SB Nation - J.D. Runnels

The Bearcats and Cincinnati Bengals South; a few previews for tonight, watching the offensive line

Kirkendall — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:15:57 -0000

Last year, while we sat through the back-end of a retched eight-game losing streak, it became apparent that the Bengals might miss the playoffs. While that thought horribly sunk in, there was another football team in Cincinnati that was taking over the show. We followed the Cincinnati Bearcats from start to finish last year, enjoying their ride to their first ever BCS game. Their games were exciting and their rise was awesome. Even though they lost to Virginia Tech 20-7 in the FedEx Orange Bowl, it was a great ride by the Bearcats. This year the University of Cincinnati are underdogs to conference favorites Pittsburgh and Rutgers. ESPN's Big East blogger Brian Bennett lists quarterback Tony Pike and Wide Receiver Mardy Gilyard as his preseason All-Big East team.

We plan on doing the same thing this year, observing them, though in less detail than Bearcats specific sites. My goal is to keep Bearcats interest high, supporting them for as long as we have Brian Kelly (which might not be very long). And for some of you, to turn you into Bearcats fans.

We also want to, though without any confidence that we'll do it regularly, follow the Cincinnati Bengals South, also known as the Florida Tuskers of the United Football League. While there's no roster listed online, as far as we can tell, we know that the following Bengals players are with the Tuskers this year.

Former Bengals defensive coordinator is also the Tuskers linebackers coach. This is by no means complete. Most of the names were found in a post we did about the UFL draft. So it's possible players have come and gone and we wouldn't know about it; it's not like I'm signing up for Tusker Tweets. Heh.

+ If you were in downtown Cincinnati, you had an opportunity to watch Hard Knocks on Fountain Square. However, managers decided to pull the plug. Was the crowd out of control? Were there Steelers fans that slipped past the defensive parameter, setting up a timer for dark matter to swallow the Queen City? No. The show had cursing.

“We try to keep our content PG-13,” says Kelly Leon, vice president of 3CDC, which programs Fountain Square entertainment.

Cursing. The cause for war and pestilence. Word has it from a prophet that the act of cursing will open a gateway in which aliens will enslave the human race to drain Earth's resources leaving the planet baron. Thank god others are doing their part to keep that gateway closed.

Moving on. Links and Notes

All four Bengals preseason games will be broadcasted in HD, carried by Local 12, starting tonight.

Joe Reedy previews tonight's game.

The Chickster says tonight's game will be the first test for the Bengals rebuilt offensive line | Joe Reedy agrees.

The first unit did well during last week’s scrimmage, which had line coach Paul Alexander to the point of jubilation, but Friday night is a different deal. It will serve as a better indicator to how much progress the line has been made and what is left to do.

“For the most part, we’ve been where we need to be and the mental mistakes haven’t been there as much,” left tackle Andrew Whitworth said. “Right now is a chance to show that. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do it on a live field. It’s a chance to get out there for some live action and to hit someone else. We’re ready for it.”

Robert Geathers will be entering his fifth season in the NFL and he's only 26 years old. He's looking to take on a role as a defensive leader.

Who Dey Fans react to Hard Knocks, specifically the way J.D. Runnels was cut.

WDR points out that ticket sales for the team continues to fall, striding towards their to goal to make sure games are not sold out to affect Mike Brown's pocket book. I really hope it works. Otherwise players will see open seats, become less inspired to play and rather than changing things, Brown will become even more penny-pinching.

Hard Knocks Episode One: Fullbacks, Tight Ends and Pissitivity

Kirkendall — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:30:12 -0000

If you watched Hard Knocks on Wednesday night, you learned a new word. Pissitivity, which includes five levels of being pissed off, through the eyes of Chad Ochocinco Johnson. As a side note, we learned that level four is "losing your keys mad." You also learned that if you drop a pass, that Carson Palmer will kick you in the balls.

The first episode of Hard Knocks was fun. Through the first ten minutes, the show put things into gear, focusing on the team's OTAs where players were separated into two teams competing through a variety of competitions; such as bench press, three-point contest, punt catch, football toss, the sledge-push relay and tug of war. Fast forward to the day before training camp, which shows, what Marvin Lewis called a "tail gate" party of Bengals personnel (front office, coaches, etc) playing cornhole, eating and drinking. We saw Andrew Whitworth eating (healthy foods?) with his wife, packing and getting ready. Chris Pressley walked with his son on the field of Georgetown College. Carson Palmer and Chad were seen driving into Georgetown, stopped by the attendant asking for ID. Both were shocked. It was funny.

