WhoDeyRevolution

D-Line or Bust

As the Bengals prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft a lot of people out in Bengaldom are trying to guess just who they will pick with the #9 overall spot.  Unfortunately for the Bengals, it looks like the handful of blue chip prospects who would match our need will be long gone when we pick.  Virtually every mock draft and "guru" out there agrees that Chris Long (DE), Vernon Gholston (DE), Glen Dorsey (DT), and Sedrick Ellis (DT) will get snatched up before we pick.  So the natural inclination might be to take the "best available" on the board, regardless of position.  This could be potentially disastrous for the Orange and Black when you consider both last year's performance and the likely outcome of free agency.

Consider this: the Bengals finished DEAD LAST in team sacks last year with just 22--a full 16 of those coming against the powerhouse teams of the Ravens (4), Chiefs (5), Jets (2), 49ers (2), and Cardinals (3).  Not good.  Just how important is getting the the QB?  The top two teams in total sacks last year were the Giants (53) and the Patriots (47)--but they only went to the Super Bowl.

Add to those sad, sad statistics the fact that our "high-motor" RDE Justin "Bustin" Smith is gone via free agency, and it's safe to say our D-Line has problems (not the least of which is finishing 27th in total defense).  Overall, Marvin Lewis--whose one-time moniker of "defensive genius" is now just a punchline--has simply never gotten the job done on defense in his tenure with the Bengals.  This is unacceptable, and it's really the at the crux of why we here at whodeyrevolution are up in arms with this squad.

When the NFL Draft rolls around on April 26th, we would like to see the Bengals brass do something out of the ordinary: make some gutsy calls.  Now, personally, I don't equate taking a RB in the 1st round with being gutsy.  What I'd like to see is a little imagination, in much the same way as the Browns got their guys last year and the way Dallas seems to get their guys every year.  If we are unable to trade up to grab a solid defensive lineman, why not trade down out of the #9 spot and go after several players in the late first and early second round? 

According to the infamous NFL Draft Value Chart, where picks are assigned a number value, a #9 pick is worth 1400 points.  That is equivalent to (generally) a low 1st round pick plus a high second and low third round pick. (Example: pick #24 plus pick #37 plus pick # 95 = 740+540+120 = 1400).  With an abundance of players below the first tier who fit the Bengals' needs, this could be a great option.

Now of course, you could argue that these players are not likely to make an impact.  Well, no draft pick is a sure thing (ahem, Kijana, Big Daddy, Akili...).  But, getting guys a little lower in the draft can be a good way to protect the salary cap and keep your team afloat in the coming years.  As bad as the Bengals have been at the top of the draft, they have generally been able to find value in the middle rounds.  Why not play to your strengths and go after three or four guys instead of banking on one or two? 

There appear to be a lot of guys who can provide value on the D-line, including a few big run-stuffer/nose tackle types like Pat Sims of Auburn, Frank Okam of Texas, and Dre Moore of Maryland.  Then there are a host of speed-rusher type guys like Quentin Groves of Auburn and Cliff Avril of Purdue.  Even if one or two of these guys doesn't pan out, you're still spreading things around a bit and giving more guys a chance to emerge rather than (supposedly) playing it safe and putting up huge money for a guy who might not be able to stay healthy long enough for us to realize he sucks...use your imagination on that one.

I leave you with this thought, for those who still think we could select a TE or OT in the first round: last year, TJ Houshmandzadeh finished the season with more tackles (8) than our starting MLB Ahmad Brooks (6).  If you don't think it's time to change things up, you probably still think we'll find WMD's in Iraq.

O-Line Reshuffling?

As reported on Bengals.com, Marvin Lewis has suggested that Stacy Andrews will have a chance to start next year, which is either a reaction to--or pseudo-validation of--the recent move to put the franchise tag on the big man.  The question is, whose job would he take?  Andrews has most of his starts at RT in place of the aging Willie Anderson, but Anderson reports that he is now 100% healthy.  Of course, this could be posturing on his part, but it would seem unlikely that the Bengals would bench Anderson after dropping a big contract on him last year. 

