So the Bengals voluntary workouts began yesterday. This little taste of football and the fact that the Reds are so bad has me thinking about the regular season. What, in my opinion, is our biggest question mark?

The defense? - This is a terrible defensive unit that has no where to go but up. We are not going to turn into an overnight top 5 defense but with some solid corner (Joseph, Hall, O'Neil) and safety (White, Ndukwe) play, combined with some pressure up front from Geathers and Odom I think this could be a much improved D.

WR? - Even though this will be a topic of discussion all season because of the cast of characters involved, I have confidence that #9 will get the ball out to whoever is open.

RB? - This is our current roster:

Rudi Johnson: Nine starts and 497 yards last year because of a pulled hamstring.

Kenny Watson: Led the team with 763 rushing yards on 178 carries (4.3).

Chris Perry: Healthy after suffering a fractured right ankle.

DeDe Dorsey: Showed flashes of brilliance in limited action.

Kenny Irons: Likely to open season on the Physically Unable to Perform list.

While none of these guys are going to be at the top of the Fantasy draft boards, this list makes me excited. Let's for a moment say that Rudi is not on the decline, he had a bad year last year due to injury to himself and the O line. A healthy power back like Rudi Johnson paired with a healthy Chris Perry led the Bengals offense to the playoffs in 2005.

Of all the running backs listed, Chris Perry has me the most pumped. If this guy can stay healthy the Bengals offense has a whole new dimension. In 2005 Perry had 51 receptions. This combined with a pass catching tight end (Utecht) and the Bengals are going to move the ball.


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Now that the 2008 NFL Draft is over, all of the pundits are grading each team’s performance. These grades mean virtually nothing as they are just a pundit’s guess on NFL careers based on college play and combine showings. Next season, the draft guru’s will not even have to answer for the grades given out because fans forget all about past drafts and only watch for the present spectacle. With that in mind, we are going to give out a true draft grade that can be evaluated. We will go back in time 5 years, to Marvin’s first draft as a Bengal, and grade the team’s performance.
Of course looking back now, we will see many players the Bengals missed in each round. We aren’t going to go round for round and say whom the Bengals should have picked and the major players they missed. We are going to evaluate their picks based on draft day knowledge and see how well they did.

Round 1 -- Carson Palmer. Palmer was the can’t miss #1 pick; Heisman Trophy Winner, Prototype NFL QB, college team success, strong workouts, and coming out of a nationally prominent program at USC. The Bengals had to take Palmer and he is now one of the top QBs in the NFL.

Round 2 -- Eric Steinbach. Steinbach was a steal in the 2nd round. If the 2003 Draft were done today, Steinbach would be a 1st round selection. The Bengals lost Steinbach in free agency, but he was still a successful 2nd round pick.

Round 3 -- Kelley Washington. The Bengals were taking a flyer on a player that had great potential, but not a lot of NCAA experience. If Washington came into Cincinnati with the attitude he currently has with the Patriots, he would have been a success. Washington initially refused to play special teams and believed himself to be the 3rd receiver. Once let go by the Bengals, Washington was signed by the Patriots and relegated to special teams duty. A special teams player with decent receiving ability would be acceptable in the 3rd round.

Round 4 -- Dennis Weathersby. Again the Bengals took a chance, this time on a highly successful college player that was shot days before the draft. Had he not been shot, Weathersby would have been a first or second round draft pick. After recovering from the gunshot wound, Weathersby was in a car accident that ended his NFL career.

Round 4 -- Jeremi Johnson. Great value at the end of round 4. Johnson has been locked in as the Bengals starting fullback for years. He is a tough and durable blocker in the Bengals running game.

Round 5 -- Khalid Abdullah. Great athlete from the small school Mars Hill. Initially, Abdullah looked able to add special teams help, but he couldn’t stay healthy. He was eventually cut from the team.

Round 6 -- Langston Moore. As happens with many 6th round picks, Moore played 2 years with the Bengals and has since bounced around the league. He currently plays for the Detroit Lions.

