!!!!!WITH THE 17TH PICK THE BENGALS SELECT CB DRE KIRKPATRICK!!!!!

[Bengals1181]

something to keep in mind with Dre is that, while yes in the past they used to leave JJ and Hall on islands so that they could blitz, the Bengals have a good enough Dline now that they can get pressure without needing to blitz guys, which offers the secondary more help in coverage.

17
Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama CB

Todd McShay breaks down the Bengals' selection of Dre Kirkpatrick with the 17th pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

What he brings: Kirkpatrick is a tall and athletic corner with the toughness and speed to develop into an effective press corner. He's also one of the better corners in the draft at defending the run. However, there's one major drawbackHe's not a playmaker, and he hasn't shown enough in terms of ball skills to make you think he will be one day.



How he fits: The Bengals have tried this whole offseason to upgrade their secondary that was pretty good a year ago, but there are a lot of questions with age and durability. Their depth is suspect and they just don't match up well in man-to-man coverage. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer likes to gamble a lot and bring a variety of blitzes, and he is not afraid to put his corners on an island in man-to-man coverage. Kirkpatrick gives them a chance to probably contribute immediately in their subpackages as a third corner, eventually moving into a starting spot to replace Leon Hall and Nate Clements.

[url="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/rounds?year=2012&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl%2fdraft%2frounds%3fyear%3d2012"]http://insider.espn....s%3fyear%3d2012[/url]

[oldschooler]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1335538402' post='1123660']
something to keep in mind with Dre is that, while yes in the past they used to leave JJ and Hall on islands so that they could blitz, the Bengals have a good enough Dline now that they can get pressure without needing to blitz guys, which offers the secondary more help in coverage.

17
Dre Kirkpatrick Alabama CB

Todd McShay breaks down the Bengals' selection of Dre Kirkpatrick with the 17th pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

What he brings: Kirkpatrick is a tall and athletic corner with the toughness and speed to develop into an effective press corner. He's also one of the better corners in the draft at defending the run. However, there's one major drawbackHe's not a playmaker, and he hasn't shown enough in terms of ball skills to make you think he will be one day.



How he fits: The Bengals have tried this whole offseason to upgrade their secondary that was pretty good a year ago, but there are a lot of questions with age and durability. Their depth is suspect and they just don't match up well in man-to-man coverage. Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer likes to gamble a lot and bring a variety of blitzes, and he is not afraid to put his corners on an island in man-to-man coverage. Kirkpatrick gives them a chance to probably contribute immediately in their subpackages as a third corner, eventually moving into a starting spot to replace Leon Hall and Nate Clements.

[url="http://insider.espn.go.com/nfl/draft/rounds?year=2012&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnfl%2fdraft%2frounds%3fyear%3d2012"]http://insider.espn....s%3fyear%3d2012[/url]
[/quote]




Obviously you don't read my posts .....[b] [color=#777777][size=3][url="http://forum.go-bengals.com/index.php?showtopic=64315&view=findpost&p=1123547"]#43[/url][/size][/color][/b]

[alleycat]

Just remember this. Before the Underwear Olympics began with the combine (you know, when what we were judging was PLAY ON THE FIELD), Dre was easily considered a top 10 pick, top 5 by many, and he was the NUMBER ONE player that we wanted on this board after losing JJoe. We should be pleased.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='oldschooler' timestamp='1335538627' post='1123662']




Obviously you don't read my posts .....[b] [color=#777777][size=3][url="http://forum.go-bengals.com/index.php?showtopic=64315&view=findpost&p=1123547"]#43[/url][/size][/color][/b]
[/quote]


it'll be alright.

[oldschooler]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1335538765' post='1123664']


it'll be alright.
[/quote]



No it won't be alright! My feelings are hurt!


Seriously though ... who said it wouldn't be alright?

[oldschooler]

[b] [size=6][font=inherit]Bengals pick Kirkpatrick[/font][/size][/b]



NEW YORK — Alabama’s Dre Kirkpatrick is taking his “swagga” to Cincinnati.




