James Walker talks about the Center position and Brian Leonard

[|Montana Bengal|]

[url="http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/01/22/aj-mocks-lt/"]http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/01/22/aj-mocks-lt/[/url]

[quote][size=3][b]A.J. MOCKS L.T.[/b][/size]
Posted by Mike Florio on January 22, 2009, 12:20 p.m. EST
Things are gradually escalating in San Diego. And if we had any popcorn left after watching that slo-mo train wreck in Dallas, which is still unfolding nearly a month after 44-6, we’d have it ready.

On Wednesday, Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson posted the following message on his personal web site: “I have been getting a lot of messages on my site regarding me leaving San Diego. I feel that I need to make it very clear that I have no intentions of leaving San Diego. San Diego is where my career started and where I’d like it to end. I have nothing but love and the upmost [sic] respect for this team, the players, and the Spanos Family. Me being traded is completely out of my hands. I have ABSOLUTELY no control in that decision making. All I can do is wait and see how it all plays out. As for now, I am a Charger and will be until I am told otherwise.”

Informed of the statement from L.T., Chargers G.M. A.J. Smith didn’t take the typical, “We respect LaDainian and everything he’s done for the organization” approach.

Instead, Smith mocked Tomlinson.
[b]
“My first reaction was we both have similar feelings,” Smith said, according to Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. “I have no intentions of leaving San Diego. San Diego is where my GM career started and where I’d like it to end. I also have nothing but love and the utmost respect for this team, the players and the Spanos family. I have absolutely no control over how long I will be with the Chargers.”[/b]

Though on one hand we love it, on the other hand we suspect that one or more folks named Spanos are a tad uncomfortable with the remarks, which clearly were aimed at getting under L.T.’s skin.

Smith also addressed the broader question of what will happen with Tomlinson in 2009. “My recommendation to Dean Spanos will be what’s in the best interest of the team – both short and long term. That’s my job. That’s what Dean hired me to do.”

L.T.? The ball is back in your court.

But first give us about 30 minutes to buy a new box of Orville Redenbacher.[/quote]

[Squirrlnutz]

Not quite understanding how he was mocked?

[sois]

This article is not about LT, its about LDT. Get it right or pay the price.

[Rumble In the Jungle]

i think LT isn't the same anymore!

[oldschooler]

[quote][b]Ken from Long Beach, Calif., is concerned about the Cincinnati Bengals' center position and wonders if it will impact their season. [/b]

[b]James Walker:[/b] Unfortunately for you, Ken, I think it will. The center position is a big hole that is made even bigger because of the elite defensive linemen Cincinnati will face throughout this division. It's hard to foresee [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=10673"][color="#000000"]Dan Santucci[/color][/url], [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=11136"][color="#000000"]Kyle Cook[/color][/url] or rookie [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=12685"][color="#000000"]Jonathan Luigs[/color][/url] controlling the line of scrimmage against great players such as [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=9598"][color="#000000"]Haloti Ngata[/color][/url], [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2609"][color="#000000"]Shaun Rogers[/color][/url] and [url="http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/players/profile?playerId=2567"][color="#000000"]Casey Hampton[/color][/url]. That is likely going to be a disadvantage in every division game for the Bengals. Cincinnati will have to excel in other areas.

[b]Thomas from Charleston, WV wants to know how Bengals tailback/fullback Brian Leonard looks. [/b]

[b]James Walker:[/b] So far I like what Leonard is bringing to the table. He has versatility, which is something Cincinnati is lacking in the backfield. In minicamp, he was a little quicker and explosive than I expected from a part-time fullback. In addition he had a few nifty jukes, including a couple spin moves. Leonard also caught the ball well out of the backfield, which was not a surprise.[/quote]



[url="http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcnorth/0-3-87/AFC-North-mailbag--Ohio-football.html"]http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcnorth/0-3-87...o-football.html[/url]

[Le Tigre]

First Walker take: Cock arm..aim for throat.

Second Walker Take: Cocked arm held in abeyance.

Ready to fix throat target coordinates at any time though.

[BlackBengal]

[quote][b]James Walker:[/b] Unfortunately for you, Ken, I think it will. The center position is a big hole that is made even bigger because of the elite defensive linemen Cincinnati will face throughout this division. It's hard to foresee Dan Santucci, Kyle Cook or rookie Jonathan Luigs controlling the line of scrimmage against great players such as Haloti Ngata, Shaun Rogers and Casey Hampton. That is likely going to be a disadvantage in every division game for the Bengals. Cincinnati will have to excel in other areas.[/quote]

The center position may or may not be a problem for us this year, but Jame Walker doenst have have a clue about the Bengals center situation so he should not comment on it. Do you really think that James Walker has ever seen a single snap taken by Cook, Santucci or Luigs? Not a chance. He should have simply wrote "I have no idea," in response to this question. It would be the truest thing he ever wrote.

