Big Personnel Changes Expected In Cincy
December 30, 2008 at 12:03 pm | Article by Paul Hickey |
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Now that the 2008 regular season is over for the freaking pitiful Cincinnati Bengals, the real work begins. After a 4-11-1 final record, in which Cincy won their last three games, the team needs to decide what personnel will be back in 2009 - namely at the wide receiver position.
Head coach Marvin Lewis’ job is far from safe this off-season, and RB Cedric Benson, who garnered 462 yards from scrimmage in his final three games, wants to test the free agent market. Our sources tell us that while these questions are critical, the team is more concerned with figuring out what to do at wide receiver. With Carson Palmer missing the team’s final 11 games, it’s hard to really evaluate the effectiveness of Chad Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh, both of whom recorded their worst statistical seasons since 2001. To make matters more interesting, the Bengals drafted WRs Jerome Simpson (second round) and Andre Caldwell (third round) in the 2008 NFL Draft. While neither rookie played a major role this season, each saw playing time in the final two weeks, as Johnson and Housh sat out. Caldwell, brother of Reche “Eyes” Caldwell, hauled in five passes for 38 yards in Week 17 against the Chiefs, and has shown the ability to be a solid possession threat.
Our sources are telling us that Cincy may very well let Housh pack up and leave this off-season, while bringing back Ocho Cinco, who is under contract through 2011. However, there is also a chance that Johnson could be traded as well, and Carson Palmer - who is expected to be ready by 2009 - could be tossing the rock to Caldwell, Simpson and Chris Henry in 2009.
Jermichael Finley The Next Tony Gonzalez? - The Packers selected 21 year old Jermichael Finley in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. The talented TE hauled in 76 balls in his final season at the University of Texas, but was unable to beat out Donald Lee for playing time in his rookie season. Our sources tell us that dynasty fantasy football owners shouldn’t let that fact deter them from eying Finley as a potential threat in 2009 and beyond. He has phenomenal size and passing catching ability, and in Green Bay’s pass friendly attack, we expect him to blossom as a statistical threat sooner rather than later. It also doesn’t hurt that Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has been extremely complimentary of Finley, “speaking about him as if Finley were his girlfriend” according to one of our sources, and head coach Mike McCarthy has compared him to future hall-of-famer Tony Gonzalez.
Raiders Showcase Bush In Week 17 - Well, one thing is clear - 24 year old 6′2″, 245 lb. soon-to-be third year RB Michael Bush is a tailback - not a fullback. Bush finally got his opportunity to shine, rushing for 177 yards and two TDs on 27 carries in Week 17 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, including a 67 yard TD run. It’s no secret that Bush has Adrian Peterson-like ability, but just hasn’t had the opportunity to shine just yet. After missing two seasons (one in college) due to a broken leg, it’s clear he’s fully healthy, and our sources tell us that the Raiders will be trying to deal him this off-season. With Justin Fargas and Darren McFadden in the backfield, they would have no need for Bush - but other teams will. Our sources tell us to expect an RB shuffle this off-season, with teams like Arizona, Denver, Cincy, Seattle and even San Diego willing to make Bush the centerpiece of it. Another possibility is that the Raiders may dump Fargas, and feature the two-headed monster of Bush and McFadden in 2009. In either scenario, the beastly Bush is someone to keep an eye on.
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