Workhorse Joe Reedy had a nice chat with some observations from the rookie minicamp.
In this corner, here are my blind-guess, best case scenarios for some of the notable rookies heading into the upcoming season.
Jermaine Gresham – Gresham starts on Opening Day and becomes an immediate threat in the passing game. Forty to fifty catches would probably be a reasonable ceiling. I’m more interested in his ability to block. If he can do that, I’ll feel great about the first-round pick.
Carlos Dunlap – Dunlap stays out of trouble and makes an impact on passing downs. Five sacks would be a nice start, but I’m more concerned with his work ethic and behavior.
Jordan Shipley – The hype machine is already to enshrine Shipley as the heir to T.J. Houshmanzadeh, but I’m skeptical. Shipley could be a nice player, but Houshmanzadeh made a habit of catching 90-plus balls a season in his last years. Shipley could have a good year by eclipsing 35 receptions and making an impact on return teams. I like Shipley’s potential, but I think the expectations for him need to be dialed back a bit.
Brandon Ghee – It’ll be interesting to see how Ghee fares in the battle for the nickel corner postion. Coach Marvin Lewis likes his athleticism, so I would expect him to finish about fourth on the depth chart at CB. An interception or two would make for a nice debut season.
Geno Atkins – Geoff “One Man Gang” Hobson reported over the weekend that Atkins has been given the nickname Taz by defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. He seems to be quick off the ball, which should help him see some action on passing downs. Two sacks would be a nice start.
Roddrick Muckelroy – Muckelroy was extremely productive in college (he led Texas in tackles for two straight seasons), but his impact in Cincy will start on special teams. He could make an impact by becoming a special teams stalwart and working his way into gameday action near the end of the season.
Next, Reedy is reporting that the Bengals signed running back LaMarcus Coker, after his tryout at the rookie minicamp ast weekend. Coker was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference’s leading rusher at Hampton, after being kicked off the team at Tennessee for some reported drug issues. He’s 5-10 and 195 pounds, according to his ESPN profile.
And last, SportsInteraction.com lists the Bengals as a 29-1 shot to win Super Bowl XLV. Seems like those odds are a little long, aren’t they? Perhaps I’ve been drinking too much orange Kool-Aid.