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coup000 Super Bowl Champ

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/jason-la-canfora/23043115/falconsbengals-notes-injury-makes-rt-trouble-spot-for-atlanta

 

For all the talk with the Bengals about this being a make-or-break year for quarterback Andy Dalton, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden isn't shying away from the notion it's a big year for him as well. Gruden, whose brother Jon was at practice today ahead of broadcasting Thursday's game on ESPN, has done a great job developing the Bengals' young offense. But after getting stifled two straight years by the Texans in the playoffs, expectations are now much higher for this group come January.

"There's no question about it, we all have to step up our game," Gruden said. "And that's been my focal point in all my meetings. It's not just the quarterback, obviously the quarterback has to get better, but we all do -- the quarterback, me, the line, the quarterback coach, receivers coach, the tight ends.

"Everybody has to be more detailed and pay attention to small details and get better, otherwise we don't have a chance. Andy can improve, but if everybody else stays the same and doesn't improve, then we won't go as far, either. I've got to make the plays as comfortable as I can for him and make sure I call a game that people can handle."

Gruden's offense will look much different this year, without a doubt. Two tight-end sets will be much more the norm, with rookie Tyler Eifert shining already, and explosive rookie back Gio Bernard will aid a rushing attack that was more plodding -- Cincy tied for 28th in percent of rushing attempts over 4 yards or more, and had only one rushing TD over 10 yards. Their presence in the red zone will draw some attention away from top receiver AJ Green, as well.

"The offense could change a lot," Gruden said, "and that's the good thing about our guys; we have a bunch of guys who can get lined up in different spots and do damage."

• With Green and receiver Andrew Hawkins among those injured and not practicing, 2012 draft pick Mohamed Sanu is among those shining, He can line up in the slot or out wide, and Gruden is clearly intrigued by his size and versatility even if/when the Bengals do have a full complement of receivers.

 

• One thing that impressed me about Bernard was his eagerness to get involved in pass protection. He realizes that failures there are often the downfall of young running backs and his mental preparation has not gone unnoticed early in this camp.

"I definitely think I'm doing a good job of it right now," he said, "and the more reps I have the better I get. For me my biggest job is to protect the quarterback. I don't want Andy to get touched by anybody, whether that's somebody coming out of nowhere, or whatever."

I have a feeling this kid makes an impact sooner rather than later.

• Geno Atkins, in the final year of his deal and primed to be the highest paid defensive linemen in NFL history, chatted with his agents, Dye and Johnson, for quite a while after practice. League sources said there has been ongoing dialogue about a new deal, but they are nowhere close on a deal with the Bengals at this point. I'd still bet strongly that he ends up with the franchise tag in 2014.

• Can't help but watch the growth of the Bengals, and all the talent they have amassed, and wonder where they might be had they accepted multiple first round picks for Chad Johnson/Ochocinco back when the Redskins were hot for him five years ago and when the receiver's best days were behind him. Add in a couple more solid first-rounders, and this team would be all the more equipped for a Super Bowl run.

 

 

 

Another article that mentions how far we are apart with Geno....Prisco wrote one today too. I know I keep beating this drum, but they have got to get this extension done before the season starts. Have to.

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Falcons couldn't break Bengals secondary

 

 

 

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. — Last year at this time, Leon Hall’s comeback from an Achilles injury was one of the main storylines of training camp.

This year during the first two weeks, Hall has seemingly been in the background getting ready for his seventh season, which is perfectly fine with him.

“I’m a little bit ahead. It’s hard to get a feel for it just because we haven’t played any games,” Hall said.

Even in coming back from the injury, Hall was one of the top corners in the league last season. According to Pro Football Focus, of the 39 corners who played 75 percent or more of their team’s snaps last season, Hall was ranked fifth-best, allowing only one reception per 13 snaps he was in coverage.

Hall’s biggest impact came at the end of last season, when he had three interceptions in the final four games, including the playoffs. Two were returned for touchdowns. Hall credits his play during that stretch to the defense playing better. They were one of the top pass defenses in the league during the second half of last season.

“I think his strength and stamina is so much better (this season). It is what he grew into,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “He learned a lot last year. As hard as he worked to get himself back, this is what it’s like. He’s taken that approach throughout and he’s helped others.”

