SB Nation - Herana-Daze Jones

Horse Tracks 6/19/09 - BMarsh goes to camp (not that one); Lloyd, Dumervil & Ayers show how it's REALLY done

Douglas A. Lee — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 10:50:48 -0000

DB - Broncos Release Five Players
In addition to the previously reported cuts of LBs Boss Bailey and Louis Green, Denver let go of three more players - S Herana-Daze Jones, RB Kestahn Moore and CB Rashod Moulton.

DP - Broncos' Marshall captivates kids at youth camp
BMarsh and his agent spoke briefly with reporters at Marshall's football clinic; Kennard McGuire said he's been in "constant" contact with the front office, while Marshall says he's "10 times better" physically than he was in Week 1 of last year.

DP - Brandon Marshall Hosts Football Clinic - Video
Footage from BMarsh's clinic and a brief interview with Marshall.

NFL - Broncos' Marshall keeps quiet about status at youth football camp
AP take on BMarsh, along with a video report from NFLTA (including an appearance by Dave Krieger).

DB - Lloyd Excited to Play in Denver
New Broncos WR Brandon Lloyd is already working out with his teammates, and he has some choice compliments for Kyle Orton. Lloyd says the QB "can throw a fastball, a touch ball (and) an awesome deep ball."

DB - Finishing Strong
Elvis Dumervil posts a blog entry; he's sticking around for another week to achieve 100% offseason participation (no financial incentive). Dumervil says training camp will "separate the men from the boys" and he looks forward to relaxing at home with his family until then.

LTC - Ayers looks for deal to get done
LB/DE Robert Ayers says he will be in camp from day one and that "money is secondary." Great to hear, although his agent will surely cringe when he reads/hears that quote.

AJC - Ex-Falcon Foster likely headed to Rams
The Broncos were apparently interested in Falcons OT Renardo Foster but lost out when St. Louis claimed him on waivers.

CM - Bad first impression
Tim O'Sullivan joins the crowd in panning Josh McDaniels' every move.

DB - 2009 Media Guide Released
The media guide is available for partial and full downloads on DB.com

LVS - Brandon, Thomas hoping to build alumni bridge at UNLV
Sam Brandon headed to his alma mater to help coach the defensive backs at a team camp.

CD - Clarett asks to get out of prison early
Good luck with that one, Mo...

NFP - Big concerns in Oakland - Matt Bowen

SFC - Raiders practice brims with news and notes

KCS - Chiefs and Missouri agree on deal for training camp

SDUT - Chargers again mull Oceanside for stadium site

NFL - Commissioner Goodell suspends Stallworth indefinitely

NFL - Louisiana Senate approves deal to keep Saints in Big Easy

NFP - Diner morning news: Why wait on Freeman?
Lombardi thinks the Bucs should hand Josh Freeman their starting QB job.

NFP - The road to '09: Tennessee Titans

NFLN - NFL Videos: 32 in 32: Tampa Bay Buccanneers

SI - Tony Romo under scrutiny for Dallas Cowboys' lack of success

NFLN - NFL Videos: The Carucci report
Vic Carucci thinks Larry Foote, Greg Ellis and Colin Cole are fine acquisitions for their new teams.

NFL - In spirit, father of Eagles WR DeSean Jackson continues to inspire

FOX - Bulger admits this is his last chance - Alex Marvez

NFP - A proposal for a 17th game - Robert Boland

NFL - Top 10 most outrageous characters in NFL history

NFP - 2009 NFP scouting series: Missouri

NFL - Clemson's Spiller, LSU's Scott tops among college senior RB prospects - Gil Brandt

Fun Facts About 2008 - A 2009 Denver Broncos Draft Analysis

Douglas A. Lee — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:30:10 -0000

More photos » by Ed Andrieski - AP

For many draft "experts" and Broncos fans, the reaction to Denver's choice of Knowshon Moreno at #12 on Saturday resulted in cries of, "Not another running back!!!!!!"