The Bengals made him the 17th selection of Thursday’s NFL draft, and the former Gadsden City Titan was the third Alabama player to hear his name called at Radio City Music Hall.

Alabama had four former players picked in the first round of the draft. Running back Trent Richardson went third to Cleveland, safety Mark Barron was selected seventh by Tampa Bay, and the New England Patriots took linebacker Dont’a Hightower with pick No. 25.

Most expected Alabama to have five selections in the first round, but outside linebacker Courtney Upshaw was left waiting. He is expected to be an early second-round selection Friday.

Kirkpatrick was a highly recruited defensive back out of Gadsden City in 2009 and was given a 5 star rating by Rivals.com and Scout.com. He became a star before even stepping on the field for the Crimson Tide, as he famously said a Texas cap “ain’t got no swagga” on live TV during his signing ceremony. He instead donned an Alabama cap and helped coach Nick Saban haul in the top recruiting class in the country that year.



Kirkpatrick started for the Crimson Tide the past two seasons as a sophomore and junior and was a key contributor his freshman season. Alabama defeated Texas for the 2009 national championship with Kirkpatrick mainly playing on special teams. During last season’s title run, he played a key role on an Alabama defense that finished the season ranked No. 1 in scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense and passing defense. The Tide finished the season with a 21-0 victory over LSU in the BCS Championship game in New Orleans.
During his career, he made 91 tackles and broke up 19 passes. He intercepted three passes during his sophomore season, but most teams stayed away from his side of the field in 2011 and limited his opportunity to get picks.



[url="http://www.gadsdentimes.com/article/20120426/WIRE/120429817?p=1&tc=pg"]http://www.gadsdenti...29817?p=1&tc=pg[/url]

[oldschooler]

[url="https://twitter.com/#!/REALPACMAN24"][b]ADAm Pacman Jones[/b]‏[s]@[/s][b]REALPACMAN24[/b][/url]

Congratulating [url="https://twitter.com/#!/drekirkswag"][s]@[/s][b]drekirkswag[/b][/url] lets get this ring

[bengaled]

[quote name='turningpoint' timestamp='1335532263' post='1123524']It will be a complete wate IMO if we draft a corner in the 3rd round or later, only Corner I'll be happy with us taking would be us taking Jenkins if he some how get's to us in the 3rd round, but i think we all know that's not happening. I hope now we concentrate on WRrd 2, rb rd3, DL rd3, 4th rd a lB, 5th BPA on all 3. 6th whoever.[/quote]

jenkins will be one of the top picks of the 2nd round.

[Bengals1181]

[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
[url="https://twitter.com/#!/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] [size=4]‏[/size] [s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/url][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
Looks like [url="https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23bengals"][s]#[/s][b]bengals[/b][/url] no.1 pick kirkpatrick wearing 27[/font][/color]

[Bengals1181]

Dre says he tries to model his game off of Charles Woodson.

[Bengals1181]

[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
[url="https://twitter.com/#!/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] [size=4]‏[/size] [s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/url][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
Zimmer saya bama defense more complicated than what he runs[/font][/color]

[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
[url="https://twitter.com/#!/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] [size=4]‏[/size] [s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/url][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
Zimmer says older cbs will help kirkpatrick because they care[/font][/color]

[Bengals1181]

mo egger making a good point on air (a shocker in its own right) and kirkpatrick reiterated it in his interview, he didn't have a lot of INT's because teams didn't throw his way. Mo pointed out the stats of how many times the top SEC teams threw at his receiver.

[B.A.B.]

I didn't know this guy was such a great tackler. I...I like it. I like it a lot. The more I think about it now, the more I want to continue making moves with defense. maybe move up and try to grab Upshaw.

I just love that we're getting physical players. I want angry, tough players out there. Nelson was a good start. Now we've got another one in the secondary. I want our team to be a bunch of tough motherfuckers back there.