The second quarter of the show focused hard on the team's first week of Training Camp. Much of it was about the Tight Ends and Fullbacks. Reggie Kelly's injury was shown, as was his upsetting reaction when he learned that he would be out for the season. Mostly everyone shown after the injury shows a lot of levity; knowing that what he brought to the lockerroom can't be replicated. Kelly said he would stick with the team, mentoring the young guys. You expected anything differently from the guy that Jordan Palmer called the "spiritual leader of the team"? Chase Coffman was hounded by tight ends coach Jonathan Hayes, forced to do pushups during films for one of many screw ups. However, he received the best compliment of the night when one of the coaches said he was making significant improvements everyday. Ben Utecht's injury was shown soon after Kelly's, in which you saw the team completely collapse, worrying about him. This was minutes after it showed Utecht, Coffman, Daniel Coats and Darius Hill together, working together after practice.

Several fights broke out. Mostly scrums that lasted until separated by teammates and all was Pleasantville again. Tank Johnson struck up a conversation with a young water boy (or ball boy) asking the kid if he would fight if his team finished 4-11. After the kid said no, Tank told the kid that there's big kids in the fourth grade, so they're going to eat dinner together and talk.

The show shifted to fullbacks, detailing Jeremi Johnson's history of weight issues and returning from an injury that wiped out his entire 2008 season. J.D. Runnels, who running backs coach Jim Anderson called "bull dog", was showed being waived by the team towards the end of the show. Interestingly, he was waived at 5:30 AM by Director of Football Operations, Jim Lippincott, who immediately went into the process of a waiver -- while Runnels was still removing sleep from his eye. Lippincott took Runnel's playbook with him and set it outside a door. It was outside. Unsecured. A quick note. When we read that players are waived, you never see the emotion human factor. I started feeling bad for a guy that we rarely talked about. Chris Pressley was an interesting feature, talking about his childhood, growing up poor in New Jersey with a single mother. His son was born while he was still in high school and the opening feature of him walking with his kid, talking football, was neat. Another side note on Pressley, that dude is built like a train. Actually, trains say that they want to be built like that guy.

We learned that Roy Williams hates Oklahoma Drills and was buried by Maurice Purify -- it was kind of embarrassing. I would have liked if HBO expanded the feature on the Oklahoma Drills.

Chad Ochocinco Johnson had some moments -- if you didn't know that Chad can actually be a very funny person, you do now. Head coach Marvin Lewis grins that Chad's always on that computer, twittering and doing ustream. Carson Palmer was shown at one point talking Chad up, saying they can't take plays off. We also learned about "child, please", which is a nice way of saying "fuck you." Rey Maualuga points out that Gus Parrish looks like American Idol's Randy Jackson with his glasses. He does. It's freaking scary. They momentarily featured Andre Smith working out and losing weight in Alabama. Smith talks about wanting to move on about perceptions of him.

Oh, and did you see how much Chris Crocker got underneath Chad Ochocinco's skin? Classic.

You saw Mike Brown and Katie Blackburn in several pieces. Katie was shown, looking bewildered at why they offer so much money ($33 million) and don't think that's enough. This is the person that has significant involvement with player negotiations. Brown made the suggestion that maybe they should give defensive end Chris Harrington a look at Tight End while the team was going through their rough patch of injuries. Jonathan Hayes shot that down, calling Harrington "stiff". Thank you Jon.

All in all, if you're a Bengals fan, it was everything we expected it to be. A look behind the scenes on the team. Did you guys see it? What did you think?

Kenny Watson released by the Bengals; as was J.D. Runnels

Kirkendall — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:08:05 -0000

Well, it's starting. For months, we thought Kenny Watson was a possible casualty. One theory was that the Bengals would keep Cedric Benson, Brian Leonard and Bernard Scott. And it appears that the Bengals are making that theory one step closer to a reality.

On Monday, the Bengals cut Kenny Watson. Watson played six seasons with the Bengals, of which only three were uninjured seasons. In 2003 and 2005, he missed significant time and in 2007, he had a career year. Other than that, Watson has been a third-down back and a decent blocker. He's not flashy, but he was definitely a support player.

The Bengals could easily bring him back. Last year the Bengals released him on October 4, re-signed on October 7, opening a roster spot for the fifth game of the season. However, this is clearly different as roster cut downs and limitations aren't necessary at this point. You better believe though, the Bengals have Watson's phone number on rolodex.

This also means that the depth chart is pointless and a piece of rubbish. Watson is still listed as the backup running back. In my mind, the backup running back isn't the first running cut. Also released was fullback J.D. Runnels, who (you guessed it) was the backup fullback on the team's rubbish depth chart.

The Bengals are down to six running backs and three fullbacks under contract.

UPDATE: The Bengals Tweeted that Evan Mathias is also out.