Hall and the rest of the defense got some valuable work the past two days in workouts against the Falcons. Facing one of the top passing attacks in the league, Hall felt like the defense was able to hold its own.

The general feeling is that Bengals on both sides of the ball started off slowly on Monday but were able to gain more consistency as the sessions went along.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ first unit went 6 of 7 in a one-minute drill, but the Bengals didn’t allow anything deep as Ryan completed a lot of passes underneath.

The only major breakdown came on a screen pass to Jacquizz Rodgers, who got up the left sideline for a 15-yard gain.

What pleased Lewis and the rest of the defense is that there weren’t any breakdowns in coverage. As he noted, the quarterbacks should have few incompletions because there isn’t a pass rush.

Said Hall of the past two days: “It’s great work. You get to play against some of the better players in the NFL and go against a different offense. Sometimes in training camp you see the same plays, you have an idea of what’s coming and you don’t focus as much. Obviously when you come in here and don’t know what’s going on you’re not used to seeing them and have to focus completely. I think we did a good job.”

Don’t expect the first units to see much of each other in Thursday’s preseason opener. Falcons coach Mike Smith traditionally has pulled his starters after the first series, while the most the Bengals defense could go is two possessions.

“We want to be sharp. We realize it is not going to be perfect, but we want to leave with some confidence,” Hall said. “I’m excited to see some of the young guys get out there and get some live football in. It should be pretty exciting.”

The corner who made the biggest impression was Dre Kirkpatrick, who continues to have a solid camp. In the one-minute drill against the second units, Kirkpatrick had a couple of pass deflections, including one on a deep route.

Kirkpatrick’s day did not go unnoticed by teammates. Linebacker Vontaze Burfict said that Kirkpatrick was a lock-down corner and if there were a defensive player of the week, it would be him.

“Obviously you want to win the game, but more so you don’t want to have any mental errors, you want to tighten up on your technique. It’s a dress rehearsal,” Hall said. “Technically the final score doesn’t matter, but you want to be focused and sharp in that game.”

 

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20130806/SPT02/308060132/Falcons-couldn-t-break-Bengals-secondary?gcheck=1&nclick_check=1

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/blog/jason-la-canfora/23043115/falconsbengals-notes-injury-makes-rt-trouble-spot-for-atlanta
 
For all the talk with the Bengals about this being a make-or-break year for quarterback Andy Dalton, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden isn't shying away from the notion it's a big year for him as well. Gruden, whose brother Jon was at practice today ahead of broadcasting Thursday's game on ESPN, has done a great job developing the Bengals' young offense. But after getting stifled two straight years by the Texans in the playoffs, expectations are now much higher for this group come January.
"There's no question about it, we all have to step up our game," Gruden said. "And that's been my focal point in all my meetings. It's not just the quarterback, obviously the quarterback has to get better, but we all do -- the quarterback, me, the line, the quarterback coach, receivers coach, the tight ends.
"Everybody has to be more detailed and pay attention to small details and get better, otherwise we don't have a chance. Andy can improve, but if everybody else stays the same and doesn't improve, then we won't go as far, either. I've got to make the plays as comfortable as I can for him and make sure I call a game that people can handle."
Gruden's offense will look much different this year, without a doubt. Two tight-end sets will be much more the norm, with rookie Tyler Eifert shining already, and explosive rookie back Gio Bernard will aid a rushing attack that was more plodding -- Cincy tied for 28th in percent of rushing attempts over 4 yards or more, and had only one rushing TD over 10 yards. Their presence in the red zone will draw some attention away from top receiver AJ Green, as well.
"The offense could change a lot," Gruden said, "and that's the good thing about our guys; we have a bunch of guys who can get lined up in different spots and do damage."
With Green and receiver Andrew Hawkins among those injured and not practicing, 2012 draft pick Mohamed Sanu is among those shining, He can line up in the slot or out wide, and Gruden is clearly intrigued by his size and versatility even if/when the Bengals do have a full complement of receivers.
 
