I'm Going Mobile

This just in from the Unofficial Cincinnati Bengals Blog headquarters: You can now receive great Bengals info from yours truly via an Ipod! That's right, I am now a part of a weekly show on www.theflypod.com entitled 1st and Ten: Bengals Chat. You can find the feeds under the sports and news section of the website. Now you can take me with you where ever you go.

Mini Camp Report

At this stage in the offseason, it would be great to only report positives about the Bengal’s progress in their minicamp over the weekend but the biggest story is the injury sustained to second year cornerback Jonathan Joseph. Joseph fractured his foot while covering receiver Chad Johnson on a comeback route after the Bengals moved from their grass practice fields to the turf in Paul Brown Stadium due to a thunder storm. The injury will require surgery but the damage is considered minor because Joseph and Head Coach Marvin Lewis plan on him returning in time for training camp in late July.

If the fracture is more severe than initially indicated and he misses some time in the regular season, do not worry about the state of the Bengal’s secondary. Joseph’s fellow starter at corner, Deltha O’Neal, is fully recovered from his injuries in 2006 and is determined to better his dismal performance last year in order to obtain a raise. Also, the two players behind Joseph and O’Neal, first round draft pick Leon Hall and veteran Keiwan Ratliff, aren’t slouches either. Hall is described by Bengals coaches as more polished in coverage than Joseph, and Ratliff is playing very hard now because he has recognized that there is an opportunity for him to show what he is made of due to Tory James leaving the lineup and Joseph’s recent injury. Secondary coach Kevin Coyle stated that, he is playing with “a little more burst” and he described his play as ferocious in practice while defending the run and pass.

If one thing has changed about the secondary corps this year it is their desire. Ratliff and O’Neal are fighting for something and Hall wants to show that he is worth the 18th overall selection in the draft. How does that covert to the field? I think that it means no more lapses in coverage leading to wide open receivers, no more missed tackles, and more interceptions. The entire defense will improve immensely even if only their tackling improves.

One reason to look forward to the coming season is the show that the offense will put on during games on Sunday now that quarterback Carson Palmer has had a year to recover from his knee injury. At this point last year, Palmer could not practice extensively with the team and it had an impact during the season. Even though he threw for a franchise record 4,035 passing yards in 2006, his performance left something to be desired last year. Now that he is taking snaps at minicamp, the timing routes with the wide receivers will be more in sync and since his knee doesn’t hurt anymore he won’t be relying on compensating for it by using the wrong throwing mechanics. He will plant with his left foot and drive through it confidently in the face of a pass rush without worrying about someone hitting it.

If Palmer can make it to the Pro Bowl in what was considered an off year, I imagine he will compete for the top stats in the league now that he is healthy along with the Colt’s Peyton Manning. If the defense can step up like the Colt’s defense did in the playoffs last year and Palmer’s laser rocket arm matches Manning’s, what going to stop the Bengal’s from following the same path the Colts took to the Super Bowl last year?

Bengals Let Adams Roll Out the Door

On the same day that the Bengals announced the signing of Kendrick Allen, a defensive tackle from the Packers, they released all of veteran tackle Sam Adams' 350 lbs. The big fella only suited up one year for the Bengals and posted 25 tackles and two sacks.

Adams, 34, spent most of training camp last year bulking up to his mammoth size and didn't make it on to the field until the 3rd preseason game, against the Packers. He then injured his knee early on in the season, but played hurt until he could have surgery on it.

This move was initially shocking to me, but under more analysis it makes sense. The Bengals spent the past month or so bringing in two veteran tackles and drafting another defensive lineman in the draft. This meant that someone had to go and it wasn't going to be John Thornton because of his locker room presence and it wasn't going to be the second year stand-out player Domata Peko, therefore it was the aging and injured Adams.

Also, Peko registered better stats in a backup role last year. He finished with 49 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. 49 tackles is a lot for a defensive tackle, especially for one that primarily comes in on passing downs. This means that the starting job next to Thornton is his to lose and he should get even better with more playing time and another training camp under his belt.

The Bengals saw that they had a quality player in Peko and keeping Adams on the team would have kept Peko off the field where his youth and skill can make plays. Although Adams could clog up the middle like cholesterol clogs up the heart, Peko will be a better fit.

Hot Irons in Round 2

Ok, you're sitting on your couch last Saturday and you have already endured the longest first round in NFL Draft history. Instead of doing something else, you keep watching because you know the draft doesn't end after pick 32. You are waiting to see the Bengal's last pick of the day, the 49th overall selection in the second round.