Bengals and FB Fui Vakapuna agree to a four-year deal

Kirkendall — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:15:03 -0000

On Tuesday, the Cincinnati Bengals announced Fui Vakapuna and the team have reached a four-year deal. The base pay will likely be $1.75 million over the four years, with the guarantee more than $39,000 and less than $77,000 -- which is in between what Bernard Scott and Clinton McDonald has received. (Update: PFT writes that it's a total value of $1.811 million, which would put his signing bonus in the $61,000 neighborhood)

Vakapuna is listed as a fullback on the Bengals website and once he signs, Cincinnati will have four fullbacks under contract: Jeremi Johnson, Vakapuna, Chris Pressley, J.D. Runnels. One would image that one of the other three fullbacks would be released soon to get inside the magical 80-man roster that they're allowed to take to training camp.

As for the draft picks, the Bengals have signed all five of their players selected in the sixth and seventh rounds.

I'd like to remind you that we're still charting the rookie signings here.

(h/t ak513)

The Bengals have 7-8 running backs on roster; is baseball unfairly attacked on steroids?

Kirkendall — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:42:46 -0000

More photos » by Kyle Ericson - AP

7 months ago: FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2007 file photo, St. Louis Rams running back Brian Leonard is seen during an NFL football game in St. Louis. Looking to add depth at running back, the Cincinnati Bengals acquired Leonard in a trade with the St. Louis Rams on Thursday, May 7, 2009. The Rams got reserve defensive tackle Orien Harris in the deal. (AP Photo/Kyle Ericson, File)

Browse more photos »

+ When Orien Harris signed an exclusive-rights contract this off-season, the Bengals had a defensive tackle lineup of Harris, Domata Peko, Pat Sims and Jason Shirley. John Thornton was on his way to free agency and Tank Johnson wasn't a glimmer in fans' eyes. They had to sign Harris as a contingency if free agency and the draft didn't acquire depth. On March 2, there was no else. Fast-forward two months and that list expanded with Tank and Pernell Phillips. Most likely Harris would have become the odd man out. Phillips, an undrafted rookie, is receiving $150,000 less than Harris, and there's few that think the former Hurricane would have unseated the top-four defensive tackles. He'll hit the free agency market after this season as a restricted free agent and the Bengals likely didn't foresee Harris in their long-term plans.

So they traded him. For running back Brian Leonard .

Leonard possesses the two qualities the Bengals demand from their running backs. The ability to run the football with good contact balance between the tackles, and the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield.

Leonard already knows what's expected of him. "I know it's a great opportunity for me to come in there and be used as a third down back," Leonard said. "I think they want to use me as a running back, so I'm looking forward to that. I still have a lot of skills, catching the ball out of the backfield and running with it."

Depending on how he turns out, the Bengals will have Leonard under contract for two seasons, with $1.1 million remaining on his rookie contract, giving them seven running backs on roster (Note: the numbers simply represent the number of players at that position. By no means does it designate our impression of a positional depth chart)

Cedric Benson
Brian Leonard
Kenny Watson
Bernard Scott
DeDe Dorsey
James Johnson
Marlon Lucky

Add that to the four fullbacks they have on roster.

Jeremi Johnson
Fui Vakapuna
Chris Pressley
J.D. Runnels

Depending how they view Vakapuna, that could easily be eight running backs and three fullbacks. Either way, the key here is that the Bengals have historically broken camp with three running backs and one fullback.

What are some Rams fans at Turf Show Times saying about the Bengals newest running back?

"The Bengals love our third-stringers."
"I didn’t see much of a roll for Leonard this year."
"...just ask yourself, what has Leonard ever really done for the Rams? Remember he was there number 2 pick. Has he played like a number 2 pick?"
"I think whats really going on here is the Rams decided Brian Leonhard was a tweener with no role, not big enough for FB or not fast enough for RB."

+ My love for football is undeniable. If I'm not wearing Orange and Black, I'm wearing the pride of football on my sleeve. Be it NFL, college or high school, I genuinely believe that football is the greatest sport. But I like football too, and I believe that baseball is unfairly judged with constant steroid blabbering. That's not to downgrade the issue of fair competition and performance enhancing drugs. Nor does it excuse Manny Ramirez, Barry Bonds, and the players that were shoe-in hall of famers that are now at the mercy of a baseball writer's moral compass. However, there's additional weight placed on baseball players than football players. What will you remember most? Alex Rodriguez or Shawn Merriman. The three New Orleans Saint players that tested positive under the NFL steroid's policy was Deuce McAllister, Will Smith and...

I like baseball. I love watching the Reds. This year especially. I love football. But when the baseball world flips upside down after one steroid story breaks, it's crazy. Everything stops. ESPN.com has five different running perspectives from their primary beat writers. Their bottom line is a 15-minute scroll about Ramirez. If it happens in football, you get a quick story, and we move on.

I'm not saying football is saved by some blanket in which stories on steroids are buried. That's not my point at all. But if you take two stories about steroids, one in baseball and one in football, which sport do you think receives the most exposure? Even White House press secretary Robert Gibbs called it "a shame and a great embarrassment to MLB." See. Everything stops.

Links and Notes.