Browse more photos »

Draftivus Weekend 2009 may be over, but it seems to me that the only draft-related activity as fun as predicting the outcome is in sifting through the results and grading them. Sure, it's a little early to do so; but we all do it, and I'm pretty sure we all seek out what the "experts" have to say in order to validate our own opinions (or cast them aside as idiots). Here are some of the reactions I've seen over the past 24 hours on MHR and across the web, and I paraphrase...

How could the Broncos not draft more D-Linemen or Linebackers?
What?! Another running back?! Denver already signed Arrington, Buckhalter and Jordan in addition to having about 12 holdovers.
More defensive backs? What, are they going to start 9 DBs? How many corners and safeties could the Broncos possibly use?
Josh McDaniels is a moron because he didn't draft the guys I wanted him to!!!

Personally, here is what I thought as the Draft approached...

Obviously, we'll come away with at least a couple of D-Linemen, including a nose tackle.
And of course, we'll end up with an excellent new linebacker.

Obviously, I was wrong. But I'm no expert.

Now, let's examine some undeniable facts...

The 2008 Denver Broncos were 8-8
Denver's so-called "explosive offense" scored 370 points, good for 16th-best in the NFL
They allowed 448 points, which was 3rd-worst in the league
The Broncos' point differential was -78, or 25th-best league-wide.
Seven teams had a worse point differential than Denver, and those seven teams all missed the playoffs, averaging a record of 3-13.
Only one team (Green Bay) with a positive point-differential won fewer than 8 games.
The Broncos lost to Oakland by 21 points (at home) and at Kansas City by 14 points. The Raiders and Chiefs combined for 5 wins against teams not named the Denver Broncos.
Denver lost to the Chiefs, Patriots, Raiders, Panthers and Chargers by an aggregate score of 187-67, which averages out to 37.4 to 13.4.
At various points during the 2008 Season, the Broncos were down to running backs such as P.J. Pope, Cory Boyd, a seventh-rounder in Peyton Hillis, a fifth-rounder in Ryan Torain, and a guy who had been selling mobile phones at the mall (Tatum Bell).
Denver had the 5th-fewest rushing attempts in the NFL.
The Broncos' time-of-possession ranked 24th in the league.
During this same season, the Broncos had folks like Vernon Fox (cut by the Skins), Josh Bell (cut by the Chargers), Josh Barrett (a seventh-rounder), Roderick Rogers (dumped by Minnesota), Calvin Lowry (cast aside by Tennessee), and Herana-Daze Jones (dumped by Cincinnati) either starting or playing crucial roles on the defense.
The Broncos' pass defense allowed opponents to connect on 67.3% of their attempts, which was 4th worst in the league.
The Broncos intercepted 6 passes in 2008, 2nd worst only to the Lions. One of those picks was made by DT Marcus Thomas, who promptly fumbled the ball away on the ensuing "runback."

Recognize this 2008 Bronco? Me neither.

I realize these are some depressing numbers, but this is 2009. I offer the stats above to remind everyone that 2008 wasn't such a hot year for our beloved Broncos. The '08 version of the Broncos couldn't control the clock, couldn't produce sustained drives and couldn't hold onto the ball on offense. On defense, they couldn't rush the passer, stop the run, defend the pass or take the ball away. Injuries left us with guys we practically picked up off the street playing running back, safety and cornerback.

Didn't everyone here learn from 2008 that a team can never have enough running backs and defensive backs? Keep in mind that the veterans Denver signed at those positions this offseason, in Correll Buckhalter, LaMont Jordan, Brian Dawkins, Renaldo Hill and Andre' Goodman will all be at least 30 years old this season. They will hopefully provide skill today, but they will definitely not do so in the distant future.

The 2008 Broncos had a lot of holes; while Atlanta and Miami were both wonderful examples of remarkable one-year turnarounds, their stories are exceptions. This team needs to be competitive first; if they can also win more games than they lose in 2009, I see that as a bonus. We're talking about a team which fired almost its entire coaching staff and enters 2009 with a new starting quarterback. For me, the Broncos were so bad in 2008 that I cannot expect every hole to be filled by 2009. We're talking about a process here, and it sure seems that Josh McDaniels, Brian Xanders and Company are making their way towards that end.

