Ready or Not, Greenhorns Will Be Tested

The free-agent frenzy started today, and already Madieu Williams is a Viking and Justin Smith appears headed for a gold rush in San Francisco.

The Bengals also decided not to resign Tab Perry, a clear sign his hip isn’t getting any better soon. So long, Tab.

With Madieu gone to Minnesota and Dexter Jackson old and useless, the pair of rookie safeties - Marvin White and Chinedum Ndukwe - are now thrown into the primordial soup of this new defense as starters, at least for now. Like Fanene and Rucker at defenive end, these young bucks are going to see a lot of action next year.

Expect to hear a lot of second-tier names lining up to visit the Bengals this free agency. Out of all the names being tossed around, I like Calvin Pace the most. He’s got good size (270) for an outside backer, he’s 28, he had six sacks and 98 tackles last year in 16 games. Arizona had problems against the pass last year, but they were solid in run defense.

Sure, Lance Briggs would be nice, but he’ll command a lot more money than Pace, and we don’t have the history to cough up dough on top guys like him. In a perfect world, Dallas would be forced to release Roy Williams due to salary cap constraints and the Bengals could use their Mike Zimmer connection to lure him here. Or, Miami decides to shed Jason Taylor’s contract and start over without their old guys. Neither are all that likely, but it’s fun to think about.

Landon Johnson will be the next to fly the coup. He’s an undersized, tough guy, who plays a lot of snaps and makes tackles. Mike Zimmer has no need for guys like that, but he’ll find a home somewhere in the next week or so. If Bryan Robinson doesn’t find a place on our team, that would likely be the end of his playing days. So long, Bryan.

Also, look for the Bengals to consider acquiring defensive tackle Langston Moore from Detroit. He’s a former Marv draft pick and wasn’t too bad when he got his chances. He’d come cheap too.

This wide-ranging change of course we’re seeing, actually began last off-season. After so many older players were either cut or weren’t offered to resign, and then few free agents visited, it became clear that Marv was just making space for changes ahead. That time has come, and the further exodus of veteran players along with an invested future to the youth of this team, demonstrates Marvin’s last ditch effort to get this jalopy moving forward, once and for all. He get’s some time to try to fix it, but if this doesn’t work either...So long, Marv.

Mojokong - Madieu, $33 million?

Fanene's Pay Day

In a move that adds to the speculation of a defensive scheme change, the Bengals re-signed seldom used Jonathan Fanene to a three-year contract last week.

This move makes a lot of sense. At 295 pounds and strong like bull, Fanene, 26, can play end in a 3-4 or be added to the rotation of defensive tackles. Fanene is light on his feet for a big man, and has demonstrated an ability to push lineman backwards within the trenches. He’s a high-motor player, and was injury-free for the second half of last season.

The signing attracted little attention from the local media, but a player like this could end up a starter if the off-season doesn’t go as exactly as planned.

Maybe the Bengals don’t draft a defensive end. Maybe they don’t land a free-agent lineman. What then? If Justin Smith walks, as expected, the projected starters at end are likely Fanene and Frostee Rucker. Weird, huh?

Retaining a player, can sometimes be more meaningful than bringing in a new one. Free-agents are more of a gamble every year, and Marv doesn’t like surprises.

If he does end up starting, there’s no reason to think Fanene can’t do what Justin Smith has done for the past five seasons. The difference being that Fanene is younger and stronger than Smith, and comes at a significantly lower price.

Mostly, a move like this is for depth chart reasons. I still think the Bengals will make a push for a free-agent on defense, likely along the line. But after last season’s injury plague, we’ve all seen the importance of a strong depth chart.

The team also resigned wide receiver Antonio Chatman to two more years. Chatman is good in the slot and works well in tight spaces. He doesn’t drop many passes and can return punts if needed. He has the most tattoos on the team and is a former Bearcat. Receiver was another area that was effected by injuries last year, so it again makes sense to keep an inexpensive reserve who knows the system.

Mojokong - all snowed out.

Andrews' Tag Indicates Changes Ahead

The franchise-tagging of Stacy Andrews points to lots of possibilities.

