Dalton > Weeden
Recently I was the target of all the venom that Cleveland Browns fans could muster because I said that taking Brandon Weeden at #22 was a terrible pick.… [read more]
Projecting The Defensive Roster
Thanks to everyone who has voiced their opinions about how you think the Bengals' roster will shape up over the coming months. The great thing about discussions… [read more]
Who Makes The Cut? DL Edition
I may be in the minority, but I am more excited about the defensive line than any other position on the team. These nine guys will be the heart of the… [read more]
A Closer Look At The Browns
The AFC North is always tough, and 2011 was no exception. All four teams were in the top 10 in overall defense. They made up half of the AFC playoff teams,… [read more]
Who Makes The Cut? LB Edition
The Bengals have never had the reputation for having an intimidating group of linebackers like other teams in the AFC North. The last fearsome LB to roam… [read more]
Recent Posts
Dalton > Weeden
Recently I was the target of all the venom that Cleveland Browns fans could muster because I said that taking Brandon Weeden at #22 was a terrible pick. Some of that venom was toxic enough to set the Cuyahoga River on fire... again. A few of them made interesting comments, while others proved that Cleveland is entirely too close to the black hole of intelligent thought known as Pittsburgh. … [Read More...]
Projecting The Defensive Roster
Thanks to everyone who has voiced their opinions about how you think the Bengals' roster will shape up over the coming months. The great thing about discussions like this is that anything can still happen for the guys we like, and we can all learn something from each other, so keep those comments coming. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? DL Edition
I may be in the minority, but I am more excited about the defensive line than any other position on the team. These nine guys will be the heart of the team, causing confusion for QBs and headaches for OCs. Even though they were already a good unit in spite of a couple of free agent losses, the Bengals still made themselves even better in the offseason. … [Read More...]
A Closer Look At The Browns
The AFC North is always tough, and 2011 was no exception. All four teams were in the top 10 in overall defense. They made up half of the AFC playoff teams, going a combined 25-15 outside the division. Even the Browns were an almost respectable 4-6 outside the AFC North. 2012 should be similar. So getting a better look at the rest of the division to see what should be coming our way this year is wise. Let's begin an examination of the division by looking at the team at the other end of I-71. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? LB Edition
The Bengals have never had the reputation for having an intimidating group of linebackers like other teams in the AFC North. The last fearsome LB to roam the backfield in stripes was Takeo Spikes... not to slight a great guy like Brian Simmons. I wonder if (and pray that) they might have done something about that this year. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? CB Edition
Because he gets burnt every now and then, we sometimes forget that Leon Hall is a good corner. We got a good reminder of how good he is in the back half of the season when he tore his Achilles tendon. Nate Clements did an admirable job at trying to maintain the level, but the performance around him lagged, illustrating the need to address the position in the offseason. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? SS/FS Edition
I am excited about what the Bengals' defense could do this year. They made upgrades on a defensive line that was already pretty good, especially on the interior, which ought to benefit all of the guys behind them. The more pressure that the line can generate, the shorter time that the coverage guys have to cover. But let's start in the backfield with the group that concerns me the most, mainly because of how few choices there are, and that is the safeties. … [Read More...]
Projecting The Offensive Roster
I hope you have enjoyed this week's look through all of the guys on offense that are currently signed to the roster. Next week I will be doing the same with the defense. But before moving to the other side of the ball -- which I am pretty excited about -- let's put all of the pieces together to have one last look at the offense as a whole. … [Read More...]
Rookie Impact
The draft picks are beginning to make their way into the fold, with four of the ten rookies signed to their first professional deals. More should be joining them soon as the rookie minicamp gets underway this weekend. It is a wonderful thing to see drafts picks -- especially the talented haul of picks the Bengals netted this year -- quickly and quietly getting their deals done. God bless the rookie wage scale. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? OL Edition
I saved my favorite part of the offense for last. Because we naturally watch the ball, we rarely take a good look at what these guys are doing in live action. But what they do (or don't do) has a lot of bearing on the success (or lack thereof) of a play. The line needed of help at the end of the 2011 season, and the front office made a several moves to do just that. They did not heed the calls of fans to grab a dominant, expensive free agent, but they seem satisfied with what they have done. Are you? … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? RB Edition
The strength of the running game last year just was not there. Part of that had to do with the O-line. The Bengals could not run right if Bobbie Williams was not playing. And part of that had to do with the guy demanding the rock. The Bengals have brought in a number of guys in search of an upgrade, not just BJGE. There will be plenty to sort through in the backfield over the coming months. I will be watching this one closely. Will the fan favorites make the cut this year? I think the final selections just might surprise us. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? TE Edition
There were two moves in the draft that very few of us saw coming: the selection of Brandon Thompson in round 3 and the selection of Orson Charles two picks later in round 4. Neither was a pick based on need, but both were great value picks who deepen strengths of the team. I like the selection of Charles. The scouting report on him is really good, and his presence automatically creates a roster battle. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? WR Edition
This position is the biggest question mark on the roster for the offense, even though it is the most crowded position group on the team. Twelve guys are battling for six spots. The potential is huge. The experience level is frighteningly low. You may be surprised with my preliminary expectations for the receiver corps. Things may change several times between now and early September, but this group may look significantly different from last year. … [Read More...]
