Odom's the big splash (Enquirer)

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]Odom's the big splash[/b][/size]
[size=3][b]Bengals analysis: Any other moves more likely to be ripples[/b][/size]
BY MARK CURNUTTE | MCURNUTTE@ENQUIRER.COM

The Bengals' big splash in free agency probably has come and gone in the person of Antwan Odom.

The five-year, $29.5 million contract the Bengals will pay the former Tennessee Titans defensive end will be the extent of their big-ticket outside spending.

In signing Odom and using their franchise tag on guard-tackle Stacy Andrews, whom the Bengals are trying to sign to a multiyear contract, the club addressed its two primary offseason priorities in free agency.



Now it's a matter of adding players who can fill out the roster and create additional depth.

The Bengals have been busy in the past two weeks. At the NFL scouting combine, the Bengals re-signed defensive end Jonathan Fanene and wide receiver Antonio Chatman. They made a contract offer to restricted free agent quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who is expected to return as Carson Palmer's top backup quarterback.

Then they re-signed linebacker Dhani Jones and punter Kyle Larson.

Several players remain in play, including Bengals unrestricted free-agent linebacker Landon Johnson and restricted free-agent wide receiver Tab Perry. The Bengals did not make a qualifying offer to Perry before the deadline a week ago, but they are still in talks.

Perry visited the Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore and Green Bay are other teams interested, his agent, Peter Schaffer, said.

Then there are a handful of outside free agents whom the Bengals continue to pursue to some degree.

The agent for 338-pound free-agent defensive tackle Ethan Kelley said his client had a good visit with the Bengals.

"Ethan enjoyed his visit," Neil Cornrich said Wednesday. "Obviously, for a visit to be scheduled there is mutual interest. There is interest in Ethan throughout the league."

Kelley, 28, had 24 total tackles, including one sack, last season for the Browns in 13 games.

He, like Odom, is the type of player considered to be entering his prime with some promise that the Bengals would be most interested in.

Colts free-agent tight end Ben Utecht meets the description. Buried at Indianapolis behind starter Dallas Clark, Utecht could fill a need to add a pass-receiving tight end to the Cincinnati offense - a threat Palmer really has not had in four seasons as the starter. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said last month that the team is looking for a receiver at tight end to work with blocking-oriented starter Reggie Kelly.

Utecht would be a plus, and the Bengals would not have to invest a draft pick.

Utecht had 31 receptions for 364 yards (11.7-yard average) and one touchdown in 2007. Career, he has 71 receptions and an 11.3-yard average with three touchdowns. He will visit the Jets on Sunday and Monday.

Former San Diego safety Marlon McCree remains in the mix as an outside player who could come in. Agent Gary Uberstine did not return messages Wednesday.

Most of the Bengals' attention was spent trying to trade for defensive tackles Shaun Rogers of the Lions and Dewayne Robertson of the Jets. Rogers ended up in Cleveland, and Robertson remains under contract with the Jets for the next two seasons. Either a bone-on-bone condition in one of Robertson's knees, or his unwillingness to renegotiate that final two years of his contract - which call for more than $18 million in base salaries - or a combination of the two were reasons that trade has fallen apart.

The Bengals were willing to part with third- and fifth-round picks for Rogers and fourth- and fifth-round picks for Robertson.

They are expecting to receive three or four compensatory picks, which will be announced at the end of the month at the league meeting, because of the quantity and quality of free agents they lost in 2007.

The Bengals have the No. 9 overall pick in the draft. They might not be done trading.

If no other trade occurs before the draft, the Bengals might be willing to trade some of those picks to move up to get the likes of Southern Cal defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis.

[b]Bengals free agency: Day 6 [/b]
Visits/signings confirmed by Bengals: None

Visits confirmed by other sources: The agent for Colts free-agent tight end Ben Utecht said his client will visit the Bengals today and the Jets on Sunday and Monday.

Update: A handful of players, including Bengals unrestricted free-agent linebacker Landon Johnson, remain in play with the team. Agent Peter Schaffer said other teams, in addition to the Bengals, are interested in signing wide receiver Tab Perry, who was not given a qualifying offer last week by the Bengals as a restricted free agent.[/quote]



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[Captain Awesome]

Hopefully Utecht will be making spalshes here. Signing a TE that has 4 years in a similar offense will allow the team to concentrate on the defensive needs on the first day of the draft instead of feeling the need to take a TE with one of the first four (1,2,3,3) picks we have this year.

If McCree signs with another team I really don't think that will a huge loss. He is on the downside of his career at this point, and while he would be able to provide some leadership to White and Ndukwe, I wouldn't want the team to sign a FA safety and then feel the need to start said FA over our two young guys who need the time to the develop. Each time White and Ndukwe stepped onto the field last year they just seem to get better, and both had a knack for making plays.

