SB Nation - Chris Harrington

Arizona Cardinals Finalize Practice Squad and Add Veteran Offensive Tackle

Hawkwind — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 12:59:46 -0000

When the Arizona Cardinals cut their roster down to 53 players, head coach Ken Whisenhunt said that there could still be some 'tweaking' once the dust settled from other team's cuts and it didn't take long for him to take action. The Red Birds added veteran offensive lineman Jeremy Bridges, a former Cardinal who played here in 2004 and 2005. Bridges, a 29 year old former sixth round pick, has also played for the Eagles (who drafted him), Panthers and spent the summer and past couple of months with the Redskins. Over the past three seasons he started 28 games over the past three seasons at both guard and tackle (although not at the same time obviously). He was signed by the Redskins and expected to compete for the starting right tackle job but when he lost the job, he also lost a roster spot. Bridges gives the Cardinals much improved depth at offensive tackle and some flexibility should either Mike Gandy or Levi Brown suffer some type of injury. To make room for Bridges the Cardinals cut Elton Brown.

That wasn't the only move the Cardinals made yesterday though because they also filled out their eight man practice squad, finally. Almost immediately they added four players of their own, Ed Gant (WR), Trevor Canfield (G/C) and Alex Field (DE) and Keilen Dykes (DT/DE) and the team finally announced the remaining four players yesterday, OLB/DE Chris Harrington (cut by the Bengals), FB Fui Vakapuna (cut by the Bengals), ILB Lee Robinson (cut by the Broncos) and CB Rashad Barksdale (cut by the Jets). We should all be familiar with Chris Harrington as he was the Cardinals sixth round pick in 2008 and he quickly became an ROTB favorite (here and here). We'll have more on each of the new faces after the jump.....

Fui Vakapuna - Vakapuna was a seventh round pick of the Bengals this season after coming out of BYU where he split time as a power running back and a lead blocking fullback. By all accounts the Bengals were absolutely enamored with Vakapuna leading up to the draft and it was a surprise to some when he was cut. The 5-11, 250 pound fullback is considered to be a powerful lead blocker and an adequate pass catcher out of the backfield. He also has the athleticism to contribute on special teams.

Lee Robinson - Robinson is an undrafted rookie who spent the entire training camp and preseason with the Broncos, which means that he did play in the preseason finale against the Cards (2 tackles). The official site is listing Robinson as an inside linebacker and the Broncos did use him on the inside but most scouts projected him as a outside pass rush linebacker coming out of the draft so he has some versatility. He has good size (6-3, 245) and was a very productive four year starter at Alcorn State. Here is one very complimentary video discussing Robinson's potential.

Rashad Barksdale - Barksdale, a former 6th round pick of the Eagles in 2007, has good size (6-0, 208) and has actually appeared in six NFL games for the Chiefs back in 2007. In the past two seasons he's been a member of the Eagles, Chiefs, Giants and most recently the Jets, although his stop in Kansas City was his only time spent on the 53 man roster.

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Now that the practice squad is finalized we can see that they've got two defensive lineman and two linebackers comprising half of the eight man squad. It's pretty clear where the team sees themselves lacking depth. I'm still a bit surprised that the Cards would carry another wide receiver on their practice squad even though they already have seven on the active roster but these things can still be tweaked. Thoughts?

Maurice Purify Absolutely Buries Roy Williams

IFChris — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:27:56 -0000

Josh mentioned this during his Hard Knocks recap and for those of you who didn't get to see it, here's the video. I'm not sure, however, just how long it will stay up, so get it while it's hot. While Maurice Purify is listed as a practice squad member, if he keeps smashing the Bengals safeties like he did in the video, there might be a spot for him on the tight end squad, because Lord knows they need the help.

Hey, it's a better idea than switching a "stiff" defensive player just to save money, isn't it? At least Purify has experience catching the ball. Granted Chris Harrington outweighs Purify by 40 or so pounds (260 to 224), so the idea isn't that great, but it's still better than the one offered by Mike Brown. I'd like to see if Harrington can block like Purify did in the above video.

One last thing before I end this post -- cutting a player at 5:30 in the morning is cruel, unusual, and just plain rude and unprofessional. Also, being an ass to the player while he's struggling for lucidity is not "professional" or a particularly "hard knock" thing to do. It's just mean and it makes the Bengals staff look like a bunch of dicks and/or Mike Brown automatons.

Surely the franchise can do better than that. Surely.

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?

