SB Nation - Geoffrey Pope

Geoffrey Pope signs onto the Eagles 53-man roster; Scott Kooistra released (again) and Orien Harris signed (again)

Kirkendall — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 23:30:11 -0000

The Geoffrey Pope experience is no more. Pope, in his second year with 12 career games under his belt, was signed to the Philadelphia Eagles' 53-man roster, writes Jason at Bleeding Green Nation. Pope, typically a third or fourth cornerback when the secondary sustained injuries, is the second Bengals player taken off the practice squad in the past month. Chris Pressley was pulled from the Bengals practice squad onto Tampa Bay's 53-man roster at the end of October. Pressley made his first NFL start last week against the New Orleans Saints.

That's right. Other teams are going to the Bengals practice squad to fill out their own rosters.

In other roster moves news by the Bengals with a Groundhog Day feel: Bengals waived Scott Kooistra and signed Orien Harris. I swear I've written that before. Bengals.com also announces that the team signed former Ohio State cornerback Antonio Smith to the team's practice squad.

Geoffrey Pope in, the Iguana out

JasonB — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 21:36:34 -0000

The Eagles announced today that they've released CB Jack Ikegwuonu(for the 2nd time this year) and signed CB Geoffrey Pope off the Bengals practice squad. From PE.com

Pope (6-0, 186) started the 2009 season on the Cincinnati Bengals active roster and appeared in four games, playing mostly on special teams. He was waived on October 8, but was signed to their practice squad the next day and has been there for the balance of the year.

Pope came into the league as a UDFA signed by the Dolphins in 2007. He spent time with the Giants, where he actually got a superbowl ring and played in the 07-08 playoffs. I suppose the thought is that having played under Steve Spagnuolo in New York, he'd at least have a working knowledge of the system here.

Bengals waive Pope, sign Dan "Stuka" Skuta off the practice squad

Kirkendall — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:53:54 -0000

David Jones has all but returned. He's no longer appearing on injury reports [UPDATE: Actually Jones did appear on the injury report, but only because of the injury he has been dealing with. He did fully practice on Wednesday and Thursday] and you can assume he'll be seeing his first action this Sunday against the Ravens since injuring his foot early in Training Camp. As a result, the Bengals decided to waive cornerback Geoffrey Pope and sign our boy, linebacker Dan "Stuka" Skuta off the team's practice squad. As Joe Reedy observes, Skuta is the third college free agent on the roster this year, behind Tom Nelson and Quan Cosby. Rey Maualuga is still recovering from his knee injury against the Steelers -- even though played against the Browns -- and Rashad Jeanty hurt his finger against the Browns which may have convinced the team to add a seventh linebacker.

Reedy also observes that the move opens the "possibility that they may try to sign a long snapper and assign him to the practice squad." The reasoning is to a long snapper on the practice squad to work with the special teams. When or if the team elects to release Brad St. Louis, they'll already have a guy ready. I know what some of you are thinking. How hard is it to long snap? The topic was raised on Bengals.com and Geoff Hobson wrote:

This is classic Catch-22. Simmons said it’s a fine line because if the team makes a move, the specialists have to start from scratch with the timing of the operation. But the other side is, how can you continue to put the team in jeopardy if you don’t make a move?

“Any time you can get a guy on the practice squad that makes sense. You get to work with them. I don’t care what position it is before you throw somebody to the wolves,” Simmons said. “That’s definitely something that goes into it. If you make a change, it takes time to develop trust in one another.”

Regardless how that all works out. The Bengals have Stuka!

It's always about the fourth quarter; the Bengals showed us something

Kirkendall — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 01:20:32 -0000

More photos » by Tom Uhlman - AP

2 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals receiver Andre Caldwell leaves the field after they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-20 in an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009, in Cincinnati. Caldwell caught a four-yard touchdown pass in the closing minute. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)

Browse more photos »

It would be wise to say the Bengals game-winning touchdown drive as, thus far, the marquee comeback performance of the season. They were down 13-0 in the first half before converting a late first half field goal. Late in the third quarter, the Bengals started feeling it; Leon Hall had left and Rey Maualuga was being carted off after Ben Roethlisberger stretched into the endzone on a quarterback sneak with 3:04 left in the third quarter.

Things looked bad.

Then, on fourth-and-three at the Cincinnati 38-yard line with 1:32 left in the third quarter, Brad St Louis snapped the football to the up-back, Chris Crocker, who rushed for 21 yards and the unlikely first down. Cedric Benson rushed for nine yards, lost two yards before the third quarter ended. The Bengals picked up one first down in the third quarter -- the fake punt. Even so, Shayne Graham attempted a 52-yard field goal attempt, which, as one commenter said in the open thread, might have hit a pigeon.

The Bengals defense weren't through. They were determined to stay in this game. Hall and Maualuga return to the field after respective injuries. Willie Parker rushes twice for three yards and Roethlisberger completed a pass to Mike Wallace a yard short of the first down. At this point, there was no reason to think that the Bengals could overcome an 11-point deficit with under 13 minutes to play in this football game. So the Steelers elect to punt on fourth-and-one at mid-field. It was the smart conservative choice.

