!!!!!WITH THE 116TH PICK THE BENGALS SELECT TE ORSON CHARLES!!!!!

[sparky151]

[url="http://forum.go-bengals.com/index.php?app=forums&module=forums&section=findpost&pid=1127560"][img]http://forum.go-bengals.com/public/style_images/GoBengals_3_2/snapback.png[/img][/url]Bengals1181, on 30 April 2012 - 01:39 PM, said:



what exact needs have they failed to address other than a proven #2 WR?


You've been harping on the fact that they didn't spend their whole cap for weeks now, and you still don't seem to get WHY they didn't spend it all.


A "below average offseason"? Seriously?


We still don't have a homerun threat at RB. Peerman is probably the closest we have now and how many carries did he get last year? Our pass rush looks weaker now than last year, at least at DE. WR2 is an open question. I don't mind getting rid of him but Benson is more talented than BJGE. How good our new SS will be is also unknown. Basically we've upgraded the OG positions, the DT position, and probably the CB position. I trust Zimmer and Carrier and expect Mays to be an upgrade from Crocker. Our LB corps isn't particularly good but if they stay healthy perhaps they will be better than last year. I don't expect Anderson and Harvey to be as good as Rucker and Fanene.

I'll start a thread later with what we should have done. Just for clarity I mean below average relative to the opportunities we had. Relative to the other teams in the AFCN we probably have had the best offseason but it's probably not enough to catch up to Baltimore and Pittsburgh.

[alleycat]

Man, I have a feeling that if we won the Superbowl you'd still find things to complain about.

Everybody loses players in the offseason to FA. Our FO was the most productive it's ever been in regards to going out and getting people. Furthermore, if you really believe in the philosophy of building your team through the draft, you've got to pay those players when they breakout and show promise. OK, so we lost Fanane and Rucker (and Josephy admittedly hurt last year, but that caught the team by surprise - and rumor is Joseph wishes he'd stayed now). But can you honestly say that you'd rather have Fanane and Rucker on the team than Dunlap, Atkins, MJ, Howard, Andre Smith? You can't have 'em all, and you've got to make choices. Relative to production and talent, I'm really happy we've got so much cap room to try to reward the guys who are the core of our future DYNASTY.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and guys who are all starters instead of back-ups like the guys we lost...

[Squirrlnutz]

[quote name='sparky151' timestamp='1335809983' post='1127573']

We still don't have a homerun threat at RB. Peerman is probably the closest we have now and how many carries did he get last year? Our pass rush looks weaker now than last year, at least at DE. WR2 is an open question. I don't mind getting rid of him but Benson is more talented than BJGE. How good our new SS will be is also unknown. Basically we've upgraded the OG positions, the DT position, and probably the CB position. I trust Zimmer and Carrier and expect Mays to be an upgrade from Crocker. Our LB corps isn't particularly good but if they stay healthy perhaps they will be better than last year. I don't expect Anderson and Harvey to be as good as Rucker and Fanene.

I'll start a thread later with what we should have done. Just for clarity I mean below average relative to the opportunities we had. Relative to the other teams in the AFCN we probably have had the best offseason but it's probably not enough to catch up to Baltimore and Pittsburgh.
[/quote]

I think your complaints are warranted. But at the same time how much can you reasonably expect a team to fix in one off season?

We were top 5 in sacks with 45. Fanene and Rucker had 10.5. At what point does the system get any credit? I don't see a drop off, I see improvement. And I think we've accomplished a lot of fixes in this off season.

[SouthPaw]

The [url="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1161579-cincinnati-bengals-2012-nfl-draft-picks-grades-results-and-analysis"]Cincinnati Bengals[/url] had a critically-acclaimed draft class when the dust settled on the [url="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1131843-the-biggest-draft-needs-of-every-nfl-team"]2012 NFL draft[/url].
With such a solid crop, it could be hard to guess which rookie could have the biggest impact on the upcoming season.
The [url="http://bleacherreport.com/cincinnati-bengals"]Bengals[/url] managed to hit the majority of their major needs while finding great value at each selection. Cinicinatti was also able to use their fourth-round pick to upgrade the tight end position, despite it not being a massive area of need.
And what an upgrade it was. The Bengals selected former Georgia tight end Orson Charles with 116th overall. Charles is a physically dominant player, standing at 6’3” and 250lbs.
Charles was originally slated as a high second-round selection before seeing his stock take a major hit when he was arrested for DUI in March.
This isn’t your typical late-round Bengals gamble on a prospect with character issues. In fact, it’s the exact opposite. Before the arrest, Charles was considered one of the prospects without any issues at all. This one incident is something the 21-year-old appears to have learned from:
[indent]
Twitter fam, I would like to sincerely apologize for my actions. I accept full responsibility for themistake I made this past week— Orson Charles (@O_Charles80) [url="https://twitter.com/O_Charles80/status/181135953748959233"]March 17, 2012[/url][/indent]