Will Davis and His Future With the Arizona Cardinals

Hawkwind — Tue, 19 May 2009 19:55:26 -0000

The Arizona Cardinals, for the second year in a row, used their sixth round pick in the NFL draft to select a defensive end with the idea of moving him to outside linebacker. Last year they chose blue-collar, high motor Chris Harrington from Texas A&M, but after nearly the entire season on the practice squad he was snatched by the Cincinnati Bengals. This year the Cardinals decided to target a player with more athleticism and in the sixth round they selected Will Davis, from Illinois. Davis, a former receiver and tight end, had a great junior season (12.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks) but took a big step backwards as a senior recording just seven and 3.5, respectively. The question that he must answer as a professional is, who is the real Will Davis?

The Cardinals, as you might expect, are banking on Davis reclaiming the form that he showed in 2007 when he was second team All-Big Ten and named to a couple preseason watch lists (Rotary Lombardi Award and Ted Hendrick Defensive End of the Year Award). To get a better idea of Davis' collegiate career we contact Toki Wartooth, the head blogger at Hail to the Orange (SBNation's Illinois blog) and here's what he had to say...

Why did Davis' production fall off in 2008 and what are his strengths?

It is true that Will Davis was probably the best pure pass rusher on the team last year and the year before. Unfortunately the Illini had a glut of talented DE's but very few experienced DTs, so when Sirod Williams went down for the season before the first game, it meant that Davis would be largely the one to take his position. Against Mizzou, the Illini gave up a lot of yards right up the middle, exploiting his inexperience at DT and his lack of size.......In pure passing situations his quickness and instincts will result in him getting to the QB more often than not, but he's in trouble when teams run at him.

So if you were a defensive coordinator, how would you use Davis to maximize his potential?

My advice: put him on the outside, especially on third and long, and he will probably be productive. Put him inside and he probably won't. Basically what I am saying is, it is good that you guys picked him up for pass rushing, because the biggest hole in his game is probably stopping the run.

All in all, that's honestly about what you'd expect to hear about a guy who is being moved to outside linebacker. Most of them are smaller or weaker defensive ends who are a a liability against the run but excel at coming off the edge and rushing the passer. When you add in the note that he being used inside as a defensive tackle and it's no wonder that his production fell off in 2008 (there can't be too many defensive tackles who are former wide receivers).

So what, if anything, can we make of this? First, the Cardinals certainly won't be lining him up on the inside of the defensive line and he'll probably be asked to drop some weight in order to gain speed and flexibility. His lack a superb strength will not be such an issue at outside linebacker although he will need to get a bit stronger. The good news for Davis is that he won't be asked to contribute much, if at all, this season.

What to Expect in 2009: It wouldn't be surprising at all, given the current depth at OLB, for Davis to spend the season on the practice squad. He has zero experience in space his transition to OLB will be more difficult than second round pick Cody Brown. When you add in that he also needs to get stronger and possibly drop some weight, a year on the practice squad seems to make sense. If he does find his way onto the roster, it'll likely be because he's made a name for himself on special teams.

What to Expect in the Future: Davis is basically your traditional high risk/high reward type of prospect. He's certainly got the quickness and foot speed to turn the corner on an offensive tackle and if he can fully develop his game, he should be viewed as a starter in a couple of seasons. Of course his history of nagging injuries and his reliance on athleticism (instead of developing proper technique), could derail his career before it even gets started.

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It'll likely take several years to determine what kind of professional player Davis can become but in 2009, I'd have to think his first goal should be to make the '53.' With depth ahead of him and a lot to learn, that task will be difficult enough. Thoughts? Anyone seen Davis play in college?

Arizona Cardinals News: Promising Sophomore Class

Hawkwind — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:26:30 -0000

It didn't take long for the Arizona Cardinals 2008 draft class to show some promise last year. Despite selecting much later than they were accustomed to drafting, the Cardinals stayed patient and took the best player avaliable early on before filling some needs in the later rounds. The rookie class turned heads early and often during camp, preseason and the regular season, but what can we expect from them as an encore?

First, it's worth mentioning that at least two of the six remaining players are nearly guaranteed to win a starting job (DRC and CC) and Tim Hightower is a good bet to start his fair share of games as well. Brandon Keith could push for playing time this summer and Kenny Iwebema figures to be the top backup in the defensive line rotation. With so many sophomores contributing, what impact can they have on the 2009 Arizona Cardinals?

