June 20, 2008
I promise to stop posting about what dribbles out of Chad Johnson's mouth soon. But his latest interview on Bengals.com is the best proof yet that Ocho Cinco is in full-blown fence-mending mode. I've long said that I plan to draft Johnson as if this offseason drama never happened. And these comments are the best proof yet that he's not going to cause more problems.
Continue reading "Chad Johnson completes fence mending" »
June 19, 2008
Either Miles Austin or Sam Hurd seem likely to get a big role in Dallas this year. It's just tough to figure out which one will step up.
I'm been waiting for an Antonio Bryant puff piece to wrap my arms around, so my high ranking of him doesn't seem so speculative. Now I have one.
Daunte Culpepper's hope for a starting job prevented him from getting any job. That's why you need an agent.
James Jones is well ahead of Jordy Nelson, as you'd expect. Now can he possibly pass Donald Driver?
Mike Lombardi thinks Ray Rice could pass Willis McGahee, who he says isn't a blue chipper.
June 18, 2008
Tiffany and I taped a video Tuesday afternoon on where to draft all the Bengals players. So what if it looks old now that Chad Johnson is undergoing ankle surgery? Honestly, Johnson's ankle surgery won't change my rankings if he is ready for camp, like they anticipate. While I'm plugging other material, I also wrote up notes from around the AFC in a column yesterday.
June 17, 2008
An important Chris Cooley/Jason Campbell interview, that includes this exchange: "Rabach has even farted on my hand which is a feelin that never really wears off. I can actually feel it while we’re doing this interview right now."
A nuanced take on the LeCharles Bentley saga from the dean of Cleveland sports, Terry Pluto. He also has some interesting bits on Brady Quinn's improvement.
A nice summation of the Bengals roster.
More from Earnest Graham: He showed up in good shape, but won't guarantee that he will be to training camp on time. And he recognizes that he's not a lock to start.
Mike Lombardi's enlightening new blog talks about Javon Walker, with good inside information.
June 16, 2008
1. Second-round pick Jerome Simpson is well behind fellow rookie Andre Caldwell. Caldwell has a decent chance to be the team's third receiver, but Marcus Maxwell and Antonio Chatman are also in the mix.
2. Chad Johnson just can't go through with being a true pain in the ass. By the last day of minicamp, he was fully practicing and talking plenty with Carson Palmer. This is not a T.O. in Philadelphia situation.
3. Rudi Johnson and Chris Perry remain healthy, and at the top of the depth chart at running back. After DeDe Dorsey was hurt, undrafted rookie James Johnson may have a shot to make the team.
June 12, 2008
Chad Johnson showed up to minicamp, proving once again that summer holdout talk is inherently worthless. Nothing to see here folks - keep drafting him as you normally would.
June 11, 2008
Hard to believe, but a lot of teams are wrapping up their OTA/minicamp season with mandatory work this week.
Some relative bombshells (for June) to come out in a two hour span.
The problems with success, Part I: Plaxico Burress is refusing to work until he gets a new deal. A training camp holdout sounds possible, although we wouldn't get overly concerned.
Former Pro Bowler LeCharles Bentley asks for and receives his release because he doesn't like being a reserve after being hurt for two years. What does he expect? Cleveland's offensive line still has plenty of depth.
Continue reading "Drama Day at minicamps" »
May 20, 2008
This week's Fix looks at guys with the opportunity to bounce back this season. I'm not necessarily saying that they will, just that they are set up with excellent chances.
I know the one minute video is tough to bear (especially in these dark non-Tiffany summer days), so my list from the video is after the jump
Continue reading "Four Guys with the chance to bounce back" »
May 01, 2008
So you can pretty much ignore everything I wrote earlier today if this happens. Although the mediocre part will remain true.
Maybe the Bengals just got tired of swinging and missing on draft day at running back. Along with Arizona, they were one of the most surprising teams to pass on selecting a running back early. But the Cardinals did dive in with fifth-round pick Tim Hightower (no relation.)
