This is What We're Dealing With

From the latest edition of "Ask Baghdad Hob to confirm your homer thoughts or let him tell you that you're wrong for thinking anything negative about Mike Brown and his Bengals," Tim S. of Missoula, MT writes:

Can you expand on the Jason Shirley switch from defensive tackle to guard? I was really looking forward to seeing him clog the middle and become the next Haynesworth. Does this have anything to do with the plethora of DTs we have accumulated and the Bengals wanting to keep a big man in house? Or do they see him developing into the next Bobbie Williams?

Yes, Baghdad, please expand.  After all, when this guy got drafted, he was one of those "first round talents" who slipped into the fifth round because of character concerns.  Is it possible, just maybe, that he slipped all the way into the fifth round because he was a fifth round talent who was considered undraftable by half of the league?

Also, Tim S. sure looks like a glass 10%-full kind of guy.  Really, you thought that the fifth round DT we drafted last year that played in three games was close to evolving into an All-Pro player?  And then, instead of wondering if Shirley is switching just because he sucks, he suggests that he's only moving because the team is so deep. 

Let's jump into the mind of Missoula's #1 Bengals fan:  WHAT??!?!  SHIRLEY MOVING TO GUARD???  Well spank me three times and call me a jumpin' frog.  He was going to be the next Haynesworth?  Well, guess I have to cancel my hotel reservations for August 5th, 2026 in Canton.  Why would they do this?  I thought Hobson said he had a ton of talent?  Oh, I know!  He switched because we're so deep at defensive tackle!  YEEEEEEEHAWWWW!!  Now he's going to be a Pro Bowl guard!!!  He's so big!!  Maybe I won't have to cancel that hotel reservation after all!!"

Let's now check out how Hobson reassures Tim that all is well:

My gut is that your first take is right. They've got too many young defensive tackles they think can play. As we've said, they really like Clinton McDonald, the seventh-rounder from Memphis. They also like the Cincinnati kid from Central State via Taft High, Pernell Phillips, a guy to watch for the practice squad.

That's right Tim, Shirley was just moved because they have too many young DTs that they think can play.  Not because he wasn't any good, mind you.  He's still a first round talent.  It's just that these diamonds in the rough are EVEN BETTER!

Comments

[Factcorrecter]

Wow people on here really surprise me with their great "insights" that just prove time and time again that though they love to complain about football they really don't know much about it. The Bengals didn't claim that Shirley was a first round talent when he was drafted, that's just your own Mel Kiper infused diatribe. Who cares if the Bengals are trying to see if he can play OL before they just kick him to the curb. This happens all the time in the NFL, how many college QB's do you see become WR and TE's a ton. Hell like i said last post San Diego turned an undrafted DT into a starting OL.
I'm amazed that with all the amno that this site claims to have in all of MB stupid decision you guys are harping on what is actually a sound reasonable one. This is training camp and the first real cuts haven't even been made yet. If this happend Sept 10 then yes it would smell of cheapness and desperation but last I checked today wasn't September 10.

[whymikeywhy]

Factcorrector:

Quick response: first of all, you've missed the point of the post. The point wasn't only to criticize the Bengals' move here (although that obviously was part of it). It was also to show how hard WDR's fight is when there are Bengals homers that foolish. Whether or not you agree with the post completely, are you saying you think that that homer has a better understanding of what's going on then Showtime? Please....

And I'm not going to take the time to dig up a link, but I'm pretty sure Hobson (if not others, too) insinuated (or flat-out said) last year that Shirley would have been drafted much earlier had it not been for the character issues. I don't know if he specified what round, but it came up. Maybe someone else can find a link. Either way, Hobson and others justified the Shirley pick by saying he was a great talent who just made some mistakes, and the Bengals were willing to give him a chance. If they're really ready to "kick him to the curb," as you put it, then that suggests they were seriously mistaken about his talent.

[Competitiveness]

It's completely different with San Diego. The Chargers have (and had) talent, and especially depth. The Bengals really don't in many areas at this point, and for an organization that doesn't, wasting even a 5th-round pick is nothing but a large failure. I consider a guy moving to a new side of the ball a waste until he shows something. San Diego, New England, Indy, NY Giants, etc. are the teams that can pull this off

[kotw65]

I have a friend who's brother is a NFL scout. He said that after the draft takes place he calls around to different teams to recap and see who and where teams had players rated.

He says other than obvious 1st round picks the bengals always seem to have players rated 2 to 3 rounda sooner than most other teams consequently, they take on projects like jerome simpson all the talent in the world but not ready for prime time.

All of this goes back to scouting, getting to know the players, getting to know the coaches. When a steelets scout visits the college coaches they are respected and given the proper information.

[Factcorrecter]

And other teams would never lie about where they have a player ranked even after the draft...never lol. If Bengals get panned in the press for picking someone like Simpson do you really think some scout for the Steelers is going to tell anyone especially another teams scout "no the Bengals got it right" I doubt that. LOL