Today's segment of "Five Good Questions" is with Mark Curnutte from The Cincinnati Enquirer....Mark is the NFL beat writer for The Enquirer and provided some feedback about the Cincinnati Bengals....
Q1. How serious do you think the Bengals organization is when they stated they were not going to draft players who have a history of off-the-field problems?
The Bengals are serious. They can not afford to mislead their fans again, which many believe they did a year ago. They should have no trouble finding talented players who fit what they need and what they do who will not get in trouble off the field.
Q2. Chris Henry (photo) has a load of talent but he is the league poster child of bad off-the-field behavior. Do you think Henry will be able to change his image and become an All-Pro athlete on and off the field?
From all accounts, Henry will be suspended some time later this week for at least part of the upcoming season, if not all of it. I would suggest that Adam "Pacman" Jones is the poster boy, though Henry's series of off-field legal brushes is troubling to the NFL.
Q3. Linebacker Ahmad Brooks had a bad reputation while at Virginia therefore many NFL teams did not take a chance on him in the supplemental draft. However, the team has not had any problems with Brooks as he is progressing on the field. Why has Brooks been able to stay out of trouble while many of his teammates have not?
Brooks is a relatively bright man who appears to have learned from his mistakes at Virginia. There seems to be a seriousness to him that Henry, for one, lacks.
Q4. Coming into the draft, what positions must the Bengals address?
Defense, defense, defense. I would say they need a playmaking linebacker, a safety and another cornerback, if not another defensive tackle. They do not have a third-round pick because of taking Brooks in the supplemental draft last year. They pick at Nos. 18 and 49 overall on Day 1 and should take defensive players with both. And they will need to take players, who, like first-round pick Johnathan Joseph in 2006, can contribute as rookies.
Q5. Rudi Johnson has been a workhorse the last few years, however, so many NFL teams are now using a two-back rotation. Do you think the Bengals will address the running back position early in the draft to try and get Johnson some help?
They did that in 2004 with Chris Perry, but Perry has essentially missed his first and third seasons with injuries. The team re-signed Kenny Watson as a free agent in March, and though he is not flashy, Watson is a solid runner and decent receiver out of the backfield. Plus he blocks like a beast, so much so Carson Palmer lobbied for his return. But you're right: A healthy Chris Perry to spell Rudi Johnson would help the run game. But I do not see the Bengals using a draft pick on a running back. They have Quincy Wilson around (former WVa player), who knows the system and could do more than a second-day pick.
I want to thank Mark Curnutte for taking the time to respond.....it is much appreciated!!!....
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