Vinnie Iyer of the Sporting News identifies Keith Rivers as one of his second-year defenders to watch in 2009:

It's hard to forget how Rivers' rookie season came to an abrupt end — on a vicious blow from Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward in Week 7. On the play, Rivers suffered a broken jaw and was out for the season. Much like Porter was to New Orleans, Cincinnati thought it had the missing playmaker it desperately needed.

Rivers again will settle into the weak side, and the team drafted former Southern Cal hammer Rey Maualuga for middle linebacker. With inside starter Dhani Jones and Rashad Jeanty also in the mix, Marvin Lewis has a deep second-level corps. Rivers can be a disruptive force in Lewis' 4-3 scheme. The Bengals' defense snuck up to a respectable level last season, but if Cincinnati is to move up closer to the top dozen, it needs Rivers to break out.

Levi Jones was headed to Seattle for a visit. Now not so much. Wonder what happened. Is Buffalo calling?

Shutdown Corner on the Bengals trade for Brian Leonard. "Rare: A straight-up player for player trade. Even rarer: It includes a white running back."

John Clayton says that the Seahawks, Eagles, Giants, Patriots, Bears, Bills, Redskins, Jets, Lions and Chiefs have had a better offseason than the Bengals.

Just like CJ, the Chickster is getting tired of "character" BS.

Chris Crocker reminisces when he first came into the NFL.

Why the Jeremi Johnson signing doesn't mean much

Kirkendall — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:21:47 -0000

Some of you are worried about the team re-signing Jeremi Johnson because it could mean that the Bengals have set their position for training camp competitions; which in the long-run is a concern because Johnson is known to have weight problems heading into camp and weight issues causes an increase for the chance of injury.

However, I don't think this signing means anything. Before the 2008 regular season, the Bengals offered an injury settlement to the fullback with the thought that Johnson wouldn't be able to play in 2008 anyway. To free up a roster spot and reduce the cost of having a player on roster that wouldn't contribute to the team's awesome 32nd ranked offense, they said here's a check, good luck. However, another thought is that they probably gave the check to Johnson and said, we'll give you another chance next year; but it's up to you if you want to take advantage of that opportunity. Johnson got the message and the Bengals signed him with the thought that at the very most, he'll compete for the position.

With that said, in my opinion, the Bengals are still looking at the draft for a fullback to establish an open competition for the position. Along with the drafted player and Johnson, the Bengals will allow Daniel Coats and J.D. Runnels to fight it out during an open competition. With only one roster spot between four players, this will give the Bengals the best shot at finding the best player.

Detailed Analysis of Bengals Roster - Examining likelihood of drafting each position

Kirkendall — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 14:48:06 -0000

Every so often we try to re-examine the team's current roster and how it relates to the NFL draft. Since we have less than a week to go, I figure it was time for us to examine the roster, look at (unscientific) probabilities that we'll draft at that position, and get a general feel for where this team stands. We'll do this all again a week or two after the draft to reexamine the team's roster. Note: Best and Worst Case scenarios are based on long-term visions that I have after drinking some funky blue stuff. Here goes.

QUARTERBACK (3)
Even though the Bengals signed J.T. O'Sullivan this off-season in response to Ryan Fitzpatrick departure for Buffalo, Cincinnati could look at drafting a quarterback, whom would compete with Jordan Palmer for that number-three emergency quarterback slot. If all goes well, and the Bengals select a late-draft quarterback (sixth round or later), there's a chance they could luck into finding a long-term backup solution. If all goes poorly, then we'll have another Jeff Rowe on our hands. I rated the Bengals quarterbacks as strong, weighting Palmer's return much more than any player does at any position. Without Palmer, it's a mediocre position.

Strength of position: Strong
Probability of drafting position: Maybe
Best case scenario: Find a quarterback late in the draft to eventually become a long-term backup solution.
Worst case scenario: Jeff Rowe
Highest round team could draft: Fifth Round

Carson Palmer
J.T. O'Sullivan
Jordan Palmer

RUNNING BACK (6)
This off-season, the Bengals were able to re-sign Cedric Benson to a two-year contract, and recently claimed Gary Russell off of waivers. Still on the roster is Kenny Watson, who briefly became the team's feature back in 2007 and recorded two 130-yard plus performances. Chris Perry's low yard-per-rush and propensity to fumble likely cost him. DeDe Dorsey and James Johnson will have to put together masterful off-season and training camp performances just to have a shot on the roster. The Bengals are likely drafting a running back to backup Benson while, we think, Russell will be primarily used as a short-yardage/goalline back.