I don't know much about Ethan Kelley, but he has the ideal size, there is no mention of an injury history and he is only 28 so he should have some years left in him still. But part of me still wishes they would go after a bigger named veteran DT like Rod Coleman, Anthony McFarland or Larry Triplett, then again Sam Adams didn't work out all that well.

[Bengals1181]

Utecht would be more than a ripple, if nothing else because it fills a need without having to use a draft pick. That's one more draft pick to use on defense or available to work a trade.

While I think we can probably find a better receving TE than Utecht in the draft, it would be nice to keep that draft pick for defense (likely a 3rd or 4th).

[happyrid]

That is a very realistic view of things in that article. It is somewhat disappointing, but it is what it is.

I would be pretty content though if we could add Utecht and a couple solid role playing vets in free agency, move up in the draft and get Ellis, add some solid D guys in the middle rounds and get back Pollack, Thurman, Brooks and Irons. That would be plenty to excite me for next season.

[oldschooler]

[quote][size=5][b]With Larson, Jones in fold, what’s next?[/b][/size]
By Chick Ludwig | Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 01:50 PM

Now that linebacker Dhani Jones and punter Kyle Larson are in the Bengals’ fold for 2008 and beyond, what happens next?

Oh, the Bengals will continue to parade unrestricted free agent (UFA) defenders into Paul Brown Stadium, but I can’t see them signing anybody anytime soon.

The Bengals confirmed a visit from Cleveland Browns UFA defensive tackle Ethan Kelley, but he’s a leftover, getting picked over on the scrap heap, and he isn’t in high demand.

Bengals fans need to mark their calendars for April 26-27. The NFL draft will determine the direction the Bengals go on defensive in general and the defensive line in particular.

Priority No. 1: A defensive tackle.

The Bengals should target Southern Cal’s Sedrick Ellis or LSU’s Glenn Dorsey. Dorsey, once considered the likely No. 1 overall pick of the draft, should slip … but not as far as No. 9 to the Bengals. Ellis is the guy who should be there.

If he isn’t, the Bengals should grab Southern Cal linebacker Keith Rivers. Ellis or Rivers? Either one would be good because the Bengals are a team starving for defensive playmakers, especially on the front line. Ellis, who generated 58 tackles and 8.5 sacks for the Trojans in 2007, would solve a lot of problems. He’s a run-stuffing pass-rusher who would clog the middle and push the pile.

Signing Larson to a five-year contract and Jones to a three-year deal are good moves because they are part of the team’s solution, not the problem.

Larson, a fifth-year veteran, has averaged 42.8 yards on 279 punts for his career, with a 36.3-yard net. He’s pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line on nearly one-third of his punts (81), and has allowed only 29 touchbacks. In 2005 at Jacksonville, he launched a team-record 75-yard punt.

In 2007, Larson averaged 41.3 yards and 35.2 net, and he had 21 inside-20s against just three touchbacks.

“I set goals at the start of every season, and I want to just keep getting better every year,” Larson said. “Cincinnati has been so good to me and my wife, I feel very fortunate to be staying here and getting the chance to keep playing in front of our fans.”

Jones is a ninth-year veteran who spent four years with the New York Giants and three with the Philadelphia Eagles before landing in Cincinnati in 2007 after getting released by New Orleans.

Jones was the club’s most pleasant surprise in ‘07. He played in all 14 games following his Sept. 19 signing, made nine starts at outside linebacker and ranked second on the team in tackles (111). He also forced two fumbles and swatted five passes. He was the only Bengal to log 10 solo tackles in a game last year, and he did that twice.

Jones also had seven special teams tackles and was the special teams captain.

“Dhani did a good job, on and off the field, as a leader,” head coach Marvin Lewis said. “He had been a starting player for a long time in the NFL, but he was willing to come in and accept whatever role was given to him. He had a quick (training camp) for a few games, and soon he was one of our core players.”

Larson and Jones are the second and third UFAs to sign with the Bengals in 2008. Defensive end Antwan Odom was the first.

Contact Chick Ludwig at 937-225-2253 or cludwig@daytondailynews.com[/quote]



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[sparky151]

This offseason hasn't gone all that badly for the Bengals. The Rogers fiasco is embarrassing but they can still add a veteran DT in Robertson or take an impact DT in the draft.

Signing Odom addresses the team's biggest weakness, the lack of passrush by the defense.
They got the best pass rusher available at a reasonable price. Re-signing Dhani was inevitable and it looks like they might have overpaid Larson. If the Rogers deal had gone through and the team drafted Ellis or Dorsey, then that would be a great offseason. We still have a chance to add 1 or even 2 impact DTs.

[Tigris]

[quote name='sparky151' post='640890' date='Mar 6 2008, 11:54 AM']This offseason hasn't gone all that badly for the Bengals. The Rogers fiasco is embarrassing but they can still add a veteran DT in Robertson or take an impact DT in the draft.

