Post-Draft Thoughts

Looking back on Saturday morning, I wasn't enthusiastic about the likelihood of the Bengals draft Andre Smith over Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe. Now that I've had a day or two to absorb the draft, I think I can say the Bengals actually did a pretty good job. There is a lot of potential in this draft class; but the problem is that all these players are going to take work to make them starters in the NFL. The got players who are very athletic and have great potential, and most of these players the Bengals got as "steals" by taking later than they were projected to be picked. The problem is that the reason these players slid in the draft was questions over character issues and work ethic.

Rey Maualuga (inside linebacker, USC) was projected to go as high as the middle of the first round, so he was something of a steal at the sixth pick of the second round. Defensive end Michael Johnson (Georgia Tech) was a great value at the top of round three, and adding tight end Chase Coffman (Missouri) later that round should give Carson Palmer another weapon on offensive. The Bengals finally addressed their gaping whole at center in the fourth round with Jonathan Luigs (Arkansas) and fifth-round pick Kevin Huber (Cincinnati) should be a big upgrade over Kyle Larson at punter (and I'm biased towards that pick since Huber is a Cincinnati native and UC alum).

The one pick that I really did not like came in the sixth round with Bernard Scott, a running back from Abilene Christian with quite a checkered past: offenses include being being suspended from football his senior year of high school, attending for different colleges, being arrested at least five times, and being kicked off the team at Central Arkansas for punching a coach. Basically, this guy sounds like Chris Henry II. Now considering that Scott is a sixth round pick, there's a chance he doesn't make the team anyway--and he's easy to cut if he does get into trouble--but since there were other running backs available who were just as good if not better, it was a needless risk. All the picks are listed here.

The way I see it, the coaches have placed a lot of pressure on themselves with this draft. Players like Smith, Maualuga, Johnson, and Brown all have huge potential, but it will take a lot of coaching and motivation to get them there. A number of the players already have legal incidents and other trouble in their pasts: Smith's Sugar Bowl suspension and pre-draft mishaps, Maualuga has been arrested, Johnson is reported to be unmotivated at times, and Brown seems to idolize Pacman Jones. These guys could turn into great NFL players, but it will be up to the coaches to motivate them enough to perform at their best and stay out of trouble.

Since draft grades are so popular, if I was going to grade the Bengals' draft, at this point in time I would give it a B. There are only a couple players that could come in almost right away and be good players. Most of these guys are going to be a project, and there is potential for huge embaressment if these guys screw up. This draft could end up scoring as high as an A or if could drop much lower. It all depends on what Marvin Lewis and company can do with these talented rookies.

NFL Draft Day

The NFL draft is today, which I'm looking forward to for a few reasons, but mainly to watch the Cincinnati Bengals set themselves up for another year of failure and to see where the large crop of players from the University of Cincinnati get drafted.

Nearly all mock drafts I've seen have the Bengals drafting Alabama offensive tackle Andre Smith, which I believe is a terrible choice as Smith has proven himself to be unstable and out of shape (suspended by Alabama for the Sugar Bowl game last year, randomly disappeared from the NFL combine, and showed up overweight to Alabama's Pro Day). Most alarming is this report that the Bengals are planning on taking Andre Smith even if Eugene Monroe or Jason Smith--almost universally regarded as the top two OTs in the draft--falls to them at the number six pick. Most signs point to St. Louis selecting Jason Smith with the second pick, but there is a decent chance of Monroe still being on the board when the Bengals are on the clock. The Bengals certainly need to take an offensive tackle, but passing on Monroe for A. Smith will be an enormous mistake. We'll see what happens in a couple hours.

beat my compassion black and blue

Chad Johnson is running his mouth again, and continuing to poison his relationship with teammates and fans in Cincinnati. This time he lashed out against one of the only Bengals who he previously claimed still had his back--Carson Palmer. Johnson refuted Palmer's comments that Chad told him he would report to the Bengals' mandatory mini-camp, stating, "I wish (Palmer) would stay out of my business." Johnson reiterated that he had no plans to report to anything related to the Bengals and wanted to be traded as soon as possible. This is clearly an attempt by Johnson to burn one of his last remaining bridges with the team.