One thing that impressed me about Bernard was his eagerness to get involved in pass protection. He realizes that failures there are often the downfall of young running backs and his mental preparation has not gone unnoticed early in this camp.
"I definitely think I'm doing a good job of it right now," he said, "and the more reps I have the better I get. For me my biggest job is to protect the quarterback. I don't want Andy to get touched by anybody, whether that's somebody coming out of nowhere, or whatever."
I have a feeling this kid makes an impact sooner rather than later.
Geno Atkins, in the final year of his deal and primed to be the highest paid defensive linemen in NFL history, chatted with his agents, Dye and Johnson, for quite a while after practice. League sources said there has been ongoing dialogue about a new deal, but they are nowhere close on a deal with the Bengals at this point. I'd still bet strongly that he ends up with the franchise tag in 2014.
<b> Can't help but watch the growth of the Bengals, and all the talent they have amassed, and wonder where they might be had they accepted multiple first round picks for Chad Johnson/Ochocinco back when the Redskins were hot for him five years ago and when the receiver's best days were behind him. Add in a couple more solid first-rounders, and this team would be all the more equipped for a Super Bowl run.</b>
 


You can always wonder about the Chad non-trade, but all that would have done is exchange the Chad picks for the Carson picks. And we'd still probably have Carson, so there would be a whole different cast of characters on offense. Maybe. Theres too many dominoes to predict and that's why the what if approach doesn't work.
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coup000 Super Bowl Champ

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You can always wonder about the Chad non-trade, but all that would have done is exchange the Chad picks for the Carson picks. And we'd still probably have Carson, so there would be a whole different cast of characters on offense. Maybe. Theres too many dominoes to predict and that's why the what if approach doesn't work.

Yeah that was one of the dumbest comments I have seen a national writer make, which is saying something. As if we would have this exact same team and every other decision would have been the exact same. We could have been better/worse, Carson could have chosen to stay, we could/would have had different draft spots and we would have almost certainly drafted different people.

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Yeah that was one of the dumbest comments I have seen a national writer make, which is saying something. As if we would have this exact same team and every other decision would have been the exact same. We could have been better/worse, Carson could have chosen to stay, we could/would have had different draft spots and we would have almost certainly drafted different people.


Probably wouldn't have the 4th pick to take Green, dalton, etc... Yeah might be a valid point at the time but nothing from then on would likely be the same...
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You can always wonder about the Chad non-trade, but all that would have done is exchange the Chad picks for the Carson picks. And we'd still probably have Carson, so there would be a whole different cast of characters on offense. Maybe. Theres too many dominoes to predict and that's why the what if approach doesn't work.

 

 

yea if Marvin Jones and George Iloka turn into solid starters, the Chad non-trade won't look that bad.

 

 

And as others have mentioned, we probably wouldn't have AJ Green.  

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Yeah that was one of the dumbest comments I have seen a national writer make, which is saying something. As if we would have this exact same team and every other decision would have been the exact same. We could have been better/worse, Carson could have chosen to stay, we could/would have had different draft spots and we would have almost certainly drafted different people.


Plus, when wouldn't have gone to the playoffs in 2009 or had one of our only two division championships in the last quarter century.
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The Chad comment is fair, IMO.    

 

We got a division title with him but it ultimately crashed in 2010.   For some reason the Carson situation was head towards the same fate.  Carson was a little more hard headed, and great offer came and Mike softened.

 

IMO, they shouldn't have been putting Carson on a perch in the first place.  They really should have been looking to move on.  Carson wasn't the same player of his cap hit/contract.   We as fans would have had to suffer through constant bickering about who's fault it was that Carson isn't Carson of 2005.   Although that attitude probably wouldn't have landed them a 1st and 2nd, although a untimely injury and success starved organization helped a bunch too.

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The Chad comment is fair, IMO.    

 

We got a division title with him but it ultimately crashed in 2010.   For some reason the Carson situation was head towards the same fate.  Carson was a little more hard headed, and great offer came and Mike softened.

 

IMO, they shouldn't have been putting Carson on a perch in the first place.  They really should have been looking to move on.  Carson wasn't the same player of his cap hit/contract.   We as fans would have had to suffer through constant bickering about who's fault it was that Carson isn't Carson of 2005.   Although that attitude probably wouldn't have landed them a 1st and 2nd, although a untimely injury and success starved organization helped a bunch too.

It's revisionist history built on complete unknowns and hypotheticals.

