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Special Guest: Bengals Draft Guru
With the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals SHOULD select Greg Olsen, TE, Miami.
Most fans will probably blow a lid over this pick. They want defense.
For all of the defensive problems that the Bengals had in 2006, the situations with Chris Henry and Perry have really put the Bengals into a bind on offense, especially on 3rd down. In 2006 the Bengals converted on just 35% of their 3rd down tries and they need to improve upon that in 2007. Greg Olsen would be the perfect addition for the Bengals offense.
Greg has nice hands, can gain YATC and could even be split out as a WR at times. He would be a great Red Zone target for Carson at 6-5, 1 inch taller than Henry. Greg may not be the greatest blocker at the moment, but if he was drafted the by the Bengals, he would cartainly be "coached up" in that area until he got it.
I personally believes that the 3 areas the Bengals are trying to target at DT/TE/SS.
I also believe that a lot of this secondary stuff from the Bengals is all smoke screens. We're talking about a team that was not allowed to speak to media outlets at the combine. Why then would the Bengals be so public about what CBs or Ss they like? "We're being very secretive this year, but we love Revis and look at this list of private workouts we've had."
To me, the Bengals are just trying to get teams above them to take secondary players so a player they actually want falls to them.
I believe that if Cincy was really looking to bring in a rookie CB, that they would have gone out and made a push for a player like David Macklin in FA as insurance. A high CB means one thing for the Bengals, they've lost faith in Deltha. Some think it would be Deltha's replacement, but the guy can still play for 3, even 4 more years and be productive. Plus I do believe he's in a contract year and he wants $$, he'll play his butt off if he wants to get the kind of payday he wants.
I think the best move to make regarding CBs for the Bengals would be to wait and draft CJ Gaddis early day 2.
Sean Baca
With the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft the Cincinnati Bengals SHOULD take Darrelle Revis, CB, Pitt
Over 3800 yards passing last season. That stat is true of both the Bengals and their opponents last year. O'Neal and James were not the answer they were looking for in Cinci.
Revis is every bit as good as Hall and is a all around corner than anyone in the draft. He should still be there and the Bengals should licking their chops at the chance to draft him. Revis is a threat in special teams as well as in press coverage. He is not great at supporting the run right now but he is a sure tackler and will put his shoulder down if needed. With his style of play he will be deflecting a lot of balls in the air creating opportunities for turnovers and a short field for that offense as well as setting them up with great field position in the return game. That is the last thing anyone outside on Cinci wants to see.
Marc Faletti
With the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals SHOULD select Paul Posluszny, OLB, Penn State.
Posluszny has a rep as a player without mindblowing athletic ability, and when a monster like Patrick Willis runs a sub-4.4 40, I understand why. But Posluszny ran a 4.58 of his own at his Pro Day, including a WR-esque 1.53 in the first 10 yards. He also has a 37" vertical and a far better 3-cone time than Willis. He could use a bit more bulk, but the guy has excellent measurables for a linebacker.
Posluszny's also Penn State's leading all-time tackler, racking up 116 in each of the last 2 seasons. He forces fumbles, deflects passes, and can fight through blocks to pressure the QB. I watched his bowl performance against Tennessee with great interest, and he didn't diappoint -- he recorded 3 impressive TFLs and several other nice stops in the game. He can play any LB position and that's fortunate, because the Bengals need a lot of help at LB.
Posluszny's dedication to all things football led him to be the first junior captain at Penn State in almost 40 years. On top of that, he held down over a 3.5 GPA in Finance and made the Dean's List several times. For a team needing an image makeover and immediate help between the lines, Cincinnatti could do a lot worse than a relentless tackling machine like Paul Posluszny.
Cecil Lammey
With the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals SHOULD take Greg Olsen, TE, Miami Hurricanes.
I know what you're thinking...."how could Lammey have Olsen as the 3rd best TE, but he's the first TE to come off his board?!?" Slow your role John Q. Public - everyone knows this is going to happen, even those of us who have our doubts about Greg Olsen. I am not a big fan of Olsen's but there are several GM's in the NFL that are. That's why I believe he'll easily be the 1st TE off the board, and a team like the Bengals is the perfect spot.
Greg Olsen never quite put it together on the field at Miami. Is he more Kevin Everett, or more Jeremy Shockey? That's the great thing about the draft, you just never know how a guy is going to turn out. Hopefully for the Bengals faithful Olsen will turn out better than Everrett has for the Bills.
I'll save my take on Olsen for another day (or better yet - check out my TE rankings), but there are many ways that he can help out the Bengals. He is a natural receiver, and is improving as a route runner. Cincy will need help with the Chris Henry suspension. Olsen has the type of attitude that will make him play with a chip on his shoulder. Carson Palmer could always use more weapons, and that's what Olsen provides. He is another option in the passing game, that has the athleticism to take it all the way. The Bengals want high character guys (finally), and Olsen doesn't carry the same kind of baggage that some Hurricane players do. This is a match made in mock draft heaven.
Sigmund Bloom
With the 18th pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the Cincinnati Bengals SHOULD take Leon Hall, CB, Michigan.
I went back and forth between Hall and Chris Houston here, but the bottom line is that Deltha O'Neal and Tory James are not the answer. Jonathan Joseph is PART of the answer, but he needs a partner.
Hall has been one of the most intensely debated players in this draft class. Even some Wolverine fans have said that he's not worthy of a first round pick. He was burned in his last two games, and was expected to run slow at the combine. Hall had plans of his own, and ran a 4.39 40, answering some of the questions about his speed. Houston's measureables are off the charts good, but he doesn't seem to have as natural ball skills, and he can struggle against WRs quick enough to avoid the jam. It's a tough call, but one the Bengals should be happy to have to make since it means they'll get a first tier player at their biggest position of need on defense.