Continue reading "Bengals roll with mediocrity" »
April 22, 2008
What a day. Honestly I'm buried in other work (maybe taking this Managing Editor means way more responsibility. Hmmm ... ). But I can't pass up commenting on some of the big stories of the day. No matter how much my time is supposed to be spent on other things.
God bless Jeff Ireland if he was intentially messing with the media when he used the "pillar of defense" line. I still think he's just not experienced speaking publicly and it was a slip of the tongue.
I like how confident the Dolphins were that Jake Long was a left tackle. No doubt in their mind. They almost were incredulous at the line of questioning. I trust the judgement of Tony Sparano and Bill Parcells. And making Long the first pick as a left tackle makes more sense.
Continue reading "Draft Week picks up" »
April 17, 2008
Perhaps the most interesting part of the latest round of Ocho Cinco blather was Adam Schefter's note that Cincy has already received an offer of two first-day picks for Johnson. (Is that the old first day - three rounds - or the new first day of two rounds? I'm guesing the former).
If someone is offering that much before the draft, the price should go up on draft day. And that means the Bengals would have to consider the offer, even though I think he'll stay put. So is this mystery team? Here are my five best guesses based on ammunition (draft picks) and need.
Continue reading "Chad Johnson has bidders" »
April 08, 2008
Jacob C. has the honors for the next pick.
With the 9th pick in the 2008 NFL draft, the Cincinnati Bengals should select: OT Ryan Clady from Boise St.
Many agree that the biggest need for the Cincinnati Bengals is on the defensive side of the ball.
Specifically,a run stopping DT. With Glenn Dorsey and Sedrick Ellis off the board, the remaining top defensive player that the Bengals would likely consider is OLB Keith Rivers from USC. However, the Bengals have a bevy of linebackers and may find some answers on defense with the possible return of David Pollack and Odell Thurman.
What Bengals owner Mike Brown really cares most about is putting butts in seats and lining his own pockets (no GM and having the leagues smallest scouting dept are examples of his lack of commitment). As we all know, having a high powered offense will do that. As a result, protecting Carson Palmer is of utmost importance. Willie Anderson is in the twilight his career and Levi Jones has battled injuries of late.
The addition of Ryan Clady will help offset concerns about the fading strength at the tackle position, and help solidify the offensive line.
Continue reading "Pancake Blocks Mock Draft: Pick No. 9" »
April 03, 2008
That didn't take long. With a likely suspension on the way, Henry might not be on an NFL roster until he joins the 2009 Bucs next summer.
It wouldn't be an NFL offseason without a Chris Henry mugshot. And this one is a doozy. We have to be careful in this media age not to convict someone based on initial reports, but this sure looks damning for Henry's future.
Commissioner Roger Goodell has shown with Pacman Jones that getting exonerated in court doesn't mean you avoid problems with the league. Henry was suspended for eight games last year and was on a "no tolerance" policy with the league. This arrest is likely enough to suspend him for a year in the eyes of the league.
Continue reading "Is that it for Henry?" »
March 10, 2008
Mock Drafts aren't usually built on original thought. They primarily look at other Mock Drafts, switch some names, teams, and needs around, and go from there. Even draftniks who spend the college season following the players tend to have similar rankings because they read each other, but don't know what NFL scouts are seeing or saying.
I've been sold on Mike Mayock's mock drafts since 2005, when he had Aaron Rodgers falling all the way to number 25 to the Packers. It's not just that he nailed a pick absolutely no one saw coming, it's that he had the confidence and research to make his own decision instead of following the masses. His pipeline to NFL teams probably doesn't hurt. He revealed his first top-ten Mock picks last week and there were a few stunners that should be taken seriously. Let's take a look ...
Continue reading "Mayock's Top Ten" »
February 18, 2008
How hard is it for a good offensive linemen to reach free agency? The Bengals made a one-year starter, Stacy Andrews, their franchise player. And it was absolutely the right move.