Of those, the most likely is the departure of Mr. Anheuser-Busch himself, Justin Smith. He is finally a free man and can visit the St. Louis Rams where they know all about that tattoo of his.

Also, the move puts pressure on the offensive line, especially the two aged whooly mammoths we dress as offensive tackles every Sunday in the fall. Big Willie and Levi, have seen this coming since last training camp. They know that Marv and Co. are keeping a close eye on the future of such a valuable position, and now with Andrews and Whitworth in the fold, that future is grazing right beside them.

It seems the Bengals would make a move like this, to ensure that Andrews doesn’t slip away while they hammer out the details of a long-term deal. He isn’t worth $7 million as a versatile backup, but it’s worth the risk in paying him that much in order to buy time to lock him up in a multi-year contract

Allowing Smith to walk, in addition to the numerous other veteran defensive players also circling the drain, would lead the breadcrumbs to point to the beginning of a long-awaited defensive overhaul to the 3-4.

If said veterans are released or unsigned, money would then be available to make a run at a decent free agent or two. We know Marv is a shrewd customer and isn’t going to spend money unless he’s really sold on the value he’s getting, but this season, his words indicate he’ll be more active in the defensive free-agent market.

It doesn’t appear the Bengals are eager to get contracts done with Landon Johnson or Madieu Williams before free-agency begins on Feb. 28 at 11p.m.. While I rely on local media sources for this stuff, as do you, there have been no encouraging reports to suggest otherwise.

I like the durability of Landon, but it wouldn’t anger me to see him play elsewhere. Madieu is only functional as a third corner at this point, and how much do you really want to spend on that?

Stacy Andrews has a lot of value on this team and we need fresh, tree-trunk-like legs protecting our Golden Boy. Andrews would have commanded starters money on another team, and Marv would rather tag him and work out a contract, rather than that be another off-season hole to fill.

Mojokong - Where does the NFL apply the franchise tag on the player? The ear?

Impulse Buys

Feb. 16, 2008


Free agency in the NFL is like doing business at a swap meet, it’s risky. Teams have to control their impulses, but they also have to make quick decisions on who is worth taking a risk on.

Take Alge Crumpler as an example. Alge, 30, is a five-time pro-bowler and a pass-catching tight end. He’s a great character guy and he’s exactly the kind of guy Marvin likes; smart, professional and well behaved. Crumpler would be a key passing option on early downs, and double tight end sets with Reggie Kelly would be a welcomed wall for backs to run behind. The two played in Atlanta together, and Alge played for Hue Jackson, former Bengals coach and last season’s Falcons offensive coordinator.

As much sense as acquiring Crumpler seems to make - which sounds more convincing by the second - the Bengals have to pause a moment and consider all the angles before pouncing on him.

First off, the Bengals have never been the free agent kind of team. Bobby Williams, Antonio Chatman and Dexter Jackson aren’t the big names fans daydream over. There’s a lot of money sunk into the offensive line and wide receivers, and we’re trying to build talent on the defensive line, so bringing in a 30-year-old tight end who won’t come cheap might not make sense. The Bengals are in position to pick up a decent tight end in the second round this year, and we all know Marv would rather develop a player of his own rather than apply expensive band-aids onto problem areas.

Still, it would be nice to land just one big-name free-agent. To show the world that players do want to play here and do believe we can win. The world doesn’t respect the Bengals, free-agents included. I think we need to win consistently before we can attract high-caliber names. We’ll have to crawl before we can walk.

In the era of franchise tags and salary caps, roster moves are sudden and often surprising. The draft is the best way to maintain success over long periods of time. The shelf-life of the NFL starter shrinks more every year, and there becomes less room on teams for damaged goods. Veterans with hefty contracts, get sore necks from looking over their shoulder all day. Had a knee injury? Over 30? And you’re a free-agent? I would recommend practicing with a hairbrush, to simulate your future sideline reporting career.

There will be moments this off-season where a player will get cut that we’ve all heard of, and in unison, we’ll beg Mike Brown to pay the man. We’ll present a compelling and well-thought-out reason why this player will finally win us a Super Bowl. That player will be rumored by local media, maybe even visit PBS. But then that player will likely sign with the “other” team in the hunt and the Bengals will be pawns in the game once again.

