Integrity
EOG Master
Cincinnati Bengals
Last year's record 4-11-1
3rd Place AFC North
Off-season Key additions and subtractions
Key Additions
OT Andre Smith
TE Chase Coffman
QB J.T. O'Sullivan
WR Laveranues Coles
LB Rey Maualuga
S Roy Williams
DT Tank Johnson
Key Losses
WR Glenn Holt
OT Levi Jones
S Mike Doss
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
OT Stacy Andrews
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh
2009 NFL Draft Class
Round 1, Pick 6 (6) Andre Smith OT 6'4" 332 Alabama
Pick Analysis:Marvin Lewis has stated that he wants to get back to running the football, and Smith gives the Bengals a dominating offensive tackle to run behind. Though he had a series of mishaps in the run up to the draft, there is no denying that Smith is one of the best tackle prospects in the draft.
Round 2, Pick 6 (38) Rey Maualuga ILB 6'2" 249 Southern Cal
Pick Analysis:After surprisingly dropping out of the first round, Maualuga lands with the Bengals at No. 38. The high-motor playmaker from USC gives Marvin Lewis a heavy hitter at middle linebacker. With last year's top pick (Keith Rivers) coming back from an injury, the Bengals have a pair of young and athletic linebackers to anchor the middle of the defense.
Round 3, Pick 6 (70) Michael Johnson DE 6'7" 266 Georgia Tech
Pick Analysis:The Bengals pick up an edge rusher with first-round talent with their selection of Johnson. A tall, rangy athlete with explosive quickness, Johnson has the ability to run down quarterbacks from the backside. Though he doesn't play with great effort at all times, he has the potential to be an impact player as a situational pass rusher.
Round 3, Pick 34 (98) (Compensatory selection) Chase Coffman TE 6'6" 244 Missouri
Pick Analysis:A foot injury prevented him from probably being drafted higher. He's an excellent receiving tight end, but he'll have to learn how to block. He has outstanding hands and will be one of those move-type tight ends. His father was an All-Pro tight end with the Packers. His coach at Missouri said Coffman is the one guy who will go to the NFL and be good right away.
Round 4, Pick 6 (106) Jonathan Luigs C 6'4" 301 Arkansas
Pick Analysis:Cincy needed a center and looked at all of them. The Bengals staff coached at the Senior Bowl and saw Luigs quite a bit. He was a four-year starter and the center of the year in 2007. Some people feel he tailed off. The question is, how is he going to handle the power nose tackles? He may have to hit the weights a bit to handle the Ravens and Steelers defenses.
Round 5, Pick 6 (142) Kevin Huber P 6'1" 220 Cincinnati
Pick Analysis:The first punter off the board is an outstanding weapon as a directional punter. Huber has the ability to flip the field with his booming punts, and he will emerge as a viable weapon in the kicking game.
Round 6, Pick 6 (179) Morgan Trent CB 6'1" 193 Michigan
Pick Analysis:Trent had a lot of starts in college and he runs pretty well. He's fast in workouts but does not play to his timed speed. He's not a good tackler. There have been questions about his backpedal and he struggles in route recognition, but his athleticism gives him a chance.
Round 6, Pick 36 (209) (Compensatory selection) Bernard Scott RB 5'10" 200 Abilene Christian
Pick Analysis:Scott is an ideal third-down back. He's the type of player you want to get out in space isolated on a linebacker after catching the ball. The Bengals can use him as a potential replacement for Kenny Watson. Many red flags, including his age (25), being kicked off two teams (one in high school, one in college) and several run-ins with police.
Round 7, Pick 6 (215) Fui Vakapuna RB 5'11" 244 BYU
Pick Analysis:Vakapuna is a big, strong running back. He does not have as much quickness or change-of-direction skill, but he's a situational running back that can be productive at the goal line. The Bengals locked in on Vakapuna at the BYU Pro Day and then followed through with the pick.
Round 7, Pick 40 (249) (Compensatory selection) Clinton McDonald DE 6'2" 289 Memphis
Pick Analysis:McDonald shot up draft boards and into draft consideration after an outstanding workout at Memphis' pro day. His athleticism gives Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer something to work with.