Strength of position: Average
Probability of drafting position: High
Best case scenario: Draft a running back that plays behind Benson and eventually replaces him as the team's starting running back within a year or two.
Worst case scenario: Kenny Irons
Highest round team could draft: Second Round

Cedric Benson
Gary Russell
Kenny Watson
Chris Perry
DeDe Dorsey
James Johnson

FULLBACKS (2)
In 2004 and 2005, former Bengals running back Rudi Johnson broke franchise single-season rushing marks in back-to-back seasons. A large part of that contribution goes to quality blocking from the fullback spot. Daniel Coats moved to fullback last season. And while he did his best in the transformation from tight end to fullback, he's just not an NFL-caliber blocker.

Strength of position: Very Weak
Probability of drafting position: High
Best case scenario: A bull-dozer.
Worst case scenario: Not realizing the need for a quality fullback and doing nothing about it.
Highest round team could draft: Fifth Round

Daniel Coats
J.D. Runnels

WIDE RECEIVER (8)
This has been the most talked about position during the off-season; ranging from T.J. Houshmandzadeh's departure to trade rumors about Chad Johnson. Furthermore, the Bengals costliest free agent pickup was Laveranues Coles. With all that said and done, there's really no concrete idea of what the Bengals are going to do here. One argument suggests that the Bengals will pick up a top-tier wide receiver in the first round, with an opposite argument that the Bengals won't draft anyone. With Johnson, Coles and Chris Henry the top-three receivers on the depth chart, and Andre Caldwell and Jerome Simpson drafted last season, I don't see any way the Bengals draft a receiver. When and where would he play? Basing a conclusion at this position is a matter of conjecture and I don't believe the Bengals will, or even should, draft a receiver. If Johnson is traded, we'll see. However, I've been very clear on my position about the team drafting a receiver. I don't like it. However, this is the only position in which I rate "probability of drafting position" as unknown.

Strength of position: Strong (based on potential), Average overall
Probability of drafting position: Unknown
Best case scenario: Not drafting a receiver and Caldwell and Simpson come through.
Worst case scenario: Bengals use the first-round pick for a wide receiver and he never gets playing time.
Highest round team could draft: First through Fifth

Chad Johnson
Laveranues Coles
Chris Henry
Andre Caldwell
Jerome Simpson
Antonio Chatman
Mario Urrutia
Maurice Purify

TIGHT END (5)
We're a spoiled bunch when it comes to tight ends. No, not recently of course. Through our history, the franchise has seen all-pro quality tight ends with great hands. Then when the Bengals offense recently morphed back to a passing offense, the philosophy turned tight ends into blockers to help protection and limit trends between blocking and receiving specific ends. The question here is how do you think tight ends should be built in Cincinnati now?

Strength of position: Weak (if you think TEs should be receivers), Mediocre (overall)
Probability of drafting position: Low
Best case scenario: Utecht provides a reason why we should have signed him.
Worst case scenario: Kelly leaves after the year, Utecht is disappointing (or injured) again and Matt Sherry amounts to nothing.
Highest round team could draft: Fifth Round

Reggie Kelly
Ben Utecht
Matt Sherry
Nate Lawrie
Brad St. Louis (LS)

OFFENSIVE TACKLE (4)
We've talked about offensive tackles just as much, if not more than Chad Johnson rumors. The facts are appalling; 51 quarterback sacks allowed, and the league's 30th best yard-per-rush average. As it stands, Collins and Jones would figure to be the team's starting offensive tackles. However, Jones has been reportedly on the trading block, and additional reports suggest that he'll just be released if no suitors are found. There is an option that the Bengals could move guard Andrew Whitworth to tackle. However, until that happens, we're keeping Whitworth as a guard in our analysis.

Strength of position: Weak
Probability of drafting position: Certain
Best case scenario: First-round draft pick contributes to an offensive line rebound and multiple All-Pro selection.
Worst case scenario: Bengals do little to address the position leaving the line in a weakened state and pushing back personnel turnover to a point that rebuilding efforts are pushed back an additional year.
Highest round team could draft: First Round

Anthony Collins
Levi Jones
Dennis Roland
Scott Kooistra

GUARD (4)
While offensive tackle is rated as a certain need, guard really isn't that far behind. However the urgency is less because the team figures to have two starting guards, and a third guard that filled in decently when Whitworth went down in 2008. The issue here is 2010. After this year, the only guard on roster will be Andrew Whitworth. If the Bengals don't draft a guard or two this year, it will likely become a critical need in 2010.

Strength of position: Average
Probability of drafting position: Maybe-High
Best case scenario: Bengals draft a quality guard this year, allowing Williams to mentor him for a season and becomes starter in 2010.
Worst case scenario: As typical with the Bengals perception, guards aren't all that critical. Therefore don't address the position and draft guards next year simply to fill the roster.
Highest round team could draft: Fourth Round

Bobbie Williams
Andre Whitworth
Nate Livings
Evan Mathis

CENTER (3)
The first draft pick by the Cincinnati Bengals franchise was a center. That's how Paul Brown viewed the offensive line; build from the center out. During the height of the Bengals offensive success during the Carson Palmer era, Rich Braham occupied center, directing traffic and handling the beasts of the AFC North. After his injury in 2006, the Bengals offense began to depreciate. No, we're not blaming Eric Ghiaciuc here -- there's was a general lack of effort by the coaches and front office to rebuild the offensive line allowing the team to suffer so poorly in 2008.

