Contract Close for Cincinnati Bengals’ Andre Smith?

Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that Andre Smith and the Bengals are 48 hours or less away from a contract agreement.

Chad Ochocinco is also reporting, via twitter, that the deal is done, but I trust Chad about as much as I trust Joe Isuzu.

Of course I hope that the NFL.com turned ESPN.com (cough-sellout-cough) writer is right about this one.

The biggest question mark with the Bengals is the offensive line and with Andre Smith signed there will be adequate depth to quell my concerns.

Assuming the deal is actually this close to being completed, it will be interesting to see which side compromised more to get Smith back in Cincinnati.

Regardless, the Bengals should have their 340-pound monstrosity of a run blocker in house and adapting to life in the NFL one shirtless 40-yard dash at a time.

UPDATE: Andre Smith’s agent, Alvin Keels, is denying the contract agreement on his twitter account. Will someone please tweet the tweeting tweet out of this tweeting contract?

Jason Shirley Moved to Guard?

Why not just cut him? The move tells us he had no chance of making this team as a defensive tackle, so why bump him over to offense? If the Bengals are that desperate for offensive line depth, why didn’t they just comb the waiver-wire for REAL guards?

I’ve heard of wide receivers being converted to corners, or vice versa. I’ve heard of defensive ends converted to defensive tackles. But, taking a guy buried on the defensive depth chart and burying him on the offensive depth chart is unusual. Especially when the guy had been dubbed a project at his natural position.

Watch out Bobbie Williams and Nate Livings. Jason Shirley is going to prove he belongs a position he’s never played and bump you to the curb.

Cincinnati Bengals First Cuts Get Kenny Watson

According to Cincinnati Enquirer Bengals beat writer Joe Reedy’s twitter page, the team has made it’s first cuts this morning, releasing RB Kenny Watson and FB J.D. Runnels.

After watching the Bengals inter-squad scrimmage highlights, I can certainly see why they felt Watson was expendable: Cedric Benson/DeDe Dorsey/Bernard Scott were all very impressive.

I would love to see Benson carry the load this season with DeDe acting as our third-down back, but DeDe hasn’t shown that he can stay healthy for an entire season.

Dorsey can be explosive and make some pretty amazing plays, I’ll certainly have my fingers crossed come Friday night.

I would like to personally thank Watson for his service to this team over the years. I wouldn’t mind keeping him around, but he is getting older and really doesn’t do anything special.

Watson is one of those guys who does everything well…but nothing great. Regardless, he has been a great team player and has done everything the Bengals have asked him to do. It will feel a little different not having Kenny around.

Also cut was third-year FB J.D. Runnels out of the University of Oklahoma.

David Jones Out Four to Six Weeks

First let me say that Geoff Hobson punked the crap out of me with his “DJones out 4-6 weeks” headline on Bengals.com

I immediately flipped out that we lost Dhani Jones for a month and started yelling at my poor roommate in frustration who had never heard of David Jones or cared if David Jones now has to carry a special card through airport security.

So, thanks Hobby. The news of David Jones getting a screw put in his ankle is clearly going to have less of an impact on this team rather than losing Dhani Jones for a month or so. That being said, David Jones was a decent find last year and showed some promise as a young player. He just needs to get over his fear of contact. Hopefully he will make a full recovery before the season starts.

The New York Jets Have Screwed Us Once Again

While reading today’s edition of Sporting News Today, I took a close look at the rookies who still haven’t signed with their new teams.

My conclusion after taking a closer look?

I hate the New York Jets!

We can sit here all day and blame Andre Smith for not being at training camp, but the fact of the matter is…the Cincinnati Bengals are in a very bad position, and Andre Smith (or agent Alvin Keels) couldn’t have dreamt it up any better. The ultimate goal for Smith and his agent is, obviously, to sign for the most money possible.

I certainly can’t blame Smith for wanting to make a lot of money, but I think he would be signed by now if it wasn’t for the Jets.

