VD's preview: Cincinnati Bengals
- Thread starter Vegas Dave
- Start date
dawgball,
Not sure if you were referring to me or broondog, but I am not saying that the Bengals are going to set the world on fire and go to the playoffs. But with the changes that have taken place, I believe we will see a very different team that will reflect Marvin Lewis' work ethic and attention to detail. I still do not feel that 7-9 or 8-8 is out of the question.
:weed: :grins: :thumb:
Not sure if you were referring to me or broondog, but I am not saying that the Bengals are going to set the world on fire and go to the playoffs. But with the changes that have taken place, I believe we will see a very different team that will reflect Marvin Lewis' work ethic and attention to detail. I still do not feel that 7-9 or 8-8 is out of the question.
:weed: :grins: :thumb:
The only reason I keep pounding away on yesterday is because I don't really believe much has changed.
Everything sounds good on paper, but what is the reality? Are you guys being to optimistic or am I being too pessimistic? I think its safe to say that with this team's track record that you shouldn't believe anything has changed until you see it.
Everything sounds good on paper, but what is the reality? Are you guys being to optimistic or am I being too pessimistic? I think its safe to say that with this team's track record that you shouldn't believe anything has changed until you see it.
O.K. Vegas......You'r e right ,I hate the Bengals and will never root for them again!!! All I'm trying to get across to you is, you originally said you were trying to inform people of team's changes..personnel changes...and coaching changes. The Bengals organization has done all three and then some, Conditioning..weight room upgrades...a "new strength and conditioning coach...M.Lewis' focus on improved special teams...Gatorade for the players.Although they may seem small to most teams these are "MAJOR" changes for the Bengals.
Now, your point about M.Lewis being a somewhat last chance coach......one thing remains, you're right , M.Brown won't hire a G.M. so, why would M.Holmgren come? Why would B.Parcells come here? T.Coughlin seemed on the local news reports to feel the job was his:nono:
Again bud, not looking to have it out with you just responding to some misinformation to benefit all madjackers.
Also want to add, on your point , coaching changes in the past versus this coaching change...it used to be just the Head Coach would change, this time all coaches changed except Offensive Coordinator and that's cause M.Lewis chose to keep him.
Now, your point about M.Lewis being a somewhat last chance coach......one thing remains, you're right , M.Brown won't hire a G.M. so, why would M.Holmgren come? Why would B.Parcells come here? T.Coughlin seemed on the local news reports to feel the job was his:nono:
Again bud, not looking to have it out with you just responding to some misinformation to benefit all madjackers.
Also want to add, on your point , coaching changes in the past versus this coaching change...it used to be just the Head Coach would change, this time all coaches changed except Offensive Coordinator and that's cause M.Lewis chose to keep him.
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Vegas Dave,
You are right about not believing anything until you see it. You have not witnessed the change around the organization that someone who follows them has seen. I have seen the Bengals training camps and some mini-camps over the past decade, and none of them has looked like a true NFL camp. Players sitting idle, coaches that looked unorganized and poor utilization of practice time. The recent mini-camp was all about utilizing time and players were always on the move. This is a change that I have witnessed and is a major change from my vantage point. I will comment more about the changes taking place after I see the team in training camp. People have a right to be down on them. But, when I see real change, not a change on paper, I will not be oblivious to it.
Am I being too optimistic? I don't think I am. I am basing my opinion on changes that I have seen and not on the past. I for one will not be surprised if this team does well this year, 7-9 or 8-8. If they falter, I will be the first to admit that I was wrong.
I would like to point out one thing in your write-up:
] This team?s problem is not lack of talent, its lack of effort.
You were right on the money with that one. I don't know if you ever had the pleasure of seeing Dick Lebeau coach in person, but you were not missing anything. The man showed no fire, confidence or passion as a coach. Lewis glows with confidence and a passion for the game that has been noted by many former players who loved to play for the man. I don't think you will find any mention of that about Lebeau.
