Archive for February, 2011

Clearly, Cincinnati needs another quarterback. With free agency and trades essentially on hold until a new collective bargaining agreement is reached, the draft becomes the only option. And this year’s quarterback class is filled with a lot more questions than answers. Can Blaine Gabbert adjust to an NFL offense after playing in the spread? Can Cam Newton stay out of trouble? Does Ryan Mallet have the requisite intangibles? You get the idea. If I had a voice – and I don’t, except for those willing to humor me on this site – I’d suggest that the Bengals draft TCU’s Andy [...]

On Friday, Geoff Hobson of bengals.com posted an article updating us about the progress of Jay Gruden through the eyes of three-year-project Jerome Simpson. Since Jerome may well be the closest thing the Bengals have to a #1 receiver next year, I was curious. The article warrants some comments.

While catching up after a busy weekend, my mouth fell open when I noticed this update from Joe Reedy that Bob Bratkowski has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons to become their QB coach, a position he has never held. Matt Ryan, it was nice knowing you.

One of the key issues facing the NFL and its players in the collective bargaining process is the idea of an 18-game season. My thinking is that many fans don’t want it, especially Bengals fans. (Do we really need to subject ourselves to more punishment?). Plus, considering the apparent increase in concussions, 18 games is overkill. Instead, I support an idea pushed by ProFootballTalk, that argues for a 17-game season that would require each team to play a neutral site game every year. The neutral site game could help the league to expand its efforts abroad and could also create [...]

We would all be a whole lot happier if it were a NFL Owner/GM going into the yard sale. The odds of success for the team would be greatly improved. I’d prefer to take my chances with a sensible everyman landing the plane than the drunken pilot who owns it. Sadly, that isn’t the case. Carson Palmer has been bengalized. He has come to understand what we fans hate but know is true. He now sees that sustained success under Mike Brown is not possible.

The Bengals announced today that they have a pair of additions to their medical staff. Dr. Marc T. Galloway and Dr. Kevin E. Reilly will be bringing their talents to the crew. I don’t know these guys from anybody, but I have to figure that Bengals players are glad for the move. After any number of blown diagnoses–culminating in the Antonio Bryant fiasco–it’s not like they could take the staff any lower than the 32nd rank they currently have a stranglehold on. Leave a comment and remind us of your favorite misdiagnosis over the years.

Refusing to give Carson the trade he asked for is the single dumbest thing Mike Brown can do this offseason. So I am not at all surprised that he is unwilling to even consider doing the smart thing here. If there is a too-smart-by-half move to be made, we can count on Mike Brown to make it. And his decision is going to cost the Bengals wins in 2011.

Cam Newton  scares me. Most likely because he fits the profile of so many Bengals players who never really materialized. Uber-talented. Often troubled. And ultimately, with Mike Brown making the call, too good to resist. Nick at Who-Dey Weekly and I both fear that Newton will somehow end up with the Bengals. We talked about that possibility in this week’s podcast. And the likelihood of that happening might have been strengthened today, with Newton holding an impressive workout in front of many media types. But as NFL Network’s Mike Mayock explained, Jamarcus Russell had the best pro day workout he’s [...]

On Carson Putting His Cincinnati Home On The Market: Carson is certainly willing to play chicken with Mike Brown. As the Immovable Object, that isn’t a game Mike Brown loses. So with the only escape hatch being retirement, Carson is moving full speed ahead toward having a whole lot more time to spend with his kids.

With Marvin’s commitment to return to the 2009 formula of being a run-first team, I’ve been thinking about the running game. Is strengthening the running game really the formula for success in the AFC North and in the NFL? The Packers beat the Steelers relying almost entirely on their passing game. They passed for 304 yds and ran for 50 yds. The Steelers and Ravens have high-ranking run defenses every year. So, is Marvin really headed in the right direction?