Allen thinks Bengals style suits him

03/19/12 at 9:34pm
Written by jreedy

One of Mike Zimmer’s aims during free agency was to get a veteran press cornerback with some speed. The Bengals are hoping they accomplished that with the signing of Jason Allen.

Allen tied for the Texans lead in interceptions last year. He has 10 interceptions over the past two years and is one of only six defensive backs in the league to have 10 or more picks during that span. Allen was drafted by the Dolphins in ’06 but was waived midway through the 2010 season and claimed by Houston.

Besides this being Allen’s third different team, Zimmer marks his seventh defensive coordinator and Lewis his fifth head coach since coming into the league as a first-round pick.

“I enjoy playing physical man-to-man coverage and that’s what coach Zimmer likes,” Allen said.

Allen came into the league as a safety but has strictly been a corner for the past three seasons. Considering that he has the number of interceptions he has despite playing only 50 percent of snaps the past two seasons and is a veteran, Allen provides some veteran help in case Leon Hall’s rehabilitation from an Achilles injury gets sidetracked.

Allen also had one unlikely recruiter to get him to the Bengals – former cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

Said Allen of Joseph: “I don’t want to speak for him but at end of the day I really think his heart is still in Cincinnati. He spent five years of his career here and with Coach Lewis and Coach Zimmer they were almost like father figures.”

In assessing the role he could have here, Allen sees the Bengals defense much like the Texans – aggressive up front with pass rushers that can give the secondary the opportunity to make plays.

http://cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/2012...ter-sports

Cincinnati Bengals and WR Mike Wallace are a Perfect Match, Regardless of Price

Monday, March 19, 2012

By Daniel Wolf
Senior Columnist

The Cincinnati Bengals have been sitting virtually dormant during the free agency period with the largest amount of money to spend to add to their young roster. Meanwhile the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to only tender restricted free agent wide receiver Mike Wallace and the market for him has been quiet.



Pittsburgh placed a first-round tender on Wallace and he has been connected to several interested teams like the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers.

The Niners are out of the mix after signing both Randy Moss and Mario Manningham to new deals and the Patriots added Brandon Lloyd so they appear to be out as well.

One team that has not been mentioned is the Bengals, who hold not one but two first-round picks and have so much cash on hand that images of the Disney character Scrooge McDuck swimming around in piles of gold come to mind.

Cincinnati already has a No. 1 WR with A.J. Green but they also lack a complementary starter opposite of him and if the price is right Wallace could be that guy. His straight-line speed and ability to open the back-end of the defense would allow him to make big plays or free Green up in coverage.

The Bengals won't find a top-notch starting WR at No. 17 or 21 who are even at the same level of talent as Wallace is right now. Both Green and Wallace have speed and spending a first-round pick on another top WR target for Andy Dalton should be in the cards.If Cincy isn't considering it, they should be.

The only caveat in this whole speculation is that Wallace would want a brand new, long-term contract and the money needed to spend could be similar to what the Eagles just gave DeSean Jackson in a new deal (5-year, $51 million).

Good thing the Bengals have, in the ballpark of, $35 million-plus to spend and taking a top talent from a division rival will only help Cincy's rise in the AFC North.

http://www.nationalfootballauthority.com...llace.html

I was just revisiting this Wallace idea myself. I'm still against it at face value - I'd rather take a shot with a cheaper first round WR and spend the money elsewhere. But especially if the Bengals aren't going to spend the money elsewhere, I could get on board with the deal for its aggressiveness especially against the Steelers.

The proven free agent WR market is tapped out and the Bengals are still sitting on money - even if they add say Bush who is visiting today I think. The opportunity is still ripe for the Bengals and they probably wouldn't have anybody else jumping in. Also I was wondering if the Bengals could trade their #21 down to the bottom of R1 and use that #1 to get Wallace while pocketing the additional proceeds? Anybody know if there is a rule against that?

(03-20-2012 03:34 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote:  I was just revisiting this Wallace idea myself. I'm still against it at face value - I'd rather take a shot with a cheaper first round WR and spend the money elsewhere. But especially if the Bengals aren't going to spend the money elsewhere, I could get on board with the deal for its aggressiveness especially against the Steelers.

