End of the Road

This past Saturday the Bengals cleaned house by releasing several big name veterans. Willie Anderson, Rudi Johnson, and Deltha O'Neal all hit the open market, with several of them already landing on their feet elsewhere. While it is tough to see some of the older, and most respected Bengals move on, the Bengals made the right moves in order to put themselves in a position to grow younger while saving money. Here's a look at some of the familiar names fans will no longer be seeing in orange and black:

1. Willie Anderson: RT: AGE 33: Willie Anderson will be remembered as the best right tackle in Cincinnati Bengals history. He provided tremendous leadership in the locker room, and he endured some of the most trying seasons any player can have to deal with. That being said, it was time for both parties here to part ways. Anderson has been hampered by injuries the past couple of seasons, and he had lost his starting job to Stacy Andrews. Anderson signed a five year $32 million contract extension prior to the 2006 season, and the Bengals could not afford to keep on the roster as a back-up at that cost. They approached Anderson about taking a pay-cut, and when he refused, he was released. Ultimately, the Bengals should have never given him that contract in the first place as he was 31 at the time and beginning to show signs of wear and tear, They could have attempted to sign him to three year extension which would have allowed them to avoid dealing with the extra two years he signed up for. Decisions like the Anderson extension along with the franchising of Justin Smith played a role in the Bengals inability to re-sign Eric Steinbach who would possibly be the best offensive lineman on the team right now.

2. Rudi Johnson: RB: 28: The release of Rudi Johnson was not as surprising as Anderson, but it was still significant as Johnson had been the workhorse here for several years. Just take a look at his numbers from 04-06:
ATT ATT/G YDS AVG. YDS/G TD LONG
06 341 21.3 1,309 3.8 81.8 12 22T
05 337 21.1 1,458 4.3 91.1 12 33
04 361 22.6 1,454 4.0 90.9 12 52

The man carried the ball a ton, and was as reliable as just about anyone in the league over this time span. Then, we saw a different Rudi in 2007. Johnson was hampered by hamstring injuries during that season, but even when he was healthy, he did not look like the same back. He ended the season only averaging 2.9 yards/carry and three touchdowns. It became clear this off season that Rudi was no longer the best running back on the team as Chris Perry showed everyone that he is healthy. Johnson has landed on his feet in Detroit where he will back up rookie Kevin Smith.

3. Deltha O'Neal: CB: 31: Deltha O'Neal was both surprising and disappointing to me because I believe that he might be the best man-to-man cover guy on the team when he is healthy and motivated. Granted, his attitude and motivation have plagued him wherever he has been throughout his career, but after watching David Jones and the rest of the Bengals back-up corners this preseason, there is no way that Deltha is not one of the top three corners on this team. After a Pro Bowl season in 2005, O'Neal has struggled the past two years, and there were always concerns over his focus and attention to detail. The possible deciding factor in this move might be the fact that O'Neal is virtually useless on special teams, and the Bengals will be looking for their third corner to give them some production in that area.

4. Ahmad Brooks: LB: 24: This was another surprising move in that the Bengals used a third round pick on Brooks when they selected him in the supplemental draft prior to the 2006 season. Brooks has had health issues, but when healthy he has shown the athletic ability and raw talent that few players at his position possess. Going back to his first start with the Bengals in 2006 against Tampa Bay, Brooks had 11 tackles (10 solo), and he demonstrated the sideline-to-sideline prowess the Bengals desperately needed from their linebackers. The rest of the year, Brooks fell more and more out of favor with the Bengals' coaches, and he saw his playing time dwindle. The main reason coming out of Bengals' camp was that Brooks was struggling to grasp the defensive concepts the team was putting forth. Still, the team had high hopes for Brooks entering the '07 campaign. Brooks showed off all of his abilities in the opener against the Ravens as he accounted for six tackles and a sack, and was consistently applying pressure via the blitz. A groin injury in week two sidelined Brooks for the rest of the season, and after a mediocre preseason in '08, the Bengals decided they had seen enough. At only 24, Brooks still has plenty of time to put together a strong career, and the 49ers agree as they signed him almost immediately following his release. Time will tell if the Bengals made the right move, or if they gave up too early on a naturally gifted individual.

While there were some surprises on cut-down day, the Bengals made moves in an effort to change the make-up of the roster. It certainly is refreshing to see players the Bengals cut being signed by other teams. In the past, ex-Bengals never would catch on with anyone else, and would essentially disappear from the face of the football world. This could be a sign that the depth and talent the Bengals are building is improving year after year. Either that, or it will turn out to be the same old Bengals not knowing how to make effective personnel decisions. Unfortunately, my money is on the latter.