Friday, April 25, 2008
No love for T.J.
Just clicked through a photo gallery on SI.com of the best NFL draft bargains of the past 20 years. Don't feel like you have to click all the way through it to give them page views, just take my word for it ... Houshmandzadeh, a seventh-round pick of the Bengals in the 2001 NFL Draft, is conspicuous by his absence. I mean, the guy's only had 202 catches over the past two seasons.
Krivsky takes
Been meaning to post links to a couple of columns worth reading after Krivsky got axed. Not that I agree or disagree ...
• CBS' Scott Miller: Dumping Krivsky just latest proof Reds don't have a clue
• ESPN's Buster Olney: Castellini part of Reds' problem (need insider password)
• Scout.com's Brian Walton: Cincy Puts Trusty in Dusty ... and Now in Walt
• CBS' Scott Miller: Dumping Krivsky just latest proof Reds don't have a clue
• ESPN's Buster Olney: Castellini part of Reds' problem (need insider password)
• Scout.com's Brian Walton: Cincy Puts Trusty in Dusty ... and Now in Walt
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Time to trade Chad
After initially denying that an offer had been made (lying), the Bengals released a statement late Tuesday saying they had turned down a trade offer from Washington for disgruntled receiver Chad Johnson. The Redskins were willing to give up their first-round pick and a conditional third-round pick next year (which could end up another first-rounder if Chad did well).
I'm not sure I understand why they would turn down this offer. Why let this thing with Chad play out any further ... it's painful. You're not trading him to a division rival. You're getting another first-rounder so that you can draft one of the best receivers available after taking the defensive tackle you need to take with the ninth overall pick. The worst part is that might be the issue - that it's a first-rounder. They might rather not trade for another first-round pick because they'd have to pay first-round pick money. So why not counter with a second-round pick and a fourth- or fifth-rounder or something like that? Point being I can't imagine any team is going to offer much more than this for Chad. Why not just get rid of his disgruntled immature arse and be done with it. Move on.
I'm not sure I understand why they would turn down this offer. Why let this thing with Chad play out any further ... it's painful. You're not trading him to a division rival. You're getting another first-rounder so that you can draft one of the best receivers available after taking the defensive tackle you need to take with the ninth overall pick. The worst part is that might be the issue - that it's a first-rounder. They might rather not trade for another first-round pick because they'd have to pay first-round pick money. So why not counter with a second-round pick and a fourth- or fifth-rounder or something like that? Point being I can't imagine any team is going to offer much more than this for Chad. Why not just get rid of his disgruntled immature arse and be done with it. Move on.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Marvin to Chad: Don't play
Marvin quotes about Chad from Bengals.com:
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis denied an ESPN report that the Bengals turned down the Redskins' offer of a first-round pick this year and potentially next for Chad Johnson.
Citing team and league sources, ESPN.com says that the Redskins offered their first-round pick, No. 21 overall this year, and a conditional third-rounder in 2009 that could escalate to a first rounder if Johnson and the Redskins hit certain performance levels.
But speaking at a Tuesday news conference for this weekend's draft, Lewis said that Bengals president Mike Brown "has not received a phone call."
The club has been adamant in not trading the disgruntled five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and ESPN's Chris Mortensen said the Eagles and Cowboys have also been told Johnson is not on the market.
With Johnson talking retirement if the Bengals don't trade him, Lewis said, "He's a man of his word. He says he's not going to play, so don't play."
"It's time to do what you're going to say you do and we'll just move forward," Lewis said.
Quarterback Carson Palmer, who unintentionally got in the middle of L'Affaire Chad last week when Johnson ripped Palmer for saying he would be here when he had to be, avoided saying much Tuesday.
"I take it with a grain of salt," Palmer said. "I've always been a forgiving guy," and he still would like Johnson to come back because he's been such a good player. With uncertainly surrounding Johnson, the release of Chris Henry and lingering injuries to Kenny Irons and Chris Perry, Lewis said the Bengals go into the draft looking for receivers and running backs, as well as linebackers and defensive backs.