Round 7 -- Scoot Kooistra. Excellent pick for the 7th round. Kooistra has spent his career being an insurance policy at right tackle. He will never be a good starter in the NFL, but he is more than able in his role as backup.

Round 7 -- Elton Patterson. Patterson played 3 NFL seasons between the Bengals and Jaguars. He recorded 1 career sack.

Overall, I would say this is a very strong draft. The Bengals landed a top tier franchise QB, a durable fullback, a strong offensive line starter and backup, and a few players to add spot help. Grading this draft, I would give them an A-, mainly due to the Washington, Weathersby and Abdullah picks. If the Bengals could have added a little more help or depth to the roster in those rounds, they would have had an outstanding draft.

Let’s see what was said at the time about the Bengals 2003 NFL Draft.

From Len Pasquarelli at ESPN:
Grade: A-
“Guard Eric Steinbach (No. 2) is a heist and, while he seems to be a guy without a position at times, his athleticism alone could win him a starting spot. Wide receiver Kelley Washington (No. 3) is going to play a lot in 2003, provided his surgically-repaired neck is rehabilitated.
Best value: If he recovers from the gunshot wounds that he sustained last weekend, cornerback Dennis Weathersby (No. 4) will be a great addition”

The only A+ that season was given to the Baltimore Ravens for getting Terrell Suggs, Kyle Boller, Musa Smith, and Ovie Mughelli. In Pasquarelli’s defense, he then added:

“The only caveat is that Baltimore had to swap its 2004 first-round choice to secure the pick needed for quarterback Kyle Boller. Let's hope coach Brian Billick, who has yet to start the same quarterback in consecutive openers, can make something of the young passer. Because if he can't, the deal becomes a big gamble, and this draft suddenly wouldn't look quite as spectacular.”

Okay, I take it back, maybe the analyst's draft grades are correct. Let’s believe everything we hear.


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Recently a fellow Bengals blog has been threatened with legal action by the Cincinnati Bengals.

I have looked over the issue and the backlash and these are my thoughts.

1. While I agree that sometimes corporations go to far using the law to bully smaller organizations, I don't believe the Cincinnati Bengals are at fault in this issue.

2. Copyrighted content was blatantly used in the promotion of a non authorized site.

3. Bengals merchandise was being used as a tool to gain revenue for the site.

4. The writer is the one with the issues against the Bengals (and has since declared his allegiance to the browns) not the site owners and they intend to continue to run the site legally.

The bloggers for the Bengals are a close group and I have personally met most of them. I think it is important for the fan to have a voice but I don't have the illusion that somehow people rely on the information we provide. If people like what we have to say great, come back, tell your friends. I am just not that interested in a legal battle or an uprising.


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If you want to call the Bengals anything, call them consistent. Here are the Bengals draft rules:

1. First Round pick is usually a solid all round person; high energy, team captain type of player.
2. After the first round, all standards are off allowing the team to draft any bad character, low motivation player.
3. However, for every “bad apple” the Bengals need to compensate with a high character player.
4. The Bengals must draft at least one player that causes everyone watching the draft to collectively say, “WHO? Wait, who was that, again?”

