Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > April > 28 > Entry
Draft analysis: Bengals earn a B-
TRADE UP TOO EXPENSIVE
If I know Cincinnati Bengals fans — and I think I do — then the anger and depression you went to bed with on Saturday night, April 26, evaporated 24 hours later.
Yeah, you were upset that the team didn’t trade up in the first round to get Sedrick Ellis or Glenn Dorsey.
And you were further irritated to the point of belligerence that the club had the audacity to select a Coastal Carolina Chanticleer wide receiver named Jerome Simpson in Round 2 after grabbing USC linebacker Keith Rivers in Round 1.
Well, rest your weary souls, studs & studettes.
I got some good news for you via email from an NFL coach and personal friend of mine that I received upon reporting to Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday, April 27.
“Rest easy on Simpson. I loved him. Great character, competitor, tough. Has the unique ability to “high point” all throws, excels at attacking the deep ball. Has not been asked to block at all. Big question is acclimation into the Chad Johnson Big Top. Probably reached one round early for him, but I think everyone is going to be happy in 2-3 years.”
So there.
As for why the club didn’t trade up for Ellis or Dorsey, the answer is simple. Too expensive.
The Bengals would’ve had to give up their No. 1 and No. 3a, which turned out to be Rivers and defensive tackle Pat Sims.
Folks, believe me, I’d rather have Rivers and Sims — both great value picks at Nos. 9 and 77 overall — than Ellis. I’ll take an A- (Rivers) and B+ (Sims) instead of an A+ (Ellis) any day.
WHAT HAPPENED IN TWO DAYS?
A new era is getting ushered in. At linebacker. At defensive tackle. At wide receiver.
All thanks to a 10-pick makeover designed to shake up and wake up a roster that had gone stale since 2005.
Rivers is a stud. And I’m starting to warm up to wide receivers Simpson, Andre Caldwell and Mario Urrutia because of their play-making ability.
Folks, the NFL is about speed. And they’ve got it.
I like the Sims’ pick because he’s an active, intense, hard-working DT who will penetrate the backfield.
I don’t like DT Jason Shirley’s DUI arrest — not even a little bit. But from what I can tell, he’s the only dude out of 10 draft picks with a blemish. And even though it’s a HUGE blemish, which nobody can excuse, I’m willing to cut the guy a little slack because he showed remorse, accepted responsibility, held himself accountable and promised to straighten up his act. Yeah, he’s got a lot to prove. But I’m willing to give him a chance. If he screws up again, he’s gone.
Anybody who heard Appalachian State free safety Corey Lynch’s interview couldn’t help but be impressed with the kid. He’s been crowned an Ohio legend for blocking the field goal that beat Michigan. And now he’s coming to Cincinnati.
CAUSE FOR CONCERN
I’m still concerned about four areas.
1. Running back. The refusal to draft a tailback means the Bengals are counting on Rudi Johnson to return to form after an injury-plagued 2007. If he can’t regain his durability, a tailback-by-committee approach will be unveiled with Kenny Watson, Chris Perry and upstart DeDe Dorsey all heavily involved. (Pssst! Rudi. You can stop celebrating now that the club didn’t draft at your position).
2. Center. The team didn’t draft a center, which remains the weakest spot on the O-Line with unproven Dan Santucci, Nate Livings and Kyle Cook pushing incumbent Eric Ghiaciuc, who must improve his strength and foot speed.
3. Defensive end. The defense lacks an impact edge rusher behind starters Robert Geathers and Antwan Odom. I’m happy that UC’s Angelo Craig was drafted at 7a. But he’s tortoise-slow, and that’s a problem. Third-year pro Frostee Rucker better blossom or the unit could struggle getting more pressure on the passer.
4. Chad Johnson. The Ocho Cinco fiasco needs a peaceful resolution. If not, the distraction Johnson has created with his trade demand and expected holdout could destroy the team.
CINCINNATI BENGALS
2008 DRAFT PICKS
1. Keith Rivers, LB, 6-3, 237, Southern Cal…Fast, physical enforcer, immediate starter.
2. Jerome Simpson, WR, 6-1, 190, Coastal Carolina…A burner who makes circus catches.
3a. Pat Sims, DT, 6-4, 314, Auburn…Rugged run stuffer who will push the pile.
3b. Andre Caldwell, WR, 6-0, 203, Florida…Speedy receiver and physical blocker.
