This isn't an "I told you so," but six weeks ago I asked:

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2010/6/19/1525976/injury-update

Point being, if I was concerned about it 6 weeks ago to wonder if they could contribute, where have the staff been.

A.S.(s) is on the verge of being one of the most hated Bengals ever - a bad vibe to be carrying around on a team that is having good chemistry.  We were counting on him and he's proven far too immature to justify a job at all, let alone the millions tossed away on him.  His rope is short indeed.  I think of Cal Rikpen Jr. talking about Eddie Murray.  He met Murray when he got to Baltimore and Murray showed him that being a professional meant day in and day out hard work.  A.S.(s) is too used to being babied.  He's got to learn responsibility, or go the way J Russel.

Re AB - it seems clear they should have put him on the pup and focused on healing.  I like him a hell of a lot better than A.S.(s), but it was poor judgment on his part to try prove his worth instead of taking care of his health/business.  It's as if he doesn't faith in himself that when his knee is ready he will kick ass.  We would have given him that space, and now I wonder if we'll loose him for the year. 

Football players make stupid macho decisions sometimes - and AB's cost us.  We were counting on him to be there when it counts.  It's like Carson Palmer picking up a fumble in pre-season and trying to run with it and getting a high ankle sprain to inhibit his passing much of the year - dumb.  He missed all those pre-season games and the passing game never did get in synch.  That wasn't the only reason, but was a significant contributing factor.  We count on these guys to be smarter about their bodies and have better knowledge of how much they mean to the team healthy, and that they are useless when injured.  Esp. during pre-season.  That being said - hope any other injured Bengals are taking note and getting healthy.

Can anyone provide or point me to a Bengal's complete injury report.

Also, how worried should we be about A. Bryant's knee and A. Smith's ankle? 

Is there anything really serious going on with anyone?

Since my fan post has to be 75 words long, I'll just say that I'm very encouraged about the progress of last year's rookies, that I'm a guy that has gone to bat for Jerome Simpson over and over and I really hope he doesn't embarrass me, and that I think the d line needs more and am hoping the tazmanian devil adds the danger I'm looking for.  That should do it for 75 words.

I saw M. Singletary interviewed about the draft.  Someone asked him if during the draft does he fall in love with one prospect.  He said - "you fall in love with all of them."  (I wish we had 5 or six picks in the first round.  As long as Lewis is calling the shots I'll be happy.  You can kind of tell when Brown fumbles a pick.)  

I guess my first real pick would be Thomas, but doubtful he'll be there.  I'd be happy with someone for the offensive line. 

That DE from FSU looks great but I don't think he'll be around by our pick.

I'm not sure that Coffman is done - we didn't really get a look at him, but Gresham looks like a Porche.  Thing is, about TE - in the AFC North your job is to block, not make pretty catches.  And we're talking going past the line and getting Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Troy P., maybe Eric Berry now.  TE in the AFC north is a man's job, as Lewis says.  Look at Kellen Winslow - even Cleveland gave up on the idea of elite pass catching TE in the AFC north.  I don't know that a Dallas Clark would flourish as he does in his division were he in our division.  Heap is good - but he's a thumper first.

I also like the idea of a OLB/DE. 

I also hear lots of folks say you need 3 corners in the nfl now.  Let's get a great third - someone who can snatch the ball out of the sky. 

Exciting stuff.  Too many options.  Be fun to make the pick, at the same time, glad I'm not doing it.  Tough decisions.

I looked at one of the mock drafts that people were passing around here - where someone gets to choose for their team.  The guy for the Rams picked Jimmy Clausen.  WTF?  I didn't even bother looking at the rest - that guy ruined the fun for the rest of the pickers because it knocked the balance of the draft askew.  Thanks guy.  Way to be informed.   There's a reason many of us are fans and not GMs. 

Can't wait for the draft.  Wonder if Al Davis will make a draft pick as uninformed as the Rams "GM."

Have you seen this?  Maybe having a little more knowledge about how the rest of the NFL press and fan base still thinks of the Bengals will help the players continue making better decisions.  Embarrassing.  

We have long known Steeler organization has a lock hold on the press in their town.  Say anything bad in the press about the team and you get cut off from the info.  Cowardly spin doctors.  Nice to see their own press has finally gotten some brass and are calling out the spoiled, privileged little darlings. 

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10089/1046621-87.stm