Cincinnati’s most important personnel move this offseason might have been the three year contract awarded to defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. After transforming the Bengals defense into a tough, stingy unit in just two seasons at the helm, I was worried Zimmer might get some play around the league as a head coaching candidate. Luckily, no one came calling, owner Mike Brown did the right thing and Zimmer has a chance to come back and finish what he started. The front office managed to keep last year’s group in tact. Now it’s Zimmer’s job to crank things up a notch as he attempts to turn the Cincinnati defense into something it has never been before: ELITE.
Defensive Line (8):
What’ve We Got??!!
The cornerstone of the Bengals’ 2009 resurgence was their defensive line play. For the first time since I’ve been a fan, the Bengals didn’t consistently get pushed around in the trenches last season. Things trailed off the second half of the year when Domata Peko went down and Tank Johnson was playing hurt, but for the most part the boys up front delivered. Peko has quickly become one of the more underrated linemen in the league. He’s the cog that has to hold up if this group is going to become dominant. Johnson didn’t bring the inside pass rush coaches hoped he’d deliver, but he gave them more against the run than they expected. He battled through the second half of the year with a bum foot and earned a new contract. Pat Sims rounds out the DT rotation as a solid backup that can start if necessary and Clinton McDonald remains on the roster after spending a year on the practice squad. Is Orien Harris on the team again? That guy is like a homing pigeon. He got cut. He came back. He got traded. He came back.
At DE, Antwan Odom started last year on a tear that included a 5-sack performance against the Packers. Unfortunately, his season also ended on a tear. His return from the week six achilles injury will be one of the keys to the Bengals’ 2010 season. Robert Geathers remains the other starter after another solid yet unspectacular season while Jonathan Fanene and Frostee Rucker return as the backups. Fanene showed signs of finally providing the Bengals some return on investment last year as Odom’s main replacement and Rucker again proved to be a valuable run defender that can play inside on passing downs. The X-factor is Michael Johnson. He used that big 6’7” frame to bat down quite a few passes and showed flashes that he might end up their best draft pick from last year.
What Should they Do?
Overall, the DT group is in good shape. Health pending, the starting DT tandem should be a strength for the team for a few years as T. Johnson is younger than I realized. Pat Sims is an ideal fit as the third man of the group. He’s talented enough to fill in and keep the other two guys fresh, but may not be consistent enough to rely on as a starter. The routine the past few years has been to stick with three true DT’s and borrow a big DE like Rucker or Fanene on third downs if necessary. I think they have to suck it up and dedicate another roster spot to an actual tackle. Things got real dicey late in the year when Peko and Sims went down and T. Johnson was gimpy. They should look for a fourth player they’re comfortable with playing all four downs. Is McDonald that guy? I have no idea. If not, they should consider drafting somebody. Early on, Brian Price (UCLA) looked like he might be a good value pick in the first round, but his stock has tapered off as of late. Pick 21 is probably a hair early for Jared Odrick (Penn State) too. Dan Williams (Tennessee) will be long gone. There are no good fits in round 2. Arthur Jones flashed late round 1 athletic ability at Syracuse, but his extensive injury history could leave him as an option with that third round compensatory pick. Lamarr Houston (Texas) is another candidate come the third round and beyond.
The defensive ends have potential, but the coaching staff might have to look into a crystal ball for some roster decisions. If Odom comes back and M. Johnson taps into his massive potential, DE is not a high priority. If either player isn’t able to play a major role in improving the pass rush, they should probably use an early pick to try to upgrade talent. Geathers, Fanene and Rucker are all valuable role players but if any of them has to be counted on to do heavy lifting in getting after the quarterback, it’s going to be tough to match up with the elite offenses in the league. With Brady, Manning, Rivers and Brees all on the 2010 schedule, that could be a big problem. It would be a shame to part with one of the three, but I think some insurance for Odom’s injury problems might be necessary. They are likely to have some high-value pass rushing options in the first round. Atlanta may go defensive end two picks in front of Cincy, but out of Carlos Dunlap (Florida), Brandon Graham (Michigan) and Everson Griffen (USC), at least one of the three could be available. Other needs might seem more urgent, but 4-3 ends with sack potential are hard to come by. Taking one with the 21st pick might be a golden opportunity that is hard to pass up. Later rounds will be more rich in bigger, slower 3-4 DE types and hybrid 3-4 OLB’s. That’s not to say Cincy wouldn’t be interested in a work horse like Corey Wooton (Northwestern) or a smaller, faster prospect like Brandon Lang (Troy), but the longer they wait, the harder it is to justify replacing one of the incumbents.
Secondary (8):
What’ve We Got??!!
If the defensive line sets the tone, the secondary keeps the beat. The phrase “best cornerback tandem in football” gets thrown around a lot, but let’s just say the Bengals starting pair ranks in the top 10. At times, their depth behind Jonathan Joseph and Leon Hall was exposed in nickel and dime packages with rookie Morgan Trent filling in as the third corner. After struggling through a good part of 2009 with injuries, a healthy David Jones should help, along with the re-acquisition of former Bengal Keiwan Ratliff. Former Ohio State corner, Antonio Smith, was kept off the practice squad and will also compete.