The rules held true to form in the 2008 draft. Keith Rivers is a solid first round pick that was team captain at USC. He falls right in line with past 1st rounders, Leon Hall, David Pollack, Chris Perry, Carson Palmer, Levi Jones, Justin Smith, Takeo Spikes, Brian Simmons, etc. Hopefully he can emerge as the leader this defense has been lacking for years. For some reason, the Bengals steer clear of character issues in the first round, but it has hurt them as they passed on Randy Moss and Warren Sapp. Perhaps this is because Mike Brown does not want to risk losing the money on a large first round investment. By drafting troubled players in later rounds, he can call it “Finding value” instead of saying, “I don’t care how big of an f--- up this guy is as long as he comes cheap.” That brings us to rule #2.
The Bengals drafted 4 players with character and effort questions, Pat Sims, Anthony Collins, Jason Shirley, and Mario Urrutia. Some have minor issues that could be resolved now that football is an all day occupation, but that is to be seen. The biggest offender, literally, is the 6-5, 340 pound Jason Shirley. He played in only 3 games this past season as he was suspended and then kicked off the team due to off field activity. He also has a court date pending for DUI and hit-and-run. Since the case will be resolved after the draft, Shirley could face discipline from the league. Pat Sims had family issues while in college, including the sudden death of his sister. He left the team for a year and struggled most of his time at Auburn. However, he showed flashes of dominance this past season when he could put it together. Anthony Collins and Mario Urrutia have smaller issues as they are raw talents who left college early for the draft. Scouts question their maturity and effort as Collins was suspended due to discipline, and Urrutia had to be benched because he could not control himself at times. Hopefully a few of these guys can put it together for the Bengals and capitalize on their talent before it is too late.
Let’s go through the players the Bengals drafted late because the player slipped due to character issues, and check the Bengals success rate:
Frostee Rucker, AJ Nicholson, Reggie McNeal, Ahmad Brooks, Odell Thurman, Chris Henry, Matthias Askew, Dennis Weathersby, Chad Johnson, TJ Houshmandzadeh, Corey Dillon, Tremain Mack. To be fair, TJ did not have a bad reputation, but his draft stock was probably hurt due to being associated with Dennis Erickson and the collection of morons he had at Oregon State. Looking at Bengals history, the hit rate looks to be 1 in 4 for troubled players. If only one of the current crop pans out, let’s hope one of the DTs can help the Bengals stop the run.
The “WHO?” pick this year is obvious as very few people were ready to hear Jerome Simpson called in the 2nd round. Time will tell if the Bengals made a smart move or not, but one skill the Bengals lack is gauging the interest of other teams. While Simpson excited the Bengals staff, did they really have to take him in the 2nd round? Were other teams waiting to jump on the chance to pick him? I doubt it, I think the Bengals could have picked Simpson in the 3rd or maybe even 4th round.
Overall here are quick reactions to all of the picks:
Round 1 LB Keith Rivers -- Consensus solid pick. Team Captain started 36 games at USC.
Round 2 WR Jerome Simpson -- Jury is out on the Bengals. Limas Sweed was taken 7 picks later by the Steelers, so we will be able to judge this pick twice a season for years to come.
Round 3 DT Pat Sims -- One year college starter. Great athlete for his size if he finds the motivation.
Round 3 WR Andre Caldwell -- Outstanding value in round 3. School record for receptions at Florida.
Round 4 OT Anthony Collins -- All American Tackle. Still considered raw after only 1 year of tackle. Will have time to develop behind Willie, Levi, Andrews and Kooistra.
Round 5 DT Jason Shirley -- Huge and athletic. Many issues and question marks. Total wild card.
Round 6 S Corey Lynch -- Great athlete and aggressive player. Should add immediate help to special teams.
Round 6 TE Matt Sherry -- Team Captain, showed speed during his workouts. Can develop behind Bengals current TEs.
Round 7 DE Angelo Craig -- If he can run, could turn into to Andre Frazier, another UC standout. Special teams ace that could add pass rush help.
Round 7 WR Mario Urritia -- Huge receiver with focus issues. Could become 3rd down and goal line threat if he can put it together.

The Bengal that had the worst weekend is Chad Johnson as the team drafted 4 pass catchers to prepare for the upcoming season. But even worse for CJ85, the team most interested in his services, the Redskins, drafted pass catchers with their first 3 picks. Chad and Drew can say “Bye-bye” to any leverage they had leading into the draft. It will be interesting to see the media spin put to this one now that Chad does not have an easy option. Hopefully Drew bought Chad a beer and said, “Lo Siento, Ocho. Hemos perdido mucho dinero. Mi error, perro”