One of the rumors floating around is that Eric Ghiaciuc will get benched in favor of Andrews.  One theory is that the Bengals will move RG Bobbie Williams--who has quietly been a rock on the right side--over to center, and keep a line-up of Levi Jones, Andrew Whitworth, Bobbie Williams, Stacy Andrews, and Willie Anderson.  Reports last year indicated that Bobbie Williams often made line calls in place of the fledgling Ghiaciuc, so they feel confident that he can provide the mental acuity generally required at the offensive center position.

The really intriguing part of this is what it could mean for the running game.  Listed at 300 lbs. on the depth chart, Ghiaciuc is by far the lightest offensive lineman.  Replacing him with the massive 342-lbs. Andrews would mean that our offensive line's average weight (according to the roster) would go from 326 lbs to a preposterous 335 lbs.  Now, I know 10 lbs doesn't sound like a lot, but that's spread out over five lineman, and in a power running game, 10 lbs is huge.  In fact, I would wager that an average weight of 335 lbs. stands as one of the largest offensive lines in NFL history (by contrast, at their heaviest the 1984 Redskins offensive line, nicknamed "The Hogs," weighed in at a now-pedestrian 285 lbs. on average.  Oh, the joys of steroids).

Of course, the question remains as to whether Bobbie Williams--whose gut has its own gravitational field--could ever be nimble enough to play center.  Time will tell, but if Marvin does decide to go with the All-Fatman lineup, here's to hoping that Rudi J. regains a little of his old power running form.

PS An interesting side note, the Bengals report that RB Rudi Johnson is currently in an offseason program to regain some of the weight he lost prior to last year, when he dropped from a previous playing weight of about 225 to 218 lbs.  It seems Marvin may have been very serious about rejuvenating the power running game.

Andrews Move

Quick reaction to the move to tag Stacy Andrews. Clearly this is not the final move that will be made on the line. Even the Bengals aren't stupid enough to pay 7.5M to a guy who won't start. They had to use the tag by Thursday or they would lose it...just think of it as a long layaway program so the Bengals can try and hammer out something long-term before July 15th.

The other thing to consider is the farewell of Willie Anderson. Back in 05, the Bengals had a decision to make. They had Levi Jones, Eric Steinbach, and Willie Anderson. They couldn't sign all three. Plus, in the wake of the Steve Hutchinson deal, Steinbach wanted tackle money. After Levi locked up Dwight Freeney in the shootout loss to the Colts in November of 05, the Bengals figured he was worth the investment at left tackle. I have no problem with that move...he was a stud in 05. So now it's down to Willie and Steinbach. Being the loyal man that he is, Mike Brown chose Willie over wisdom. The Bengals signed Willie to a huge long-term deal, and essentially Steinbach was a dead man walking in 06. The only problem I have with that is: Willie was much older, and Steinbach could play any position on the line, and play them above average. Maybe Steinbach was a guard by trade, but you could (and the Bengals did) plug him in at either tackle or even center and Steinbach was very good. Hindsight is 20/20, but the Bengals blew it there. Again, they had a problem with identifying players whose time had come and gone.

My prediction? They announce they are cutting Willie at some point...and then they hammer out a long-term deal with Andrews for something in the 4.5-5.5M per year range over 5 years. So now the line looks something like: Jones, Whitworth, Ghiachic, Williams, Andrews. If everyone can stay healthy and if Ghiachic can get it together mentally...could be a solid line.

What the Stacy Andrews Tag Says About the Bengals

In a matter of a few hours, I’ve managed to make a complete 180 on my opinion of the Stacy Andrews franchise tag.  I admit it—at first I thought this was a savvy move, locking up a proven backup and providing a little insurance should one of our lineman go down.  And maybe it will pan out this way—no question we’ve lost some key lineman to injury over the last two years, with Big Willie, Levi Jones, and Richie “We Should Have Treated You Better” Braham.

But, what the Stacy Andrews franchise tag is, at its core, is yet another statement by this franchise that they have given up.  Thrown in the towel.  They are waiving their arms in the air and running around as if the sky is falling.

Instead of using the nearly $8 Million being offered to (wasted on) Stacy Andrews to sign a free agent, we’re going with what we know.  And what we know is that Stacy Andrews has started only 17 games in 4 years—hardly worth the $441 K he’ll be making per game (according to Geoff Hobson of bengals.com). 

