The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

By Shane Bulcher

As usual, this year’s draft provided some expected picks, some surprises and some that left us wondering what were they thinking? Overall, I had a feeling similar to that of eating at a fast food joint; I am full, and I had enough to eat, but the food could have been a lot better and I am just not satisfied. To get a better idea, I’ll look at the picks; the good, the bad and the ugly.

The Good

Keith Rivers/LB 1st Round 9th Pick

The most complete linebacker in the draft by far. Rivers is a born leader who is NFL ready. In the long run he may prove to be the best possible pick for a team searching for not only a leader on the defense, but a player that can help solidify the middle/heart of the defense. After Sedrick Ellis was selected at seven, the best scenario was to get Rivers and it luckily it came to fruition. He could be the new face of the unit, if we even had one.

Pat Sims/DT 3rd Round 77th Pick

After striking out on the top tier defensive tackles, the Bengals landed one of the best available in the third, in Pat Sims. Sims stats won’t grab your attention, but his hustle and style will. The coaches noted his toughness and serious upside after the pick. “He’s very athletic. He anticipates the snap. He’s quick, powerful. He can play both the three technique and be an inside pass rusher,” one personnel man said. I think Bengal fans everywhere exhaled with this pick due to the glaring need at defensive tackle.

Andre Caldwell/WR 3rd Round 97th Pick

We all know that the wide receiver position had become another need with the events occurring in the last couple of months. Getting Caldwell in the third was a steal, not only can he step in and play in the slot, but he’s also a tremendous return man. Also worth noting is his 40 time at 4.3, which was second best overall at the combine. You can coach technique, but you can’t teach speed.

Anthony Collins/OT 4th Round 112th Pick

I think this guy could end up being a starter at guard and eventually right tackle. He was generally graded as a second rounder, and even some “experts’ had him tabbed a first rounder prior to April 26th. It looks like the ideal situation, Collins can sit back and learn from the veterans for a year or two before being penciled into the line up. Another plus is he can virtually play every position on the O-Line aside from center.

Corey Lynch/S 6th Round 177th Pick

First of all, I love the kid for his play against that team up north this past fall. On top of that he has that rare ability to be in the right spot at the right time. Big plays are his specialty and he will provide a solid back up and good special teams player. Some said he was headed for the third or fourth round going into the draft, so getting him in the sixth was a great value pick. Maybe he’ll be the next great Lynch at safety?

Mario Urrutia/WR 7th Round 246th Pick

His intangibles (6-5 230 pnds, 4.6 40 yard dash) alone will raise eyebrows. He really shined as a Freshman and Sophomore at Louisville, but injuries hampered his Junior year as highlighted by Adam Kiefaber in his column leading up to the draft. I think this kid will prove there is reason he left school early, maybe not this year, but soon enough he will.

The Bad

Jerome Simpson/WR 2nd Round 46th Pick

Did anyone see this selection coming? If so please let me know because not in a million years would I have called this one. He probably didn’t compete against a single player headed to the NFL in college, but he’s a phenomenal athlete who produced consistently. In hindsight, it may not be so bad. Many are saying the guy is a hard worker with great character. I hope management got this right with Simpson, and will eventually make us forget all about our current receiver situation. Another positive is there have been reports that the Steelers were poised to take Simpson with their second round pick, but the Bengals beat them to the punch. Who Dey!

Matt Sherry/TE 6th Round 207th

There were few mock drafts that included Sherry’s name at all. At Villanova he was a role player for three years before he became a go-to guy his senior year. He has decent size and speed (6-3 245 pnds, 4.7 40 yard dash), and he utilizes both in the passing game. His glaring weakness is his blocking skills; many scouts say he can’t hold his own at all, even against sub-par competition. I think he looks like he’ll be assigned to the practice squad.

Angelo Craig/DE 7th Round 244th

A hometown guy, Craig was a cornerstone of the Bearcats D. He’s known for playing with a mean streak and loves to get physical. Used primarily as a pass rusher, Craig saw action at both linebacker and end. He generally produced on effort alone because he lacks elite speed, and that could be his downfall in the NFL. He’s another guy that was tabbed for free agent, but hopefully Marvin and Co. saw something special.

The Ugly

Jason Shirley/DT 5th Round 145th Pick

I think Bengalnation let out a collective “not another one” after our 5th round pick was taken. Over the past three years we have heard enough about bad character, so why did the Bengals select a guy who has a case pending for DUI/hit and run? Does talent trump trouble? Apparently the Bengals think so, and I am not happy at all about this pick. Heck, the guy may go on to stardom, but…if he gets in trouble, be ready Marvin, because you will be sitting on the hot seat and you better be ready to take full responsibility.

Overall I wasn’t overly enthused with our picks, initially. But… after further review, I think the glass looks more half full than half empty. The front office (what we have of one) filled many holes, and landed players with some serious potential. I graded most of the picks as good. The reason I rated three picks bad is because I thought they were all reaches and could have been selected later. I think the 5th round pick of Jason Shirley was flat out ugly. We have to ask the question at this point, is it really worth taking another guy with a record? We’re not talking about a guy with a past or a questionable charge, his charges are pending and a court date is near. I think at some point you have to pull the plug on bad character completely. No longer can talent trump trouble, we won’t see change until that occurs.

Overall Draft Grade

B-

Other News

Former MVP running back Shaun Alexander is scheduled to meet with club officials in Cincinnati on Monday. The Boone County (KY) native has always made it known that he was raised as a Bengals fan and has always wanted to play for Cincy. Ironically the Bengals were expected to look at a running back in the draft, some even had them taking one in the first round. But they didn’t take one despite a deep class of running backs, but maybe they were looking ahead to negotiations with Alexander. For years Bengaldom has discussed the possibility of Alexander in stripes because of his interests. Although he is thirty something, he should be fresh due to injuries that have kept him off the field for a good portion of two seasons (he’s never suffered a knee injury). I personally think he’s ready to rebound, and he seems hungry to prove himself once again. On top of his ability, he would provide experience, leadership, and great character. He would also help crowd the backfield. Moves would have to be made to accommodate Mr. Alexander, both roster and financial cuts, but in his current situation he should be affordable. Stay tuned.