I commend those of you who made it the full first day because it takes a lot to sit and watch Mel Kiper for ten hours (this man must own stock in hair gel). However, you stuck out Mel's do because you wanted to see which defender the Bengals had their sights set on. They obviously needed one and would select one no matter what. Right?

Wrong. The Bengals pulled the trigger on the Auburn stud running back, Kenny Irons, and a lot of fans and analysts were left wondering why.

The Bengals were intent on drafting one of the two defensive prospects left from the 2006 Michigan Wolverine squad in David Harris and LaMarr Woodley, but that rug was pulled out from under them. The New York Jets traded up to snatch up Harris and the Pittsburgh Steelers usurped Woodley before the Bengals could do anything about it.

The Jets must have been intent on stealing prospects from the Bengals because they also traded up in round 1 to nab Darrelle Revis before anyone else could lay a hand on him.

Back to round 2. So now you are Marvin Lewis and you just saw the two guys you have your sights on disappear right before your eyes. You take a quick glance at your board and realize there are no more defensive players that are worth taking the risk on with the 49th pick. So what do you do? You accelerate your plans to get a "home run hitter" running back.

Personally, I was not surprised by this pick and I even said out loud after Woodley and Harris left the board that they are going to pick a running back (although I thought it would be Antonio Pittman from Ohio State). I knew the Bengals were looking for one to be the lightning to Rudi Johnson's thunder and there were good reasons for them to be looking.

Consider this: all though Rudi Johnson had another 1,200 yard plus season, the entire team only ended up with 1,637 yards for the season. That is good enough to rank 26th in the entire league for rushing offense. Even worse, the average yards per carry was 3.7, which ties them with Detroit, New Orleans, and Buffalo for the 25th ranking. Also, the Bengals only had 5 runs of over 20 yards. To put this in perspective, Atlanta had 23 and San Diego had 20.

So what does this say? Well first of all it says Rudi Johnson is a hoss for accounting for that much of the yardage. Second (and more importantly), it says that the offense is in need of a running back that could threaten six points every time he touches the rock, almost as much as the defense needs an identity. Since, there was no one on the board that could help the defense at 49, Marvin Lewis made the right choice by addressing their second biggest need in the draft. This is a much better option than reaching for a linebacker and not getting much out of him.

Just because Rudi Johnson is a plow horse back with Pro-Bowl potential, don't let it blind you to the fact that the rest of the offense is lacking in the running game. If it gets going this season, it could even help the defense by keeping opposing offenses off the field by burning the clock. So perhaps the defense was addressed with the 49th pick in an odd sort of indirect way.

Hall, Irons Get Their Names Called

It has been speculated for months by analysts (including yours truly) that the Bengals would look for a band-aid for their porous secondary in today's draft and that is just what happened. Leon Hall was surprisingly overlooked by teams like the Steelers, Bills, and the Texans and fell into the Bengal's lap at 18. Marvis Lewis did not waist anytime in pulling the trigger on the All-American cornerback and put him in stripes. Now Hall will get an anticipated matchup against Chad Johnson tomorrow when he arrives in Cincinnati. Johnson promised a pair of cleats for him so the two can go at it one-on-one as an initiation to the team.

I really like the pick even though it was not my first choice. I felt that Hall and Darrelle Revis were almost dead even in coverage skills but I gave Revis the slight edge because of his punt return ability. Unfortunately, Revis was swept up by the Jets when they traded up to get him in front of the Bengals. However, Hall will fit in very well in the Bengal's system. He can follow in the same footsteps as Jonathan Joseph last year by stepping in as the nickelback early this season until he can learn the ropes of the NFL and take a starting job. Hopefully those footsteps will lead to success just as Joseph's did.

Hall is used to a lot of different coverage schemes from his experience at Michigan. He can play man-to-man and a variety of zone coverages, which is useful when Chuck Bresnahan wants to switch up the coverages to confuse the opposing quarterback. Also, he is a proven asset to run support. He will never shy away from coming up and laying a lick on a running back.

The only knock on Hall came in to focus when the lightning fast Ted Ginn, Jr. burned him all over the field in the Michigan/Ohio State game of 2006. This left scouts questioning his playing speed. All though he ran a 4.39 40 at the combine, I am still not convinced that he has great recovery speed to cover comeback routes and double moves.

