NFL: The Show | GM D.Geezy's Cincinnati Bengals Franchise

[Deegeezy]

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

ONE FINAL LOOK AT SOME OF THE TOP 2010 DRAFT PROSPECTS

On the eve of the 2010 NFL draft, Mike Mayock shares his final "Best Available Board" detailing the top players in this year's draft, set to begin tomorrow night with round 1.

By Mike Mayock | NFL Network


Top 10 Best Available

1.MLB Rolando McClain - Alabama - 6-4 259 (top 5) - Huge senior year in Nick Saban's 3-4 system bolsters McClain to top 5 pick...Can play inside or as a rush linebacker
2.TE Jermaine Grisham - Oklahoma - 6-6 257 (top 5) - Big time tight end expected to be everything Vernon Davis was supposed to...Will likely end up the highest picked (and paid) tight end in NFL history
3.WR Damian Williams - USC - 6-1 190 (top 5) - Big senior season at SC and dazzling 4.3 combine speed
4.WR Jordan Shipley - Texas - 6-0 195 (top 5) - Wowed scouts with his 4.20 40 at the combine and hands like glue...Wes Welker clone
5.DE Carlos Dunlap - Florida - 6-6 290 (top 5) - Versatile defensive end can play in either a 3-4 or 4-3
6.OT Sam Young - Notre Dame - 6-8 330 (top 10) - Most athletic tackle in the draft with great size and wingspan
7.DT Charles Alexander - 6-3 310 - LSU (top 10) - Can play either the 2-technique in a 4-3 or 5-technique in a 3-4
8.S Anderson Russell - 6-0 205 - Ohio St. (top 10) - 4.34 40 gives Russell the edge over SC's Mays
9.S Taylor Mays - 6-3 230 - USC (top 10) - Athletic freak who can play in the box or in man-to-man.
10.LT Adam Ulatoski - 6-8 306 - Texas (1st) - Long arms and quick feet - two crucial elements for his position


Top 10 Potential Steals/Fallers

1.DT Gerald McCoy 6-4 289 - Oklahoma (2nd) - Late season knee injury buries stock
2.RB Joe McKnight - 6-0 195 - USC (2nd) - Reggie Bush's similar style and lack of success at NFL level effects McKnight's draft status but could be just as good of a utility player as Bush
3.CB Javier Arenas - 5-9 193 - Alabama (3rd) - Height a concern for most scouts...Devin Hester-like return skills however
4.SS Eric Berry - 5-11 203 - Tennessee (3rd) - Freak ankle injury at the combine scares off most teams from Berry, a once projected top 10 selection
5.DT Terrence Cody - 6-5 365 - Alabama (3rd) - Teams concerned with weight, sloppy Senior season, and poor combine interviews
6.OLB Rico McCoy - 6-1 220 - Tennessee (3rd) - Solid linebacker whose 4.7 40 plummets stock
7.DE George Selvie - 6-4 242 - USF (3rd) - Too small for DE, not athletic enough for LB. Did not put up the production in sacks that many hoped for
8.QB Jevan Snead - 6-3 215 - Ole Miss (3rd) - Horrendous senior showing masks potential
9.WR Brandon Lafell - 6-3 194 - LSU (3rd) - 4.68 40 takes him off some boards. Very unpolished route-running
10.RB LaGarrette Blount - 6-2 235 - Oregon (4th) - Early season punching incident coupled with poor interviews blow draft stock


Best Available - By Position

Top 5 Quarterbacks

1.Sam Bradford - 6-4 218 - Oklahoma (1st) - Two-time Heisman winner for the national champs could go as high as 4 to S.F. but can also sneak out of the top 10
2.Tim Tebow - 6-3 240 - Florida (1st) - Most interesting prospect in the draft. Could be a good pick for a Wildcat team
3.Jevan Snead - 6-3 215 (3rd)
4.Todd Reesing - 5-11 200 - Kansas (6th-7th) - 5-11 height takes him off day 1 radar for most teams
5.Colt McCoy - 6-3 210 - Texas (7th) - major bowl game knee injury hurts stock and he even may not get picked