[Phatcat]

[quote name='B.A.B.' timestamp='1335557421' post='1123957']
I didn't know this guy was such a great tackler. I...I like it. I like it a lot. The more I think about it now, the more I want to continue making moves with defense. maybe move up and try to grab Upshaw.

I just love that we're getting physical players. I want angry, tough players out there. Nelson was a good start. Now we've got another one in the secondary. I want our team to be a bunch of tough motherfuckers back there.
[/quote]

I didn't either. I will be honest watched very little youtube tape on him. I did today. I was surprised how physical he is and didn't lead with his head either. So that is good as well.

[oldschooler]

[b] CB Kirkpatrick itching to start[/b]
[b]1 minute ago[/b] - by Paul Dehner Jr.

Marvin Lewis said all he heard from first-round pick CB Dre Kirkpatrick while touring the facilities Friday was how much the Alabama product wanted to earn a starting position. With CBs Leon Hall and [url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/players/playerpage/235204/nate-clements"]Nate Clements[/url] starting, Kirkpatrick stayed politically correct. "I'm not trying to come in here and step on nobody's toes," Kirkpatrick said. "If coaches feel like I'm mature enough and know the right things maybe I'll touch the field."



[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/18862682"]Size made CB Kirkpatrick appealing[/url]
by Paul Dehner Jr., CBSSports.com
No CB expected to be selected this weekend is taller than Bengals first-round pick Dre Kirkpatrick (6-2). That made him especially appealing to DC Mike Zimmer. "We feel like with all the big receivers in the league right now that is an extra advantage for us," Zimmer said.





[url="http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/rapid-reports/post/18862526"]Complicated Alabama scheme to benefit CB Kirkpatrick[/url]
by Paul Dehner Jr., CBSSports.com
DC Mike Zimmer said his system with the Bengals is much simpler than the one Alabama runs. First-round pick CB Dre Kirkpatrick spent many games making checks from the corner position, a rarity in the Bengals' scheme. "Their system is actually pretty complicated with the coverage checks they do," Zimmer said. "He'll get this stuff quickly."

[texbengal]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1335555674' post='1123936']mo egger making a good point on air (a shocker in its own right) and kirkpatrick reiterated it in his interview, he didn't have a lot of INT's because teams didn't throw his way. Mo pointed out the stats of how many times the top SEC teams threw at his receiver.[/quote]

That was pretty common knowledge re him not getting picks, especially his last year. He didn't get a lot of chances - that's why he didn't make a lot of big plays. He will be good, and I love his physicality.

[sparky151]

Kirkpatrick is tall but has short arms and hasn't added much muscle since high school. I wouldn't say his size is exceptional.

[oldschooler]

[b] Nervous? Not 'Swagga'[/b]
[b]6 minutes ago[/b] - by Paul Dehner Jr.

CB Dre Kirkpatrick goes by the nickname Swagga and exudes self-confidence on and off the field. It will come in handy where he'll likely make his NFL debut on Monday Night Football in Baltimore. "When you see me out there, you don't have to worry about, 'Is he nervous?'" he said. "I'm not nervous, because I know what I'm supposed to do."

[SocalBengalEd]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1335554357' post='1123913']
[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
[url="https://twitter.com/#!/GeoffHobsonCin"][b]Geoff Hobson[/b] [size=4]‏[/size] [s]@[/s][b]GeoffHobsonCin[/b][/url][/font][/color]
[color=#333333][font=HelveticaNeue,]
Looks like [url="https://twitter.com/#!/search/%23bengals"][s]#[/s][b]bengals[/b][/url] no.1 pick kirkpatrick wearing 27[/font][/color]
[/quote]





He will wear #21 after Ghee gets cut again. #27 brings back horrible nightmares of Artrell Hawkins.

[Bengals1181]

[quote name='SocalBengalEd' timestamp='1335564435' post='1124080']
He will wear #21 after Ghee gets cut again.
[/quote]


I agree.