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Good News:
- The Bengals have a franchise QB, and assuming the team can get a full season from a combination of Willie, Levi and Stacy Andrews, quality starting tackles. That is the first step for a winning team.
- Beyond a QB and Tackles, the rest of the team is built to fit the scheme and each other to win.
- The Bengals have needs at every position, therefore they are not limited in their pick. The best player that fits into the Bengals offensive or defensive scheme can be picked.
- The only positions the Bengals do not need to draft are QB and TE, positions that happen to be weak this year. But if a solid TE falls, that is not a bad pick either.
- There is a deep pool of WRs this year if the Bengals want to add depth in later rounds.
- There is also a deep pool of RBs, and the Bengals will probably need to add depth there also as every RB currently on the roster has question marks.
- The Bengals have 10 picks to play with, look for them to move around for the players they like best.
- If the Bengals happen to land Sedrick Ellis, as most predictions say, they could trade into the end of Round 1 to also land a top LB. That would add a major surge of energy to the defense.
- Marvin Lewis has some draft success in later rounds: Jeremi Johnson(4th), Scoot Kooistra(7th), Stacy Andrews(4th), Robert Geathers(4th), Chinedum Ndukwe(7th).
- Having wide open options and 10 picks, the Bengals should be able to put together a strong draft class.

Bad News:
- The Bengals need defensive playmakers, especially in the front seven, and there will be a run on the front seven early in the draft. Too bad this isn’t a year when everyone wants to draft QBs and TEs
- By chasing DTs Rogers and Robertson, the Bengals have shown their cards. If Glenn Dorsey or Sedrick Ellis is available in the 8th spot, teams drafting behind the Bengals may trade up and take a DT knowing the Bengals intentions.
- The Bengals may need to look for a center as Ghiacuic has not proven he can keep people out of Palmer’s face.
- The Bengals highest compensatory pick is in the 3rd round. In the 3rd round under Marvin Lewis, the Bengals have taken: Kelley Washington, Caleb Miller, Landon Johnson, Chris Henry, Frostee Rucker, and Ahmad Brooks. So far not the best track record.
- The Bengals front office still has the same people as the last 17 years. So while they may get the players they want, that may not mean very much. We are still guaranteed one surprise like Sean Brewer(3rd), Artrell Hawkins(2nd), or Travis Dorsch(4th). The type of pick where the draft coverage team laughs as they shuffle through their papers looking for any notes on the guy. It usually ends with them saying, “He’s a decent athlete, could make the team, we weren’t sure if he would be drafted, and especially not in the _____round.”


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Our continuation of the series looking at the Bengals 10 worst draft picks when drafting from a top 10 position:

Before we finish our countdown of Bengal failures, let us put this countdown into proper perspective. The Bengals have had 22 top 10 picks in their 40 year history, so these are the worst 10 of those 22. To get an idea of this failure, we look to division rival Pittsburgh for draft analysis. In the past 40 years, the Steelers have had a total of 7 top 10 picks. Of those 7 picks, 5 have made at least one Pro Bowl, including Hall of Famers Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, and Rod Woodson. Kind of makes you sick to your stomach.

10. Greg Cook, QB, University of Cincinnati, 5th Overall Pick in 1969
9. Justin Smith, DE, University of Missouri, 4th Overall Pick in 2001
8. Dan Wilkinson, DT, The Ohio State University, 1st Overall Pick 1994
7. Ricky Hunley, LB, University of Arizona, 7th Overall Pick in 1984
6. Peter Warrick, WR, Florida State University, 4th Overall Pick in 2000
5. John Copeland, DE, University of Alabama, 5th Overall Pick in 1993
4. David Klingler, QB, University of Houston, 6th Overall Pick in 1992
3. Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Penn State University, 1st Overall Pick in 1995
2. Akili Smith, QB, University of Oregon, 3rd Overall Pick in 1999