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie: With the 16th overall pick, the Cardinals took the most physically gifted corner in the draft and it didn't take long to figure out that his skills would translate to the NFL game. We wondered how long it would take for him to step into the starting lineup and he didn't disappoint. After some early season struggles (BUF and DAL games), he stepped into the starting role by week nine and never looked back. By season's end he led the Card's defense in pass breakups and interceptions and it even looked like some teams were avoiding him in the passing game. To raise the bar even higher, DRC stepped up his game in the playoffs recording interceptions in each of the first two games, nine pass breakups overall and 20 tackles overall.

Expectations for 2009: Make no mistake about it, the expectations for DRC are incredibly high. He enters 2009 as the team's best cover man and one of the most dynamic play makers. He possesses Pro Bowl talent and should be in any conversation as the Cardinals best defender.

Calais Campbell: Campbell fell to the Cardinals' 50th overall pick after a disappointing junior season and less than impressive workouts, but it didn't take him long to prove that he was well worth the selection. He didn't get the opportunity to contribute much on the defensive side of the ball because both Darnell Dockett and Antonio Smith stayed healthy, but his blend of size and speed made him a terror on special teams. He finished the season with 28 tackles, on pass defended and one forced fumble.

Expectations for 2009: Any list of young players who are expected to break out this season includes Campbell. He's expected to contribute immediately from his starting defensive end spot and take some pressure off of fellow DE, Darnell Dockett. He may not rack up a ton of sacks or tackles but if can hold his own in the run game, allowing the linebackers to make plays and occasionally disrupt a play in the backfield, he'll have a successful season.

Early Doucet: After being selected with the 81st overall pick, Doucet was supposed to be the front runner to win the third wide receiver job, but a hamstring limited him for a large part of training camp. By the time he returned to the field he was buried on the depth chart and was never able to regain any ground. Since he couldn't contribute much on special teams, he was stuck behind both Steve Breaston and Jerheme Urban on the depth chart and he was only active on for seven games (when Boldin didn't play). He finished the season with 14 receptions for 90 yards and he added another reception in the playoffs against the Panthers.

Expectations for 2009: It's hard to expect much more from Doucet in 2009 because the same players are still ahead of him. He's certainly not going to jump into the top three at receiver and his only realistic move would be to jump Urban for the fourth wide receiver slot. He'll have to start contributing on special teams though because that's where Urban had the edge in 2008.

Kenny Iwebema: The Cards took Iwebema with the 116th overall pick and they had some inside knowledge because their defensive line coach, Ron Aiken, recruited and coached Iwebema at Iowa. He surprised some in camp with his strength and had an impressive preseason recording two sacks in three games. He got some early playing time at nose tackle, when both Gabe Watson and Alan Branch were sidelined with injuries, which is another testament to his strength. He finished the season with three tackles and added two more in the playoffs as well as a pass breakup.

Expectations for 2009: Iwebema figures to be the top backup at both defensive end spots and should get a fair share of playing time in the defensive line rotation. It'll also be interesting to see how much he weighs when he reports to camp because right now he's listed at 274 and he could conceivably drop 10 or 15 pounds and become an OLB (he did perform LB drills at the combine), or add the same amount of weight and become a stout DE.

Tim Hightower: No other rookie was as popular as Tim Hightower last summer after being the Cardinals' fifth round pick. He instantly drew comparisons to Marion Barber and Marcus Allen and his popularity seemed to be on a meteoric rise after recording three touchdowns in the preseason. Once the season started he didn't disappoint, recording five touchdowns in the first six games before being placed in the starting lineup. Some of the shine fell off of his star at the season wore on and the running game struggled but he still finished the season with 10 TDs and added another three touchdowns in the playoffs (including his first two receiving TD's).

Expectations for 2009: Despite the selection of Beanie Wells in the first round this year, many still expect Hightower to win the starting job or at least get a significant number of carries. He's reportedly trimmed down and in much better shape this year. His proficiency in the passing game should allow him to contribute on every down and his slimmed down physique should allow him to continue to grow as a player.

Chris Harrington: Harrington was the Cardinals sixth round pick but he didn't last long with the team. He was attempting to make the transition from defensive end to outside linebacker and was cut after training camp but added to the practice squad shortly there after. The Bengals ended up plucking him off the practice squad in early December though and he appeared in three games for Cincy.

Brandon Keith: We knew very little about Keith when the Cardinals selected him in the seventh round, but by training camp we were somewhat excited about his future. Keith bounced around the college ranks but had some talent that needed to be harnessed. Considering the health of the offensive line thought he wasn't active for any game in 2008.