Now, the party line says that “free agency never solves any problems—you just end up paying a guy too much.”  Really?  Tell that to the Patriots.  And yeah, the Bengals may not have the cache, winning records, Super Bowls, coaching, front office…uh, where was I?  Oh yeah, the Bengals aren’t the Pats and may not get superstars at bargain rates, but they have money to spend this free agency period.  In fact, at $31.45 Million under the cap, the Bengals rank 7th in the NFL in terms of most money to spend.

And how about this: trading Chad Johnson would cost us $8 Million in dead cap money.  But there have been dozens of reports—even on NFL Network—that teams such as the Redskins are interested in trading for Chad.  And one NFL front office man even stated that Chad would probably be worth a 1st Round plus a second or third round pick. 

So, instead of paying $8 Million for a BACKUP tackle, why not GROW SOME BALLS and try to do a little wheeling and dealing?  Either way, you’re out $8 Million.  And while you can argue that Chad is one of the top 3 WR’s in the league, you can’t tell me after his whining all off-season that you wouldn’t be curious to see what we could get with two 1st round picks and possibly two 2nd Round picks.  The Bengals don't seem too curious--they're too busy trying not to screw it all up...again.

So, while I admit I made full 180 on my earlier sentiments—and no doubt my friends will give me shit—maybe it’s time the Bengals finally did a full 180 on their front office moves.  If not, it’s high time we all give THEM shit!!!

Who Dey, Steve

Bengals Mock Draft

Greetings Bengals’ Nation! In my inaugural post (many, many more to come) I will be providing a bit of insight into our upcoming draft. To start, I’m going to give my top 9 Mock Draft to explain all the possible ways we will blow this pick. I’m only going to #9 ‘cause that’s where we pick, until Marvin decides to trade that pick for a ham sandwich—which may actually bolster our D-line better than any of the players he’s chosen thus far.

#1 Dolphins – Chris Long, DE, Virginia

Most draft “gurus” out there think this will be Glen Dorsey. No way. I will seriously bet any of the five readers out there that Dorsey will not be the first pick. A quick look at Bill Parcells’ entire draft history in round 1 (seriously, I looked) shows that he has never, in 20 years as head coach, selected a DT 1^st round.

Chris Long is a perfect fit because he’s not only the son of NFL icon Howie Long, he’s also a great player and a safe bet. Think Justin Smith…except with talent (side note: can you believe “Bustin” 2.5-sack-Smith was #4 overall!) Parcells could surprise and go with Matt Ryan, QB from BC, but I think it’s between those two. Remember this: football is a business, and the Dolphins were one shitty Ravens team away from going 0-16!!! You can bet that owner Wayne Huizenga wants to fill some seats, and you do that with flash (normally DE is not flashy, but he’s Howie’s kid. Poor guy.)

#2 Rams – Jake Long, OT, Michigan

In all seriousness, the Rams could make the playoffs next year. Granted, their division matches up with the NFC East, but I still think they can win the NFC West. Even the Bengals were not as injury-prone as these clowns last year. Orlando Pace is getting rickety, and they need to stabilize the O-line. I know the prevailing wisdom is that they want to pair a D-lineman with last year’s 1^st Rounder Adam Carikker, but I don’t think they will. Why? They have freaking Steven Jackson!

The key to winning games in St. Louis in the modern era has and will continue to be through the offense. Bulger is overrated (or at least he was), but he’s a solid, mid-tier QB, and Jackson—when healthy—is all-world. This should be a no-brainer. If the Dolphins surprise and take Jake Long at #1, this pick is either Glenn Dorsey or Chris Long—but I have a feeling both Long’s are going #1-2.

#3 Falcons – Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College

Come on. Really? You don’t see this? Ever heard of Michael Vick? Ryan is the antithesis of Vick—he’s a pocket passer, a pure (Carson-esque) QB, and he doesn’t murder dogs. In the four plays I’ve seen of him on continuous loop on the NFL network , he completed all 4 passes—not only that, three were for TDs! That’s a QB rating of 158.3! Seriously though, he’s the total package for Atlanta—squeaky clean and sells tickets for a franchise that desperately needs both.

#4 Raiders – Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

I’m going with the flow on this one. Al Davis is crazy, but since he just picked up JaMarcus Russell last year, it would seem somewhat logical to pair Russell with a playmaker. I see McFadden becoming the next Reggie Bush—a guy who might ring up some big plays, but will never be the type of every-down back you want on your team. The bottom line is that when you watch the tape, McFadden is amazing at getting through holes and making guys miss. But those holes close quickly in the NFL, and he is not very impressive after contact.