1. Jack Thompson, QB, Washington State University, 3rd Overall Pick in 1979

In another head scratching QB draft pick, the Bengals picked Jack Thompson, the "Throwin' Samoan," with the 3rd pick in the 1979 draft. At the time, the Bengals had just finished a disastrous 1978 season in which they started 1-12 and QB Ken Anderson missed four games due to injury. Anderson had his worst season as a pro, so perhaps the Bengals thought he had lost his touch. However, Anderson was only 29 years old at the time and 1978 was his 7th season as the starter. In those 7 seasons, Anderson led the Bengals to two playoff appearances, made 2 Pro Bowls, led the NFL in passing yards twice, led the NFL in passer rating twice, and was top in passing TDs 4 times. Like Boomer Esiason with the David Klingler pick, one would think that Anderson’s resume was good enough to hold the starting job, especially following an injury plagued year. Also like Boomer, Anderson is more accomplished than Carson Palmer at the same age, should we expect the Bengals to draft a QB soon? I surely hope not. In the 4 seasons following the Thompson pick, Ken Anderson would lead the Bengals to two more playoff appearances, a Super Bowl, be named NFL MVP, All Pro, and to two more Pro Bowls. Needless to say, Thompson did not overtake Anderson as the starter.
Jack Thompson had an unbelievable career at Washington State University, and ended as the career NCAA passing yardage leader. However, as we have seen many times, NCAA passing yard stats do not equal NFL success. Gimmick offenses, league playing styles, and many other factors can lead to gaudy stats but not be a marker of future success. Most of the best QBs in NFL history did not have record breaking statistics in college, but they were able to lead their team and control the game. Thompson spent only 4 seasons with the Bengals failing to unseat Ken Anderson as the starter. And when Thompson did play, he completed just 47% of his passes for 2,072 yards, 13 TDs and 19 INTs in 32 game appearances and 5 starts. He was eventually dealt to Tampa Bay where he would start his first 13 games, throw 21 INTs, and be benched for Steve DeBerg. Thompson was out of the NFL the following year.
That is not where the story ends though, now we get into whether the Bengals are cursed, or just not smart. The Bengals already had a starting QB, so they could have picked a different position. The pick following Thompson was Hall of Fame, 1980s All Decade Team, and 6 time All-Pro defensive tackle Dan Hampton of the Chicago Bears. Also in the top 10 that year was 2 time Pro-Bowl, Super Bowl MVP running back Ottis Anderson. He would have teamed up very well with QB Ken Anderson. But the ultimate insult is the other missed picks at QB that year. Taken 5 picks after Thompson was All-Pro and Super Bowl MVP Phil Simms who would have made a nice transition after Anderson left. And now, drum roll please……………taken 79 picks after the legendary Jack Thompson was……….Joe Montana. Montana is only widely regarded as the best QB ever, won 4 Super Bowls, 3 time Super Bowl MVP, 2 time NFL MVP, Hall of Fame, has a playoff record of 16-7, career playoff passer rating of 96.2, and overall just dominated the Bengals. Of course, he did all of this playing for Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Walsh. Bill Walsh was Ken Anderson’s QB coach with the Bengals, and when he was passed over for the Bengals head coaching job, he left and eventually landed with the 49ers. STUPID BENGALS!!!! STUPID!!!!


Well, that's it. Check back for 2008 Draft analysis


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Our continuation of the series looking at the Bengals 10 worst draft picks when drafting from a top 10 position:

10. Greg Cook, QB, University of Cincinnati, 5th Overall Pick in 1969
9. Justin Smith, DE, University of Missouri, 4th Overall Pick in 2001
8. Dan Wilkinson, DT, The Ohio State University, 1st Overall Pick 1994
7. Ricky Hunley, LB, University of Arizona, 7th Overall Pick in 1984
6. Peter Warrick, WR, Florida State University, 4th Overall Pick in 2000
5. John Copeland, DE, University of Alabama, 5th Overall Pick in 1993
4. David Klingler, QB, University of Houston, 6th Overall Pick in 1992
3. Ki-Jana Carter, RB, Penn State University, 1st Overall Pick in 1995