Although I would really like to see Chad shipped out of Cincinnati at this point, I think that Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis are making the right decision to hold firm and refuse to trade him. Trading Johnson would be an 8 million dollar salary-cap hit against the Bengals, which would really cripple them financially this season. This is a key factor that a lot of the "experts" seem to ignore when talking about the Chad situation. Since getting rid of Chad is out of the question, part of me hopes he will realize he won't be traded and decide to shut his mouth and play football. Given how emotional and stubborn the man is, I have a hard time believing that will happen.

Since he is doing everything possible to ruin his relationship with his teammates--most importantly Carson Palmer--I don't see how Chad could end up having a successful year for the Bengals. If he plays, I think he will end up being a distraction, dropping balls and moaning when he doesn't feel he's getting enough attention. Maybe this is me being vindictive, but I'd feel perfectly fine with Johnson being left to rot on the bench for the next three seasons. I think his absence will hurt the offense badly--especially after Chris Henry's departure--but unless he is willing to drop his selfish attitude, I don't see a good alternative.

Rob showed me a good article from Paul Daugherty on the Chad issue. Daugherty's take is that the Bengals should just cut their losses and trade Chad now. Yes, the $8 million cap hit will hurt, but since the chances of getting a productive season out of Chad are slim, we'll be losing that $8 million either way. At least by trading him the Bengals would get something in return and Johnson wouldn't be around to torpedo the season. It's a good point, but the vengeful side of me wants to see him wasting away on the bench. Although the idea of "punishing" him by trading him to a team like the Raiders or Dolphins that had no decent quarterbacks does sound intriguing. Either way, one thing is for certain: I need to get a new Bengals jersey.

it's good for you

Marvin Lewis has been talking about "blowing things up" this offseason in regards to the Bengals' personnel, so it sounds like the players had better get ready for a shakedown before next season. I think there will be a handful of defensive free agents--guys like Justin Smith, who recorded a measly two sacks this season, as well as Landon Johnson, Dexter Jackson, and Bryan Robinson--who won't be returning. I wouldn't be shocked to see Madieu Williams leave as well; another decent-but-not-outstanding season was hampered by injuries and rookie safety Chinedum Ndukwe has been outstanding as his replacement. They might not all be gone, but i don't see most of them coming back. Hopefully they will resign some of the free agents who had a big impact this year, like linebacker Dhani Jones. From the sound of it, Lewis is even going to look into revamping the playbook and evaluating the entire staff, although I don't think we'll see any major changes in the coaching positions.

Both Lewis and Carson Palmer have made comments that they think the team needs an attitude change, which leads to wonder what will happen to some players who are not free agents. Will Henry be cut loose if they decide that keeping him isn't worth the risk after he never got completely up to speed in 2007 after being suspended the first half of the season?

What about Chad Johnson? I don't think Marvin Lewis likes having him around with his occasional emotional baggage, and I think Chad is more disgruntled with Cincinnati after being burned by the media this year. I think if it was left up to Lewis, he'd look to trade Chad, but since Mike Brown has said that Chad won't be leaving then nothing will happen unless Brown changes his mind. I think getting rid of Chad would be a mistake; as good as T.J. Houshmanzadeh has been, I still don't think he could be as effective as a first wide receiver.

There could be some changes on the offensive line, although considering how long it took the line to get a rhythm going this year after some injuries and losing Eric Steinbach to free agency, they might not want to tamper to with it. If they do, I think Levi Jones might be one to go. He had his own attitude problems early in the season and I wouldn't be surprised if that, along with his injury problems and expensive contract, led him to being dismissed. It's not likely, but it could happen depending on how much Marvin wants to clean house. Willie Anderson also may not be back after being injured much of this past year, although if he leaves it will be on his own terms through retirement.

