Some may think running a website like WDR must be hard. Our stated goal is to point out why the Bengals have been the worst professional sports franchise in North America over the last two decades. The nature of the job is being negative, and contrary to popular opinion, the writers at WDR are actually not pessimists. This job (volunteer activity?) can be very easy some days. Today is one of those days.
The Cincinnati Bengals, a real professional NFL team, decided to move Jason Shirley to offensive guard. Remember, this is not high school football. This is the where the best 2000 or so (60 players, 32 teams) football players get paid lots of money to play the game. In my rough estimation, there are less than 300 offensive lineman and less than 275 defensive lineman in the NFL. A year ago, the Bengals and their scout (singular) decided that Jason Shirley had a good chance to be one of the best 300 defensive lineman in the world. At least I hope they did because they wasted a precious 5th round pick on him, despite Shirley being involved in an ongoing DUI trial. Today, the Bengals admitted that was a terrible decision and decided he could be one of the best 300 offensive linemen in football. More after the jump.
Does this make sense to you? Of course not. There is no way you could convince me switching a 5th round DT to guard, two weeks into training camp is a good idea. Shirley has spent the last 6 years of his football life learning how to play DT. He has spent the entire offseason learning the defensive playbook, and now they switch him to guard? Learning an NFL offensive playbook is not easy. Unless Bratkowski's playbook really is 6 pages (which WDR has always suspected), there is no way Shirley will help this football team win a game this year. Why didn't they know he sucked at DT 2 years ago? Why don't they just cut him and sign a real NFL guard? I really am just stunned. This is a move you pull with a 14 year old kid, not a professional football player.
Sometimes the Bengals do things that defy any justification and reason. This is one of them.
Even better is how Baghdad Hob is spinning this as a positive move:
"Offensive line coach Paul Alexander told him (Shirley) the story of right tackle Stacy Andrews which has a happy ending. The Bengals took Andrews in the fourth round of the 2004 draft even though he had played just 70 snaps of football. Andrews became the Bengals franchise free agent in 2008 before the Eagles paid him $7 million per year in free agency."
So a 'happy ending' for the bengals is 12 games as an overpaid starter (after 4 years as an overpaid project) before the guy leaves to play for somebody else? Perfect. They should just cut this guy now and save the money.
One scout. One winning season. One playoff appearance. One man in charge...one MORE wasted draft pick.
Posted by: sven | August 10, 2009 at 02:36 PM
Maybe it's to strike fear into the hearts of King Hippo and the Duke of Keels.
"If you don't sign our weak offer, we might have to shift Frostee Rucker to your tackle spot. Don't test us."
Way to play hardball, Mikey.
Posted by: Mockenrue | August 10, 2009 at 02:37 PM
It's not like he's starting. He'd be third string on either line. More depth on the DL this year and the OL needs help. He's played guard before. Since when does anyone consider a 5th rounder a "precious pick"? Other than when you get lucky and find a diamond in the rough, nobody.
This isn't that big of a deal...yet.
Posted by: g00tch | August 10, 2009 at 02:44 PM
-It's either the Backup Guard's aren't looking that good
-Their liking the other DT's more so rather then cut the guy out right their giving him a chance at guard
-maybe they still have interest in Shaun Smith
Posted by: Rele | August 10, 2009 at 02:44 PM
WHAT!?!? I can't believe the incredulity here! I mean, he's big! Duh, what else do you need in an O-lineman? I think we should try him out at TE if we're going to do that, hell we need a blocking tight end right? Maybe he can pllay in goal line situations as the third TE. This is classic, I love that the article quotes him as saying that he thinks he can adjust quickly enough to make the squad as an O-lineman, I'd be pissed if I were him.
Posted by: CurseofBoJackson | August 10, 2009 at 02:46 PM
Successful NFL teams use every draft pick to provide valuable depth and manage to find "diamonds in the rough" more frequently than the Bengals. Moving a DT to Oline is so cheap and lazy. There is no way a D lineman, who has not played O line in years (no mention of him playing in College) is just a way to have a body practice instead of signing an actual offensive lineman. The Bengals either dont have enough scouts to know who the good out of work O lineman are, or they are too cheap to sign one. This move is unable to be justified. If the Bengals thought Shirley would make a good o lineman, why didnt they do it after last season? Why did they have him playing D line during all the OTAs and the first two weeks of training camp. There is no way to spin this.