I am convinced that the second round selection was going to be linebacker David Harris from Michigan until, once again, the Jets traded up to get him in front of the Bengals. Harris would have been a great alternative to Ahmad Brooks at middle linebacker in case Brooks couldn't handle it and it would have cancelled any plans the Bengals had of signing Ed Hartwell because Harris plays a lot like him. Now it looks like Hartwell will most likely be joining the team some time next week.

However, Harris is gone and so is Justin Durant from Hampton when the Bengals pick in the second round. So where do they go? Their next need, a speedy running back.

Kenny Irons from Auburn will join fellow alum Rudi Johnson in the backfield this season to combine for a 1-2 punch in the absence of the rehabbing Chris Perry. Irons has some durability issues of his own but his upside definitely outweighs them. He can find cut back lanes and outrun defenders when he gets to the second level, something Rudi can not. In his first year he will most likely step in on 3rd down with Kenny Watson for screens and shovel passes and his role will gradually increase once he gets the feel of the NFL.

This pick leads me to wonder about Chris Perry's future with the club. If Irons works out for the team, what happens to Perry? Is he traded for a low draft pick considering his injury history or is he cut all together? Hopefully he can recover fully from his broken leg but the future does not look bright for the former Wolverine ball carrier.

Well day one is over and it was a long, but productive one. The Bengals filled two needs and picked the best player on the board when they picked. Tomorrow it looks like there will be more defensive picks and this time they will be in the front seven (look out H.B. Blades!). I'll be back again tomorrow night for a complete recap out picks 3-7 once the draft is concluded.

This Weeks Post Coming After Day 1's Picks

I decided to hold out on this weeks post until after the end of the 3rd round on Saturday. My reasons are that I don't want to drone on more draft analysis. Honestly I have said all that I want to about the Bengals draft. Darrelle Revis is my pick at 18 and I would like to see Marvin Lewis pick up a versatile safety like Eric Weddle to replace Kevin Kaesviharn in the 2nd.

I will be there about an hour or so after the 3rd round concludes with my immediate analysis and the results of the first two picks.

In other news, The Unofficial Cincinnati Bengals Blog is going to be featured on a new website that aggregates sporting blogs and feeds for team and individual sports called HaveBalls.net. They approached me and offered to carry the blog on their website and I accepted; so you faithful readers will hopefully be joined by new readers via this website.

Their website is www.haveballs.net and I will update you on address of the Unofficial Cincinnati Bengals Blog's address on that site.

Free Agent Visits Give Draft Clues

There are now less than two weeks to go before Cincinnati goes on the clock with the 18th overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. It is a moment that many Bengals faithful have been waiting for since Santonio Holmes put a dagger in the heart of the Bengals' playoff hopes on December 31st of 2006. It has been a long four months of dead time that has left most Bengals fans pondering what name Commissioner Roger Goodell will call when the Bengals make their selection. Recent developments from Paul Brown Stadium can provide some clues as to who that might be.

Two free agents will most likely be in the Queen City after the draft for a visit with the Bengals. Linebacker Ed Hartwell and Defensive tackle Ian Scott are being brought in as possible replacements for Brian Simmons and Shaun Smith on the Bengals depth charts, but their visits mean more than depth.

Hartwell, 29, would look to compete with Ahmad Brooks for the starting spot and give the linebacking corps some much needed experience. He has been injured lately but according to his agent, Harold Lewis, "He’s 100 percent healthy."

Scott, 25, was a key part of the Bear's Super Bowl defense last year as he stepped in for the injured Tommie Harris. He compiled 22 tackles and deflected 6 passes in 2006 and would give the Bengals another body for the defenisive line rotation.

If the Bengals are looking to sign veterans at the linebacker and defensive line positions, then they will most likely be looking to spend their first draft pick on another position. Since Marvin Lewis has already stated that it will be a heavily defensive draft, that leaves the secondary as the positions that the war room will concentrate on.

Get used to these names because one of them will most likely be on the back of a Bengals jersey this fall: Darrelle Revis, Leon Hall, Chris Houston, Reggie Nelson, Aaron Ross, and Michael Griffin.

If some of you are disappointed by Kevin Kaesviharn's departure to the Saints, a replacement may be in sight. Utah Safety Eric Weddle reminds me a lot of him. He is an overachieving versatile player with a football brain and a nose for the ball. He played both offense and defense for the Ute's in 2006 and recorded 7 interceptions and 7 rushing touchdowns during that campaign. He projects as a CB/S tweener in the NFL and could help the Bengals out a lot on passing downs as a nickel back. He will most likely be around when the Bengals pick in the second round.