Good morning Bengals Nation! I hope your day is starting off on the right foot. By that I mean you weren't stuck in an endless amount of traffic going to work, were on time for work, dodged a bullet of having to deal with that one coworker who only talks about the same thing day after day after day after...okay you get the point, and that you had one of those Texas Egg and Cheese biscuits from Waffle House. Those things are scrumdiddlyumptious.
Alright so who has two thumbs and is excited for the future of the Bengals? This guy, that's who. Then again, I'm sure I'm not the only one. For once the Bengals have a solid foundation of youth on both sides of the gridiron. And I feel as if that's never been the case in my lifetime. It's definitely the first time that the Bengals have had two talented groups of players on the field. And I'm meaning as a whole unit for offense and defense not just individual players.
The Bengals are in solid condition to make a run at the playoffs next season and for years to come with the tandem of Andy Dalton, A.J. Green, and Jermaine Gresham on offense and Leon Hall, Carlos Dunlap, Rey Maualuga, and Geno Atkins on defense. As long as they retain all of them for years to come the Bengals will have a nice run for quite a few years. And as long as they make wise decisions during the draft and with free agent signings then they are undoubtedly going to be considered a legitimate contender.
But first thing is first. Cincinnati will have to prove that this season wasn't a fluke by any means. I'm not saying it was. I believe in this team like everyone else within Bengals country, but I guarantee you that there are still plenty of people, (fans, officials from around the league, etc.) who are going to contend that the Bengals performance from this season will be nothing more than a mirage one year from now. But we all know that's not the case.
Dare I say it, but if Mike Brown keeps making similar moves he made over the course of the past year then the Bengals are going to be battling with the Steelers and Ravens on a yearly basis and not just once every four years.
Alright here is a look at what you may have missed or overlooked from Wednesday.
- Are any of you interested in writing for Cincy Jungle? Well, if so then you're in luck because we're in need of some bloggers.
- When football "guru" Mel Kiper and his hair graded the Bengals 2011 draft he originally gave them an A- but now he has re-graded the Bengals 2011 draft to a much more acceptable grade.
- Jay Gruden believes that A.J. Green needs to improve his route running and recognizing coverages. And hopefully after getting one season under his belt Green will be able to make the necessary strides to become an elite receiver. Gruden also believes that once Jermaine Gresham gets the ball then he will be a dominant force.
- ow that the 2011 season is over it's time to review the team position by position. And the grades are starting to trickle in starting with quarterback.
- Check out this week's mailbag.
- It's "believed" that Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga will soon be undergoing ankle surgery. Let's hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.