Strength of position: Mediocre
Probability of drafting position: Certain
Best case scenario: Bengals draft one of the top-three centers in the second round as part of a long-term offensive line rebuilding project.
Worst case scenario: Bengals do nothing and put all their faith with the centers on roster, once again, deciding that rebuilding the team's offensive line isn't critical.
Highest round team could draft: Second Round

Dan Santucci
Kyle Cook
Andrew Crummey

DEFENSIVE END (5)
You know the issue here; two highly paid defensive ends failed to pressure the quarterback with any consistency evident by terrible sack numbers. However, because both defensive ends are highly paid, we don't project the Bengals drafting a defensive end on the first day of the NFL draft. However (part 2), because of the Bengals terrible pass rush, many experts are projecting that the Bengals will draft a defensive end high; even in the first round. While they've made some plays in the past, the Bengals roster of backup defensive ends can be, and perhaps should be, easily replaced.

Strength of position: Mediocre
Probability of drafting position: Maybe
Best case scenario: Bengals find a gem in the fifth round or later that challenges the two highly paid defensive end to put in some production. Also, Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers were hurt last year; having a "gem" as a backup player that can get to the quarterback will help immensely if injury becomes a factor again.
Worst case scenario: 2008
Highest round team could draft: First

Robert Geathers
Antwan Odom
Frostee Rucker
Jonathan Fanene
Chris Harrington

DEFENSIVE TACKLE (5)
Last year, the Bengals had defensive tackles Sedrick Ellis and Glenn Dorsey high on their board. This year, with the potential we've seen from Pat Sims, the signing of Tank Johnson and the potential of Jason Shirley, the Bengals could totally leave defensive tackle alone in the NFL draft. On the other hand, the Bengals could draft a defensive tackle high in the draft to complete a four-man rotation of Peko, Sims, Tank and super-massive defensive tackle, forcing the team into a combinations of rush-defensive tackles and pass-defensive tackles. Still, we don't see it. It seems more likely that the Bengals could be content with defensive tackle already.

Strength of position: Average-Strong (based on potential)
Probability of drafting position: Low-Maybe
Best case scenario: Bengals rely on their two draft picks in 2008 and Pat Sims and Jason Shirley \ come through.
Worst case scenario: Tank lost gas in the... well... and Sims and Shirley play average at best.
Highest round team could draft: First... more likely Fourth or later.

Domata Peko
Pat Sims
Tank Johnson
Jason Shirley
Orien Harris

LINEBACKERS (7)
I've pointed out before that linebackers could be a serious concern after 2009. Everyone save for Keith Rivers and Dhani Jones will be free agents. It's to the point that if the Bengals don't draft a linebacker this year, this could be the primary focus during the weeks leading up to the 2010 NFL Draft. However, it's speculated that Aaron Curry is on top of the Bengals board this year, and if he falls, the Bengals could pounce on him. If that's the case, then the "need" is tremendously reduced. The question at this point would be, at what cost to the offensive line.

Strength of position: Average
Probability of drafting position: Likely
Best case scenario: Bengals draft as many as two linebackers, one middle and one strong-side to eventually replace the current starters.
Worst case scenario: Rivers is hurt again, Jones feels his age and the Bengals don't draft a linebacker in 2009.
Highest round team could draft: First (if Curry falls to us); Fourth or later if he doesn't.

Keith Rivers
Dhani Jones
Rashad Jeanty
Brandon Johnson
Darryl Blackstock
Abdul Hodge
Jim Maxwell

CORNERBACKS (5)
If you base grades on the starters, I believe that the Bengals cornerbacks are very strong. While they're not shutdown backs, perhaps not even elite backs, I think they've made their share of great plays on defense. David Jones showed he has some talent but there's plenty of room for improvement. The difference between the teams cornerbacks and backups is pretty significant. Mike Zimmer has said that he'd love to draft a cornerback to play nickel and/or coverage-specific safety. I believe that the Bengals will address cornerbacks later in the draft to improve their depth.

Strength of position: Strong
Probability of drafting position: Maybe
Best case scenario: Bengals draft a coverage-excellent cornerback and improves the overall depth at the position.
Worst case scenario: Bengals bank on injury-free season at cornerback and do nothing to improve their depth.
Highest round team could draft: Third-Fourth

Johnathan Joseph
Leon Hall
David Jones
Simeon Castille
Geoffrey Pope

SAFETY (6)
This is another position that we could make a strong case for. However, that projection is based on potential. Corey Lynch started well in 2008 before falling to injury. Marvin White has his moments -- good and bad -- but also fell to injury. Chris Crocker was an awesome surprise and now he's talking leadership. Chinedum Ndukwe is the team's best seventh-round pick since drafting Houshmandzadeh. At the same time, there's weaknesses at safety against the pass. How many plays were there when a pass went over the top while the safeties were sprinting to catch up with wide receivers that blazed by him? We suspect that the Bengals will address safety in the draft to acquire a guy that's better suited to defend the pass.