But I respect Marvin, and, as painful as it is to say, even Mike Brown for not coughing up too much dough on has-been big names like Warren Sapp. Ask Daniel Snyder how signing old legends to big contracts is working out in Washington. Old players fall apart fast, especially on new teams. To ask a veteran to start over in a new system, is like asking a senior-citizen to learn a new language. Many times, veteran players with one or two years on their contract become cheaper to cut.

Alge might not come here, but if he did, the league might raise an eyebrow.

* Also released by the Falcons was former Bengals special-team ace Marcus Wilkins. I was sad to see him leave, and I expect him to return.

Mojokong - See? We can write Bengals pieces that don’t include you-know-who

Marv's Kind Of A Buzz Kill

Feb. 15, 2008

Marvin Lewis sits alone in his workshop, and stares at his chalkboard. It’s filled with messy lines of scribbles and notations. His hands and shirt sleeves are covered in chalk, and on his worktable sits a half-eaten sandwich and a cold cup of coffee.

He taps a pencil against his forehead while he contemplates the mess on the board. Softly in the background, Marvin hears a buzzing sound, like that of a fly. He squints and concentrates his attention on the chalkboard. As the buzz grows louder, Marvin sees something important in the calculations he’s made. He stands and circles two sections of the chalkboard: pass rush and the running game.

He steps back and considers what he’s circled. He again notices the buzzing sound, still getting louder off in the distance.

“We need to improve here and here,” he thinks aloud, and taps the circles.
An idea of monumental significance begins to take shape in his brain, when, at last, the buzz becomes intolerable.

Marvin shatters his chalk stick onto the ground, and stomps out of his workshop. He climbs down from his tower, huffing and puffing along the way. Finally, he reaches the ground-level, throws open the door and screams to the world, “Chad goes nowhere!”.

The buzzing stops.

Here is what Marvin really said. "There is no such thing as behind-the-door dealings in the NFL. That does not occur because the team in question (the Bengals) is not willing to trade their player, nor have they thought about trading their player or discussed trading their player, nor will they discuss trading their player.”

He had to react to the recent nonsense of Chad being traded to Washington. While I would certainly give up #85 for the right price (first-rounder; defensive starter plus a later-rounder), it seems naive to think any team will give up such goodies. Chad’s potential $8 million cap hit has been exhaustively detailed in recent reports, and the other fact is, he’s still a great player.

It was important Marv remind the world that Chad has little say in this arrangement. Rosenhaus is the Karl Rove in this situation. He’s the sneaky, greedy scoundrel who convinces Chad to act out his plans for him. That said, I would never insult Chad to the point of comparing him to George Bush, but you get the idea.

I predict seeing Chad in Bengals training camp, laughing and carrying on with fans and teammates. Maybe he’s battling SAD right now, and hopefully the sunshine will thaw him out. Who knows? But Marvin certainly doesn’t want to allow a disgruntled player to have their way when you have a locker room full of guys who don’t mind airing out their frustrations. He also doesn’t want to lose Chad’s 1,400 yards every season.

Since he climbed all the way down to ground-level to quiet the buzz, Marvin thought he might as well elaborate a bit of his recent findings to the listless Bengals reporters.

He made mention of his two off-season priorities; pass-rush and the running game. He threatened to use the franchise tag if he had to, without naming any specific player. He finally sees value in a pass-catching tight end, and he’s optimistic about the return of Odell Thurman.

It was good to hear from the mad scientist, and I liked what he said. While it scares me to think Justin Smith could earn over $ 10 million if he’s tagged, listening to Marv talk about pursuing defensive lineman in the draft and free-agency indicates to me that Smith’s days here are numbered - hopefully.

Before he ascends the stairs and returns to his workshop, Marvin turns around and asks the world to stop worrying and to just leave everything up to him.

“We’re moving forward.” he says, opening his door. “And Chad goes nowhere. See ya, next month.”

Slam!

Mojokong - Wish in one hand, ...

The Intangibles Beneath the Surface

Feb. 7, 2008



We hear the term "intangibles" thrown around by television analysts, pro scouts and beat reporters for NFL teams, all the time. The intangibles of a player are the qualities he possesses that can't be detected on paper or film. Sometimes the word encompasses how smart or savvy a player is when put under extreme circumstances. Other times, it can mean that a player has escape ability from defenders, or that he has a sense of field awareness.