Unless ghee somehow beats out newman (I think youth would win out if its close), then kirkpatrick will probably just pay him for it.

[Phatcat]

[quote name='oldschooler' timestamp='1335564058' post='1124066']
[b] Nervous? Not 'Swagga'[/b]
[b]6 minutes ago[/b] - by Paul Dehner Jr.

CB Dre Kirkpatrick goes by the nickname Swagga and exudes self-confidence on and off the field. It will come in handy where he'll likely make his NFL debut on Monday Night Football in Baltimore. "When you see me out there, you don't have to worry about, 'Is he nervous?'" he said. "I'm not nervous, because I know what I'm supposed to do."
[/quote]

The funny thing with Dre is he said the fans gave him that nickname and he said he prefers just Dre. But it just stuck. It gave me a different perspective or context when one reads "Kirkpatrick goes by the nickname Swagga"....

[texbengal]

[quote name='sparky151' timestamp='1335562169' post='1124036']Kirkpatrick is tall but has short arms and hasn't added much muscle since high school. I wouldn't say his size is exceptional.[/quote]

I'd say his length is exceptional as there are few CBs that are almost 6-1. He probably does need to add weight... Looks really skinny but plays tough.

[alleycat]

[quote name='texbengal' timestamp='1335567135' post='1124123']
I'd say his length is exceptional as there are few CBs that are almost 6-1. He probably does need to add weight... Looks really skinny but plays tough.
[/quote]
Yeah, he really came onto my radar with that Arkansas game where he took over and then made an exclamation point with that bone crushing hit you see on all of the highlights. I thought, man, we need some of THAT in our secondary. Fast forward...

[oldschooler]

[size=6][b] Kirkpatrick-Zeitler Transcripts[/b][/size]

Posted 13 hours ago


[b]MARVIN LEWIS[/b]


[b]Lewis[/b] [b]Initial comments:[/b]
[b]ML:[/b] “It’s great to have Dre (Kirkpatrick) and Kevin (Zeitler) here this afternoon, and for them to have their opportunity to get an introduction to the coaches and the facility, an opportunity to meet you (media), and to do some things around town this evening and kick off their Bengals careers here. We’re excited to have both guys. Also here is Dre’s agent, Brian Overstreet, and his father, Charles. We’ll have (defensive coordinator Mike) Zimmer and (offensive coordinator Jay) Gruden down a little bit later here as well. They just broke out of a meeting.

“We talked a lot about both players last evening. As I slept on it and got up this morning and did my usual deep thinking, we’re very pleased where we are. A lot happens in that first night of the draft. And as things go and players come off the board, we’re just really happy to be sitting here where we are. I really think that it’s a great springboard for us for our season, but also for the future of the organization with these two guys — in the secondary, which is so vital, and then up front on offense. It’s two great positions for us to really solidify as we go forward into the future and two guys that can come in right away and become rookie starters, which is huge. And I know the guy to my left (Kirkpatrick), that’s all he’s talked about, so has this guy (Zeitler). They didn’t come here to stand by me (during games). They’re going to compete very hard, work very hard to be starters, so I’m excited about that.”

[b]Did the first round transpire how you thought it would?[/b]
[b]ML:[/b] “The first eight, 10 guys really came off the board, maybe to different squads, but very similarly to what we anticipated. I don’t think there were too many surprises that way; maybe one or two. From 10 to 17 and then 17 to 21 and 27, it changed a little bit. As we know, every team does their evaluations and values their guys the way they want to. That’s the way it breaks down. We go to play. We go to work, go to coach them, and go to play.”

[b]With the extra third-round pick, how much flexibility do you have on the second day of the draft?[/b]
[b]ML:[/b] “We do have the flexibility to possibly move one way or another. We’ve spent this afternoon really trying to reorder things, prioritize where we are and make sure we’re all in line on the same guys, go back and recheck things so that we’ve got a good board set for this evening.”