You are right about not believing anything until you see it. You have not witnessed the change around the organization that someone who follows them has seen. I have seen the Bengals training camps and some mini-camps over the past decade, and none of them has looked like a true NFL camp. Players sitting idle, coaches that looked unorganized and poor utilization of practice time. The recent mini-camp was all about utilizing time and players were always on the move. This is a change that I have witnessed and is a major change from my vantage point. I will comment more about the changes taking place after I see the team in training camp. People have a right to be down on them. But, when I see real change, not a change on paper, I will not be oblivious to it.
Am I being too optimistic? I don't think I am. I am basing my opinion on changes that I have seen and not on the past. I for one will not be surprised if this team does well this year, 7-9 or 8-8. If they falter, I will be the first to admit that I was wrong.
I would like to point out one thing in your write-up:
] This team?s problem is not lack of talent, its lack of effort.
You were right on the money with that one. I don't know if you ever had the pleasure of seeing Dick Lebeau coach in person, but you were not missing anything. The man showed no fire, confidence or passion as a coach. Lewis glows with confidence and a passion for the game that has been noted by many former players who loved to play for the man. I don't think you will find any mention of that about Lebeau.
I would normally post this in the Match-Up Forum, but it seemed to be appropriate for this discussion:
Time to get down to work
Bengals' Lewis settles into coaching mode
By Chick Ludwig
CINCINNATI ? As the most-sought after public speaker in the tri-state area, Marvin Lewis has given more than 30 speeches to civic groups and organizations since taking over the head coaching reins of the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 14.
In between all the engagements, he hired nine assistant coaches, overhauled the weight room, directed three minicamps, oversaw free agency and the draft, sent about a third of the players from the 2002 Bengals roster packing and moved his family from the Washington, D.C., area.
When he arrives back in town on July 18 from a much-needed Hilton Head Island, S.C., vacation, Lewis finally gets to concentrate on his No. 1 passion ? coaching.
The Bengals begin their first training camp under Lewis on July 27 when all players report to Georgetown (Ky.) College. Two-a-days start July 28 with practices the first week running from 8:45-11 a.m. and from 4-5:30 p.m., except the July 30 afternoon workout, which goes from 3-4 p.m.
Lewis wants to reward Cincinnati's long-suffering fans with the club's first winning season since 1990. If a 12-year playoff drought somehow ends this season, team president Mike Brown will look like a genius for taking a chance on the first-year head coach.
"Mike's biggest concern for me is to keep in perspective what my job is, and that's to win football games," said Lewis, the former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins. "He doesn't want me to get stretched too thin. I'm not. I know what I love to do is coach, and now we get a chance to do that.
"Every day when you get to walk on that field . . . that's the fun part of this job. To be with the players. Now we're to that point in the year. We're going to work and that's fun."
With all the changes that have taken place starting with Lewis' hiring ? he's only the second head coach from outside the Bengals' organization, and the first since Forrest Gregg was hired in 1980 ? this easily has been the most tumultuous offseason in franchise history.
"You walk in with your eyes open, so you know what the potential is here," Lewis said. "And you walk in with the excitement of knowing what's ahead of us in our future. There are going to be those times when people start questioning you. You've just got to try and handle it. You've got to take the bad with the good, but I'm confident there will be more good than bad.
"(Hall of Fame coach) Chuck Noll told me once on the golf course: ?Pressure is when you don't think you can make that putt.? That's the same thing with this. Pressure is when people think they know they can't do something.
"We can do everything we set out to do, and that is be a team that wins more games than they lose and has an opportunity to go to the playoffs and go forward and win a championship. Those are what our goals are."
What's the shelf life of a honeymoon for an NFL head coach?
"One regular-season game," Lewis said. "You don't have any more promise than that. That's what everybody here is pointing to. I've said it many times. There will be people with one foot in and one foot out with their cars running. We're going to push 'em over and get 'em with two feet in the stadium."
So mark your calendar ? Sept. 7 vs. Denver at Paul Brown Stadium ? and, if you're driving, let the idling in the parking lots begin.
Time to get down to work
Bengals' Lewis settles into coaching mode
By Chick Ludwig
CINCINNATI ? As the most-sought after public speaker in the tri-state area, Marvin Lewis has given more than 30 speeches to civic groups and organizations since taking over the head coaching reins of the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 14.
