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Cincinnati Bengals
Draft Update!
1996 Cincinnati Bengals Season in Review
The Bengals entered training camp sporting a rare air of confidence. Fresh
off a 7-9 campaign the previous season (their best since 1990), the sky was
the limit in the minds of fans, players, and critics for the Cincinnati
Bengals. The Bengals sported the most potent passing nucleus in the AFC,
led by Pro Bowlers Jeff Blake and Carl Pickens. A revamped secondary
consisting of free agent pickups Ashley Ambrose, Bo Orlando, and Jimmy
Spencer joined an underachieving, yet talented group of defensive linemen
and linebackers. Cincinnati passed up the opportunity to obtain a single,
big name free agent cornerback (Troy Vincent and Anneus Williams) for a
group of solid players determined to improve a defense which gave up record
yardage the season before. Yet, it was not this collection of free agents
which brought renewed cockiness to Jeff Blake. The highly anticipated
return of a rushing attack speared by 1995 top draft pick Ki-Janna Carter
brought illusions of glory to the minds of the Bengals. Despite missing his
entire rookie season due to knee surgery, Ki-Janna appeared in training
came unhindered by the affects of surgical reconstruction. Ki-Janna
surprised reporters and even his own coaches with his recovery. By adding a
top grade running back to a team which lost five games by 3 points in 1995,
the Bengals appeared to have filled almost every gap in their quest toward
a playoff berth.
The Bengals entered the exibition season with only a few questions to
answer - would the secondary be able to gel in time and perfrom to its
capabilities, would the offensive line be able to hold up for another
season, this time without the veteran Bruce Koznowski, would the Bengals
have a legitimate running threat? The latter seemed to remarkable answer
itself during preseason, where rookie running back Deeland McCullough
surprised the team and league to lead the NFL in preseason rushing yards.
The Bengals were more than content. But in the final preseason game,
Deeland injured his knee - a season ending injury. The Bengals searched
once again for a backup running back, and surprised the leagueby claiming
former Arizona Cardinal Garrison Hearst off waivers. Delusions of a
backfield consisting of both Carter and Hearst on downs ran through fans'
minds.
Despite all the optomism, one thing remained - head coach David Shula.
Shula entered the 1996 campaign with a completely inept record, 18-46 and
en route to becoming the fastest coach in NFL history to record 50 losses.
Cincinnati suffered several setbacks in the early going, caused by
horrendous special teams and a stagnant offense. The $2 million man
Ki-Janna Carter amassed a massive 95 yards rushing TOTAL in the first three
games of the season, which saw the Bengals lose to the San Diego Chargers,
St. Louis Rams, and defeat the New Orleans Saints. From this point it was
all downhill for the Bengals as they dropped their next four games, with
the culmination occurring at San Fransisco in Week 8. The Bengals raced to
a 21 point lead, only to see an injured Steve Young guide the 49ers to a
28-21 victory. This spelled the end of Dave Shula's pathetic attempt of
coaching, much to the delight of Bengal fans and Talk Show Hosts.
Week 9 spelled the beginning of the Bruce Coslet era. The former Jets head
coach and Bengals offensive coordinator set out to return the Bengals to
their winning ways by revitalizing the offense and giving fans something to
chear about for a change. For the first time all season, the Bengals showed
some life in the second half as they rallied for a victory against the
Jacksonville Jaguars. Coslet continued to rally the troops, as the Bengals
overcame a 21-3 halftime deficit to defeat the Baltimore Ravens 24-21 on
the road. Full of renewed confidence, the Bengals overwhelmed the
Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 11 to run Coslet's interim record to 3-0. After
suffering their forst setback under Coslet at Buffalo, the Bengals got the
offense rolling at home vs. Atlanta, compiling a season-high 41 points. All
hopes of pulling off a miracle playoff race comback were dashed in a
heart-breaking 30-27 loss at Jacksonville. Cincinnati was able to muster
some respectability out of the season, as they finished 8-8 after wins
against Baltimore, Houston, and Indianapolis. The .500 mark was the best
finish for the Bengals since going 9-7 in 1990. Bruce Coslet compiled a 6-2
record with the team and was rewarded by being named Head Coach prior to
the Houston game.
