Category — Cincinnati Bengals

With fantasy owners and so-called experts scared to death of drafting Larry Johnson number two overall because he had 416 carries last season, consider that over the past three seasons no one in the NFL has had more carries than another Johnson: Rudi.

Over the past three seasons, Johnson (Rudi, that is) has averaged more than 346 carries and epitomized “workhorse back” in its truest sense. He’s accounted for more than 87 percent of the Bengal’s total carries and 85.5 percent of the yards.

And it doesn’t look like there will be a change in philosophy any time soon. Not that he’s bothered by that.

At one time it was “the greatest show in turf” in St. Louis. Since then the Colts have taken the crown, with such star talent as Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison, and Reggie Wayne.

But who is 2007’s best fantasy offense? Which offense drops jaws with its talent while tallying the scoreboard and boxscore with big numbers?

Though it is generally accepted each season that Peyton Manning will be the first quarterback drafted, there is some unsettled debate as to who should be taken second and thereafter.

The usual candidates return: Tom Brady, Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger, and Carson Palmer. But a new contender entered the fray last season, Drew Brees. His unprecedented 4418 yards, 26 touchdowns, and mere 11 interceptions gave him the nod as the second best producer at quarterback in 2006.

Fantasy owners, meet your top six fantasy quarterbacks for the 2007 season:

It’s been a while — by Cincinnati standards — since we’ve seen a Bengals’ player run into troubles with the law, but linebacker A.J. Nicholson is setting the team’s reputation low once again.

 

The Cincinnati Bengals have opted to release defensive tackle Sam Adams only 13 months after signing him. Adams, 33, is a solid run-stuffer and three-time Pro Bowl tackle, but the recent addition of Kenderick Allen seems to have pushed the team into the position of releasing him.

Adams finished with 25 tackles, two sacks, and a pass defensed, not a great season by any measure. But he is certain to be signed by another team looking to improve its defensive line and stuff the run.

The longest first round in NFL history is finally over — incidentally, this is the site’s longest blog — after a little more than 6 hours of draft and analysis. And now it’s your time to read about who teams drafted, who was passed on. This is your quick guide with links to the original reported story (top 10 picks only).

The Cincinnati Bengals have come to terms with a deal that will keep guard Stacy Andrews with the team for at least one more season.

Boston.com reports a deal that will send Cincinnati corner Tory James to New England for one season. The Patriots have been rumored to be seeking the veteran’s services for some time now. The Green Bay Packers were also rumored to be seeking James.

This deal effectively gives New England a durable starting defensive back (he’s started every game for the past four seasons), although his age is of some concern. However, being a 34 year old, it’s no surprise the Patriots didn’t want to sign him past one season. Expect Belichick to make the most of the veteran’s abilities, especially with Asante Samuel’s future in New England on the edge.

Full story at The Red Zone:

The NFL has suspended Adam “Pacman” Jones for all of the 2007 season and Chris Henry received an eight-game suspension — both for numerous violations of the NFL’s personal conduct policy.

“It is a privilege to represent the NFL, not a right,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement announcing the suspensions. “These players and all members of our league have to make the right choices and decisions in their conduct on a consistent basis.”

These are Goodell’s first two major suspensions and the beginning of what will be a firm and zero tolerance, though just, policy of punishment.

NFL defenses do not willfully give up yards. Ever. Fortunately, some defenses are worse than others, which is why teams can sometimes score at will.

As a fantasy owner, you should have a pretty good idea of which defenses are the weakest and which are the most overwhelming. The following is a list of all 32 defenses, in order of strength.