Then comes the problem with the running backs. There are five potential running backs--Rudi Johnson, Kenny Watson, DeDe Dorsey, Kenny Irons, and Chris Perry--and it is likely the Bengals will only keep three (I'm not counting fullback Jeremi Johnson). Rudi Johnson was hampered by injuries for most of 2007 and played poorly most of the time. Do you dump him after one bad year and hope that Kenny Watson handle being the lead back all season? If both Chris Perry and Kenny Irons are healthy, I would think they'd have to go with Irons over Perry. You'd have to hope that Irons' injury was simply a fluke, so you have to keep him over the injury-prone bust that Perry has become. DeDe Dorsey showed too much potential to simply cut him, but it's doubtful you could get anything in a trade for him. The only back that has any trade value would be Rudi, but even that might be hindered by his injuries this year. It will be interesting to see what they do.

Looking ahead to the 2008 season, the good news is that the Bengals have the ninth pick overall in the draft, so they should be set to get a good defensive lineman or linebacker. The bad news is that the Bengals likely face a tougher schedule than they did in 2007. They play eight games against playoff teams (counting Pittsburgh twice) and the two toughest divisions in football: the AFC South, where the worst team (Houston) was 8-8 and three teams made the playoffs, and the NFC East, where once again no team had a losing record and three teams made the playoffs (Philadelphia came in last with an 8-8 record). The Bengals only play three teams with losing records in 2007, including the 5-11 Baltimore Ravens twice, as well as the New York Jets and the Kansas City Chiefs, both of whom went 4-12 in 2007. The combined record from 2007 for the Bengals 2008 opponents is 115-93.

Unfortunately, next season could be another long one. If Marvin Lewis and Mike Brown decide to really shake things up, next year could be more of a rebuilding year than a competitive one, especially with such a daunting schedule.

clamped on with your iron fists

I was going to try to write about something other than football this week, but that was ruined when ESPN reported that NFL Comissioner Roger Goodell has reinstated Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams. Williams retired from the Dolphins before the 2004 season rather than take a four-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy. After returning in 2005, Williams was banned for the entire 2006 football season. It was reported that Williams failed a fifth drug test in the spring of 2007. Still, none of this stopped Goodell from reinstating the league's most notorious offender of their substance abuse policy for the rest of the 2007 season. This latest news is the ultimate example of how unfair Goodell's treatment of the Cincinnati Bengals has been, since Goodell refused to reinstate Odell Thurman, who had fewer offenses than Williams and the recently reinstated Koren Robinson. As bad as Goodell has been, I had a hard time believing that he would actually reinstate Williams. It appears I was very wrong.

The following passage is a rant I sent to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com:

How glaringly obvious is Roger Goodell's anti-Bengals bias after today's announcement that Ricky Williams would be reinstated to the NFL, while Odell Thurman still sits suspended? Goodell has now reinstated Williams and Koren Robinson, two players who had many more offenses than Thurman, but only Odell has been singled out for extra punishment. Goodell has done nothing but play favorites when it comes to punishing players and coaches. His punishments have been arbitrary and inconsistent. There's no logical explanation why Thurman would be denied reinstate while players with similar cases are allowed to play again.

On a similar note, there's the NFL Player Association's announcement that it would appeal Goodell's decision not to shorten Pacman Jone's suspension, but the NFLPA has left Thurman--who has had far fewer run-ins with the law than Jones--to fend for him self. Is there any other conclusion we can come to other than that Thurman is being treated this way because he is a Bengal?

I have said it before and I will say it again: the NFL's system is broken. One man cannot make these kind of decisions. There needs to be some kind of panel that doles out punishment and rules on suspensions and fines. I'm sick of Goodell waking up on the wrong side of the bed and deciding to lash out at a Bengals player--like with the completely unfounded one game suspension of Jonathan Joseph earlier in the season.