[b]Are there some surprises on your board that are still available in the second round?[/b]
[b]ML:[/b] “I think there are a couple, yes.”

[b]Is there any one available worth trading up for?[/b]
[b]ML:[/b] “I don’t want to say that we’re going to move up in Round 2, but we’ll see what happens.”


[b]DRE KIRKPATRICK[/b]

[b]Initial comments:[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “I’m just honored to be here. I visited the Bengals a couple weeks ago and felt very relaxed. The whole organization welcomed me with open arms. I’m just here and ready to work.”

[b]How big were the similarities between the defense you played at Alabama and the Bengals defense?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “There are a lot of similarities. We played hands-on and they play hands-on. They play a little zone too, and we play a little zone. I’m used to both of those. Pretty much I’m flexible with the things they want me to do.”

[b]Coach Lewis was talking about how you want to start. Where does your mentality come from?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “First off, I want to be a team player. I’m not trying to come here and step on anybody’s toes. I want the veterans to teach me everything that they know. If coaches feel I’m mature enough and I know the right things, maybe I’ll touch the field.”

[b]You’re now the sixth first-round draft selection in the Bengals secondary. How much are you looking forward to learning from those guys?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “I’m going to be very honored. They’ve been through adversity. They know how to handle adversity, and I haven’t had those challenges yet. When I do get those challenges, I’ll have somebody to go talk to and maybe they can fill me in on some of those things.”

[b]Which cornerbacks did you emulate when you were younger?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “Deion (Sanders) was my favorite of all time, but Charles Woodson would be the one who I tried to modify my game off of. He’s big and can play the pass and the run. Those are some of the things I feel that I bring to the table.”

[b]The running game is big in the AFC North. Are you ready to face your old teammate Trent Richardson (drafted by Cleveland) and to play the run?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “I told (Richardson) last night that we had to break our ‘contract.’ We had a contract signed with each other (to be allies). Now he’s on the other side of the bandwagon. But he’s still my brother, he’s still my best friend and every time I see him at the end of the game it’s going to be nothing but love.”

[b]A lot of teams threw away from your side in college, but you have to expect to be challenged as a rookie cornerback:[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “That’s what I want; I want to be challenged. I’m a competitor. If I get beat, I’m not going to be the one that hangs my head or complains to the coaches and makes excuses. I’m going to sit back, re-evaluate what happened, what went wrong, and hopefully I can fix it.”

[b]Are you ready to play special teams?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “I took pride in what I did on special teams. Those were serious moments for me at practice. It showed in the games. Hopefully when I get here, I’ll do the same thing.”

[b]You’ve got some charisma and self-confidence, something a corner needs. Where does that come from?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “You can’t teach it. It’s just something you’ve got to have. Some people don’t have it. My dad blessed me to have it, (and so did) the good man above. I like to have a lot of swag about what I do, confidence in what I do. When you see me out there, you don’t have to worry about, ‘Is he nervous?’ I’m not nervous, because I know what I’m supposed to do. I’m just going to try to trust my technique.”

[b]So you won’t have nerves in the season opener on Monday Night Football?[/b]
[b]DK:[/b] “That’s what I want to do. I’m used to the big crowd. I played at Alabama. We have one of the top fan bases in the country. So I’m going to be used to the crowd, and used to the people doubting you, trying to tell you that you’re not going to end up being anything. I’m just going to let my game speak for itself.”


[b]KEVIN ZEITLER[/b]

[b]Initial comments:[/b]
[b]KZ:[/b] “Like Dre, I’m honored to be here. I’m going to help the team any way that I can, and I can’t wait to get started.”

[b]We read that you had a nervous moment when Chicago was on the clock (prior to his selection by Cincinnati): [/b]
[b]KZ:[/b] “I think the reporters up there blew it out of proportion. My family got a little freaked out when the phone rang, but it ended up being my agent on the phone. The entire room except me started jumped out of their seats and started running around because they thought it was (the Bears), but it wasn’t.”

