Jene Bramel
Footballguy
Warning: Long-winded post with a bunch of questions and rants. 
Yet another off-season full of questions for the Bengals.
Seems a little odd to question a franchise quarterback with a 63% completion percentage coming off a 4000 yard passing season, but close observers could see that Carson Palmer struggled with mechanics and timing routes at many points during 2006. Will another off-season of rest and recovery bring back the consistent form Palmer showed in 2005 when he posted a 68% completion percentage and 32-12 TD-INT ratio?
Can Chris Perry re-establish himself as a solid change of pace option this off-season or do the Bengals need to consider a back in the draft? Rudi Johnson is as consistent as they come but, offensive line injuries aside, his YPC was under 4.0 in 2006 and he's entering his sixth NFL season (with nearly four seasons of starting workload).
Can new WR coach Mike Sheppard keep CJ, TJ, and Chris Henry focused all season long? Or will the Bengals see another inconsistent season from Chad Johnson and the passing offense overall?
Can Chris Henry be counted on -- on and off the field? Two more court cases pending with possible suspensions to follow. More concerningly (after observing the actions of his teammates) was his lack of fire and less than full effort in critical situations. Which Henry do the Bengals get in 2007? The guy who exploits mismatches with his size and strength (2 TD against Steelers) or the guy who flakes on his teammates with suspensions and alligator arms in the clutch?
How important is it to target a pass-catching TE this off-season? Reggie Kelly is a FA and wants to come back. He showed the ability to contribute in the passing game at times and is a big part of the Bengal running game. But the man love the coaches had for Anthony Fasano was well documented. If Henry isn't available for all 16 games or Chris Perry can't provide a reliable option on third downs, would an athletic, pass catching TE take some of the heat off Palmer on passing downs?
Can the Bengals possibly retain G Eric Steinbach, paying him huge dollars to play inside after already extending Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, and Bobbie Williams? Can Eric Ghiaciuc and Andrew Whitworth build upon their very solid 2006 seasons? Will the nagging knee and foot issues that Jones and Anderson continue to struggle with result in another season of musical chairs along the OL?
There's no question that the defense has improved under Marvin Lewis -- there wasn't anywhere to go but up. And it's painful when you lose your first and second draft picks from 2005, both of whom looked to be productive players on the field and/or potential difference makers. But at some point, Lewis has to put together a defense that gets off the field on 3rd down.
Is this the off-season that the parts fall into place for the Bengals to move toward a 3-4 front? Do the Bengals turn their backs on their traditional free agent stance and make a run at a 31 year old Adalius Thomas? Will there be a pass rushing OLB available in the first round to potentially pair with Robert Geathers in a 3-4 look? Or do they bring back Justin Smith, likely overpaying to do it, and lock themselves into a 4-3 for the forseeable future?
Will Marvin follow through on his public statements that Odell Thurman isn't a welcome part of the team any longer? What will the Bengals do at linebacker, where Brian Simmons is aging and has a chronic neck issue and where Landon Johnson and Caleb Miller are both RFA? Can Ahmad Brooks make the leap from inconsistent rookie to a 255lb sideline-to-sideline version of Ray Lewis?
Who starts next to Johnathan Joseph next season? Neither Tory James nor Deltha O'Neal played anywhere close to their 2005 form. And Keiwan Ratliff has become little more than a poor punt returner. Will the Bengals shift Madieu Williams to corner as some have speculated (unlikely IMO) and draft an impact safety?
And most importantly, will Lewis finally be able to instill the importance of citizenship in the locker room and put a stop to the rash of troublemakers off the field? Will the Bengals draft again be filled with character questions like Frostee Rucker, AJ Nicholson, and Ahmad Brooks?
Does any other team with so much talent and Super Bowl aspirations have so many questions? Can a team like this get their
over a 16 game season and post-season and make a legitimate run at a championship?
If I were running the show:
1. Make a run at a defensive playmaker.
Sam Adams and Dexter Jackson are nice. And they're necessary. But they're not pushing anybody closer to a championship. The Bengals haven't had anyone the opposing team has to gameplan against for years. Unfortunately, the pickings are awful slim. The defensive ends (Freeney, Kerney, Smith) are all a little overrated. The corners (Clements, Samuel) are nice. Even with the coming increase in salary cap, none of these guys are going to be had at any reasonable market value. Adalius Thomas is an interesting case, but he ain't coming cheap either and he'll be 30 in August. Still, this defense needs an identity. The Bengals have locked up all their offensive parts. Geathers is a start but he's been nothing more than a part time player. Maybe you'll get lucky in the draft. But maybe you won't.