4. Anthony Collins, OT, 6-5, 311, Kansas…Road-grading RT gives O-line depth.
5. Jason Shirley, DT, 6-5, 329, Fresno State…Physical specimen, but a risky pick.
6a. Corey Lynch, FS, 6-0, 206, Appalachian St….Specialty is blocking kicks.
6b. Matt Sherry, TE, 6-4, 255, Villanova…Improving blocker, excellent receiver.
7a. Angelo Craig, DE, 6-4, 257, Cincinnati …Edge rusher who must improve speed.
7b. Mario Urrutia, WR, 6-5, 232, Louisville…Big target, will be a factor in the red zone.
Permalink | Comments (32) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By psychostats
April 28, 2008 1:18 AM | Link to this
Thanks to our new 5th rounder, we should get a steady diet of Naked Gun references. Surly you know what I mean. And surly the Bengals have shot themselves in the foot. Again. (Otherwise, I like their draft.)By Gary Koch
April 28, 2008 1:25 AM | Link to this
I’d give them an A-. I agree with you that I’d take Rivers & Sims over Ellis. Rivers puts us in very good shape at LB; Sims is a 1st round talent, let’s see. I question the Shirlet pick too but they say they’ve checked things out, so give then the BOTD. They’ve done well selecting WRs, so I have no problem with Simpson. Caldwell was a gg\ood catch, as was Collins. Lynch sounds great for SY & a backup,same with Urrutia. The selection I don’t like is Sherry. They don’t need another TE. Also, I can’t find zip on the guy. That’s how little he’s valued on draft sites & draft mags. At least pick a return guy. Still I sat A-. I think the defense & WR got some major help.By Gary Koch
April 28, 2008 1:35 AM | Link to this
Part II - Response to Chick’s concerns. RB: I think we’re fine. No need to draft a RB. Center: I would have drafted one, but the seem to really like Ghiaciuk & Santucci. DE: I like Fannene & they seem to think Rucker is progressing & needs to just stay healthy. I wish they had left Henderson at DE. They keep moving the good rushers to LB but rarely use there rush talent. Go figure. Last Chad: whatever they do with him I’m fine: trade him, keep him. I can see both options. I just want us back in the playoffs. It would be great if he didn’t play this year & the Bengals make the playoffs, even win a game or more. :-)By pete
April 28, 2008 6:25 AM | Link to this
shirley you jest!(got that out of the way for you psychostats)after watching the rest of the picks and following up on each of the picks, i felt better about the picks,not elated though.i trust your judgement chick. you have forgotten more about (sports)football then what i’ll ever know.it’s a crap shoot.and we won’t know for at least 2 seasons on any given player.cris carter did give the bengals some kudo’s when it came the end and they all gave their essestments of the teams drafts.thanks chick!By Paul Mc.
April 28, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
My grade is a D+ The reason being starting in the 2nd round the Bengal’s started reaching for players and taking players with poor character. It’s obvious to me this organization lack of scouts and a GM is killing them.By Paul Mc.
April 28, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
My grade is a D+ The reason being starting in the 2nd round the Bengal’s started reaching for players and taking players with poor character. It’s obvious to me this organization lack of scouts and a GM is killing them.By Michael
April 28, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
I don’t think the draft was too bad, though I agree with Chick that the second-round pick was a stretch at the time. I hope Simpson will be able to catch those toss-up balls above smaller corners and surprise people. The Bengals did the right thing with their first pick by taking Rivers.By Mike
April 28, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
It’s all about perception.If the Bengals had selected Sims in the 2nd,Caldwell early 3rd,and Simpson with the last 3rd round pick,everybody would have been much happier. DT would have been addressed earlier,and Simpson wouldn’t have been a “reach” with the late 3rd round pick. Yet we would still have the same players.By Sam
April 28, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
I would give their draft a C. Is it possible,now that the draft is over, that the Bengals could trade Chad for a player/position they didn’t get?By Thomas H.
April 28, 2008 11:02 AM | Link to this
Glad to see Chris Henry was replaced (in the 5th round). And yes, I jest. Chad may be a post-June 1 trade, but this is not a year to try and win it all. Rumor has it Pittsburgh wanted Simpson and planned to draft him later in the second, and if that is the case, I’m all for him. Still, I would have given up Sims and Rivers for Dorsey, not Ellis.By Thomas H.