[b]Does the AFC North fit your style of play coming out of Wisconsin?[/b]
[b]KZ:[/b] “I think in a way. Wisconsin’s always been known for running the ball. Like you said, the division runs a lot, so hopefully there’s a correlation.”

[b]How similar was Bengals offensive line coach Paul Alexander’s workout compared to the workouts you had at Wisconsin?[/b]
[b]KZ:[/b] “Actually, the drills he did were pretty different compared to stuff we did. For example, he did push-pulls to try to show balance and reconnect. There were some similarities, like just basic bag punches, but he had some different ways of doing things, and I’m excited to learn from him.”

[b]How much of the center position is in your background?[/b]
[b]KZ:[/b] “When I came to Wisconsin, I was first trained as a center. In the offseason, during summers, I would also snap just in case people got hurt. But the last time I really played it was at Senior Bowl week, and then I kept working at it throughout the last couple months leading up to the draft.”

[b]What does it say that the Bengals passed on a guy at your position who had a lot of hype (David DeCastro of Stanford) and traded back to select you instead?[/b]
[b]KZ:[/b] “I’m just honored that they decided to pick me and took a chance on me. I’m going to do everything I can to show them that they did make the right decision.”


Defensive coordinator [b]MIKE ZIMMER[/b] and Offensive coordinator [b]JAY GRUDEN[/b]


[b]Gruden[/b]
[b]Zimmer[/b] [b]Initial comments:[/b]
[b]MZ:[/b] “We’re excited to have Dre (Kirkpatrick) here. He’s a corner who has an awful lot of ability. We feel like he’s got a chance to come in and do a lot of great things for us defensively and help with what we’re trying to do with the scheme. He was the tallest of the top corners, and we feel like that — with all the big receivers in the league right now — is an extra advantage for us. He does a great job at the line of scrimmage. He’s been coached hard at Alabama, and he’s coming from a national championship team, so we really like the pedigree.”

[b]JG:[/b] “As for Kevin (Zeitler), he’s a great addition for us. He fills a major need for us. He’s one of the top guards on the board, in our opinion. He’s tough, he’s strong, he’s physical, he’s smart — guys like that can only help your football team. It’s not a popular pick sometimes to take an offensive guard, but last time I checked, they play a lot of snaps on Sunday. (Guards are) a very important part of the running game; (they are) a very important part of the passing game. Any success you have offensively is determined up front with your physicality, and he definitely fits the bill for us.”

[b]There have been some big, long corners in the past with the Bengals — guys like Tory James. What corners from your coaching career are similar to [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/dre-kirkpatrick/3f89d93d-6289-497f-a912-0459ae1ab95e/"]Dre Kirkpatrick[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url]?[/b]
[b]MZ:[/b] “When you think back, there was the guy in Kansas City — Dale Carter. Guys like him. That’s a big advantage for us (to have) guys who can get their hands on receivers at the line of scrimmage. He (Kirkpatrick) has quick feet. He moves his feet laterally pretty well. He does a great job in bump-and-run. The taller corners have an advantage when they’re going down the field, because the ball has to go over the top of their outstretched arms. So if they do a good job at the line of scrimmage, then they have a great advantage down the field on (receivers). And he’s got great vision, like all the very good corners and, really, all good defensive players — they all have great vision, and he’s got great vision. He sees things (well). A lot of the corners, they get locked in on one thing and they can’t see the quarterback, or they can’t see the route combinations. He does a good job of (seeing) all of those.”

[b]Watching tape of him at Alabama, he makes a lot of defensive calls and a lot of checks, all from the cornerback spot. That’s pretty unusual for a corner. Is that something that impressed you?[/b]
[b]MZ:[/b] “Their system at Alabama is actually pretty complicated, with the things that they do with the defensive backs — coverage-checks and things like that. He won’t have any problem. He might have to make the coverage checks with the guys and the safeties that we have (laughs). He won’t have any problem with catching onto the system and doing what we do.”

