ray maualuga

[Bengals78]

watching the Rose Bowl, this kid is gonna be special. If he declares I think we should go for him. What do you guys think?

[PalmerToCJ]

HAHA, funny you should make this post... I thought the EXACT same thing.

He plays with his instincts, he doesn't have to sit there and think things through he was just acting on instincts. I remember they had him high in mocks last offseason but I guess he had a down year from what they expected.

He would be a big add.

[Bengals78]

yeah. i know i misspelled his name too which bugs me now.
He just looks all kinds of BIG play LB which is what we need. I havent seen much of Ellis at all yet. But maybe that because im so infatuated with maualuga's play lol

[PalmerToCJ]

I don't see us taking Ellis. Every year someone pins us with a DT round 1 and TE round 2 and it never happens.

DE or LB IMO (unless Glenn Dorsey is there obviously). Yes, we have tons of potential at LB but they all get hurt, the only player at LB that has really played to his potential is Odel but he obviously hasn't played in 2 years.

Where is his stock at? Is it mid to late 1st round I assume? I really need to get back on draft stuff I have no idea where people are supposed to go haha

[Bengals78]

Me either. Im like whoa crap where did these guys come from. Ive been too busy to stay up on things.
Id say mid-late first too but after this and a great combine who knows. The way he is playing today makes me think more like a top 10-15 kinda guy

[BroadwayJoe10]

I have a feeling that ellis is gonna be heading to the raiders at in the 5 spot, but could be wrong. I was actually thinking that maualuga would be a perfect fit for you guys or the lions. It basically stemmed from thinking who would benefit from having vilma the most if he comes back 100% healthy (it's rumored that he just had bone chips removed which is good news) and you guys and the lions were the two teams i thought of. He looked fantastic tonight and totally agree with the assesment of him; great instinctual player and is always around the ball.

[rickscott]

What do you then do with a healthy Odell and Ahmad Brooks? Ray may be an upgrade, but not as great of an upgrade as a super passrusher or a running stuffing stud in the middle of the D-line. I think both Brooks and Thurman are special if we can get them on the field.

[themaninblack]

i think we have bigger needs imo. not to say maualuga isn't a great player but he's an ILB and an ILB only to me which is not one of our bigger needs. if he could play SLB that would be great but i'd rather see a dlineman or a WLB personally someone like keith rivers.

[PalmerToCJ]

I love Ahmad's play (obviously) as well as Odell but they just can't be counted on at this point. Ahmad had a lot of injuries in college and only made it a game and a half this year, Odell hasn't played in two years... At this point we take the defender that can make the biggest difference for us, regardless of position. Ahmad could easily move over to SLB and I've mentioned before that I think Odell could be a successul WLB.

We need a rock in the middle, someone who we can rely on health/off field wise and I want a guy of that sort. I haven't seen enough of him to say he's that guy but we need someone to be that guy. Look at the impact Patrick Willis has had as a rookie, we need a guy like that. I completely understand where you guys are coming from it's just that there's not a single LB we can count on outside of Landon and he's only average. I like Jeanty but he's always beat up, Pollack who knows, Odell who knows, Ahmad has obvious potential but has to stay healthy to show it.

[Bengals78]

What he said.
Odell is a HUGE question right now. 2 years is a long time to sit.

[themaninblack]

im not even thinking of odell. i think the only LB we need is a WLB but maybe thats just me. ahmad being hurt is bad luck plain and simple and i think comparing odell and ahmad isn't even a question at this point. im not saying get maualuga would be bad at all im just saying we have more pressing priorities imo. it just depends whose there really any defensive player would be fine be my so long as it isnt a DB. (in the first)


EDIT: and if you want to get on the topic of odell. the way i see it is this: he's 24 years old and is apparently in top shape. being a football player personally i know it isn't something you forget very easily so i wouldn't count him out in the least. sure he may be rusty but do not count this young man out if his head is in it.

[Bengals78]

Its the head in it part that worries me. Im pulling for him. But I do agree about going Defense in rd 1 as long as its not DB. I think a LB or DL would be our best options. Personally I like DE if we can get Chris Long. If Dorsey, Long arent available and Campbell doesnt pan out, I would take Maualuga over Rivers. Maybe Laurenitis but idk.

[lost33cause]

We need to strengthen the middle of our DL, plain and simple. We can't guess on late rounders for that anymore. DT is by far our biggest need. Peko is solid but thats all ill give him and thats being nice(hes not a game changer). Look at the top teams and they have all spent top picks on their DT's and DE's. We play 10 teams next year who are all brute force running football team. If we hope to succeed we better do something about our DL. If we don't expect similiar results next year.