Round 7, Pick 43 (252) (Compensatory selection) Freddie Brown WR 6'3" 215 Utah
Pick Analysis:Brown lacks experience but has some upside going into Cincinnati with the unstable wide receiver situation there. He is a tall possession receiver who's not afraid to go over the middle. He can go up and get it, but he doesn't have top-flight speed. He really broke out and became the go-to guy in his senior season.
Roster positions grades and thoughts
Head Coach- Marvin Lewis C-... I've always liked him, but he needs to produce. An ideal candidate to do well on a 2nd HC opp
QB- Carson Palmer C+... Talent screams B, but threat of injury and leadership questions downgrade him some
RB- Cedric Benson, Brian Leonard D +... Some talent, yes, but a lil underwhelming just the same
WR- Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Chris Henry, Andre Caldwell B... I'm thinking Ocho has a nice year, Coles plays solid and Henry and Caldwell both surprise.
TE- Daniel Coats, Chase Coffman D... Coffman could be a nice receiving TE
OL- Andre Smith Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth F... One of the worst lines, if not the worst, in the league. Should be the downfall of their offense. The hold out by Andre Smith could hurt him, his line and his team if he is unable to get up to speed
DL- Robert Geathers, Antwan Odom, Tank Johnson, Domata Peko, Michael Johnson D.. Don't like their D tackles and the edge rushers could be okay. Young Michael Johnson could grow into a star
LB- Keith Rivers, Rashad Jeanty, Dhani Jones, Rey Maualuga C+... Rivers is a nice LB and Maualuga has potential to be a really good one
CB- Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph C+... They would be much better if the D had a better pash rush, Unit could be a B or B+ by the end of the year
S- Chris Crocker, Roy Williams, Chinedum Ndukwe C-... These guys could be serviceable but all don't offer too much. Roy Williams hasn't been what he was for awhile now
Special teams- Shayne Graham for kicking, Andre Caldwell and Quan Cosby for returns C... Decent kicker and return men that are gonna have plenty of chances
Schedule-
2 Fri, Aug 14 @ New Orleans L 7-17
3 Thu, Aug 20 @ New England W 7-6
4 Thu, Aug 27 St. Louis L 21-24
5 Thu, Sep 3 Indianapolis W 38-7
1 Sun, Sep 13 Denver
2 Sun, Sep 20 @ Green Bay
3 Sun, Sep 27 Pittsburgh
4 Sun, Oct 4 @ Cleveland
5 Sun, Oct 11 @ Baltimore
6 Sun, Oct 18 Houston
7 Sun, Oct 25 Chicago
8 BYE WEEK
9 Sun, Nov 8 Baltimore
10 Sun, Nov 15 @ Pittsburgh
11 Sun, Nov 22 @ Oakland
12 Sun, Nov 29 Cleveland
13 Sun, Dec 6 Detroit
14 Sun, Dec 13 @ Minnesota
15 Sun, Dec 20 @ San Diego
16 Sun, Dec 27 Kansas City
17 Sun, Jan 3 @ NY Jets
Odds
Reg Season Wins Over 7 -130
Reg Season Wins Under 7 +100
AFC North +800
AFC +3800
SB +8000
My Opinion- I haven't been watching that much Hard Knocks so others may like this team more than I. I think they have a shot to be decent, if Carson can lead that offense to many high scoring games. I think they will finish ahead of Cle but clearly behind Bal and Pit. Their defense leaves MUCH to be desired but could yield gems in Maualuga, Rivers and their corners Hall and Joseoph. However, this team is missing many pieces and will suffer as a result. Unless a miracle coaching job is done, I think a regime change is in order. Perhaps even dealing mercurial WR Ochocinco if he gets his value up this season. I wouldn't touch any future with Cincy and would leave their wins alone and not play either side. Better values elsewhere. I do not expect great things in the near future and their expectancy of greatness level is pretty low. For Cincy fans, it's gonna be Decent or Bust while the big boys battle it out for the division, conference and league championship but a good season would be one that has growth and maturity with their young players and Palmer staying healthy and showing he can and will be a very solid QB
Cincy's EOG- 4
Okay, let me know what you think of the Bengals this year... Thank you!