[b][url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/kevin-zeitler/6872c3b8-cf27-4731-bfae-bcae68fb85a8/"]Kevin Zeitler[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url]’s score on the Wonderlic test is reportedly very high. How important are ‘smarts’ for an offensive guard?[/b]
[b]JG:[/b] “Very important. A lot goes on in the huddle and before the ball is snapped. There are audibles, checks, ‘cans’, ‘autos’, snap counts — all of that is very important. When you’re not having to cater to a guy next to you — when our center doesn’t have to specifically talk to the guard and say, ‘you’ve got to do this’ — it makes it a lot easier. He’s a smarter player, and add to that the fact that he’s smart and tough. It’s a great combination for a guy like that.”

[b]With [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/andrew-whitworth/3a81696e-e6b3-4abd-8dd0-85e8748fa086/"]Andrew Whitworth[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url], [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/kyle-cook/08372b6a-54c6-41a4-9f45-cda2ee64e29c/"]Kyle Cook[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] and now Zeitler, how smart are you guys up front?[/b]
[b]JG:[/b] “Pretty smart. A lot smarter than I am (laughs). It’s kind of disturbing in that sense (laughs). But it’s very important. Not to mention, he can play center. Hopefully he’ll be a solid backup center for us if something happens to Cookie (Kyle Cook). We need that part of his game. The more he can do, the better he is. That’s part of the reason we had a major attraction toward him, because we feel like he’s a very versatile guy and a very smart guy and able to pick up an offense very early. That goes a long way.”

[b]Coming from Wisconsin, with the way they structure and approach their offensive line, will it be an easier transition for him, compared perhaps to someone else?[/b]
[b]JG:[/b] “From a mental standpoint and from a technique standpoint, it will be an easy transition for him. From the competition standpoint, there’s where the transition will come in. Obviously he’ll be going against top-notch players week-in and week-out every day in practice, and he’s going to continue to have to work on his technique. But he’s had great coaching at Wisconsin. He’s going to understand our schemes — our gap-blocking schemes, our zone-blocking schemes. He’s done them all. Now, it’s just a matter of transitioning to the NFL — to the great talent that he’s going to face every day.”

[b]When you play against defenses with very complex schemes like Baltimore and Pittsburgh, how comforting is it to know that you have very smart guys up front with Cook, Whitworth and Zeitler?[/b]
[b]JG:[/b] “It’s very comforting that they’re smart, but it’ll be more comforting when they actually block the guys (laughs). But he’ll get plenty of opportunities, and it’s going to be exciting to have him. We feel good about our (offensive) front right now. We’ve got some good, solid players returning from last year. Add Kevin to the mix, and we feel pretty good about where we stand right now.”

[b]Who is more demanding — you (Zimmer) or Alabama head coach Nick Saban?[/b]
[b]MZ:[/b] “Saban (laughs).”

[b]As you look at what Nick Saban does schematically on defense, how similar is it to what you do?[/b]
[b]MZ:[/b] “Actually, they’re more complicated than we are. They make a lot more checks off of backfield sets, and different formations, and different calls at the line of scrimmage. I don’t like mistakes, so we’re fairly simple. He’ll come in and get this stuff quickly.”

[b]Have you ever seen a defense in this league that has six cornerbacks that were first-round draft picks? (The Bengals have CBs [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/jason-allen/ecbe6bdc-b8a6-4dd8-9713-06458d0391c5/"]Jason Allen[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url], [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/nate-clements/bbbf8d1c-75d6-4c45-ab56-60768094134e/"]Nate Clements[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url], [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/leon-hall/0f379744-8ae4-4952-8f53-75c2f38f43ec/"]Leon Hall[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url], [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/adam-jones/70893f56-2c88-4a74-93ec-15f2886cca42/"]Adam Jones[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url], Kirkpatrick and [url="http://www.bengals.com/team/roster/terence-newman/6312eee8-0115-4ae9-9a0c-ab13a9cc864e/"]Terence Newman[img]http://www.bengals.com/assets/nflimg/icon-article-link.gif[/img][/url] on the roster — all former first-rounders):[/b]
[b]MZ:[/b] “(Laughs) I like pedigrees. But I don’t know. I think that’s really unrealistic. Some of the first-round corners we have are with us for a reason. It’s not like they just came out of the draft this week. A lot of our first-round players we have here, most every other team in the league did not want them. But at one point in time, somebody rated them very high. Most of the guys we have are guys that I know — I’ve either coached them before, or I’ve known people that have coached them. So I know what kind of character they have, what kind of heart they have, what kind of competitor they are. All of those things are very important to me.”