2. Akili Smith, QB, University of Oregon, 3rd Overall Pick in 1999


Akili Smith. Where do we begin with all that was wrong with the Akili Smith pick? Let’s just make a list from the beginning:
- Akili Smith was a Junior College transfer that only spent 2 seasons in Oregon
- Akili Smith was not the starter going into his senior year at Oregon; the starter was injured in preseason giving Akili his chance.
- The offensive coordinator at the University of Oregon at that time was Jeff Tedford. Tedford is known for developing QBs and a quick one-read offense.
- QBs that have excelled under Tedford:
-Trent Dilfer, 3300 yards, 28 TDs, 4 Ints, left college early, 6th overall pick
- Billy Volek, 2700 yards, 30 TDs, 3 Ints, holds NCAA record for lowest INT%
- Akili Smith, 3700, 32 TDs, 8 Ints, 1st round draft pick
- AJ Feeley, half season, 2000 yards, 14 TDs, injured and then replaced by Joey Harrington
- Joey Harrington, 2900 yards, 27 TDs, 6 Ints, 1st round draft pick
- Kyle Boller, 2900 yards, 28 TDs, 10 Ints, 1st round draft pick
- Aaron Rodgers, 2900 yards, 24 TDs, 8 Ints, 1st round draft pick
- Quite a collection of highly efficient college QBs that cannot sustain starting roles in the NFL.

- Akili tore through a weak Pac-10 in 1998, but posted his worst games against top Pac 10 teams UCLA and Arizona.
- Led Oregon to 8-4 record and Hula Bowl loss.
- Akili’s agent Leigh Steinberg knew how to capitalize on Akili’s physical tools and groomed him for the NFL combine.
- With Steinberg’s help, Akili put together an amazing passing display (in tshirts and without a defense) using his top level arm strength. Similar to Kyle Boller’s combine show.
- Further proving Akili’s prep for the combine, his score on the Wonderlic went from a 13 on his first attempt to a 37 on his second.
- Steinberg also used his connections in the media to have national stories written and on tv about Akili. During his college season, many were not considering Smith as a top QB.
- Akili had played some minor league baseball and entered college late; he was 24 at the time of the draft.
- In an attempt to land Ricky Williams, the Saints offered the Bengals their entire slate of 1999 draft picks, as well as, their 1st and 3rd round picks the following year for the #3 spot. The Bengals passed.
- Washington took that trade after the Bengals picked. By trading back up, the picks were used to select Champ Bailey (All-Pro), Chris Samuels (All-Pro), Desmond Clark (Receiving TE), and others.
- Not many teams were interested in Akili Smith. The Bengals probably could have taken the trade and still drafted Akili with a later pick.
- Trying to get max dollars, Steinberg held Smith out for 4 weeks of football, missing his first training camp. Training camp is when most of the schemes are installed.
- After the Bengals started the 1999 season 0-4, Smith was thrown in as the starter. He would win his first start at Cleveland, but average only 115 passing yards in 7 games.
- In 2000, Akili played in 12 games and threw for 1253 yards, 3 TDs, and 6 Ints.
- In 2001, Akili lost the starting job to Jon Kitna, but he would get to start the Jets game late in the year. He opened the game by leading the team on a scoring drive. On the second drive, he tore his hamstring on a 5 yard scramble.
- Cut 2 months after the Bengals drafted Carson Palmer.
- Was signed and cut by two teams following the Bengals, failing to find another NFL job.
- Total NFL career, 2212 yards passing, 5 TDs, 13 Ints.
- Last season, Akili tried his luck in Canada with the Calgary Stampeders.
- He began the season as a backup, but was able to play when the starter went down. In his first appearance, he finished 6/10 for 63 yards, 0 TDs and 3 Ints.
- After a few more unimpressive weeks, Smith was cut by the Stampeders, ending his career in what would have been his 9th NFL season.

Check in periodically as we count down to the worst Bengals draft pick in history leading up to the 2008 NFL draft.


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