Cedric Benson Arrested

Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson was arrested and charged with assault early Tuesday Morning in Austin, Texas. The arrest comes from an incident that occurred on May 30th. Benson allegedly punched an employee of a bar in Austin. Cedric has posted bail and was release from Travis County Jail.

This is not Cedric Benson's first brush with the law. Two years ago he was cited for a DUI while operating a boat and shortly after for operating a car. He has not had any incidents since. Benson has currently been in contract negotiations with Cincinnati working on a long term deal. This will certainly play a role in those negotiations.

Things Heard on Andre Smith

You think several months off of playing is not a downfall??

Andre Smith weighed in to Bengals training camp at 364 pounds!! 364! That was 34 pounds over his expected playing weight. What do you eat in two months to gain 34 pounds?? A horse? And he wonders why he broke his foot.

The more and more I watch and hear about Andre Smith the less and less I like him. And to be honest, I liked him very little to begin with. Is it still too early to say I told you so??

Reports indicate that Andre Smith will sign with Bengals

According to Chad Ochocino's Twitter page the Bengals have agreed in principle with first round selection Andre Smith. The story has also has been picked up by several national media outlets. However Andre Smith's agent, Alvin Keels, has indicated the following:

"Andre Smith has not signed Bengals fans. reports are premature. But we are working hard to get something done."

What could be the case is that they have agreed to a deal in principle but have not yet inked it completely. Either way there seems to be some movement in both camps which is much better than where we were a week ago. Do the Bengals brass have the motivation to get the deal done while the NFL Films cameras are there so they can show the rest of the league and future draft picks that they are willing to work? Who knows, I would doubt that the Bengals have moved too much off of their offer.

We can only wait an see what they offer will be once it is finalized. Stay tuned.

Andre Smith Hold Out

The Cincinnati Bengals and first round selection Andre Smith have yet to come to terms of an agreement and it does not look like they are going to get a contract signed any time soon. Mike Brown and the Bengals are notorious for digging in their heels and holding strong to their offer, and it seems like Smith's agent, Alvin Keels, may be a little bit in over his head at this point. And honestly the Bengals offer is pretty strong, they are offering Andre Smith a 5 year $33 million offer. What is complicating the deal are the contracts that were signed around Smith.
Andre Smith is the highest pick yet to sign at #6. The number 5 selection Mark Sanchez signed with the Jets at 5 years $60 million. Where the trouble comes is the deal the #7 selection Darrius Heyaward-Bey signed with the Raiders at 5 years $38 million dollars. Most believe that the Raiders overpaid for Heyward-Bey, but Smith and his agent are holding strong that they will not sign for less than the player selected after Smith. Smith's representatives are seeking a five year $40 million dollar deal.
As far as the other Offensive Tackles taken in the first round Jason Smith taken at #2 signed a deal for 5 years $62 million, Eugene Monroe has not yet signed with the Jaguars at the #8 pick and #23 selection Michael Oher signed for 5 years $13.8 million.

Kenny Watson Released by the Bengals

According to Bengals.com, veteran RB Kenny Watson was released from the Bengals on Monday along with fullback J.D. Runnels Jr. Watson saw action in 10 games last season and only rushed for 55 yards on 13 attempts. In 2007, Watson started 5 games and managed 7 rushing TD's and 763 yards rushing averaging 4.3 yards per carry. DeDe Dorsey has showed a lot of promise so far this training camp, perhaps this move shows greater confidence in Dorsey as a backup and Benson as the starter.

Bengals Picked Dead Last in AFC Central

The Vegas odds for wins in 2009 are out. If you are a Bengals fan, they are down right sickening. The Cincinnati Bengals have been set with an over-under of 6 wins for next season. This puts them last in the AFC Central. The Pittsburgh Steelers lead the way in the division and the NE Patriots were picked with the highest overall predicted win total.

I personally think this is a joke. A healthy Carson Palmer. A much much improved defense. A solid top few draft picks. A weak schedule. I think this team has a lot to look forward to as far as the 2009 season. I would definitely take the over on this one. How many wins do you think the Bengals have in store for 2009??

Vegas Odds: Over-Under Win Total
Patriots 11.5
Steelers 10.5
Ravens 8.5
Browns 7
Bengals 6

Seattle's T.J. Houshmandzadeh Guarantees Playoffs

T.J. Houshmandzadeh is sounding more and more like Chad Ocho Cinco everyday. The guy that was cool and confident in interviews during his time in Cincinnati now is sounding cocky and arrogant. Here is what Housh had to say in a couple recent interviews:

"I just want to let everyone know that Matt Hasselbeck and I will be leading the Seahawks to the playoffs this season," Houshmandzadeh said. "And we'll be going to the Pro Bowl as a tandem."

"We're both going to have top five seasons: He'll have a top five quarterback season, and I'll have a top five receiving season. I'll put up stats I've never had before yardswise because they're allowing me to be a complete receiver."