The proven free agent WR market is tapped out and the Bengals are still sitting on money - even if they add say Bush who is visiting today I think. The opportunity is still ripe for the Bengals and they probably wouldn't have anybody else jumping in. Also I was wondering if the Bengals could trade their #1 down first to the bottom of R1 and use that to get Wallace while pocketing the additional proceeds? Anybody know if there is a rule against that?

That would be an awesome move if you are the Bengals. Probably not a rule against it though maybe hard to pull off as teams trade up on draft day more often than before draft day (especially for later picks)

I'm not exactly sure how the compensation rule would be applied if both of your first rounders weren't yours to begin with. Would the first rounder that you acquired by using your first rounder be the one they'd get, or would they get the highest pick, coming from Oakland. Or would they get the 2013 Bengals pick?

It's been a long day and I'm making myself dizzy.

(03-20-2012 04:11 PM)bearcatmark Wrote:  

(03-20-2012 03:34 PM)Bearhawkeye Wrote:  I was just revisiting this Wallace idea myself. I'm still against it at face value - I'd rather take a shot with a cheaper first round WR and spend the money elsewhere. But especially if the Bengals aren't going to spend the money elsewhere, I could get on board with the deal for its aggressiveness especially against the Steelers.

The proven free agent WR market is tapped out and the Bengals are still sitting on money - even if they add say Bush who is visiting today I think. The opportunity is still ripe for the Bengals and they probably wouldn't have anybody else jumping in. Also I was wondering if the Bengals could trade their #1 down first to the bottom of R1 and use that to get Wallace while pocketing the additional proceeds? Anybody know if there is a rule against that?

That would be an awesome move if you are the Bengals. Probably not a rule against it though maybe hard to pull off as teams trade up on draft day more often than before draft day (especially for later picks)

Yeah if it was draft day and there was a player another team wanted, the Bengals could get quite a premium for 21 - maybe even a second rounder this year and 1st rounder next year. They won't be able to get that much now due to the unknowns as you noted, but they could probably move near the end of round one (e.g. 29-32) to a team interested in moving up at a discount and pick up at least a 3rd rounder. Whatever they would get is gravy compared to just signing Wallace currently. New England is at 27 and 31 and probably has some extra picks in R2-4. Baltimore is at 29 - they might be interested just to hurt the Steelers more than the Bengals.

Interesting article from Walterfootball.com grading the free agent signings.

http://walterfootball.com/freeagents2012recap.php

(03-20-2012 06:55 PM)THE BearcatBrent Wrote:  Interesting article from Walterfootball.com grading the free agent signings.

http://walterfootball.com/freeagents2012recap.php

really wish you'd change your sig. but that site gave us some pretty high marks and i think it's good that we haven't made a splash in the free agency market. just shore up some holes with the very limited funds we have. it's all we can do. as far as the draft is concerned, http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfldr...aneBrugler has us taking stephon gilmore and kendall wright. i personally want to see one of those spots going to jonathan martin or cordy glenn

Joe Goodberry ‏ @JoeGoodberry Reply Retweet Favorite · Open
#Bengals RT @Mary_Paoletti: Source: BenJarvus Green-Ellis likely to be a Cincinnati Bengal quite soon. #nfl #patriots

I like him in short yardage, but he's not a difference maker. Benson actually had longer runs last year. They still need to draft a home run hitter.

Benson fumbles the ball. Green-Ellis is a fine piece to the puzzle, assuming they do in fact sign him.

Nobody they are going to sign at the RB position is going to be the guy. Hopefully this means they'll wait until R2, R3, or R4 to address RB rather than using one of their R1 selections.

(03-21-2012 02:43 PM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  Benson fumbles the ball. Green-Ellis is a fine piece to the puzzle, assuming they do in fact sign him.

Nobody they are going to sign at the RB position is going to be the guy. Hopefully this means they'll wait until R2, R3, or R4 to address RB rather than using one of their R1 selections.

IMHO, and folks know more about the NFL than I, I believe that the Bengals will go for either DeCastro or Glenn at 17 and then Kirkpatrick or Jenkins at 21. I think that they will go for Pead, if he is available in Round 3.