April 28, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
Glad to see Chris Henry was replaced (in the 5th round). And yes, I jest. Chad may be a post-June 1 trade, but this is not a year to try and win it all. Rumor has it Pittsburgh wanted Simpson and planned to draft him later in the second, and if that is the case, I’m all for him. Still, I would have given up Sims and Rivers for Dorsey, not Ellis.By Greg
April 28, 2008 11:04 AM | Link to this
I give the overall draft an A/B. We got a leader of the defense in Rivers. We added depth at WR. There is a reason why teams past on the top 4 or 5 WRs early. The 2 DT could develop into good players. The OT/G from Kansas will add depth to the OL. I was sad that we didn’t get Ellis or Dorsey. However, I’m willing to bet in a couple of years, with Rivers, we will forget that trading up was even an option.By Josh
April 28, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this
You might not know Jerome Simpson yet, but wait until he steps onto the field and learns Cincinnati’s system. You will know his name before long…and it’ll be Chad who?? I watched him at Coastal Carolina throughout his entire college career (I have season tickets on the 50 yard line-10th row), and I met him as well. He is an unbelievable athlete, and his work ethic and CHARACTER match it, something Cincy fans should be happy with considering recent history. As a Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I wish we could have gotten him, but I wasn’t willing to pick him in the 2nd. Haters will eat crow!By Stone
April 28, 2008 11:24 AM | Link to this
Chick, I rate your assesment of the draft with a C-, just because you used the words “studs and studettes”.By JN
April 28, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
I was not thrilled early on, but looking back I say the draft was reasonably solid. I like the fact that they didn’t overspend to get Ellis, and LB was as much of a need as DT. I like that they didn’t waste a pick on RB (I am confident two out of the current roster should be healthy and capable). I like the size of some of the WRs and DTs they did manage to get. Solid B-, with potential to improve.By Pat
April 28, 2008 11:55 AM | Link to this
Really like the 3rd round (Sims and Caldwell) Both players come from solid teams in the SEC. They should have an immediate impact on the team. Don’t know about Shirley. However, it wouldn’t be Bengalike to not draft a guy with character issues. Hope he works out.By ortega joseph
April 28, 2008 12:27 PM | Link to this
well letz C+ where this draft picks takes us. And letz get rid off that ocho cinco to a bad team so he can dissappear into the sun may b to a zona for that bolwin reciever or may b to chicago for urlacker that woulkd b sweeeeeettt!!!By Sam
April 28, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this
With a happy Ocho Cinco this team is 8-8 at best. If he is a distraction all season they are 5-11 or worse. You can’t count on rookies to put you over the top on defense. They will again struggle to stop anyone.By Sam
April 28, 2008 12:40 PM | Link to this
With a happy Ocho Cinco this team is 8-8 at best. If he is a distraction all season they are 5-11 or worse. You can’t count on rookies to put you over the top on defense. They will again struggle to stop anyone.By Bob540
April 28, 2008 12:50 PM | Link to this
The draft went fine. My concern is that the Bengals always take two steps forward and two steps back. Areas that used to be strengths (e.g., wide receiver) can now become weaknesses due to losing stars to other teams. Having to devote picks to compensate for those losses prevents Cinti from addressing existing weak areas (e.g., the lines). Overall, with what is lost and what is gained, its like spinning wheels. Look for 7-9 seasons with no playoffs to continue.By Bob540
April 28, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this
P.S. Running back IS a problem. Rudi has lost his punch, and if he can’t push the pile anymore he won’t be effective. Perry was a bust from the get-go. Kenny Watson is adequate but can’t carry the whole load. Combined with an aging & mediocre O line, the Bengals won’t be able to run the ball and won’t be able to protect Palmer, no matter who he throws to.By Thor
April 28, 2008 1:02 PM | Link to this
People are talking about the RB spot, and why didn’t we draft one, and so on. What about our pick last season, Kenny Irons? Is he due back or am I missing something?By Doco
April 28, 2008 1:46 PM | Link to this
Grade=B. I agree with Mike in that the “reach” for Simpson is perception. If you flip-flop him and Sims and take Sims first everybody loves it. But if getting Simpson in the 2nd kept him from the Steelers then I love it! And I believe Rudi’s woes and the running game in general go back to Richie Braham retiring. He was the keystone to that line and not easily replaced. Center is a concern. Look for the Steelers to struggle this year without Faneca.By BnOPanther
