Bengals tidbits

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

7/14/06

Bengals take chance on another player with troubled past

Cincinnati selects Brooks in the third round of the supplemental draft.

By Chick Ludwig
Staff Writer

CINCINNATI | The Cincinnati Bengals added another talented but troubled player to their roster on Thursday when they selected former University of Virginia middle linebacker Ahmad Brooks in the third round of the NFL Supplemental Draft.
Brooks, whose talent has been compared to NFL stars Ray Lewis and LaVar Arrington, originally planned to return to Virginia for his senior season this fall after right knee surgery in March 2005 limited him to six games and 27 tackles last season.
But he declared eligibility for the supplemental draft after being kicked off the Cavaliers roster in the spring for reportedly failing a drug test.
The selection of Brooks means the Bengals must give up their third-round selection in the 2007 NFL Draft.
Todd McShay of Scouts Inc. called the 6-foot-3 260-pounder "arguably the most sought after prospect to take the supplemental draft route since Brian Bosworth (Seahawks, 1987)."
NFL.com senior analyst Gil Brandt reported that Brooks lost 32 pounds and passed five drug tests in the 10 weeks leading up to his June 22 Pro Day at Virginia, where he worked out for representatives of 31 NFL teams. The only team not in attendance was the Minnesota Vikings.
"I've known Ahmad since he was in high school," said Bengals linebackers coach Ricky Hunley, who conducted Brooks' Pro Day workout, "and there's no denying he has behaved through much of his career as a very immature individual.
"But I believe he's a young man who can learn to do things the right way, and he has exceptional talent as a player. He'll get the chance to show he can use that talent to help our team. What he does with it is up to him in the end."
Brooks, who was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession in Prince William County, Va., in 2003, joins three other Bengals who are fighting character issues.
• Wide receiver Chris Henry has been arrested four times since December. He's scheduled for trial on a weapons charge in Orlando, Fla., in August.
• Linebacker A.J. Nicholson was charged in June with burglarizing the apartment of a former Florida State teammate.
• Defensive end Frostee Rucker was charged in June with battery of a woman he was dating while at Southern California.
Brooks, named National Defensive Player of the Year by USA Today coming out of C.D. Hylton High School in Woodbridge, Va., totaled 234 tackles, 13 sacks, 31 quarterback pressures and 21 tackles for loss in three years (2003-05) at Virginia.
He led the Cavaliers in tackles as a freshman in 2003 with a career-high 113, along with four sacks, then earned first-team All-America honors from The Sporting News as a sophomore in 2004 with 90 tackles, including eight sacks, plus two interceptions.
Brooks' father, Perry Brooks, played 92 games as a defensive tackle for the Washington Redskins from 1978-84.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com.



Ahmad Brooks File
• Selected: By the Cincinnati Bengals in the third round of the NFL Supplemental Draft on Thursday.
• Position: Middle linebacker.
• College: Virginia.
• Ht./Wt.: 6-foot-3, 260 pounds.
• Highlights: Totaled 234 tackles, 13 sacks, 31 quarterback pressures and 21 tackles for loss in three years at Virginia (2003-05) before his dismissal from the squad for reportedly failing a drug test.
• Personal: His father, Perry Brooks, played DT for the Washington Redskins from 1978-84.
• Quote: "No question he's the most talented player I've ever seen or been around. He just does remarkable things." — Former University of Virginia defensive coordinator Al Golden.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