Glenn Dorsey would be an option here—and the more sensible Lane Kiffen might opt for him—but this is still Al Davis’ show. I think consensus is right on this one and McFadden will be the pick unless Jerry Jones does something stupid and trades up (much more likely to happen here than at #1, which would cost a team the ridiculous sum of $30 Million in guaranteed money).

#5 Chiefs – Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU

It should be noted here that picks 3, 4, 5 have yet to be decided by a series of coin flips between the Falcons, Raiders, and Chiefs. However, I don’t think it will impact the choices much given the needs of the three teams and the players left on the board. If Jake Long is around he definitely makes sense since the Chiefs once high-powered running game is about as good as the Bengals’ gimpy running game these days. Ryan Clady, OT from Boise St. is also a definite possibility.

However, Herm Edwards is a defensive-minded coach, and although the QB situation is still shaky, the run D needs some help (particularly if they lose sack leader Jared Allen to FA, which is unlikely since he will almost certain get the franchise tag). I think Dorsey falls to them here, and they can’t pass up on his value.

 
#6 Jets – Sedrick Ellis, DE, USC

And now it gets tough for the Bengals. Sedrick Ellis is probably my favorite player in this draft. I watched every practice and snap of the Senior Bowl, and he was an absolute stud the entire time. More than that, in his interviews you can tell this guy just wants to play football. Some of the highlights floating around out there for this kid are ridiculous—it should be illegal for a man of his size to be so athletic. The early thinking was that he might be too small to play nose in a 3-4, but after weighing in at 308 lbs. at the Senior Bowl, you can bet he’s got people thinking he can play 3-technique.

The Jets finished 29^th in total rush defensive last year and 25^th in team sacks, so Ellis would certainly fill a need on both fronts. DE and OT also make sense here, so Vernon Gholston and Ryan Clady are options, but Ellis is too good a value to pass up.

 
#7 – Cheaters (Patriots), Keith Rivers, LB, USC

This is a tough one, because the Patriots could go in a couple directions largely based on who leaves in the next couple months. Asante Samuel is gone via FA, that seems obvious. Belichick just doesn’t pay a lot for DB’s—he’s gotten by on guys like Hank Poteat and Ashley Ambrose for crying out loud! Belichick, unlike Marvin Lewis and Mike Brown, understands that defensive scheme and guys that play well in that scheme are more important than having high-priced athletes. NFL WRs are going to get open eventually, so it starts upfront with pressuring the QB.

That said, Vernon Gholston is a serious consideration here, but has less of a proven resume than Rivers. Both Seau and Bruschi could potentially retire (I’m not sure either will), but even so the Pats need a little youth at LB, and Rivers is a proven player who worked in an NFL-type system at USC, so he’s the guy.

 
#8 – Ravens, Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State

I think Ogden will retire this year. I know there are reports that he will return, but it’s just a gut feeling. Clady will not be as good as Ogden (few ever were), but he’s massive and can give the Ravens more stability as they try to revamp the offense. Brian Brohm, QB from Louisville, is a definite possibility here—in fact, I almost want to pick him—but to me he seems similar to what they already have in Kyle Boller (seriously, when Boller came out of college, who would you pick between these two?) This is a boring but safe pick for a new head coach, so we’ll see what he does. Regardless, I don’t think the Ravens will pick D given the sad state of the offense. My money is on OT or QB.

#9 Bengals, Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio St.

Replacement for/upgrade over Justin Smith. Now we get to the details. It looks like Odell will be back, but it’s tough to tell what that means. Pollack is done—I don’t care if he decides he’s coming back, he will not last (I love the guy, but a neck fracture is far too serious to fool around with). Gholston gives the Bengals a few options—he’s a prototypical 4-3 rush end, but if they do decide to go to a 3-4, he could definitely move back to OLB along with Geathers. However, this begs the question of who would play the line?

Peko is the obvious choice for nose, unless they draft someone for that position (Red Bryant?) Fanene has prototypical size for a 3-4 end, and he would probably be paired with Robinson or Frostee Rucker. That would leave Thurman and Brooks in the middle, Geathers and Gholston on the outside, with help from (probably) Dhani Jones, Eric Handerson, and maybe Landon Johnson. Personally I think Landon will be snatched up in FA, which is a shame.