This is when Carson Palmer showed up at the front door presenting gifts to the football gods.

The football gods, smiling like football gods smile, repaid in kind. The Bengals ran mostly shotgun formations in five of the next six plays (one of which was a defensive pass interference), completing passes to Andre Caldwell (14 yards) and Chad Ochocinco (14 yards). After rushing the ball for eight yards, James Harrison kind-of sacked Carson Palmer, who was dropped at the line of scrimmage. It was a kind-of sack because the Bengals didn't lose any yardage and Palmer had already decided to run with the football. On third-and-two, Palmer hit Laveranues Coles for a nine yard conversion.

Palmer hands off to Benson, who stretches outside Andrew Whitworth, and sprints down the sidelines, largely unmolested for a 23-yard touchdown run. After a failed two-point conversion, the Bengals kickoff with a 20-15 lead and 9:14 left in the game. What's most impressive about the touchdown drive is that the Cincinnati Bengals started the drive at their own 15-yard line. It took them six plays to go the length of the football field for the score.

But the Bengals were still down by five points. A botched field goal attempt forced the Bengals into a two-point conversion later, which also failed. We wonder if we shouldn't call the botched PAT the biggest good mistake of the year -- the football gods smiling? If the Bengals know that they can tie the game, do they try to win the game with a touchdown when a field goal with a five-point deficit does them no good? Karma is a bitch. And that bitch has been knocking at our front door way too much this season.

You have to give the defense 90% of the credit for this one. The defense was spitting at this point. After allowing 13 points in the first three possessions, the defense forced a turnover on downs, a pick-six, a missed field goal, a touchdown and back-to-back punts. In fact, the Steelers offense gained more than 10 yards on only one offensive possession in the second half. The defense didn't allow the Steelers a first down in three of the five second half possessions; if you don't include the Steelers final possession -- a one-play hail mary. In two of the first three possessions in the first half, the Steelers were within the Bengals ten-yard line. Both times the Steelers kicked field goals rather than touchdowns. Going down 21-0 with 12:44 left in the second quarter, would have been disaster.

Instead, it turned out to be manageable.

With the score being 20-15 in favor of the Steelers, Pittsburgh started their offensive possession at their own 27-yard line. Domata Peko destroyed Willie Parker before Roethlisberger completed two passes for 11 yards and a first down. The clock was crucial at this point. There was no reason to believe the Bengals had a big offensive play in their pocket; a sustained drive was their best shot at winning this football game. But the defense still needed to save the Bengals. Just one more time.

Parker rushed two twice for four yards setting up a third-and-six at the Pittsburgh 42-yard line with 5:54 left in the game. Roethlisberger sets up in shotgun, when the entire Bengals defensive line collapses the pocket. Antwan Odom got a hand in; Robert Geathers, Pat Sims and everyone else cleaned up the mess. It was, perhaps, the most critical sack of the season. Steelers punt and Quan Cosby, who is the best punt returner this team has seen in ages, returns it 17 yards to the Bengals 29-yard line.

The Bengals down by five, have 5:14 to drive the football 71 yards for the required touchdown to take the lead. A field goal wasn't an option. So Brad St. Louis can stay over there, by the cooling fan, where he would do the least amount of damage. After a three-yard run for formality purposes, Palmer hits Coles and Benson for 22 yards. Benson rushes for another eight yards (another formality). Palmer scrambles for a yard in between two Caldwell receptions that picked up another 17 yards. Bengals take their first time out with a minute left in the game.

At this point, fans are generating so much anxiety that the general feeling of broken hearts inadvertently swell; it's a defensive mechanism; it just happens. The Bengals offense was as productive as it had been all game. Still, one tipped pass could fall into a defender's basket at any time. A quarterback sack could make to-go yardage too far. This isn't just a feeling being a Bengals fan, but most fans get this feeling late in games. It's the one play that messes everything up. Some teams just do it more often, you know, like the Bengals.

After an all-or-nothing pass to Chad Ochocinco into the endzone that fell incomplete, the Steelers called a timeout and the Bengals offense huddled on the sideline, discussing what to-do. See, it's not just any ordinary think tank. The Bengals were a touchdown away of winning the first game, at home, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, since 2001. The Bengals were a touchdown away from putting a blemish on that idiotic statistic that Ben Roethlisberger hadn't lost a game as a professional in the state of Ohio. It was a discussion towards a decision that you wish you were apart of.

However Bengals players didn't feel that weight upon them. No. They were serene. They knew they could do it. This is something Bengals fans are unaccustomed too, so we're taken aback. Palmer. Shotgun. Five-yard pass to Laveranues Coles. First down. Holy crap. It really happened that fast? Holy crap. It really happened?

Alright, alright. The Bengals are alive. There's :48 seconds left on the clock when Carson Palmer spikes the football. Three downs to go. Palmer fired a pass over the middle to Chad Ochocinco that Ike Taylor needed a full body stretch to barely tip, which caused the football's trajectory to fade away from Chad. Incomplete. My finger nails are like, so gone. After throwing an incomplete pass to Chris Henry, the Bengals were left with a fourth-and-ten situation. So they call a timeout.

