There is no question, he DOES put in the work.

You have to give it to Chad, he does put in the work....and always has.

Researchers find trauma in Henry's Brain

West Virginia University researchers have determined that Chris Henry's brain had significant damage presumably from his football career and not the tragic car accident that claimed his life.

The condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE is caused by multiple blows to the head. While the research is still in relative infancy, one of the researchers believes Henry's CTE contributed to his emotional volatility and poor decision making.

"I think it did," Researcher Julian Bailes said. "Superimposed on the acute brain injuries Chris suffered when he died, there was fairly extensive damage throughout his brain that was fully consistent with CTE. This syndrome is expressed not only as changes in the brain, but clinically, as behavioral changes."

Wow.

Just thinking of the previous cases like former Steelers Mike Webster and Justin Strzelczyk makes me wonder how much this altered Henry's ability to make the right choices at the right time. It's also possible that he had this condition for a long time since his indiscretions dated back through his college career.

This news makes me appreciate the changes Slim had instituted in his personal life when he died. Until the accident it appeared he had put his demons behind him and grown into a responsible family man. Now we know that the odds were stacked further against him not by his own demons, but by a medical problem he never knew he had.

We can only hope this research continues to answer questions regarding the prevention and treatment of CTE. But, if nothing else, Chris Henry has made everyone in the NFL more aware of the risks of their profession.

Darrin Simmons has many leather-bound books

The daily practice updates Geoff Hobson gives this time of year are mostly as interesting and useful as radio traffic reports once you're already stuck in a jam.

However, Tuesday's update brought forward a question that had been festering on the back burner of my two-burner brain about who will do the kicking for this team now that Shayne Graham has taken is choking act to Baltimore?

Dave Rayner and Sir Mike Nugent of Ohio State lore are the two options battling for the loneliest and most athletically awkward position on a football team. College awesomeness aside, Nugent has been a bust professionally and Dave Rayner sounds like protagonist in a failed SciFi channel pilot.

But Bengals special teams coach Darrin Simmons has developed a strategy of coaxing the cream to the top in this open competition by making Nugent and Rayner kick under the pressure of their teammates having to practice longer. You see half the team got to call it a day early if Rayner made his kicks, and the other half would join them if Nugent matched him.

"Yeah, I'm happy they hit them. I'd say 90 guys are happy," said specials teams coach Darrin Simmons. "Yeah, you like. It's a competition. ... This won't be the last one."

So Rayner and Nugent matched each other and the whole team got out of practice early and presumably hit up the two places I would in that situation, Skyline and Graeters. Except for Carson. He had to save room for John Morrell smoked sausage.

I think this is a brilliant, if not tad high school football-ish way of creating pressure situations for the battling kickers to compete.

So kudos to Mr. Simmons and here is to more creative ways of making the kickers sweat out the misses before the season starts.

Ced said it the best

Cedric Benson on his running style:

"Until you get the ball and find the hole, it’s like slow motion. Really smooth. A little bit like music playing on the beach and then when that hole opens up it’s like heavy metal. Yeah, Sinatra to Metallica. Spitting on the crowd. Biting the heads off chickens."

AWESOME!

Reggie Kelly - Future Bengals Coach?

I know I haven't posted on OneManCrimeWave for quite some time, and I would like to start back by posting about a guy that I believe doesn't get enough credit - Reggie Kelly. Although he's been getting some positive press here recently, I still don't believe he gets all the credit he deserves for everything he does both on and off the field.

So frequently in the NFL we become infatuated with superstar players with huge egos, but in my opinion the real superstars are the players like Reggie Kelly who weren't necessarily blessed with all the physical tools to be considered an "elite" player but still does whatever it takes to make his team better. Let's face it - Reggie Kelly is a damn good athlete or he would be in the NFL, but he doesn't possess the same God given ability as Jermaine Gresham. Some guys let their competitive nature prohibit them from mentoring younger players who are trying to steal their job and ability to provide for their family....but not Reggie Kelly.

The stories I've been reading about Kelly's willingness to mentor younger guys like Gresham and Chase Coffman have been very inspiring. Kelly is a true class act who is humbly doing whatever it takes to make the Cincinnati Bengals a better football team, even if that means sacrificing his own personal ambitions in the process.

With all that I've read, I would just like to say that I sincerely hope Mike Brown and Marvin Lewis remember all the sacrifices that Kelly has made for this organization when he can no longer buckle his chinstrap and play the game of football at the professional level. It's one thing for a guy to consider himself a TRUE team player when he doesn't have the physically ability to play the game any longer, but it's another when a guy has been doing it his entire career.