Who Makes The Cut? QB Edition
With the draft now in the books, the Bengals have pretty well filled out their roster, which the NFL has now expanded to 90. We have a while of nothing more than guys-in-shorts, but really, is it ever too early to start tinkering around with how the final roster might shake out? Of course not! Over the next couple of weeks I'll be separating the known from the yet-to-be-seen on the roster and how I think things could shake out. Let's begin with the field captains. … [Read More...]
Who Has The Advantage In The AFC North?
Despite going 9-7 last year and making the playoffs, the Bengals still finished third in the AFC North. But that will happen when you play in the toughest division in the AFC. At the risk of minor heresy, I was OK with a 3rd place finish for the Bengals this year. We have seen the Bengals leap from 4th to 1st in the division a couple of times, and the increase in difficulty of the schedule (and inflated egos) sent them right back to 4th each time. This lurching is hard on fans. As much as I want success, I want it to build up over a few seasons so that we can be confident that it will last … [Read More...]
A Burfict Storm?
Prior to the hot stove of the 2012 NFL draft was lit, many draftniks saw Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict as a first-round talent. Coming out of a state championship-winning team at Centennial High School in Corona, CA, Burfict was listed as a 5-star recruit by both Rivals.com and Scout.com and was the top high school linebacker in the country. This notoriety earned him an offer from Pac-10 powerhouse USC, though he’d eventually sign with Arizona State. At the time, ASU coach Dennis Erickson compared him to Ray Lewis of the Ravens, and that comparison rode with him … [Read More...]
Balance In AFC North Shifts A Little
Today, one fan base in the AFC North weeps while three shed no tears at all. News outlets are now confirming that Terrell Suggs has torn his Achilles tendon while playing basketball. Suggs was the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year and has wreaked havoc across the AFC North for years.A torn Achilles is the same injury that Leon Hall sustained nearly six months ago during a game against Pittsburgh. Suggs will have surgery to repair the tear next week. The expected recovery time for an Achilles tear is around 11 months, so this injury will definitely keep him out of the 2012 season. This … [Read More...]
Who Is Your Favorite Draft Pick?
Marvin and the PBS war room did the nearly impossible: they have elicited praise from the national sports media for their draft. High praise. And they deserve it. From everything we can know at this point, they did an outstanding job, matching need with value with pick after pick. With all of these great picks to choose from, which one are you most excited about seeing play at PBS in a few short months? … [Read More...]
WDW Episode 65 – Recapping the Bengals Draft
What a draft by the Cincinnati Bengals! By most accounts from some of the bigger "draft experts" around the league, the Bengals had one of, IF NOT, the best drafts in all of football. Timm couldn't make it this week so filling in for us is Sean O'Donnell from StripeHype.com and helping us break down the draft is Shane P. Hallam from DraftCountdown.com. … [Read More...]
Welcome to the Jungle Mohamed Sanu
You know the Bengals have some questions at Wide Receiver. You also knew they were going to address that at some point in the draft. The Bengals went out and got a great possession receiver in Mohamed Sanu. What this guy also brings to the table is the ability to decleate guys when making blocks for the offense. Watch the video below, for every catch there is a shot of Sanu laying the wood on some unsuspecting defender. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE2bWR0uRxg&feature=related CBS Draft Profile: Release: Too big and strong for most defenders at this level to test him in … [Read More...]
Welcome to the Jungle Devon Still
In the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft the Bengals selected Devon Still DT out of Penn State. The Bengals play in a division where it is important to have a big presence on the defensive line. Devon Still can be that presence. A guy that can wreak havoc in the backfield and disrupt plays. He will fit nicely on the Bengals rotation and many were surprised he made it out of the first round. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7-il4z0QRc His NFL Draft profile read: Still is one of the most NFL-ready interior lineman of this year's senior class and arguably one of the most polished and … [Read More...]
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