They wouldn't do it again, would they? Apparently they didn't feel the anxiety we did. Palmer, cool as a cat, started talking about Gatorade mixtures. Chad's planning his topics for tonight's ustream session, even calling around to book guests. The offensive line discusses how wave-particle duality relates to quantum physics. Palmer looks down the field, starts to rollout right when Aaron Smith got a fist-full of jersey. Palmer, with a heavy diet of John Morrell hot dogs, throws the football to Brian Leonard out of the backfield. With about a yard or two short of the first down, James Farrior hits Leonard, knocking him down. Leonard, like a climatic moment of a movie, lowers his hand on the turf and propels himself over the first down marker. First down.

At that point, while cheering, about 15 of us suffer a heart attack while the rest of us jump with some awesome fist-pumping motion. Palmer spikes the football to stop the clock. With :18 left in the game, Palmer takes the shotgun snap and... did he really catch it? After putting "DOA" in big block letters on the team in the first quarter, did Andre Caldwell really catch the game-winning touchdown? When the camera zoomed in, it showed the Bengals receiver with the football. Like it was supposed to happen. Calm. Cool. Collected. The Bengals offense just scored their second touchdown to take the lead away from the defending Super Bowl champions. Brian Leonard caught a two-yard point after attempt, giving the Bengals a three-point lead.

After that, it was semantics. The Steelers tried to do what desperate teams try to do. Lateral the football on kickoff return in the hopes that someone breaks free. It wasn't meant to be. The football gods were pleased with Cincinnati. Way too charged up to let anything happen, with the heart-breaking loss to the Denver Broncos still fresh on their minds, the Bengals weren't about to lose this one. As a result, the Steelers wasted 12 seconds on the kickoff return giving Roethlisberger all of two seconds for a 66-yard touchdown throw. Hey, it happened to us once before, why not again, right? Geoffrey Pope made a play on the football, which feel harmlessly to the ground.

The Bengals were awful in every phase of the game leading up to the fourth quarter. The defense turned things around earliest to start the second half with a pick-six by Johnathan Joseph. When Carson Palmer and the offense had a chance to win the game out of the clutches of defeat (cliche alert!), they did. Palmer did. For all of the complaining we've justifiably shouted about Palmer in the past, against the Denver Broncos and Pittsburgh Steelers, he led the offense on game-winning touchdown drives. Denver was what it was. Palmer did his part in the end.

So far we have names for the first two games this season. We have The Fluke against the Denver Broncos. The holy crap we just converted a third-and-34 by accident against the Packers (probably should come up with a better name). Now we have several nominations for a name against the Steelers. We could call it The Drive. We could call it The Fourth. We could call it, The Comeback. Whatever it is, it's a win. A critical division win in comeback fashion. The Bengals players proved something to their fans. They won't quit until the very end. We should be proud of these guys. They did what we asked them to. Beat the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. And they did it.

If the Bengals look at the waive/free agency wire, they're likely looking for a third Tight End and Cornerback

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:22:38 -0000

You have to believe that the Bengals are pouring over sheets of the 704 available NFL players that were released or waived Saturday afternoon. While I believe that the team's roster is better than it was in 2008, I don't believe that the Bengals can afford to sit idle while potential improvements are out there. Two positions that jump out at you are Tight End and Cornerback.

Having two rookies and Daniel Coats man Tight End is risky. While I'm not suggesting they can't do the job, they might not be the best solutions this year. First, let's examine their roles. Coats, while leading all Tight Ends with four receptions for 50 yards receiving, is more likely to become similar to Reggie Kelly; blocking first, receiving second. Several times last year we pointed out where Coats' missed blocks blew up rushing plays as a fullback. It's critical he improves if he's taking on the Reggie Kelly school of blocking Tight Ends. Chase Coffman, on the other hand, is the team's best receiving Tight End. I believed that before Ben Utecht went down and the biggest bump in Coffman's road to become the starter is his ability to block; that's why Utecht was initially ahead of the rookie in the depth chart. See, if the Bengals bring in Tight Ends based on the play (run, pass), then defenses will key off that. They need both Coats and Coffman to deliver on the block and the pass -- which is why Coats is the likely starter against the Broncos.

J.P. Foschi wasn't a surprise to make the squad, simply because of numbers. He made some plays during the preseason, specifically against the St. Louis Rams. However, he's not likely a solid roster spot -- if the Bengals acquire anyone else, he's one of the first to go. He's not a better blocker than Coats and he's not a better receiver than Coffman. Could the Cincinnati Bengals look at the wires to solidify the position; more specifically, a Tight End with veteran experience?

