Bengals Draft Depot

It's a pipe dream for Cincinnati Bengals fans that Mike Brown hires a GM. He's stubborn and set in his ways and isn't going to change no matter how bad he is at his job. However in this article I'm going to pretend I'm hired as GM for the Bengals. If this was the case, I'd have a 4 year plan to build a team that is going to be a consistent winner on the field year in and year out, not go for the quick fix trying to put butts in the seats by winning one year and then losing the next 3, hoping that one year will sell tickets for the next three years. It would likely be a year or even two of sub .500 football, but after that a foundation would be built to keep the Bengals in the playoffs year after year. This is a summary of what this plan would be to make the Bengals a consistent winner.

What the Bengals fail to realize, that other teams that win do realize, is that football no matter what level, starts up front. The Bengals like to go after flashy named skill players that they think will add excitement and help them sell tickets and jerseys. The offensive line is below average right now and the D line is about the same, but does have some young talented pieces in place.

Starting with this upcoming offseason, it's time to blow this team up. I'd prefer to build the lines and supporting cast before bringing in that new rookie franchise QB, lets face it Palmer is a below average QB these days. But if you have a chance to draft Andrew Luck, I'd take it. That elite QB is very hard to find and I think he's going to be an elite QB. But for now I'm going to assume the Bengals don't get the top pick and get to draft Luck, so I'd keep Palmer for 2 more years, even though I know he's not going to take you to the promise land and go after that franchise QB next year. Anyway here's what my roster would look like after this offseason, but before the draft and free agency.


QB: Carson Palmer, Dan LeFevour
RB: Bernard Scott, Brian Leonard
If Benson wants to sign here cheap then I'll take him on a one year deal, but he's nothing special, and I believe a good line can make a decent RB look great.
WR: Jordan Shipley, Jerome Simpson, Andre Caldwell, Quan Cosby
No More Chad or TO, I want team players and both of them are past their prime.
O Line: Andrew Whitworth, Kyle Cook, Bobbie Williams, Reggie Stephens, Evan Mathis, Andre Smith
The current line is not getting it done, the entire O line needs revamped and until I could get it built I'd bring in stop gap FA's on short deals. Andre Smith gets one more year to prove himself, which I doubt he does and he becomes a back up Guard until his contract is played out or he gets cut after next year.

D Line: Carlos Dunlap, Geno Atkins, Domata Peko, Micheal Johnson
This group is a good core of young talent. That being said they need more depth and that elite pass rusher that every team has to have. That'd be my first priority hopefully depending on how the draft fell. Also need another big fat run stuffer.
Linebackers: Rey Maualuga, Keith Rivers, Dhani Jones, Brandon Johnson, Rodrick Muckelroy
This is a good group, I'd keep Dhani on cheap 1 year deal to prepare Rey for the move inside, and try to add a true strong side LB.
Corners: Jonathon Joseph, Leon Hall, Adam Jones, Brandon Ghee
Getting Joseph and Hall signed long term would be a top priority. If the D had any pass rush at all they'd be regulars at the pro bowl. In today's NFL you have to have numerous cover guys and lots of depth at this spot.
Safety: Roy Williams, Reggie Nelson, Chinedem Ndukwe, Chris Crocker
Just for the short term. I want Safeties that can cover as well as play the run. This upcoming draft is loaded at CB and I'd be looking for a bigger CB to convert to Safety around the 3rd round.


Obviously some FA's would need to be brought in to fill some spots for the 2011 season and the team would likely struggle, but you have to get rid of the dead wood. Draft stock is going to change big time between now and April, but based on how the players are being rated right now here's what I'd try to do in next year's draft.

