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June 2010
Shipley believe it or not
Bengals third-round draft choice Jordan Shipley comes to Cincinnati with more fanfare than a Christmas Day parade. You want to talk about pressure? No one is under the gun to perform more than Shipley thanks to some folks’ willingness to thrust him into the limelight before playing a down in the NFL.
Shipley is being hyped up more than a drunk ready for a bar fight. All the hype is a bit premature if you ask me.
I understand the high expectations in regard to Shipley’s playing ability. He was a productive and highly decorated receiver in college. The boy has mad skills, but that doesn’t necessarily translate to the playing field in the pros. Let’s not kid ourselves, college is one thing and the NFL is a beast.
Rookie first-round pick Jermaine Gresham has to be loving this. With Shipley receiving all the attention, it takes the focus off him. I recall the first day of rookie minicamp when reporters were all over Shipley like ants on a meat skin immediately after practice. He sat at his locker mystified at the center of the swarm while Gresham had the freedom to go about his business uninterrupted.
Usually, it’s the first-round pick being looked upon as the savior.
On top of all this, Shipley has been anointed as the next Wes Welker. It took some time for Welker to develop into the receiver he is today. Besides, those are pretty big shoes to fill.
I do love the potential of Shipley. He fits the mold of an ideal NFL slot receiver, but is the rookie ready to assume the role of T.J. Houshmandzadeh? Child please! Well, at least not this season.
By no means am I trying to sell the player short. I believe it’s good to have high expectations, but is it really fair to put this kind of pressure on the rookie? Remember, nothing is a given.
TweetBengals’ Ochocinco focuses on legacy and championship
CINCINNATI — Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocinco has become one of the more interesting players in the NFL. So it isn’t surprising that everything he does gets magnified, whether of his own volition or not.
Ochocinco caught grief recently from nearly everyone for his non-participation in Bengals OTAs. The team’s Mr. Bojangles was off doing his own thing on the television series Dancing With the Stars. Despite having the bosses’ blessing, Ochocinco’s absence from his teammates made headlines.
The receiver addressed the matter during the team’s recent minicamp.
“People question when I’m not here, but I’m never here during OTAs,” Ochocinco said. “I’m off doing what I need to do so when I do come back, I can put everybody else in the comfort zone. You know I’m going to be right. I do the necessary things in the offseason to make sure of that. I make everybody’s job, including the person calling the plays, easier.”
Ochocinco went on to say that he understands why his presence was necessary in OTAs in order to gel with the offense. In the same breath, he said it would only take one week for him and Carson Palmer to get on the same page.
Could doing the paso doble, rumba and samba actually help the multitalented receiver perfect his game? Ochocinco thinks so.
“I believe the dancing is going to help my game at some point,” he said. “It worked different muscles in my body that I never worked before. I put in 10-hour days and that’s training. I will be training with boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Vegas leading up to training camp. So I train all the time. When the whistle blows in September, I will be on my game.”
Ochocinco has been on top of his game for nine seasons with the Bengals. He is the team’s all-time leader in receptions (684) and receiving yards (9952). Ochocinco is among the top 10 active receivers in career receiving yards. His goal this season is to further establish his football legacy.
“I believe I have evolved in a good way over the years,” Ochocinco said. “I have always done things the right way on and off the field. On the field, I might do it a little different than most people would like, but I get the job done. By no means am I perfect, but I continue to strive for perfection. I want to be one of the best and do everything necessary to be that way.”
There is no denying the player’s productivity and commitment to the game. He’s done a fine job marketing himself and representing the organization. But like a meteor floating aimlessly through space, many often wonder where his head is in terms of team.
“It’s not about me,” Ochocinco said. “We all have individual goals but football is a team sport. I know I can’t do it alone and it takes a team effort to win a championship. That’s my focus. I want us to get back to the dominating offense we were in 2005 and ’06. Somewhat like the Saints were last year but still being effective in the run game with Ced (Benson). It’s all going to come together this year. It’s going to be an interesting season for us because we’re hungry.”
TweetNotes from Bengals minicamp
The Cincinnati Bengals showed signs of being dominant this season during last week’s three-day minicamp. This is an early indication that the team is prepared to improve on its season from a year ago. Optimistically speaking, fans can be excited about what’s in store.
The Bengals have made some definite strives over the offseason by adding depth at nearly every position on the roster. The team is loaded with talent especially on defense. They have athletes with speed at each position and the other side of the ball isn’t too shabby.
Some new wrinkles have been added to the Bengals offense which should open up the passing game. Without giving away the team’s secrets, quarterback Carson Palmer could have a career year passing the ball. More importantly the execution of the offense as a unit was on point more often than not.
Here are a few things I took away from minicamp.
Who’s hot?
It’s time to put the kibosh on all the negative talk surrounding Palmer and his ability to play the game. The man still has it.
Palmer is among the elite quarterbacks in my book. Granted, he may no longer have a cannon for an arm, but he still possesses a high-caliber pistol capable of pistol whipping any secondary into submission when throwing the ball.
Palmer demonstrated that when he fired a bullet into heavy traffic for a completion. The window of opportunity in which he threw the pass was tight and closed rather quickly. Only a quarterback with a hair-trigger release could have made this throw. He did this on more than one occasion, even under duress. Palmer was consistently accurate and had a good showing in camp.
Who’s not?
Who needs Matt Jones when you have Jerome Simpson? That’s right, I would be flummoxed if Jones made the club over Simpson. There was not much to write home about regarding Jones’ performance in minicamp. He looked like any other guy and was outperformed by Simpson, who has struggled to see the playing field since being drafted. Both receivers are likely on the bubble considering the team’s depth at the position.
Jones is a long strider with little burst off the line and is not the most precise route runner. Not to mention he caught a lot of passes with his body rather than using his hands. You would also expect a guy his size to be more aggressive at the point of attack but that wasn’t the case.
The 6-foot-6, 218-pound Jones was pushed off his routes with little effort by smaller cornerbacks. The receiver made it easy for corners to jam him at the line of scrimmage. Jones is going to have to show the Bengals coaching staff more than adequacy in training camp if he’s looking to revitalize his career in Cincinnati.
Keep an eye on
Running back Brian Leonard shed a few pounds during the offseason and looked quicker than ever. He made a couple of nice dashing runs that really showed off his quickness and acceleration. Leonard was also effective in the passing game and is expected to be an integral part of the offense this season.
High expectations
Defensive end Michael Johnson could have a breakout season in only his second year. He’s flashing signs of greatness with his ability to rush the passer, his athleticism, versatility and run pursuit. Johnson is becoming a disciplined pass rusher and will likely challenge some veterans for playing time. According to one of his teammates, Johnson is developing into a playmaker that appears to always be around the ball.
Fans will have a lot to look forward to in training camp.
Carlos “Big C” Holmes covers the NFL for Cox Ohio Publishing.
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TweetEagles sign former Buckeye safety Coleman
Two days after losing starting free safety Marlin Jackson for the 2010 season, the Philadelphia Eagles sign seventh-round draft pick Kurt Coleman on Thursday. The former Ohio State safety signed a four-year contract that includes a $43K signing bonus.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Coleman played in 49 games (35 starts) at Ohio State, totaling 219 tackles, nine interceptions, five forced fumbles and three sacks for his career.
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