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Bad draft day decisions could spell disaster for Bengals defense in 2008 and for a long time to come In order for the Bengals to compete this season and really make a run at the playoffs, Bengals Management and Coaches are going to have to come up big in the draft. The Bengals 2008 draft may be one of the most important drafts the teams has had in years. The Bengals have a lot of needs going into the 2008 draft. They key to the draft will be finding players that can have an immediate impact on the team especially on the defensive side of the ball. The Bengals have to focus on needs and not the best available talent. This has been hard for the Bengals in the past. How many times in the past (pre-Marvin era) were the Bengals in desperate need of one key position, but instead of fulfilling that need they decided to go with the best available talent in the first round? The Bengals need to focus on defense. With the loss of Madeui Williams, Justin Smith, and Landon Johnson the Bengals bad defense has just gotten worse. Bengals fans, before you hit the panic button just yet, there is some light at the end of the Bengals dark defensive tunnel.
Justin Smith had two and a half sacks last year. Shayne Graham could have had two sack last year playing defensive end, and that is not bang on Shayne Graham. Smith’s production was below what it had been in the past which was low to begin with. Most experts feel the 49ers drastically over paid him to go to San Francisco. This is a guy who had a great motor, and who was actually way overpaid for a long time based on what he did for the Bengals defense. Madeui Williams to the Viking for $34 million, eeeek? Let’s face it; Madeui was productive for the Bengals, but $34 million? Not until he proves he has gotten over his shoulder issues. Madeui has never been the same since his shoulder injury. I spoke to some former Bengals who know a thing or two about the defensive side of the ball, and they felt the Vikings had indeed overpaid for Madeui’s services. Last but not least, Landon Johnson. This is the one who got away that might come back to really hurt the Bengals. Only time will tell. The Bengals have made some moves to replace the talent they lost, but they are by no mean out of the woods yet. They have to pull off a strong draft to really insure any kind of defensive success this season and for a long time to come. This is a make or break draft for the Bengals and their defense. We all know what they say; you win Super Bowls with defense. The Bengals need to stick to the game plan of fulfilling pressing needs and not going after the best available talent. They need to draft on the defensive side of the ball. They are in a good spot in the draft, and with the extra picks they have, they just might be able to do some positioning to either move up or even pick up more picks along the way. Talk of Chad Johnson being traded is just that talk. I have a hard time believing the Bengals would trade Chad juts for the simple fact that an $8 million dollar cap hit is not something they want to consider, and that is what it will cost to trade Chad. With that being said, keep an eye on the Bengals this draft. I think they might have a few moves left in them. Only time will tell. I guess we will all know come April.
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