Although I don't believe Reggie Kelly has much gas left in the tank, it is my sincere hope that the Bengals will find a place for him within the organization where he can continue doing the thing he's best at - TEACHING. The NFL needs people like Reggie Kelly just as much as they do those like Chad Ochocinco.....and make no mistake about it, in his own way Reggie Kelly IS a superstar.

Pacman Jones,Gibril Wilson, Reggie Kelly, Skydiving and Brian Cushing

Alright it's time for an all-encompassing post covering the items I have been too busy(Don't laugh too hard) to attack individually.

Pacman:

Leading off is everyone's favorite jackass, Pacman Jones. I don't think anyone actually liked or was shocked by this move. I won't waste time by reviewing his history or spewing my opinions on how morally reprehensible the Bengals are for signing this guy. All I know is from a production point of view, there is no point of view. Before he decided to fight the guy hired to fight people for him in Dallas, he was the third, sometimes fourth corner for Dallas. So where is the value?

The corner position is the deepest position on the Bengals roster and they just added a talented rookie via the draft in Brandon Ghee. So what is the purpose of signing a guy with this amount of baggage who has a good chance of being cut before the season begins? Ultimately it is a low-risk move but the potential reward isn't that great either.

Gibby:

The Gibril Wilson signing is yet another lateral move at the safety position. Since Marvin has been here they have been content with signing middle-of-the-road/declining veterans at safety like Kim Herring, Ifeanyi Ohalete, Dexter Jackson, Chris Crocker or Roy Williams. When Kim Herring was signed I thought he would be a good guy to keep the position warm until they drafted someone. I thought the same with Dexter Jackson, Chris Crocker and Roy Williams. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me half a dozen times and I am a moron.

Wilson will provide depth and more likely be a starter should a strong gust of wind hit Roy Williams and end his season. The guy has won a Super Bowl and had some solid seasons but he's not a difference maker. I'm still left asking when will they invest a high pick or some dough into an above average safety?

Reginald:

After the secondary got a shot of mediocrity in the arm, the Bengals addressed team leadership by resigning Reggie Kelly. Every single player on the team loves Reggie Kelly so having him around can only mean good things. It's move that needed to be done and suddenly the tight end group looks pretty nasty. Assuming Kelly is fully recovered, the Bengals now have a fantastic blocking tight end, the best all-around tight end from the draft and a wild card in Chase Coffman. (I'd like to admit being 100 percent wrong about a post I made last season about Kelly getting hurt being a potentially good thing. Oops.)

So what does this mean for my boy Daniel 'Don't call me Ben' Coats? I imagine he will be battling it out with Chase Coffman and it will ultimately come down to whether you want a guy who can catch or a guy who can block and slap balls intended for him out of the air.

Skydiving:

This has to be the worst idea ever right? I appreciate the charitable effort but with the bad luck this franchise and its fans have endured doesn't this just scream "NOOO!" like Ki-jana Carter's knee? Lets push the one reason the Bengals have been competitive out of a plane, that sounds like a great idea. Steelers fans are probably sitting back and thinking this is the first bit of good news in a year.

Douchey McDoucher aka Houston linebacker Brian Cushing:

I hate this guy. I hate even more that the idiot AP voters decided to reward him the Rookie of the Year a second time after a revote prompted by his positive test for HGC. HGC is only found in a man's body if he has a particularly lethal tumor on his testicles or if he injected it as a masking agent for steroids. Well, Cushing tested positive in September, played extremely well, and appears to be healthy today. If he had a tumor in September it is safe to say he wouldn't have been playing. That leaves one option yet he continues to deny taking any banned substance.

Yesterday Cushing had a press conference and he said he lived in fear during last season that he may have a tumor. Really? All season long? I know if I feared I had a tumor on my jiblets, I'd have some doctors cold hands inspecting them within the hour. Using the potential of cancer as a distraction from the evident cheating he chose to partake in is as pathetic as a Steelers fan writing poetry. Next time you cheat just blame it on the Swine Flu and I'd respect you more.

Bengals Draft Review

Round 1, 21st overall: TE Jermaine Gresham

I'm not sure anyone was surprised by this pick and I am completely OK with that. In fact, I was more worried the Bengals were going to screw up and pass on Gresham and shock us all by picking Jimmy Clausen or Tim Tebow. Anyway, Gresham was the perfect pick at 21 and filled a need that has been glaring for...well forever. Looking around the AFC North there are some pretty good weapons at tight end and it's nice to finally presume the Bengals will have one themselves.