1st Round: Da Quan Bowers, DE, Clemson
This guy has been unblockable this year and this is exactly what the Bengals need a stud pass rusher. Defense wins Championships and to succeed on defense you need to be able to pressure the QB with how much teams are throwing the ball. Now if Luck is available I take him because I think he's going to be a top 5 QB for his career and then I go heavy on O line. But for now I'll assume he's gone and go after someone like Barkley in the following draft.
2nd Round: Demarcus Love, OT, Arkansas
I know it's another SEC OT, but this guy has excellent work ethic and is a highly rated OT that is a perfect fit at RT. I don't trust Andre Smith at all. Like I said you wanna win you have to be good up front and this is a start.
3rd Round: DeVier Posey, WR, Ohio State
With TO and Chad gone their gonna need some WR's. I think Posey is going to make a great number 2 WR and with Shipley in the slot all they need is that number 1 WR which could be attained in free agency or thru the draft the following year or the year after. Remember this is a 4 year plan. The team will be competitive after 2 but built to win year after year after 4.
4th Round: Davon House, CB, New Mexico State
This draft class is loaded at CB and House has the size to play Safety. He runs in the low 4.4's forty yard dash and can tackle. Put a little weight on him and he has plenty of size for Safety. I want a defense that is very tough to throw on and has two huge run stuffers up front. Right now they have one in Peko.
5th Round: Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor
There's my 2nd run stuffer. At 350 plus pounds he's going to be tough to move in the interior. He's huge though and may need to lose a little, but he can give you 20-25 plays a game, particularly 1st down to stuff that run.

That's as far as I'm going to get into the draft as 6th and 7th rounders generally have a tough time making the team and it's hard to tell who'll still be there and I don't have enough info on the players that go in these rounds.

After that draft and picking up some stop gap FA's the team should have a decent base especially with the young talent the Bengals have acquired in the previous drafts. They have had some good drafts in 2009 and 2010 grabbing Rey Maualuga in the 2nd round and Jordan Shipley, Carlos Dunlap who is looking like he could be special, and Geno Atkins. Along with Jermaine Gresham, Brandon Ghee, and Micheal Johnson. They have scored big in the 2nd and 3rd rounds the last couple of drafts, if only they had taken Micheal Oher instead of Andre Smith.

The 2011 team probably won't be a playoff team if they followed this plan, but it should be competitive and the foundation should be there to set up a team that is on it's way to being a consistent winner. Following the 2011 season it's time to go after a franchise QB for the future and one that I have in mind would be Matt Barkley. I know it's another USC QB, but this guy has the arm, the accuracy, and the leadership intangibles to be a great QB in the NFL. It will likely take trading up in the 2012 draft to get him, but Carson Palmer has some value still and would land the Bengals a 1st rounder because some coach is cocky enough to think he will be getting the all-pro QB under his coaching. So that following year the Bengals will likely have a top 10 pick and can package it with a 2nd rounder and move up high enough to get Barkley and still have another 1st round pick from Carson Palmer. I think someone with a pick in the 20's like a Jacksonville or Tennessee would love to have Palmer so for this experiment we'll pretend they get the 20th pick.

The 2012 draft would look something like this for me based on how players are rated right now and who most think will be in that draft class.

1st Round: Matt Barkley, QB, USC
A Rocket Arm, way better mobility than Palmer, better intangibles and leadership skills. This is the QB of the future and the guy who's going to take us to the Lombardi Trophy. I'd bring in a veteran QB for him to sit behind for the first half of the season, then I'd turn the team over to him with my two good OT's in place and a top tier FA guard plus the Guard drafted the year before there's a top 5 O line in place for him as well and by the time he starts Demarcus Love has a year and a half in at RT, Whit at LT, 2 good Guards and either Kyle Cook or Reggie Stephens at Center with the loser of that competition another possible Guard. Shipley and Devier Posey at WR and Gresham at TE.
1st Round: Alshon Jeffrey, WR, South Carolina
The pick acquired for Carson Palmer. This guy is a stud and those who've watched him play know this. He produces against the best of the best in the SEC with a QB who is mediocre. This is the number 1 WR of the future for the Bengals to go with our shiny new QB. With Jeffrey, Posey, Shipley in the slot, and Gresham at TE that's a lethal arsenal of weapons for Matt Barkley and with a good O line in place the offense should be a top 10 offense easily.
3rd Round: Kawaan Short, DT, Purdue
With the offense built it's time to build a defense that wins us a much deserved championship for the fans in Cincinnati who've suffered for far too long. This is another run stuffer at 310 lbs. With Peko and Phil Taylor we should have good depth in the middle of that D line to stuff the run. Add Geno Atkins to come in and provide pressure up the middle on passing downs. Plus Dunlap can move inside on obvious passing downs and the D line is shaping up. With Da Quan Bowers and Micheal Johnson coming off the edge the line should have no trouble getting pressure on the QB.
4th Round: John Clay, RB, Wisconsin
After Benson's back on the 1 year deal his time is up and he's aging. I really like Bernard Scott's ability to make people miss, but we still need that bruising back for tough yards and Clay will give them that. I want the Bengals to be a team that uses multiple backs and the following year's draft a RB will be taken early in the draft. But I believe if the line is in place you don't have to have a 1st round RB, look at the NFL alot of the top backs weren't taken in the 1st round and multi back systems give u a better shot to keep players healthy.
5th Round: Thomas Claiborn, Guard, Boston College
Depth on the lines is key and I think Guards are undervalued in the NFL. Claiborn is a good all around OG that can pass protect as well as run block and I want as much competition at the position as possible. I want a big pocket for the QB to step up in and guys that can move interior D lineman, if you win the interior of the line of scrimmage you usually win the game.


