KD's NFL Draft Grades - Cincinnati Bengals

If I were grading NFL teams on their ability to play their "poker hand" so to speak, the Bengals would get an F because they didn't fool anyone. They not so secretly let it be known that A.J. Green would be their primary target with the 4th overall pick and that they'd target a QB in the top of the 2nd round. Well, that's exactly how it went for the Bengals, who in the last few years have pulled in some pretty solid players via the draft. They've added some key defensive pieces in Rey Maualuga, Michael Johnson, and Carlos Dunlap over the last few years, and the trend continued, though this year's draft was about the offensive side of the ball. With Carson Palmer being forced into "retirement" and uncertainty about Chad Johnson, two of the Bengals top needs were quarterback and wide receiver, and they scratched those off in an efficient manner on the drafts first two days. Let's see how the rest of the class panned out:

1st round, 4th overall) A.J. Green - WR - Georgia
As far as wide recievers go, A.J. Green is about as "safe" as it gets. In fact, you can make the argument that he's the best receiving prospect to come out since Calvin Johnson went to Detroit in 2007, Green's that good. He'll help take the sting out of losing Terrell Owens and potentially Chad Johnson this offseason, and should be the number one target for Andy Dalton, or whomever is taking snaps from center week one for the Bengals.

How he fits in: New offensive coordinator Jay Gruden plans to install a west coast offense that was similar to his brother Jon's offense with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the early 2000s. In that case, consider A.J. Green to fill the Keyshawn Johnson role. He's a big-bodied receiver at 6'3" 211lbs with great hands who excels after the catch. He's not afraid to go over the middle, much like Keyshawn, and he can beat you deep when you least expect it, which should help open up running lanes for Cedric Benson. Green will start right away, and I'd expect him to lead the Bengals in all categories, even if Chad Johnson returns.

Outlook: While not a surprising move, the Bengals added the best player available at a position of need, which is always a plus when your draft board marries with what's available. This was a great pick for the Bengals, and while some might question whether or not Blaine Gabbert or Nick Fairley would've been better options at this juncture, you've got to realize Andy Dalton probably fits just as well as Gabbert would have, and the Bengals have swung and missed on defensive tackles like Fairley in the past, so they made the right call to stay away.

2nd round, 35th overall) Andy Dalton - QB - Texas Christian
The Bengals needed an insurance policy at the very least as they play out the Carson Palmer saga. The Carson Palmer ordeal is very stupid on Mike Brown's part to say the least, as they could've traded him for multiple draft picks prior to the lockout rather than eat his $11M salary, but I digress, it's Mike Brown, one of the worst owners in all of professional sport. Dalton comes from a TCU system that played to his strengths making him seem a lot better than he really is. He has trouble making a lot of NFL-caliber throws and his reads were very simplistic. For instance, if you plug him in the Colts offense, he'd be cut day one of training camp. However, the Bengals west coast offense represents one of the few landing spots that Dalton could've come into ahead of the curve. His armset should give the Bengals what they're looking for, and at the very least Dalton will be a solid backup. That said, he's going to be starting for them week one unless something drastically changes with Carson Palmer, so, he'll get to prove himself early on.

3rd round, 66th overall) Dontay Moch - LB - Nevada
Many drafniks were enamored with Moch's 40 times. He is rumored to have clocked a 4.25 in the 40 coming out of high school. Moch clocked a 4.44 in Indy at the combine, which is really impressive for someone who is 6'1" and 248lbs. The Bengals needed someone to provide pass-rush opposite Carlos Dunlap, who figures to be a full-time starter in 2011. Robert Geathers has flopped since signing a big contract, and the Bengals had yet to find someone with pass-rushing prowess. Moch, however, is schematically better for the 3-4 with his straight line speed. He's not very fluid in space and wasn't asked to drop into coverage at Nevada, so this might be a case of a team having the right idea, but drafting the wrong player for the purpose.

4th round, 101st overall) Cling Boling - G - Georgia
This might prove to be the most valuable pick for the Bengals from this draft class. Both left guards Nate Livings and Evan Mathis are free agents, and neither of them should've been starting anyway. Boling, a 6'4" 308lbs player has experience at left tackle, and is decently mobile. He should slide in between Andrew Whitworth and Kyle Cook at left guard from day one. A four-year starter, Boling brings plenty of experience to the Bengals, but he's got to hit the weight room hard. He's more finesse than a mauler (which the Bengals have preferred under Marvin Lewis). Boling should be able to bulk up and add sufficient strength to become a fine player for a long time in Cincinnati.