But he indicated the priority is on the defensive line, where they seek a run-stuffing tackle and USC's Sedrick Ellis looks to be the fit at No. 9.
No team has traded up into the top seven since 2003 and while Lewis didn't rule it out, he was cautious about making any trades. He fears a trade down to get an extra pick could put a player the Bengals want out of reach.
"You don't want to get cute," Lewis said. "I would be reluctant to advise us to do that."
Lewis mentioned both lines as priorities, but there doesn't look to be much room on the offensive line. He said he's encouraged by the health of tackles Willie Anderson and Levi Jones, feels they've got solid insurance in guards that can move to tackle in Stacy Andrews and Andrew Whitworth, and believes backup guard Nate Livings and backup center Dan Santucci can contribute in the interior.
But Lewis warned of some Draft Day surprises because of the volatility of this draft.
"There's going to be different (outcomes) that won't be the popular belief," he said. "After the first couple of players, there are going to be varying views."
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis denied an ESPN report that the Bengals turned down the Redskins' offer of a first-round pick this year and potentially next for Chad Johnson.
Citing team and league sources, ESPN.com says that the Redskins offered their first-round pick, No. 21 overall this year, and a conditional third-rounder in 2009 that could escalate to a first rounder if Johnson and the Redskins hit certain performance levels.
But speaking at a Tuesday news conference for this weekend's draft, Lewis said that Bengals president Mike Brown "has not received a phone call."
The club has been adamant in not trading the disgruntled five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and ESPN's Chris Mortensen said the Eagles and Cowboys have also been told Johnson is not on the market.
With Johnson talking retirement if the Bengals don't trade him, Lewis said, "He's a man of his word. He says he's not going to play, so don't play."
"It's time to do what you're going to say you do and we'll just move forward," Lewis said.
Quarterback Carson Palmer, who unintentionally got in the middle of L'Affaire Chad last week when Johnson ripped Palmer for saying he would be here when he had to be, avoided saying much Tuesday.
"I take it with a grain of salt," Palmer said. "I've always been a forgiving guy," and he still would like Johnson to come back because he's been such a good player. With uncertainly surrounding Johnson, the release of Chris Henry and lingering injuries to Kenny Irons and Chris Perry, Lewis said the Bengals go into the draft looking for receivers and running backs, as well as linebackers and defensive backs.
But he indicated the priority is on the defensive line, where they seek a run-stuffing tackle and USC's Sedrick Ellis looks to be the fit at No. 9.
No team has traded up into the top seven since 2003 and while Lewis didn't rule it out, he was cautious about making any trades. He fears a trade down to get an extra pick could put a player the Bengals want out of reach.
"You don't want to get cute," Lewis said. "I would be reluctant to advise us to do that."
Lewis mentioned both lines as priorities, but there doesn't look to be much room on the offensive line. He said he's encouraged by the health of tackles Willie Anderson and Levi Jones, feels they've got solid insurance in guards that can move to tackle in Stacy Andrews and Andrew Whitworth, and believes backup guard Nate Livings and backup center Dan Santucci can contribute in the interior.
But Lewis warned of some Draft Day surprises because of the volatility of this draft.
"There's going to be different (outcomes) that won't be the popular belief," he said. "After the first couple of players, there are going to be varying views."
Pollack to retire
From Bengals.com: Nearly three years to the day they took David Pollack with their first pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis said he is headed to retirement.
Pollack, a defensive end at Georgia that the Bengals chose No. 17, had a tough, brief pro career that was in such contrast to his All-American run. His switch to strong-side linebacker was complicated by a nearly three-week holdout and injuries limited him to 14 games, but he did become the first Bengals' rookie to log a post-season sack and with four of his 4.5 sacks coming late in the season he looked to have turned the corner.
But he suffered a broken neck Sept. 17, 2006 in the second game of the season trying to tackle Browns running back Reuben Droughns. Lewis said Pollack told him last week that he wasn't comfortable with the neck medically despite being cleared to play.
