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http://www.espn.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/26578/adam-jones-looks-like-returning-starter-after-bengals-show-support

 

Adam Jones looks like returning starter after Bengals show support

CINCINNATI -- Now that the Cincinnati Bengals are three weeks into free agency, they have a more accurate picture of how the roster will look heading into the 2017 draft. We're taking a look at each position, how it changed in free agency and where it stands now.

Previous entries: Specialists, Tight Ends, Running Backs, Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Offensive Line, Linebackers, Defensive Line

DEFENSIVE BACKS

Cornerbacks: Dre Kirkpatrick, Adam Jones, William Jackson III, Darqueze Dennard, Bene Benwikere, Josh Shaw, KeiVarae Russell, Tony McCrae

Safeties: George Iloka, Shawn Williams, Derron Smith, Clayton Fejedelem

Departures: None

State of the position: Adam Jones is here to stay.

The Bengals made that clear after owner Mike Brown voiced his support for Jones this week, months after Jones was arrested in downtown Cincinnati in January. Jones, 33, clearly is not going anywhere in 2017.

So where does that leave 2016 first-round pick William Jackson III or recently signed free agent Bene Benwikere?

The Bengals have said they see Benwikere as a nickel corner. If he starts there, with Jones and Kirkpatrick as the outside cornerbacks, that won't leave many snaps for Jackson, a cornerback the Bengals have said they think very highly of even though an injury derailed his rookie season.

Of course, the cornerback competition could be a free-for-all at camp, but with Kirkpatrick recently signing a new contract, and Jones entrenched as the other starter, it seems unlikely that any new corner would topple their position. The nickel position seems the only one up for grabs.

The Bengals don't lack for depth at this position. Should something happen to either Kirkpatrick or Jones, then Benwikere, Shaw and Dennard all have experience. That means it's likely not going to be a highly targeted position in the draft.

While there are options, it seems Cincinnati is set to go with its two returning outside starters. Jones will be 34 when the season begins, an age that is rare for starting cornerbacks to be able to produce at a high level. If he maintains his position, the Bengals will have to bank on him holding his form for another year.

Unless Jones is suspended by the NFL for his arrest, his presence could signal more waiting time for Jackson.

As for the safeties, this should be one of the positions with the least turnover. Shawn Williams and George Iloka will return as the Bengals' two starters. While Cincinnati might pick up another safety in the draft with only four on the roster, there won't be too many charges here at the starting spots.

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I'm not necessarily buying it...there's a ton of competition at corner this year and after giving big money to Kirk I could actually see Pacman being on the outside looking in when it's all said and done....much much easier for management to justify cutting a guy for "performance" based reasons rather than personal reasons. 

let's just see if KeiVarae Russell can push him off the roster...I'm hopeful.

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22 hours ago, Bunghole said:

"Now that the Bengals are three weeks into free agency...."

LOL

"Now that the Bengals have done nothing for three weeks..."

 

 

They signed a new MLB that it seems ran a really good Cardinals defense.  Just because he's not a household name with the ESPNFL swinging from his jock doesn't mean that's not a big move.  The Andre Smith signing could end up being just as important - at least they have a somewhat proven option at RT now.

I didn't like them letting Whit go, either, but they've actually done quite a bit in FA this year.

 

 

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5 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

They signed a new MLB that it seems ran a really good Cardinals defense.  Just because he's not a household name with the ESPNFL swinging from his jock doesn't mean that's not a big move.  The Andre Smith signing could end up being just as important - at least they have a somewhat proven option at RT now.

I didn't like them letting Whit go, either, but they've actually done quite a bit in FA this year.

 

 

Oh, I know, was mostly kidding. The Minter signing is a good one. Bringing Andre back, well...I guess we'll see. He's been hurt, and hopefully he's managing his weight. I still feel like bringing back one of your former players (like Michael Johnson) at a discount after they didn't pan out so well somewhere else doesn't give "active in free agency" the same ring.

3 hours ago, ArmyBengal said:

purely an opinion and no facts checked, but when was the last year the Bengals didn't put a CB on IR before the regular season opener? Definitely a position that depth matters.

Who's starting off on IR this season? I missed something somewhere. WJIII?