5th round, 134th overall) Robert Sands - S - West Virginia
This seems more like the typical "Bungles" pick we're all used to. Sands was projected as a 7th round prospect by a lot of draft pundits, and the Bengals may have pulled the trigger too quickly on him. With Chris Crocker and Roy Williams as safeties, the Bengals needed someone who could patrol the deep middle third of the field. Coverage however, isn't really Sands' forte. Sands, at 6'4" 217lbs is a big guy who played some free safety and the rover position in West Virginia's 3-3-5 defense, often playing close to the line of scrimmage acting as a pseudo fourth linebacker. Sands is a head-hunter, meaning he'll go for the kill shot, and he'll get it sometimes. But, if he misses, it's going to mean a big gain for the opposition. He had a good sophomore season, but really tailed off as a junior before entering the draft. Boom or bust here.

6th round, 167th overall) Ryan Whalen - WR - Stanford
One of the most underrated picks in the entire draft is here. Most Bengals fans I spoke with were upset that another receiver was brought in. Well, if I were a betting man, I'd put some serious coin on Whalen knocking someone off the roster like a Jerome Simpson or Andre Caldwell, that wouldn't normally be suspected. Whalen comes from a Stanford program that featured a lot of west coast passing concepts, and he's used to those types of routes and sight adjustments having played with Andrew Luck. With decent size at 6'1" 202lbs, Whalen can play in the slot, or outside opposite A.J. Green, and he'll have a leg up on the rest of the receiving corps as he'll be pretty familiar with a lot of the offensive concepts.

7th round, 207th overall) Korey Lindsey - CB - Southern IllinoisPurely a developmental prospect here. The Bengals have a lot of depth at the corner spot, so this pick is for the future. Lindsey, a 5'10" 194lbs prospect was a two-time 1st Team All-American at the D-IAA level, played in 50 career games and posted 14 interceptions. Teams didn't really throw his way much in 2010, as he'd tabbed 6 picks each in his sophomore and junior years. Lindsey will have to show something on special teams to stick on the roster this year.

7th round, 246th overall) Jay Finley - RB - Baylor
The Bengals really only used Cedric Benson and Bernard Scott when running the football as Brian Leonard is more of a third down back. But, Leonard might shift to fullback in Gruden's west coast system with his pass-catching abilities. So, the Bengals may need more depth at the running back spot. A three-year start for the Baylor Bears, he set the single-season rushing record with 1,218 yards. A smallish back at 5'10" 205lbs, he's pretty similar to Bernard Scott and will have to really show something in camp to make the roster. However, he might be a valuable commodity on the practice squad so the Bengals may have to stash him as an inactive player on game days by keeping him on the 53-man roster.

Overall Grade: B+
The Bengals put together a pretty solid draft, but there's a few things I don't like that keep me from giving them an A-. First, I'm not as big of an Andy Dalton fan as most people, as I believe his offense at TCU was catered to him, and he could have some struggles as a rookie which he won't be used to. I think Dontay Moch was a good idea, but I'm not sure if the Bengals will use him in the right capacity, but if they focus on him solely as a pass-rusher, I can get more behind the pick. Overall, I think they landed solid starters in Green, Dalton, and Boling, and some solid contributors in Moch, Sands, and Whalen. Had they gotten additional picks for Carson Palmer, they really could've done some damage. The Bengals got better, but a lot of their future success, and perhaps Marvin Lewis' Bengals tenure, hinges on Andy Dalton.

Draft Day Trade Rumors Galore!

Well, I'm like a kid on Christmas morning today. Considering everything that's gone on this offseason in the NFL - the lockout, federal mediation, litigation, and now the lockout being "enjoined" - it's almost kind of a relief just to get the Draft here. I expect a pretty interesting one as most GMs try to fill the major needs (holes in the roster) via free agency and trades, and add the smaller pieces through draft, generally by taking the best player available (BPA) approach.

However, Judge Susan Richard Nelson denied the NFL's request to freeze the lockout via a stay, so the NFL will now file an appeal to the US 8th Circuit Court in St. Louis. This ruling calls for the "league year" to be open - which typically means free agents and trades of players to be allowed. To comply, NFL teams are now opening their facility doors for players to workout and receive medical treatment. The NFL had not prepared for this possibility, so it's widely assumed that the league will not allow player trades or free agents to occur until after the Draft. The NFL would go back to the 2010 league rules (i.e. no salary cap in place) and those hundreds of free agents would be tendered as restricted free agents - meaning any team wishing to sign one of those players would have to give compensation in the form of draft picks.