Bengals add BenJarvus Green-Ellis
Updated: March 21, 2012, 3:26 PM ET
ESPN.com news services

Former New England Patriots running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis reached agreement on a three-year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

He likely will replace Cedric Benson, who is a free agent, as the Bengals' featured running back.

Green-Ellis, 26, rushed for 667 yards and 11 touchdowns last season, sharing time in the Patriots' backfield rotation.

His best season came in 2010 when he rushed for 1,008 yards and 13 touchdowns.

He originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/771900...ource-says

DeCastro is the guy I'd want. They need to build a quality line to protect Dalton. Might as well try to acquire the best interior lineman in the draft. I'd prefer Jenkins to Kirkpatrick. Wouldn't be surprised to see them give Jerel Worthy or Mark Barron a look either.

(03-21-2012 02:43 PM)Coopdaddy67 Wrote:  Benson fumbles the ball. Green-Ellis is a fine piece to the puzzle, assuming they do in fact sign him.

Nobody they are going to sign at the RB position is going to be the guy. Hopefully this means they'll wait until R2, R3, or R4 to address RB rather than using one of their R1 selections.

I'm assuming the Bengals didn't overpay so he's a nice add. I preferred Bush slightly, but not if he was demanding significantly more than G-E. Here's an ESPN blog including the report from their Pats "expert":

Quote:'The Law Firm' brings reliability to Bengals
By Jamison Hensley

The Bengals added youth, security and some punch around the goal line Wednesday when they reached a three-year agreement with Patriots free-agent running back BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

What stands out about Green-Ellis?

His age. He's 26 years old, three years younger than the running back he's replacing, Cedric Benson.

His dependability. Green-Ellis has not turned the ball over in a span of four NFL seasons, which covers 53 games played and 510 rushing attempts. But you probably should expect such reliability from a running back nicknamed "The Law Firm." This is an improvement over Benson, who fumbled five times in two December games last year.

His ability to hammer the ball across the goal line. Green-Ellis led the Patriots with 24 rushing touchdowns over the past two seasons. As a team, Cincinnati totaled 18 rushing touchdowns over that same span.

When free agency began, the favorite to go to the Bengals was Oakland running back Michael Bush, a Louisville native who offers more versatility than Green-Ellis because he is a weapon in the running and passing game. The Bengals instead went with Green-Ellis, who visited the team a day before Bush. The Patriots and the New York Jets both had expressed interest in Green-Ellis.

There's also little wear-and-tear with Green-Ellis, who has never carried the ball more than 229 times in a season. And he's not expected to be a workhorse for the Bengals. He will likely share carries with backup Bernard Scott and perhaps a rookie draft pick in a running back-by-committee. One reason the Bengals parted ways with Benson was his reluctance to split carries.

For the best scouting report on Green-Ellis, I defer to the Patriots expert, ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss, who provided this analysis to the AFC North blog:

"Green-Ellis was a reliable player for the Patriots. Ball security was never a concern -- he simply doesn't fumble -- and his hard-charging running inside the red zone was another top asset. He isn't a breakaway threat, but offensive linemen often talked about how much they liked having him behind them because he's efficient, patient, and takes what is there for him.

"Green-Ellis is an excellent locker-room presence who worked his way up from rookie free agent, to special teams contributor, to lead back. He played 34 percent of the team's offensive snaps last season, teaming with Danny Woodhead (33 percent) to form a 1-2 combination in an offense that skewed heavier to the pass. The Patriots drafted Shane Vereen (2nd round) and Stevan Ridley (3rd round) last year, so they're ready to turn a big part of the position over to the youngsters. One other thought: This isn't a player who will get comfortable now that he's signed a new contract. If anything, it will drive him harder to prove he's worth the investment."

I agree this hopefully reduces the likelihood of picking a RB in R1 with the exception of Richardson (in the unlikely event he slides to the Bengals). Assuming he doesn't, they should be able to get another good RB in R2-4 to share the load although I'd actually be fine with a Law Firm/Scott/Leonard trio. They also still have Peerman iirc in case someone gets hurt.