[indent]
it willnever happen again. Im sorry for the embarrassment I put my family , Georgia fans and my God through— Orson Charles (@O_Charles80) [url="https://twitter.com/O_Charles80/status/181136127388958720"]March 17, 2012[/url][/indent]
[indent]
Twitter fam, I would like to sincerely apologize for my actions. I accept full responsibility for themistake I made this past week— Orson Charles (@O_Charles80) [url="https://twitter.com/O_Charles80/status/181135953748959233"]March 17, 2012[/url][/indent]

Despite this one blemish on Charles’ record, he has consistently been an All-Academic SEC athlete, won Offensive Coaches Leadership Awards and was voted a team captain throughout his tenure at Georgia.
On the field, Charles was unstoppable in college despite having spotty quarterback play. Last season alone, Charles caught 45 passes for 574 yards and five touchdowns. He’s got sure hands and can make the adjustment to any pass thrown his way. Charles is a serious threat in the red-zone.

[img]http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/416/743/134709117_crop_340x234.jpg?1335925968[/img] Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

What may have sold the Bengals completely on Charles is his excellent blocking skills. He’s ridiculously strong and aggressive in the running game. At the scouting combine he led all tight ends in the bench press drill with a jaw-dropping 35 reps.
This natural strength is something that will likely see Charles rocket up the depth chart over other players like Donald Lee and Colin Cochart. In the AFC North, having a mauler blocker at the tight end position is something of a major advantage.
Of course, Charles won’t beat out Jermaine Gresham for No. 1 on the depth chart at the position. But that’s why he’ll be the biggest impact rookie of the class this season.
Charles is a perfect complement to Gresham in the passing game. Teams are going to be concerned with stopping Gresham and wide receiver A.J. Green, which will free up Charles for a plethora of reception opportunities in Jay Gruden’s West Coast Offense.
As teams realize Charles is a threat, they’ll have to shift some of the focus to him, which will free up others in turn. The fact that Charles can stay in and block or sneak out to catch passes just like Gresham is something that only adds another dimension to the quickly evolving offense.
Other candidates outside of Charles to have the biggest rookie impact next season are players like corner Dre Kirkpatrick, guard Kevin Zeitler and receivers Marvin Jones and Mohamed Sanu.
However, Kirkpatrick may not see as many snaps as the other veteran corners on the roster. Jones and Sanu will be taking snaps away from each other, limiting their production. Finally, Zeitler will see all the starting snaps at right guard, but it’s hard to quantify his overall impact.

[img]http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/416/744/106379622_crop_340x234.jpg?1335926035[/img] Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Charles, on the other hand, will likely have solid numbers in the passing game. He’ll also open up opportunities for those around him. As long as he works hard and proves he belongs, Charles will likely be the second tight end on the depth chart.
The Bengals appear to be looking up to the [url="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1161405-new-england-patriots-2012-nfl-draft-picks-grades-results-and-analysis"]New England Patriots[/url] with the Charles pick. The two tight end sets the [url="http://bleacherreport.com/new-england-patriots"]Patriots[/url] run with Aaron Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski have terrorized the league consistently. Now the Bengals may have a formidable duo of their own in Gresham and Charles.
It’s a good sign for an [url="http://bleacherreport.com/nfl"]NFL[/url] franchise when it consistently finds impact rookies with fourth round selections. The Bengals did it two years ago with defensive tackle Geno Atkins and could have done it again this year.
While Charles wasn’t the biggest name drafted by Cincinnati and wasn’t interviewed immediately after he was drafted, he could be the biggest rookie difference-maker for the Bengals this upcoming season.

[sparky151]

I'm not sure Charles will be a big redzone threat. He's 6'2" which is relatively short for a TE. He can play as an H-back however which is pretty useful. He can lead an iso play in the run game or flex out a bit from the tackle to improve a blocking angle. I wouldn't be surprised if Charles gets the second most snaps after Zeitler among the rookies early in the year.

[Jason]

[quote name='sparky151' timestamp='1335986030' post='1128279']
I'm not sure Charles will be a big redzone threat. He's 6'2" which is relatively short for a TE. He can play as an H-back however which is pretty useful. He can lead an iso play in the run game or flex out a bit from the tackle to improve a blocking angle. I wouldn't be surprised if Charles gets the second most snaps after Zeitler among the rookies early in the year.
[/quote]

He will be a good red zone player because he is good at yards after catch.