My guess is that the teams won't sign free agents yet, as this could subject them to fines and forfeiture of future draft picks if they make any moves before the league gives teams official word on the "league year" rules. Al Davis, I'm talking to you. Don't do anything. All signs point to the NFL waiting until the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals processes the NFL's appeal, which according to ESPN's Andrew Brandt could take 1 to 5 days. Something could change in the next 12 hours before the draft, but as I type this on 9:07am Thursday, all transactions - trades and free agent signings - are forbidden until the league gives its own ruling on how to proceed. So, all anyone can really do is stay tuned. I'll try to give an update today if something does happen.

With no free agency or trades as of yet - I'm assuming they'll get here sooner rather than later with the way things have been going - GMs must try to fill their respective needs through the draft. And while everyone's been bantering about Cam Newton's iconic statement(s), Ryan Mallett's character (non-)issues, and fawning over Andy Dalton out of nowhere, people seem to forget that no QB is the best player in this draft, and none would even be top 10 picks had Stanford's Andrew Luck entered the draft. In fact, Blaine Gabbert left Missouri early this year only because Luck stayed in Palo Alto for another year.

With that in mind, the top of the draft looks pretty set, assuming the Panthers don't pull a massive shocker and select someone other than Cam Newton. They could try and trade out of the 1st overall spot - which they're still open to doing. Despite not being allowed to complete other transactions involving players, teams are allowed to trade current and future draft picks during the draft. With that in mind, there should be plenty of draft picks flying as many teams are rumored to want to move up (towards the first pick) or down (further from the first pick) to get a player they specifically target. Right now teams are not allowed to start signing those undrafted college free agents either as they normally do immediately after the Draft concludes. So I'm guessing the NFL, if it makes a ruling today, will include all information on signing free agents, tendering restricted free agents, trading players, and signing college free agents.

Since teams still possess the ability to trade draft picks, here's a look at some of the rumors that have been floated in the past 36 hours that have a lot of "weight" behind them. These have been coming in in no particular order, so I'll work from the juiciest ones at the top of round one on down to the end. Here we go:

1) The biggest one of all, and probably one that is most likely to have some truth behind it, is the Houston Texans wanting to move into the top 5 of the Draft to select either LSU's Patrick Peterson or Texas A&M's Von Miller. Houston doesn't stand a chance to get either of them at the 11th overall spot, and I think they'd rather have a surer bet than getting Aldon Smith.

2) To couple with that story, the Bengals - who hardly ever trade - are rumored to want Auburn DT Nick Fairley. Bengals D-line coach Jay Hayes paid him a visit Wednesday. However, Cincinnati will need more ammo to make a deal, presumably getting another 2nd round pick to move back up to take a QB if there's a run on them early, which is very possible. These two scenarios seem to marry themselves together pretty nicely. However, it's hard for me to see the Bengals moving, so Denver and Cleveland, both teams who have been known to wheel and deal, could be other possible targets for Houston - especially if Houston wants Von Miller who's projected to go to Buffalo with the 3rd overall pick.

3) Atlanta wants to move up. This one is a hot one from Wednesday afternoon. Presumably, they don't like their spot in round one or the projected players that are going to be there. The rumor is that they really want local product A.J. Green or Alabama's Julio Jones (another weapon for QB Matt Ryan would be nice). That'd require a move into the top 5, but I think they may really be targeting one of the defensive ends at the top of the draft - Robert Quinn, Aldon Smith, or even Da'Quan Bowers. Nothing solid for you in the way of a potential trade partner though.

4) Allegedly, Miami and Dallas have an agreement to swap picks in the first round if a certain player drops past the Tennessee Titans at the eighth spot. The player in question here is Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert, who had a private workout with the Miami brass despite Miami not being anywhere in contention to select him. Dolphins GM Jeff Ireland came over with Bill Parcells from Dallas in 1998 and the teams have a history of signing each other's players. They also made a trade in 2008 that sent TE Anthony Fasano and NT Jason Ferguson to Miami for a 4th round selection. There's history here, but Gabbert would have to fall past QB hungry Arizona, San Francisco, and Tennesse for this deal to go off. I'm betting it doesn't because...

5) ...Washington really likes Blaine Gabbert and is willing to move up to get him. Again, no real potential suitor here. If the rumor about Cincinnati is true, I could see the Bengals getting their man in Nick Fairley at 10 and Washington getting Gabbert at 4, but as I mentioned, the Bengals hardly ever move draft picks.

6) Philadelphia's been rumored to want to move into the range of 10-20 for some reason, though there's really not a specific target linked to that rumor. They've been hot on the trail of CB Jimmy Smith, but after the AP report citing that he's failed 3 drug tests (one for codiene - did he buy it from the Packers Johnny Jolly?), paid for 2 separate women to have abortions, and had 2 separate alcohol incidents, I think it's pretty safe to say Philly could land him with their 23rd overall selection despite Smith having top 15 talent. But as they say, where there's smoke, there's fire. Stay tuned on this one as Philly is often one of the major movers come draft day.