[sparky151]

[quote name='BlackBengal' post='773016' date='Jun 23 2009, 02:06 PM']The center position may or may not be a problem for us this year, but Jame Walker doenst have have a clue about the Bengals center situation so he should not comment on it. Do you really think that James Walker has ever seen a single snap taken by Cook, Santucci or Luigs? Not a chance. He should have simply wrote "I have no idea," in response to this question. It would be the truest thing he ever wrote.[/quote]

Center was a problem position for the team last year. Ghiaciuc kept Santucci, Crummey, and Cook off the field so how good can they be? Luigs is a rookie 2nd day pick. It's perfectly reasonable to say the Bengals have a problem at center til someone proves he can handle Hampton, Rogers, and Ngata.

[#22]

[quote name='sois' post='741712' date='Jan 22 2009, 04:23 PM']This article is not about LT, its about LDT. Get it right or pay the price.[/quote]
...and the price will be very steep:

[Rumble In the Jungle]

so is oldschooler gonna have to smack a bitch!

[bubba]

[quote name='sparky151' post='782039' date='Jun 23 2009, 06:53 PM']Center was a problem position for the team last year. Ghiaciuc kept Santucci, Crummey, and Cook off the field so how good can they be? Luigs is a rookie 2nd day pick. It's perfectly reasonable to say the Bengals have a problem at center[b] til someone proves he can handle Hampton, Rogers, and Ngata.[/b][/quote]

I'm not sure any center in the league can handle those guys by themselves

[#22]

I'm expecting about 500 total yards from a healthy Leonhard, with Cedric and Watson/Scott combining for 1800.

[T-Dub]

[quote name='bubba' post='782045' date='Jun 23 2009, 08:00 PM']I'm not sure any center in the league can handle those guys by themselves[/quote]

I'm not sure how great any of them are... Sean Rogers, the Browns D sucks so he obviously isn't having that great an impact and is the definition of inconsistent, and the other 2 have great players around them, particularly at DE and/or LB. They're both good, but I dunno about great.

Let me put on my asbestos smoking jacket, but I think Peko is at least as strong as both, if still coming into his own technique-wise. Whatever he lacks there he makes up for in sheer rage. He sure seems to play with more emotion than any of those guys. If Cook can block Peko 1-1 he can sure as shit block Hampton or Ngata.

While I'm at it, I think Jamal Williams may be the best 3-4 NT in the league right now, DUI aside.

[|Bunghole|]

[quote name='T-Dub' post='782051' date='Jun 23 2009, 06:32 PM']I'm not sure how great any of them are... Sean Rogers, the Browns D sucks so he obviously isn't having that great an impact and is the definition of inconsistent, and the other 2 have great players around them, particularly at DE and/or LB. They're both good, but I dunno about great.

Let me put on my asbestos smoking jacket, but I think Peko is at least as strong as both, if still coming into his own technique-wise. Whatever he lacks there he makes up for in sheer rage. He sure seems to play with more emotion than any of those guys. If Cook can block Peko 1-1 he can sure as shit block Hampton or Ngata.

While I'm at it, I think Jamal Williams may be the best 3-4 NT in the league right now, DUI aside.[/quote]
Rogers was pretty damn good last year...he's just one guy on an island in that defense, though. Ngata is a stud. I think Hampton is overrated and fat. I agree about Peko. And now we have Sims, Shirley, etc coming into their own. I feel pretty comfortable about DT. I am more concerned about a lack of production ofr the DE's. Hopefully the consensus that the LB's either sucked or were hurt was the reason (well, along with the starting DE's being hurt, too!) that we had such a suckass pass rush last year. Last year was a black hole of injured suckitude.

[sparky151]

[quote name='bubba' post='782045' date='Jun 23 2009, 08:00 PM']I'm not sure any center in the league can handle those guys by themselves[/quote]


That may well be true. The Bengals have probably the greatest need in the NFL for a solidly above average center. I'd hoped in the offseason we would sign Brown or Birk. Instead we're trying to meet a big need with second tier guys. Luigs went about as deep in the draft as Ghiaciuc did the year he came out. Back then we were looking for Braham's successor and could break him in slowly. This year we don't have the luxury of a solid center for the other guys to learn behind.

[Legoland]

[quote name='sparky151' post='782039' date='Jun 23 2009, 06:53 PM']Center was a problem position for the team last year. [b]Ghiaciuc kept Santucci, Crummey, and Cook off the field so how good can they be?[/b] Luigs is a rookie 2nd day pick. It's perfectly reasonable to say the Bengals have a problem at center til someone proves he can handle Hampton, Rogers, and Ngata.[/quote]
Not that center doesnt scare the shit out of me cause it does but, it was my understanding that Cook basically won the job, then got injured. So isnt it more the fact that Bluto started by default?

[sparky151]

[quote name='Legoland' post='782086' date='Jun 24 2009, 12:07 AM']Not that center doesnt scare the shit out of me cause it does but, it was my understanding that Cook basically won the job, then got injured. So isnt it more the fact that Bluto started by default?[/quote]

Nope. Bluto was named the starter by Alexander and Lewis. He sucked so reportedly they were going to give Cook some snaps in the Dallas game. He somehow hurt himself in pregame warmups and didn't play the rest of the season. Cook was healthy and available the games before Dallas and didn't play, presumably due to the coach's decision.