Cornerback is another position that could be a concern. David Jones, the team's third cornerback, isn't likely playing against the Denver Broncos while recovering from a broken foot. Even though he's likely replacing Jones as the team's third cornerback this week, Morgan Trent is an unknown and Geoffrey Pope's biggest appreciation in the world is that the Bengals keep him employed. OK, so he's made some plays, but how comfortable are you with him starting if others are injured. In truth, I believe the Bengals will look at the wires to find their third cornerback. Two University of Cincinnati Bearcats are out there; Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith, both of whom were released from the Dallas Cowboys on final cutdown day. You have to think that the Bengals will look at hometown guys, especially the 2008 Bearcats squad that Lewis liked. Maybe a guard like Trevor Canfield, who was released by the Arizona Cardinals.

If the Bengals sign anyone off the wires, I believe that they're likely addressing cornerback and Tight End first. But don't be surprised if they replace other spots to improve their depth.

If you look at the Cincinnati Bengals roster, you have to ask yourself, is this team better than 2008?

Kirkendall — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 17:59:11 -0000

Relatively surprised by the lack of overall reaction from other fan sites, I had hoped for an idea of what others thought about the team's 53-man roster. Maybe some expected the look we received Saturday afternoon, thus electing to play off the analysis. Others could be sitting by, waiting for the practice squad announcement, as well as any changes after the Bengals make claims on the waiver wire; as well as possibly signing veterans; not that the practice squad has anything to do with the 53-man roster the Bengals will have heading into the regular season. And then maybe some are simply too disgusted to logically differentiate how the Bengals look this year, compared to last year, that led to a 4-11-1 season.

I've often chalked up last year as a season in which the Karma gods said, "it's your turn" to have a bunch of things happen that you won't recover from -- such as losing the starting quarterback, a disgruntled receiver, over 20 guys on IR (many of whom were starters), aging players where their body's are breaking down, etc. I know. It's an excuse. Excuses don't change the fact the Bengals started last year 0-8 and finished with the worst ranked offense in the league (note: we had a better record than Cleveland, so that's cool). That also doesn't mean the Karma gods won't point at us again in 2009. Perhaps it's our turn again. Carson Palmer goes down, the offensive line continues to struggle and the rushing offense becomes the biggest disappointment after high expectations. The defense has to bail us out, and historically speaking, that's not something we're capable of believing. Then again, if you believe in balance, all the went wrong last year, is righted. Palmer retains his title as the God of Golden Arms, the rebuilt offensive line comes through and Cedric Benson resumes what he did in the final three games last year -- averaging 154 yards from the line of scrimmage per game. Oh, and last year's 12th ranked defense with added personnel, makes a run at the top ten. Hey, anything could happen, right? After all, the Bengals are playing a much weaker schedule than they were in 2008. And in the division, during the past two even numbered seasons, the Baltimore Ravens struggled (6-10 in 2005, 5-11 in 2007) and the season after winning the Super Bowl in 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers missed the playoffs. We can only hope for trends.

Will the Bengals make a run this year? That, like most things in life, is totally unpredictable. And no one predicted that quarterback Carson Palmer would miss 12 games in 2008. However, I believe that the Bengals will be far better this year than 2008. You can see that if you take a position by position look at the roster.

Quarterback - Saying that Palmer is returning assumes he won't get hurt again in 2009. And I won't say that durability issues are starting to become worrisome with our starting quarterback. The fact is, injury forced him to miss 75% of the regular season last year and this year's preseason (though mostly out of caution and additional time for rehabilitation during needless preseason games). The foundation of where the question is more answerable, points towards the team's backup quarterback. If Palmer goes down again, do you believe J.T. O'Sullivan is a better passer than Ryan Fitzpatrick? Some could point to this years preseason and answer yes. O'Sullivan also has a history of being a decent performers in some regular season games. Others will point to the same collection of arguments saying that Fitzpatrick had a good preseason in 2008 and J.T. O'Sullivan also has a history of being a disaster in some regular season games.

Running back - Let me remind you of last year. Chris Perry and Rudi Johnson had decent offseasons which fooled enough people into believing that both would mimic their incredible one-two combination in 2005. Johnson was hurt through the preseason and subsequently released. Perry never recorded more than 75 yards rushing and through six games in which he recorded 10 rushing attempts or more, he averaged three yards or more in only two games.

This is what you have to ask this year, adjusting your mindset into a comparitve analysis of where we were last year: Is Cedric Benson a better option than Chris Perry? Is Bernard Scott a better option than Kenny Watson? Is DeDe Dorsey in 2009 a better option that DeDe Dorsey in 2008? I suppose if he plays more than four games this year, that answer is yes.

Wide Receiver and Tight End . T.J. Houshmandzadeh leaves and Laveranues Coles arrives. This, to me, isn't the argument. Chad Ochocinco is far more motivated to play this year and he looks to play two combined Pro Bowl seasons in 2009. Chris Henry looks like he did his first two seasons where he recorded 15 touchdowns; along with his total life change in which you get the feeling that you can finally trust him. Even if you're asking for a comparison between two wide receivers (Houshmandzadeh and Coles) to see if the position is stronger, I believe looking at Chad and Henry's motivations clearly makes the position stronger alone.