7) Miami and San Diego may be in the works for a draft day trade again this year. Miami wants to somehow recoup a 2nd round pick they gave up to get Brandon Marshall (which was a win-win deal assuming Marshall avoids all sharp kitchen objects in the near future). San Diego, a 3-4 team, needs to upgrade it's talent on the D-line. In a D-line heavy draft, the Chargers sit after Washington, Houston, Miami, Jacksonville and New England. It's doubtful Miami would have interest in a 3-4 DE at this juncture, so the rumor is that Miami may swap their first rounder (15th overall) in exchange for San Diego's 1st rounder (18th overall) and San Diego's 2nd or 3rd round selections to allow the Chargers to leapfrog the Jaguars and Patriots. The rumored target for San Diego is either Cal's Cameron Jordan or Wisconsin's J.J. Watt. This one carries a decent amount of weight, though I could see San Diego not wanting to part with a late 2nd rounder to move up just three spots.

8) Tampa Bay wants to move up for one of the DE propsects, presumably Robert Quinn of North Carolina. No real trade partner has been established, so I'm guessing they'll try and trade with just about anyone from the Browns at six to New England's at 17 to try and get a better DE than they could at the 20th spot. My guess is they'll have to at least jump over the St. Louis Rams to have an outside shot at Quinn, or whomever their primary target might be.

9) New Orleans moving up for...anybody really. It's been not so secretly mentioned that the Saints want to move up in the first round. For who? For what? No one seems to know, but that's the rumor. I'd have to think they might want to leapfrog the Chiefs to potentially select one of the following D-linemen: Phil Taylor, Adrian Clayborn, Da'Quan Bowers, or even Cameron Jordan or J.J. Watt if they fell there.

10) New England's looking to shop picks. I guess this is more fact than rumor, but with two first round picks and a total of five in the first three round, they've got an absolute ton of trade ammo. I've seen rumors that they want to move up, I've seen rumors that they want to move down, and I've seen rumors that the 28th and 33rd picks could be hot zones for teams that pass on a QB in the early part of round one. Teams want to move up for someone like Jake Locker, Christian Ponder, or even Andy Dalton and snag them before Buffalo and Cincinnati, who are lurking at picks 34 and 35. Maybe the Pats shock us and just hold their ground to get 3 really solid players. I doubt it, but who really knows when it comes to the man underneath the hoodie.

11) Seattle wants to move down from the 25th pick. The Seahawks have a bottom heavy draft with a 1st, 2nd, 4th, two 5ths, a 6th, and two 7ths. My guess is they want to gain a 2nd and a 3rd round pick - there's a lot of "meat and potatoes" in that area, if you will - as opposed to just getting two guys in the top 64 picks. I'm sure a QB-hungry team would be willing to make a move here and give the Seahawks some more ammo. Pete Carroll's first draft was pretty solid, and I think he'd like the opportunity to continue to upgrade his roster in the 2011 Draft.

12) The final one, though I'm not sure how believable this one is, is that Pittsburgh Steelers' Coach Mike Tomlin issued an edict for the Steelers to move up and select Florida G/C Mike Pouncey - brother of current Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey - if Mike makes it past the Dolphins pick at 15. This would reunite the Pouncey twins, and the Steelers could plug Mike in at his natural RG position, or even shift over Chris Kemoeatu and put Pouncey at LG where his adept pulling skills would be put to great use. Either way, this one sounds more like soap-opera drama than substance to me, but you never know. The Patriots 17th pick would be a prime landing spots, as the Giants at 19 are rumored to be heavily interested in Pouncey as well.

Kkeep in mind that these are just rumors, and that NFL teams spread misinformation like they're handing out candy as the draft approaches. Some blatantly lie, so please, take these rumors with a few grains of salt. The only truth I can give you about tonight is that I'll be on my couch with some wings from BW's, some cold beer, and Jack 'n Coke throughout the night with several of my football buddies. I don't imagine going into a fit of rage on par with the meltdown I had when Miami drafted Ted Ginn and passed on Patrick Willis (okay, I'll admit, I wanted Brady Quinn). But if Jason LaCanfora's bold prediction of Miami taking Nevada's Colin Kaepernick or Peter King's pick of Andy Dalton at 15 come true, I'll probably be in the market of a new HD TV soon. I hope you enjoy the draft and that your team doesn't get Belichecked tonight.