[Bengals78]

If Dorsey or Ellis (who I havent been impressed with lately) arent available, I dont see us wasting a pick on a BS DT that isnt worth the pick. Bring in a FA DT if we can, get a LB or DE instead of a DT that isnt worth our pick. Ellis, Dorsey are the only2 worth that high of a pick.

[PalmerToCJ]

I could completely see Odell coming back and doing something, I'm just assuming he won't. More for not getting my hopes up than anything. Ahmad's amount of injuries worry me as well, he struggled with it his last year in college and only made it through the 1 game really this year.

I just really don't want another year like this were we have our entire LB core get destroyed. It's hard to put a solid defense out there when you have a thrown together LB core.

I do agree that on paper we have bigger needs (WLB/DE/DT) but I think MLB is such an impact position and Ahmad could easily move to SLB (Jeanty would be a GREAT backup). If they see Ellis as a guy to shore up our Dline then there's no reason to not take him, I'm just not sure that'll be the case.

Bottom line is as long as it isn't a CB it'll be hard to make me angry with our first pick.

EDIT: I just saw where Mauluga or whatever his name is said he's staying... Guess that kills this theory anyway.

What about Lauranitis, isn't he versatile? A versatile LB would be amazing. I just REALLY want a LB for the impact they have although it'd be nice to get someone in there beside Peko.

[toonsterwu]

I tend to think that if Dorsey (unlikely) or Ellis are on the board, that might be option 1. The need for an interior pass rush would really boost the front line for you guys, and the LB depth is good enough to find someone in the 2nd/3rd.

Let's say Ellis/Dorsey are off. After DT, I'd look towards DE next. But ... the problem is that the value there is likely to be iffy. If Gholston or Long are on the board, that'd be great. But Campbell seems an iffy bet to be of value that high, and same goes for Phillip Merling. Harvey seems a reach as well.

If the top DT/DE values are off, then I'd look LB next. Laurinaitis would be an excellent addition. I might be the only one to think this, but I do wonder if Laurinaitis wouldn't be better off at WLB at the next level. He can also play SLB (and obviously MLB). If Ahmad is healthy and they add JL, the LB's look much better. The USC backers are fine additions, with Rivers being a WLB and Maualuga as a MLB/SLB type. That said, I tend to think both are slight reaches.

On the off chance that Dorsey/Ellis/Laurinaitis/Long/Gholston are all off the board (not impossible, although most scenarios I run through, one of them is available), my guess is that the next list of names would be guys like Balmer (I'm really not a big fan, but he is moving up and some believe he could be a top UT pressure guy), Rivers, Maualuga, Merling, Campbell.

[Why the Bengals]

The draft is huge for the Bengals. They need to let Justin Smith/and WIllie go too much dough for them. They also need character guys and leaders even if that means drafting people higher than talent says. Their entire draft should be DEFENSIVE FRONT SEVEN GUYS!!
The other thing I think Marvin should do is hire Rex Ryan Baltimore' D-coordinator and Fire Chuck. The D needs a overhaul and Ryan will get these guys going

[Bengals78]

You think JSmith and Willie will be too much but not Rex Ryan who is the front runner for the Baltimore HEAD COACHING job? We will have to throw a lot of money at him to sway him here

[Why the Bengals]

Those guys are $$ against the cap. Willie has been good for the franchise but we can't count on him and Andrews looks like a stud. Smith is all fart and no sh** he does not deserve the money.
Coaching pay does not count against us. Sometimes messages grow stale and enthusiasm and nrg need to be re-introduced. We need change whether its a GM, new coordinators, new HC, or new players because it is not working and we are wasting Carson's talent away. We can't sit here every off-season and say wow we have great young talent maybe next year. This ship needs to be righted now because it's sinking quicker than we think.

[Bengals78]

We kinda dont have a GM. Thats Mike Brown, the owner. I doubt he will give up more power for that reason. Hell I doubt he really lets Marvin have say in much off field stuff. It may not count against the cap, but there is a limit with how much we can pay a coach.

[rickscott]

Letting some of these guys go is of utmost importance. Thornton, Robinson, and J.Smith should all be gone next season. Draft 2 DTs and find a quality vet DT in FA.

[PalmerToCJ]

We should get a 3rd for Steinbach... That means we can go DE/DT/LB in 3 of those 4 picks or trade up in the 2nd if the right guy is there. We don't just need players, we need quality players.

[jballa838]

I think trading up 3 spots for James Laurenitis is the best possible senario. The Patriots will probably want him, so we'd have to leapfrog them for it.
who knows though. I hear Rey might not come out.

[PalmerToCJ]

No chance we'd trade up in that situation, that'd cost entirely too much and there'll still be a solid defender available for us. I could see a trade up in the 2nd this year if the right guy is there with our comp pick for Steinbach.

[Bengals78]

Yeah I dont see us trading up at all.
Maybe rounds 2 or 3 but not 1.