In between all the engagements, he hired nine assistant coaches, overhauled the weight room, directed three minicamps, oversaw free agency and the draft, sent about a third of the players from the 2002 Bengals roster packing and moved his family from the Washington, D.C., area.
When he arrives back in town on July 18 from a much-needed Hilton Head Island, S.C., vacation, Lewis finally gets to concentrate on his No. 1 passion ? coaching.
The Bengals begin their first training camp under Lewis on July 27 when all players report to Georgetown (Ky.) College. Two-a-days start July 28 with practices the first week running from 8:45-11 a.m. and from 4-5:30 p.m., except the July 30 afternoon workout, which goes from 3-4 p.m.
Lewis wants to reward Cincinnati's long-suffering fans with the club's first winning season since 1990. If a 12-year playoff drought somehow ends this season, team president Mike Brown will look like a genius for taking a chance on the first-year head coach.
"Mike's biggest concern for me is to keep in perspective what my job is, and that's to win football games," said Lewis, the former defensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins. "He doesn't want me to get stretched too thin. I'm not. I know what I love to do is coach, and now we get a chance to do that.
"Every day when you get to walk on that field . . . that's the fun part of this job. To be with the players. Now we're to that point in the year. We're going to work and that's fun."
With all the changes that have taken place starting with Lewis' hiring ? he's only the second head coach from outside the Bengals' organization, and the first since Forrest Gregg was hired in 1980 ? this easily has been the most tumultuous offseason in franchise history.
"You walk in with your eyes open, so you know what the potential is here," Lewis said. "And you walk in with the excitement of knowing what's ahead of us in our future. There are going to be those times when people start questioning you. You've just got to try and handle it. You've got to take the bad with the good, but I'm confident there will be more good than bad.
"(Hall of Fame coach) Chuck Noll told me once on the golf course: ?Pressure is when you don't think you can make that putt.? That's the same thing with this. Pressure is when people think they know they can't do something.
"We can do everything we set out to do, and that is be a team that wins more games than they lose and has an opportunity to go to the playoffs and go forward and win a championship. Those are what our goals are."
What's the shelf life of a honeymoon for an NFL head coach?
"One regular-season game," Lewis said. "You don't have any more promise than that. That's what everybody here is pointing to. I've said it many times. There will be people with one foot in and one foot out with their cars running. We're going to push 'em over and get 'em with two feet in the stadium."
So mark your calendar ? Sept. 7 vs. Denver at Paul Brown Stadium ? and, if you're driving, let the idling in the parking lots begin.
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For the Bengals fan sake, I hope you are right. I saw too much suffereing by the fans while I was there.
One thing Chick Ludwig should be shot for is saying that Mike Brown could look like a genius if Lewis works out. The only time that moron looked like a genius is when he conned the city in to paying for his brand new stadium for a perrenial losing franchise. I will never understand how that deal was pushed through.
Good luck this season. I will be watching with my skeptical-vison glasses on.
One thing Chick Ludwig should be shot for is saying that Mike Brown could look like a genius if Lewis works out. The only time that moron looked like a genius is when he conned the city in to paying for his brand new stadium for a perrenial losing franchise. I will never understand how that deal was pushed through.
Good luck this season. I will be watching with my skeptical-vison glasses on.
Here are a few excerpts from an interview conducted by Geoff Hobson and Marvin Lewis:
GH: People can say you lost one of your best defensive players when linebacker Takeo Spikes went to the Bills in free agency.
ML: I don?t know that. You can?t convince me one-tenth of that. We?ve a got better player in Brian Simmons, a better player in Kevin Hardy. A better player in Tory James. Three better players in Duane Clemons, Carl Powell, John Thornton up front in providing competition at every spot.
GH: By better player, you mean better than what was already here on defense?
ML: No question.
GH: Is Simmons better than Spikes on the outside?
ML: He?s going to be. He?s going to be. We?ve elevated the game. Look at what a guy like Jeff Burris has done at cornerback this offseason.
GH: Is it going to be a hard camp? Or do you pace it? What are you trying to accomplish at Georgetown from July 27 until Aug. 21?