Posted by: LeeRoy Jenkins | August 10, 2009 at 02:49 PM
This was done in 1990 or 1991 with Bob Dahl a lineman from Notre Dame, he made the same switch. He did not make the Hall of Fame or the team, maybe one season not sure. I think he ended up a Redskin for a few. The only other Pro team to this is the Pittsbugh Pirates. They draft pitchers in the First round and then switch them to catchers. As you can see great teams think alike.
Posted by: Ejm1 | August 10, 2009 at 04:36 PM
For you guys hating seriously....
3 Interior Oline are Injured,More then likely he was losing the battle as 4th DT so they figure why not give him a chance at guard where we need a body for practices vs DT were we know he won't make it.
Posted by: Clown | August 10, 2009 at 04:58 PM
Clown - If you need a guard, sign a guard. If Jason Shirley is better than every possible free agent guard out there....he should have been a guard 2 years ago. Real NFL teams, with scouts, do not do these sorts of things.
Posted by: LeeRoy Jenkins | August 10, 2009 at 05:01 PM
That is why he signed on here as Clown. He thinks like MFB and ML! Gootch, you sound like MFB. You stick to your rebuilding plan through the draft and then you have no hindsight of depth on the OL because you cut 2 of them and let one walk so then you revert to making a DL a Guard in the NFL overnight? Wake Up! Any other owner would find a guard and sign one. MFB has the CAP space, but he wants to pocket it all again and so he can pay out his GM bonus. Nothing amazes me with this Front Office or team anymore and Bobbie Williams even said the same thing. LOL
"It never ceases to amaze me coming to work," Williams said.
Posted by: TigerJ@w | August 10, 2009 at 05:37 PM
anyone want to bet that Simpson will now be moved to CB since we have no depth there and he is not panning out as a WR? J/K of course, but don't put it past ML or MFB. Their NFL brilliant minds always amaze us. Draft and scout a guy for the DL and turn him into an OL. Man, what a story this could be. Idiots!
Posted by: TigerJ@w | August 10, 2009 at 05:50 PM
Yes, this indeed is a head-scratcher. However, it's not as uncommon as you think. Mike Vrabel lined up quite often at TE on goal line situations for NE, Devin Hester moved from CB to WR, other D-Lineman have moved to FB temporarily (including Domata Peko). The plus side with this, is that where Shirley may not have made the team at DT, he may make it on O-Line due to injuries and a lack of depth--provided Shirley can play Guard at all.
There's one glaring problem with this: the Bengals don't have the luxury of moving guys around and taking on "project players" anymore. They don't have time to devote to these types of players--they need contributors now. They've tried and failed miserably at taking these types of things on. Stacy Andrews, Matthias Askew, Jerome Simpson, Ahmad Brooks, and David Pollack among others were all failed experiments. it even irritates me that Whitworth, Maualuga, Michael Johnson, Anthony Collins have played musical chairs. Bring guys in that play a specific position and keep them at their natural spot--that's how you build depth and ensure the maximum contribution from your players.
Posted by: TheCarlPickensClause | August 10, 2009 at 07:11 PM
This reminds me of the time when they moved Levi Jones from locker room janitor to starting offensive tackle. That didn't work so well either.
Posted by: Rich | August 10, 2009 at 08:23 PM
He's camp fodder. They need a body to fill a spot until camp is over. He'll be on the practice squad until the injuries start rolling in and then he'll be a starter. God, what did I do to deserve being a Bengals fan?
Posted by: Comrad Funk | August 10, 2009 at 08:38 PM
I understand he's camp fodder but do we need to draft camp fodder and keep him for just that reason?? I will be camp fodder and it will save the team draft picks. I really hope the war room on draft day does'nt look at the draft board from the 4th round on and say who is good fodder.
Posted by: Ejm1 | August 10, 2009 at 09:04 PM
I am now a bigger fan of the SCLSU Muddogs, coach klein, and ba ba ba bobby boucher. Go Waterboy!
