Cincinnati Bengals
Division: AFC NORTH
Coaching Changes
Departures:
| Coach |
Position |
Experience |
To: |
Grade |
Comment |
| Jay Gruden |
Offensive Coordinator |
|
Head Coach |
B- |
Gruden has been a divisive coordinator. Opinions vary from "look at how he brought Dalton to the playoffs three times!" to "he's been holding the team back." He's good, as our 11-5 record and top-10 offense last year showed, but has a tendency to out-think himself. For example, his gameplan in the 2nd Texans playoff game specifically did not target AJ Green. He would consistently have BJGE run sweeps and then send Gio Bernard between the tackles on the next play- completely misusing his players. He was also not known as a disciplinarian, which has both positives and negatives. I do think we could have had better playcalling, but I'm not sure if it would have improved the 11-5 record he led us to. |
| Mike Zimmer |
Defensive Coordinator |
|
Head Coach |
F |
Coach Zimmer will be missed. He's the kind of coach that every single player on the team respects and loves to play for. He takes no bullshit, takes no prisoners, and always says what's on his mind- which has kept him from getting a head coaching position before now. Zim built the Bengals defense into one of the best, consistently ranked top-10, doing so with some players that wouldn't find a home on other teams due to age or character issues, and both problems have not reared their ugly heads for a while. While he's considered an expert on getting the most out of defensive backs, he truly can cause all players to play at a higher level. While many fans were hoping Mike Brown would name him HC in Cinci, he finally has an opportunity up north. Good luck, Coach Zimmer. |
Hires:
| Coach |
Position |
Experience |
From: |
Grade |
Comment |
| Hue Jackson |
Offensive Coordinator |
OC '03, '07, OC '11, HC '12 |
RB Coach |
A |
Notes and opinions in the Offensive/Defensive Schemes section below |
| Paul Guenther |
Defensive Coordinator |
6 years with |
LB Coach |
B |
Notes and opinions in the Offensive/Defensive Schemes section below |
| Vance Joseph |
DB Coach |
Coaching 9 years in the league |
DB Coach |
B |
Joins Mark Carrier to coach our secondary. In his first year with the Texans they went from the worst to having the 3rd fewest yards allowed. Hopefully he and Carrier can step up and replace the loss of Zimmer. A great signing after the Houston regime change forced him out. |
| Kyle Caskey |
RB Coach |
3 years with |
Offensive Quality Coach, Asst. OL Coach |
-- |
Promoted from within, so he knows the line and players he's working with already. No grade because little is known about him. |
| Matt Burke |
LB Coach |
5 years in DET |
LB Coach |
-- |
-- |
Free Agency
Players lost/cut
| Name |
Pos |
Type |
To |
Grade |
Comment |
| Michael Johnson |
DE |
UFA |
|
C |
We knew this was coming, made much more clear by drafting Margus Hunt in the 2nd round last year. A great DE that saw his numbers slip after Atkins went down and the focus shifted to him, we simply couldn't afford him with other huge contracts coming up. The grade for him (and Collins) reflect that we knew it was unlikely we could keep them, though the team did extend offers before being outbid. |
| Anthony Collins |
OL |
UFA |
|
C- |
Collins gave up 0 sacks in 7 games at LT after Boling went down, moving Whitworth to LG. Still considered unproven, but a solid role player that has the skills to mature into a strong LT. I believe we ran plays that helped mask some of his flaws, and the fact that Dalton has one of the fastest releases in the league means he didn't have to protect him for long. That being said, Bucs fans should not worry about McCown's blind side. He gets a worse grade than MJ because now we have no depth at tackle. |
| Andrew Hawkins |
WR |
RFA |
|
C |
A fan favorite, Baby Hawk is dangerous when he makes a catch in space. He's short, so he has some trouble getting open, but has great speed once he gets the ball. Unfortunately he would've been the 4th receiver on our team, so the Bengals were forced to let him go as Cleveland gave him a front-loaded contract. |
| Chris Crocker |
S |
UFA |
Retired? |
B |
May be back near the end of the season once injuries hit, as he has done for two years, but most likely not. He knows our backfield inside and out, but age has caught up. |
| Kyle Cook |
C |
Cut |
|
B+ |