Expectations for 2009: It's possible that Keith could compete for a starting job this August if he sticks at RG (where he worked during mini-camps), although most consider his eventual home to be somewhere on the outside. If he remains a backup, he could be the top backup at every spot except center and left tackle.

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Overall the Cardinals 2008 draft class certainly looks like a promising group and could produce three or four starters in just their second season. Assuming that DRC is the most promising sophomore, who else are you expecting big year's from? Do you still have faith in Doucet and what does his future hold? Should Keith be in the starting lineup?

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.

Recent Draft History: Arizona Cardinals

Jeremy Bolander — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 20:00:10 -0000

2008 Draft:

1 (16) Domonique-Rodgers-Cromartie, CB STARTER

Cromartie definitley lived up to his first rounb billing, first stepping into the starter role, and then stepping onto the biggest stage inthe NFL in the SuperBowl. While he still has some parts of his game he could work on, he showed the ability to be not just the top rookie for the Cards, or a top player on the team, but one of the best in the NFL.

2 (50) Calais Campell, DE Backup

Campell made maximum use of limited reps, by being both a playmaker on special teams and in rare defensive snaps. By staying healthy and productive, he looks to have earned a chance to start at DE in the new 3-4 look.

3 (81) Early Doucet, WR Backup

A groin strain put him behind the eightball early in Arizona, and he barely managed to see the field at all, being deactivated msot of the time. However, with the superior depth at WR, Arizona may be hoping to keep him around, since he proveds the reliable sure handed play that can be effective coming cold off the bench.

4 (116) Keeny Iwebema, DE Backup

Not quite the upside of Campbell, Iwebama didn't get the chance to impress on STs, but still managed to produce ont eh Dline in relief duty to injured starters at DE and DT. His size and strength make him a versatile complement to the 3-4 line, and he will likely be a solid backup there.

5 (149) Tim Hightower, RB STARTER

THough he may end up being part of a committee at RB for the Cards, Hightower proved that he is part of their starting offensive packages. After a redhot start he definitely cooled off after being named the starter, but all signs point toward a solid player with a bright future in Arizona. With Edge likely on his way out, it is only a question of how Arizona is able to replace him, in dealing with where Hightower ranks against the other runners.

6 (185) Chris Harrington, DE Backup

After earning a spot on the practice squad harrington was poached by the Bengals.

7 (225) Brandon Keith, OT Backup

He hasn't been given much of a look, but the Cardinal's line caught some grief in 2008 and he might be looked at as an upgrade for the running game.

2007 Draft:

1 (5) Levi Brown, OT STARTER

For a top 5 pick, Brown gives up too many sacks and too many penalties, and is still inconsistent vs. speedy edge rushers. The big guy is certainly starter caliber, but Arizona has to start asking themselves if it isn't possible to upgrade the position.

2 (33) Alan Branch, NT Backup

Costing the team 2 draft picks means that production is lamost a necessity, but Branch appears to be mostly a dissapointment in Arizona. When he had the chance to step in as a starter he failed to take advantage of the opportunity and eventually was deactivated in favor of others. A classic case of underacheiving, Branch could be a huge asset with the team switching to a 3-4, but all signs point towards needing to hedge your bets against this guy.

3 (69) Buster Davis, LB Backup/Colts

After a slow start in training camp, Davis was eventually released, but in an interesting turn of events he refused to be resigned by the Cardinals to their practice squad. Eventually he would sign to a practice squad, though it was with Detroit, and then immediately upon being released by Detroit he was picked up by the Colts.

5 (142) Steve Breaston, WR/KR STARTER

Though brought on as an underwhelming KR, Breaston showed flashes and vowed to work hard in the offseason to be prepared to come in and compete in 2008, and admirably he did just that. A great 2008 season has led to him being a solid option in the passing game, and his development makes the team less beholden to the desires of two highly paid WRs.

7 (215)Ben Patrick, TE Backup

Patrick has grown steadily into a solid role on the team, coming in and producing in the place of injured starters for two years. Should have a long term spot on the team.

2006 Draft:

1 (10) Matt Leinart, QB Backup

This pick hasn't been what it was hoped to be, not by a longshot. Instead of entering his fourth year as a starter, Lienart enters his fourth year of holding a clipboard, and some question whether he is really even worthy of his backup spot. With Kurt Warner solidly entrenched as the MAN in Arizona, Lienart will have to deal with an upcoming contract and the fact that after the job was literally handed to him, several times, he failed to come through even once.