I think we should have a contest for the best "block'n fuel" for Jason shirley cause well apparently, his "tackl'n fuel" wasn't working.
Besides coach alexander told him we gave stacey andrews block'n fuel and look at him he left the minor leagues to go to a real pro team only a couple years later.
Block'n fuel
Posted by: kotw65 | August 10, 2009 at 10:58 PM
The last time Jason Shirley was this out of place was when he drove his car into some girl's bedroom.
Posted by: Showtime | August 10, 2009 at 11:52 PM
While the fact that Shirley was drafted in the 5th round might change things, this kind of activity is quite common in the NFL. The Baltimore Ravens once drafted a DT out of Alabama in the 4th round and he is now their starting Outside Linebacker Jarret Johnston. They have had a Defensive End named Edgar Jones that they moved to TE last year. And of course, Shannon Sharpe was a WR in college and originally drafted as a WR that moved to TE in the pros and will probably one day make the Hall of Fame.
Perhaps the Bengals reputation can cause you to have doubts about this move, but the move is not an uncommon one.
Posted by: A Ravens Fan | August 11, 2009 at 02:37 AM
Again i must point out that instead of just complaining to complain learn about football first. Ok here is my problems with your rant.
You act like the Bengals are the only team to do this, the Chargers (with a full staff of scouts mind you) converted an undrafted Kris Deilman from DT to Guard and now he is one of their key starters. But I'm sure you'll tell me that a good team can pull this off but the Bengals can't.
You claim the Bengals should have signed a 3rd string guard?? Ask any NFL executive and they'll tell you Training camp is about cutting your roster down to get your 2nd, 3rd strings etc not about going out and signing them. This also isn't a cheap move, they could have cut Shirley and gone with a CFA or someone from their pratice squad for cheaper.
Lastly this wasn't just a quick decision, they had him practice at guard with the scout team most of last year.
Posted by: Factcorrecter | August 11, 2009 at 08:46 AM
Quote from John Thornton (who, despite what you may think of his play, is still in a better position to judge than any of us schlubs are):
"He was going to have a hard time making the team as a DT this year. He helped out on OL during practice last year and looked GOOD. It may work."
Look it up if you need to: http://www.allproblogger.com/2009/08/10/andre-smith-in-tough-spot/
I'm not saying it's a lock to work, but I'm not going to say yet that it can't. Stranger things have happened.
Posted by: Major Payne | August 11, 2009 at 09:44 AM
Why take a chance and draft him it all if he can't play DT. The DUI must have been to much for Mikey to resist.
Posted by: Ejm1 | August 11, 2009 at 11:21 AM
We won't know for some time whether Shirley's move to guard is anything more than moving a body where one is needed, but he must have a better chance as an offensive lineman than a defensive lineman, else why make the move? Mind you, he may not have much of a chance there either. What it does indicate is that there is little reason to believe what we read on Bengals.com, especially out of the mouth of ML. Here is an excerpt from a Baghdad Hobs propaganda piece posted on Bengals.com (http://www.bengals.com/news/article-1/lewis-not-kid-ding-/e0d92d2e-3c90-44c9-9c21-e552d2b0900c) this past January 28:
Fifth-rounder Jason Shirley, the monstrous 340-pound defensive tackle, got more ink for his legal problems back in Frenso, Calif., than he did for anything he did on the field. His DUI was resolved late in a season he played in just three games and Lewis says his problems are behind him. Shirley had a knock in college for lacking intensity, but Lewis likes how he's responded to the tough love of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer and line coach Jay Hayes.
"Not as much as maybe we had hoped to get, but I think now (he) understands what NFL football is," Lewis said. "The light is on. Because he wants to be good. Mike Zimmer and Jay climbed up his butt (every practice), so he understands what's ahead for him. He has to have a great offseason. You know what? Maybe we hit a home-run there. That would be big."
It now looks like what Marvin was pitching to "Bengaldumb" as a potential "home-run" ends up being more of a sacrifice.
Posted by: BrownOut | August 11, 2009 at 10:41 PM
Sweet post David, you make a tremendous point about loving the job you do. It's amazing how much better you work and how much more creative your thinking gets when you're really engaged. Hope to read more great blogs like this!
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