Post-Season Activity
Bruce Coslet let it be known early that he planned major changes on his
coaching staff. Defensive Coordinator Larry Peccatiello, Linebackers coach
Joe Pascale, Secondary coach Ron Meeks, Assistant coach Bobby DePaul, and
Not-so Special Teams coach Joe Wessel were told that they would not return
to their 1996 jobs for the 1997 season. Tight Ends coach Gary Moeller
accepted a job in Detroit and will not return. As of 2/13/97, the Bengals
have hired Mark Duffner, former University of Maryland Head Coach, as
Linebackers coach. Al Roberts was named Special Teams coach. Dick LeBeau,
former Pittsburgh Steelers Defensive Coordinator, becomes the Bengals' new
Defensive Coordinator for the 1997 campaign. Sigismondo Cioffi, former C.
W. Post Recievers coach, was hired as a Defensive assistant. It was
announced that the Bengals wil not hire a new Wide Recievers coach, as
Bruce Coslet and Offensive Coordinator Ken Anderson will split that duty.
The Bengals will not take many major losses in the free-agent market this
season. Most notable was the Bengals' decision not to designate RB Garrison
Hearst as either a franchise player or transitional player, placing the
rushng burden on Ki-Janna Carter for the Bengals' future. Here is a list
and probable standing of the Bengals' 1997 free-agents:
Unrestricted Free Agents:
Scott Brumfield, OT - suffered a spinal injury at Baltimore, most likely
will not be back
Andre Collins, LB - will not be a huge loss if he goes but the Bengals need LBs
Garrison Hearst, RB - will not be back
Rod Jones, CB - undersized CB, the Bengals will look for CB help elsewhere
in the FA pool
Kevin Sargent, OL - Bengals will try to resign him to bolster their horrible OL
Brett Wallerstedt, LB - will not be a huge loss, Bengals may tender him
league minimum
Leonerd Wheeler, S - will not be back
Restricted FAs:
Jeff Cothran, FB - will most likely sign elsewhere, if anywhere
Darnay Scott, WR - Bengals will do almost anything to have him back
Ramondo Stallings, DE - would like to have him back
Kimo Von Oelhoffen, DT - recognize the name? there's a reson why you don't
Bracey Walker, S - want him back
Exclusive Rights FA:
Anthony Brown, OL - didn't play at all in 1996
An Analysis of the Players
Overall Grade: B-
Although the Bengals ended with their best record since the departure of
Sam Wyche, the Bengals were expected to have a decent season. While many
set grand hopes for the team, it was most people's expectations that the
Bengals would end the season with between 8 and 10 wins. What the team did
not do, however, was make some noise in the league. The team showed little
motivation under the 8 weeks of David Shula and payed for it come season's
end. I know the players disliked Shula with a passion and felt Coslet
should have been the head coach from the beginning. I find it hard to
believe, however, that the Bengals could not get things together for a
single game under Shula (New Orleans doesn't count; it's the Saints for
Christ's sake!), a single game which in the end would have proved enough to
actually put the team in the playoffs. I'm thrilled that the team came
together and played well under Coslet, but they never should have been put
in that situation.
Offense: B
The Bengals led the division in points and were 10th in the NFL in total
offense. The team improved from 29 to 13 rushing from last season and were
12 passing. If only the games from week 9 (Coslet's first) on were counted,
the Bengals would be near the top of the league in offense, showing how bad
they were at the begining and how much they improved.
QBs: B
Jeff Blake: (56.1% completions, 3624 yards passing, 24 TDs/14 INTs, 313
yards rushing) B. Jeff made many doubt his abilities at the beginning of
the season, as he was not performing well at all. He was reborn under
Coslet, and toward season's end seemed to be on top of his game. The
horrible pass protection by the offensive line must be considered when
judging Jeff's poorer performances. Jeff matured significantly, dumping off
to RBs (which he never used to do) and utilizing the third WR on passing
downs.
RBs: B-
Bienemy: (270 yards rushing, 4.8 yrd/carry, 32 catches) B+. Eric performed
the best out of the three RBs on the team. He made many critical 3rd down
conversions, whether running or recieving. His special teams contributions
were also key - just imagine how much worse the coverage teams would have
been without their captain.
Hearst: (847 yards, 3.8 yrd/carry) B. Didn't eclipse the 1000 yrd plateau
or gain 100 yds in a single game, but still managed a modest total of
yards. Garison didn't really 'break' a run, either. Was key in gearing many
of the time consuming drives which the Bengals embarked on under Coslet.