In short, the term is used when sports people can't describe in any other way, the non-physical attributes they observe in a player. It's like gravity; we all know it exists we just have a hard time explaining how it works. How valuable are intangibles? Look at the Palmer brothers.

Carson Palmer is 6'5'', 230 pounds. He has a rocket arm and is moderately quick for a quarterback (even if he doesn't show it very often). Jordan Palmer, Carson's brother, is also 6'5'', 230 lbs. with a rocket arm and decent foot speed. The two are from the same biological gene pool, raised in the same household and look eerily similar.

So why wasn't Jordan a Heisman Trophy winner, a first-round draft pick and a projected starter in the NFL, like Carson was?

Ask a scout, and he'll blame it on those grey-area intangibles.

Admittedly, I haven't seen Jordan play much. I watched a little of his college bowl game. He moves like Carson, throws like him too. If I were an owner or GM of an NFL team, I would expect him to develop much like Carson has. But Jordan was drafted in the sixth round and was released by Washington after not seeing any regular season action.

What gives?

First off, Carson went to USC and started four years there. Jordan played at UTEP and I didn't know he existed until his senior year. Carson, during his college days, was tutored under now NFL coordinator Norm Chow. I don't have a clue as to who coached Jordan at UTEP. We all know coaches can mean everything in the development of an athlete and bigger programs, like Southern Cal, typically employ successful coaches. Yet we've seen many players from small colleges be drafted in high rounds and develop into successes.

There is another mystical attribute in football players, generically called 'football smarts". From what I've gathered, a person can achieve a second-grade level of education yet have the instincts and wherewithal on the field of a 12-year veteran. It isn't a gauge of intelligence, but think of it more as a level of natural instinct. A linebacker may be slower and undersized than the typical prototype, but he makes into the league because he throws his body into blockers and ball-carriers with reckless abandon.

I don't know what Jordan Palmer scored on his SAT's. I don't know what he graduated in or his GPA. Honestly, I don't care. I care more about his ability to learn a playbook than I do about his college thesis. I want to see him demonstrate leadership qualities in the huddle more than I want to see him volunteer to help schools or the elderly. I'm more interested in his intangibles on the field, than about anything off of it.

Remember James Brooks? The man made it through four years of college at Auburn, and at least a decade of a pro football career without the being able to read. But the man knew how to block a pass-rusher. He could find open running lanes and plan out his jukes before he even caught the screen pass. And that's all we needed from the man. Brooks' intangibles allowed him to enjoy much success on the gridiron, but his illiteracy had the opposite affect off of it.

I assume Jordan Palmer can read. He's probably a pretty smart guy. But without the necessary intangibles he ends up watching his nearly twin brother become a future hall of famer while he remains impressive only as a future trivia question.

Size, speed and strength matter. But if a player doesn't have that "it", that special instinct that lingers outside of our three dimensions, he's just another big, strong guy.

Mojokong - All I have are intangibles.

'Common Sense' Coach Essential to NFL Teams

Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008.
What's really going on in New England?

With salary caps, franchise tags and compensation draft picks, the NFL has made itself the most competitive league on Earth, and is designed to prevent dynasties from taking place. Yet there are the Pats, poised to win their fourth Super Bowl in seven years. They laugh at the idea of league parity and scoff at those pathetic underdogs America embraces.

Along their sidelines paces a hooded, morose-looking man staring silently at the ground and scheming of world domination. He is Bill Belicheck, and he apparently knows more than anyone else in the football world.

There has to be more to their dominance than what we see on film and paper. They have a secret ingredient, an invisible hand making it all possible. Conspiracy!

Slow down. Let's look closer.

Bill is the son of Steve Belicheck, who wrote a book in the '60s called Football Scouting Methods. Knowing that helps explain why Bill can see talent in players like he's detecting it through a CAT scan. He is genetically predisposed to find and mold great football players.