They're allowing you to be a "complete receiver?" Yes T.J., that means you will no longer have single coverage and won't catch 90 plus balls this year. Your team was just as bad as the Bengals last year and your quarterback hasn't been healthy for several years. Way to guarantee the world to Seahawks fans Ocho Cinco... I mean Housh.

My Crystal Ball Shows a Long Holdout for Andre Smith in the Future…

The Cincinnati Bengals currently cannot open contract talks with Andre Smith because he fired his agent, Alvin Keels of Priority Sports, in early May. Sources say the offensive lineman will re-hire Keels…. but that remains to be seen. Also, the Bengals are said to be seeking a “pay-for-pay” clause for financial protection due to Smith’s sketchy past. What makes this even more interesting is that the Bengals moved Whitworth to left tackle and currently have Smith lined up at left guard. Granted, Whitworth did play tackle in college they could be placing Smith at guard because they don’t expect him for the start of training camp and want to get Whitworth prepared to play other positions if this ends up being the case.

Your Thoughts?

The Hard Knocks Curse?

After a brief trial run by HBO in 2001, 2002 and 2004, 2007 marked the first year that HBO re-installed the program which follows a NFL team throughout training camp titled, "Hard Knocks." Lets look how teams on the show have fared during that respective season.

2007 - Kansas City Chiefs
Coming off a year where they went 9-7 and made the playoffs the Chiefs struggled to repeat their 2006 performance. After watching the show we learned the team had dancers from Ft. Wayne but a 4-12 record left many fans in distraught. Starting quarterback Trent Green was traded to the Dolphins, Larry Johnson started to break down and Will Shield retired right before the season started. In 2008, matters got worse and the team accomplished there worst record in program history at 2-14.

2008 - Dallas Cowboys
Coming off a remarkable 13-3 season in 2007 where the team earned a first-round bye in the playoffs you would think things would only be looking up for the Cowboys. During the show we watched Patrick Crayton catch 7 balls at once during punt return drills and Adam "Pacman" Jones talk about the scrip club and how he's being rebellion.... Despite the preseason praise the Cowboys finished 9-7 and missed the playoffs. Players such as Tony Romo and Marion Barber were banged up during the course of the season and after the year came to an end Dallas released Terrell Owens.

2009 - Cincinnati Bengals
???????????

Cincinnati Bengals Sign Roy Williams, Release Levi Jones

The Cincinnati Bengals today signed Mike Zimmer's buddy Roy Williams, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys to a deal. The signing occurred after the team had cut former 1st-round pick Levi Jones. The Jones deal was anticipated as he wanted out and the Bengals drafted Andre Smith for a reason. Jones is expected to sign with the Seattle Seahawks, reuniting him with former teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

However, Roy Williams is a little surprising as the Bengals have Chinedum Ndukwe, Chris Crocker, Marvin White and Corey Lynch. This tells me that although Crocker signed a new deal with the Bengals they weren't set on him starting next year. Williams comes in after seven seasons with the Cowboys, five of which he made the Pro Bowl and was a feared safety in the NFC. Financial terms have yet to be released but the signing wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the release of Jones. During his career with the Cowboys, Williams had 611 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks, 19 interceptions and 56 passes defensed.

Your thoughts on the Williams signing?

Cincinnati Bengals: Top 10 Draft Busts Under Mike Brown

Listed below is a list of what I believe to be Mike Brown’s biggest draft busts. Brown was recently named the #1 worst-decision maker in the NFL draft by Yahoo Sports. Brown took over ownership in 1991 and has been responsible for every draft since 1992. The rankings go from 10 to 1, 1 being the worst.

10. Keiwan Ratliff (2004 – 2nd Round, 49th pick, CB from Florida):
The Bengals drafted Ratliff and immediately game him the chance to take over as one of their key corners, as players such as Tory James and Deltha O’Neal were aging. Ratliff seemed lazy on the field at times and in three full seasons with the Bengals Ratliff only managed to average 33 tackles and one interception a year. I can still remember Ratliff getting burned by elite receivers clear as day. Good luck with the Indy.

9. Chris Perry (2004 – 1st Round, 26th pick, RB from Michigan):
Oh the Bengals thought they found a gem in Chris Perry at the end of the 1st round in 2004… boy were they wrong. Sure, Perry has been plagued by injuries but the thing is he’s been given a chance to come back and was even given the starting nod in 2008, after sitting out 2007. People still believed they would possibly see the 2005 version of Perry but instead they received 269 yards and a 2.6 YPC average on the ground. I partially blame Michigan for his injuries as he was used as a work-horse in college, averaging close to 35 carries per game and was even given 51 carries in one game!