Round 2, 54th overall: DE Carlos Dunlap

For the second straight year the Bengals picked a defensive player that fell to their spot in the second round because of off the field issues. Whether or not Dunlap's DUI was an isolated incident I still think this was a guy they couldn't pass on. I mean honestly, who doesn't try to snag a nap while waiting at a red light? Dunlap has good size and backed up the Bengals decision with great production in the SEC. I'm going to make a bold prediction here and say that Dunlap will end up starting over Robert Geathers at some point next season.


Round 3, 84th overall: WR Jordan Shipley

This pick made me jump up and shout in joy which, in turn, caused me to spill my glass of draft bourbon and interrupt my roommates musings on the trade-down-and-accumulate strategy of Bill Belichick. So Mr. Shipley, your career better be worth more than a glass of cheap bourbon. Many people have compared Shipley to Wes Welker(probably because it's the first white receiver that anyone can think of) but his college stats would indicate he's more polished and capable of being a number one receiver. Of course the Bengals don't need him to fill that role so Shipley will try and fill the slot role this team has lacked since TJ's departure. Bye Bye Jerome Simpson.


Round 3, 96th overall: CB Brandon Ghee

Before the draft Marvin Lewis and Mike Zimmer expressed their interest in improving the depth at corner. Brandon Ghee does more than fill that need. Should he develop into a solid option at corner it will give the Bengals the option of not resigning Jonathan Joseph. Ghee was very productive at Wake Forest and has the size and speed to look the part of an NFL corner. The addition of Ghee and Dunlap give the Bengals defense the possibility of going from a really good defense to an elite defense. But what about their need at safety?


Round 4, 120th overall: DT Geno Atkins

One thing I have learned from Mike Zimmer is that he always wants more defensive linemen. Enter Geno Atkins. Despite picking up a really good player in Dunlap just two rounds earlier, the Bengals again invested in the line and got a guy that will likely rotate with Sims, Peko and Johnson inside. His 33.5 tackles for a loss and 11 career sacks will probably translate into pass-rushing assignments for Atkins as well.


Round 4, 131st overall: LB Rodderick Muckelroy

Who can complain about picking up a linebacker from Texas? The guy was a tackling machine for a team that perennially is in the conversation as title contenders and according to linebacker coach Jeff Fitzgerald, he knew the assignments of every player on the Texas defense for any given play. He may have to work his way onto the field via special teams initially, but Muckelroy definitely gives the Bengals some flexiblity with Maualuga's possible transition inside. With how much Mike Zimmer likes to work in different linebacking combinations, the potential to make some plays early for Muckelroy is there. But really dude, where is the safety?


Round 5, 152nd overall: G Otis Hudson

The guy was a Big Ten recruit initially playing at Minnesota but transferred to Eastern Illinois to have a better defined role. At this point he will surely be considered a project for line coach Paul Alexander. But who knows, with how much unbalanced line sets the Bengals used last year this guy could see some time if he has a good training camp and preseason. But it's too early to say whether or not he could be a long term replacement for Bobbie Williams.


Round 6, 191st overall: WR Dezmond Briscoe

I doubt there was another wide receiver in the draft with his production at a big program that was still around in the sixth round. Why? Well this is the Bengals, why do you think? He was arrested once and landed a suspension during the spring of his senior season that lasted through the first game of the season. Still, the risk of him doing something stupid is worth the production and potential he brings. I'll take the 31 touchdowns, 219 catches, 3240 career yards and 1 arrest stat line out of the sixth round any day.


Round 7, 228th overall: C/G Reggie Stevens

Another Big 12 guy wraps up the Bengals draft. Did the Bengals only send their lone scout to Big 12 games or did they go to Dave Lapham for advice? Anyway, Stevens played guard and center in college and gives Paul Alexander another project that could or more likely couldn't ultimately make an impact. But lets remember TJ was a seventh-rounder and Kyle Cook wasn't even drafted and he's got some pretty awesome hair.



Bob's not so expert analysis:

I felt like the Bengals had a pretty good draft and would slap a grade of B on this bad boy. Of course you can never know how good a draft is until a couple seasons down the road but Zane and I loved last year's draft and we saw the impact of those guys right away.

The picks of Carlos Dunlap and Jordan Shipley really jump out to me as the biggest value grabs of this draft. The Ghee pick was a good one as well as you can never have enough good corners in a league where passing is the best currency. But the one player that I think has the biggest chance to surprise people is Dezmond Briscoe. If he can find a role model or an extremely clingy girlfriend to help keep him out of trouble I think the guy could be a legitimate target for Carson for many years.

Speaking of Carson, he's got to feel like I did when my parents bought me a Power Wheel 19 years ago(Only this year did I find out the only reason they bought me a PW was because I got concussed while they were busy not supervising their eldest son). Gresham, Shipley and Briscoe are going to make life a lot easier for Carson.

