Well, Andre Smith has signed. And before Bengal Nation starts back-slapping each other and high-fiving everyone in sight, let’s not forget a few things.
Smith has missed 30 days of practice. He has missed three preseason games. And judging from the picture posted by The Ocho, Andre the Giant isn’t in fighting shape just yet. So while I am excited that the big man is finally under contract, I’m not ready to forget the mistakes made by the Bengals’ front office. Yes, they finally got what they wanted. But at what price?
Who knows how long it will be before Smith is ready to contribute. I’m guessing he will need at least another month to be effective, so that will be somewhere around Week 4 against the Browns. And I have an idea. Early in the year, let’s use Andre as a situational tight-end. I believe the team did the same thing with Willie Anderson in his rookie year. This would give the Bengals a nice amount of meat on the line in short-yardage situations.Plus, it would allow Smith to make an impact while he’s still learning the playbook and everything else it takes to compete in the NFL.
In the end, it’s a classic case of good news/bad news. Our big man is finally under contract. But it might be a while before he’s ready to play.
So let’s hold the kudos.
Nate Wilkinson is a long-time Bengals fan who remembers both David Shula and David Klingler - and somehow lived to tell about it. He has covered the NFL for The York Dispatch and has earned awards from the Keystone Press Association and the Associated Press Sports Editors. He's working as a freelance journalist in the Pittsburgh area and anxiously awaiting the second-coming of the Ickey Shuffle.
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