Top 5 Running backs

1.Evan Royster - 6-1 212 - Penn St. (top 10) - 2,000 yard senior season catapults him to top 10 contention
2.Ben Tate - 5-11 215 - Auburn (1st) - 4.3 40 yard dash bolts him to top 20 consideration
3.Stafon Johnson - 6-0 210 - USC (1st) - Best back at a program stock-piled at the position
4.Charles Scott - 5-11 233 - LSU (2nd) - Bruiser reminds many of Jerome Bettis
5.C.J. Spiller - 5-11 195 - Clemson (2nd) - Size combined with somewhat disappointing timed speed (4.46) drops him out of round 1

Top 5 Wide Receivers

1.Damian Williams - 6-1 190 - USC (top 5)
2.Jordan Shipley - 6-0 195 - Texas (top 5)
3.Dez Bryant - 6-2 210 - Oklahoma St. (1st) - 4.6 40 keeps him out of top 10
4.Riley Cooper - 6-3 215 - Florida (2nd) - Tall, fast, great hands...Could develop into top WR one day
5.Arrelious Benn - 6-3 212 - Illinois (2nd) - Character concerns, poor senior season. Would have been a top 3 pick in 2009

Top 5 Tight Ends

1.Jermaine Grisham - 6-6 257 - Oklahoma (top 5)
2.Ed Dickson - 6-5 243 - Oregon (2nd-3rd)
3.Garrett Graham - 6-4 248 - Wisconsin (3rd)
4.Dennis Pitta - 6-5 250 - BYU (5th)
5.Ryan Moya - 6-4 229 - UCLA (5th)

Top 5 Offensive Linemen

1.OT Sam Young - 6-8 330 - Notre Dame (top 5)
2.OT Adam Ulatoski - 6-8 306 - Texas (top 10)
3.OT Ciron Black - 6-5 315 - LSU (1st) - Could go before Ulatoski
4.OT Russell Okung - 6-5 300 - Oklahoma (1st) - Some believe to be the best tackle in the draft but too much bad tape for me and he is a "heavy-legged waist bender"
5.OG Eric Olsen - 6-5 303 - Notre Dame (1st) - best guard prospect to come out in years

Top 5 Defensive Linemen

1.DE Carlos Dunlap - 6-6 290 - Florida (top 5)
2.DT Charles Alexander - 6-3 310 - LSU (1st)
3.DT Ndamukong Suh - 6-4 300 - Nebraska (1st) - May be the best 3-4 nose tackle in the draft
4.DT Vince Oghobaase - 6-6 310 - Duke (1st-2nd) - Mammoth defensive tackle played in obscurity at Duke
5.DE Sergio Kindle - 6-4 247 - Texas (2nd) - Another tweener, may be better suited as a rush linebacker in a 3-4

Top 5 Linebackers

1.MLB Rolando McClain - 6-4 249 - Alabama (top 5)
2.MLB Brandon Spikes - 6-3 245 - Florida (1st) - Can play inside and outside and has extreme quickness
3.OLB Luther Brown - 6-3 235 - USC (1st) - Fast riser a la Clay Matthews...Outstanding measureables but may be a little raw
4.OLB Mark Herzlich - 6-4 238 - Boston College (1st-2nd) - Ability to overcome cancer shows great work ethic and heart
5.OLB Sean Witherspoon - 6-1 235 - Missouri (2nd) - At the end of the day, may be draft's top outside linebacker

Top 5 Defensive Backs

1.FS Anderson Russell - 6-0 205 - Ohio St. (top 10)
2.FS Taylor Mays - 6-3 230 - USC (top 10)
3.CB Joe Haden - 5-11 190 - Florida (1st) - Draft's top corner...Outstanding speed and return ability
4.CB Walter Thurmond III - 6-0 185 - Oregon (1st) - 4.2 40 may move him ahead of Haden in the end
5.SS Justin Woodall - 6-2 220 - Alabama (1st-2nd) - Hard-hitting safety may go late in round 1...Very similar prospect to Mays

Top 5 Specialists

1.P Zoltan Mesko - 6-5 235 - Michigan (2nd)
2.PK Hunter Lawrence - 6-0 180 - Texas (3rd)
3.PK Joshua Shene - 5-9 170 - Ole Miss (4th-5th)
4.PK Brett Swenson - 5-9 160 - Michigan St. (5th)
5.PK Thomas Weber - 6-1 207 - Arizona St.







.