Tight End on the other hand, is different. I do believe the position is weaker. I won't go on what we expect out of Chase Coffman, he's a rookie. We won't know until the season plays itself out. Reggie Kelly and Ben Utecht going down hurts the position, because two rookies are manning the position with Daniel Coats, who benefited greatly after Kelly went on IR because he was fighting for a roster spot with Coffman as the team's third Tight End. Now Coats, having the perfect scenario of two injuries playing out to make a roster spot, is now the team's starter. This will be the second time in two seasons he became the default starter because of injury.

Offensive Line. Not only is this the most critical for the team to improve upon, it's also one of the more dramatically changed compared to the starting lineup last year against the Baltimore Ravens.

	2008	2009 *
LT	Levi Jones	Andre Whitworth
LG	Andrew Whitworth	Nate Livings
C	Eric Ghiaciuc	Kyle Cook
RG	Bobbie Williams	Bobbie Williams
RT	Stacy Andrews	Anthony Collins

* Projected

I believe while we've improved at left tackle, we've dropped at left guard; Livings is replaceable at best. I also believe it's obvious that we've improved at center, while as of right, we're kind of pushing at right tackle. However, I'm too hesitant to actually say if we're improved or worse. Apart of me wants to say we are, because of the changes in perseonnel. However, another part of me just isn't sure.

Defensive End. Oddly enough, this position holds the same personnel this year as it did last year with one exception; Michael Johnson, who did not record a single sack during the preseason. In fact, this group only recorded two sacks in four preseason games; Robert Geathers sacked Tom Brady and Frostee Rucker had a sack, forced fumble and fumble recover.

This is where I believe we improved (albeit only slightly). Antwan Odom entered last year with a bum ankle, having been carted off at the start of Training Camp when he suffered the injury. He missed four games in the season and recorded three sacks on the first year of a well-paid contract. During the offseason, he gained bulk without losing the speed. Geathers looked great in the preseason, aggressively fighting blockers against the run and pass. I believe he's the best overall defensive end on the roster. Fanene has always been solid and can play both end and tackle. The biggest chance that the Bengals took was holding onto Rucker for one more season. It's not that he lacks talent; he just lacks the ability to stay healthy.

Defensive Tackle. John Thornton went into semi-retirement after this year, Jason Shirley converted to an offensive linemen and Michael Myers wasn't re-signed. The Bengals responded by replacing all of them with Tank Johnson. The Bengals will go into the regular season (as of this post) with three defensive tackles, likely using Rucker and Fanene in rotation. Is the position improved, worse or is it a push? I think this has everything to do with Sims, who led the team with three quarterback sacks during the preseason and led all defensive linemen with 13 total tackles. It's with my belief that he, not Tank Johnson, made a convincing argument to start opposite Domata Peko. The question though, is the position stronger than it was last year? I believe it is.

Linebackers. Think of it this way. Brandon Johnson recorded 112 tackles and Rashad Jeanty recorded 97 tackles last year. They ranked second and fourth respectively on the team. And there's a shot that neither will be starters against the Denver Broncos. Keith Rivers will retake his spot as the team's weak-side linebacker and it's evident that the Bengals coaching staff wants to start Rey Maualuga over Jeanty on the strong-side. Having two guys that combined for 209 tackles just shouts to the heavens that the Bengals strongest position, in terms of depth, is linebackers. The team's starting middle linebacker, Dhani Jones, is coming off a season in which he led the team with 165 tackles.

Compared to last year, the Bengals replaced Darryl Blackstock with Maualuga and Mays with Abdul Hodge, who led the Bengals with 18 tackles (13 solo) this preseason. Furthermore, if you watched the way Rivers played this year, he already looks far superior last year. He's quicker, stronger and far more aggressive than he was last year. He has the potential to be a multiple Pro Bowler. It's my belief that the Bengals linebackers is the strongest position on defense.

Secondary. Simeon Castille, Dexter Jackson, Herana-Daze Jones, Corey Lynch and Marvin White all have something in common; all were with the Bengals in 2008 when the season started; none are with the Bengals in 2009. Replacing those five are Geoffrey Pope, Morgan Trent, Chris Crocker, Roy Williams and Tom Nelson. I believe cornerbacks is improved, mostly because Johnathan Joseph and Leon Hall look better this year than last. Morgan Trent lacked a solid pedigree with the Michigan Wolverines that makes us conclude we've improved the position with Geoffrey Pope as a filler. The Bengals could even look at upgrading the position from now until the season kicks off on the waiver wire or on free agency.

As for safety, we appear better. The questions are; is Tom Nelson better than Corey Lynch and is Roy Williams better than Marvin White? Chris Crocker is obviously an improvement, considering he could be one of the team's secondary leaders.

Special Teams. Kyle Larson. Kevin Huber. Set. Serve. Match.

The roster as it is, isn't perfect. No roster in the NFL could possibly be perfect. However, that isn't the question. The debate right now is: Is the 2009 Bengals better than the 2008 Bengals?

Poll

Simple poll question. Do you believe that the Bengals roster in 2009 is better than the roster in 2008?

