Bengals Gab

The Bengals upgraded their WR core this past week with the signing of Antonio Bryant, but according to NFL Network, it doesn’t mean that the team isn’t still taking a look at Terrell Owens, who remains the highest profile wide out without a team. The station says the Raiders are also in the mix:

The idea of Terrell Owens landing in Cincinnati is still possible, NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora said Thursday, but recent rumors surfacing of T.O. headed to Oakland? Not so much. La Canfora opines that if the Raiders had serious interest in Owens, they already could have brought him in for a visit. “He’s going to be a bargain play for anyone now,” La Canfora told host Fran Charles. “That’s where he is in his career. That’s the reality. That was the reality last year.”

No one is going to put a long term deal in front of T.O. right now, just look at what Buffalo did last season, and that’s likely to be the same type of deal he’ll get this time around.

Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer was named the NFL’s Assistant Coach of the Year this week, adding another trophy to the long list of post-season individual and team awards won by the organization.

As detailed right here when Zimmer was named the Bengals Gab Bill Walsh Award winner, Zimmer did an unbelievable job in his second full season with the team.  

The Bengals finished 2009 fourth in the league in total defense, 6^th in passing defense, 7^th in rushing defense, and 6^th in scoring defense.  They finished 9^th in interceptions and 16^th in sacks; not bad considering the “scrap heap” defense consisted mostly of cast-offs and guys other teams had called washed up.

Most impressively, Zimmer was able to do all of this despite the shocking death of his wife Vicki during mid-season.  His ability to focus on the team and do his job under such circumstances should not be overlooked in any assessment of his body of work.

Congratulations Coach Zim!

Chad Ochocinco, lovingly called the “fourth largest media market in the country” by Tank Johnson on  Hard Knocksfor his Twitter and Ustream pursuits, has done nothing but expand upon his media empire since the season ended.

In addition to a  radio spots, commercials, and parties, not to mention taking a bus full of fans to Miami for the Super Bowl, the Ocho has starred in a music video and landed a contestant’s role on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.  And now, as if  that’s not enough, he’ll be getting his own show on VH1 in July.

No kidding.

VH1 announced that Chad will star in a new 10-episode reality show called The Tournament.  It kinda sounds like The Bachelor with an NCAA Tournament twist, and apparently ends with Chad getting a new girlfriend.

Some may say this can’t be good for Chad or the Bengals.  At best, it’s an unneeded distraction for a playoff team and at worst its a sign of a dangerously waning interest in football and winning. 

But you really have to give the guy credit. Love him or hate him, superstar or douchebag, he’s got a goal and he’s chasing it. 

As for me, I say congrats, Chad.  Can’t wait to see the hotties in your final four.

Matt Bowen over at National Football Post has a great article this morning on the Bengals’ decision to pass on T.O.  (at least for now) in favor of Antonio Bryant, including details on likely coaching decisions based upon defensive fronts and schemes.

It comes highly recommended by clicking the link here.

The conventional wisdom within is the team made the right choice.

The free agent hot stove for the Bengals was as cold as ice as the market opened on Friday, thawed over the weekend, and got white hot as the week progressed, culminating with the signing of WR Antonio Bryant Wednesday to a 4 year, 28 million dollar contract. 

While speculation centered around Terrell Owens, helped in no small part by Chad Ochocinco’s public campaigning, team management focused on the best player for the roster.  And for once, they got their man.  Enjoy it, Bengal fans, because the next time it happens will probably come with Haley’s Comet. 

Bryant is a full seven years younger than T.O., required no compensation to sign (ala Brandon Marshall), and has the size, speed and athleticism the offense needs to draw coverages away from Ochocinco.  Watching film on Bryant, he looks like of a stronger, more aggressive Chad.  He has a similar frame (both 6-1), lightning speed, and a quick YouTube search finds several awe-inspiring catches. 

Detractors and nay-sayers will note that Bryant has had only two 1,000 yard seasons in his 8-year career, and is coming off a knee injury that wiped out much of his 2009.  He has some notable baggage, including a famous blow up at then-Cowboys coach Bill Parcells in 2004 and a DUI charge in 2006. 

The Bengals see the glass as half full. 

They’ll no doubt note that Bryant is a former Biletnikoff Award winner as the nation’s top collegiate wide-out in 2001.  They’ll show you tape of acrobatic, one-handed grabs, and coverage-destroying “9” routes.  They’ll remind you that Bryant has played for a cavalcade of bad teams with unsettled quarterback positions and weak running games.  The guy’s been catching passes from the likes of Quincy Carter, Alex Smith, and Josh Freeman; imagine what he’ll be able to do with Chad Ochocinco on the other side of the field and a Heisman winning, franchise quarterback under center. 