[Deegeezy]

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

BENGALS' COULD GO IN ANY DIRECTION IN 2010 DRAFT
Team's free agent success allows them to focus on no particular spot | GM D.Geezy hopes to continue stock-piling talent for Mike Martz's offense | Team remains mum on who they are selecting #1

By Joe Reedy, Bengals beat reporter



The 2010 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow evening and though they have been on the proverbial clock for nearly five months now , Bengals brass claim to be unsure of what direction they are going to go in. The team has visited with several of the top prospects and has even started negotiations with the likes of Alabama MLB Rolando McClain, Florida's Brandon Spikes, Texas' Jordan Shipley, USC FS Taylor Mays, and Florida CB Joe Haden. Still though, the team is not revealing their selection.

"We have an idea of where we're going to go but you never want to tip your hand, even if you are picking #1," said Bengals GM D.Geezy.

"We may pick #1, we may trade back, we may take a player we’re negotiating with, and we may not. These are all things we have to be conscious of when we speak about particular players. We have a plan going into tomorrow and we are ready for every scenario that plays out. We're going to make this city proud."

The Bengals top needs are considered by many to be wide receiver, interior offensive line, safety, cornerback, and rush-outside linebacker. Geezy says however that the team won't focus solely on one position.

"I am a strong believer in taking the best player available," said Geezy.

"The thing you have to realize in regards to the draft is that you are not just selecting a player for you to have for the upcoming season. You are selecting someone that you hope to contribute with you for the next decade. You have to have foresight in mind because you may have needs that could be arising within a year or two that may not necessarily be apparent today."

Here is one final look at the order of the first two rounds of the draft as well as the Bengals' remaining picks. Cincinnati holds 3 of the top 51 selections. -


2010 NFL Draft Order (Rounds 1 and 2)


Round 1

1.Cincinnati
2.Green Bay
3.Kansas City
4.San Francisco
5.Houston
6.New York Jets
7.Indianapolis
8.Oakland
9.Seattle (via Denver)
10.Dallas
11.New York Giants
12.Denver (via Chicago)
13.Cleveland
14.Seattle
15.Detroit
16.Tampa Bay
17.Philadelphia
18.Buffalo
19.Miami
20.San Francisco (via Carolina)
21.New Orleans
22.St.Louis
23.Jacksonville
24.Baltimore
25.San Diego
26.Washington
27.Tennessee
28.Atlanta
29.Minnesota
30.New England
31.Arizona
32.Pittsburgh


Round 2

33.Cincinnati
34.Green Bay
35.Kansas City
36.San Francisco
37.Houston
38.New York Jets
39.Indianapolis
40.Oakland
41.Denver
42.Dallas
43.New York Giants
44.Chicago
45.Cleveland
46.Seattle
47.Detroit
48.Tampa Bay
49.Philadelphia
50.Buffalo
51.Cincinnati (via Miami)
52.Carolina
53.New Orleans
54.St.Louis
55.New England (via Jacksonville)
56.Baltimore
57.San Diego
58.Washington
59.New England (via Tennessee)
60.Kansas City (via Atlanta)
61.Minnesota
62.New England
63.Arizona
64.Pittsburgh


Remaining Bengals Picks: Round 3, Pick 1 (65), Round 5, Pick 1 (129), 6, Pick 1 (161), 7, Pick 1 (193)







.

[RyanLeaf16]

A Cry for Help | Bengals 2010 Draft Preview

Ed Thompson | Guest Columnist to JungleInsider.com



My old friend Rich McKay has always held true to one mantra when building a successful football team:

"When you are in a mess, your stuck in a mess...one player isn't going to get you out of it." McKay would say. "You build a football team from the ball out and that takes bodies - lots of them."

Looking back at the 2009 Cincinnati Bengals you can see a lot of areas where improvement is needed. Thankfully, general manager DeeGeezy has come in and revamped the scouting department and has had some early success. For example, DeeGeezy was the trigger man on the trade that brought young receiver Brandon London to Cincinnati from Miami and he also scooped up Jacob Hester hours after he was released by the Chargers organization. Hester went on to represent the Bengals at the pro bowl in Miami.

When it comes to prepping for a draft, especially one in which you have the first overall pick, a lot of factors must be considered. From signability to whether or not the player has the mental toughness to become the "face" of a franchise. With this pick, the Bengals must make the statement that they are committed to building a foundation for success down the road. The goal is not to make the sexy pick. It is to make the right pick.

With that in mind, this humble writer feels as if there is only one direction for the organization to go: Shop the pick. That's right, the 2-14 Bengals, who need all the help they can get, should shop the number one pick. Sell it to the highest bidder I say!