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This team is loaded with talent at CB, I really don't see us drafting one unless some sort of BPA falls to us in the 4th round.

I also see Pacman starting,but quickly falling to the Slot corner once WJ3 catches on. I really hope we don't do to WJ3 what we did to Kilpatrick

I'm not sure what to think of dennard I'm hoping a healthy off-season helps him get some of his speed back, but it looked like he lost his 6th gear last season.

I think adding Malik Hooker in this draft and I'd be scared to pass on this team.

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14 hours ago, Bunghole said:

Oh, I know, was mostly kidding. The Minter signing is a good one. Bringing Andre back, well...I guess we'll see. He's been hurt, and hopefully he's managing his weight. I still feel like bringing back one of your former players (like Michael Johnson) at a discount after they didn't pan out so well somewhere else doesn't give "active in free agency" the same ring.

 

No doubt, but the guys they're bringing back were more cap casualties from being overpaid elsewhere.  What sucks about Andre returning is that they were surprised by a rookie OT not being ready to fill the shoes of an elite veteran even though he spent the season on IR.  That points to the overall lack of preparation evident in so many other areas.  I know Smith is slotted at guard on the depth chart but I expect he's 2nd up at both tackle spots, which I have to admit is a nervous proposition. 

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18 minutes ago, Le Tigre said:

Maybe on the left side, but I don't worry about him at all on the right. He was there when they had an acclaimed "good line"

Agreed, LT i think we all know is going to be a boom or bust position. It also will decide what kind of season Efeirt will have...does he need to stay inline and help or will he be able to run free?

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30 minutes ago, turningpoint said:

Agreed, LT i think we all know is going to be a boom or bust position. It also will decide what kind of season Efeirt will have...does he need to stay inline and help or will he be able to run free?

 

If it was just LT in question I think they'd be fine.  The ripple effect when they inevitably have to reshuffle the line at some point is the concern, more so because of their tendency to rotate starters.  That's indecisive even when it's a RB, but rotating OL always ends up in some gormless clown-car routine that draws penalties like flies to shit. A wise man once said "If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice"  These are all Alexander's guys so he has no excuses.

And who is this Eyefort you write of? Does he play football?

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5 hours ago, turningpoint said:

Agreed, LT i think we all know is going to be a boom or bust position. It also will decide what kind of season Efeirt will have...does he need to stay inline and help or will he be able to run free?

I think if LT turns into a very iffy situation the OC is going to have to get creative not so much with Eifert but the secondary TE's and the FB to help out in protection from that side if it becomes a sieve. Keeping a RB/FB in to blitz protect, two TE sets we pass out of where the TE lined up near the LT has to chip and release, help double the RDE, etc.

Eifert needs to stay healthy and get himself open for receptions. He's wasted as a blocker (maybe except on run plays) even if he's decent at it. One of the things that we didn't have much of last season, and that Dalton, being a second tier QB desperately needs, is ALL his weapons on the field. There were very few games with Eifert and Green on the field at the same time due to injury. Those two being out there opens up the entire offense for them and for every other potential receiver of the football.

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On 3/31/2017 at 8:44 PM, T-Dub said:

That whole interview with MB where he kept going on and on about Pacman's daughter..  Jebus wept.

I actually thought Mike Brown came off pretty decent in that interview. The easy thing would be to give in to public pressure and cut him, but he is loyal and understanding that Pac Man is a creation of his environment, a 'rose that sprouted from concrete' (to quote Tupac) with lots of rough edges, and who occasionally can't control himself and tells a police officer to get fucked and die when intoxicated. That doesn't make Pac an evil person though, just someone without a high degree of emotional control and a highly-aggressive survival instinct born out of a dog-eat-dog upbringing. But beneath that I think he realizes that Pac is a decent guy, who he personally likes and cares about. Seems that the kind of owner every player would want to play for. 

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12 hours ago, BlackJesus said:

I actually thought Mike Brown came off pretty decent in that interview. The easy thing would be to give in to public pressure and cut him, but he is loyal and understanding that Pac Man is a creation of his environment, a 'rose that sprouted from concrete' (to quote Tupac) with lots of rough edges, and who occasionally can't control himself and tells a police officer to get fucked and die when intoxicated. That doesn't make Pac an evil person though, just someone without a high degree of emotional control and a highly-aggressive survival instinct born out of a dog-eat-dog upbringing. But beneath that I think he realizes that Pac is a decent guy, who he personally likes and cares about. Seems that the kind of owner every player would want to play for. 