Mike Brown needs to start making some noise. As the owner, he's the only one with any real pull with the commissioner, and the only chance the Bengals have of defending their players. I want to make it perfectly clear: I think Bengals players who break the rules should be punished. But they need to be punished to the same degree as everyone else. My problem isn't that Williams was reinstated, it's that Williams was reinstated while Thurman was not. The bad news is that Goodell is only a couple years into his tenure as commissioner, and it wouldn't surprise me to see him turn the NFL into the kind of disaster that other major leagues like the NBA and MLB have become. He's done little to uphold the integrity of the game by giving cheaters mere slaps on the wrists, issuing cease-and-desist letters over petty issues like church Super Bowl parties, and trying to take away the contribution of fans at home games. I think the next few years will result with the continued alienation of fans, sending the NFL down a slippery slope of mediocrity.

raised to be lowered

I was all set yesterday to make a post outlining how disgusted I am with the Bengals before swearing off commenting on them for the rest of the season, but anger faded into concern when Chad Johnson was sandwiched between two Bills defenders and carted off the field on a backboard. Although it doesn't sound like Johnson's condition is too serious, I haven't able to regain the biting criticism I was prepared to unleash yesterday. Still, I decided to run down the laundry list of problems I see with the Bengals this year, and the small silver linings on this dark season.

The Bad

• The Defense - You could write a book on all the problems with this defense. While some positions have been hit hard by injury, the performance by those on the field is inexcusable. Terrible pass coverage. No pass rush. Unable to stop the run. Countless missed tackles. The list could go on and on. The defense is constantly giving up big plays and allowing mediocre players to look like superstars against them. Things hit their lowest point yesterday when the Bills, who had scored only six touchdowns on offense in their first seven games, scored three yesterday as rookie running back Marshawn Linch had his first 100-yard rushing game of the season with 153, topped by a 56-yard touchdown run where Linch shrugged off his would-be tacklers two yards behind the line of scrimmage and ran free to the end zone. This horrible crew is on pace to allow the most yards and points ever for a Bengals defense, and the third most points allowed by any defense in NFL history.
  
• The Offensive Line - Also hit by a few injuries, the offensive line has had a terrible year. They've been unable to open holes for the running game all season, another stat that reached rock bottom yesterday when the Bengals accumulated the fewest rushing yards even with Lewis as coach--only 28 yards against the NFL's 24th ranked rush defense. The unit also needs to do a better job protecting Carson Palmer and giving him time to throw. Although Palmer's sack total is low, I attribute most of that to Palmer getting rid of the ball under pressure.
  
• Chad Johnson - Johnson has been a shell of his former self this year. After scoring three touchdowns in the first two games, he has been held scoreless ever since. He is currently still second in the NFL in total yards, although yesterday's total of 45 yards was a season low. Johnson has also dropped far too many crucial passes, including four yesterday, one of which would have gone for a 73-yard touchdown. Worst of all, his attitude still seems unstable and fragile when emotions are running high.
  
• Marvin Lewis - The one thing Lewis has succeeded in doing this year is losing the support of most Bengal fans. Lewis seems to have no answer for his team's problems. His controversial call on 4th-and-1 against Pittsburgh exposed his lack of confidence in his players. His flip-flopping response to his decision after the game leaves many questions as to how competent a leader he can be anymore. Mike Brown has expressed his support for Lewis, so it's highly unlikely he'll be fired after this season, but one has to believe that next season will be his last chance.
  
• Mike Brown - The question is how much things would change if Lewis was gone, as long as Mike Brown continues to own the team. I think that ultimately, Brown is at the root of most of the team's problems. He refuses to hire someone else to act as General Manager of the team, and does everything he can to avoid spending money. For example, the Bengals have one of the smallest staffs in the league when it comes scouts for new recruits, which has to inhibit the team's ability to get the best information possible on all potential draft picks. Little wonder why the team has had so few true standout players from their past few drafts (or why the team had so many high-profile draft busts in the 1990s). With all the injuries the Bengals have suffered, one also has to wonder if it isn't due in some part to Brown refusing to pay for the highest quality training and medical staff possible. The man is so stingy that in an NFL owners meeting, he voted against the use of high-definition video for referee challenge reviews, because he did not want to pay to replace the equipment at Paul Brown Stadium.
  

The Few Good Men:

• T.J. Houshmanzadeh - T.J. is having a Pro Bowl year, with at least one touchdown in the first eight games of the season, he is second in the NFL with ten receiving TDs. He is also on course to break the Bengals' single season reception record of 100 catches.
• Glenn Holt - A personal favorite ever since Jess, Rob, Jen, and I met him at training camp in 2006, Holt has blossomed in his second year as an excellent special teamer and a reliable wide receiver. Despite a crucial fumble in the Seattle game, Holt has been huge on kick returns, culminating in yesterday's 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Chris Henry's return will limit his use in the passing game (assuming Chad Johnson is healthy), but that should allow him to focus all his energy on special teams.
  