Some interesting under the radar developments:

Quote:Catchy stocks; Peyton welcomes Caldwell
Posted by hobsonschoice1 Posted on March 21, 2012 – 8:14 pm

If the Bengals are indeed in the market for a wide receiver in next month’s draft at No. 17 or No. 21, they look to have another first-round option after Baylor’s Kendall Wright ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash at his pro workout Wednesday in Waco, Texas.

Wright fell over the side last month at the scouting combine when he ran 4.61 seconds, which mystified teams because it didn’t match how fast he played on tape.

Now Wright seems all right. NFL Network’s Mike Mayock said on the air he’d be stunned now if Wright fell out of the top 20 and ESPN’s Todd McShay said on the ESPN Chicago blog that the 40 “helps you kind of solidify the fact he’s one of the top two or three receivers in the draft.”

NFL.com’s Gil Brandt observed on his blog after he watched Wright catch balls from Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III, “Everybody ‘oohed and ahhed’ at some (of) the catches that Kendall Wright made. The thing about him is, you can’t throw the ball over his head on deep routes. But he’s a very, very athletic guy who’s very strong.”

The Bears are apparently all over Wright and there were tweets Wednesday saying he won’t get past Chicago at No. 19. In the Bengals.com Media Mock Draft held this past weekend, the Bears took Notre Dame wide receiver Michael Floyd and Wright was still on the board for the Bengals.

Speaking of receivers, former Bengal Andre Caldwell also helped his stock Wednesday when he became the first receiver recruited to Hall of Famer Peyton Manning’s stable in Denver with a two-year deal. Caldwell was never really right last season after a groin injury in training camp and the additions of slot receivers Jordan Shipley, Andrew Hawkins and Ryan Whalen made him expendable.

He’s a relliable and smart player, a good route-runner and a good blocker. He caught 124 balls in four years, but will always be remembered for two he caught within 21 days from Carson Palmer; TDs in the last minute to beat Pittsburgh and Baltimore to help the ’09 AFC North sweep possible. And Caldwell’s five-yard TD catch with 10:52 left in Tennessee last year brought the Bengals from behind in the win that ended up putting them in the playoffs.

1. I know everybody was down on Caldwell, but it sounds to me like that groin injury was a lot worse than he let on and could very well account for his mediocrity at best last year. Based largely upon that assumption and the Bengals other WR candidates, I really wanted him back. It should be interesting to see what he does with Denver and Manning if he's healthy and gets playing time. If those happen, I won't be a bit surprised to see it being a decision the Bengals end up deeply regretting.

2. Back to the Bengals and the WR position which I think has quickly become the most puzzling position on the team. With Caldwell gone and Simpson in limbo, it's very surprising that the Bengals didn't show any interest in any free agent WR and it's worth noting that it's now very picked over. As a UC fan I'm very happy for him, but objectively can the Bengals really be this high and confident about Binns as #2 WR? I know Shipley is hopefully back at full strength, but I see him sharing time with Hawkins and maybe Whalen in the slot mostly. If Tate was looking good as a WR, I'd think he'd have gotten some time there by now. Which basically leaves the UC duo of Binns and Hazelton - neither of which has shown anything professionally. Either they have an awful lot of unproven confidence in Binns or Simpson or help is coming elsewhere. If it's the latter:

A) Could the Bengals be luring the Steelers to sleep before making a late move on Wallace (and can they trade down in R1 first as I speculated in another thread?) The Bengals still have money to sign him.
OR
B) Bengals must be targeting a WR in R1 (or R2 at the latest). On that note, I'm a big Kendall Wright fan, but he seemed to fall behind Floyd and possibly Hill (along with Blackmon of course) on most draft boards after a surprisingly very bad time in the .40 at the Combine. But it sounds like he really turned it on at his Pro Day as noted above. I'm not sure any of them will be there at 17 (esp TRich), but he's just behind Richardson and DeCastro at the top of my imaginary Bengals' draft board right now.

I agree on DeCastro or any other guard if he is worthy of going that high. I would not be shocked if we drafted a center somewhere along the line, and the other needs are growing more obvious each day of FA passes.
Hawk, good post, but Caldwell hasn't impressed for some time now. That SHipley if is a huge one.