The one thing that bothers me is the lack of a safety being selected. Going into the draft I felt like it was the one area, besides tight end, that was desperate for an upgrade. But looking at the spots where the Bengals picked it would have been a reach for them to take the guys that were available just for the sake of taking a safety. Of course there is a lot of off-season before they start playing and you never know what veterans will be cut in that time period and become available.

One last thought. I think the NFL did themselves a favor by splitting up the draft over three days. That has been reflected in the ratings but it also gives teams another chance to reevaluate their boards thus causing more trades. It also gives me another reason to have some beers and ignore the gorgeous spring weather for an additional two days.


Below the belt jab at the Browns:

Sweet second-rounder with TJ Ward. The guy never played a full season at Oregon and has had more injuries than I've had swing and misses with attractive women(It's a lot, trust me). The dude had to have his knee drained every day one season. It sounds like a joke but if I were Ward, I would seriously be concerned for my life. Think about all the Staph infections the Browns have had recently. Joe Jurevicius is actually suing the team over his Staph infection woes. LeCharles Bentley almost lost his leg while under the teams care. It's no longer about having a good career Mr. Ward, it's about life or death.

Ghiaciuc!

Browns fans have mistakenly been dubbing this off season as the beginning of the Mike Holmgren Era. As of today their glimmers of hope have met with the black death that is the beginning of the Eric Ghiaciuc Era. I'd feel sympathetic if the signing wasn't so hilarious. Of course the Browns have Alex Mack but Ghiaciuc will find a way to supplant him. He could always sprinkle some staph dust on an exposed Alex Mack paper cut. Or Ghiaciuc could wreck into Mack's car and blame it on his reverse bench press skills not translating to reverse driving. Or the ever reliable "Airborne Eric" routine would work. If you aren't familiar with this maneuver the ingredients are Ghiaciuc and any nose tackle in the league. Mix them together and who ever is standing behind Ghiaciuc is instantly injured by a flailing, flying 290-pound pile of uselessness.

Enjoy Cleveland!

All I hear from Pittsburgh is crickets

Isn't it funny how the most boisterous and obnoxious fans have been silenced for the last few months? I mean it's really quite amazing. Compound a season where the Bengals smoked them like a couple of Cuban cigars with two sexual assault accusations upon their quarterback and it's like the entire city of Pittsburgh swore off speaking for Lent.

But what's this now? Santonio Holmes is now being accused of assault on a female? Well, well, well. Holmes' believed that because he is a football player he "can't get in trouble". If the Steelers fans are as remotely as classy as we Bengals fans, they should come down on their players, as we do, to stifle this burgeoning sense of entitlement that Steelers players clearly feel is their birthright. But hey, in Holmes' case at least it's his first problem right?

Wrong.

Remember the marijuana possession charges? Remember this retina scorcher? Remember the assault charges in Ohio? Remember he already had three kids before leaving school?

I personally didn't find it to be a stretch that he would take his douchery to the next level by slinging a glass at a woman for sitting on a couch. Indeed I could tell you a dozen stories about his misgivings while at Ohio State that were swept under the rug by the Columbus media contingent of which I was once a part.

So the time for Steelers fans to yuk it up because another Bengal got busted are over. Like it or not, their franchise is taking a big PR hit. The difference between the Bengals' legal problems and the Steelers' is that Mike Brown pursues players with pasts as to get a bargain. The Steelers, on the other hand, place a high value on character and weed out players who prove to be morons(i.e. Plaxico Burress and Joey Porter).

So my question is, are they going to stick by their moral standard and cut Holmes and Roethlisberger loose should these accusations be proven true? Or will that prove to be a double standard in the case of their two superstar douche bags?

It's not like the precedent hasn't been set either. Cedric Wilson may not have been as high-profile as Holmes and Roethlisberger, but he was cut the day after his domestic violence arrest.

Looks like the shoe is on the other foot.

Free Agency Update

The Bengals have retained the services of safety Roy Williams. Frankly I don't understand why. The guy moves like the line at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and has forearms made of balsa wood. I suppose if nothing else he could give the Bengals depth at safety presuming they finally invest a high draft pick in that position.

They also agreed on a deal with Tank Johnson who played really well despite having a foot injury for most of the season. It will be interesting to see if he can bring a better pass rush next season on two healthy wheels.

Also the flirtations with free agent guard Richie Incognito have ended now that he's in a monogamous relationship with Bill Parcells. Frankly, I would have liked him at right guard if the Bengals are unable to keep Bobbie Williams. He brings a nasty, some say dirty, style of play that I would have liked to hear Pittsburgh fans whine about.

The remaining needs for this team, in my estimation are guard, blocking tight end, safety, receiving tight end, nickel corner, and running back/full back.