But all of this is moot until the draft. The other options here could be Derrick Harvey or Phillip Merling, both DE’s, Harvey a better fit for a 4-3 and Merling a better fit for a 3-4. If Ellis, Dorsey, Chris Long, Jake Long, Rivers, and Gholston are all gone, don’t be surprised if Marvin goes after an OT like Clady.

Dark Horses

Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami

Calais Campbell,DE, Miami
Kentwan Balmer, DT, UNC
Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

Seriously, I wouldn’t put it past this crew to select a RB.  Phillips is contingent on Madieu leaving via FA, and Campbell and Balmer are boom-or-bust prospects. The last option, of course, is that we trade down. I could see Marvin doing this and targeting a LB, DE/DT, and a TE. In a dream scenario, we get either Ellis or Dorsey, but it seems very unlikely.

So, to recap, in my opinion there will be six players off the board when we pick: 

Off-The-Board

Chris Long, DE

Jake Long, OT

Glenn Dorsey, DT

Sedrick Ellis, DT

Darren McFadden, RB

Keith Rivers, OLB or Vernon Gholston (one or the other)

We are in a prime position for a boom-or-bust pick. My bet is it will be either Vernon Gholston or Keith Rivers. We’ll see how it plays out. More to come following the NFL Scouting Combine.

Who Dey Revolution Manifesto

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

The year was 1991.  The Bengals had just completed their second trip to the playoffs in three years, losing to LA Raiders in the Divisional Round.  Hopes were high for another run to the post-season, with Boomer Esiason under center, a young defense that was aggressive and opportunistic, and a fiery coach named Sam Wyche who was at the forefront of offensive innovation.  Then on August 5, everything changed.   The Godfather of the modern era in pro football, Paul Brown, passed away at age 82, clearing the road for his son Mike to take the reins.  Since then, the Bengals have had five head coaches, nearly two decades of heartbreak, and exactly zero playoff triumphs.  Although there was a (arguably tortuous) glimmer of light in 2005, the State of the Bengals Fan is more depressing than it has ever been.  Anyone can point out the problems, but few have a plan of attack to solve what has ailed the Bengals for half a generation.  Here are my six ways to fix the Orange and Black:

1.  Commitment to Win a Super Bowl (at all costs) – Sounds simple enough, right?  For the Bengals, it’s a little more complicated than that.  The Bengals are like a fat person who wants to lose weight.  Ask a fat person if they want to get skinny?  They say, of course I do.  Now, if you tell them that will mean drastically altering their diet, a lot of intense exercise, and basically changing their entire lifestyle…then they start to think a little harder.  It’s clear whatever strategy Mike Brown and the front office has crafted to try and put a consistently competitive football team on the field year in and year out simply IS NOT WORKING.  Now, all things being equal, does Mike Brown want to win?  Sure.  Is he willing to spend the additional dollars, hire more scouts and (more importantly) GIVE UP CONTROL in order to win?  Sadly, the answer is resounding no.  This guy freaking beat the IRS in tax court.  No one beats the IRS.  So if you think he has a little bit of an ego when it comes to doing things his way…you would be absolutely correct.  More than signing a free agent, trading Chad Johnson (we’ll get to that later) or landing a stud draft class, I’d like to see the Bengals announce to Cincinnati:  we are 100% committed to win.  We will change the fact that we are the northern-most city without an indoor facility, we will add scouts and take the double duty load off of our coaches, heck, we’ll even buy a couple gallons of paint and dress up the concrete walls of Paul Brown Stadium.  I would just love to hear ownership say:  we will not sleep and we will not stop until we win a championship…no matter what the cost.  Attitude comes from the top, and when the top does not have a mandate to win, it gradually creeps down below, to the coaches, to the players, the entire organization.  Complacency is a big, big, big problem for the Bengals.  Players know there isn’t a mandate from the top to win, so whether they give max effort or 75% effort…their jobs are secure.  Maybe they will skip a weight lifting session or two, maybe they won’t watch as much film as they should, maybe the coaches won’t gameplan quite as much as they would if Jerry Jones was their owner.  Face the facts:  the Bengals will never, EVER win a Super Bowl until this changes.