Pollack, a defensive end at Georgia that the Bengals chose No. 17, had a tough, brief pro career that was in such contrast to his All-American run. His switch to strong-side linebacker was complicated by a nearly three-week holdout and injuries limited him to 14 games, but he did become the first Bengals' rookie to log a post-season sack and with four of his 4.5 sacks coming late in the season he looked to have turned the corner.
But he suffered a broken neck Sept. 17, 2006 in the second game of the season trying to tackle Browns running back Reuben Droughns. Lewis said Pollack told him last week that he wasn't comfortable with the neck medically despite being cleared to play.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Source: Odell Thurman reinstated
A source says linebacker Odell Thurman has been reinstated by the NFL. The Bengals have yet to confirm the report.
Mock Draft update
Here's the latest look at who a handful of sites that have been staying on top of things for months now have the Bengals drafting (so that if they take someone else you can justifiably scratch your head) ...
WalterFootball.com: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
Bengals fans will jump for joy if both the Falcons and Raiders eschew drafting a defensive tackle. That's because barring a trade, neither Glenn Dorsey nor Sedrick Ellis will go sixth, seventh or eighth - they don't fit in the 3-4 - so Cincinnati will have the opportunity to take the guy who doesn't go to Kansas City.
No way Ellis makes it past the Bengals, especially after they lost out in the Shaun Rogers and Dewayne Robertson sweepstakes. Cincinnati ranked 24th versus the run and managed just 22 sacks in 2007, and I think it's safe to say that adding a monstrous defensive tackle like Ellis to the front four would vastly improve both of those statistics.
Also, I wouldn't count out Rashard Mendenhall either. Rudi Johnson stinks, Chris Perry is a bust and Kenny Irons may not be ready to play in 2008 (Marvin Lewis was recently quoted as saying that he doesn't expect Irons to contribute next season). If Ellis isn't available, this selection could be Mendenhall or Keith Rivers.
NFL Draft Countdown: Ellis
Whether or not Ellis will fall this far remains to be seen but if he did this would be a slam-dunk for the Bengals. Marvin Lewis is said to like Derrick Harvey but Antwan Odom was signed to replace Justin Smith at defensive end. However, they do still need some help inside next to Domata Peko and Ellis would be a perfect fit. If Ellis is gone, which is very possible, the Bengals may turn their attention to Keith Rivers because Landon Johnson bolted and both Caleb Miller and Lemar Marshall are still unsigned. There has also been some speculation that Ryan Clady could come into play here as well since Willie Anderson is getting up there in years and Levi Jones has battled some injuries. If you are looking for a potential surprise keep an eye on Rashard Mendenhall. Rudi Johnson appears to be wearing down and Marvin Lewis may want to shift the focus of their offense to more of a power running game since their big play threat Chris Henry's already gone and Chad Johnson may be following him out the door sometime in the near future.
Draft King: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Dorsey has been talked about as a top five prospect, if not even a consideration for Miami at #1. He is an impressive run-stopper who has shown that he can play through injury.
At the same time, there is a certain "buyer beware" element to a defensive lineman with back and leg injury histories, such as what happened in 2007 with Alan Branch falling all the way out of the first round. That, coupled with the teams at picks #6-8 having 3-4 defenses (not a good fit for Dorsey), leads him to slide to this spot in the latest mock draft.
For Cincinnati, adding a defensive tackle is a must. The Bengals missed out on trading for Shaun Rogers (who ended up with the rival Browns), but being in a position to draft Dorsey would help take the sting out of missing out on Rogers. If he can stay healthy, Dorsey has the potential to become an elite 4-3 DT in the NFL.
SI.Com's Peter King: Ellis
Best player remaining on the board. By far.
Football's Future: Ellis
Ellis is the type of talent that can anchor a defensive line. He is built like a tank and immovable off the line of scrimmage, but can also disrupt the action by getting penetration into the backfield.