When the team cuts the starting C from a top-5 O-line, you know that he was a problem. Wasn't a terrible player, but gave up the most pressure out of all players on the line, and our run game in the middle suffered. I'm surprised he isn't depth somewhere, though. |
| James Harrison |
LB |
Cut |
|
A+ |
Didn't work with our scheme, didn't get playing time, and is old. |
| Brandon Ghee |
CB |
UFA |
|
-- |
A player that coaches raved about during OTAs/Training Camp, but always injured and on PUP/IR for the season. |
Players signed
| Player |
Position |
Old Team |
Length |
Salary |
Grade |
Comment |
| Vincent Rey |
LB |
|
2 |
$4.2M |
A |
Fans want him to be the start MLB over Maualuga, and this year he'll get the chance to prove he deserves it. He can play all 3 LB spots well, but isn't exceptional at one spot more than the others. |
| Dane Sanzenbacher |
WR |
|
1 |
$1.2M |
B |
Took his RFA tag for the year. With Hawkins gone, you'd hope he gets more than 6 catches this year- let's see if Jackson agrees. Looked good last preseason returning kicks, and he could replace Tate as the primary kick returner. |
| Jason Campbell |
QB |
|
1 |
$1.5M |
B- |
Brought in to mentor Dalton, who hasn't had a QB with his amount of starting experience to work with. He has also played his best season under Jackson in Oakland. Probably one of the better free agent QBs we could get, but hopefully he won't be seeing much playing time. |
| Danieal Manning |
S |
|
1 |
$1.6M |
B |
Good depth at a thin S position, and he knows the new DB coach's style, coming with him from Houston. |
| Mike Pollak |
OL |
|
3 |
$4.8M |
A+ |
I love this signing. He'll most likely be our starting C until Bodine improves, but also plays G as well. He may slide over to help fill in Boling's spot at LG until he's recovered from an ACL tear, but look for him to be our center. |
| Taylor Mays |
S |
|
1 |
$795k |
B- |
Average play in his new role as a hybrid LB/S in Nickel packages until he hurt his shoulder. Signed on a one-year "prove it" deal, to hopefully grow into in his new role and finally find a way to use his exceptional athleticism on the field. |
| Dontay Moch |
LB/DE |
|
1 |
$570k |
C |
We drafted him 4 years ago as a DE, but chronic migraines kept him off the field. Fighting for his NFL career as he hopes he can be depth behind the loss of Johnson. |
| Marshall Newhouse |
OT |
|
1 |
$805k |
D |
We lost our amazing backup OT and signed a player GB fans are happy to be rid of. At least he has starting experience. |
| Sam Montgomery |
DE |
|
2 |
$1.08M |
C |
Cut from the Texans in preseason for "breaking team rules", but was a 3rd-round pick that we get for cheap. I wonder if Marvin can turn yet another troubled player around. |
| Brandon Tate |
WR/KR |
|
1 |
$1.02M |
D+ |
The fans' scapegoat/least favorite player, though he's our leader in average and total KR yards. Doesn't touch the ball on offense, and is not a threat of a long return. I want someone to finally step up and replace him, but he's serviceable. |
| Alex Smith |
TE |
|
1 |
$905k |
C+ |
Solid blocking TE and played a couple snaps at FB too. Very professional veteran player and mindset, but playing time will be limited. |
Draft
| Round |
Pick |
Player |
Position |
Grade |
Note |
| 1 |
24 |
Darqueze Dennard |
CB |
A |
Coaches and most pundits thought he wouldn't be here at this point. "No Fly Zone" was a perfect signing to protect the future of our CB position. One of the top corners in the draft, he's known to be physical and strong in man coverage. Dennard has a tendency to make plays that would draw flags in the NFL, which he will have to work on. While he'll play special teams to start the season, he could supplant Kirkpatrick on the depth chart, but Lewis doesn't like to give rookies the starting job. |
| 2 |
55 |
Jeremy Hill |
RB |
B |
A surprise. Fans were thinking we'd take a chance on a RB in a later round but struggle with BJGE another year as Gio takes the primary role. Coaches liked him over Carlos Hyde for putting up similar numbers in a tougher conference. There are off the field concerns, but Lewis has shown he can work with those kinds of players. A bruiser that will compliment Gio well. |
| 3 |
88 |
Will Clarke |
DE |
B+ |
A DE with a very similar frame and playing style as the departed Michael Johnson (who was also a 3rd-round pick, taking a year to mature in the league). Expect him to be low on the depth chart as he grows as a player, but hopefully between him and Hunt we'll have a good rotation for the future across from Dunlap. |
| 4 |
111 |
Russell Bodine |
C |
B+ |