Take the plunge. So you can't re-sign Kenny Watson or Tony Stewart or Kevin Kaesviharn. And there's no way you sign Steinbach anyway. This defense needs a difference maker. It may be stupid for the long run and I realize that the Redskins haven't done diddly-poo paying high end prices for wholesale crap. I don't care.
Make a run at Freeney or Thomas.
2. Make Landon Johnson a priority.
He's the most reliable and versatile backer the Bengals have rostered. Extend him or tender him a big number. His play on the strong side was just good enough to suggest he could fit at RILB in a 3-4. He's a great fit at the Will in a 4-3 and is just as good a player as Brian Simmons right now, probably better.
3. Re-sign Reggie Kelly.
Continuity is huge and Kelly is a big part of the Bengal run offense and a key member of the locker room. Draft a pass catching TE in the middle rounds if you like, but bring Kelly back.
4. Prioritize DT and CB in the draft.
Both are areas of high need. Don't horse around with another WR in the third round or a running back in the second. It's important to keep Palmer surrounded with playmakers, but at some point the defense has to be solid from top to bottom. If you aren't going to prioritize a pass rush, and especially if you don't make a free agent splash, you better be able to control the LOS and cover.
5. Change the culture of the lockerroom.
Let Odell Thurman be somebody else's problem. I know he's got talent and I know the defense is better with him. He killed this team last year. He was directly or indirectly responsible for his own year long suspension, Henry's three game absence, and the use of a third round draft pick on Ahmad Brooks. He's no longer allowed in the locker room. Make it permanent. And don't take any more chances on goofballs like Reggie McNeal or Frostee Rucker in the middle rounds.
Figure out why this team wins early or late in the regular season but not both. Figure out why there continues to be questions about lack of effort every year. Figure out why your players think it's acceptable to arrogantly whine that they're the better team with the better talent after continually losing big games.
Then fix it.
I'm tired of reminiscing about Boomer Esiason and Tim McGee and Ken Anderson and Ken Riley. I'm happy I'm no longer complaining about Mike Brown, Bruce Coslet, and Rod Jones. But it isn't enough. I want a consistent winner. Now.
What say you Bengal fans (and haters)?
Yet another off-season full of questions for the Bengals.
Seems a little odd to question a franchise quarterback with a 63% completion percentage coming off a 4000 yard passing season, but close observers could see that Carson Palmer struggled with mechanics and timing routes at many points during 2006. Will another off-season of rest and recovery bring back the consistent form Palmer showed in 2005 when he posted a 68% completion percentage and 32-12 TD-INT ratio?
Can Chris Perry re-establish himself as a solid change of pace option this off-season or do the Bengals need to consider a back in the draft? Rudi Johnson is as consistent as they come but, offensive line injuries aside, his YPC was under 4.0 in 2006 and he's entering his sixth NFL season (with nearly four seasons of starting workload).
Can new WR coach Mike Sheppard keep CJ, TJ, and Chris Henry focused all season long? Or will the Bengals see another inconsistent season from Chad Johnson and the passing offense overall?
Can Chris Henry be counted on -- on and off the field? Two more court cases pending with possible suspensions to follow. More concerningly (after observing the actions of his teammates) was his lack of fire and less than full effort in critical situations. Which Henry do the Bengals get in 2007? The guy who exploits mismatches with his size and strength (2 TD against Steelers) or the guy who flakes on his teammates with suspensions and alligator arms in the clutch?
How important is it to target a pass-catching TE this off-season? Reggie Kelly is a FA and wants to come back. He showed the ability to contribute in the passing game at times and is a big part of the Bengal running game. But the man love the coaches had for Anthony Fasano was well documented. If Henry isn't available for all 16 games or Chris Perry can't provide a reliable option on third downs, would an athletic, pass catching TE take some of the heat off Palmer on passing downs?
Can the Bengals possibly retain G Eric Steinbach, paying him huge dollars to play inside after already extending Levi Jones, Willie Anderson, and Bobbie Williams? Can Eric Ghiaciuc and Andrew Whitworth build upon their very solid 2006 seasons? Will the nagging knee and foot issues that Jones and Anderson continue to struggle with result in another season of musical chairs along the OL?
There's no question that the defense has improved under Marvin Lewis -- there wasn't anywhere to go but up. And it's painful when you lose your first and second draft picks from 2005, both of whom looked to be productive players on the field and/or potential difference makers. But at some point, Lewis has to put together a defense that gets off the field on 3rd down.