[b]How big of a believer are you guys in the concept of mentoring. There are a lot of veterans on both sides of the ball who can teach these young guys ...[/b]
[b]MZ:[/b] “I actually think it’s great. When you talk about Nate Clements, Nate’s going to come and he’s going to help him. Terence Newman is going to help him. All of these older, veteran guys are going to do a great job because not only do they care about the guys on this football team, but they care about the young football players that are coming up. Hopefully they can pass these kinds of things on to them. Hopefully, someday, he’ll pass what he’s learned on — how to be a pro, and all of the things that have allowed these guys to play eight, nine, 10, 11 years in the league — he’ll pass them on to the next guy four years from now or five years from now when we pick another one.”

[b]JG:[/b] “No doubt. We have a very high-quality room, with the offensive line. (Offensive line coach Paul) Alexander does a good job with them. It starts with Whitworth. He’s a veteran guy that’s been here the longest. He’s a great leader. And Kyle Cook is a great leader. Those guys are great guys to learn from — not only on the field, but off the field. Kevin will fit right in.”







http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Kirkpatrick-Zeitler-Transcripts/5c8cd226-e595-4dc5-8039-5748d32023ce

[oldschooler]

[list]
[*]





[url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/Kirkpatrick-Zeitler-Press-Conference-42712/ca065045-fdaa-4a8d-a15c-f54ff202ca65"][img]http://prod.static.bengals.clubs.nfl.com//assets/images/imported/CIN/videos/video-thumbnails/2012/04-April/kirkpatrick-zeitler120427--nfl_thumb_105_70.jpg[/img][/url]
[b] [url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/Kirkpatrick-Zeitler-Press-Conference-42712/ca065045-fdaa-4a8d-a15c-f54ff202ca65"]Kirkpatrick-Zeitler Press Conference (4/27/12)[/url][/b]

(12:44)Posted 15 hours ago


Views: 1,873
[*]





[url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/Zimmer-Gruden-Press-Conference-42712/26724d45-1ade-41dd-9d76-1ecc336767e0"][img]http://prod.static.bengals.clubs.nfl.com//assets/images/imported/CIN/videos/video-thumbnails/2012/04-April/zimmer-gruden120427--nfl_thumb_105_70.jpg[/img][/url]
[b] [url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/Zimmer-Gruden-Press-Conference-42712/26724d45-1ade-41dd-9d76-1ecc336767e0"]Zimmer-Gruden Press Conference (4/27/12)[/url][/b]

(8:33)Posted 15 hours ago


Views: 1,386
[*]





[url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/One-on-One-with-Dre-Kirkpatrick-42712/01b7afc8-9615-4e68-bad0-69bec7df46ad"][img]http://prod.static.bengals.clubs.nfl.com//assets/images/imported/CIN/videos/video-thumbnails/2012/04-April/kirkpatrick120427--nfl_thumb_105_70.jpg[/img][/url]
[b] [url="http://www.bengals.com/media-lounge/videos/One-on-One-with-Dre-Kirkpatrick-42712/01b7afc8-9615-4e68-bad0-69bec7df46ad"]One-on-One with Dre Kirkpatrick (4/27/12)[/url][/b]

(3:31)Posted 15 hours ago


Views: 1,435
[/list]