Signing Odom addresses the team's biggest weakness, the lack of passrush by the defense.
They got the best pass rusher available at a reasonable price. Re-signing Dhani was inevitable and it looks like they might have overpaid Larson. If the Rogers deal had gone through and the team drafted Ellis or Dorsey, then that would be a great offseason. We still have a chance to add 1 or even 2 impact DTs.[/quote]
we're still paper thin at linebacker... i dont look at dhani as a full time starter. maybe the bengals do, but i sure as heck feel uncomfortable with the guys we have right now.

on the other hand, maybe they know something we dont and waiting on thurman to come back

[USN Bengal]

[quote name='Tigris' post='640894' date='Mar 6 2008, 11:59 AM']we're still paper thin at linebacker... i dont look at dhani as a full time starter. maybe the bengals do, but i sure as heck feel uncomfortable with the guys we have right now.

on the other hand, maybe they know something we dont and waiting on thurman to come back[/quote]

I was hoping they'd look at the RFA LB from Atlanta (Boyle?) and maybe give Haggans from the Steelers a lookover.
If not, then we need to sign Landon back for depth if nothing else.

[happyrid]

[quote name='Tigris' post='640894' date='Mar 6 2008, 11:59 AM']we're still paper thin at linebacker... i dont look at dhani as a full time starter. maybe the bengals do, but i sure as heck feel uncomfortable with the guys we have right now.

on the other hand, maybe they know something we dont and waiting on thurman to come back[/quote]

I don't consider us thin at LB. I do think there are a lot of questions though. You have to assume that Ahmad Brooks will have every opportunity to lock down MLB. He looked pretty good there in the first game last year. Odell's chances of coming back seem high and he could start at one OLB spot. Rashad Jeanty would be the likely starter at another spot. Then you have Dhani Jones who I thought did a solid job as a starter last year as the #1 backup able to step in at any of those spots in case of injury or poor play. Corey Mays, Eric Henderson and Anthony Schlegel are all currently on the roster as backups/special teamers.

I'm not saying that is a spectacular group and there are questions about the quality but the quantity isn't lacking, especially if we grab a guy or two in the draft, so I wouldn't say we are paper thin there.

[happyrid]

[quote name='USN Bengal' post='640897' date='Mar 6 2008, 12:04 PM']I was hoping they'd look at the RFA LB from Atlanta (Boyle?) and maybe give Haggans from the Steelers a lookover.
If not, then we need to sign Landon back for depth if nothing else.[/quote]

i think it's Michael Boley and I think we would have to give up a lot of picks to get him. I'd be cool with Haggans but he has been a 3-4 guy and we appear to be leaning towards 4-3 at this point.

[sparky151]

[quote name='Tigris' post='640894' date='Mar 6 2008, 11:59 AM']we're still paper thin at linebacker... i dont look at dhani as a full time starter. maybe the bengals do, but i sure as heck feel uncomfortable with the guys we have right now.

on the other hand, maybe they know something we dont and waiting on thurman to come back[/quote]

I think we'll be ok at LB. With just the guys already signed, we'd line up with Jeanty, Brooks, and Jones. Henderson, Schlegel, and probably Thurman would be the backups. I'd guess we'll try to sign Wilkins for teams, will draft someone in the 3rd or 4th round, and maybe get Pollack back. If Thurman and Pollack both come back and Brooks stays healthy, we'd have a strong LB group.

[bengalbutch]

Just my thoughts on Odom. First I am glad we signed him.

I've never seen him play much, so today I went back and watched this past seasons Bengals vs Titans game. I specifically watched only Odom on every play he was in the game.

First of all, he lines up too far back off the ball at the snap. He seems fairly quick and gives more than decent effort.

He hit Carson once as he was throwing a pass & he jumped offsides once.

But for the most part he was invisible. Big Stacy dominated his ass BIG TIME !! Reggie Kelly blocked him five or six times a couple being runs and Odom did nothing against Reggie either. He seems to be very poor against the run. Maybe he just had a bad game, but Odom did nothing the entire game.

One other thought, he didn't see the field much this game, but I think Daniel Coats is going to be a very good tight end ! That guy is put together and he moves down the field for a big guy. He has to see more playing time this year.

[bengalbutch]

I know I sound like Debbie Downer, but 2 of Odoms eight sacks last year came against the Colts when they were playing their second string ( meaningless game ). No Manning, backup tackles.

[ChicagoBengal]

[quote name='bengalbutch' post='641694' date='Mar 8 2008, 03:42 PM']I know I sound like Debbie Downer, but 2 of Odoms eight sacks last year came against the Colts when they were playing their second string ( meaningless game ). No Manning, backup tackles.[/quote]
I'll address both of your posts here. First of all, I didn't take either as negative, just fact.