7/14/06

The Audible
No way does Rudi Johnson deserve 'overrated' label

By Chick Ludwig
Staff Writer

I couldn't agree — or disagree — more with Pete Prisco's breakdown of the Cincinnati Bengals' most underrated and overrated players.
The CBS SportsLine.com senior writer cites wide receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh as the most underrated, a tag that rings true. But the labeling of tailback Rudi Johnson as the most overrated is a sin.
Prisco said Houshmandzadeh "doesn't have blazing speed, but knows how to get open. He had 78 catches and seven TD receptions in 2005. Not bad for a guy who scouts wondered if he could play in the league."
Houshmandzadeh, a seventh-round pick in 2001, battled hamstring injuries in '01 and '03 only to blossom with back-to-back seasons of 978 and 956 yards. Now he's entrenched as the club's No. 2 receiver opposite Chad Johnson.
As for "Rudi J," all he did in 2005 was rush 337 times for a club-record 1,458 yards ... on one good leg. He played the entire season with torn knee cartilage, resting and rehabbing on Wednesdays, but never missing a game.
"Rudi Johnson is a decent back," Prisco said, "but he doesn't have the big-play speed. It's clear that backup Chris Perry brings more to the offense when he's in the game. Look for him to get more time this season."
The problem is that Perry can't stay healthy. Meanwhile, Rudi has the durability of a sledgehammer.
My vote for most overrated: Outside linebacker David Pollack. He's talented, but unproven.

[Bucky Katt]

Boy, what a motley crew of linebackers: Thurman, Nicholson, and Brooks. Outstanding.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

7/15/06

NFL BENGALS
Brown concerned with off-field misconduct of several players

Saturday, July 15, 2006

Bill Rabinowitz
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

<!--PHOTOS--><TABLE class=phototableright align=right border=0><!-- begin large ad code --><TBODY><TR><TD><TABLE align=center><TBODY><TR><TD align=middle></IMG> </TD></TR><TR><TD class=credit width=200>STEPHANIE KLEIN - DAVIS THE ROANOKE ( VA . ) TIMES </TD></TR><TR><TD class=cutline width=200>Bengals draftee Ahmad Brooks was dismissed from Virginia’s team in March. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


The feel-good 2005 season seems like a long time ago for the Cincinnati Bengals, overshadowed by a spate of off-the-field issues involving their players.
For a team that waited 15 years to return to the playoffs, the off-season has been a tough one to endure. But the Bengals kept mostly silent on the parade of policeblotter incidents, adhering to the team’s policy that it doesn’t talk about pending legal matters.
With NFL observers around the country scratching their heads about the Bengals’ problems, team president Mike Brown decided yesterday that he couldn’t stay quiet any longer.
"We want our fans to know that we share their concerns regarding the recent off-field conduct of several Bengals players," Brown said in a statement.
"We expect our players to be good citizens, as most are, and we hold them accountable for their conduct under team and league rules.
"We are closely monitoring these matters. All are currently pending and they will be addressed in accordance with the NFL collective-bargaining agreement, including possible disciplinary action."
The Bengals are facing the loss of second-year middle linebacker Odell Thurman to a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy. Receiver Chris Henry has been arrested four times in eight months. Rookies A.J. Nicholson and Frostee Rucker also are facing legal problems.
With so many character questions swirling around the Bengals, many were surprised when they picked Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks in the third round of Thursday’s supplemental draft. Virginia coach Al Groh dismissed Brooks from the team for undisclosed reasons in March.
"Regarding this week’s selection of Ahmad Brooks in the supplemental draft, we are aware of no pending allegations of any kind against Ahmad," Brown said. "The club’s judgment is that any past transgressions were insufficient to deny him an opportunity to prove himself as a responsible NFL player."
Training camp begins July 29 in Georgetown, Ky.
brabinowitz@dispatch.com

[BuckWrestler141]

Originally Posted by Bucky Katt

Boy, what a motley crew of linebackers: Thurman, Nicholson, and Brooks. Outstanding.

Wow, has there ever been a team with a worse group of players all at the same position? Should make for some interesting police/legal entries.

You have to feel bad for the linebacker coach.

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

7/18/06

BENGALS
Bengals waive rookie cornerback Rideaux

By the Dayton Daily News

CINCINNATI | The Bengals waived rookie cornerback DeMarcus Rideaux of Mayville (N.D.) State on Monday. Rideaux had signed with Cincinnati as a college free agent May 15.