Yes

490 votes

No

40 votes

530 votes | Poll has closed

Presenting the Cincinnati Bengals 53-man Roster; and immediate reaction, of course

Kirkendall — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 19:30:46 -0000

Now that the cuts are announced, let's make one thing clear. It's very unlikely that this is the final 53-man roster that will kickoff the season next weekend. With players being released and waived, the Bengals, like all other 31 NFL teams can pour over available players. If they decide to put a claim on a player, they will be sixth in line. If the other fives teams decide not to claim the player that the Bengals are interested in, then that player can be signed by the Bengals.

Let's take a look at the existing roster.

Quarterback (3)	Carson Palmer	Defensive Ends (5)	Antwan Odom
	J.T. O'Sullivan		Robert Geathers
	Jordan Palmer		Michael Johnson
			Jonathan Fanene
Running back (4)	Cedric Benson		Frostee Rucker
	Bernard Scott
	Brian Leonard	Defensive Tackles (3)	Domata Peko
	DeDe Dorsey		Pat Sims
			Tank Johnson
Fullbacks (1)	Jeremi Johnson
		Linebackers (6)	Keith Rivers
Tight End (3)	Daniel Coats		Dhani Jones
	Chase Coffman		Rashad Jeanty
	J.P. Foschi		Rey Maualuga
			Brandon Johnson
Wide Receivers (6)	Chad Ochocinco		Abdul Hodge
	Laveranues Coles
	Chris Henry	Cornerbacks (5)	Johnathan Joseph
	Andre Caldwell		Leon Hall
	Jerome Simpson		David Jones
	Quan Cosby		Geoffrey Pope
			Morgan Trent
Offensive Line (10)	Andrew Whitworth
	Anthony Collins	Safeties (5)	Chris Crocker
	Bobbie Williams		Roy Williams
	Nate Livings		Chinedum Ndukwe
	Kyle Cook		Tom Nelson
	Andre Smith *		Kyries Hebert
	Jonathan Luigs
	Scott Kooistra	Special (3)	Shayne Graham
	Evan Mathis		Kevin Huber
	Dennis Roland		Brad St. Louis

* Andre Smith has a roster exemption until September 14.

Immediate Reaction and Notes

We projected that the Bengals would take eight defensive linemen; we split it up four and four. While the Bengals actually did take eight, they went heavy with defensive ends, keeping oft-injured Frostee Rucker. I actually don't have a problem with this because Rucker can make plays. The only issue with him has been durability. If he has an injury-free season, he could be a surprise player. On the other hand, he missed two preseason games this year.
Can the Bengals sustain a three-man defensive tackle rotation? Rucker and Fanene both have experience playing defensive tackle also -- maybe the biggest reason for keeping Rucker.
The more we started thinking about it, we realized the Bengals would take five backs; four of whom could be running backs.
In the weeks leading up to today, I've watched J.P. Foschi and started feeling that the Bengals might keep him around. He's a decent blocker and I feel he could be a decent third-string Tight End in the NFL. However, he could also be babysitting the position if the Bengals sign someone after all of the cuts are final. In our projections, we thought it might make the team better keeping a second fullback than a third Tight End.
Save for Marvin White, all players that were waived -- 17 in all -- are eligible for the practice squad.
Somehow, I'm not surprised that Antonio Chatman went on Injured Reserved.
I thought cutting Darryl Blackstock was somewhat of a surprise. However, he wasn't replaced. The Bengals simply took six linebackers. He would have likely been the seventh.
I was very happy with Abdul Hodge making the team and felt, as we watched preseason unfold, that he was a lock for the sixth linebacker slot.
The Cincinnati Bengals tweet that David Jones and Scott Kooistra are the only players not healthy heading into the opener.

Open Thread: After Bengals 38-7 win over the Colts, did anyone separate themselves for a roster spot?

Kirkendall — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 02:47:21 -0000

by Ed Reinke - AP

3 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals fullback Brian Leonard (40) is tackled by Indianapolis Colts defensive tackle Daniel Muir (90) in the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

View full size photo »

The question after the Bengals 38-7 preseason finale win over the Indianapolis Colts is, who separated themselves just enough to claim a roster spot on the team. Running back is the most intriguing. Do you keep Brian Leonard, who is the only running back to score rushing touchdowns during the entire preseason (2). Leonard rushed for 64 yards on nine carries against the Colts Thursday. The only guy to pick up more yards was DeDe Dorsey, who rushed for 68 yards. Does Bernard Scott enter the discussion or do you agree with me that he's a lock?

What about Frostee Rucker, who played one game heading into Thursday's game, finishing with a sack, forced fumble in which he recovered? Did Morgan Trent's five tackles and one forced fumble elevate him enough to challenge David Jones for the third cornerback. What about Geoffrey Pope? Did Pat Sims play well enough to get promoted as the team's starting defensive tackle opposite Domata Peko. I think at least it should be considered.

Did anyone close the gap, separating themselves from those that battled for spots on the roster tonight?