Yesterday, we saw a draft strategy we're to this point unfamiliar with. Yes, Mike Shanahan is an all-time great and brought home two Championships. However, when drafting for need over taking the best player, the Broncos ended up with guys like Marcus Nash, Paul Toviessi, Ashley Lelie (over Ed Reed), Jarvis Moss, Tim Crowder, Deltha O'Neal and Willie Middlebrooks. The new regime quite obviously sees the draft through a different viewpoint, and when their top choices went off the board (Raji and Jackson), they chose Knowshon Moreno. Not because they came in wanting a running back, but because they felt he was the best player on the board. That's how Minnesota got Adrian Peterson, by the way.

How about this guy? If you do recognize him, you'll probably be glad to know that he's no longer on the Broncos...

As I mentioned above, I'm no draft maven; but what I like about the "experts" reactions is this - everyone who criticizes the Broncos' 2009 Draft, from Jamie Dukes, to Pete Prisco, to Mel Kiper, to Todd McShay offers this basic thought - they love the players Denver drafted, they just don't think Denver filled the holes they would have chosen to fill. Personally, when I read draft analysis the day after, I want to see that Denver chose players widely accepted as being excellent football players. Used to be that our draft choices were either "undersized," "injured during senior season," "questionable character," "slow for the position," among other lovely tags. Today, they're "solid citizens" and excellent football players, but why do the Broncos need another defensive back or running back? As for where they'll play, I think we should leave that up to the Broncos' Coach and General Manager.

I'm not trying to provide a sunny outlook here; I'm just examining some facts. Some of you are happy about our '09 Draft results, others are bewildered. Both viewpoints are just fine by me - but don't forget the prism of 2008's season when looking at the makeup of the 2009 Broncos.

Broncos Welcome Back Old Friend Jeb Putzier

John Bena — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 17:06:04 -0000

RELEASE S HERANA-DAZE JONES; SIGN RB STEVE BAYLARK TO PRACTICE SQUAD

The Denver Broncos on Wednesday signed free-agent tight end Jeb Putzier to their active roster and waived safety Herana-Daze Jones (pronounced Hernandez), Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

The club also on Wednesday signed running back Steve Baylark to its practice squad.

Putzier (6-foot-4, 251 pounds) is a seventh-year player who begins his second stint with the Broncos, having played for the club from 2002-05 after Denver selected him in the sixth round (191st overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft from Boise State University. He saw time in six games (1 start) with Seattle this year before he was waived on Nov. 26 and also spent two years with Houston from 2006-07.

In 67 career games (17 starts), Putzier has totaled 96 receptions for 1,251 yards (13.0 avg.) with three touchdowns. He also has appeared in three career postseason games, posting 10 receptions for 159 yards (15.9 avg.) with one touchdown.

Putzier played in all 16 games for the Broncos during two consecutive seasons from 2004-05. He had a career-high 572 receiving yards (36 rec., 15.9 avg., 2 TDs) for Denver in 2004 and registered a personal-best 37 receptions (481 yds., 13.0 avg.) for the Broncos' 2005 team that won the AFC West title.

An All-Western Athletic Conference selection as a senior at Boise State, Putzier finished his collegiate career with 128 receptions for 2,050 yards (16.0 avg.) with 19 touchdowns. He attended Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho, and was born on Jan. 20, 1979.

Baylark (6-foot-0, 226 pounds) is a first-year player who most recently competed in training camp with Arizona, which waived him on Aug. 30. Baylark spent his entire rookie season in 2007 on the Cardinals' practice squad after entering the NFL with the club as a college free agent from the University of Massachusetts.

At UMass, Baylark became just the third Division I-AA player to post four 1,000-yard rushing seasons. A second-team All-American as a senior, Baylark finished his collegiate career with 1,080 carries for 5,199 yards (4.8 avg.) with 42 touchdowns.

Baylark, who attended Apopka High School in Apopka, Fla., was born on July 28, 1983.

Absolutely Ridiculous: Then there were 22.