 

Yeah, I'm not having that "creature of his environment" excuse.  That might fly when you're talking about a teenager that got mixed up in some shit, not a 33 year old man that's supposed to be a team captain. I'm guessing there are quite a few guys on the roster that had it just as tough or worse and still somehow manage not to be a liability on and off the field.  Speaking for myself, I'd rather work for someone that holds people accountable for their actions instead of coddling them like spoiled children. How many chances do you think this guy deserves?

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On 4/6/2017 at 6:28 AM, BlackJesus said:

I actually thought Mike Brown came off pretty decent in that interview. The easy thing would be to give in to public pressure and cut him, but he is loyal and understanding that Pac Man is a creation of his environment, a 'rose that sprouted from concrete' (to quote Tupac) with lots of rough edges, and who occasionally can't control himself and tells a police officer to get fucked and die when intoxicated. That doesn't make Pac an evil person though, just someone without a high degree of emotional control and a highly-aggressive survival instinct born out of a dog-eat-dog upbringing. But beneath that I think he realizes that Pac is a decent guy, who he personally likes and cares about. Seems that the kind of owner every player would want to play for. 

At some point Adam has to be held responsible for his actions and all of this "he had a rough childhood stuff" doesn't fly for a 33 year old man that has had numerous chances to get himself in order.

There are plenty of people that grew up in similar or worse environments that don't behave like Adam behaves, you are enabling that type of behavior when you try to offer up this type of excuse for him. You are stereotyping him when you describe this Menace II Society type of childhood as a dog-eat-dog upbringing, we don't know enough about his childhood to say one way or another about his upbringing. I'm sure he had it rough, but it wasn't like he was a Haitian orphan that had to dumpster dive in order to eat every night. 

At this point it's clear Pacman doesn't respect the law, his organization, or himself or he wouldn't consistently find himself in trouble with the law and in these situations in which the police are involved. 

MB is an enabler and is the source of the embarrassment for the city and fans of the Bengals, a declining CB with almost $7mm in cap savings if he's cut should be a no brainer even when you don't include his off the field escapades.

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15 hours ago, T-Dub said:

 

Yeah, I'm not having that "creature of his environment" excuse.  That might fly when you're talking about a teenager that got mixed up in some shit, not a 33 year old man that's supposed to be a team captain. I'm guessing there are quite a few guys on the roster that had it just as tough or worse and still somehow manage not to be a liability on and off the field.  Speaking for myself, I'd rather work for someone that holds people accountable for their actions instead of coddling them like spoiled children. How many chances do you think this guy deserves?

And now you see why MB has never won a playoff game or had any substantial success in the NFL as an owner, the lack of accountability is mind boggling and sets a horrible example.

Melt down in the playoffs and cost your team a victory with a stupid penalty, don't worry about it here's a 3 year/20 million dollar extension. Get arrested for the 10th time in 10 years on the night of the last game of the season, here's your 11th chance because you had it tough growing up 20 years ago.

MB allows quality players to leave because he doesn't want to pay them market value but keeps perennial fuck ups because he feels sorry for them, who runs a successful business that way?

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22 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

And now you see why MB has never won a playoff game or had any substantial success in the NFL as an owner, the lack of accountability is mind boggling and sets a horrible example.

Melt down in the playoffs and cost your team a victory with a stupid penalty, don't worry about it here's a 3 year/20 million dollar extension. Get arrested for the 10th time in 10 years on the night of the last game of the season, here's your 11th chance because you had it tough growing 20 years ago.

MB allows quality players to leave because he doesn't want to pay them market value but keeps perennial fuck ups because he feels sorry for them, who runs a successful business that way?

We made the playoffs a handful of times in the past couple of decades.

That's enough for some people to tell us how great this organization is run.

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6 minutes ago, PatternMaster said:

What's so cool about losing in the first round of the playoffs, that is a failure

 

I guess it's better than missing the playoffs entirely, but after the 3rd or 4th first round exit it doesn't feel like it.

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