Depth of the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals Part 2: Defense

jsl413 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 19:47:09 -0000

My boy Tom Nelson got a free shot at NE backup Brian Hoyer. Soon after this picture was taken, Hoyer was spotted napping quietly on the turf. Sources say Hoyer did not take his helmet off before napping, leading to speculation that Nelson hit him really hard. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

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There was some debate as to whether or not the offense was quite as deep as I contended it was, particularly at the running back positions. Today, I'll take a look at the Bengals defensive depth, and make use of the jump to try to shorten our front page a little bit!

In short, I think the defense this year can only improve upon last year's 12th place effort. Additions of guys like Roy Williams and Tank Johnson, rookies Rey Maualuga and Michael Johnson are the primary reasons that the defense is so deep this year. Add to the mix that Chris Crocker will have a full off-season under his belt this year, DT Pat Sims has shown flashes of excellence in his second year, and Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers look to be healthy, and you've got to feel good about this defense.

Significant losses on the defensive side of the ball were relatively few. John Thornton is no longer with the team and Orien Harris was traded (the Harris loss is listed as the only "key" defensive loss at nologoneeded.com, which I find to be hilarious.)

A look at defensive depth (note, I'm looking at depth more than I'm focusing on overall talent), position by position, after the jump.

Defensive Tackle: We'll start up front with the big men. While our defensive tackle rotation is not particularly deep, I think it is more talented this year than we've seen it in quite some time. Domata Peko is the real deal. Pat Sims, as this blog has mentioned, looks like he could be a very good player this year too. Tank Johnson, the smallest of the top three at 305 pounds, has a history of being a productive player when he stays focused on the field.

Peko is a pretty good all around tackle. I think he is especially strong against the run. I haven't seen enough of Sims to really quantify his skill set, but he is a big, powerful man, and could occupy multiple blockers as he develops this year. Johnson is reputed as a guy that gets good pressure on the quarterback from an interior line position. If these 3 stay healthy, I think there is a good chance that this unit is extremely productive this year. Mike Zimmer and DL Coach Jay Hayes have a good combination of size and various skill sets at the tackle position this year.

Defensive End: Similar to defensive tackle, the depth at end is not astounding, but it's solid and exciting. This unit should vastly outperform last year's lackadaisical effort that mustered little-to-no pressure on the quarterback week in and week out.

All that really starts with the return of a healthy Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers. It had to be a very encouraging moment for Bengals fans to see Geathers absolutely light up Tom Brady on Thursday night. Here's to hoping that speed endures this season, and Geathers continues to run around offensive tackles to lay the hurt on opposing QBs. Antwan Odom has not been remarkable this preseason, but looks much better than he did last year when he was hurt.

What makes this unit exciting is the continuing emergence of Jonathan Fanene and the addition of rookie freak athlete Michael Johnson. I was a little put off at the end of the game on Thursday when I saw Johnson take a play off - but I guess it didn't really matter, there were 15 seconds left in a preseason game. It's something to keep an eye on, however. We'll have to really watch how he does at shedding blockers and using his 6'7", 260 pound frame to his advantage this year. Fanene was a project when we picked him up in 2005. But he is a big man (292 pounds) and was very productive when th team was winning games and being "competitive" late last year.

It really seems like every time he's on the field, good things happen. Bengals fans have got to like this sort of depth and potential. All four of these guys are young and can still get better, especially as Zimmer employs more blitzes and the tackles improve this year.

Linebackers: I'm lumping all these guys together because there are a lot of interchangeable parts at linebacker for the Bengals this year. You've got to really like the wide array of skill sets and talent in the top 6 linebackers this year. Keith Rivers is in line for a monster season. The guy plays with a mean streak and has a chip on his shoulder after suffering the broken jaw last year. I liken him to Troy Polomalu in terms of demeanor - that is, he is soft spoken and cerebral off the field, but he has an animalistic drive to hit, hit, hit on Sundays.

Dhani Jones is a pretty cool guy, and a good football player. He did a very good job last year for the Bengals. I mean very good: he was one of only five players on the entire team to start every game. He led the team in tackles. He was third on the team in passes defensed. To top it off, his teammates voted him defensive captain. He is a positive influence on the young guys like Rivers and Maualuga, and a vibrant locker room personality.

Then it gets interesting. Rashad Jeanty has worked extremely hard since the Bengals acquired him out of the CFL in 2006. But how long can Rey Maualuga ride pine? For now, this is sort of inconsequential because Jeanty has played in the preseason and Maualuga has limited time. We'll see how the preseason finishes out at SAM. Jeanty will likely go into the season as the starter, but Rey Rey will get time off the bench, and he'll be a fun little fireball to watch.

I think Brandon Johnson and Abdul Hodge have had good showings in preseason, and both of these guys are likely to be special teams contributors as well as solid defensive substitutes to keep the starters fresh. There is a pretty significant drop off here, but that's more due to the talent of Rivers, the leadership of Jones, and Jeanty's consistency than a slight to Johnson and Hodge (who, to be fair, have flashed some pretty nice skills in this preseason). We'll see what happens with Maualuga's progression as the regular season nears, but he may need some time to prepare for a prominent role.