Lets take at the top 10 picks and those who have signed up to this point:

1. Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions: six years, $72 million ($41.7 million guaranteed)
2. Jason Smith, OT, Rams: five years, $62 million ($33 million guaranteed)
3. Tyson Jackson, DE, Chiefs: UNSIGNED
4. Aaron Curry, LB, Seahawks: UNSIGNED
5. Mark Sanchez, QB, NEW YORK (MFing) JETS: five years, $60 million ($28 million guaranteed)
6. Andre Smith, OT, Bengals: UNSIGNED
7. Darrius Heyward-Bey, WR, Raiders: five years, $38.25 million ($23.5 million guaranteed)
8. Eugene Monroe, OT, Jaguars: UNSIGNED
9. B.J. Raji, DT, Packers: UNSIGNED
10. Michael Crabtree, WR, 49ers: UNSIGNED

Now if you look closely, you’ll notice a VERY large gap between what the Jets paid their new franchise QB and what the Raiders paid for their newest fourth string WR. $21.75 million is the number that the Bengals and Smith/Keels are trying to bridge the gap on.

THAT IS A LOT OF MONEY!

Remember, picks three and four have yet to be signed. Normally, one could assume that they would be working their way down from the $62 million that the Rams paid the No. 2 pick in Jason Smith…but not this year, considering the No. 5 pick (Sanchez) is making only $2 million less than Jason Smith.

My point is this: There needs to be a rookie wage scale in place to prevent this type of situation from happening in the future. No matter what number you put in front of the word “million,” the rookies will sign it.

Remember, just several months ago they were college kids (I hesitate to use the word “student”).

How can the Jets justify paying Sanchez that much money without playing a single down in the NFL? $2 million less than the No. 2 overall pick? This leaves other teams in quite a bind and, in my opinion, it isn’t fair.

(On a side note…I hate the Jets. Not only are they screwing us in this situation, but they also took Darrelle Revis from us in the 2007 draft…THEN, just after I cooled down from the Revis selection, those bastards took David Harris from us in the second!)

Loss of WR Reggie Kelly Is Not So Bad for Cincinnati Bengals

Well. Well. Well. The sky is falling in Bengaldom because Reggie Kelly has been lost for the year.

While other blogs and respectable media outlets are panicking over the loss of Reggie Kelly, I am remaining calm and optimistic about our tight end situation.

Yes, Kelly was an irreplaceable leader in the huddle and a safety blanket for our offensive line’s shortcomings. Yes, Carson delivers flowers via the media to Reggie Kelly by talking about how awesome a teammate he is. Yes, Bob Bratkowski lost a big piece to the whip cream—err—protection pie.

But all it really amounts to is the loss of a 32-year-old blocking tight end that can barely run and has hands made of granite. A player from a different era. Great at what they ask him to do, but about as one-dimensional as a tackle-eligible.

Other teams around the league have been developing younger, more versatile tight ends (Steelers – Heath Miller, Texans – Owen Daniels, Seahawks – John Carlson, Vikings – Visanthe Shiancoe, Eagles – Brent Celek, and Bears – Greg Olson) while the Bengals sat complacent with Reggie Kelly for five seasons. Hence, my elation after the Chase Coffman steal.

The Bengals should have invested in a tight end to grow with Carson or signed a veteran receiving tight end in Carson’s first season as a starter. As the saying goes, “A tight end is a young quarterback’s best friend.” Alas, they settled on Matt Schobel and Kelly for a while and let Schobel move on to Philly to showcase his mediocrity.

Now Kelly’s career is arguably over and it’s up to the likes of Ben Utecht, Daniel “Don’t call me Ben” Coats, and Coffman. Forget Darius Hill. He’s in camp to fill the water bottles.

Call me crazy, but I am ready to trade the leadership and protection guaranteed by Kelly, with the pass-receiving skills of the best statistical college tight end ever. Here’s Coffman’s chance to develop into the next Jason Witten or Frank Wycheck (too much to ask?).

Maybe he won’t be able to block very well for a few seasons but that’s why a guy who would have been cut this training camp is suddenly very valuable. Daniel Coats.

Coats was a nice pickup as a college free agent from BYU and he already had a reputation as a blocker coming out of school. His first season he had time to develop more as a blocker. In his second season, he had an opportunity to develop his versatility playing fullback.

Toss a healthy Utecht into the tight end mix and while not proven, this group is capable of doing all the things Kelly could and many things he couldn’t do. All Brat has to do is be creative in the way he gets these guys on the field.

The long and short of it is this; while I respect everything Kelly has done for the Bengals as a leader, role model, and tenacious blocker, his presence atop the depth chart has stymied the Bengals efforts to find a formidable threat at tight end.

Now Coffman has a chance to prove this offense needed a tight end who could run and catch (Utecht has yet to combine the two…but he can sing). I think the rookie is going to sneak up on teams this season.