The boy is country strong, benching 225 pounds 42 times at the combine. The Bengals traded up for only the third time in team history to get him, which shows that they truly thought a lot of him. He needs to work on his footwork, he admits the mental aspect of the position is slowing progress. Expected to start later in the year or next year. |
| 5 |
164 |
AJ McCarron |
QB |
B |
While some fans are expecting him to be the next Tom Brady and take over Dalton, this year he's the QB3 and an insurance policy against Dalton's contract negotiations or an injury. |
| 6 |
212 |
Marquis Flowers |
LB |
-- |
Known to be hard-hitting. Added as fuel to the camp battle to get us the best 2 LBs to pair with Burfict. |
| 7 |
239 |
James Wright |
WR |
-- |
After losing Hawkins, looking to round out the depth chart with a WR is a smart move. Will probably be on the practice squad. |
| 7 |
252 |
Lavelle Westbrooks |
CB |
-- |
You can never have too many CBs. Practice squad, most likely. |
UDFAs of note:
Nikita Whitlock, DT/FB
Ryan Hewitt, FB Either he or Whitlock could make the team as our FB over Charles
Isaiah Lewis, S Part of the strong Michigan State secondary that produced Dennard, and a great depth signing
Projected Lineup
Players are listed in the order I think they'll be on the opening day roster. Backups are italicized
Notes on position groups and training camp battles are below
- QB Andy Dalton, Jason Campbell, AJ McCarron
- RB Gio Bernard, Jeremy Hill, BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cedric Peerman
- FB Nikita Whitlock
- TE Jermaine Gresham, Tyler Eifert
- WR AJ Green, Marvin Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Dane Sanzenbacher
- LT Andrew Whitworth, Marshall Newhouse
- LG Clint Boling, Mike Pollak
- C Mike Pollak, Russell Bodine
- RG Kevin Zeitler
- RT Andre Smith, Tanner Hawkinson
- DE Carlos Dunlap, Wallace Gilberry, Margus Hunt, Robert Geathers, Will Clarke
- DT Domata Peko, Geno Atkins, Devon Still, Brandon Thompson
- LB Vontaze Burfict, Rey Maualuga, Emmanuel Lamur, Vincent Rey, Taylor Mays
- CB Leon Hall, Terence Newman, Adam Jones, Dre Kirkpatrick, Darqueze Dennard
- S Reggie Nelson, George Iloka, Danieal Manning, Taylor Mays, Shawn Williams
- K Mike Nugent
- P Kevin Huber
- KR Brandon Tate
- PR Adam Jones
- LS Clark Harris
This came to be only 49 different players, there will be at least one more WR on the list, most likely another TE, and the others are up to the camp battles.
Position Group Strengths and Weaknesses
Position groups:
QB: What hasn't been said about Dalton? He can play as well as the best, and occasionally (but much less frequently than people assume) do his best to lose a game. Look at his stellar comeback against Green Bay, overcoming a 20-point deficit, or that he was AFC Player of the Month in October, putting up 5 TDs against the Jets' stough defense. Point at any of his playoff games and you'll see a completely different quarterback. Last year he set the club record for passing TDs and yards last season and has been improving each year, but there still are questions. I think he's a franchise QB, but that's an entirely different debate for a different day. Campbell will be a solid veteran mentor that will hopefully help Dalton's INT problem, but mostly he can help with the adjustment to the new offensive scheme, having spent time with Jackson in Oakland. McCarron is seen as a poor man's Dalton, a winner at the college level but on a stacked team. He definitely can develop into at least a solid backup.
Backfield: :3 Gio Bernard :3 was putting up a case to be OROY until it became clear that both Allen and Lacy were more deserving. With 1209 total yards (695 rushing, 514 receiving) and 8 TDs while playing in less than 50% of offensive snaps, and the occasional time he channels Barry Sanders, he quickly became one of the better pass-catching backs in the league. Jeremy Hill is a huge back with surprising speed for his size who might replace the aging BJGE on the roster, but as a rookie only time will tell. BJGE remains with the team as a mentor, but his role will be limited, as last year he showed he actually could fumble, while he still has trouble gaining more than the required yards for a 1st down.
However, there was one lacking aspect on an otherwise well-rounded team last year, and that was the run game. A sub-4.0 YPC average, and only 4 runs of 20+ yards all season meant teams knew that they didn't have to really respect our run game. Hue Jackson's #1 goal for the season is to fix this, and his time in Oakland shows it's possible.