[alleycat]

I wonder if Brian Leonard can serve as a backup to the H-Back spot if we really make that part of our Offense with Charles.

[big_dish]

[quote name='sparky151' timestamp='1335986030' post='1128279']
I'm not sure Charles will be a big redzone threat. He's 6'2" which is relatively short for a TE. He can play as an H-back however which is pretty useful. He can lead an iso play in the run game or flex out a bit from the tackle to improve a blocking angle. I wouldn't be surprised if Charles gets the second most snaps after Zeitler among the rookies early in the year.
[/quote]

I dont remember seeing any red zone threats last year, realistically. Not in terms of height. Supposedly we had AJ, Jerome, Gresham that all should have been thrown jumpballs out the wazoo when the Bengals were down in the redzone. VERY FEW balls were thrown to take advantage of height or athleticism. I can think of one to AJ. Instead we'd try to pound the ball or throw quick outs/slants... and generally peter out. I think the redzone height thing is not applicable until this team decides to actually try to take advantage of it.

[Squirrlnutz]

That last article made me feel good. I think they'll move him around like Reggie Kelly used to. It will be exciting to see how the offense shapes up. One has to think they should be able to give multiple looks with the same personnel. That kind of offense is deadly, the Pats execute it so well. They move guys around so much and suddenly Gronk is aligned over a 5'9" CB and you've got a simple jump ball 30 yard TD.

[The PatternMaster]

[quote name='big_dish' timestamp='1335992135' post='1128327']
I dont remember seeing any red zone threats last year, realistically. Not in terms of height. Supposedly we had AJ, Jerome, Gresham that all should have been thrown jumpballs out the wazoo when the Bengals were down in the redzone. VERY FEW balls were thrown to take advantage of height or athleticism. I can think of one to AJ. Instead we'd try to pound the ball or throw quick outs/slants... and generally peter out. I think the redzone height thing is not applicable until this team decides to actually try to take advantage of it.
[/quote]

I think part of the reason why you didn't see the fade routes in the red zone situations was because Dalton and WR's didn't have an offseason to work on the timing of that route.

[Tigris]

[quote name='The PatternMaster' timestamp='1336008523' post='1128382']
I think part of the reason why you didn't see the fade routes in the red zone situations was because Dalton and WR's didn't have an offseason to work on the timing of that route.
[/quote]

One would think that's something you'd be able to get in over an hour session. I would say it's more of the offensive coordinator's preference on play call when that close to the end zone.

[Lewdog]

[quote name='The PatternMaster' timestamp='1336008523' post='1128382']
I think part of the reason why you didn't see the fade routes in the red zone situations was because Dalton and WR's didn't have an offseason to work on the timing of that route.
[/quote]

If you watch Gruden's QB segment on ESPN with Kirk Cousin's they went over the fade route in the End zone and how it's thrown. Cousin's said that they QB simply takes the snap, takes a step back from the center, and throws it into a 'bucket' in the back corner of the endzone. So there really isn't any timing to it. It's all about the ability of the QB to hit the spot and the ability of the WR to get a clean release from the line of scrimmage and go up to get the ball. So I don't really think it is a matter of timing as more, maybe Daulton is poor at throwing that pass. Hopefully they worked on it in the offseason bcause there are plenty of tools for him now with Green, Gresham, and Charles.

[|Lucid|]

[quote name='Lewdog' timestamp='1336072617' post='1128613']
If you watch Gruden's QB segment on ESPN with Kirk Cousin's they went over the fade route in the End zone and how it's thrown. Cousin's said that they QB simply takes the snap, takes a step back from the center, and throws it into a 'bucket' in the back corner of the endzone. So there really isn't any timing to it. It's all about the ability of the QB to hit the spot and the ability of the WR to get a clean release from the line of scrimmage and go up to get the ball. So I don't really think it is a matter of timing as more, maybe Daulton is poor at throwing that pass. Hopefully they worked on it in the offseason bcause there are plenty of tools for him now with Green, Gresham, and Charles.
[/quote]

Does the bucket run to the corner of the end zone?

[alleycat]

I always thought that was our must overused, unsuccessful route with Palmer here. Granted, we didn't have AJ, but I'm not a huge fan of the fade.

[Bengals1181]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-psP4sPRzI&feature=relmfu"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-psP4sPRzI&feature=relmfu[/url]