2 (41) Deuce Lutui, RG STARTER

While not the most disciplined lineman Lutui has held onto his starting job tenaciously, starting all but one game. His strength is definitely in the running game, and while an upgrade in the passing game may be imaginable, he likely will continue to hold onto his spot.

3 (72) Leonard Pope, TE Backup

Pope palyed inconsistently through three years, and now is looking at his RFA year as essentially a one year contract to stay healthy and keep his production high. When healthy he is one of the best options, but as it is, he will likley be looking elsewhere come 2010.

4 (107) Gabe Watson, NT STARTER

After a relatively slow development a freak treadmill accident looked to sideline Watson, and he never made it back into the starting lineup until the Cardinals had advanced all the way ot the playoffs. But as the going got tough, Watson was seen as a key contributor, helping the Cardinals shut down the run. At his size he could be a key to anchor the NT position for the Cardinals, and if his play in the SuperBowl run is any indication, he should be a force at the position.

5 (142) Brandon Johnson, OLB Backup/Cincinnati

After only limited opportuniteis to produce in one year with Arizona, he was eventually picked up to provide depth the much-maligned linebacking corp in Cincinnati.

6 (177) Johnathon Lewis, DT Backup/Detroit

A rough start for Lewis where he saw only limited action in four games. He would be cut and end up on the raiders practice squad before again being cut and finding his way onto the Seahawks roster. After a brief stay there he finally caught on with the 0-16 Lions. There wouldn't appear to be anywhere else to go at this point.

7 (218) Todd Watkins, WR Backup/Raiders

After spending most of his rookie year on the practice squad Watkins went to the Falcons PS, and finally was released and picked up by the Raiders.

Arizona Cardinals News: Injury Update and Clark Haggans to IR

Hawkwind — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 21:07:09 -0000

If you're looking for good news on the Arizona Cardinals injury front, you can just stop reading and start drinking (I'd recommend something rather strong). We already posted the news that Boldin and Arrington could be held out of Sunday's game and that news hasn't changed. Boldin didn't practice at all and Arrington was "very limited." Both are considered game time decisions, but Travis LaBoy has already been ruled out. None of that is really a surprise after reading reports last night but the bad news is that Clark Haggans was put on injured reserve today, ending his season. We kind of expected this but there was some hope that he would be able to come back after a couple of weeks off. Haggans was Chike Okeafor's backup at OLB and also a standout on the special teams. So if you're keeping track, two of the four OLB's are out for this Sunday and the special teams coverage units will be undermanned for the remainder of the season.

Elliot Vallejo was added to the roster in place of Haggans. Vallejo had a really good preseason and earned a roster spot out of camp but was demoted to the practice squad in a previous roster shuffle. Part of me wonders if Chris Harrington would have gotten his shot if Cincinati hadn't claimed him a week ago. He certainly would have helped on special teams and at OLB. If the special teams coverage units continue to struggle or get worse, I wouldn't be surprised if Kelly Poppinga was called up the show, as we predicted a week ago. No word yet on who is being signed to the practice squad to replace Vallejo.

Here's a link to the complete injury list for both the Cardinals and Patriots.

Henderson is 23rd placed on IR, and more Mike Brown dribble

Kirkendall — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 15:34:37 -0000

Dave says a GM won't help the Bengals as much. WDR calls Dave irrational. Dave responds, saying that it doesn't change a thing. I spoke briefly with Michael Abromowitz (yes, I name drop) after I linked his article yesterday morning, and basically we believed the only substantive effort for "real change" would be gathering a group of investors (a primary point in his article), to overvalue the team, perhaps twice as much, and put forth a powerful bid on the team.

Sadly, not only is it questionable that Brown would even sell, but it's unlikely that investors, in our uber-ness of super economic practices, would be willing to over-value this team. Furthermore, if the investors aren't Cincinnati-based, then there's a likelihood, based on contracts (and loop holes) of city agreements with the franchise to stick in Cincinnati, that an outside investor could pack up shop and send them to an area where the stands would fill up and markets would pour money into the team. Any city would be thrilled to have a representative in the NFL.

Essentially, selling really isn't an option; more like a fool's dream. In truth, no solution seems viable, much less likely; we're a cynical folk and no matter what one suggests, the other will have a problem with it. That's how we roll.

Moving on...

+ Eric Henderson is the team's 23rd player on IR. Henderson gives us another option at defensive end on our IR starting lineup, but also a player that can move to outside linebacker. bengals signed defensive end, Chris Harrington off the Arizona Cardinals practice squad.