Is it possible Kelly’s Achilles tendon might have done this offense a favor? Oops, looks like someone just leveled the playing field.

P.S.—Ever notice how many players and coaches use the same lingo and praise for players when they go down with an injury as when a player tragically passes?

I know it’s a morbid comparison but the Kelly situation is a good example of this.

All these guys are talking about Kelly like they are never going to see him ever again.

The dude is 32. He could recover, he could not.

But when you’re as involved in the community as Reggie Kelly is you aren’t going to disappear after an injury like a wounded dog. I’d expect Reggie Kelly to continue to be a team and community leader even if he’s doing it on crutches from the sideline or with Doug Pelfrey in Fort Thomas.

Cincinnati Bengals Camp Opens

The Bengals opened camp at Georgetown College yesterday with Andre Smith unsigned, as expected.

The biggest cause for concern of the first two days is the lack of depth at corner. Rookie Morgan Trent is tentatively returning from a stress fracture in his foot and backup corner David Jones has been wearing a boot during the first two days of camp.

That leaves the starters Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph along with Geoff Pope (whose coverage is holy) and rookie free agent Rico (Suave) Murray. It wouldn’t be shocking to see them sign another corner within a few days or at least have a couple work outs.

According to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com, Carson Palmer didn’t participate in one of the practices today because of an illness. Call me skeptical. I believe his elbow is more balky than Marvin and company would like to admit.

On a sad note, this will be the first training camp I have missed since the 2005 star-struck episode of actually wishing Chris Perry “Good Luck”. Bleh. Michigan piece of shit.

Greetings from Beantown: A Transplanted Bengals Fan’s Perspective from Patsland

As you may or may not have noticed I (Bob) have been relatively quiet the last few weeks here on OMCW, but I am back and as re-energized about the Bengals as ever.

You see I have relocated to Boston to start a new career and in the process have begun a one-man siege of New England with Bengals pride. Yes, they laugh. Yes, I get angry. Yes, I Hulk Smash.

But constantly being around Patriots fans has given me a perspective and a hope I never thought I would gain from being around the Belichick believers. You see, the Patriots used to suck also.

The hardcore fans, who are easily identified by the excitement evoked by saying the names Ben Coates or Andre Tippett, have been through similar losing and hopelessness, and come out on the other side with three Superbowl victories.

The Pats have been through a thirteen-year playoff drought and an eight-year playoff drought. Also, before finding a fantastic owner in Bob Kraft and arguably the best active coach in Bill Belichick, the team was mismanaged, lacked a home stadium, shuffled out of Boston, and sold numerous times.

My point is that “real” Patriot fans have a great deal of sympathy for Bengals fans. They know what it is like to be a fan of a horrible franchise. They give me hope that one day we will be like them and have a legitimate dynasty to cheer on. But for now, they are one of the major obstacles standing in the way of number nine and company.

Go Bengals, screw the Patriots.

Daily Dose of drunken misfortune:

EMBED-Drunk Girl Smashes Her Face – Watch more free videos

Bengals Sign Sixth-Rounder

It’s a cryin’ shame. The Bengals signed another Michigan Wolverine.

According to Bengals.com, corner Morgan Trent and his agent are ready to sign a deal with the Bengals by tomorrow, and it’s believed Trent will be ready for training camp after suffering a stress fracture in his foot during the rookie minicamp.

Fitting that the first of the Bengals draftees to be signed will be the first to be cut. All bias aside, Trent is terrible. In covering OSU and Big Ten football for four years for The Lantern and The Big Ten Network I can tell you this was about as idiotic a pick can be in the sixth round.

Chad on Ghiaciuc

A while back I wrote an entry about how Bengal players and coaches would respond to former Bengals center Eric Ghiaciuc’s comments over Chad Ochocinco being a distraction. Now that Chad has returned from his off-season purgatory and learned of Ghiaciuc’s comments he had this retort:

“Ghiaciuc’s play was a distraction. Of all people to call me that,” Ochocinco said.

Alas, Chad has vindicated what I suspected was on the minds of all the players and coaches last season. The guy who has his hands on the ball every play was widely regarded by his peers as the last guy you would ever want touching the ball every play.

Now he’s Kansas City’s problem. I sympathize with their fans, Matt Cassel and Larry Johnson. Coach Todd Haley might realize he made a mistake by signing the 290-pound ragdoll when Matt Cassel is buried under a pile of humanity that arrived in the backfield the same time as the ball.

Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010