Kirkendall — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 16:52:51 -0000

Absolutely ridiculous. There's several many aspects in which those two words are spoken freely; government interaction with our economy, my terrible Time Warner internet connection, my body's reaction to eating White Castle or Papa John's Pizza, some people's inability to ascertain the difference between a journalist and a columnist, alarm clocks, Cincinnati drivers during inclement weather, a badly tuned guitar, some people's inability to understand what a blog is, Bob Bratkowski, Busch Light, college football post-season, the broken "F" key on my laptop, the cost for XBOX 360 games, etc.

Poor Kirk Barton, signed off the team's practice squad on November 29, became the 22nd player placed on Injured Reserve on Friday. Exactly why there's 22 guys on the Bengals IR list, is another "absolutely ridiculous". It's been happening since training camp, and exponentially growing since. Yes, but injuries are apart of football. But find me a list where 22 guys are on a team's respective IR. While you're at it, find me the list that includes, almost, 10 starters on offense and defense, or high-level contributors on special teams. We're the only team in the National Football League with a starting linebacker forced to eat soup on Thanksgiving.

Is it strength and conditioning? Is it training? Is it the practices? Is there a critical point of a respective scouting report that we're missing (aka, history of durability)? On the other hand, Barton helps our projected IR starting lineup. It can move Kooistra to right tackle, putting Barton at left guard filling out our starting lineup. If Carson Palmer goes to IR (more on that later), then our starting lineup is complete.

QB: Carson Palmer (eventually, I'm sure)
RB: DeDe Dorsey
FB: Jeremi Johnson, Reagan Maui'a
WR: Antonio Chatman, Marcus Maxwell
TE: Matt Sherry
LT: Andrew Whitworth
LG: Scott Kooistra, Kirk Barton
C: Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook
RG: Justin Britt
RT:

DE: Frostee Rucker, Robert Geathers
DT:
LB: Keith Rivers, Abdul Hodge
CB: Johnathan Joseph, Ethan Kilmer
S: Dexter Jackson, Corey Lynch, Herana-Daze Jones, Marvin White

Justin Britt (G)
Antonio Chatman (WR)
Kyle Cook (C)
DeDe Dorsey (RB)
Robert Geathers (DE)
Abdul Hodge (LB)
Dexter Jackson (S)
Jeremi Johnson (FB)
Johnathan Joseph (CB)
Corey Lynch (S)
Reagan Maui'a (FB)
Keith Rivers (LB)
Frostee Rucker (DE)
Dan Santucci (C)
Matt Sherry (TE)
Ethan Kilmer (S/CB)
Marcus Maxwell (WR)
Herana-Daze Jones (S)
Scott Kooistra (T/G)
Andrew Whitworth (G)
Marvin White (S)
Kirk Barton (G/T)

MHR University - Who Should Start, and Why

Steve Nichols — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 23:00:06 -0000

From Born Orange comes these excellent questions, which are at the heart of much discussion at Milehighreport.com lately:

What's become of K2? He seems to have fallen far from Shanny's grace to have both Larsen and now Haggan starting at MLB in Webster's absence (I still think we're better off without Web in the middle).

Also, what's your take on the status of some of the rookies/backups who've been doing a good job filling in for the injured starters, once the starters are healthy again- primarily the LBs and CBs?

When players go down to injury, a coach has a headache on his hands. If the back-up plays poorly, the coach has to make adjustments to cover for the weakness. If the back-up plays well, a controversy can be in the brewing.

Let's take a look at the issues in BornOrange's questions, and take a look at the thinking that goes into when (and whether) to bring back injured starters.

More below the fold...

Niko Koutouvides

First, let's address the K2 issue.

During the pre-season, Webster and K2 were locked in a struggle to determine who would start at MLB. Webster edged out K2, and the season got started. Fans quickly tired of Webster's missed gap assignments and his overpursuits. But he's an energetic player who fires up his teammates, and folks like keeping count of how many times his helmet flies off (I guess).

K2, on the other hand, is a speedy LB who shines making open field tackles on coverage units. Many folks (including me) were hopeful he would get a shot at starting. Keep in mind, though, that K2 had a shot at starting during the pre-season and during camp, and didn't beat out Webster.

Then came the injuries. K2 had a shot at starting, as did Larsen (who plays at MLB and FB). Larsen proved himself the better MLB, to such an extent that the Denver staff had him play both ways on the field.