Q and A with Mike Doss.

Antwan Odom could play this Sunday. James Walker asks if Odom regrets coming here, and "would've accepted less money to stay with Tennessee this year?" Alternatively, since players are always the victims of professional sports, does Cincinnati regret signing Odom because he's done little to help our team improve the terrible pass rush.

However, there's a league-wide drop in sacks.

Along with Odom, Chinedum Ndukwe and David Jones could be returning.

Acquiring Chris Crocker and Mike Doss this season, in response to injuries, has actually given the Bengals better depth.

The Bengals will bounce back.

Keith Rivers lost 24 pounds while having his mouth wired shut. Now, he's working himself back.

Arizona Cardinals Bid Farewell to Chris Harrington and Welcome Kelly Poppinga

Hawkwind — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 22:02:16 -0000

As reported by our very own AJ Birdwatcher, the Cincinnati Bengals have snatched up Chris Harrington from the Arizona Cardinals practice squad. Harrington, a sixth round pick from April, flew under the radar of a popular draft class, but he will be missed (by those close to ROTB anyways). He'll be forever remembered as the first Arizona Cardinals player to agree to (and actually follow through with) an interview with Revenge of the Birds. You might remember that Harrington was a college defensive end who was making the difficult transition to outside linebacker (here's an excerpt from the interview about the transition):

Q - I know that you played at linebacker some of the time at Texas A&M, but what part of your game will need to most improvement in order for you to excel as an outside linebacker in Arizona? What area of your game is best suited for standing up and rushing off the edge?

A - I played defensive end during my career at A&M, during some situations I would play a stand up defensive end /olb. I think the biggest challenge for me has been pass coverage. As a D-Lineman you are always rushing, rarely ever dropping into coverage, and when I was I was given a vague responsibility, like cover the flat. Since arriving in Arizona, I have been challenged to learn a whole new position and frame of mind. I didn't know what cover 2 was and had no idea what the secondary was doing. Now I have to know what everyone on the field is doing. It has opened up a whole new world to me and I am enjoying learning a whole new side to the game. I think I am good fit for the defense and the OLB position. I am very good at persuit and flying to the ball and I bring an aggressive mentality that I have from my D-Line days. I have lightened up a bit so I feel faster than I ever have.

Anyways, he'll be missed but ROTB wishes him the best and hopefully he'll have a long, successful career in the league. The Cardinals didn't waste any time filling out the practice squad though by signing Kelly Poppinga today. Poppinga was an undrafted rookie out of BYU that has bounced around from the Dolphins to the Rams and now our very own Arizona Cardinals. More on Poppinga after the jump....

Poppinga isn't your average rookie though considering that he's 26 years old and will turn 27 before the Super Bowl. He took a few years 'off' after high school and most of that time was filled with a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Once he got back to the states he enrolled at Utah State and he played sparingly as a freshman but became a starter in his sophomore season (2004), ranking third on the team in tackles (61). He'd lose another year of football the following season though when he transferred to BYU. He'd play in every game the following year (2006) but he'd start just two. He finished ninth on the team in tackles but he did rack up two sacks and two interceptions. His senior season he moved to inside linebacker after playing on the outside his entire career, but the move paid off pretty well. He finished the season with 113 tackles, 7.5 stops behind the line, five pass defenses and an interception and helped lead the Cougars to a top 15 ranking and an 11-2 record. He'd also earn 2nd team all conference honors.

As for a scouting report, it looks like he's a very smart player that lacks some of the necessary physical tools to excel on Sundays. He's got adequate strength and speed but he's not going to 'wow' you with athletic ability, but he's smart enough to konw his limitations and still make plays. He was drafted as an outside linebacker because most scouts feel that he doesn't have the strength to play inside and take on bigger lineman, but some also think that his eventual home will be as an inside backer in a 3-4. I'd imagine his versatility had something to do with the Cardinals interest. He does have some nice blood lines though considering that both of his brothers either have played or are playing in the NFL, in fact one of them (Brady) is a starting linebacker for the Packers.

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If you're reading this and wondering why in the world I'm talking so much about a practice squad addition, it's because Clark Haggans injury could affect the roster. Kent Somers mentioned earlier this week that Haggans could end up on IR with his injured foot. Somers did say that his spot would probably be filled with Elliot Vallejo but that would leave the Cardinals short at linebacker and on special teams. Anyways, maybe this is much adu about nothing but we'll see. So what do you think about this kid, err 26 year old rookie? Anyone seen him play?