[Jeb]

Would it kill the Bengals to bring Braham in as a consultant for a year? You know, ...help train these kids up.

He could work exclusively with the centers.

[Patmo]

[quote name='oldschooler' post='741331' date='Jun 22 2009, 08:48 PM'][url="http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcnorth/0-3-87/AFC-North-mailbag--Ohio-football.html"]http://myespn.go.com/blogs/afcnorth/0-3-87...o-football.html[/url][/quote]


Blah ! Blah ! Blah ! This guy is a pretender . Not an original thought in his brain.

[eva4ben-gal]

To all the Cook doubters:
Just because Cook wasn't ready to start last year doesn't mean he isn't ready this year. He is in his second (third?) season and is a converted guard from college so it is easy to see why coaches might not have wanted him calling out line assignments, although it sounds like Bluto was pretty piss poor at that too.
I like Cook because he's the strongest player on the team with a mean streak and AFCN nose tackles aren't going to find him easy to move. While he was on the IR last season I would hope he used a lot of his time to get the mental aspect of the game down.
His teammates have had nothing but glowing praise for him so far while Bluto never really was hyped at all so I have to believe they are seeing something in Cook that Bluto lacked. I think the center position is in good hands with Cook.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='eva4ben-gal' post='782195' date='Jun 24 2009, 10:05 PM']To all the Cook doubters:
Just because Cook wasn't ready to start last year doesn't mean he isn't ready this year. He is in his second (third?) season and is a converted guard from college so it is easy to see why coaches might not have wanted him calling out line assignments, although it sounds like Bluto was pretty piss poor at that too.
I like Cook because he's the strongest player on the team with a mean streak and AFCN nose tackles aren't going to find him easy to move. While he was on the IR last season I would hope he used a lot of his time to get the mental aspect of the game down.
His teammates have had nothing but glowing praise for him so far while Bluto never really was hyped at all so I have to believe they are seeing something in Cook that Bluto lacked. I think the center position is in good hands with Cook.[/quote]


I too wonder if maybe the coaches chose Bluto (who was physically insufficient) but knew the entire playbook over Cook (who was physically superior) but may not have mastered the mental aspect of the game yet.


It seems that at least now, judging by comments we've gotten, that Cook is as knowledgeable about the playbook as anyone on the oline.

[claptonrocks]

[quote name='bubba' post='782045' date='Jun 23 2009, 08:00 PM']I'm not sure any center in the league can handle those guys by themselves[/quote]

correct......Cook may be as good as any center in the division......maybe better.....

[Hooky]

Reader Beware: Your throat punch list will get really long if you dare read any of the ESPN AFC North blog comments. Stealer fans flood all of the Bengals topics and mock Bengals fans for their optimism. Do you think they're scared? They're also calling us fair-weather because we didn't bombard Walker's e-mail during our crappy year last season, but are doing it now since we had such an optimistic off-season. Like if the stealers have a fall-off year, their fans won't go into hiding. They're already reminding us in advance that if the Bengals did happen to win the Super Bowl, that they've still won more. That's why every fan that is not a stealer fan hates them. They may have one of the largest fan bases, but they also have the largest number of NFL fans that hate them because of their obnoxious sore winner fans.

[bengaled]

[quote name='sparky151' post='782070' date='Jun 23 2009, 09:48 PM']Luigs went about as deep in the draft as Ghiaciuc did the year he came out.[/quote]


i don't think you can compare the two situations (drafts) equally. there's no way ghiaciuc came out with the accolades that luigs did. the main reason luigs wasn't selected till the fourth round was simply the amount of above average centers in this draft. obviously, there were other centers with higher grades that drove him down to the 4th round, but with that said, i'm still sure his grade was much higher than ghiacuic's. i recall reading one service (sporting news?) that had ghiacuic rated as the #13 center prospect that year and that was a poor year for centers. i think we'd have to agree he turned out a shade better than that, but it's obvious alexander reached on this pick and he never developed into the player they'd hoped for. when it's all said and done, 2009 could quite possibly go down as the deepest center draft of all time. you have to factor that in.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='bengaled' post='782433' date='Jun 26 2009, 10:29 AM']i don't think you can compare the two situations (drafts) equally. there's no way ghiaciuc came out with the accolades that luigs did. the main reason luigs wasn't selected till the fourth round was simply the amount of above average centers in this draft. obviously, there were other centers with higher grades that drove him down to the 4th round, but with that said, i'm still sure his grade was much higher than ghiacuic's. i recall reading one service (sporting news?) that had ghiacuic rated as the #13 center prospect that year and that was a poor year for centers. i think we'd have to agree he turned out a shade better than that, but it's obvious alexander reached on this pick and he never developed into the player they'd hoped for. when it's all said and done, 2009 could quite possibly go down as the deepest center draft of all time. you have to factor that in.[/quote]


there is absolutely no room for facts in this thread. Please leave.