ML: An attitude. When it comes to pushing and shoving, we?re going to be pushing and shoving. We?re going to be a team that physically knocks the hell out of the other team each and every day we can. We don?t have to do that every day to each other in training camp. But there are times we have to. We have to establish the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football and once we?ve got it, never give it away.
GH: I imagine you?ll talk a lot about the fourth quarter.
ML: Let?s expect to win the game in the fourth quarter. Let?s not be afraid to win the game in the fourth quarter. Let?s walk down that road. Once we do it, then the second time and third time and so on, it will get easier. We expect to win in the fourth quarter. That?s the way we attack the game. When the game gets to the fourth quarter, we expect to put the hammer down and knock a hole right in the back of somebody?s head.
GH: People can say you lost one of your best defensive players when linebacker Takeo Spikes went to the Bills in free agency.
ML: I don?t know that. You can?t convince me one-tenth of that. We?ve a got better player in Brian Simmons, a better player in Kevin Hardy. A better player in Tory James. Three better players in Duane Clemons, Carl Powell, John Thornton up front in providing competition at every spot.
GH: By better player, you mean better than what was already here on defense?
ML: No question.
GH: Is Simmons better than Spikes on the outside?
ML: He?s going to be. He?s going to be. We?ve elevated the game. Look at what a guy like Jeff Burris has done at cornerback this offseason.
GH: Is it going to be a hard camp? Or do you pace it? What are you trying to accomplish at Georgetown from July 27 until Aug. 21?
ML: An attitude. When it comes to pushing and shoving, we?re going to be pushing and shoving. We?re going to be a team that physically knocks the hell out of the other team each and every day we can. We don?t have to do that every day to each other in training camp. But there are times we have to. We have to establish the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football and once we?ve got it, never give it away.
GH: I imagine you?ll talk a lot about the fourth quarter.
ML: Let?s expect to win the game in the fourth quarter. Let?s not be afraid to win the game in the fourth quarter. Let?s walk down that road. Once we do it, then the second time and third time and so on, it will get easier. We expect to win in the fourth quarter. That?s the way we attack the game. When the game gets to the fourth quarter, we expect to put the hammer down and knock a hole right in the back of somebody?s head.
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broondog--I don't think anybody here has said nothing has changed. I just think that you are looking at through rose-colored glasses. I've heard that spiel out of every coach in the country. What coach is going to say that they are not looking to win games in the fourth quarter during pre-season. That's their job.
Is this the way most coaches would answer?
GH: I imagine you?ll talk a lot about the fourth quarter.
OC (other coach): No. We actually are not that physical of a team. Our tanks will probably run dry mid-third quarter, so this training camp we are focusing on building a big lead. That way when the other team is dominating the trenches on us, we can just sit back and point at the scoreboard.
NOTE: I am just busting your balls. Good luck this season.
Is this the way most coaches would answer?
GH: I imagine you?ll talk a lot about the fourth quarter.
OC (other coach): No. We actually are not that physical of a team. Our tanks will probably run dry mid-third quarter, so this training camp we are focusing on building a big lead. That way when the other team is dominating the trenches on us, we can just sit back and point at the scoreboard.
NOTE: I am just busting your balls. Good luck this season.
:lol2 :lol2
No dawgball, you got it all wrong, this is how most coaches would answer:
GH: People can say you lost one of your best defensive players when linebacker Takeo Spikes went to the Bills in free agency.
ML: Yup. I would be one of those people saying that, as a matter of fact that is my exact quote.
GH: Is Simmons better than Spikes on the outside?
ML: No, are you stoned? I just told you Spikes was are best player.
GH: Is it going to be a hard camp? Or do you pace it? What are you trying to accomplish at Georgetown from July 27 until Aug. 21?
ML: An attitude. When it comes to pushing and shoving, we?re going to be pushing and shoving and kicking and screaming. Pulling hair if necessary. I've encouraged the team to take more penalties to show that we are not weak. Training camp starts on the 27th? I told the guys it was August 1st.
GH: I imagine you?ll talk a lot about the fourth quarter.
