AmishBengalFan Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Linky: http://walterfootball.com Bengals Season Summary: The Bengals need to ask themselves if Andy Dalton is the answer. He has shown that he can beat inferior competition, but he has yet to put together a quality performance against an elite defense. He was absolutely terrible against the Texans in the playoffs for a second year in a row. He should improve, but will he ever be capable of leading Cincinnati to a Super Bowl? Team Needs (in rank order): Running Back: BenJarvus Green-Ellis is just a mediocre plodder whose stats were enhanced because of a powerful offensive line. The Bengals need to add a speed complement. There will be plenty of options in Round 2. Reggie Bush might also be considered. Two Linebackers: Vontaze Burfict was a pleasant surprise for Cincinnati this season, but Manny Lawson is a free agent, while Rey Maualuga was the worst starting linebacker in the NFL. There's a good chance Manti Te'o may fall to No. 21 this April. Safety: Nate Clements had to play the safety position despite being a natural cornerback because Taylor Mays was awful. Both Clements and Chris Crocker are free agents in their 30s. Right Tackle: Andre Smith is coming off a Pro Bowl-type campaign. He'll be hitting free agency and must be retained. Defensive End: The Bengals have three defensive ends entering free agency - and this includes starter Michael Johnson. Someone like Sam Montgomery makes sense at No. 21 overall if Johnson isn't franchised. Center: Cincinnati did not get quality play out of the center position with Kyle Cook and Jeff Faine. Cornerback: Depth is needed here with Terence Newman and Pacman Jones heading for free agency. Quarterback: The Bengals should find a young quarterback to groom behind Andy Dalton just in case he isn't the answer. Wide Receiver: Mohamed Sanu might emerge as a decent No. 2 option for Dalton. Depth is needed regardless. Kicker: Josh Brown and Mike Nugent are both free agents. Punter: Kevin Huber's contract will expire in March as well. FA Grades: Andre Smith, OT, Bengals. Age: 26 - Andre Smith has developed into one of the league's premier right tackles. He was a dominant run-blocker and also excelled in pass protection. There's still some concern that he could get lazy with a big contract, but he deserves the money based on how he's played. Michael Johnson, DE, Bengals. Age: 26 - The sky's the limit for Michael Johnson, who turns 26 in February. He recorded 11.5 sacks in 2012 while playing the run very well. He's expected to be franchised. Kevin Huber, P, Bengals. Age: 28 - Kevin Huber was fourth in net punting among starters in 2012. Nate Clements, S/CB, Bengals. Age: 33 - Nate Clements, who turned 33 in December, had to play safety this past year because Taylor Mays was such a liability in coverage. He'll probably have to stay at safety given his declining skills. Thomas Howard, OLB, Bengals. Age: 30 - Thomas Howard was out for all but one game in 2012 with a torn ACL. It was impressive that Cincinnati's defense still played well despite missing such a solid linebacker. Manny Lawson, OLB, Bengals. Age: 29 - The Bengals asked Manny Lawson to rush the passer and stop the run, and he did that very well. He's not good in coverage, however. Chris Crocker, S, Bengals. Age: 33 - Chris Crocker is still an OK starting safety, but he'll be 33 in March. His best days are behind him. Josh Brown, K, Bengals. Age: 34 - Josh Brown hit 11-of-12 kicks in 2012, but he's one year removed from going just 21-of-28. Pacman Jones, CB/KR, Bengals. Age: 30 - Pacman Jones played well in nickel situations, but will turn 30 at the end of September. Robert Geathers, DE, Bengals. Age: 30 - Robert Geathers did not play well this past season because of a lingering knee injury. He was still decent as a run-stopper. Wallace Gilberry, DE, Bengals. Age: 28 - Wallace Gilberry is a quality nickel pass-rusher. He recorded 6.5 sacks despite not playing very many snaps. Terence Newman, CB, Bengals. Age: 34 - Terence Newman was surprisingly pretty solid this past season after struggling in Dallas. Credit must be given to defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who knows how to use Newman, but it was still shocking to see Newman do so well. Cedric Peerman (RFA), RB, Bengals. Age: 26. Brandon Tate, KR, Bengals. Age: 25. Rey Maualuga, ILB, Bengals. Age: 26. Pat Sims, DT, Bengals. Age: 27. Mike Nugent, K, Bengals. Age: 31. Brian Leonard, FB, Bengals. Age: 29. Dan Skuta, OLB, Bengals. Age: 27. Dennis Roland, OT, Bengals. Age: 30. Bernard Scott, RB, Bengals. Age: 29. Jeromy Miles (RFA), S, Bengals. Age: 26. Dick Quinn, TE, Bengals. Age: 26. Bruce Gradkowski, QB, Bengals. Age: 30. I'm just sayin'... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmishBengalFan Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Mock Draft: Kansas City Chiefs: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia Jacksonville Jaguars: Star Lotulelei, NT, Utah Oakland Raiders: Damontre Moore, DE/OLB, Texas A&M Philadelphia Eagles: Luke Joeckel, OT, Texas A&M Detroit Lions: Bjoern Werner, DE/OLB, Florida State Cleveland Browns: Ezekiel Ansah, DE/OLB, BYU Arizona Cardinals: Eric Fisher, OT, Central Michigan Buffalo Bills: Mike Glennon, QB, N.C. State New York Jets: Barkevious Mingo, DE/OLB, LSU Tennessee Titans: DeMarcus Milliner, CB, Alabama San Diego Chargers: Lane Johnson, OT, Oklahoma Miami Dolphins: Sharrif Floyd, DT, Florida Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Johnthan Banks, CB, Mississippi State Carolina Panthers: Kenny Vaccaro, S, Texas New Orleans Saints: Dion Jordan, DE/OLB, Oregon St. Louis Rams: Chance Warmack, G, Alabama Pittsburgh Steelers: Jarvis Jones, DE/OLB, Georgia Dallas Cowboys: Sheldon Richardson, DT, Missouri New York Giants: Alec Ogletree, LB, Georgia Chicago Bears: D.J. Fluker, OT, Alabama Cincinnati Bengals: Manti Te'o, LB, Notre Dame - Back in October, I had Manti Te'o slotted to Cincinnati at No. 10 overall because: "The Bengals have major problems at linebacker. They lost Keith Rivers this past offseason, Manny Lawson will be a free agent in the spring, and Rey Maualuga is arguably one of the worst defensive starters in the NFL. I don't know if he's hurt or what, but he's been awful this season. Manti Te'o, the top player available, would be a big boost to the linebacking corps." Well, Te'o is now a legitimate option for them at No. 21. He'll likely fall at least a few spots because of the weird story about his fake girlfriend, but the Bengals won't care. They'll see a player who would offer a big upgrade on defense St. Louis Rams: Cordarrelle Patterson, WR, Tennessee Minnesota Vikings: Johnathan Hankins, NT, Ohio State Indianapolis Colts: Jonathan Cooper, G/C, North Carolina Seattle Seahawks: Bennie Logan, DT, LSU Green Bay Packers: Keenan Allen, WR, California Houston Texans: Kevin Minter, ILB, LSU Denver Broncos: Desmond Trufant, CB, Washington New England Patriots: Kawann Short, DT, Purdue Atlanta Falcons: Alex Okafor, DE/OLB, Texas San Francisco 49ers: Jonathan Cyprien, S, Florida International Baltimore Ravens: John Jenkins, NT, Georgia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Defensive End: The Bengals have three defensive ends entering free agency - and this includes starter Michael Johnson. Someone like Sam Montgomery makes sense at No. 21 overall if Johnson isn't franchised. So, the only way we can keep him is tag him? Huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Walterfootball's opinion has never been worth the "paper" its written on. They're site is good for combine stats and lists of potential prospects, but anything to do with opinion is pure crap. They're basically the PFT of draft websites. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmishBengalFan Posted February 13, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 So, the only way we can keep him is tag him? Huh? Yeah, that had me scratching my head too. The author must've forgotten that the Stripes are one bajillion dollars under the Salary Cap and are going to be forced to spend just to get up to the minimum. I see Johnson getting a big fat raise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Yeah, that had me scratching my head too. The author must've forgotten that the Stripes are one bajillion dollars under the Salary Cap and are going to be forced to spend just to get up to the minimum. I see Johnson getting a big fat raise. That and Sims and Nuge being 1.5 star guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bubba Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 That and Sims and Nuge being 1.5 star guys. That damn haironfire must be writing for them. However I did agree with this Center: Cincinnati did not get quality play out of the center position with Kyle Cook and Jeff Faine Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khatmandude Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 That damn haironfire must be writing for them. However I did agree with this I agree too.....that's such an important position that I want to solidify it now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alleycat Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Here's hoping Robinson puts in one hell of an off-season and is so much jaw-droppingly improved that the coaches can't sit him behind Cook for fear of losing credibility with their players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kochman Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Everytime he uses we lost Keith Rivers just makes me laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Khatmandude Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 Here's hoping Robinson puts in one hell of an off-season and is so much jaw-droppingly improved that the coaches can't sit him behind Cook for fear of losing credibility with their players. And