The Bengals are operating under a relatively tight budget and last year's issue with holdout Andre Smith demonstrates that the Bengals are not keen on paying the premium that comes with high draft picks. Add in their current salary cap status and the fact that all areas of the team could improve and the Bengals can turn their number one pick into a solid veteran and later first round pick and an additional second round pick - depending on how far they drop down.

Also, the player that the Bengals need the most, likely would not go number one anyway. Going back to my earlier philosophy of building from the ball out - I would say that the best fit for the organization is to look at Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. Paired with Domata Peko, Pat Sims and the medley of free agent acquisitions on the defensive line (Justin Bannan and Dwan Edwards) the addition of Suh would make the Bengals line a devastating force against both the run and the pass.

If the Bengals were able to trade out of the number one spot and in return receive a capable veteran corner, a mid one and two they could create a much tougher defense all around than what opponents faced all last season.

Nothing is guaranteed in this business however, and things can change at a moments notice, it is just a matter of time before we find out what the Bengals plan on doing with their selection. Remember though - "when your in a mess, you are stuck in a mess."

Word to the wise coach Martz: "one player is not going to get you out of it."

[Deegeezy]

Abolutely amazing read Leaf...That was good stuff.

I like the way you think.

Just caught up...in a word, awesome. Great job DGZ! I love it...

Appreciate it man...Thanks for checking in!

[Deegeezy]

Weekly Clips


Bengals | TE Utecht released
Wed, 21 Apr 2010 9:06:49 -0700
Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the Cincinnati Bengals have released TE Ben Utecht (71 overall) from the team. Utecht, who carried a $3.55 million cap charge, was projected to be third on the depth chart behind second year starter Chase Coffman (72 overall) & recent signee and run-blocking specialist Brandon Manumaleuna (70 overall). Utecht was going into the final year of a 3-year contract signed in 2008. The move puts the Bengals at approximately $11.8 million under the cap heading into tomorrow night's draft.

___________________________



.

[Sharkweather]

10.RB LaGarrette Blount - 6-2 235 - Oregon (4th) - Early season punching incident coupled with poor interviews blow draft stock

Haha... very nice touch.

Good work this off season, this is just getting better and better. I'm excited to see who you pick up in the draft.

[Deegeezy]

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Former Buckeye Vernon Gholston heading back to Ohio

BENGALS, JETS COMPLETE BLOCKBUSTER FIRST ROUND SWAP
Cincinnati deals #1 overall pick to New York in exchange for 2010 first and second rounders, and disappointing former #6 overall pick Vernon Gholston | Bengals will now pick 6th in 2010 draft after swap | Financial concerns believed to have played a major part in Cincinnati's desire to move down

By Adam Shefter, ESPN

On the eve of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets have made a major deal which affects the top 6 picks in the draft, set to commence tomorrow evening. The Bengals will send the #1 overall pick to the Jets in exchange for the 6th overall selection, the Jets' 2010 2nd round selection (38th overall), and former first round pick LB Vernon Gholston (74 overall). Gholston, going into his third year after being picked #6 overall by the Jets in 2008, has been a major disappointment since leaving Ohio State.

In his rookie season, he registered just 9 tackles and last season, despite being healthy for all 16 games, could only manage 10 tackles while playing special teams as a reserve behind Jets OLB Bryan Thomas (75 overall). This coming after Gholston registered a school-record 14.5 sacks in his final year with the Buckeyes.

The Bengals, according to sources, have been shopping the #1 overall pick for several weeks now in an effort to slide down to avoid paying the hefty price tag that the pick entails. Now at the 6th slot, the price tag decreases considerably which should help the Bengals cap situation and allow them to sign all of their picks.

"We're very excited about today's move and we're even more excited to add a player of Vernon's ability to our roster," said Bengals G.M. D.Geezy.

"For one reason or another, things just have not worked out for Vernon in New York. We have a specific role in mind for him here however and we think his speed will do wonders both as an edge rush outside linebacker in a 3-4 or even as a 4-3 defensive end.

"The #1 pick is a gift and a curse unfortunately and the value of the pick has gone down considerably from previous years. However after extensive shopping around, we felt we got the best value that we could for the pick."

Gholston, a Detroit, Michigan native, is expected to start at outside linebacker for the Bengals. The 6-3 266 pounder ran a 4.5 40-yard dash at the 2008 combine and saw his draft stock sky-rocket. However many believe that his fast rise due to those numbers ended up resulting in him becoming a major "reach" according to many draft analysts. Geezy does not believe that it is time label Gholston a bust just yet.