ML: What about the fourth quarter?
P.S. All in good humor, hope no one is offended.
:lol2 No dawgball, you got it all wrong, this is how most coaches would answer:
GH: People can say you lost one of your best defensive players when linebacker Takeo Spikes went to the Bills in free agency.
ML: Yup. I would be one of those people saying that, as a matter of fact that is my exact quote.
GH: Is Simmons better than Spikes on the outside?
ML: No, are you stoned? I just told you Spikes was are best player.
GH: Is it going to be a hard camp? Or do you pace it? What are you trying to accomplish at Georgetown from July 27 until Aug. 21?
ML: An attitude. When it comes to pushing and shoving, we?re going to be pushing and shoving and kicking and screaming. Pulling hair if necessary. I've encouraged the team to take more penalties to show that we are not weak. Training camp starts on the 27th? I told the guys it was August 1st.
GH: I imagine you?ll talk a lot about the fourth quarter.
ML: What about the fourth quarter?
P.S. All in good humor, hope no one is offended.
No offense taken. I know that we all make comments about this team and that player and some on the board are pretty good at evaluating all this information. But, I think I would definitely take note of Marvin Lewis' comments about Simmons being better on the outside than Spikes. Spikes got to be known for his emotion while Simmins quietly made plays. Simmons speed will finally be utilized on the outside and is in a better position to realize his full potential as a LB. Lewis seems to have a pretty good track record of evaluating defensive talent :nutkick
I expect all of the bashing on the Bengals and it is well deserved because of their record over the past decade. I believe it is all in good fun and would love to see the Bengals turn it around and become respectable in the eyes of fans.
:nutkick I expect all of the bashing on the Bengals and it is well deserved because of their record over the past decade. I believe it is all in good fun and would love to see the Bengals turn it around and become respectable in the eyes of fans.
I would love to see the Bengals have a good year as well. Not under Kitna though. If Palmer started then I would wish the best for this team, but with Kitna, me and him have a personal vendetta.
My joke was just referring to the point that the Bengals are saying all the right things. Like Dawgball said, what are they really supposed to say?
Simmons is a very good linebacker. I didn't really talk about him much but he is really underrated. It took people a while to realize who Takeo Spikes was, that's probably why it's taking so long for Simmons to come out. That being said, I don't think he is as good as Takeo yet, he definitely has the potential, and will most likely prove it this year, but as of now he still has a bit of work to do.
The Bengals are making the right moves, and saying the right things, I've never argued that. I think the discrepancy that we have is that some of us believe the moves will have an impact, and some of believe its just the same old, same old.
Like I said no NFL season is complete without a chapter from the Bengals.
My joke was just referring to the point that the Bengals are saying all the right things. Like Dawgball said, what are they really supposed to say?
Simmons is a very good linebacker. I didn't really talk about him much but he is really underrated. It took people a while to realize who Takeo Spikes was, that's probably why it's taking so long for Simmons to come out. That being said, I don't think he is as good as Takeo yet, he definitely has the potential, and will most likely prove it this year, but as of now he still has a bit of work to do.
The Bengals are making the right moves, and saying the right things, I've never argued that. I think the discrepancy that we have is that some of us believe the moves will have an impact, and some of believe its just the same old, same old.
Like I said no NFL season is complete without a chapter from the Bengals.
Personal vendetta with Kitna? :shrug:
I don't think Kitna is the long term answer at QB either. But, I do believe they are doing the right thing by bringing Palmer along slowly and not throwing him to the wolves right off the bat. Only QB I can think of that was successful as a rookie was Marino and I don't think Palmer is in the class of Marino.
I don't think Kitna is the long term answer at QB either. But, I do believe they are doing the right thing by bringing Palmer along slowly and not throwing him to the wolves right off the bat. Only QB I can think of that was successful as a rookie was Marino and I don't think Palmer is in the class of Marino.
Just to clarify, I just really hate Kitna. This guy can BARELY get the job done and I mean literally. He just makes bad decisions in critical points of a game, and he's just one of those guys that bad things seem to happen too. Every now and then he'll throw a nice pass with some zip on it, or he'll lead a nice drive but he is very inconsistent.