At safety, the Bengals will try again with Chris Crocker and Roy Williams as the starters. Chinedum Ndukwe is a nice insurance policy in case of injury, while Kyries Hebert remains the leader of the special teams. Tom Nelson will try to challenge for a roster spot, but after watching him play toward the end of last year let’s hope he doesn’t get it.
What Should they do?
The number 3 and 4 CB slots were sore spots on last year’s roster, but Jones and Ratliff, along with a more experienced Trent should prevent the Bengals from needing to take any drastic draft measures. Safety is a little less clear cut. Still seeing Roy Williams as a washed up veteran, many league pundits consider it a position of weakness. Bengals coaches saw enough of him to decide to bring him back, possibly making it less of a problem than it seems. I like Ndukwe as the number 3, but is he the long-term answer as a starter? If not they will weigh safety as an option in the draft. Taylor Mays (USC) should be available in the first round. His speed and hitting ability are off the charts, but his coverage skills are suspect. Major Wright (Florida) and Nate Allen (South Florida) are second rounders to consider, but given Marvin Lewis’ preference for safeties to have high-end coverage skills, perhaps they’d be better off using a later pick on a larger corner prospect like Virginia’s Chris Cook. They probably end up squeezing as much as they can out of Roy Williams and waiting until next year to dip into the draft for a safety.
Linebacker (6):
What’ve We Got??!!
The Bengals’ linebacking corps is the heart of the unit. They don’t really have any all-stars at this point, but they are all blue-collar thumpers that are going to make offenses feel pain as they try to move the ball up the field. Between Keith Rivers and Brandon Johnson, they should be set on the weak side. Dhani Jones continues to plug along in the middle and Rey Maualuga proved to be a capable starter on the strong side. You couldn’t ask for a better strong side backup in Rashard Jeanty, but I’m not sure if his body will hold up to every down duty if he ever has to start. Abdul Hodge and Dan Skuta currently sit as training camp depth that will compete with any rookies added through the draft.
What should they Do?
I think a future starter at strong side linebacker is the one thing that’s missing here. If they invest in one now, he’ll be ready when Maualuga has to take over for Jones in the middle. The beauty of starting the backup MLB, Maualuga, on the strong side is they have the flexibility to add a young developmental player while preserving a roster spot for a grizzled veteran like Jeanty. If Maualuga goes down or has to start in the middle, the Bengals can tag team the void on the outside keeping Jeanty fresh without completely throwing a rookie to the wolves. They don’t really have any options in the first round unless they manage to trade back to try to land Missouri’s Sean Weatherspoon. TCU’s Daryl Washington might be gone, but character question marks could leave Navorro Bowman available at the bottom of the second round. Eric Norwood (South Carolina) could draw interest in the third round and Thaddeus Gibson (Ohio State) would be an intriguing athlete to add to the team if he lasted into the third day.
Summing it up:
Based off quotes you read from players after the end of the season, I got the feeling everyone felt if they stayed together another year they’d have a chance to be special. Well, the unit returns in tact. It’s time to find out if they’re right. The one piece that seems to be missing is an explosive playmaker. Every great defense has it. The Bengals have some candidates capable of filling that role (M. Johnson, Joseph, Peko), but they have to develop. For next year it might have to be a collective effort. That’s not particularly reassuring, but if I had to pick someone to figure out how to orchestrate an attack from all angles optimizing the skill set of each of his players, Zimmer would probably be on the list. Last year, he set his mind to stopping the run and he got the job done. This year is a slightly more daunting task, but I’m excited to see what kind of chaos he is able to concoct.
Defensive First Round Draft Pick Board:
1. Brandon Graham, DE Michigan: Availability - 7
Some scouts think he’s an OLB because he’s too short to play end. I think it’s hard to ignore a high-motor player who is this athletic as long as he’s stout enough to hold up against the run. At 270 lbs, Graham should be fine regardless where his team decides to put him.
2. Carlos Dunlap, DE Florida: Availability – 7
Dunlap might be the defensive prospect with the highest ceiling and the lowest floor. Maturity questions have some analysts even including him in second round discussions. I wasn’t all that impressed with Dunlap on the field, but I find it hard to believe that of the teams picking in the 15 to 32 range that there isn’t going to be one coaching staff that thinks they can mold this kid into something special.
3. Everson Griffen, DE USC: Availability – 8
He’s big. He’s quick. He’s raw. The Bengals seem to have an affinity for Trojans. Griffen could be the next in line.
4. Taylor Mays, S USC: Availability – 8
Scouts drool over his athleticism, but it doesn’t seem to translate onto game film. I can see why they might take a shot with him, but I kind of hope they don’t.
5. Brian Price, DT UCLA: Availability – 8
He’s a talented 4-3 DT prospect, but he has endurance questions. His draft stock has plummeted lately.
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