8. Odell Thurman (2004 – 2nd Round, 48th pick, LB from Georgia):
You may be saying to yourself how can a guy who put up 98 tackles, 5 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles be considered a bust in his lone season? One reason, the Bengals took a chance on Odell although he had a troubled past. After violating team rules the Bengals game him one more chance, and then one more…. You know what the end result was. A kid with this kind of potential can’t take this gift for granted. What guys like David Pollack would give to be able to play the game again. You’re a bust not because of how you played in your lone year on the field but because how great you could’ve been.

7. Marco Battaglia (1995 – 2nd Round, 39th pick, TE from Rutgers):
This highly sought after tight end once put up 13 catches for 183 yards and 3 touchdowns in one game at Rutgers. Battaglia never amassed more than one touchdown or more than 160 yards in one of his five seasons with the Bengals, enough said.

6. John Copeland (1993 – 1st Round, 5th pick, DE from Alabama):
Copeland played for one of the best defenses in NCAA football history during his 1992 campaign at Alabama where he was a part of the national title winning Crimson Tide. Copeland was suppose to resurrect a horrendous Bengals defense and was immediately given the starting nod his rookie season. Copeland played seven full seasons for the Bengals and put up one solid year where he sacked the quarterback 9 times and had 55 tackles. During the other six seasons Copeland only put up 15 total sacks. Overall, Copeland was never the guy the Bengals thought they would be getting with a top-5 pick in the draft.

5. Reinard Wilson (1997 – 1st Round, 14th pick, DE from Florida St.):
This All-American at Florida State compiled 13 sacks in his senior campaign. Wilson was one of those guys that could never transition over from the D-Line in college to the linebacker slot in the pros. In his second year as a pro Wilson was given a shot at the starting ROLB slot for the Bengals. In 15 games started he only put up 47 tackles, not the ideal numbers you’re looking for coming from a linebacker. He only played six seasons in the pros.


4. Dan Wilkinson (1994 – 1st Round, 1st pick, DT from Ohio St.):
Dan “BIG Daddy” Wilkinson was the Bengals first #1 overall draft pick in franchise history. The BIG man put up close to 25 sacks in two seasons for the Buckeyes and skipped his senior campaign. Usually, you expect BIG things out of the #1 draft choice, unfortunately he never lived up to the hype. Yes, he averaged 6 sacks a year during his four season with the Bengals but he was slow, never really demanded the double teams we thought teams would apply against him, and he was unhappy here. He’s now played 13 NFL seasons and has not once made the Pro Bowl or even been considered an elite DT. Although, Wilkinson would’ve fit in well with the current Bengals teams as he had legal troubles in 1996 for striking his pregnant wife.

3. Ki-Jana Carter (1995 – 1st Round, 1st pick, RB from Penn St.):
Wait… there’s no way the Bengals could manage to have back-to-back busts with the #1 selection in the NFL draft in back-to-back years, right…… wrong. Boy was I excited about this selection as I’d seen Carter go from being an elite high-school running back at Westerville South just outside Columbus to being a star at Penn State. This Rose Bowl MVP immediately was given the reigns as the Bengals starting running back. We all remember his third pre-season game against Detroit when we saw Carter tear his ACL, after that he was never the same. Carter ending up only compiling 1,144 rushing yards in 10 NFL seasons, but hey he’s now thrown out the shoulder pads and writes for a blog, OPENSports.com.

2. David Klingler (1992 – 1st Round, 6th pick, QB from Houston):
This was a close call as both quarterbacks were equally as bad in the pros. However, Klingler had a solid college career and broke records, including throwing for 11 touchdowns in a single game and overall deserved to be a top pick with the numbers he put up in college. In 24 starts with the Bengals Klingler put up an abysmal 4-20 record and threw for only 16 touchdowns compared to 22 interceptions.

1. Akili Smith (1999 – 1st Round, 3rd pick, QB from Oregon):
Congratulations Akili Smith, you’ve earned the honors of the NKYsportsworld.com biggest draft bust. The Bengals picked Smith after one solid season at Oregon where he put up 32 touchdowns and only 11 interceptions. In four seasons and 17 starts with the Bengals, Smith had a 3-14 record. During this time he only completed 46% of his passes, threw for five touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Smith was out of the NFL by the age of 27. He Akili, you should’ve stuck with baseball.

*Other such as Charles Fisher, David Pollack, and Kenny Irons could’ve made the list; however, these guys played a year or less in the NFL due to injuries.

*Notice they’re five offensive and five defensive busts on my list. QB’s, RB’s, and DE’s accounted for two each. Interesting that I didn’t have one OL or WR on the list.

*Interesting note: A 2008 comparison between the Bengals' scouting department and five AFC teams with a winning percentage above .500 since 1991 shows the winning teams employ five or more scouts whereas the Bengals employ only one.