• Kenny Watson - Giving some chances to start do to Rudi Johnson's lingering hamstring injury, Watson has looked impressive. Considering the poor job by the offensive line in getting the running game going, Watson has made some terrific plays. The game yesterday showed how dangerous he can also be catching passes out of the backfield, which makes you wonder why we've thrown away two high draft picks on running backs Chris Perry and Kenny Irons when we've had a weapon like Watson all along.
  
• Carson Palmer - While this hasn't been his best year, Palmer is still putting up impressive numbers. He still ranks as one of the top quarterbacks in the league, and has continued to be a voice of reason during a turbulent season. His interception numbers are high, but you can attribute that to the Bengals offense constantly playing from behind, forcing Palmer to take risks when trying to make big plays. The bad news is that a quarterback as skilled as Palmer doesn't come around often, and his chance to become a Hall-of-Fame quarterback are being sabotaged. The next few years should be the pinnacle of Palmer's career; let's hope the rest of his team can bring their game up to his level.
  
• Chad Johnson - Yes, he hasn't been playing at his usual high level this year, but don't let that take away from what he still brings to the team. First of all, anyone who thinks T.J.'s numbers would be nearly as impressive if he were the first wide receiver is a fool. Chad gets double-covered, opening up Houshmanzadeh. Secondly, despite all this talk of his immaturity and the criticism over his poor performance and showboating ways, Johnson is proving that he has at least matured in some respects--by keeping silent in the face of all this adversity. This "selfish" player seems to understand that the spotlight shouldn't be on him right now. Hopefully his injury from this past weekend is nothing serious, and the return of Chris Henry can get his game back on track.

At this point, it's clear the Bengals are on track for their first losing season under Marvin Lewis. The team is emotionally at rock bottom, and with the way they are playing now, it's hard to see them winning more than half of their remaining games. With the 2007 season only halfway over, it's sad that there's no reason not to start looking towards 2008. Realistically, I think the best they can do will be to end this season with a record of 6-10, with only four or five wins a real possibility. It will be interesting to see what changes are made at the end of this year.

impossible to make it today

Marvin Lewis' decision to only kick a field goal on 4th-and-1 from Pittsburgh's 2-yard line in today's Bengals game is being widely criticized in the media, and rightfully so. Lewis attempted to defend accusations that the decision showed a lack of faith in his offense by saying that he didn't anticipate the Steelers marching down the field and scoring like they ended up doing. Basically he tried to argue that it was confidence in his defense--and not a lack of confidence in his offense--that led to the decision (although he did admit after the game that he should have gone for it, hindsight being 20/20). The problem is that any coach in touch with reality would realize that the Bengals' strength lies in their offense and, more often than not, the defense is their Achilles' heal. It was a terrible call, one that sucked any remaining spirit out of both the Bengals players and the fans. It was a game-killing decision, and one that essentially buried any small chance the Bengals had of making something out the their current quagmire of a season. Had the Bengals pulled off the upset today, there would be a three-way tie at 4-3 in the AFC North with Cincinnati right behind at 3-4. Instead, they fall to 2-5 and are all but eliminated from the playoffs.

suture up my future

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued another slap in the face to Bengal nation this past week, when he reinstated Green Bay wide receiver Koren Robinson after a year long suspension. Robinson had been suspended for multiple DUIs, which netted him over a month of jail time. As to why Goodell considered Robinson fit to be reinstated but denied Odell Thurman the same request (considering that Thurman actually had fewer run-ins with the law than Robinson), your guess is as good as mine.