even that may not be enough to get Alexander to put in the better player instead of his "Cook-ie" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T-Dub Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Here's hoping Robinson puts in one hell of an off-season and is so much jaw-droppingly improved that the coaches can't sit him behind Cook for fear of losing credibility with their players. If that hasn't already happened... They had their best 4 games as a unit with Robinson in there. To have a rookie come off the bench and play like that only to get sent back down & watch the OL struggle again? Terrible message to send to a young team. He'd earned that spot IMO. Benching him because "Oh Noes! The Stoolers!" was also a terrible message to send, for that matter. Good luck selling that "just the next team on the schedule" line going forward. Really some mind-boggling coaching decisions down the stretch. I still get the impression there are too many cooks in the kitchen. Er.. no pun intended. I'm not as down on Cook as some, but he was obviously not healthy or at best still "rusty" when they put him back out there. Not that he's been what you'd call "dominant" at his best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snarkster Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 * They need to sign or tag Johnson and Smith. If either leaves, that is where our pick at 21 goes. * I'd sign Reggie Bush and William Moore as my prime FA's * I'd re-sign Thomas and he, Burflict and a draft choice (T'eo?) would be my starters at LB. I'd also darft a second LB (Hodges) for depth and re-sign Skuta * Huber is a re-up along with their choice of Nuge and Brown * I'd bring back Gilberry, Sims, Peerman and Pacman too for the right price. * I definitely want an upgrade at backup QB and I'd take a long look at backup OL's (C/G). * If they don't re-sign Geathers (I wouldn't but they probably will), I'd consider bringing back Rucker or Fanene (if healthy) for camp. * If I end up with all the above accomplished,my first four picks would be Te'o, WR, LB, S (in that order) although I might flip WR & S dependent upon who's available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigris Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Towards the end, Clements barely played. We won't miss him a bit. I don't think he's resigned. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Dr Tarzan| Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Towards the end, Clements barely played. We won't miss him a bit. I don't think he's resigned. Vet minimum or nothing. He didn't play that well when he was in the game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigris Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Vet minimum or nothing. He didn't play that well when he was in the game. It's really hard for me to tell if a defensive player has a bad game or not unless it's something blatant like missed tackles, man coverage, or Rey just letting a TE take over a game. One play I so remember Clements being on was either a hitch it a square in on the defense's right side (something where the receiver ran to just outside the hash and stopped). Clements lookers very slow(not physically, but mentally - like he broke way, way too late) and that was the last time I remember him playing. I guess a position switch could do that to you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HairOnFire Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 That and Sims and Nuge being 1.5 star guys. In fairness, in earlier rankings Walter ranked Pat Sims as a mere 1.0 star player but later bumped the grade by a half star after reading Jamie's heartfelt and passionate description of hole plugging. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bengals1181 Posted February 14, 2013 Report Share Posted February 14, 2013 Vet minimum or nothing. He didn't play that well when he was in the game. Didn't think so either hut he ended up being near the top in the league for one of PFF's stats, the yards per snaps in coverage. He only gave up 113yds on the season, on a total of 179 snaps in coverage. I think his time has come and he needs to go, but I thought the small amount of yardage he gave up was surprising. Sure it was a small sample size and I think he would have struggled if given more snaps, but 113yds on basically 5 games worth of pass plays wasn't too bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blueridge Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 Walterfootball's opinion has never been worth the "paper" its written on. They're site is good for combine stats and lists of potential prospects, but anything to do with opinion is pure crap. They're basically the PFT of draft websites. Seriously. It is not a serious site. And the carping about Dalton is stupid beyond belief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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