Why Protecting Carson is Key to Bengals Draft

Willie Anderson, Eric Steinbach, Rich Braham, Bobbie Williams, and Levi Jones. This was the O-Line that led the Cincinnati Bengals to there last playoff appearance. In 2005 the Bengals had one of the best O-Lines in the NFL and now…. well no words can explain how the tides have turned. The Bengals franchise player has been getting pressured more than ever and the only way you’ll have a healthy Carson Palmer for an entire season is to surround him with big, high-caliber bodies on the line.

The Bengals have picked the following offensive lineman in the first two rounds of there draft since 1996:

1996: Willie Anderson (10)
2002: Levi Jones (10)
2003: Eric Steinbach (33)
2006: Andrew Whitworth (55)

Three of these four guys have played in the Pro Bowl and the other will someday get there. Looking at all the busts the Bengals have had in the past this position seems to be the most solid and overall the safest. This is how the Bengals O-Line would look if they use there first two picks on the line:

LT: Levi Jones, Anthony Collins
LG: Andrew Whitworth
C: Alex Mack/Eric Wood/Max Unger
RG: Bobbie Williams
RT: Eugene Monroe/Andre Smith, Anthony Collins

Yes, this looks much better. The Bengals do have more holes to fill but the team needs to learn from past experiences and not draft a RB or WR in the first two rounds. Yes, the defense does need to get better and we could use another linebacker but fill this need with one of your 3rd round picks. Hopefully the Bengals are smart and learn in order to win football games you need to protect your franchise player and you need to open up holes for your running back.

Cincinnati Bengals Announce 2009 Schedule

Tonight on the NFL Network, the NFL announced team-by-team schedules for the upcoming 2009 football season. It feels awesome that football season is right around the corner. In what is not shocking news, the Cincinnati Bengals play zero primetime Monday night, Sunday night, or Thursday night games this season. Looks like we are back to the Bengals of the 1990's. I guess that is what you get when you only when 4 games. Whats even better is that I still can't wait for football.

Here is the schedule:

Sun, Sep 13 Denver Broncos 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Sep 20 @ Green Bay Packers 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Sep 27 Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Oct 04 @ Cleveland Browns 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Oct 11 @ Baltimore Ravens 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Oct 18 Houston Texans 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Oct 25 Chicago Bears 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Nov 01 BYE
Sun, Nov 08 Baltimore Ravens 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Nov 15 @ Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Nov 22 @ Oakland Raiders 4:15PM (ET)
Sun, Nov 29 Cleveland Browns 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Dec 06 Detroit Lions 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Dec 13 @ Minnesota Vikings 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Dec 20 @ San Diego Chargers 4:05PM(ET)
Sun, Dec 27 Kansas City Chiefs 1:00PM (ET)
Sun, Jan 03 @ New York Jets 1:00PM (ET)

Leon Hall Latest Cincinnati Bengal Victim to be Arrested

Bengals cornerback Leon Hall is facing DUI charges after the Ohio State Patrol says he was driving under the influence of alcohol. A breath test showed Hall had a BAC of 0.149. The legal limit is 0.08.

Add Leon Hall to this list of Bengals arrested since 2005, ranked from best to worst:

(Oh, and signing Frank the Tank Johnson helps this situation even more, he's not included in this list.)

1. Chris Henry (June 14th, ‘06) - providing alcohol to three underaged females, but did he score?

2. Chris Henry (Jan. 28th, ‘06) - possession of a concealed firearm, improper exhibition of firearm, aggravated assault with firearm, that’s a lot of firearm action

3. A.J. Nicholson (June 3rd, ‘06) - burglary, vandalism, grant theft, *bonus points for stealing electronics from a teammate, that’s not easy

4. Frostee Rucker (June 21st, ‘06) - vandalism, spousal battery, just don’t beat up that blackberry

5. Reggie McNeal (Dec. 3rd, ‘06) - resisting arrest and drug possession, always fun to catch the cops with an elbow to the chest

6. Eric Steinbach (Aug. 5th, ‘06) - boating under the influence, admit it, you didn’t even know that counted

7. A.J. Nicholson (May 18th, ‘06) - domestic violence, he restarted the streak after they had gone four months in between arrests

8. Chris Henry (June 3rd, ‘06) - DUI, 0.092, I’d blow that from a sip of Manischweitz

9. Odell Thurman (Sept. 25th, ‘06) - drunken driving, a 0.18, but he was more sober than Chris Henry or Reggie McNeal, so it’s all good

10. Deltha O’Neal (Dec. 9th, ‘06) - DWI, come on a 0.10 shouldn’t even count

11. Matthias Askew (July 22nd, ‘06) - disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, failure to comply with police officer’s order, obstructing justice, kinda boring

12. Chris Henry (Dec. 15 ‘05) - weed possession, just kids being kids

13. Quincy Wilson (June 17, ‘07) - disorderly conduct, kind of weak, but cool that the bride and groom were arrested too