2.  Hire a GM, Drastically Expand Scouting Department, Relinquish Control of Player Personnel – Outside of what Mike Brown considers the ‘triple headed’ General Manager between himself, his daughter Katie Blackburn, and her husband Troy Blackburn, the Bengals have exactly six people in player personnel/scouting.  SIX!!!  There are more than eight people working the freaking night shift at White Castle!   Not only is this the smallest player personnel department in the league, it’s flat out not working.  In a recent article by the Enquirer, Marvin Lewis again reiterated how the organization would not try and build the team through free agency, instead focusing on the draft.  I have no problem with this ideology.  But, if that’s your strategy…you might want to beef up the scouting staff to accommodate this plan.  Mike Brown then steadfastly defended the way the Bengals identify and draft players, calling his puny scouting department “efficient”.  He pointed to the fact that over the last few years, the Bengals drafted the 5th most players still playing in the league.  “It’s about the whole body of work, isn’t it?” Brown said.  Yes Mike, it is.  That’s why under your watch the Bengals have ONE winning season and ONE playoff berth in 18 years.  The facts are the facts.   If you want to build through the draft, then put the necessary resources in place to accomplish this.  Hire football people to make football decisions.  Period.  One of my favorite stories to illuminate this is when asked about the questionable selection of Frostee Rucker in the third round of the 2006 draft, a Bengals coach said “We thought we had enough information about him to make the right decision.”  Forget hiring scouts, we need to get the Bengals a $40 subscription to ESPN Insider!  The arrogance of the Bengals ownership is astounding when it comes to player personnel and scouting.  They think, after 18 years of doing it ‘their way’ that it’s still the best way.  Think of it this way…for years, the Bengals keep banging their head against a wall, over and over again, in order to crack it.  Hiring Marvin Lewis was like moving to a different spot on the wall.  You would think after 18 years, the Bengals would realize you need a sledgehammer to bust down the wall.  After 18 years, luck doesn’t matter anymore.  The way they go about crafting their football team is seriously flawed, and sadly it will not change with Mike Brown still in control.

3. Ensure that our facilities are considered top notch when compared to other NFL teams - One of my favorite Mike Brown stories is when 320 pound DT Tony Siragusa was a free agent after the 1996 season.  The Bengals were interested in him and set up a meeting in Cincinnati with Tony and his agent.   When Tony received the plane ticket that Mike Brown had purchased for the top rated free agent, he promptly canceled the meeting.  In an attempt to save money, Mikey had bought him a coach ticket.   What does this have to do with facilities?  Well, Mike is still cutting corners whenever he can to save money.  The Bengals are most Northern team without an indoor practice facility.  At the end of the season (and presumably if they ever make the playoffs), when the weather is too cold to practice outside, (as was the case in December 2003) the team is forced to practice at an indoor youth soccer center 30 miles away!  This is an NFL team!  Free agents know Mikey is cheap, players are not able to get the best training, and their performance suffers on the field.  Come on Mikey, you got the best sweetheart stadium deal in the NFL, invest in some NFL caliber facilities.

4.  Identify players that fit the system and be able to cut the cord – It’s a shame that when Art Modell fired Paul Brown decades ago, this singular event still haunts Bengals fans today.  Above all else, one word is used to describe Mike Brown, and that’s loyalty.  He saw what happened when his Dad was ousted in Cleveland from the team he founded, and he never forgot that.  To this day, when it’s clear he should move on (see Shula, Dave and Anderson, Willie), he makes decisions that hurt the team.  Take Chad Johnson for example.  Unbelievable talent, very mediocre player when it comes to crunch time.  Think about it for a second, when has Chad made a huge play in a huge spot for the Bengals.  It’s a very, very short list.  My point is this:  the Bengals are clearly better off without Chad Johnson on the team, for the simple fact that when the chips are down, he either disappears, melts down, or both.  From a cap standpoint, it’s probably illogical for the Bengals to trade him this season, but hopefully in 2009 we will be Chad free.  We aren’t going ANYWHERE with Chad still on the team.  Just ask Giants fans how much devastating this year was without their supposed best player, Tiki Barber.  The blueprints on how to put together a football team aren’t that difficult to find.  See what the Steelers are doing, the Patriots, the elite teams in football.  They all have football people who work tirelessly to find specific players to fit their scheme.  It’s not about finding the most talented or best ranking player at each position.  It’s about identifying players who come in, do their jobs, and make plays when it counts.  When the Patriots thought that Ty Law wasn’t cutting it anymore… he was gone.  Their best receiver (sound familiar?) Deion Branch a distraction?  See ya.  We have too many selfish players on this team…and too many players that don’t fit the scheme.  We have players with talent, but not enough of the ‘right’ players.  Again, it all goes back to the fact that we don’t have enough football people making football decisions.  You wouldn’t hire an exterminator to re-decorate your house, you wouldn’t hire the cable guy to tutor your kids, and you sure as hell wouldn’t hire Mike Brown to run your football team. 