In short, as much as some fans may not be thrilled with Webster starting, K2 just hasn't earned the position, having been beat out by Webster and Larsen (and even a virtual unknown Haggan). Sometimes the devil you know is better than the one you don't.

But what about starting Larsen?

Let's stay on the MLB position for a moment. Why isn't Larsen our starter? First, I'm going to grant that Larsen is probably the best MLB we have. But the situation for the coaching staff is more complicated than just "Who is the better player".

Denver has been losing a lot of games to a lot of bad teams throwing the ball "early and often" and "deep". The spread offense is a fine concept, but not for this Denver team, which needs to be pounding the ball after gaining a lead (the formula that has taken Denver to championships). Only lately, Denver has realized the folly of throwing too often (we hope), and discovered the talent of power RB Hillis.

Hillis faced one of the best run stuffing teams against the Jets. Keep in mind that he is a 7th round pick, was meant to be a FB, ran in single back formations (meaning no FB run support) and is somewhere around a 5th string RB for this team. Against the Jets, a lot of fans were reminded of the dominance of a true powerback. Hillis, who was a FB behind two elite RBs at Arkansas, still managed to prove himself in college as a powerful blocker, receiver, and runner. In the NFL, he proved that he deserves to be Denver's #1 RB.

So what does any of this have to do with Larsen not playing at MLB? He's needed at FB even more. Here's why.

Denver's FB Situation

Denver has lost a FB, but in a good way. Hillis is one of those "diamonds in the rough" that has been discovered by Denver. He is a one cut runner who plows over and through defensive players. For readers of Chalk Talk and MHR University, it has been preached time and again how a power running game is needed to wear down defenses, to limit interceptions (defensed can't exclusively play in pass mode), and to set up the break away runs of faster RBs.

With Hillis out of the picture at FB, Denver has only three options.

Play a lot of single back formations
Use Pinnock at FB
Use Larsen at FB

One is to play Hillis in single back formations (as against the Jets). This option worked very well, and took the Jets by surprise. A lot of fans would likely want to continue on this path. But it isn't good coaching.

The Jets assumed that Denver would be their regular pass heavy selves. When they saw three recievers and a single back, they played pass. Denver hit them right in the gut. As pointed out by a couple of astute MHR members, nothing kicks you in the stomach like a powerback charging into a nickle defense. If Hillis is the answer at HB (and I think most of us agree that he is), then teams are going to adjust for him quickly.

Teams were not ready for Jay Cutler and the wild spread offense, but they adjusted, and Denver suffered. The way to stop teams from adjusting is to play a balanced game, where the opposition can't load up a defense against a particular trait. Denver needs to have a FB in to block for Hillis, and also needs to run some pass plays with multiple receivers without a FB. Denver needs to mix it up, instead of relying on a single look.

In other words, we will need a FB in our system.

The second option is to use Pinnock. Who? That's right. A virtual unknown. With Denver near securing a playoff bearth, the time for experimenting is over. Pinnock was brought in because we lost a FB (Hillis, to the starting RB role). But he wasn't brought in to start. He was brought in to back-up Larsen in case Larsen goes down.

The third option is to use Larsen. If we use Larsen, why not use him at MLB too? He's done it already this year! Fans may disagree on the point I'm going to make, but here's the coaching thinking that is likely going into the decision.

Playing Larsen two ways is a fan pleaser, but it isn't good football. Larsen played two ways for Denver because Denver was short handed and desperate, not because they wanted to. Larsen beat the odds and played both positions, and did it very well. To do so game after game though, is to risk injury, not to mention an exhausted player playing at two positions (hurting both sides of the ball).

Like it or not, Larsen can only do so much on a weakened defense. As a FB, he ensures that there are no postions on the offense that aren't elite. Right now, ensuring that our un game can keep up with our pass game is what will make this offense unstoppable.

Take it from me. I'm all about defense, and I would be kicking and screaming to get Larsen in at MLB if I was the defensive coordinator. But for the sake of the team overall, I think Shanahan is making the right move.