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Not to mention in 2008 the guys we actually drafted were Rivers (huge bust), Simpson (no need to re hash this) and Sims (solid for a 3rd rounder) with our first 3 picks, so there was a pretty good chance we would have whiffed on that pick also. 2009 we were much better with Andre, Maluaga and MJ but that pick was a third that could have turned into a first based on team and individual accomplishments. So yeah, the comment was completely assinine and irrelevant.

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Depth chart buffet in opener

 

 

 

lewis-harris130120_645.jpg
Chris Lewis-Harris

BUFORD, Ga. — Thunderstorms and driving rain forced the Bengals Wednesday walkthrough indoors after two combined practices, and head coach Marvin Lewis's starters may even get less work in Thursday's preseason opener (8 p.m.-ESPN and Cincinnati's Channel 5) against the suddenly familiar Falcons in the Georgia Dome.

If they play well. The better they play, the less they'll play.

"That's the carrot you have," Lewis said. "We'll get the first guys crisp snaps and we'll see how many snaps they earn based on how they go out there and do things. Coming here is a great opportunity for them to get more exposure than they'll get Thursday night."

 

The Bengals not only came out of the practices with the Falcons with just the tweaked knee of special teams mavenVincent Rey, but they're encouraged about their overall defense, the depth of the receivers, and the progress of quarterback Andy Dalton.

 

After Monday's practice Lewis said he was pleased with how the defense prevented the big play and on Tuesday against the Falcons no-huddle offense in the final team period the Bengals rushed Pro Bowl quarterback Matt Ryan well enough that they could have had three sacks if it had been live. Cornerback Leon Hall added a pass defensed on Ryan's long ball down the side to wide receiver Harry Douglas.

“Overall I was pleased with both sides. Got great work in coverage and I thought the ball got checked down where you want it to go," Lewis said. "Don’t allow the vertical or horizontal seams to occur.”

No doubt you won't see any of those guys very long Thursday night. With Rey out but expected to be back as soon as the Aug. 17 Paul Brown Stadium opener against Tennessee, the Falcons will see a bunch of guys trying to push Rey for what could be the sixth and final linebacker spot. Guys like second-year man J.K. Schaffer and recycled first-rounder Aaron Maybin are going to be on display with fourth-rounder Sean Porter expected to solidify his roster spot with plenty of snaps.

There's also heat for what could be the final spot in the secondary. Dre Kirkpatrick has been all over the place and looks to be fending off Brandon Ghee as the fourth cornerback. But with Ghee the fifth corner, do the Bengals keep five corners and five safeties or six corners and four safeties? What we do know is after Kirkpatrick played fewer than 50 snaps last season and Ghee never played after the first week last season with a broken wrist, they'll play plenty.

With George Iloka named the starter in a spirited three-way battle for the safety spot opposite Reggie Nelson, Iloka, Nelson, Taylor Mays and rookie Shawn Williams look to be the four safeties. That would indicate it comes down to how guys like cornerbacks Chris Lewis-Harris and Shaun Prater and safeties Jeromy Miles andTony Dye play not only from scrimmage, but also on special teams.

And while the defensive line's nine look to be signed, sealed and delivered, Lewis is anxious to get a lot of snaps for Dontay Moch, the 2011 third-rounder whose career was derailed for the first two years with migraine headaches. He's practiced this camp and now that he's in his second year of going back to his college position at end he's looking to repeat last year's preseason, when he had a team-leading 3.5 sacks.

"Defensively to me the guys that I think (are) important, what do we have at linebacker with some of the young kids and secondary?" Lewis asked. "The safety as far as starting. The corners as far as who are the next guys. I'm excited about that. If you look at Moch and (end) DeQuin Evans, they are kids that have been around here a while. It's time to show out. (For Devon) Still (to) keep progressing."

Brandon Thompson (knee), Still's fellow defensive tackle drafted a round behind him the third round in 2012, won't play this week but Lewis said he'll likely be ready when the Bengals go to Dallas for an Aug. 24 game that is the third of the preseason and should be the dress rehearsal for the Sept. 8 regular-season opener in Chicago.

When it comes to offense, it's going to be a surprise if Dalton and the first unit work more than two series; if that.Josh Johnson has a big lead at backup quarterback, but Lewis wants to see him and John Skelton play in a game. Johnson gets to perform in front of the ex-Tampa Bay head coach that drafted him, ESPN analyst Jon Gruden.