Actually, we all know it's because Roger Goodell hates the Bengals. Who wants to bet he doesn't reinstate Henry after his eight game suspension?
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And the Bearcats are upset again for the second week in a row. *sigh* Why does Cincinnati football have to always be disappointing?
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Since we couldn't get tickets for tonight's UFC event, Daniel and I are headed up to Columbus tonight to see Queens of the Stone Age. Should be a blast. I hope Franklin can pull off the upset tonight, but I won't hold my breath.

i wield a ton of rage

I had said the Bengals should win this coming week in Kansas City before I heard about NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspending Jonathan Joseph for this week's game, stemming from Joseph's arrest back in January or marijuana possession. To quote from Bengals.com:

The ruling stems from Joseph's arrest in Kentucky back in January for marijuana possession. The case had been dismissed back in the spring after Joseph went into a diversionary program and complied with what the Bengals say is all league and law-enforcement obligations.

Traditionally a first offense of the substance abuse policy had meant a fine and no suspension. But Goodell is going right to the suspension even though it appears to Joseph's only brush with the law and the case has been resolved.

Meanwhile, Goodell is contemplating reducing Dallas Cowboy Tank Johnson's suspension for multiple arrests, and is meeting with Pacman Jones soon to discuss the same. But Goodell has had no problem with harshly punishing any Bengals player. Goodell has done a horrendous job as commissioner thus far; there has been no consistency in his new player conduct policy at all. I take that back, there has been one consistent thing: targeting the Bengals and making unfairly punishing them to make an example for the rest of the league.

If Goodell even reinstates Ricky Williams after suspending Odell Thurman for another year, I'm going to go crazy.

tumble in the rough

Mark Curnette over at the Enquirer Bengals blog made a good post grading the Bengals' progress one month into the season:

First-quarter report card

The Bengals are 1-3 at the end of the first quarter of the season. The grades:

Pass offense: A-minus --With the running game sputtering at 83.3 yards a game, the Bengals are relying heavily on the pass. The team has 10 passing touchdowns but just one on the ground. Chad Johnson is second in the NFL with 495 yards, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh leads with 39 receptions. True, Palmer is forcing some balls, but it’s out of necessity. The Bengals are imbalanced offensively. The NFL average for pass plays is 56 percent. The Bengals are throwing the ball 64 percent of the time through four games (165 drop backs, 94 runs).

Run offense: D -- The stated preseason goal of improving the run game has not materialized. The Bengals are 26th in league, exactly where they were at the end of 2006. An injury to rookie Kenny Irons hurt, and it’s a fair question to ask if Rudi Johnson is finally wearing down. The offensive line is not blocking as well in the run game as it is for the pass.

Pass defense: F -- The Bengals have allowed 11 passing touchdowns, second most in the NFL to Cleveland’s 12. Cincinnati is 26th in pass defense at 251 yards a game and 28th in sacks per play with just four. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph appears to be playing hurt with the lingering effects of the foot stress fracture. Fellow corner Deltha O’Neal looks more like the 2006 model than the 2005 Pro Bowler.

Run defense: D -- With the inordinate number of injuries at linebacker, the Bengals are forced to play with safeties and ends as outside linebackers and a cast newcomers who were signed after training camp, a problem partially created by the front office. Despite the big number of yards and points allowed – 30th in yards at 403 and 31st in points at 31.7 – the Bengals are doing better on third down (tied for 17th at 42 percent).

Special teams: D (or I, for incomplete) -- The defensive injuries have devastated the coverage units, and special teams coach Darrin Simmons has been forced to work in new players every week. The coverage units – 24th against punt returns and 30th against kickoffs – played their best game in Week 4 against New England. But the week before in Seattle, the kicking game made three major mistakes that cost the game.

Coaching: D -- The Bengals needed six takeaways to win the opener against Baltimore. But the defense and special teams could not make one positive stop or big play at Cleveland. Marvin Lewis and Chuck Bresnahan’s defense shows no improvement in the past couple of seasons, though they would not use the injuries this year as an excuse, it is a partial explanation. The desired fast start did not happen, and the ultimate responsibility rest with Lewis for both game preparation and personnel decisions.

I also agree with Mark that the Bengals should win the next two games at Kansas City and at home against the New York Jets, putting them at 3-3 when they face their first showdown of the season against Pittsburgh.
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On a side note, does anyone else find it ironic that I received the following nugget of wisdom from a Wok of China fortune cookie: "A diet is a selection of food that makes someone else rich."