What About Other LBs (Haggan, Woodyard, and Winborn)?

Let's assume the obvious. DJ Williams is going to start at WILL. He is a better run stopper than Woodyard, and has more big play potential. He is one of the true elites on the team, and plays his position better than anyone. He never lost his position when he went down. While the WILL position isn't primarily a run stopping position (it zones the weakside and blitzes more often than playing man), my point is that DJ does everything Woodyard does, and more.

Woodyard's best fit is at WILL. He is not really a true MLB, and has an excellent future ensuring depth at WILL and playing coverage for STs. Moving him to MLB would be an adjustment (something we don't want late in the season), and would weaken the depth at WILL.

Haggan is getting a lot of love from the MHR faithful, but there's a catch. He has played on limited downs, and it's hard for a coach to make a major decsion on very limited data. Haggan may have raw talent, but going towards the playoffs (where experience is everything), he just doesn't have a record beyond a few plays. As it is, He is listed as the third string at WILL (an excellent place for a LB with raw talent, but little experience with the team), but can also play third string behind K2 at MLB.

Winborn is the natural fit at SAM. He has played over the talent level of Boss Bailey (IR), and will likely keep his position unless he is bumped by a draft pick in the offseason.

What About the DBs?

This is the most complex issue for me to address.

Let's start with the easy part; Dre Bly. Dre Bly will return and keep his #2 CB position. Bailey and Bly are #1 and #2 in interceptions since 1991. They are both two of the best in the game.

Fans are leary of Bly, pointing out his seeming lack of production in Denver. But in the two years he has been in Denver, Bailey hasn't looked stellar either. I have attributed this to Denver's weak pass rush, and even more to the decision to put the strong safety in the box. (A story on this issue is coming up next week).

Yet, in the last game Bly looked great. Denver had two safeties in deep coverage (despite the rain). Coincidence? No way. Denver respected Favre, and played the right defensive alignments. This allowed Bly to be himself, and it showed. Bailey's return (hopefuly this week) should be a major boost.

But what happens at safety and at nickleback?

Tough call. Very tough call. Let's assume for moment that Denver finally decides to play two safeties out of the box. Lowry would likely have a better showing than his first outing, when he was one of the top tacklers for the Broncos, but whiffed on several tackles trying to guard the entire field horizontaly by himself. As much as I've defended him, I don't think he's the best option.

This leaves McCree and Barrett. Like most fans (I believe), I would like to see Barrett get the call. McCree has the experience, and could play well if he has another safety to take half of the field. Barrett has the advantage in speed and athleticism. All other factors being even (which they aren't), I would like to see Barrett developed. This close to a playoff run, it's a tough call.

At strong safety, Manuel has done a decent job playing in the box. Out of the box, in the Jets game, Fox came out looking like a winner. In my mind, we should play the strong safety out of the box, and play Fox (unless he proves the Jets game was a quirk). My uneducated guess is that Manuel will get the start.

For the safeties, in my mind, the big question is whether we go back to playing 8 in the box or if we go traditional.

At CB, the contenders for nickle are Paymah, Williams, Bell, and Jones. I don't know much about Jones. Bell looked good, but like Haggan, it was in limited action. The competition then comes down to Paymah and Williams, and I would guess Paymah gets the start. My guess is as good (or bad) as anybody's on this topic, and I'll bet readers have some good thoughts on why someone should start over someone else.

So how about it gang? What are your thoughts?

Poll

How many picks should Denver use on LB this reloading season?

None. Several of our back-ups should start next year.

13 votes

One. How can we pass on a LB in a good year for LBs in the draft?

157 votes

At least two. We need major help at LB.

49 votes

219 votes | Poll has closed

Broncos Place Josh Shaw on I/R, Sign Safety

John Bena — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 00:05:36 -0000

The Denver Broncos on Wednesday signed free-agent safety Herana-Daze Jones (pronounced Hernandez) and placed defensive tackle Josh Shaw on their reserve/injured list, Head Coach Mike Shanahan announced.

Shaw, a sixth-year player, suffered a left elbow injury during the Broncos' 34-17 win at the New York Jets on Sunday. He saw time in five games for the Broncos this year and posted three tackles (2 solo).

