Paul Daugherty said it best today, about the Bengals signing of Antwan Odom. It’s not often that Daugherty gets it right, so let’s at least send him some link juice when he does. What he says is right: Odom might not be as big a name as the two D-Lineman that the Bengals lost out on, but he doesn’t carry the same red flags either.

The funny thing is, the Bengals signing Odom is really a failure on their part. They swung and missed at two guys and got their third choice. Is it me, or was Odom the best choice? Considering the player and the money—and what Justin Smith got in S.F.—I’m pretty happy with this.

There’s a story telling device called the impressive failure—best represented by the Indiana Jones movies. Indy keeps trying to achieve his goals, and keeps finding himself on the losing end of situations and in worse and worse situations. But simply through his dogged determinedness and a little luck, he still seems to win out in the end. He’s a little beat up, but he’s come out on top.

Maybe that’s why we get a kick out of the Bengals. For all of their failings, they keep going, and one of these days they’re going to come out on top. Hopefully.