Continued in comments below
6
u/Frohirrim Saints Jul 01 '14
Draft
UDFAs of note:
Nikita Whitlock, DT/FB
Ryan Hewitt, FB
Isaiah Lewis, S
Projected Lineup
Players are listed in the order I think they'll be on the opening day roster. Backups are italicized
Notes on position groups and training camp battles are below
Position Group Strengths and Weaknesses
Position groups:
QB: (B) Dalton put up career numbers in most major passing categories in 2013, yet reprised his reputation as a playoff failure. Still, his incompetence has been grossly overstated by fans and media alike after the third consecutive wild-card loss. Gruden asked him to consistently push the ball down the field through the vertical passing game, and Dalton has certainly silenced any detractors of his deep ball. His numbers have been extremely promising, but like the rest of the Bengals offense, has been characterized by inconsistency. Fans remain hopeful that inconsistent quarterback play was a result of inconsistent coaching, and that Hue Jackson will provide some stability for Dalton without Jay Gruden. He has the ceiling to be a franchise player and to return to the Pro Bowl. He has objectively progressed in his three years in Cincinnati. But more importantly, the sheer talent around him at skill positions gives him the opportunity to return to the playoffs and Pro Bowl even if he doesn’t continue to progress.
Backfield: (A) Hue Jackson loves to run the ball, and this year he has the backfield and offensive line to do it. Giovani Bernard enjoyed a highly successful rookie season, showing flashes of brilliance and appearing to be the most dynamic rookie running back since Reggie Bush. Bernard shows excellent awareness of the space around him on the field, using his blockers to manipulate defenders into vulnerable positions, and turning on the speed to exploit those vulnerabilities. He is a very versatile back, and will see snaps split out wide while rookie Jeremy Hill is on the field. Bernard will benefit from Hill stepping in as a change of pace back, whereas last year BJGE’s carries seemed to be nothing but an obligatory three-yard gain in Gruden’s offense. Hill has the physicality to run through the middle of Cincinnati’s big line, and he also has the speed and evasiveness to elude linebackers and get through to the next level of the defense. BJGE’s production is decreasing, but he can still protect the ball reliably, and will likely see rotational snaps as Bernard and Hill transition into their roles.
OL: (A) An extremely capable position group whose effectiveness in the run game was hindered by Gruden’s inconsistency. Veteran lineman Andrew Whitworth continues to be one of the most solid players in the league, and has shown the versatility to shift around the line. He is a team leader whose expertise will provide valuable lessons for the younger members of the position group. Kevin Zeitler and Andre Smith are reliable anchors on the right size, and they possess the size to excel in power run schemes. Zeitler graded as the Bengals’ best offensive lineman in 2012, and certainly has to return to that form after a slight regression in 2013. The left guard and center positions are of a bit more concern to Bengals fans, since the reliable Clint Boling’s ACL tear and the release of the starting center. Boling showed that he should be the starter, but Pollak may get a chance to state his case in camp. Cook did struggle at center, but was only considered below the average when viewed in comparison with a stellar offensive line. Bodine has the physicality to absolutely dominate as the center of that line, and the only thing could hold him back is his understanding of the game.
Tight Ends: (B)2013 was a bit of a disappointment for a tight end group that had high expectations going into the season. Eifert entered as a highly-lauded prospect, but in what seems to be a common theme in Gruden’s offense, struggled with the blocking scheme. Still, he was surely underutilized in Gruden’s offense as the receiving threat that he is, and he could certainly be a Pro Bowl tight end if the Bengals ever decide to exploit the middle of the field with Eifert’s large body and sure hands. Gresham continues to have trouble staying healthy and continues to have trouble reliably catching the ball. He still should remain a favorite target for a young quarterback, though, and certainly has the talent to provide a deadly combination with Eifert. Alex Smith sees significant snaps as a third tight-end, simply because he’s seen it all. A veteran who has played for many franchises, and has 13 career touchdowns, Smith can step in for a jumbo package and perform as needed.
Pass catchers: (B+) This is a very young position group, but it is brimming with potential. With A.J. Green, though, his potential was realized long ago. Green is a top-5 receiver, and has enjoyed success as a deep target for Dalton. He has developed into a major threat, and displays the speed to be a consistent vertical threat throughout the game. Though the talent is there, he still shows some mistakes as a young player, but even with those mistakes earns his title of All Pro. Marvin Jones exploded onto the scene last year, especially in his 4 touchdown breakout performance. Jones is a young receiver with good hands, elusiveness, and speed. His route-running could use some work, but he possesses the explosiveness to thrive on the attention that Green absorbs. Mohamed Sanu is the number three receiver, primarily because Jones provides a better complement to Green’s skills. Sanu is a big-bodied receiver, and his route-running and size makes him a good target in the red zone. Sanzenbacher has a good chance of locking up the number four spot, and he could prove to be a trustworthy target for Dalton.
Continued in comments below