Jones (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) is a fourth-year safety who joins the Broncos after seeing time in three games this season with Cincinnati, which waived him on Nov. 4. He spent his first three professional seasons with the Bengals after they signed him as a college free agent in 2005 from the University of Indiana.

In 28 career games, Jones has registered 41 special-teams tackles along with seven defensive stops. He led Cincinnati in special-teams tackles during each of the last two seasons, posting 18 in 2007 and a 19 in 2006, and had four tackles on coverage units in his three games with the club this year.

During four seasons at Indiana, Jones recorded the fourth-most tackles (342) in school history. He was a second-team All-Big Ten Conference selection as a senior after placing third in the conference with a team-high 110 tackles.

Jones, who set a Kentucky state record as a senior at Iroquois High School (Louisville, Ky.) by averaging 220 rushing yards per game, was born on April 15, 1982.

With Whitworth and Kooistra going on IR, Bengals nearly have starting lineup of injured players

Kirkendall — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 17:27:41 -0000

As per the oddball Bengals mindset, the team finally put Andrew Whitworth and Scott Kooistra on Injured Reserve for the season, while allowing franchise quarterback, god of the golden arms, Carson Palmer unrealistically set a date to play this season because, well, he's bored. Good reason. Keep it going. Whitworth moved to left tackle during the Eagles game, and Scott Kooistra played left guard; because Levi Jones was "struggling" on a leg that eventually forced him out against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Whitworth left the game later, after giving up two sacks, because of an injury and now he's done for the season.

It became known, reported, that Kooistra was hurt after the game. Even though Jones "struggled" on his leg, he returned to fill in Whitworth's vacancy at left tackle. These series of events introduced Anthony Collins and Nate Livings to the starting lineup for the first time in their careers several days later, playing admirably and surprisingly well against a league-dominate Steelers front seven.

The Bengals signed Geoffrey Pope off the practice squad (oh god), possibly starting with Johnathan Joseph down for the season and David Jones nursing a knee injury (he didn't practice Friday). Remember tackle Kirk Barton? The Bengals signed him off the Dolphins' practice squad.

We're very close to having a starting lineup of players on IR

DE: Frostee Rucker, Robert Geathers
DT:
LB: Keith Rivers, Abdul Hodge
CB: Johnathan Joseph, Ethan Kilmer
S: Dexter Jackson, Corey Lynch, Herana-Daze Jones

Justin Britt (G)
Antonio Chatman (WR)
Kyle Cook (C)
DeDe Dorsey (RB)
Robert Geathers (DE)
Abdul Hodge (LB)
Dexter Jackson (S)
Jeremi Johnson (FB)
Johnathan Joseph (CB)
Corey Lynch (S)
Reagan Maui'a (FB)
Keith Rivers (LB)
Frostee Rucker (DE)
Dan Santucci (C)
Matt Sherry (TE)
Ethan Kilmer (S/CB)
Marcus Maxwell (WR)
Herana-Daze Jones (S)
Scott Kooistra (T/G)
Andrew Whitworth (G)

Terrible Heinz Field takes two Bengals defensive ends for the season

Kirkendall — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 14:45:31 -0000

Bengals signed this crazy looking Josh Mallard at DE.

Even though the beat writers point out that the Bengals have 14 players (it's actually 15, as per the roster) on Injured Reserve, it's somewhat diluted, in that it's not just 14 players they've sent to IR; those are the players still under contract. If you include Ethan Kilmer, Herana-Daze Jones and Marcus Maxwell, the Bengals have sent 18 players to IR since training camp due to injury, whether new or ongoing.

Robert Geathers and Frostee Rucker were the newest additions after slipping on the terrible turf at Heinz field. Listing the players on IR, including those the team waived.

Justin Britt
Antonio Chatman
Kyle Cook
DeDe Dorsey
Robert Geathers
Abdul Hodge
Dexter Jackson
Jeremi Johnson
Johnathan Joseph
Corey Lynch
Reagan Maui'a
Keith Rivers
Frostee Rucker
Dan Santucci
Matt Sherry
Ethan Kilmer
Marcus Maxwell
Herana-Daze Jones

If you want, you could include the release of Kenny Irons after failing his physical, though he wasn't placed on IR.