Cornerback: I am not particularly ecstatic with our cornerback corps this year. Joseph and Hall, if healthy, will be pretty serviceable and can occasionally cover guys on an island. I still think they'd be best served by regular help over the top, although Jonathan Joseph has speed to burn. Leon Hall shows good coverage skills, especially on intermediate routes. I think our high expectations for these guys are legitimate. Joseph had a pretty good game against Randy Moss on Thursday.

Beyond the starters though, I don't have much confidence in Geoffrey Pope, David Jones, Morgan Trent, or Jamar Fletcher. I was a strong advocate of picking up a third corner in free agency, but the Bengals spurned my desires and instead decided that David Jones could hack it at Nickel Corner. I guess Jones had a lot of playing time last year with injuries to our top corners, so maybe he'll be passable.

Coverage last year was solid - especially given the lack of a pass rush. Can't argue with results. This unit will be okay as long as Hall and Joseph are healthy. It might be okay for a few weeks without one of them, but if both go down, there will be problems.

Safety: Lumping these guys together too for simplicity's sake. I think this is a very deep position for the Bengals this year. The most attractive thing about Bengal safeties this year is a good mix of hard-hitting and strong coverage. Chinedum Ndukwe and Marvin White have not looked great this preseason, and it's sort of early to judge as we haven't seen many teams go over the top against the Bengals first team defense (Brady overthrew somewhat open receivers twice on Thursday).

There is some valid concern about the coverage skills of guys like Roy Williams and Chris Crocker, who are generally known for their hitting - and in Williams's case, knocked for coverage. It is hard to argue that this is not a talented top 4 guys, though. A rotation that caters to the strengths of Williams in the running game and White in coverage could be efficient for Zimmer this year.

The Bengals will likely retain Corey Lynch this year, as he showed value on special teams last year and is a smart defender. While we're talking about safeties, I'll point out that Tom Nelson is from my hometown (Arlington Heights, a NW Chicago Suburb), and is a guy that really improved his stock on Thursday.

Overall: Depth on the defensive side of the ball is strong at safety, defensive end, and linebacker. Defensive tackle and corner depth is decent at best, with some significant fall off in talent and production once you get past the top guys on the depth chart. Let me know what you think about the backup corners, who I haven't paid much attention to but tend to feel unsure about.

Coffman and Coats given opportunities with Kelly's injury; Bengals sign Augustus Parrish

Kirkendall — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 19:34:11 -0000

More photos » by Al Behrman - AP

4 months ago: Cincinnati Bengals receivers Laveranues Coles (11) and Chad Ochocinco (85) walk to the sidelines together during practice at their NFL football training camp, Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009, in Georgetown, Ky. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

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While Marvin Lewis promoted that he didn't have to add anyone to PUP before Training Camp, the Bengals went on to see David Jones, Brandon Johnson and Reggie Kelly fall. In Jones' and Johnson's case, their return to the team before the regular season is likely. In Reggie Kelly's case, he's out for the year. Some suspect that it could be career threatening. Being on the final year of his contract, it could be, at the minimum, the end of his Bengals career. Joe Reedy plays out scenarios, suggesting that Ben Utecht likely moves up with Chase Coffman getting plenty of snaps. The wild card now is Daniel Coats and whether or not Coffman can block.

Bengals signed Offensive Tackle Augustus Parrish, writes Chick Ludwig.

The Cincinnati Bengals signed an offensive tackle on Monday, but he’s not first-round draft pick Andre Smith. He’s rookie Augustus Parrish of Kent State.

Parrish (6-4, 303) started the past three seasons for the Golden Flashes at left offensive tackle. He signed with New Orleans as a college free agent on May 6, and was released by the Saints on June 4.

Palmer's flu-like symptom was bronchitis, writes the Associate Press. He's already back working with the team.

Dave is on the Nate Lawrie bandwagon.

Chris Henry had 40 passes thrown his way last year -- he caught 19 (47.5%). This figure includes "drops and errant throws by the quarterback where the receiver couldn't make a play." It's important to remember that reading these type of stats.

Geoffrey Pope "got the better of Jerome Simpson in coverage and got an interception." The issue with Simpson is that he has to improve if he's going to move up the depth chart -- where he currently stands as the first third-team receiver. Big C says he is improving.

Second-year wide receiver Jerome Simpson was at it again during the evening practice session. Simpson made a nice one-hand stab in the back of the endzone during receiving drills. He performed well throughout practice but still needs to work on his route-running. Simpson is a little flat coming out of his breaks, making it easy for defenders to jump the route. He has shown very little separation at the breaking point. It’s not uncommon to see defenders jump Simpson’s routes and come away with an easy interception. However, Simpson is making progress in all other areas, especially blocking downfield and catching the ball.

If you're watching Ochocinco's show, then Mark Kriegel calls you a bigger loser than Johnson. Yet, he writes about it after watching it. Of course, the easiest solution is to actually avoid the show if you don't like it. But in our nanny-state of mind, that's a bit much to ask I suppose.

There's absolutely no noise on the Andre Smith front. However, the Jacksonville Jaguars are hoping to avoid a holdout from another offensive tackle.