With that out of the way, keep in mind that the Tennessee game was the most complete game the Bengals have played since '05. They dominated in every aspect of the game, so I wouldn't weigh Odom's lack of production in that game too heavily.

And regarding the Indy game, good pass rushers should beat second stringers, so two sacks should be par for the course.

I'm not saying he's Reggie White or anything, but I think the upside outweighs the unknown quantity of Odom as "the man".

We shall see.

[dacow]

This offseason hasn't gone all that badly for the Bengals. The Rogers fiasco is embarrassing but they can still add a veteran DT in Robertson or take an impact DT in the draft.

Or both!

[claptonrocks]

[quote name='bengalbutch' post='641694' date='Mar 8 2008, 04:42 PM']I know I sound like Debbie Downer, but 2 of Odoms eight sacks last year came against the Colts when they were playing their second string ( meaningless game ). No Manning, backup tackles.[/quote]

Every player has some meaningless sacks during a season.....

I dont know how good Odom can be but after sack Three he's allready ahead of his predecessor.

[bengalbutch]

[quote]Every player has some meaningless sacks during a season.....

I dont know how good Odom can be but after sack Three he's allready ahead of his predecessor.[/quote]

Very true. The guy looks to have the size, quickness, athletisism that you would want from a DE. I just hope he had a bad game and does better against the run. I have little doubt he will be a decent pass rusher.

[Inigo Montoya]

[quote name='dacow' post='641727' date='Mar 8 2008, 07:09 PM']This offseason hasn't gone all that badly for the Bengals. The Rogers fiasco is embarrassing but they can still add a veteran DT in Robertson or take an impact DT in the draft.

Or both![/quote]



I agree. On the whole, they've done good work in signing Odom and bringing back Dhani, Larson, Fanene, Chatman, and H. Jones. They've lost Justin, Madieu, and Landon, but it's hard to find a Bengal fan who isn't excited to see what each of their replacements can do. The defense needs new blood and a bunch of new faces. Hopefully, they can fill the rest of their needs on defense at DT, LB, and DB in the draft. I don't see Robertson moving until he is cut in June, but that is just my gut feeling. My biggest knock on the Bengals is that they haven't been able to work something out with Stacy. I am optimistic that they can work it out or extend TJ (aka, the other big news out of Shaun Smith's fat lips). If they take care of one of the two, the franchise tag would remain an available option for the other.

[Rick]

[quote name='Inigo Montoya' post='641768' date='Mar 8 2008, 09:43 PM']I agree. On the whole, they've done good work in signing Odom and bringing back Dhani, Larson, Fanene, Chatman, and H. Jones. They've lost Justin, Madieu, and Landon, but it's hard to find a Bengal fan who isn't excited to see what each of their replacements can do. The defense needs new blood and a bunch of new faces. Hopefully, they can fill the rest of their needs on defense at DT, LB, and DB in the draft. [color="#FF0000"]I don't see Robertson moving until he is cut in June[/color], but that is just my gut feeling. My biggest knock on the Bengals is that they haven't been able to work something out with Stacy. I am optimistic that they can work it out or extend TJ (aka, the other big news out of Shaun Smith's fat lips). If they take care of one of the two, the franchise tag would remain an available option for the other.[/quote]

If that is true, he may lose some money by waiting. He has got to be kicking himself right now. He may have already resisted the urge to pick up the phone and tell his agent to contact the Bengals' GM - I mean the Brown family.

[bengalsfan850]

[quote name='claptonrocks' post='641732' date='Mar 8 2008, 07:37 PM']Every player has some meaningless sacks during a season.....

I dont know how good Odom can be but after sack Three he's allready ahead of his predecessor.[/quote]

agreed...i don't think his sacks cost 4 mil apiece either ... ...

[bengalbutch]

[quote]If that is true, he may lose some money by waiting. He has got to be kicking himself right now[/quote]

Please explain. Doesn't he make 9.5 million if he stays with the Jets ? And if cut he goes to the highest bidder of the 31 remaining teams ? I hope we get the guy, I think he could make a huge difference with our team. But I don't blame him for not redoing his contract, he seems to be in a win-win situation to me.

[-GoBengals-]

[quote name='claptonrocks' post='641732' date='Mar 8 2008, 07:37 PM']Every player has some meaningless sacks during a season.....

I dont know how good Odom can be but after sack Three he's allready ahead of his predecessor.[/quote]


hardly, he could have 6 sacks and be less effective, he could ahve zero and kick twice as much ass....

if brooks has 13 sacks and odom has zero we improved, if brooks has 2 and odom has 6 we may not.

the front four have a much bigger purpose in allowing the LB's to hit the gaps effectively..

i know nothing about the guy unfortunetly.. but ill bet brooks and geathers both have more sacks than he does...