Is this the off-season that the parts fall into place for the Bengals to move toward a 3-4 front? Do the Bengals turn their backs on their traditional free agent stance and make a run at a 31 year old Adalius Thomas? Will there be a pass rushing OLB available in the first round to potentially pair with Robert Geathers in a 3-4 look? Or do they bring back Justin Smith, likely overpaying to do it, and lock themselves into a 4-3 for the forseeable future?
Will Marvin follow through on his public statements that Odell Thurman isn't a welcome part of the team any longer? What will the Bengals do at linebacker, where Brian Simmons is aging and has a chronic neck issue and where Landon Johnson and Caleb Miller are both RFA? Can Ahmad Brooks make the leap from inconsistent rookie to a 255lb sideline-to-sideline version of Ray Lewis?
Who starts next to Johnathan Joseph next season? Neither Tory James nor Deltha O'Neal played anywhere close to their 2005 form. And Keiwan Ratliff has become little more than a poor punt returner. Will the Bengals shift Madieu Williams to corner as some have speculated (unlikely IMO) and draft an impact safety?
And most importantly, will Lewis finally be able to instill the importance of citizenship in the locker room and put a stop to the rash of troublemakers off the field? Will the Bengals draft again be filled with character questions like Frostee Rucker, AJ Nicholson, and Ahmad Brooks?
Does any other team with so much talent and Super Bowl aspirations have so many questions? Can a team like this get their
over a 16 game season and post-season and make a legitimate run at a championship?If I were running the show:
1. Make a run at a defensive playmaker.
Sam Adams and Dexter Jackson are nice. And they're necessary. But they're not pushing anybody closer to a championship. The Bengals haven't had anyone the opposing team has to gameplan against for years. Unfortunately, the pickings are awful slim. The defensive ends (Freeney, Kerney, Smith) are all a little overrated. The corners (Clements, Samuel) are nice. Even with the coming increase in salary cap, none of these guys are going to be had at any reasonable market value. Adalius Thomas is an interesting case, but he ain't coming cheap either and he'll be 30 in August. Still, this defense needs an identity. The Bengals have locked up all their offensive parts. Geathers is a start but he's been nothing more than a part time player. Maybe you'll get lucky in the draft. But maybe you won't.
Take the plunge. So you can't re-sign Kenny Watson or Tony Stewart or Kevin Kaesviharn. And there's no way you sign Steinbach anyway. This defense needs a difference maker. It may be stupid for the long run and I realize that the Redskins haven't done diddly-poo paying high end prices for wholesale crap. I don't care.
Make a run at Freeney or Thomas.2. Make Landon Johnson a priority.
He's the most reliable and versatile backer the Bengals have rostered. Extend him or tender him a big number. His play on the strong side was just good enough to suggest he could fit at RILB in a 3-4. He's a great fit at the Will in a 4-3 and is just as good a player as Brian Simmons right now, probably better.
3. Re-sign Reggie Kelly.
Continuity is huge and Kelly is a big part of the Bengal run offense and a key member of the locker room. Draft a pass catching TE in the middle rounds if you like, but bring Kelly back.
4. Prioritize DT and CB in the draft.
Both are areas of high need. Don't horse around with another WR in the third round or a running back in the second. It's important to keep Palmer surrounded with playmakers, but at some point the defense has to be solid from top to bottom. If you aren't going to prioritize a pass rush, and especially if you don't make a free agent splash, you better be able to control the LOS and cover.
5. Change the culture of the lockerroom.
Let Odell Thurman be somebody else's problem. I know he's got talent and I know the defense is better with him. He killed this team last year. He was directly or indirectly responsible for his own year long suspension, Henry's three game absence, and the use of a third round draft pick on Ahmad Brooks. He's no longer allowed in the locker room. Make it permanent. And don't take any more chances on goofballs like Reggie McNeal or Frostee Rucker in the middle rounds.
Figure out why this team wins early or late in the regular season but not both. Figure out why there continues to be questions about lack of effort every year. Figure out why your players think it's acceptable to arrogantly whine that they're the better team with the better talent after continually losing big games.
Then fix it.
I'm tired of reminiscing about Boomer Esiason and Tim McGee and Ken Anderson and Ken Riley. I'm happy I'm no longer complaining about Mike Brown, Bruce Coslet, and Rod Jones. But it isn't enough. I want a consistent winner. Now.
What say you Bengal fans (and haters)?
over a 16 game season and post-season and make a legitimate run at a championship?