"Vernon is going to come here and be a major contributor to an up-and-coming ball club. Hopefully tomorrow evening we can continue to put pieces around him and get this defense and this team to the next level."

The 2010 NFL Draft kicks off tomorrow evening with round 1. Things have certainly gotten interesting for Bengals fans and for Jets fans, especially those that will be in attendance Thursday night at Radio City Music Hall.

Bengals Picks: Round 1 Pick 6, Round 2 Pick 1 (33), Round 2 Pick 6 (38), Round 2 Pick 19 (51)*, Round 3 Pick 1 (65), Round 5, Pick 1 (129), 6, Pick 1 (161), 7, Pick 1 (193)

Jets Picks: Round 1 Pick 1 (1), Round 3 Pick 6 (70), Round 4 Pick 6 (102), Round 5 Pick 6 (134), Round 7 Pick 6 (166), Round 7 Pick 6 (198)

* - acquired along with WR Brandon London in week 6 of 2010 regular season from Miami in exchange for WR Laveranues Coles and Bengals' 2010 fourth round pick


___________________________




.

[Deegeezy]

Ed Thompson | Guest Columnist to JungleInsider.com

Add in their current salary cap status and the fact that all areas of the team could improve and the Bengals can turn their number one pick into a solid veteran and later first round pick and an additional second round pick - depending on how far they drop down.

Mr. Thompson...What are tonight's lotto numbers?

I swear I didn't even realize you had typed that specific trade scenario before pulling the trigger on tonight's deal.

[RyanLeaf16]

Mr. Thompson...What are tonight's lotto numbers?

I swear I didn't even realize you had typed that specific trade scenario before pulling the trigger on tonight's deal.

I really like the deal that you made. You didn't drop down too far in the first and you now have three picks in the 2nd round! You can definitely make some strides in getting this team back to a competitive level.

As for the trade scenario, thanks for the props, but, I did miss on one thing: I predicted a move for a corner instead of a linebacker in the trade. Either way, nice to see it come to fruition. Looking forward to reading about what takes place in the draft. I got a pretty good feeling who you might take at #6 though ;)

[DoubleDeuce]

Nice trade dude. Can't wait to see who you pick in the draft

[Deegeezy]

I really like the deal that you made. You didn't drop down too far in the first and you now have three picks in the 2nd round! You can definitely make some strides in getting this team back to a competitive level.

As for the trade scenario, thanks for the props, but, I did miss on one thing: I predicted a move for a corner instead of a linebacker in the trade. Either way, nice to see it come to fruition. Looking forward to reading about what takes place in the draft. I got a pretty good feeling who you might take at #6 though ;)

It was hard finding a fair deal for the #1 pick. I thought for sure SF would trade me 4 and 20 for the first pick but they had no interest. Then I thought Seattle would do 9 and 14, no mas.

The best "draft pick only" deal I could find was with the Colts, who would do their first, second, and fourth for my #1 which is steal a bad deal according to the NFL trade value chart.

In the end, I decided that I would do something involving a player and tried to find the best, realistic scenario out there.

Nice trade dude. Can't wait to see who you pick in the draft

Thanks man. Day 1 draft results will be up later.

[Deegeezy]

Jets| WR Williams to be picked #1 overall
Thu, 22 Apr 2010 10:07:49 -0700
ESPN's Adam Shefter reports that the New York Jets, who on Wednesday traded with the Cincinnati Bengals for the #1 overall pick in the draft, have reached a contract agreement and will select USC WR Damian Williams tonight with its pick. Williams, 6-1 190 pounds, saw his stock skyrocket during February's combine after running a 4.31 40-yard dash. The former Trojan caught 87 passes for 1,431 yards and 11 touchdowns in his final year in Los Angeles & immediately becomes Jets quarterback and former Trojan Mark Sanchez's top target. According sources, Sanchez's influence played a heavy role in the Jets' decision to make Williams the top pick in the draft and bolster their receiving core.


___________________________


.

[Deegeezy]

dang, i wasnt expecting that. maybe someone that you wanted to take with the #1 pick falls to you with the #6 pick

I have a list of five guys that I want ,ranked 1 through 5. Whoever is left at the top when I'm up is who I will get.

[PEYMAN18]

Can't wait for the draft, nice trade to get the 1st pick.

[Macken]

#1 pick nice.. hope it aint a bust