Tuesday Reads: Coach C in Cincy

First up this a.m., I want to welcome our new co-blogger kingwilly to Stripehype! Willy starts off with some great thoughts on his larger namesake here. Check it out.

Charles Collins, who was Chad Ocho Cinco’s juco position coach, has apparently hooked up with the Bengals as an assistant receivers coach for the 2008 season. Collins runs the Los Angeles-based Phenom Factory, a highly regarded offseason training camp frequented by Chad as well as T.J. Houshmandzadeh. Collins’ role in Cincinnati is to help Chad and T.J. get back in sync with Carson Palmer, and to help develop the young receivers the Bengals drafted last April.

Given Chad’s well-documented respect (.pdf) for Collins, this has to be considered excellent news. If there’s anyone on the planet who can keep Chad’s head screwed on straight, it’s Collins — and a focused Johnson would be of incalculable value to to a Bengals offense that was flatter than flat all preseason. So, welcome Coach C!

DE Antwan Odom, who was hurt in the first practice of training camp, was back on the field yesterday.

Pro Football Weekly ranks the Bengals 17 in their week 1 power rankings.

In the wake of Willie Anderson’s departure, the Bengals were very aggressive in putting out waiver wire claims on offensive linemen.

"The Browns, Bengals and Patriots were persistently trying to get offensive line help from the waiver wire. The Browns put in claims on six linemen and ended up getting Scott Young from the Eagles. The Bengals put in five claims and got Frank Davis of the Lions. The Patriots put in claims on three linemen and got Mark LeVoir of the Rams. The most wanted offensive lineman was Andy Alleman of the Saints, a former third-round choice. Seven teams put in claims. Because the Dolphins finished 1-15 last year, they got Alleman. Overall, 32 players had waiver claims, and 22 were awarded to teams."

The Bengals got DE Eric Henderson through waivers and on to the practice squad. He joins LB Dan Howell, RB James Johnson, G Nate Livings, LB Carl-Johan Bjork, WR Maurice Purify and WR Mario Urrutia. Cincinnati still has two practice squad slots to fill.

Like Stripehype, Bengals Nation Daily has a fresh face as well. Bering Sea Bengal voices what many Bengals fans hope: that 2008 is the last year we will see John Thornton in stripes.

B.J. bids farewell to Willie and Rudi Johnson.

Bengal Stripes is OK with letting Willie and Rudi go, but was not happy about the release of Deltha O’Neal, Ahmad Brooks and Henderson.

Kirkendall likes the team’s captains for 2008.

Whodeyfans thinks that the offensive line will suck this season.