5.  Offensive and Defensive line depth always priority #1 – There are reasons why the Steelers, Patriots, Giants, and Cowboys, etc. are able to compete year after year for the playoffs and beyond.  For years and years, they can protect the passer, and they can get pressure on the other team’s quarterback with their down linemen.  The Steelers defensive backfield is shaky at best, but they look pretty darn good when they can dial up pressure all game long.  Bengals corners have long been the targets of scorn, but it would be a different story with defensive ends that actually sniff the quarterback every now and then.  Any questions about this theory were answered with the Giants in the Super Bowl.  Bottom line is this:  the Bengals have always been an offense-oriented team…going back to the days of Paul Brown and Sam Wyche.  When Paul Brown passed away, I guarantee you Paul told Mike in some capacity “Don’t ever change the way we do things.”  The only problem with not changing is that the NFL is so much different than 1991.  Teams are smarter, more intricate and much more competitive.  Status quo doesn’t work from year to year anymore, let alone 18 years.  This team already has the franchise quarterback.  That’s the hard part, and it’s already there.  Sign and KEEP an offensive line to protect him…and finally build and spend money on a defense that can keep you in games when the offense can’t put up 30 points.  I keep hearing how the Bengals offense is so close to being like the 2005 season.  Guys…those days are OVER and NEVER COMING BACK!  40 percent of that offensive line is gone, we will probably have a new running back this year, and who knows what will happen at receiver.  If we had a defensive line that produced and got pressure on the quarterback, we wouldn’t have to worry about resurrecting the 2005 offense. 

6. Bengals decisions and actions of all players and staff, on and off the field, is only judged by its effect on the Bengals quest for the Super Bowl - The focus needs to be 100% on winning a Super Bowl.  Bottom Line.  End of Story.  Nothing else matters.  Enough with the off field distractions, on field distractions, and locker room distractions.  Enough with the rebuilding seasons and incremental changes.  Do whatever it takes to win a Super Bowl.

I’ll leave the tortured Bengals fan with this last thought.  My favorite sports story of all-time is the 1980 US Hockey Team.  Right place, right time, right moment, right coach…the one time every single planet in the sports world aligned absolutely perfectly.  More specifically, I am borderline obsessed on how coach Herb Brooks put together the squad of college kids to beat the Russians.  In the movie Miracle (where Kurt Russell absolutely nails Brooks to a tee), Brooks is at the US Olympic Center watching tryouts.  Before the first day of a scheduled week of tryouts is even finished, he has his team already selected (most aren’t even on the list of top tier players).  When assistant coach Craig Patrick asks him why he won’t even consider the best players.  Brooks answers: “Because I’m not looking for the best players Craig, I’m looking for the right ones.”   

I almost feel bad for fans that are really optimistic about the Bengals future.  Guys, we are not ‘close’ to winning a Super Bowl.  There are glaring, startling problems that have prevented and will continue to prevent this team from being elite.  If you are Mike Brown or one of the Blackburns, at some point, you have to ask yourself:  aren’t you tired of getting kicked in the mouth year after year?  Honestly, I don’t think they do.  Bengals management cannot look in the mirror or look at their fan base and truthfully say they are doing everything in their power to win.  And as someone like me who bleeds orange and black…that hurts. 

Here’s hoping that somehow, someway the Bengals organization will realize it’s not always about getting players that have the best 40-time or physical skills…but about hiring football people to make football decisions, identifying players that fit their scheme and not resting until the Lombardi Trophy graces the halls of Paul Brown Stadium.