Carter: (264 yards, 2.9 yrd/carry, 9 TDs) C+. The 19 million dollar man
found his niche - as a goal-line runner. The effects of knee surgery were
still evident, yet the team was very impatient with Ki-Janna early on. As a
starter, he would only see the first few series of snaps before being
spelled by Hearst after lackluster runs. Toward season's end, he began to
show flashes of his former self.
WRs: A
Pickens: (100 catches, 1180 yards, 12 TDs) A+. Not much that can be said
about the best reciever in the AFC. Despite double coverages and deep zone
packages to take Carl away, he still broke his team record for catches. The
introduction of the 5 yard quick slants into the offense was used to get
Carl involved more. Just think - he only had 30-some catches under Shula in
7 games.
Scott: (58 catches, 833 yards, 5 TDs) B+. Set personal record in
receptions, and was once again a significant deep threat for the Bengals.
Is a restricted free agent - SIGN HIM.
Dunn: (32 catches, 509 yards, 23.4 yard kickoff return avg, 1 TD) B. David
emerged as a significant 3rd WR threat, something the Bengals had not had
in recent history. David's late season return heroics were the lone bright
spot on a horrible special teams unit.
TEs: C
McGee: (38 catches, 446 yards, 4 TDs) C+. Significant drop in stats to
compliment the number of drops Tony had in games. Was shut out of many
games as his role became reduced due to Dunn's emergence. Did have 2
game-winning catches.
Battaglia: (8 catches, 79 yards) C-. Didn't see many passes come his way.
OL: D+
Anderson: B. The best of a horrible crew whose overall grade is less than
the sum of the individuals. Willie was outstanding on running plays. Willie
was horrible on passing plays. My advice: go to training camp next year.
Brilz: C+. Played with an injured foot, but still anchored the line.
Blackman: C+. The rookie filled in well for Scott Brumfield.
Walter: C. The veteran leadership was absent for this line of young players
and it showed.
Braham: C. Lost his job early on.
Tuten: C-. An utter disappointment.
(Not-so-)Special Teams: D
Horrible coverage units, giving up chunks of yardage from game 1 through
game 16. Pelfrey and Johnson are not responsible for this as they both had
solid seasons. It was the men around them that sucked.
Pelfrey: (41/41 PAT, 23/28 field goals) B+. Solid numbers, but missed 2 FGs
which would have won games, one of which was blocked and returned for a TD.
Johnson: (45.3 avg) B+. Career best numbers which were tainted by the
horrible coverage unit. Also had 1 punt blocked.
Defense: C+
The Bengals were 25th overall in defense. Despite the league high number of
INTs (34), the Bengals were next to last against the pass. The defense
played very 'opportune' games, giving large chunks of yards only to create
a turnover inside the red-zone. The lack of a pass rush will need to be
addressed during the off-season.
DL: C
Wilkinson: (6.5 sacks, 1 INT) B+. Big Daddy raced to a sack in each of his
first four games before being constantly double teamed. His maturation
process continues and is on the verge of an all-pro season.
Langford: (2 sacks) B. Looked like a rookie flop for about 12 weeks before
seeing significant action. Has enormous pass rushing potential and with a
little work on run stopping, will be the regular starter next season.
Copeland: (3.5 sacks) C. Last season's leading pass rusher, John was
hampered by injuries all season and never got in the groove. Was dominant
when healthy.
Johnson: (3 sacks) C+. Tim contributed. That's about it.
Smith: (1 sack) C-. Used primarily as a run stopper in a platoon with Jevon
Langford.
Stallings: (2 sacks) C-. Lost his starting job to Artie Smith and Jevon
Langford after an unimpressive campaign at RDE.
LBs: B
Francis: (3 sacks, 3 INTs, 3 fumble recoveries) B+. Led the team in
recoveries and had arguably the best defensive performance by any Bengal at
Houston. Solid play by the OLB.
Tovar: (3 sacks, 4 INTs) B+. Steve's loss could have been a huge blow to
the team but was not. Led the non-DBs in INTs and was the leading tackler
up to his injury. Had his best season to date.
McDonald: (4 sacks) B. Second on the team in sacks. Solid play.