If this scenario played out then this is what a good part of the Roster could look like heading into the 2012 season. There will also be some free agents, but right now we don't know who they'd be so the roster will look incomplete a little.

QB: Matt Barkley, Dan LeFevour, Veteran Free Agent
RB: Bernard Scott, Brian Leonard, John Clay
WR: Alshon Jeffrey, Devier Posey, Jordan Shipley, Andre Caldwell, Quan Cosby, possible Free Agent
TE: Jermaine Gresham, Chase Coffman, veteran blocking TE FA.
O Line: Andrew Whitworth, Demarcus Love, Kyle Cook, Reggie Stephens, Thomas Claiborn, Top Tier Veteran FA Guard, Middle Tier Veteran FA OT, possibly Mathis or Livings as a backup

D Line: Da Quan Bowers, Domata Peko, Phil Taylor, Carlos Dunlap, Micheal Johnson, Kawaan Short, Geno Atkins, 2 Veteran FA's tweeners that can play inside and outside.
LB: Keith Rivers, Rey Maualuga, Rodrick Muckelroy, Dhani Jones, Brandon Johnson, Dan Skuta
CB: Jonathon Joseph, Leon Hall, Adam Jones, Brandon Ghee, Morgan Trent
Safety: Davon House, Reggie Nelson, Chinidem Ndukwe, Top Tier FA, and Ghee can play both FS and CB.


The Offense should be a top 10 offense easily the following year when Barkley is no longer a rookie. The line is in place for the most part if you can land one top tier Guard. The WR core is loaded with Jeffrey, Posey, and Shipley and Gresham should be an all pro TE by then. The following draft I'd try to land a top RB within the first 2 rounds depending on how the draft fell. The following draft my goal would be to get the RB, hopefully I can get a pro bowl safety via free agency, but if not I'm drafting one within the 1st 3 rounds. Either a Safety or a big CB to convert to Safety like a Micheal Jenkins for New Orleans. If I can get that Safety via free agency I can go RB, OG, and a D lineman in the first 3 rounds. Like I said all along I want lineman early and often in the drafts. Anyway if you can land that pro bowl type RB in the next draft you have an offense that's ready to make a Super Bowl run.

The Defense has alot of pieces in place right now. If the Bengals get Da Quan Bowers and he becomes that elite pass rusher they are on their way. I want depth and versatile D lineman and they have that with these hypothetical drafts. A line of Bowers, Peko, Hughes, and Dunlap on 1st down and running downs. On passing downs you have Bowers, Atkins, Dunlap, and Micheal Johnson, that should get you great pressure on the QB and if you have J Jo, Hall, and Adam Jones as your CB's alot of interceptions are going to be had. IF you can get Reggie Nelson to play up to his ability you may have the top defense in the NFL. IF NOT you have Davon House back there to play the pass and you need that top tier FA that can play both the run and the pass like a Landry from Washington.

This team is attainable and it's realistic the Bengals could have a team like this. If you notice it's not made up of many free agents at all and the free agents that are listed are mainly at Safety and Guard. That is two positions that are not the priciest in the NFL so you wouldn't have to break the bank in free agency. It all starts from building those lines though and to do that you have to draft lineman early and often on both sides of the ball. If a plan like this would be followed by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2013 the team would be set up to make a Super Bowl run, but not only that it would be set up that the years following you would be drafting mainly for depth as long as you're not devistated by career ending injuries. That's how all the top teams in the NFL do it, they are drafting for depth for players to play a couple years from when they are drafted. If the team was set up like this the following years I'd get that Safety that can do anything in the 1st round and then it'd be lineman on both sides of the ball early and often from then out. The goal would be a O lineman and a D lineman in 2 of the first 3 rounds every year and then use the rest of the drafts to add depth to your defensive secondary, linebackers, and skill positions. If the line is there the rest will be alot more effective.