Eric Henderson and Antwan Odom have been limited recently with their own injuries, unable to go against the Steelers. Jonathan Fanene and John Thornton had a majority of the team's reps at defensive end late against the Steelers. The Bengals signed Josh Mallard, who has 8.5 career sacks in four seasons dating back to 2002 and guard Evan Mathis. They signed a second defensive end, Victor Degrate to the practice squad -- they still have one spot open.

Wednesday morning links and notes -- HDJ waived, Blackstock exempted

Kirkendall — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:35:51 -0000

Watching the Presidential returns last night was eerily similar to watching the NFL Draft; waiting for a period of to end, for the returns (draft picks) with plenty of long-term analysis, projects and assessments about what state (team) would pick which candidate (player); including how much influence this pick (candidate) would have on the long-term vision of the country (team/NFL).

The Bengals waived Herana-Daze Jones after reaching an injury settlement while the team was given a roster exemption for Darryl Blackstock.

Pete Prisco lists the Bengals 28th, three spots higher than last week after Cincinnati's 21-19 win.

Pro Football Weekly's mid-season team report.

Biggest surprise: MLB Dhani Jones has brought a steadying presence to the defense. Through eight games, he was on pace to notch a career high in tackles. Not bad for a 30-year-old linebacker whose career appeared in jeopardy after the Saints released him before the ’07 season.

Biggest disappointment: There’s no shortage of candidates for this award, but we’ll give the nod to WR Chad Ocho Cinco, whose lack of production has been stunning. Whether you blame it on an offseason of distractions or the ongoing absence of QB Carson Palmer because of an elbow injury, it has been a poor season for a player regarded as one of the very best at his position.

Player to watch: The Bengals signed RB Cedric Benson on Sept. 30; by the end of October, the starting job was his. That should give you an idea of how poorly Week One starter Chris Perry was playing, but it’s also a reflection of how intrigued the Bengals are with Benson, who has a chance to work his way into the team’s 2009 plans with a strong finish.

Team MVP: The Bengals never have needed WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh more than they do this season, and he has found a way to rank among the NFL’s leaders in catches despite Palmer’s injury and some unsteady play from Ryan Fitzpatrick. He has been the most dependable player on an offense that has lost its way.

Fearless prediction: As nightmarish as this season has been, the Bengals’ effort rarely has been a problem. What’s more, they have played several top-caliber opponents very tough. With that elusive first win likely to boost their confidence, don’t be surprised if the Bengals pull off another upset or two down the stretch.

Keith River's gets Gil Brandt's nod at linebacker for his midseason all-rookie team.

Chick Ludwig is proud of what Whitworth did defending himself.

Bengals top-five NFL draft busts.

Former Bengals head coach Sam Wyche received 6,478 votes over Democratic challenger Wesley Burbage for the Pickens County Council District 3 seat. He promoted better roads, school and more jobs.

Crazy Canton on Lemar Parrish.

Scout.com mocks that the Bengals will draft Andre Smith, tackle from Alabama.

What is it with hamstring injuries?

Kirkendall — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:48:58 -0000

After the news that Dexter Jackson went on Injured Reserve because of a hamstring injury, I realized that Jackson's injury is becoming a trend. In fact, along with Jackson, Herana-Daze Jones, Reagan Maui'a, Dede Dorsey, have all been lost for the season because of a hamstring. That's four of 11 (13 if you're counting the injury-waived players). Admittedly, I don't know the overall rate for hamstring injuries across the league, but I'm sure it's not as high. I understand the difference between a sore hamstring and a truly injured hamstring and it seems like our team has the most injured (not just sore) hamstrings.

Jamar Fletcher and Kenny Watson have missed time because of a hamstring problem and Brandon Johnson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Chris Perry, and Johnathan Joseph has showed up on injury reports because of a hamstring; though they've played through it.

On the latest injury report, Jonathan Fanene was added as the latest hamstring injury. That's nearly a fifth of the team that's dealt with some hamstring problem through eight games this season.