Strength of position: Average-Strong (based on potential)
Probability of drafting position: High
Best case scenario: Bengals find another start-quality safety stacking the position with potential talent.
Worst case scenario: Crocker slumps, Lynch is hurt again and the Bengals have to rely on lesser talent on the team's depth.
Highest round team could draft: Third-Fourth

Chinedum Ndukwe
Chris Crocker
Corey Lynch
Marvin White
Mike Doss
Kyries Hebert

PUNTER (2)
If the Bengals had a good performance from Kyle Larson last year, this might not be a big deal. However, when your offense is forced to punt 100 times in a season, that means a lot depends on field position. And we didn't get that. Opposing teams had shorter field positions and the Bengals were often playing from behind with a terrible offense. A good punter could have helped that. Not only have the Bengals brought in competition for Larson, but there seems to be a very high likelihood that the Bengals draft a punter.

Strength of position: Weak
Probability of drafting position: High
Best case scenario: Bengals draft UC's Kevin Huber; a guy they've targeted since the end of the season.
Worst case scenario: Larson returns as the team's punter.
Highest round team could draft: Sixth

Kyle Larson
Ryan Plackemeier

KICKER (1)
This is an interesting position. Place kicker Shayne Graham still hasn't signed his franchise contract. There's a chance that if Graham doesn't sign a long-term deal by the end of 2009, he could be gone for free agency. Will that mean that the Bengals will draft a kicker this year? No. Next year? Well, probably no.

Strength of position: Strong
Probability of drafting position: Unlikely
Best case scenario: Graham resigns
Worst case scenario: Graham doesn't resign
Highest round team could draft: Eighth

Shayne Graham (unsigned)

That's my analysis. You might agree, you might not. Either way, I expect to hear from your perspectives as the NFL draft is scary close.

Tuesday afternoon links and notes; practice squad moved to offseason roster

Kirkendall — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 21:23:58 -0000

The Bengals signed seven players onto the offseason roster that were on the team's practice squad.

G James Blair
CB Marcus Brown (McNeese State)
C/G Digger Bujnoch (Cincinnati)
DE Victor DeGrate (Oklahoma State
WR Maurice Purify (Nebraska)
FB J.D. Runnels (Oklahoma)
WR Mario Urrutia (Louisville)

Mark Curnutte is leaving as the Bengals beat writer. No word on who's replacing him. We've never had a problem with Curnutte, he provided us with plenty of information. However, we think that the Enquirer has never fully understood the potential they have with their Bengals blog; where information meets opinion in a messy collision. That's a good blog.

Stacy Andrews, who plans on being back by training camp, is having surgery in Cincinnati on January 5.

Not only is Chris Henry looking to have an "uneventful offseason season", but he says his relationship with head coach Marvin Lewis is "repaired." Forgive us if we've heard that before and remain suspect.

Chick Ludwig agrees with CJ, Bob Bratkowski should be "under heavy scrutiny". But he also thinks tagging Houshmandzadeh would be a mistake.

Lewis' latest press conference proves it, he's no fun.

While Lewis complimented the veteran players for helping keep things stable, but also said "I can't have said it enough times that they weren't quite ready to go when we got started, and that makes a big difference. It's difficult to train on your own at the pace everyone else is keeping with the team." Chad and Houshmandzadeh were within his sights when saying that. We fully stand behind the head coach on that one.

Why Geoff Hobson is examining anything other than tackle for the upcoming NFL draft is beyond me. At the same time, I'm a little flaky on my stance if that means we can get a leader, a play-maker, on defense -- specifically the middle linebacker.

The 2009 schedule based on location.

B.J. doesn't seem too optimistic.

If there's nothing to say, then let's say something obvious

Kirkendall — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:48:31 -0000

If you have nothing to say, then say the most obvious thing. Pro Football Weekly made a revelation that blew this blogger away; the "Bengals' pass-rush woes may get worse after lose of DEs Geathers, Rucker". That is if you believed losing those two provided a significant drop off, all 3.5 sacks of them. Odom practiced limited Wednesday, possibly returning Sunday against the Ravens. However, we could be fully stocked at defensive end and still be on pace for a total just above the lowest recorded team sack total in league history (well, dating back to the early 80s).

