Physically, Matt Jones is exactly the kind of receiver the Bengals need. He's big (240 lbs.), tall (6'6''), fast (4.37 as a rookie), and athletic (played both quarterback and basketball at Arkansas). He's a Chris Henry prototype, only with less explosive potential. He could excel on corner routes and passes thrown high. He could box players out on deep passes and get separation to make Carson Palmer's job easier. The problem is, the guy likes to party and cocaine is not the kind of fun the NFL is marketing.
Yet there is always a place for the wayward and troublesome castoffs of the league trying to regain a little credibility. Mike Brown, The Redeemer, has become the Franciscan Monk of all the owners, always ready to dole out another chance for a scratch-and-dent sale price. When a player's reputation is ruined and his career looks bleak, he has to look at himself in the mirror, suck it up, and sign with the Bengals. Sometimes it works out (Cedric Benson); sometimes it doesn't (Odell Thurman).
Still, if it's mid-September and Matt Jones is on the 45-man active list, that's a good thing. While it would be hasty to say that with Jones now on the team the receiver concerns have been put to ease, it's already a signal that Cincinnati is eager to improve upon that unsightly blemish to an otherwise well assembled group: the passing game. If it truly is possible to acquire TO in March, the Bengals should sign him. Finding play-makers can be a tricky business; you never know what combination will succeed until it happens.
In that case, it only makes sense to load up with lots of new targets and see how Carson likes them. If Laveranues Coles remains with the team---despite his sizable contract and limited impact last year---even he could find a new role that perhaps suits him better with new receivers around him. Individual statistics would likely decrease with a wider array of weaponry, but spreading the ball out to multiple players makes a team harder to defend, and for an offensive coordinator, that's the name of the game.
Hopefully Jones keeps his nose clean and lasts with the Bengals. If Cincinnati is to win the Super Bowl next season, new parts are necessary. This is one of those needed parts.
Mojokong---there's only one season left! Repent!
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2 comments:
"...keeps his nose clean..." hahaha.
i like it.
its not a big deal. he could be released with minimum hassle if he is not all that or finds himself often in the backroom at the waterfront, and there is no loss suffered. but if he is good, its a big win.
i say bring back odell!! i would go nuts! jones and odell could really pawty together!
"When a player's reputation is ruined and his career looks bleak, he has to look at himself in the mirror, suck it up, and sign with the Bengals"--when I read this line I laughed out loud! We'll get some traction out of our misfits again next year. I'm pretty satisfied that things are moving in a winning direction. Injury and worse ultimately took us down this year. Who-dey!
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