His closet working companion is a mysterious man named, Ernie Adams. They met in college in 1970 and have been a symbiotic brain-trust ever since. Adams is in the booth during games observing and instructing into Belicheck's headset. Most people, even most players, have no knowledge of this man or a clear idea of his role and impact to the team. Adams official title is Director of Football Research, but it helps to think of him as the common sense coach.

Why don’t more teams have a common sense coach? I’ve always thought that Marvin Lewis, of all people, could use another brain during games. A brain that has no coaching, or play calling responsibilities. Marv needs a person who watches the game objectively and is removed from the passion and egos of the sideline. A cool-headed voice of reason.

The Patriots have stayed one step ahead of the league because they continue to change their model of success. Instead of remaining satisfied with the blueprint that has won them multiple championships, New England tears down the walls of conventional thinking and pushes the boundaries of how football should be played. Old-timers look at one another astonished that they just watched a linebacker catch his 10th career touchdown. They gape at the television stunned that a fifth-string receiver preserved perfection with a blocked punt.

The Patriots game preparation borders on telepathic ability. Their in-game adjustments seem like their reading from a recipe book. The rest of the NFL scurries behind New England, imitating their every move like an older brother they idolize.
While Belicheck is heralded as the miracle worker behind the blitzkrieg, it’s his other mental half, Ernie Adams, who balances the weight of the tandem’s genius. Now that the world knows of Belicheck’s secret weapon, look for the rest of the league to hire their own common sense coach.


Mojokong - I have one. His name is Ming Krosky. He's nothin' special but he comes cheap.

Tough Coaches Mean Business

Jan. 22, 2008

The paradigm is beginning to shift at Paul Brown Stadium. The harsh frozen wasteland of last season has started to thaw while hope and encouragement drip slowly into the minds of Bengals’ fans.

All the parts are still the same, but Mike Zimmer , the new ringleader, brings a sense of seriousness and professionalism to our sideshow circus of a defense. Zimmer is a hard-nosed disciplinarian with a stern gaze that frightens women and children. He’s the opposite of the teddy bear, ‘players coach’ that Chuck Bresnahan was labeled. Hiring Zimmer is an indicator that the honeymoon is over in Cincinnati and that serious business in now in order.

Zimmer’s track record is impressive, having coached defenses in Dallas for 13 seasons and under the godfather of coaches, Bill Parcells, for three. He interviewed for head coaching positions with the Chargers last year and at the University of Nebraska the year before. He has led his defenses to seven top-10 rankings and was first in 2003. He’s drafted and developed players into pro-bowlers. He knows what it takes to be successful in the NFL and has no problem removing players who don’t buy into his system. In a word, he’s a hard-ass.

As Zimmer waves over the clown car and watches his new defense spill out one by one, his eagle eye will be fixed on what talent to keep. There are few, if any, pieces worth salvaging. This unit seems as if were removed from a civil war battle-field, with some players old and banged-up, others too young for war but forced into action anyway and some living with addiction and other difficult character flaws. The players who seem able-bodied enough, simply lack talent or the adequate mean-streak or both. The Bengals have lost their teeth and have been attacking with only their gums. Zimmer cracks the whip and the clowns scurry around the circus.

Zimmer has a new assistant in linebackers’ coach and human fireball, Jeff FitzGerald. He too eats nails and spits venom. He too has transformed college prospects into all-pro veterans. He has been leading the fierce linebacking corps in Baltimore for the last four seasons. They say he runs around a lot in practice and screams at everyone in sight. FitzGerald has a big jaw line and a menacing stare that seems to invite confrontation and difficult conditions. With Zimmer carrying the whip and FitzGerald yelling into the bullhorn, the next version of the Bengals defense will not be soft.

Logistically, the biggest question remains of what scheme will Zimmer and “Fitzy” run. We currently have a hodgepodge of defenders who at least line up in a 4-3 set every down. Yet, both new coaches ran successful 3-4 defenses at their previous jobs. If the Bengals think-tank wants to make the switch to a 3-4, we should see a reflection of that in how they draft college players and pursue free-agents. Some current Bengals like Robert Geathers, Frostee Rucker, Ahmad Brooks and Rashad Jeanty are the kind of prototypes often considered optimal fits for a 3-4 defense. But players like Justin Smith and Landon Johnson don’t fit into that mold and would be better off playing somewhere else.