DBs: B-
Ambrose: (8 INTs) A. Tremendous free agent aquisition, finished second in
the league in INTs. Often dominated opposing WRs, suck as Jerry Rice and
Isaac Bruce. Present and future All-Pro.
Spencer: (5 INTs) B+. A pleasant surprise and another nice free agent
pick-up. Jimmy played injured much of the season, with half a thumb and
bruised legs. The affects of these injuries only showed in one game (at
Jacksonville) as he played like a true warrior.
Orlando: (2 INTs) B+. Another free agent pick-up, Bo led the team in
tackles. Bo finally provided solid play from a free saftey for Cincinnati
after a few not-so good experiences.
Walker: (2 INTs) B. Solid play from the strong saftey.
Sawyer: (2 INTs, 1.5 sacks) B-. Corey led the secondary in sacks and had
two large INTs to halt opposing drives. Still gambled quite a bit on
coverage and often payed the price.
Myers: (2 INTs) C-. The rookie was horrible for most of the season, running
into other DBs and not playing up to par. Late season performances showed
promise, but should NEVER be placed on a punt return unit again. He was the
most inept punt returner I have ever seen, making some of the worst
decisions imaginable. With how many INTs the rest of the team had, his 2
picks don't seem as special.
Rod Jones: (2 INTs) C-. Lost his starting job during training camp, Rod was
released and then reaquired. Didn't play very much, and just to show how
INT-happy the defense was, Rod added two of his own.
Team Needs
With Dick Lebeau set to impliment the 3-4 alignment on defense, LBs and DEs
have become top priorities. Rumors have been abound that Chad Brown would
be a nice fit with the Bengals, but it is highly unlikely that the team
will put all its money into one player. The same is true with ideas of
luring Neil Smith, but he is even more of a long-shot. More realistic
choices are Mike Caldwell and Darion Conner.
Offensive line and CBs follow on the priority list. The Bengals OL was
anemic many times in 1996, and free agency is the most likely means for the
Bengals to improve here. There has been talk about courting Minnesota's
Randall McDaniel, but he has been designated a franchise player and his
cost is now too high. With starting CB Jimmy Spencer and third CB Corey
Sawyer signed only through 1997, CBs will be a top priority as well.
Cincinnati would love for Shawn Springs to drop low enough in the draft,
but that will never happen. One likely senario that has been thrown arount
is the aquisition of CB Ray Buchanan and DT Tony Serigusa from the Colts.
Buchanan has expressed interest in the Bengals and would like to play
alongside former teammate Ashley Ambrose. Serigusa has expressed major
interest in following Buchanan, so this story should be followed. Rod
Woodson was reportedly asking Ashley Ambrose about the situation in
Cincinnati as well, but his price would be well out of the Bengals' range.
Cincinnati is also in the market for a backup QB. they are hoping that
rookie Kerry Joseph will take advantage of his summer sting in the WLAF to
develop. Rumors are strong that Boomer Esiason would like to end his career
playing for Coslet in Cincinnati, even as a backup.
1997 Draft
The Bengals will select 14th in the first round of the draft, and will have
one selection in each round. The most likely candidate for their frist
selection will be a LB/DE. Pudly Draft Guru and Perrenial Mis-evaluator Mel
Kiper is predicting the Bengals to take Reinard Wilson, DE/OLB out of
Florida State. Fine and dandy, but we'll have to hope that he isn't just a
product of the FSU system and actually has some skills. Cincinnati will
jump on any remote chance that either Shawn Springs or Bryant Westbrook
slip in the draft. In reality, however, expect a DE to be selcted with the
first pick, and there is always the possibility the they may trade up to
aquire a bigger name. As far as the rest of the draft goes, most of the
picks will probably be defensively orientated. I would not be surprised if
the Bengals selected 4 or 5 defensive players, an offensive lineman, and a
late round RB. The Bengals will look hard at LBs, as there is an attempt
to bolster a group that may not have team leader Steve Tovar untill midway
through the season. Some names being thrown around are Dwayne Rudd, LB,
Grant Winstrom, OLB/DE, and Jarret Irons, LB. I, personally, like Irons,
but he will not go as high as 14th overall. If he is around for the taking
in the 2nd round, he would be a steal.
Team Reporter:Mark Schuster
MB_Schuster@acad.fandm.edu
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