Know what I mean?
The only reason he's playing for Cincy is because they have nobody better, and they don't want to throw Palmer into the fire (which is a good decision).
Maybe I'm exaggerating a little but I don't think Kitna lead a team to success.
Know what I mean?
The only reason he's playing for Cincy is because they have nobody better, and they don't want to throw Palmer into the fire (which is a good decision).
Maybe I'm exaggerating a little but I don't think Kitna lead a team to success.
I don't think the Bengals are wanting Kitna to carry the offense on his shoulders this year. He has made mistakes at critical times of past games, that is a fact. Corey Dillon is the centerpiece of this offense and I think you will see him used more in passing situations this year. Kitna definitely needs to be more consistent for the Bengals to be successful with him as QB.
One thing that has hampered all Bengals QB's of recent memory is uncertainty. The coaching staff went out of their way to make all the QB's on the roster unsure of their status and throw in the likes of Ken Anderson as QB's coach and that made it even worse. At least Lewis has tried to stabilize the situation by already naming Kitna as his starter.
One thing that has hampered all Bengals QB's of recent memory is uncertainty. The coaching staff went out of their way to make all the QB's on the roster unsure of their status and throw in the likes of Ken Anderson as QB's coach and that made it even worse. At least Lewis has tried to stabilize the situation by already naming Kitna as his starter.
Well I'll keep the good conversation going.....
You might use the word uncertainty, I'd prefer to use the word competition. The Bengals have not had a solid quarterback for years so they coaching staff has tried to get the QB's to compete so that maybe one of them will overachieve. Instead what has happened is that they have all (most of them) disappointed the staff, and the team, so the starter is chosen to be the one who will do the least damage. It's good that Kitna know's he's the starter, but for how long? He knows that he's not the long term answer, and he knows that he might not finish this year if he struggles.
Dillon should be the centerpiece of this offense, and generally speaking the team succeeds or fails based upon him, but the problem is that he is consistently running with 7 or 8 men in the box. Teams would rather Kitna try to beat them through the air than have Dillon beat them on the ground. Getting him involved in the passing game should help
You might use the word uncertainty, I'd prefer to use the word competition. The Bengals have not had a solid quarterback for years so they coaching staff has tried to get the QB's to compete so that maybe one of them will overachieve. Instead what has happened is that they have all (most of them) disappointed the staff, and the team, so the starter is chosen to be the one who will do the least damage. It's good that Kitna know's he's the starter, but for how long? He knows that he's not the long term answer, and he knows that he might not finish this year if he struggles.
Dillon should be the centerpiece of this offense, and generally speaking the team succeeds or fails based upon him, but the problem is that he is consistently running with 7 or 8 men in the box. Teams would rather Kitna try to beat them through the air than have Dillon beat them on the ground. Getting him involved in the passing game should help
It is true the Bengals have not had a solid QB since Boomer retired, but the previous coaching staffs and maybe some influence from the front office made the situation worse than it should have been. Lebeau named Gus the starter last year, even though he had been outplayed in the preseason by both Akili and Kitna. I think this may have been due to pressure from Mike Brown. He had signed Gus thinking he was better than what they had at QB, but he was not up to speed with the offense. I am still not defending Kitna, because I can't wait to see how well Palmer performs. But, the previous coaching staffs were not exactly geared towards developing a young QB and were very undecisive about who should have started during the season.
I agree with your point on the team going as far as Corey takes them this season, although he has a very capable backup in Rudi Johnson. A few things should help with the problem of opposing teams stacking the line against Dillon. The addition of Reggie Kelly at TE from the Falcons. He is known for his blocking ability and should definitely help their red zone offense. Also at TE is the development of Matt Schoebel as a receiving threat, he is arguably developing into the best receiving TE threat that they have had in years. The development of Chad Johnson and the addition of Kelley Washington through the draft, also Peter Warrick is said to be in the best condition since he has been with the team and looked pretty good in workouts and mini camp. The addition of Erich Steinbach, if he signs before camp starts, to the OL. He adds youth and agrresiveness to the line. The line will also benefit from Levi Jones getting another training camp under his belt. He was definitely impressive as a rookie and is a nice complement at OT to Willie Anderson.