Changes will be made to the facade of the defense this off-season, there’s no doubt of that. New attractions will be advertised as the first step to an improved product and the fans will respond with optimism. This happens every off-season, yet the outcome for the past five seasons has translated into the yearly disappointment we feel in our guts when we’re eliminated from the playoffs. “It isn’t fair,” we tell ourselves. “Why can’t they get it right?” we ask.

I say we let Zimmer and FitzGerald lock themselves in a room with the defense and see which players make it out alive. Allow the new tyrants to morph these cupcake softies into hardcore tackling machines via tough love and brute force. Make the switch to the 3-4 defense. Why not? The old blueprint wasn’t working and the new guys know what it takes to run the 3-4 effectively. Let's allow last season to remain buried in the glaciers of frustration and watch the new coaches turn our hometown circus into a military troop.

Zimmer, crack your whip.


Mojokong - Does not condone animal abuse at the circus or anywhere else.

Chad: A Dangerous Talent

Jan. 15, 2008

Chad Johnson is like nuclear power. He’s both spectacular and volatile.

What originally was seen as a long-term answer to the Bengals’ future now has become a threat to consume everything around him. The fragile star seems always on the brink of supernova here in Cincinnati. There is no gray area to his personality. He’s an extreme guy with extreme demands and expectations.

The fans and media treat him differently according to the outcome of the game that week.When the Bengals win, we remember Chad has five straight seasons with 1400 yards or more, that he’s a perennial Pro-Bowler and that he doesn’t get arrested. We remember when he slept at Paul Brown Stadium, and all of his touchdown hoopla. He’s such a clown, what’s not to like?

But when they lose, we realize he drops too many passes, that he’s soft and that he cramps too much. We blame it on him drinking Coke with no ice, or that he’s selfish or depressed. We recall his whining for the ball and his alleged fight with a coach at halftime in the ‘05 Playoffs. He’s a clown. Why not trade somebody like that?

Chad comes with some emotional baggage, but he get’s a raw deal from this city. The guy certainly works hard at what he does. He does keep his nose clean and he’s involved with plenty of charitable causes throughout town. He’s not a bad guy and he just wants to win. As a player he’s irreplaceable and every corner in the league would list him as one of the toughest guys to cover. Chad will play many more years at a very high level. He’s worth a boatload to this, and any other organization in the NFL.

Yet his value is the very reason why the Bengals would entertain offers from potential buyers. Smoke signals out of Philadelphia have expressed interest in our emotional superstar. If Chad thinks the Cincy crowd can be tough on him, he should be aware that Philly fans are famous for booing Santa Clause. Donovan McNabb, on his way being chased out of town, should be able to fill him in on how that city responds to a superstar after a losing season. The Eagles have some quality defensive pieces the Bengals’ would surely look at if they were dangled as trade-bait. Former UC Bearcat and double-digit sack-artist Trent Cole seems like a natural fit. He’s a speed-rushing defensive end who could fit in as an outside linebacker should the Bengals change to a 3-4 defense. A move like that could free up both Chad’s and Justin Smith’s contract, leaving the Bengals with $ 10 million or more in additional cap-space to entertain free-agents with.

It always comes back to the business side of things. With Houshmandzedah and Henry both lining up for huge paydays soon, it seems inconceivable all three receivers can sign long-term contracts. If Chad brought decent trade-value to the table, the Bengals’ could work further to repair the defense with quality personnel and balance the talent on this team.

Chad knows it’s about the business too. After signing with agent Drew Rosenhaus, the world knew it would be a matter of time before the publicity stunts began. Rosenhaus, the agent of motor-mouth Terrell Owens, has real talent in getting himself and his clients on TV. Chad’s recent grumblings sounded more like the man behind the curtain speaking than Chad himself. He is still in the premiere years of his career and every team in the NFL could use a Chad Johnson somewhere in their offense. The Bengals either commit to Chad all the way and acquiesce to his mood swings and tantrums or let him off of his chain and watch him run to a bigger market. I think the team should allow Chad to take the exit ramp on this one. He may reach event horizon in Philly and laugh last in the Super Bowl, but I’d rather that than to see him meltdown here.






Mojokong - Chernobyl, Ohio.