Last year's record 4-11-1
3rd Place AFC North
Off-season Key additions and subtractions
Key Additions
OT Andre Smith
TE Chase Coffman
QB J.T. O'Sullivan
WR Laveranues Coles
LB Rey Maualuga
S Roy Williams
DT Tank Johnson
Key Losses
WR Glenn Holt
OT Levi Jones
S Mike Doss
QB Ryan Fitzpatrick
OT Stacy Andrews
WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh
2009 NFL Draft Class
Round 1, Pick 6 (6) Andre Smith OT 6'4" 332 Alabama
Pick Analysis:Marvin Lewis has stated that he wants to get back to running the football, and Smith gives the Bengals a dominating offensive tackle to run behind. Though he had a series of mishaps in the run up to the draft, there is no denying that Smith is one of the best tackle prospects in the draft.
Round 2, Pick 6 (38) Rey Maualuga ILB 6'2" 249 Southern Cal
Pick Analysis:After surprisingly dropping out of the first round, Maualuga lands with the Bengals at No. 38. The high-motor playmaker from USC gives Marvin Lewis a heavy hitter at middle linebacker. With last year's top pick (Keith Rivers) coming back from an injury, the Bengals have a pair of young and athletic linebackers to anchor the middle of the defense.
Round 3, Pick 6 (70) Michael Johnson DE 6'7" 266 Georgia Tech
Pick Analysis:The Bengals pick up an edge rusher with first-round talent with their selection of Johnson. A tall, rangy athlete with explosive quickness, Johnson has the ability to run down quarterbacks from the backside. Though he doesn't play with great effort at all times, he has the potential to be an impact player as a situational pass rusher.
Round 3, Pick 34 (98) (Compensatory selection) Chase Coffman TE 6'6" 244 Missouri
Pick Analysis:A foot injury prevented him from probably being drafted higher. He's an excellent receiving tight end, but he'll have to learn how to block. He has outstanding hands and will be one of those move-type tight ends. His father was an All-Pro tight end with the Packers. His coach at Missouri said Coffman is the one guy who will go to the NFL and be good right away.
Round 4, Pick 6 (106) Jonathan Luigs C 6'4" 301 Arkansas
Pick Analysis:Cincy needed a center and looked at all of them. The Bengals staff coached at the Senior Bowl and saw Luigs quite a bit. He was a four-year starter and the center of the year in 2007. Some people feel he tailed off. The question is, how is he going to handle the power nose tackles? He may have to hit the weights a bit to handle the Ravens and Steelers defenses.
Round 5, Pick 6 (142) Kevin Huber P 6'1" 220 Cincinnati
Pick Analysis:The first punter off the board is an outstanding weapon as a directional punter. Huber has the ability to flip the field with his booming punts, and he will emerge as a viable weapon in the kicking game.
Round 6, Pick 6 (179) Morgan Trent CB 6'1" 193 Michigan
Pick Analysis:Trent had a lot of starts in college and he runs pretty well. He's fast in workouts but does not play to his timed speed. He's not a good tackler. There have been questions about his backpedal and he struggles in route recognition, but his athleticism gives him a chance.
Round 6, Pick 36 (209) (Compensatory selection) Bernard Scott RB 5'10" 200 Abilene Christian
Pick Analysis:Scott is an ideal third-down back. He's the type of player you want to get out in space isolated on a linebacker after catching the ball. The Bengals can use him as a potential replacement for Kenny Watson. Many red flags, including his age (25), being kicked off two teams (one in high school, one in college) and several run-ins with police.
Round 7, Pick 6 (215) Fui Vakapuna RB 5'11" 244 BYU
Pick Analysis:Vakapuna is a big, strong running back. He does not have as much quickness or change-of-direction skill, but he's a situational running back that can be productive at the goal line. The Bengals locked in on Vakapuna at the BYU Pro Day and then followed through with the pick.
Round 7, Pick 40 (249) (Compensatory selection) Clinton McDonald DE 6'2" 289 Memphis
Pick Analysis:McDonald shot up draft boards and into draft consideration after an outstanding workout at Memphis' pro day. His athleticism gives Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer something to work with.
Round 7, Pick 43 (252) (Compensatory selection) Freddie Brown WR 6'3" 215 Utah
Pick Analysis:Brown lacks experience but has some upside going into Cincinnati with the unstable wide receiver situation there. He is a tall possession receiver who's not afraid to go over the middle. He can go up and get it, but he doesn't have top-flight speed. He really broke out and became the go-to guy in his senior season.
Roster positions grades and thoughts
Head Coach- Marvin Lewis C-... I've always liked him, but he needs to produce. An ideal candidate to do well on a 2nd HC opp
QB- Carson Palmer C+... Talent screams B, but threat of injury and leadership questions downgrade him some
RB- Cedric Benson, Brian Leonard D +... Some talent, yes, but a lil underwhelming just the same
WR- Chad Ochocinco, Laveranues Coles, Chris Henry, Andre Caldwell B... I'm thinking Ocho has a nice year, Coles plays solid and Henry and Caldwell both surprise.
TE- Daniel Coats, Chase Coffman D... Coffman could be a nice receiving TE
OL- Andre Smith Bobbie Williams, Andrew Whitworth F... One of the worst lines, if not the worst, in the league. Should be the downfall of their offense. The hold out by Andre Smith could hurt him, his line and his team if he is unable to get up to speed
DL- Robert Geathers, Antwan Odom, Tank Johnson, Domata Peko, Michael Johnson D.. Don't like their D tackles and the edge rushers could be okay. Young Michael Johnson could grow into a star
LB- Keith Rivers, Rashad Jeanty, Dhani Jones, Rey Maualuga C+... Rivers is a nice LB and Maualuga has potential to be a really good one
CB- Leon Hall, Johnathan Joseph C+... They would be much better if the D had a better pash rush, Unit could be a B or B+ by the end of the year
S- Chris Crocker, Roy Williams, Chinedum Ndukwe C-... These guys could be serviceable but all don't offer too much. Roy Williams hasn't been what he was for awhile now
Special teams- Shayne Graham for kicking, Andre Caldwell and Quan Cosby for returns C... Decent kicker and return men that are gonna have plenty of chances
Schedule-
2 Fri, Aug 14 @ New Orleans L 7-17
3 Thu, Aug 20 @ New England W 7-6
4 Thu, Aug 27 St. Louis L 21-24
5 Thu, Sep 3 Indianapolis W 38-7
1 Sun, Sep 13 Denver
2 Sun, Sep 20 @ Green Bay
3 Sun, Sep 27 Pittsburgh
4 Sun, Oct 4 @ Cleveland
5 Sun, Oct 11 @ Baltimore
6 Sun, Oct 18 Houston
7 Sun, Oct 25 Chicago
8 BYE WEEK
9 Sun, Nov 8 Baltimore
10 Sun, Nov 15 @ Pittsburgh
11 Sun, Nov 22 @ Oakland
12 Sun, Nov 29 Cleveland
13 Sun, Dec 6 Detroit
14 Sun, Dec 13 @ Minnesota
15 Sun, Dec 20 @ San Diego
16 Sun, Dec 27 Kansas City
17 Sun, Jan 3 @ NY Jets
Odds
Reg Season Wins Over 7 -130
Reg Season Wins Under 7 +100
AFC North +800
AFC +3800
SB +8000
My Opinion- I haven't been watching that much Hard Knocks so others may like this team more than I. I think they have a shot to be decent, if Carson can lead that offense to many high scoring games. I think they will finish ahead of Cle but clearly behind Bal and Pit. Their defense leaves MUCH to be desired but could yield gems in Maualuga, Rivers and their corners Hall and Joseoph. However, this team is missing many pieces and will suffer as a result. Unless a miracle coaching job is done, I think a regime change is in order. Perhaps even dealing mercurial WR Ochocinco if he gets his value up this season. I wouldn't touch any future with Cincy and would leave their wins alone and not play either side. Better values elsewhere. I do not expect great things in the near future and their expectancy of greatness level is pretty low. For Cincy fans, it's gonna be Decent or Bust while the big boys battle it out for the division, conference and league championship but a good season would be one that has growth and maturity with their young players and Palmer staying healthy and showing he can and will be a very solid QB
Cincy's EOG- 4
Okay, let me know what you think of the Bengals this year... Thank you!