I must emphasize that the biggest improvement for this team was the coaching staff. Comments are made about players not performing, conditioning, QBs struggling and the amount of talent this team has accumulated through the draft, but the fact is that this team has not had a competent coaching staff since Wyche left. This organization made the best move of recent memory when it let go last years coaching staff and hired Lewis from outside the organization. He was able to bring in coaches he wanted instead of the retreads, aka Ken Anderson and Kim Wood, from previous staffs.
I agree with your point on the team going as far as Corey takes them this season, although he has a very capable backup in Rudi Johnson. A few things should help with the problem of opposing teams stacking the line against Dillon. The addition of Reggie Kelly at TE from the Falcons. He is known for his blocking ability and should definitely help their red zone offense. Also at TE is the development of Matt Schoebel as a receiving threat, he is arguably developing into the best receiving TE threat that they have had in years. The development of Chad Johnson and the addition of Kelley Washington through the draft, also Peter Warrick is said to be in the best condition since he has been with the team and looked pretty good in workouts and mini camp. The addition of Erich Steinbach, if he signs before camp starts, to the OL. He adds youth and agrresiveness to the line. The line will also benefit from Levi Jones getting another training camp under his belt. He was definitely impressive as a rookie and is a nice complement at OT to Willie Anderson.
I must emphasize that the biggest improvement for this team was the coaching staff. Comments are made about players not performing, conditioning, QBs struggling and the amount of talent this team has accumulated through the draft, but the fact is that this team has not had a competent coaching staff since Wyche left. This organization made the best move of recent memory when it let go last years coaching staff and hired Lewis from outside the organization. He was able to bring in coaches he wanted instead of the retreads, aka Ken Anderson and Kim Wood, from previous staffs.
Good stuff, what are your thoughts on Akili Smith?
You follow the team closer, and if you were to blame coaching, then wouldn't you say he still has a chance to be good? From what I've seen, I think that he has talent but he is very raw. I think that goes hand in hand with your comments on how poorly the QB's were coached. What I noticed is the same thing. The times that he played he looked like a first-game rookie, most likely because he didn't have a mentor or a coach to help him along. I think he landed in Green Bay, and that could be a very good learning ground for him to study and mature behind Favre.
Just curious what you saw.
You follow the team closer, and if you were to blame coaching, then wouldn't you say he still has a chance to be good? From what I've seen, I think that he has talent but he is very raw. I think that goes hand in hand with your comments on how poorly the QB's were coached. What I noticed is the same thing. The times that he played he looked like a first-game rookie, most likely because he didn't have a mentor or a coach to help him along. I think he landed in Green Bay, and that could be a very good learning ground for him to study and mature behind Favre.
Just curious what you saw.
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I think Akili Smith has the physical tools to be a good QB. Akili is very athletic and his athleticism was not used in Cincy. Ken Anderson was a great drop back QB during his career. One of the problems he has as a coach is that he tries to make the QB's under his direction into drop back passers, even if it doesn't fit their physical skills. Take for example, Jeff Blake. He came out of nowhere in Cincy and went to the Pro-Bowl only to have Anderson try to develop him into a drop back passer. Anderson, obviously, didn't take into account Blakes height in his coaching process. He could not make reads or see plays develop over the middle like he could when he rolled out. The same was true with Akili. Akili could use his athleticism to make plays, but they wanted him to stay in the pocket. Akili is in a great situation in Green Bay behind Favre. If he makes the team, he will have the chance to, hopefully, develop the mental aspect of the game behind one of the best.
The only person that might suffer in their development as a player from the Bengals cutting loose Ken Anderson is Byron Leftwich. He is now Jacksonville's QB coach. Granted he will be able to learn under Brunnell, but for how long?
:shrug:
The only person that might suffer in their development as a player from the Bengals cutting loose Ken Anderson is Byron Leftwich. He is now Jacksonville's QB coach. Granted he will be able to learn under Brunnell, but for how long?
:shrug:
