Troy Smith Over Michael Vick: Former Buckeye the Better Choice Under Center

Everyone keeps wondering what’s going to happen to Michael Vick. Where will he go, will he get reinstated, will he be any good?

 

But no one has stopped to think about other talent in the league.

 

In order to get Michael Vick, you have to go through leaps and bounds. The decision will be controversial for the host city, and if it is a losing program, they will certainly lose some fans.

 

What if they can make a sacrifice and not have all these questions? Wouldn’t that be a lot more simple?

 

There’s a quarterback in Baltimore with exceptional talent and great ability to win wherever he goes, and his name is Troy Smith.

 

As of this season, the Ravens haven’t been using the “Suggs Package” a whole lot. They didn’t use it when it could have won them a playoff game and put them in the Super Bowl.

 

Baltimore is not using their talented former Heisman Trophy player the way they should, and he could be a starter in the National Football League.

 

Smith proved that when he beat Pittsburgh his rookie year. There have only been two games that he’s come in that they haven’t won. One Smith started against Seattle when they were crushed, and they gave Miami their only win of the season because they didn’t put Smith in earlier.

 

With Vick you have a great player, but there are so many issues in getting him. Vick has been the quarterback who hasn’t proven that he can just drop back and throw and relies on scrambling and throwing outside of the pocket.

 

That method has worked, but now defensive players are way to fast to do that.

 

Smith won the Heisman with his arm and the fact that he gets it done. If you surround him with the right amount of talent he will be a great offensive weapon.

 

I do think Baltimore would give Smith up if a team gives them something they need. They have been consistently bringing new backup quarterbacks for competition, but Smith has been beating them out.

 

Everyone has to remember if Smith would not have gotten sick with his tonsil infection he would have been the starter—not Joe Flacco.

 

I have no doubt that the Ravens would be in the same position they were in last season. It wasn’t Flacco who took them to the AFC Championship, but rather the defense.

 

When you look at Vick and Smith, comparing them they have similar traits. Both are 6′, which experts said would be a “knock” on Smith’s ability. It hasn’t been.

 

They are both out of the pocket throwers, both have strong arms, and both have shown that they are winners.

 

But, if you are looking for a starting quarterback, it has to be Smith. He’s young and a big leader for any team he’s with. He’s a great character person, which is rare in the NFL or any professional sport for that matter.

 

The biggest thing he doesn’t carry with him is extra baggage. Unless someone trades their starting quarterback for Smith there’s going to be tons of controversy around selecting him.

 

He was suspended for a game or two his sophomore year for accepting money from a booster, but that’s far from dog fighting.

 

Smith would be a great addition to a team like Minnesota or San Francisco who is struggling at the quarterback position or need competition. In a quarterback competition I’m almost certain that Smith can come out on top because he has everything a coach looks for in a player.

 

Should the Vikings Go for Brett Favre or Michael Vick?

The biggest news coming out of the NFL of late has been Brett Favre and his potential return from retirement again, and Michael Vick being released from prison.

Most people know both of the stories. Brett Favre may come out of retirement to play with the Minnesota Vikings, and Michael Vick is released from prison after his long prison sentence. Where will they go next?

With Favre there is controversy about him being too old, coming back just to get revenge on the Packers, and of course his ability to play the position with his banged up shoulder.

He had a great start to the season last season, but he ended it terribly, going from the top of the AFC East to the third spot and missing the Playoffs.

This is still a rumor, and it has not been confirmed or denied so time will tell this story. Favre is meeting with doctors to work on his shoulder, and the Vikings have not slammed the door on the idea.

With Michael Vick you have a convicted felon. He may not even be able to be reinstated, let alone start another game in the NFL.

There are a lot of questions that come into play when you think about Michael Vick. Has his experience changed him? Will he go back to his old ways? Who will he hang around with once he’s off house arrest, and will he be on the news like Chris Henry?

When you think about the people he hangs around with, it’s not only his friends, but his family as well. Vick’s younger brother was kicked out of Virginia Tech where he could have been a Heisman Trophy winner, because he stomped on a player’s calf with his cleats.

His younger brother also got arrested for possession of marijuana, and Michael’s name wasn’t completely out of that report.

However, I do think that Vick has changed, and he at least deserves a chance. As long as the league puts probation like restrictions on Vick, I see no harm in him returning.

That then leads to a new topic. Where will Vick go? There’s a new sheriff in Atlanta after Matt Ryan had a phenomenal season with the Falcons last season, taking them to the playoffs. So where would Vick go? There is no possible way of knowing that right now.

What about the Vikings? They have a the best running back in the league right now, and Tavares Jackson isn’t half as good as Vick.

This takes you down a path that can be open to discussion. Should the Vikings take a chance on an aging hall of famer or try to be the team to bring Michael Vicks career back from the grave?

In prison you have no idea what kind of shape Vick is in, though we will see in a little bit. But with Brett Favre and his injured shoulder you have no way of telling if he will be productive at all either.

Both decisions would be a gamble, but you also have Tavares Jackson sitting and learning who can come in and play if you need him.

I don’t think the Vikings can necessarily answer this question right now and their interest is clearly on Brett Favre. But if Favre can’t do it, should they go after a former dynamic player of the league and set him up with the current dynamic player of the league?

I do not think Vick is a gamble if he still has that great arm strength and the speed that he had a couple seasons ago. Would you rather have a Mike Vick on your team, or play against a team with Vick on their sidelines?

The stats don’t lie when you talk about both players. Dan Marino is probably wishing Favre would stay retired so he doesn’t dip even more into his records.

Mike Vick had been electric on the ground as well as the air. He has a great arm, but he lacked the weapons in Atlanta as far as receivers went. He had Michael Jenkins, but the rest were inconsistent.

In the air Vick has thrown for 11,505 yards. He averaged at least 2,400 yards through the air when he was healthy.

On the ground Vick has rushed for 3,859 yards in his career, and had his first thousand yard rushing season in 2006. One thousand yards for a quarterback!

If I was the Vikings owner, I would take a look at this scenario and if Favre can’t return I would be the first one to take the gamble on Vick. Don’t sign him for big money or a big contract, but give him a test run for a year and let him compete for the job.

Vick will be cheaper than Favre, and I think he will be more reliable in the physical aspect.

But if you’re looking for a one year run with one of the best quarterbacks to drop back, Favre is there guy. In the end, I see them picking Favre way before they would pick Vick.

 

Carson Palmer: Taking His Leadership to New Heights

Carson Palmer has been a great player for the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s been their leader, one of their best players, and the voice of the Bengals team.

Now, he has taken everything up a notch since the very disappointing 2008 season.

Carson watched his team go 4-11-1 last season, and be mocked on a consistent basis as being one of the worst teams in the league.

Then, the start of the offseason was looking horrendous with the loss of a key part of the Bengals offensive attack in T.J Houshmandzadeh.

Palmer responded by talking to Laveranues Coles, and talking the coaches into the start of the salvation of the ’09 season without T.J.

This addition will do the Bengals good, because he is very capable of being a No. 1 receiver if Chad Ocho Cinco doesn’t get things done this season.

After this addition, Andre Smith, a tackle out of Alabama, saw Palmer in an airport and told him he would help keep him upright and healthy if drafted by the Bengals.

How did the Bengals respond to a player that Palmer trusted? They used the sixth pick in the draft to get him in Cincinnati, despite his troubles he had before the draft.

All of this tells one story. The Bengals trust Carson’s judgement. They are building this team around him, and I do think there will be great results because of it.

Carson didn’t tell Marvin Lewis to take a look at Beanie Wells to help the running game, or Michael Crabtree to help give himself more weapons. Palmer vouched for a particular offensive lineman, because he believes that is what the Bengals need.

When you look at Carson’s biggest targets, it was T.J that was most consistent in the first-down catches, but Chad Ochocinco was always Palmer’s deep threat.

People have seen it time and time again, Palmer yelling at Chad in the huddle for running the wrong route and dropping perfectly thrown balls.

This is a prediction, that when Ochocinco’s contract is up, he is out of Cincinnati. He drives coaches crazy, and when you are not functioning with the quarterback, it’s either the receiver or the quarterback that gets the boot, and you know without a doubt Palmer is staying put.

Chad has not shown up to mini-camps and Palmer has made the statement that the Bengals are “fine without him.”

Another look at a player Palmer has influenced the coaches to keep with is Chris Henry.

Fans, media, and even Marvin Lewis has given up on Chris Henry at one point and time, but Palmer has continued to believe in his troubled teammate.

He constantly brags about how talented Henry is, and he even believes that Henry can take the place of Chad Ochocinco. Those are strong words from the former Heisman-winning quarterback.

Time will only tell if all that Palmer has influenced for his team will eventually be their ticket to the playoffs, and maybe to the Super Bowl. 

The thing people have to remember is Palmer is not a coach, he’s a player. He can say all he wants, but if the staff of the Bengals do not want anything to happen, then they don’t have to listen to him.

This just shows how much faith the Bengals have in their quarterback and their face of their franchise. We will see come 2009 if “The Palmer Strategy” works.

Forth and Long: Dallas Cowboys Looking For Their Vince Papale

A lot of people seen the movie Invincible, when Mark Wahlberg played former walk on to the Philadelphia Eagles Vince Papale.

Papale came to a publicly open tryout to become a member of the Eagles team. It wasn’t expected, and in a big way Vince Papale got a huge second chance.

Now Spike TV is hosting a new show where former college and arena stars who didn’t get their chance in the NFL will have the chance to be on the Dallas Cowboy’s roster.

The show is called 4th and Long hosted by Hall of Fame Wide Receiver Michael Irvin. The first episode aired last night, and will be on Spike every Monday at 10 p.m.

In the show they have a split between receivers and defensive backs. For all of them this is their second chance.

If you watched the show last night you seen some talent in the beginning, but then it turned into a barf fest when they started running sprints, and you have to wonder if these athletes will make it one week in the NFL.

I highly doubt that you will see any of the players on the field on Sundays.

So, the question is why is Jerry Jones even allowing this?

It will be an entertaining show to watch, but fans of the show have to know that there’s a better chance of a couple staying together after the Bachelor as them starting in the NFL.

You look at these players without pads on and you see some quickness and speed, but some are over weight, too small, or not great with pads on—which is a must.

It will be interesting to see who will win, but fans don’t get your hopes up there’s a small chance of any of these players being the Cowboy’s Vince Papale.

In essence, I see this show as a waste of time.

If Jerry Jones wanted his team to have so much publicity, then why get rid of Terrell Owens?

One things for sure, if they don’t want the players ruining the field with their dinner, they should have more trash cans on the sidelines.

Can the Cincinatti Bengals’ New Defense Get Them to the Playoffs?

In 2005 the Bengals made it to the playoffs by having a great offensive season and being one of the best teams at forcing turnovers. Since that season they have been a decent offense and one of the worse defenses in the NFL.

Last season they had a ray of hope with Mike Zimmer taking over as defensive coordinator leading the team close to the top 10.

Defensively, the Bengals have had a great off-season in the draft and free agency. They have managed to grab Rey Maualuga in the second round, which, in my opinion, was one of the biggest steals in the draft.

They have also acquired Roy Williams out of Dallas. This puts a veteran player in around the younger players and helps them develop. They originally tried this with Dexter Jackson, but he was plagued with injuries and was released by the Bengals this season.

Keith Rivers is returning this season after suffering a season-ending injury against Pittsburgh, and I expect him to continue to grow and become a great linebacker for the Bengals.

When you look at the talent they are bringing in from last season, this finally looks like a defensive unit that can live up to AFC North expectations.

I look for them to continue to help their team get better, and to single-handedly get their team victories.

A great defense doesn’t only help against other teams, with a great defense the offense benefits, as well.

When you listened to interviews with Mark Sanchez just before he was drafted, the biggest thing he used to defend him coming out early was saying he played against the best defense every day and it has made him a better player and NFL ready.

It may not be starters vs. starters in the NFL, but it will get the younger players to play better and help develop the future defenders.

The Bengals will also be helped because the teams they will be playing are not the most threatening offensively, as they play in a division with teams known for defense.

The Steelers rely a lot on their running game, and Baltimore does the same thing. Both of their quarterbacks are mediocre if you get pressure on them early and don’t let them step into their comfort zones.

The big step they need to take in order for the Bengals to win a lot more games this season is their ability to stop the run as well as establishing a successful pass rush, and I think the Bengals will do that this season.

If the Bengals have any shot of making it to the top of the AFC North tower, which is consistently dominated by Baltimore and Pittsburgh, they will need to be able to rely on their defense.

Time will tell if the Bengals have found the formula for success.

Rey Maualuga: Armed and Dangerous

When linebacker Rey Maualuga fell to the Bengals, fans in Cincinnati forgot about the first-round pick and his problems. They looked at the Bengals and smiled, because they have made one of the smartest decisions they’ve made in a while.

Maualuga may of been happy to have been picked, but admitted this has put a chip on his shoulder.

Pro scouts claimed he didn’t workout well enough to be a first rounder. My question is for them, have they seen this guy play?

Maualuga is what you have come to expect out of players out of Southern California, hard hitting and loves football.

 

He plays with an intensity that other players around him feed on, and in turn it sets the entire team on fire.

This works out even better for the Bengals and is much of what they needed on defense.

For the longest time now it seems like the Bengals defense received punishment instead of giving it.

A player Maualuga isn’t going to get hit, he’s going to hit you.

What i’ve seen in him he reminds me of a Troy Polamalu. He loves the game of football and doesn’t like to fail at his job.

The Bengals have made sure to keep Chris Crocker, who was their hardest hitter last season, and they’ve added another intensified hitting machine.

With Mike Zimmer going into his second season as the Bengals defensive coordinator, I look for them to keep improving and maybe crack the top 10 in the league.

I do think that Maualuga can make that much of a difference in this team, and he is a game-changing player.

I can’t wait to see this guy and camp, and I have a feeling it’s going to be something special to watch.

Bengals’ Draft Breakdown: Where They Can Fit In

This year’s draft for the Bengals has overall been a great draft. There were only a few questionable picks of their 11 selected.

 

Round One: Andre Smith

 

For the Bengals’ first pick, they selected offensive tackle Andre Smith out of Alabama . This was not an “unexpected” pick by the Bengals, but they have taken a small chance on Smith.

 

Smith has had some character issues, but Coach Lewis doesn’t seem to worry about these small issues as long as he doesn’t repeat them in Cincinnati.

 

I originally didn’t agree with this choice, but if he keeps Carson Palmer upright and helps open holes for the backs, it will prove to be a great pick.  This seemed to be a big issue for the Bengals last season, and if they address the issue, it can ultimately help the team.

 

I expect the running game to be better and the receivers may have some good games with Palmer staying on his feet long enough to throw to them.

 

I’d give this pick an A- only because of the character issues.  Otherwise, Smith is a great pick for the Bengals.

 

Round Two: Rey Maualuga

 

The biggest selection the Bengals made was Rey Maualuga, the inside linebacker from Sothern California .

 

The Bengals have been pretty solid with linebackers, but the problem has been injuries. They used their first round pick last year on Keith Rivers, another inside linebacker from USC, and he was doing great until the blind-sided block from Steelers receiver Heinz Ward that broke Rivers’ jaw.

 

I originally was hoping for James Laurinitis from Ohio State, but St. Lois selected him just a few picks before the Bengals could. Laurinitis is a more complete linebacker, like the Bengals are used to.

 

But there are no complaints about Maualuga; he’s a great talent that can boost this young defense’s intensity and I can see him being similar to a Bengals’ Ray Lewis down the road.

 

In his career at USC he had 272 tackles, two forced fumbles, and five interceptions.

 

This is a phenomenal pick and the Bengals are so lucky no one picked this kid before them, so I give the pick an A+. The best pick the Bengals had this year.

 

Round Three: Michael Johnson

 

The Bengals had two picks in the third round. They first selected Michael Johnson, a defensive end out of Georgia Tech.

 

The Bengals needed to help their defensive line and hopefully get a pass rush to put more pressure on the opposing offenses.

 

The next Johnson out of the many Johnson’s in the Bengals locker room was projected to be a first round pick, but was inconsistent in his senior season.

 

The Bengals said they could teach him to work hard, and I hope they can. I give this pick a B. They fulfilled a need and that was important.

 

Chase Coffman

 

Chase Coffman, the tight end from Missouri, was the Bengals’ second pick in the third round.

 

The Bengals have been playing around with the idea of establishing a tight end after acquiring Ben Utecht last season.

 

However, he was battling injuries and Palmer was too, so they couldn’t really see where that would take them.

 

Coffman has proven to be a great target for Chase Daniels and I think that he can be better with the former Heisman Trophy winner in Cincinnati .

 

Coffman had 90 receptions, gaining 987 yards, and scoring 10 touchdowns. For his career, he’s had 247 yards, 2,659 yards, and 30 touchdowns overall. He was the sixth-ranked tight end coming into the draft.

 

They have needed a tight end for a while in Cincinnati, so I would give this pick an A and I hope the kid can help with blocking as well.

 

Round Four: Jonathan Luigs

 

For the Bengals’ fifth pick of the draft, they selected their second player from Alabama, center Jonathan Luigs.

 

A lot of people thought that the Bengals would choose a center in the second round, but when someone like Maualuga falls in your lap, you can’t pass that up.

 

They got Luigs in the fourth round and he was rated one of the top players throughout the third, so another pretty good pick for the Bengals.

 

This is another position the Bengals needed to freshen up on, so I give it an A. Hopefully he can help the Bengals’ line and recognize the difficult blitz schemes of the AFC North they will have to face.

 

Round Five: Kevin Huber

 

Their sixth pick was the punter from Cincinnati, Kevin Huber. This was, in my opinion, one of the bad decisions and the first one of the draft.

 

I think they should have grabbed a running back, maybe Javon Ringer who was still available, or a wide receiver, but not a punter.

 

The chances of the punter being in the next round was high, not to mention this is for punter “competition,” but they weren’t in great need for a punter.

 

I grade this a D, because I think they could have gotten a better pick.

 

Round Six: Morgan Trent

 

Their seventh pick was the corner out of Michigan. I don’t really like this pick because, again, they still didn’t address other issues.

 

Plus when you look at this kids 40 time, it was over 4.5 and with the receivers now days, you need to be able to run fast.

 

Marvin Lewis seems like he is targeting certain schools, picking a lot of defensive players from Georgia, Michigan, and USC. He needs to be careful or this could come back to haunt this team.

 

I give this a C because it won’t kill the Bengals to have another corner.

 

Bernard Scott

 

Picking the running back out of Abilene Christian was the Bengals’ most controversial pic. The young runner has been arrested five times, which is a big caution flag.

 

He also played Division II ball, where he was one of the top players, but that’s almost like being mediocre in Division I.

 

This was not a smart pick at all because there was a better back on the board. I think they waited too long to address this position and they put to much faith in Cedric Benson to carry this running game.

 

I give this pick an F; you can’t take chances since you grabbed Tank Johnson out of free agency.

 

Seventh Round: Taufui Vakapuna

 

They added a fullback with their ninth pick. I don’t really know much about the kid, but anything to help this running game has to be good for them.

 

I will give it an A for him not making headlines at least.

 

Clinton McDonald

 

Their tenth pick was finally used for a defensive tackle. This should help them stop the run a little better and further the formation of a young, talented defense.

 

They did need to focus a little more on this defensive line, but at least they spent one pick on it so I give it a B.

 

Freddie Brown

 

I thought they would have grabbed a wide out a little earlier in this draft, but they are keeping Chad Ocho Cinco Johnson for another year.

 

This pick should add more depth, unless this kid is a breakout, I don’t see him seeing much playing time except maybe on special teams.

 

The Bengals needed to grab a receiver eventually.  I’m just glad they did so this pick gets a B+.

 

 

I give the whole draft a solid B+.  They got some great steals and fixed some immediate problems, but didn’t really think about the minor ones.

 

Hopefully all these young players can contribute is some way.

Beanie Wells Still Being Considered by Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals are a team can drive experts crazy when it comes to guessing what the franchise is going to do on draft day. There are just so many players to choose from with the sixth pick of the draft.

Until Saturday, the question of “who is the best fit?” will remain. But despite the uncertainty, one name has popped up more than others during the conversation: that of OSU’s Chris “Beanie” Wells.

The idea of the Bengals taking him has people outraged, as they think the team should improve at positions other than running back, yet his name continually stays in the mix.

It is no secret that owner Mike Brown likes skilled players. The last time the Bengals picked a lineman with their first pick in the draft was in 2002, when they selected Levi Jones, and how did the team do the following season? As I remember, they were 2-14.

Would it kill the Bengals to have a great running back like Chris Wells?

The answer is “no,” it would not. Although Cincinnati signed Gary Russell and Cedric Benson this offseason, these are not players that are going to get your team to its maximum potential. Beanie Wells has proven he is a workhorse, injured or not.

There have been questions about his toughness and his ability to deal with pain, but look what he did his junior season, when he was plagued with a nagging foot injury: 1,197 yards.

If that’s the results of an “unhealthy” year, imagine what it’ll be like when he’s fit.

The stats don’t lie for this kid, and against some of the toughest defenses, he’s done the most. Against the best run defense in the nation (Texas), Wells ran for 106 yards, and against rival Michigan, Wells ran for over 400 yards in three years.

I’ve said it so many times before: Wells is an AFC North-type of guy. He’s a powerful downhill runner and a hard worker. He has a stiff arm that reminds me of former Bengal Corey Dillon’s, and he’s amazingly fast for how big he is.

Just look how the Bengals did when they had Rudi Johnson as a back. They made it to the Playoffs, and when Johnson had over 20 carries in a game, they were near undefeated.

Beanie Wells reminds me of a mixture of Dillon and Rudi, but I think he has the potential to be even better than them.

This is a guy that could have won the Heisman if it wasn’t for his injury. He’s the perfect fit for a Bengals team that’s trying to get their identity back as one of the best offenses in the NFL.

There are a lot of possibilities out there for the Bengals to choose from, but if they pick Beanie Wells, they won’t be disappointed in their decision.

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