Andrews is a behemoth who can play guard and tackle, and he would have made a killing on the free agent market. He started 14 games this year (10 at right tackle) after starting only three in his career before this year. Assuming the Panthers tag Jordan Gross, three of my top eight ranked offensive linemen headed for free agency have already been kept. Baltimore's Jason Brown and Dallas' Flozell Adams are also probably staying put.
Continue reading "Good linemen hard to find" »
February 14, 2008
Mark Curnette had a number of nuggets yesterday about the Bengals that helps to clear up the running back situation for 2008.
* The team expects to bring Rudi Johnson back. I thought he might get cut after averaging 2.9 yards-per-carry, but they have plenty of cap room to delay any decision. I still believe they could cut him in camp, but they will see how he looks then.
Continue reading "Bengals backfield is a mess" »
February 13, 2008
Going to start this morning following up a few of the stories we've looked at this week. When I made the case that Chad Johnson was likely to stay in Cincy, I may have overlooked the biggest reason: his cap hit.
Mark Curnette of the Cincinnati Enquirer got confirmation from the NFL that the Bengals would absorb a $8.03 million cap hit if they dealt Johnson before June 1. There is no avoiding it. That's a huge blow to suffer just to get rid of a Pro Bowl player.
Continue reading "The biggest reason why Johnson stays" »
February 11, 2008
The Ocho Cinco offseason telenovela has already become ridiculous, and it's only early February. It's like his agent Drew Rosenhaus sent Johnson tapes of clients Javon Walker and Terrell Owens to study before talking in public: How to be a disgruntled receiver 101.
I've always been a big fan of Johnson, but trying to annoy the Bengals to death (or trade) doesn't suit him. After pleading with every radio host in the country to be dealt and moping through some parties in Arizona, Johnson was downright testy at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. He reportedly shoved a league media official.
Here's how Johnson explains his discontent to the NFL Network:
Continue reading "Chad Johnson just wants more money" »
January 25, 2008
Spending the day preparing some things for next week, but here are a few stories of note from a calm-before-the-storm Friday.
Another article pointing out that Chad Johnson isn't going anywhere. I trust Mark Curnette here, who is always on top of the Bengals. There might be a lot of ink spilled this offseason about Ocho Cino, but he should be back. Now if he could only learn his routes...
Continue reading "Friday quick ones" »
January 04, 2008
We noted the near misses, ranked #6-10, now it's time for the top five busts of the year.
5. Laurence Maroney, Patriots - Remember how fantasy owners used to curse the Patriots passing game because they spread the ball around too much? That happened to Maroney this year in the running game. Even before his injury, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk were outplaying him in their roles. His strong finish (6 tds in seven weeks) gave hope for 2008, but it defied any expectations that Maroney didn’t score until Week 11 on the highest scoring team of all time.
4. Marc Bulger, Rams - Plenty of owners took Bulger ahead of Tom Brady and Tony Romo, and with good reason. He was coming off a 4,300 yard season and had never averaged under 256 yards-per-game in his career. He didn’t even crack 200 this year, and only threw 11 touchdowns while doing his best late-career Drew Bledsoe impression. Hopefully a healthy offensive line leads to better play.
3. Marvin Harrison, Colts - I tried to avoid injured players here, but Harrison’s case was special for a lot of reasons. He had missed a total of two games in the last eight years. He played at a position where almost all the top picks performed well enough. Most excruciatingly, Harrison originally got hurt in Week 3, and the Colts said it was a minor bruise. He gained 24 yards the rest of the year while he strung owners along with a brutal week-to-week non-comeback story. You get the sense around the Colts that they weren’t happy with Harrison’s long rehab, and neither were fantasy owners.
Continue reading "Top Five Busts of the Year" »
December 27, 2007
Some running backs having more value than normal in this wild Week 17.
DeAngelo Willimas, Panthers- Finally starting to play over DeShaun Foster in key spots, and playing well. Could position himself for starting consideration in 2008.
Musa Smith, Ravens - The day has arrived! Too bad he'll be playing with Troy Smith.
Continue reading "Random RB Spikes" »
December 11, 2007
There is something inherently cheesy about picking up a team defense for a playoff matchup, but that doesn't mean it's a bad idea.
Plenty of owners rolled with the Bengals versus Brock Berlin, and they were a Rams defensive score away from holding St. Louis to three points. I picked up Bengals with an eye on this week's matchup against San Francisco. The news that Shaun Hill will make his first NFL start doesn't disappoint me. Here's a look at the three best possible defensive pickups this week. I'm only including teams not ranked in the top-15 fantasy scorers this year.
1. Baltimore (vs. Miami)
2. Tampa (vs. Atlanta)
3. Cincinnati (vs. San Francisco)
Some other choice matchups include Green Bay (vs. Rams), Colts (vs. Raiders), Titans (vs. Chiefs), and Seahawks (vs. Panthers).
November 30, 2007
I usually don't get carried away with weather forecasts, but watching Monday night's game in Pittsburgh has me spooked because of the field conditions.
It's clear that field will be a mess if it continues to rain Sunday night for the Bengals-Steelers game. And wouldn't you know, our friends at Weatherplus (who provide Season Pass and Fantasy Fix Live with forecasts) says there is a 70% chance of rain on Sunday.
Continue reading "Mud Bowl II Coming Sunday Night?" »
November 12, 2007
Chris Henry wouldn't have received nearly the same hype if he actually played the first eight games of the season. But we are fascinated about the next big thing, and many owners were hoping he'd help them turn around their season.
So far, so good. Henry led the Bengals in receiving with 99 yards Sunday, making a 50-yard grab and a beautiful sideline catch. He had seven targets, the same as Chad Johnson, and one less than T.J. Houshmandzadeh.
I've long believed that Henry is the most talented receiver on the Bengals. I think he can be one of the ten best receivers in football, if he keeps his head on straight. So that probably won't happen.
Henry won't be one of the ten best fantasy wideouts while splitting the pot three ways, but he's going to help Carson Palmer's numbers while putting up WR3-type numbers. Housh and Ocho Cinco may see fewer targets overall moving forward, but they aren't going to fall off a cliff.
November 01, 2007
Rudi Johnson returns this week, but I wouldn't immediately slot him into your RB2 spot. The Bengals will split carries between him and Kenny Watson and it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Watson get more carries and receptions.
Rudi tried to play a few weeks ago, and his hamstring didn't allow him to finish the game. That's typical of hamstring injuries. Watson has earned a large role moving forward with his excellent play, and I'd start him over Johnson this week if I had to choose.
Don't assume this is a cake matchup for Carson Palmer and company. The Bills' pass defense have been playing lights out recently despite all their injuries. They picked off Tony Romo like crazy, stopped Baltimore cold, and got Chad Pennington benched. Look for them to play off the line of scrimmage, just like Pittsburgh did last year, allowing Watson and Rudi big openings.
If I was still a betting man, the Bills +1 is one of the worst lines I've seen all season. The Bengals are a weak-willed team who crumble when they are pushed. Buffalo has been an exceptionally tough team despite a host of possible excuses. The line doesn't shock me, but based on their play Buffalo should be 5 point favorites.
October 01, 2007
The Bengals have had their chances in this game, and are doing some things to make the Patriots uncomfortable. But it says a lot that Cincinnati appears to be slowing the game down in an effort to keep it close. The Patriots want to take Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh out of the game, and so far it's worked. They have 51 yards combined.
It may be the skeptic in me, but I think this game is going to get a lot more interesting in the second half.
September 28, 2007
As a not particularly proud owner of Kenny Watson in multiple leagues, I face a difficult question: Do I play him?
It depends on the team of course. One of my better teams, he's still my fifth-best option. On another, he's my RB2 because of injuries and bye weeks.
Kenny Watson is a borderline RB2/flex play this week against the Pats. I have him ranked No. 24, just behind guys like Edgerrin James, Brian Leonard, and Ron Dayne. He's just ahead of Warrick Dunn, Jamal Lewis, Kevin Jones, and DeAngelo Williams.
The Patriots are a tough matchup on the ground and I don't expect Watson to top 50 yards rushing. But the New England linebackers aren't great in coverage, and the Bengals should be able to move the ball. If the Patriots can score 40 against the Bengals, the Cincy offense will be winging it to keep up. And Cincy's receivers present matchup problems for the smurf-like Pats corners.
I expect this to be the closest Patriots game of the year, and believe the Bengals can put up 30 points. That gives Watson a reasonable chance to score and put up some yardage catching the ball underneath.
September 25, 2007
In Waiver Wired, I ranked Kenny Watson fourth among possible running back pickups this week behind Aaron Stecker. Following the news that Rudi Johnson could miss Monday night's game, Watson looks looks like an even better choice.
Rudi Johnson sounded confident he'd play after the game, but actions speak louder than words. The Bengals signed Pancake Block fascination DeDe Dorsey Tuesday, a clear sign they are worried about Rudi's health.
Johnson owners need to pick up Watson as a handcuff, and the Bengals reserve has plenty of value as fantasy depth for all owners. Any Bengals starting running back, temporary or otherwise, is at least a decent flex option. Dorsey knows Cincy's system (he spent last offseason with them), and could receive carries sooner than later if Johnson's injury lingers. He's worth a look in deep dynasty leagues.
September 13, 2007
Welcome to the first ever fantasy football blog written from the back of a speeding cab. In a move that will sound all too familiar to those who know me, I'm running into some issues on the way to the airport today. On the train back to New York City from Connecticut (where we tape the Fantasy Fix), I left a suitcase on the train while spacily departing (I had been editing some Rotoworld stuff. All for the people!).
Continue reading "Defense pickups" »
Turned on NFL Network when I got to work this morning and watched Mike Periera's weekly "Official Review" segment on Total Access. He basically admitted the obvious: The offensive pass interference called on Todd Heap late in the Bengals game was the wrong judgement. It should have been a non-call.
The wildly negative stories in Baltimore this week would have a much different tone if the right call had been made. And we wouldn't be talking about how Kyle Boller didn't come through.
August 15, 2007
Does Lemon have a chance?
I broke out the preseason notebook Tuesday with the Falcons/Jets. Let me know if this is the type of thing you guys like in the future. Here goes a few notes from the Lions-Bengals and Jaguars-Dolphins.
Jaguars-Dolphins
* Miami's young offensive line was manhandled by Jacksonville. It was like they weren't there. Trent Green had some ugly throws, but no one would have played well. This could be a rare case of the preseason showing something if the trend continues. If Miami's line gets pushed around like this all August, I'd consider downgrading Ronnie Brown.
* Cleo Lemon threw a few beautiful passes, but they were against third-teamers. He needs a monster game this week for a chance to start, but he's still a big long shot.
Continue reading "Preseason Notebook, vol. 2" »
August 13, 2007
In my quest to continue writing about backup running backs no one really cares about, let's revisit last week's draft guide adjustment on Kenny Watson.
My original fixes look optimistic in retrospect, especially after reading that Quincy Wilson may be first in line to see an increased role.
Continue reading "Kenny Watson Redux" »
August 10, 2007
Can Rudi fail now?
The Bengals were concerned enough about their sagging rushing game to invest a second-round pick in Kenny Irons. Now they are back at square one. Let's look at the fantasy impact of Irons' ACL tear.
First, it's a devastating blow to Irons' dynasty owners, who rightly saw him as a high-ceiling long-term prospect and as Rudi Johnson's likely successor. The Bengals don't know what they have in him now.
Rudi Johnson may be starting his decline, but this injury cements his top-ten grade. As we've written about all summer, the Bengals were planning to take carries away from Rudi Johnson if he didn't improve his efficiency. Irons was set to take third-down snaps from Kenny Watson, and probably more early down snaps from Johnson than Rudi's owners expected. Now Johnson should get to his 330 carries by default.
Continue reading "Kenny Irons Injury Impact" »
July 21, 2007
Could Rudi face competition?
# 25. Bengals backup RB: Kenny Watson vs. Kenny Irons
Must resist lame South Park joke. Irons was drafted to replace Chris Perry, who is likely to start the year on the PUP list. First Irons will have to pass Watson as the team’s third-down back. Smart money is on the rookie. Watson is a serviceable reserve who helps on special teams, but the Bengals would rather he not have to carry a big load.
In fact, there are some that believe Irons could challenge Rudi. I don’t that will happen until later in the season, but Marvin Lewis has mentioned on his top priorities is improving the team’s yards-per-carry. If Rudi doesn’t get back above 4.0, the Bengals backfield could look like a committee late in the year. That makes Irons one of our favorite late running back fliers – if he wins the backup job in camp.
July 19, 2007
# 33. Bengals third receiver: Tab Perry vs. Antonio Chatman
This is a battle that will be overrated in most circles. I’ve seen Perry get drafted in industry leagues, but at best he’s a third receiver for half a season. Why bother? Housh and Ocho Cinco will get all the work. Perry has nine career catches and is coming off a major leg injury. Chatman is an undersized player who missed nearly all of last year with a groin injury. Don't completely discount second-year player Bennie Brazell or Reggie McNeal either. Its not like Perry and Chatman are established with the Bengals.
In the end, I'd rather take Chris Henry for eight weeks than any of these guys for 16.
June 26, 2007
Just arrived to Beckett's in Dallas and excited to see how the magazine is turning out. I loved our latest cover (there's a link for the new magazine for those who asked), but we're going back to a look closer to our baseball magazine for this one.
So it's still up for debate. Who makes the cover? I want Frank Gore, but I'm getting vetoed. Some other options: Reggie Bush, Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Steven Jackson. What do you guys think?
(And for those on the Fantasy Mill, I'm not just asking rhetorically. The Rotoworld version of the blog has comments. You can also email me.
June 05, 2007
Contender for best team blog on the web, Redskins Insider returns from a brief vacation with a trio of posts Monday.
Lots of great stuff in there, from updates on Alex Brown and Lance Briggs trade situations, to doubts about Clinton Portis' readiness for the preseason. Rocky McIntosh, who I expect to have a huge season, is having a nice offseason.
Matt Hasselbeck has a good point regarding the new positions for his receivers. It's not a huge adjustment in practice because Darrell Jackson barely practiced anyway. I only hope D.J. Hackett can keep up his level of production at the split end spot. He's talented enough to make any position work and should have a chance to catch more touchdowns that way.
As a Patriots fan, I couldn't agree more with the sentiment in this article. Where are the Patriots going to manufacture their disrespect from? Their best seasons (2001, 2003, 2006) are traditionally the ones in which they sneak up on the NFL a bit. 2004 was really the only season where they stayed at the top of the mountain the whole way. The most disappointing years in the Belichick era (2002, 2005) were ones with great expectations.
I'm not worried about the 2007 team, but it could take the team a while to gell. As usual. If there is one defining trait of the Belichick era, it's that they close stronger than they start. And with a much harder schedule, it's not hard to imagine a disappointed fanbase despite a 11-5 record. We've become way too spoiled.
Could Kenny Irons be used in tandem with Rudi Johnson? Maybe Irons isn't the Rudi clone I thought. He certainly has some of the skills you would want to use on third downs. The Bengals would probably get a better running game if they decreased Rudi's carries by 50-75. The idea could make Rudi a slightly riskier pick at the end of the first round in fantasy leagues.
Keenan McCardell could ruin any fantasy potential that Kevin Walter and Jacoby Jones have this season.
Some interesting notes at Bears practice Monday. Greg Olsen is standing out with Desmond Clark absent. Adam Archuleta and Alex Brown are working with the second team, at least for now. Lovie Smith likes sending messages in offseason practices. He's not happy with Brown's trade request and Arch won't be handed anything.
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