Also on Lewis's docket is getting work for rookie offensive linemen Tanner Hawkinson, a fifth-rounder, andT.J. Johnson, a seventh-rounder. They both could play multiple spots with Hawkinson maybe getting a shot at both tackles and Johnson maybe playing a little guard and center. The fullback spot with Orson Charles andJohn Conner looks to have the H-back Charles in the lead, and the tight end spot seems to be spoken for.

But with Jermaine Gresham and Tyler Eifert figuring to exit early and Alex Smith (knee) back in Cincinnati, at the very least Bryce Davis and Richard Quinn are going to put a lot of plays on tape.

And with two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Green (knee) and slot receiver Andrew Hawkins (ankle) back in Cincy, and wide receiver Marvin Jones hamstring (doubtful), keep an eye on your roster because the receivers will be rolling through fast and furious Thursday.

"We have to get the QBs some time, the two and three guys right now," Lewis said. "The areas important to me are the development of the young linemen on offense. Orson, John Conner at fullback. Those are important battles to win. We've got the wideouts that continue to develop. Then you've got to see what happens with the other two tight ends playing behind the first two."

Lewis is counting out no one and points to Lewis-Harris. Lewis-Harris went undrafted out of Tennessee-Chattanooga a year ago and didn't get signed by anyone until spring drills, and the early days of training camp wiped the Bengals out at corner. Despite a shaky start, he played well enough in the preseason (13 tackles and a sack) to earn a spot on the practice squad and he was active for three games, including the Wild Card game when injuries caught up with the secondary again.

"He comes in as our last guy last year and plays in (three) ballgames; he's done a great job," Lewis said. "It's like the Washington Generals. Him and A.J. every day in practice and now look at him. He can be a sixth corner on an NFL team."

Lewis is stressing getting to the gate now more than ever. That is Sept. 8. Not Aug. 8. Trying to keep guys healthy is now a priority because of the 90-player limit in camp.

"To me the real issues are the expansion of the rosters, the salary cap. You get guys injured; who are you going to play? So you're really trying to minimize your exposure to injury," Lewis said. "What I've noticed is we practice hard. You try to gauge getting yourself battle-ready for football without taking too much injury risk. (A total of) 90 guys with 32 rosters, shoot, guys on the street ... it's tough. The quality of player you get on the street is probably better when teams get hurt in an area and they have to get a guy to gain depth in another area.

"You have to have guys physically up to it. We're better off without anybody because you don’t want to take on an injury risk for a guy that’s not ready for the rigors of practice. You're signing him to practice and if he can't practice and stand by me, then it does no good."

Lewis is talking about the obstacles in front of doing another combined practice like he did with the Falcons, but he could also have been talking about getting his team ready. He thrives on players coming from other teams and hearing that the Bengals work harder than any of them. But he also loves getting his players healthy to the gate.

That's why he's kept Marvin Jones out of action for the past week and why he calls Jones 20 percent to play Thursday.

"We've learned that's not going to help us. That's why Marvin Jones hasn't practiced for a week. That's whyBrandon Tate missed the first week," Lewis said of another wide receiver that figures to play plenty Thursday. "You can't play through those. We have to be smarter than that because we lose the guy for an extended period of time. It should be pretty minor and (we'll) end up losing guys for too long."

Lewis is going easy on the injured knees of Green and left tackle Andrew Whitworth for even more pragmatic reasons. The team needs them. But he says Green—and probably Whitworth as well—won't be shelved until Chicago. But as for playing in a preseason game, he left that to the imagination.

"You'll see A.J. before you know you’ve seen A.J. Whether he plays or not … ," Lewis said. "The thing is to get to Sept. 8. He needs time on task with some things, but it's no different than what (the Falcons) do with Julio (Jones). Julio didn't do anything (this week) because he's gone hard and you've got to rest these guys. Either one of those kids has no body fat whatsoever."

 

http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/Depth-chart-buffet-in-opener/dd6757b4-cef6-4abb-9b06-63c95703e873

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#Bengals sign G Otis Hudson with Hawkinson (ankle) on shelf indefinitely


should be a bevy of tweets today.

 

 

@JustBeWarned and I are back as a training camp tag team today. His analysis will impress you. My anecdotes will underwhelm you. Let's go

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