April 28, 2008 1:57 PM | Link to this
I’m going B. Rivers is as solid as they come. The 2 areas the Bengals have consistantly drafted well at have been WR and OL. We at least got deeper at both of those positions and you have to give Carson weapons. 2 DT’s with size and agility helps and a special teams stud is never a bad thing. I’m so glad we didn’t trade up and give up extra picks. I say trade CJ to GB. It’s cold and no more Favre!By jemcx
April 28, 2008 7:02 PM | Link to this
Chick, I rate your rating an A+ BECAUSE you used stud and studettes. It made me laugh. Good job.By Jeffrey
April 28, 2008 7:20 PM | Link to this
I think the Bengals did a good job in the draft. I like the pick for Rivers, now we will have a solid and YOUNG LB core. Even on Nfl network they said if everything pans out well the Bengals will have the best young group of LB’s and that should make up for the Lack of line. However i think they made up some room on the line issue. I like Simpson in the 2nd round, yes i will agree the Bengals jumped early on him and might have been able to get him in the 3rd, but they saw a lot they liked in him and didnt want to take the chance. Look at the drafts around that time everyone took recievers nobody expected and had down the list more, this cause the Bengals to jump and take him before they wanted to. I would have like to have seen Mike Hart picked up however. I feel he would have made an impact and he was around late.By kenaverybreath
April 28, 2008 10:03 PM | Link to this
Chick, you sure paint a rosey picture after the draft but I say they earned a C- or a D on this draft. The experts say that Rivers isn’t the best prospect out there even though he has leadership and character. that Simpson was at reach and didn’t play against big name talent at ASU. Sims is a project and a player that tires early. 3b. Caldwell had a lot of injuries the last couple of years and needs to improve his route running skills. Anthony Collins will take time to develop before being an impact. Jason Shirley is listed as a risk and a project as well. 6a. Corey Lynch would be considered a Special Teams player and a replacement for Kilmer. 6b. Matt Sherry is considered a project. 7a. Angelo Craig, a DE at 257 lbs is a project who must improve his speed. 7b. Mario Urrutia is a special teams player who is considered slow by WR standards. He is potentiall another TE if he has time to develop. Look, it’s like this. Cincy could have traded up and hang losing the draft pick. They were willing to give up a third round choice in the offseason on the Lions DT Rodgers so they could have swapped number 1’s and gave a third round pick with NE to get Ellis. Another conundrum is the fact that they probably could have gotten Simms or Shirley probably both or one of them and a DE anyway. Hang Marvin’s comments about wanting to keep all 10 picks too. It was just flat cheap on their part and a lot of times 2 lower round picks are not egual to a bona-fide first round pick. What we continue to see is that Mike Brown being enamored with taking project players and lower round risky picks that in the past 18 years of his management have not produced positive results. It’s the offseason, it’s spring and the team should be showing signs of improvement and promise. What I see is the Bengals fooling their fans and not giving their best efforts to build a winning team.By psychostats
April 28, 2008 10:35 PM | Link to this
Thanks, Pete. I do jest, but please don’t call me Shirley.By gunars fricsons
April 28, 2008 11:28 PM | Link to this
Draft is a c at best. 8-8 records continue because of gain one, lose one concept of management. Two receivers to fill new receiver holes instead of being able to concentrate on defense.Lose Landon Johnson fill with Rivers and so it goes on and on in Cinci.We were ahead of the curve two years ago but failed to go ALL out defense last year. Cinci drifts farther down from 8-8.Fans and for those who care, there still is no D in Cincinnati.By Mike A.
April 29, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this
I loved the draft. Our Lb’s will be great with Rivers in the middle, and Simpson seems like a heck of a guy with great upside. He would of been gone before our pick in the third. Good Draft B+By Mike A.
April 29, 2008 3:07 PM | Link to this
I loved the draft. Our Lb’s will be great with Rivers in the middle, and Simpson seems like a heck of a guy with great upside. He would of been gone before our pick in the third. Good Draft B+By Kevin
April 29, 2008 4:53 PM | Link to this
Another clueless Bengals draft - picking Simpson, who will take 2-3 years to contribute, over Trevor Laws, who could help this woeful D NOW, will haunt this team. Get ready for 5-11.