NFL Draft Dog: Ellis
After Ellis dominated at the Senior Bowl, he is rising up the draft boards, the Bengals get an awesome defensive lineman who is a great value here. Ellis is the steal of the draft so far.
If you go back and look at the past Mock Draft update entries, you'll notice this is by far the most agreement there's been among these sites about who the Bengals will take. Seems like all of a sudden there are a lot of people who appear to be certain the Bengals will take Ellis.
WalterFootball.com: Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC
Bengals fans will jump for joy if both the Falcons and Raiders eschew drafting a defensive tackle. That's because barring a trade, neither Glenn Dorsey nor Sedrick Ellis will go sixth, seventh or eighth - they don't fit in the 3-4 - so Cincinnati will have the opportunity to take the guy who doesn't go to Kansas City.
No way Ellis makes it past the Bengals, especially after they lost out in the Shaun Rogers and Dewayne Robertson sweepstakes. Cincinnati ranked 24th versus the run and managed just 22 sacks in 2007, and I think it's safe to say that adding a monstrous defensive tackle like Ellis to the front four would vastly improve both of those statistics.
Also, I wouldn't count out Rashard Mendenhall either. Rudi Johnson stinks, Chris Perry is a bust and Kenny Irons may not be ready to play in 2008 (Marvin Lewis was recently quoted as saying that he doesn't expect Irons to contribute next season). If Ellis isn't available, this selection could be Mendenhall or Keith Rivers.
NFL Draft Countdown: Ellis
Whether or not Ellis will fall this far remains to be seen but if he did this would be a slam-dunk for the Bengals. Marvin Lewis is said to like Derrick Harvey but Antwan Odom was signed to replace Justin Smith at defensive end. However, they do still need some help inside next to Domata Peko and Ellis would be a perfect fit. If Ellis is gone, which is very possible, the Bengals may turn their attention to Keith Rivers because Landon Johnson bolted and both Caleb Miller and Lemar Marshall are still unsigned. There has also been some speculation that Ryan Clady could come into play here as well since Willie Anderson is getting up there in years and Levi Jones has battled some injuries. If you are looking for a potential surprise keep an eye on Rashard Mendenhall. Rudi Johnson appears to be wearing down and Marvin Lewis may want to shift the focus of their offense to more of a power running game since their big play threat Chris Henry's already gone and Chad Johnson may be following him out the door sometime in the near future.
Draft King: Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU
Dorsey has been talked about as a top five prospect, if not even a consideration for Miami at #1. He is an impressive run-stopper who has shown that he can play through injury.
At the same time, there is a certain "buyer beware" element to a defensive lineman with back and leg injury histories, such as what happened in 2007 with Alan Branch falling all the way out of the first round. That, coupled with the teams at picks #6-8 having 3-4 defenses (not a good fit for Dorsey), leads him to slide to this spot in the latest mock draft.
For Cincinnati, adding a defensive tackle is a must. The Bengals missed out on trading for Shaun Rogers (who ended up with the rival Browns), but being in a position to draft Dorsey would help take the sting out of missing out on Rogers. If he can stay healthy, Dorsey has the potential to become an elite 4-3 DT in the NFL.
SI.Com's Peter King: Ellis
Best player remaining on the board. By far.
Football's Future: Ellis
Ellis is the type of talent that can anchor a defensive line. He is built like a tank and immovable off the line of scrimmage, but can also disrupt the action by getting penetration into the backfield.
NFL Draft Dog: Ellis
After Ellis dominated at the Senior Bowl, he is rising up the draft boards, the Bengals get an awesome defensive lineman who is a great value here. Ellis is the steal of the draft so far.
If you go back and look at the past Mock Draft update entries, you'll notice this is by far the most agreement there's been among these sites about who the Bengals will take. Seems like all of a sudden there are a lot of people who appear to be certain the Bengals will take Ellis.