You go to games, because you're a fan. Bleacher Report suggests that you, the fan, should go to Paul Brown Stadium because you're still a fan, and tickets are cheap right now. You wouldn't add to Mike Brown's pockets (all the tickets are already paid for) provided you don't buy concessions. Think of our boys, appreciating the fans for sticking behind them during a historical losing season, showing support with a packed house. Personally, I'm not going to suggest that you go, or boycott the team. Do whatever you want to do, it's your money, your time, and if you want to experience the NFL, by all means, do as you please. During growing troubles within America not related to sports, do what makes you and your family happy.

Because you haven't been extended, it means they don't want you. T.J. Houshmandzadeh is wondering, contemplating and even planning an "exit strategy" to leave Cincinnati, hoping to join a winning team, so a Carroll County Times article suggests. "Yeah, I’m open to everything because I figure I want to win," Houshmandzadeh said. "I think Cincinnati can win here, but it’s a tough situation. When you haven’t signed a contract up until that point, and it’s sad to think like this, but your own mindset tells you that you’re going to leave because you haven’t signed a deal." He's even playing with the idea of joining the Baltimore Ravens, who impressed Willie Anderson with their organization, structure, with a simple mindset of football; not the off-the-field distractions like the incompetence of a questionable front office, playing on the final year of a contract (which does weigh heavy on players, like it would any of us) or players getting into trouble.

Like Chad Johnson, I question why players don't make their own team a winner rather than demanding (or planning exit strategies). Being a reason to leading this team to victory, on this organization, wouldn't just make players great, they'd be legends for generations. But this is the Bengals, and there's too many non-football matters to worry about. In end, I know what Houshmandzadeh and Chad Johnson are frustrated about, because we've been frustrated with the same damn thing.

Delhomme worries about Carson Palmer. The deadline is critically and quickly closing when Palmer can have the surgery, and be fully recovered by training camp. Everyone in the world thinks that Palmer should call the season quits, take the surgery and focus on 2009. It's additionally mind-boggling that the organization doesn't take a stand to make this happen. Delhomme reached out to Palmer recently to determine if he'll need the same surgery.

An NFL Turkey is a turkey not loved by John Madden. The good folks of MVN asked me who I thought my NFL Turkey of the Year should go to. I'm sure they wanted me to go with Chad Johnson, or Mike Brown, or Marvin Lewis, and I easily could have. But my award went to NFL Chancellor, Roger Goodell.

Dumping. Marvin Lewis is asked about job security again... Shayne Graham is hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for his teammates with 48 pounds of turkey... How does one apologize if they didn't learn anything... After releasing two fullbacks, the Bengals signed J.D. Runnels back to the practice squad... Nate Livings will start Sunday... Willie Anderson conference call... the Ravens were the first team in two years to score over 35 points by gaining less than 250 yards... the Bengals are a critical win for the Ravens for their playoff run... the Bengals offense is NOT vertical... this stuff makes Bengals fans cry...

Week in Review: Eagles Week

Kirkendall — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:23:24 -0000

A sickened Andrew Whitworth deserves an explanation while everyone else is trying to understand why nine other offense players (rest of the offense save for Ryan Fitzpatrick) were fined for "unnecessarily entering the fight zone", which is a bit ironic to us. A more noble thing to show kids (since that's what they tell us it's all about when they have no better excuses), is to step in and break up fights. Not to stand around and chant your buddy towards victory. So the lesson here kiddies is to cringe when your buddy's eye is ripped out, instead of preventing it. The lessons learned from observing the NFL are priceless.

Crazy wacky ideas, like going for it on fourth down, only makes sense when the team can actually convert it. Our offense is the worst in the NFL. Where in the world does this confidence come from when you can't convert on third down because you gain 2-3 yards on first and second down combined?

WDR is having mad success with Task #2, and have announced Task #3.

The Bengals don't have any 40-yard receptions, though they believe that will change Sunday against the Eagles.

Chad still wants out.

Jason Shirley was found guilty for drunken driving and hit and run on Monday. He was sentenced to serve 30 days in a work program. He's allowed to serve after the season and his lawyer will appeal. No word on what the NFL's Hand of God reaction will be.

Not only is comparing DeSean Jackson and Jerome Simpson unfair, it's just a really bad comparison.

We learned late this week that the Bengals are awful in the first quarter, especially on offense. If Ryan Fitzpatrick and the offense can't move the ball in the first quarter, then we can't imagine they'll be competitive the rest of the season against better teams.

The terrible Bengals are terrible at home.

We posted Alex Marvez's list for first-year head coaches.

The three biggest injury notes through the week was Antwan Odom, Cedric Benson's rest day and Chinedum Ndukwe's foot. Palmer will miss the first game after the bye week, which was the initial target. Now the target is the end of November. I was on board if he returned against the Eagles, but now you're pushing the date back because it's not healed. Time for IR.

Darryl Blackstock has returned. Pope was cut and re-signed to the practice squad after the team waived J.D. Runnels.

Primer: Eagles @ Bengals

Mindless dribble.