Terrell Owens would have certainly been more entertaining.  It would have been a hoot watching Chad and T.O. try to one-up each other.  It would have been hilarious watching Carson Palmer and Marvin Lewis try to keep them sane. The Bengals would have certainly gotten a lot more media attention and been regulars on ESPN and NFL Network. 

But in the end analysis, the Bengals made the right decision.  They went for substance over style. They chose to go for the player in his prime, shooting for the moon instead of the aged veteran heading into the sunset. 

They may still pursue Owens, particularly if the price is right.  After all, they need as many weapons as they can get.  Either way, I feel the Bengals made the right move for them, and I’ve got my popcorn ready.

PFT reports that Antonio Bryant has agreed to a 4-year deal with the Bengals.

details here.

As more information comes in, we’ll pass it along.  No word on whether T.O. is still in the team’s plans or if he’s still in Cincinnati.

Update:  Joe Reedy says it’s a four-year, 28 million dollar deal.

More Bryant High-lights:

The good news is the Bengals have signed a pass catcher.  The bad news is it’s Daniel Coats. (And we use the term “catcher” very loosely).  Coats was horrid by most fan accounts in 2009, having inexplicable trouble catching even the most routine passes, showing any kind of moves in the open field, blocking at a moderate level, and holding onto the ball once it’s caught (We call him “fumbles” in my house).

Who-freakin’-Dey.

Also in the not-so-great-news column is a report from PFT that Antonio Bryant is now drawing interest from his hometown team, the Dolphins. 

On the bright side, T.O. had dinner with Coach Marvin Lewis last night, and is meeting with other coaches and Mike Brown today.  Judging by his quotes in the Cincinnati Enquirer, and via Twitter, he’s genuinely excited about potentially being a Bengal in 2010. 

And for a chuckle, we’ve learned that Shaun Smith, the defensive tackle the team did not tender or try to re-sign, is now a Kansas City Chief.  I can’t wait to see Todd Haley yelling at the notorious loudmouth trouble maker like he did to Anquan Boldin.

Joe Reedy of Cincinnati.com reports that T.O. is in the Queen City and meeting with team officials.  Here are  a few quotes, courtesy of Reedy’s twitter account:

“Right now this is my first stop and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

“I definitely feel like I can play 2-3 more years. I keep myself in great shape and that in itself speaks for itself.”

Antonio Bryant has left without a deal and heading on to other free agent visits. 

In related news, Geoff Hobson at Bengals.com reports that current Bills QB and former Bengals disaster Ryan Fitzpatrick feels T.O. is a great fit in Cincinnati:

“The Bengals and Terrell make a lot of sense,” said Fitzpatrick, who started 12 games for the Bengals in ‘08. “Carson is at his best when he’s throwing the long ball and they’ve had trouble lately getting Chad freed up because he’s always double covered. They don’t have a deep threat on the other side and Terrell can bring that because he can still run and make big plays. Just knowing Carson, I think they would work well together. I saw Carson’s quotes that he’s pretty much handled it all and seen it all when it comes to wide receivers and I think he’s right. Terrell wants to win. A great competitor and I think he and Chad would feed off each other. The guy was a good teammate.”

Wow.  I feel so much better that the guy’s former QB is selling him hard to another team.

Stay tuned….

PFT is reporting that unrestricted free agent WR Antonio Bryant has a visit scheduled with the Redskins after today’s visit with the Bengals.

Hopefully the team won’t get into a bidding war with Dan Snyder for his services because we already know what the result will be.

Here’s some video displaying Bryant’s talents when healthy…

Per Carlos Holmes of the Middletown Journal, the Bengals are nearing a new deal with unrestricted free agent OG Bobbie Williams:

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, the Cincinnati Bengals are close to a deal with offensive guard Bobbie Williams. The unrestricted free agent Williams has been a fixture along the Bengals offensive line since joining the club March 26, 2004.

Williams will be 34-years old this year and will likely sign a deal that would keep him in Cincinnati for the remainder of his career. Williams is known as a leader on the field and in the locker room.

This would be good news for the team.  Williams did an outstanding job last season in helping improve the run game, and he’s considered a solid character guy.  He recently won the team’s Ed Block Courage Award for 2009, and has made no secret that he’d like to finish up his career in stripes.