Friday, April 18, 2008
T.J.: Trade Chad
Here's the latest ... I'm linking again to the ESPN.com story only because ESPN is who Chad and T.J. prefer to talk to ... and if you think this is getting old, just wait ... the Bengals don't head to Georgetown until August.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Chad to Carson: 'Stay out of my business'
Chad Johnson continues to alienate himself. He antagonizes Carson Palmer with his latest comments to ESPN.Com's John Clayton. Check out the story here.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Henry to Cowboys?
SI.com's NFL Truth&Rumors column not only addresses speculation that Chris Henry could become a Cowboy but also mentions a couple of the receivers the Bengals might be considering drafting.
Of the two wideouts mentioned, About Football has Malcolm Kelly as the second best available, while Louisville's Mario Urrutia is No. 40. NFL Draft Countdown has Kelly No. 6 and Urrutia No. 30.
I just wonder if they would have the guts to take Kelly with the No. 9 pick with so many fans saying they need to take a defensive tackle.
Of the two wideouts mentioned, About Football has Malcolm Kelly as the second best available, while Louisville's Mario Urrutia is No. 40. NFL Draft Countdown has Kelly No. 6 and Urrutia No. 30.
I just wonder if they would have the guts to take Kelly with the No. 9 pick with so many fans saying they need to take a defensive tackle.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Reds win
Two out of three from the Diamondbacks ... can't complain about that especially considering what a circus Opening Day is. Jeff Keppinger has 5 hits in his first 10 at-bats, so let's start figuring out where he's going to start when Alex Gonzalez comes back.
But really the story is Cueto. What a debut.
But really the story is Cueto. What a debut.
Whew!
Pretty lucky to get out of the eighth with only one run scoring. Huge K for Lincoln to end the inning. Reds 3-2.
It sure would be a shame ...
... for David Weathers to blow Cueto's gem. Cueto is finished after seven outstanding innings and Weathers got the first batter he faced but then walked three in a row to load the bases.
Cueto dealing
One hit (the homer), 10 strikeouts and 92 pitches through seven innings for Cueto. Reds lead 3-1.
Upton homer ends Cueto's perfection
Johnny Cueto was perfect through five innings (with eight strikeouts) before Justin Upton homered off him. Not bad for your Major League debut.
Chad on ESPN
Everyone's talking about Chad's response to Marvin's most recent comments. The interview is difficult to sum up, and I don't even know what to make of it ... you should really just watch it for yourself.
Priceless
There was a pretty outstanding minute of the Reds' broadcast last night, and it wasn't just because Encarnacion ended the game with a walk-off home run. He looked bad trying to bunt and we learned that he has had 0 career sacrifice bunts. Then Brantley started ripping him. "He is not a clutch hitter ... he is not a clutch player," is what it sounded like Brantley said. Only problem is he said it at the very same time they flashed the stat about EE's outstanding average last season with runners in scoring position. And then, of course, Encarnacion made him wolf down some humble pie. Good stuff.
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Marvin has an ax to grind
Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis had some pretty interesting things to say during Tuesday morning's AFC coaches media breakfast.
Here are the highlights (from Bengals.Com):
On Chad: "Unfortunately Chad put himself in that situation. A lot of people who really had an affection for him fan-wise and people around the league see him in a different light and that's unfortunate. Some of the things he's gone on record and said one way or the other he's going to have to deal with them one way or the other."
More on Chad: "If he does it the right way, I'm willing to take the bullets again. He's said he's probably going to sit out. I think you've got to own up and do it. Hopefully he'll do what Kobe Bryant did this year. He had a very accomplished season (after his trade demands). The Cincinnati Bengals hold the cards through the 2011 season. We've been dealing with this inside for over a year and we'll be prepared to move on."
On Carson: "We've got a quarterback who a year ago tried to win every game and he realizes he can't do that. He probably had to go through some games like that. Like Seattle, where he felt he had to win every game. Now he realizes if we don't run the football we're not going to beat anybody."
On the offense: "Everybody thinks it's cute to throw the ball around the lot, but you don't win games throwing the ball around the lot."
On the past: "We haven't been very good with that because we've had some guys that have had marginal success and they think the world revolves around them."
Here are the highlights (from Bengals.Com):
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