reports that the Saints are in trade discussions with the Rams, swapping first round picks and sending the Saints' starting left tackle to St. Louis. This could work out for us provided either the Rams or Saints pick behind the Bengals.
Palmer supports drafting Ellis while admitted Bengals fan, Kirk Herbstreit puts the smack down on the Cincinnati Bengals.
"I don't know if he fits in Cincinnati because he's too good a character. And yet, is he going to fall into the great abyss of the Cincinnati Bengals or is he going to be able to overcome that?"
"It's an embarrassment to this point," Herbstreit said. "I've been a Bengals fan my entire life, and I really feel at this point — I'm a big Marvin Lewis supporter and fan — but I think he and the staff have created the situation that they're in with Chad Johnson.
"I don't feel pity. I don't feel sorry for them. They kind of had rules for the team and then rules for Chad. This is where you are. Everybody has to be treated the same. In my opinion, this team is back to where we were four or five years ago."
Ouch! It would seem that Bengals and Reds fans are back to common ground -- other than playing in the same city of course. While the Reds are generally a depressing team to watch down the stretch of any season, the Bengals are depressing, well, all the time. Then the Reds introduce new ownership and hope went through the roof similar to how hope exploded after Marvin Lewis was hired. Now, the Reds fire their GM Wayne Krivsky and Reds fans are, while not depressed or anything like that, aren't so sure which direction this team will go. Bengals fans? Well, we kind of expect the worse and go ape-shit when the best (or better than "worse") actually shows up.
On support for Leodis McKelvin.
McKelvin likens himself as the next godly return man like Devin Hester. With the Patriots picking seventh, would they select him to replace Asante Samuel?
On support for Keith Rivers.
I'm with Mark Curnutte on this one. If Ellis isn't available, go after Keith Rivers. It's not that McKelvin is a bad talent or couldn't be useful. But Rivers would be a far more effective player playing nearly every defensive down rather than nickel and a few punt returns -- provided of course that we actually make the opposing offense punt.
I believe... maybe we should think Rivers over Ellis?
It's becoming clear that the Bengals are down to USC's Ellis and Rivers on their board -- with Ellis first. Even so, would you mind if the Bengals jumped Ellis for Rivers? As said on this blog before, there's serviceable talent at defensive tackle later in the draft. But the general consensus is that Rivers is the best linebacker while Ellis is not the best defensive tackle. Perhaps Rivers first, defensive tackle in the second round. There, you addressed two needs with decent talent on defense. With a returning Odell Thurman, two first round cornerbacks, you have to think this defense would immensely improve. Right? I know, I know. It's the Bengals. Blah, blah.