Dashon Goldson In Bengals Strips???

I'm sure everybody has heard the story of the Dashon Goldson on XM radio yesterday expressing his interest in coming to CincinnatI. If you have not heard Goldson Said “I like those guys down there. I went to school with Reggie Nelson, played with Nate Clements, I was here with Taylor Mays and Manny Lawson so I’m familiar with some of those guys and how they play. They’ve got a good football team down there. They’re on track and they’ve got a good quarterback and receivers. I will have to consider all my options and we’ll have to see whose interested in me.” I can find many fans whose against this, I think we all know that he'll be a great fit here, filling a spot that's not only a need but that we also have struggled to get consistency from. he's also Marvin Lewis type of Safety, you ever wonder why Taylor Mays is still here? It's because of his size and physical abilities, Goldson not only have the sizes and the same physical capabilities but also can cover, Something thing Taylor can't do. It's rumored that Goldson will expect at least 8,000,000 per year. What a lot of people missed, was he expressed a lot of interest in returning to San Francisco, Goldson called the place home and said he really hopes something works out. So how likely are we to land him? First things first we gotta figure out if he's going back, if that doesn't happen, I think it is almost a certainty that he will be here. He's worth that dollar amount, he's a huge upgrade, and fits in perfectly with are young defense. Ironically he shares agents with another guy we will be making a decision on, Andre Smith.

Andre Smith Wants $9M Per.

Cincinnati Bengals right tackle Andre Smith is looking for $9 million per year on the open market, ProFootballTalk reported. The Cincinnati Enquirer's Joe Reedy talked to agents and contract advisers at the NFL Scouting Combine and feels Smith will command a deal in the $8.5 to $9.5 million per year range. At just 26 years old, Smith will get it. The Bengals used the franchise tag on defensive end Michael Johnson and have the most cap room in the league ($55.5 million). The team has invested in the offensive line with Pro Bowl left tackle Andrew Whitworth and center Kyle Cook locked down. Smith would provide stability amongst the group for years to come. It'll cost the Bengals to keep Smith, but it's normally wise to invest in a young talented tackle. Especially with a young offensive corps led quarterback Andy Dalton and wide receiver A.J. Green. My personal opinion is it would be a waste of money for the Bengals to sign this guy long term, it will be a bigger mistake then the decision to take him 6th overall. Andre Smith is a guy who plays when he want to and that's a guy you don't want on your football team. He came into the league as damage goods, we were only able to get 5 games out of him in 2 years, then his club option was declined, he woke up and realize that he was in a contract year and decide to play quality football. I think the Bengals need to let this guy go, and sign a new Tackle or even draft one. You sign him long term and I'm willing to bet a year's salary, that the injuries will all of a sudden re-appear and you will see him more outside the lines then you will on the field. Without him where do we go??? The draft class at tackle is deep and a guy like D.J. Fluker or Lane Johnson should be available when the Bengals go on the clock at No. 21. Most people I talk to wants the Bengals to bring Smith back, and I think it based of the, "What have you done for me lately?" theory, but this is a case where I think it will bite us in the back side. I understand we have other needs and don't necessarily need to add another one, but with four picks in the first three rounds it wouldn't be the worst thing. This draft is not the deepest, as far as 1st round talent goes, in the positions we need (safety, linebacker, running back). I think at pick 21 trying to fill any of these needs will be stretching for a player, which is why my initial feeling was for them to trade back and add a rd 2 or 3 draft pick to the pot, but with the uncertainty on rather we will sign this dude back changes that a little bit. What I hope the Bengals can do is bring in one the big name free agents thats available, with all the cap space we have, I don't mind them spending money on a quality free agent that you know what your going to get every Sunday. Guys like a Jake Long, Branden Albert of the Kansas City Chiefs may also become a free agent if the two sides can't come to terms. Albert was a first round pick in 2008 and has played very well, certainly well enough to draw multiple suitors and ultimately a large contract. Long, who may earn somewhere in the $12 million per year range is The former No. 1 overall pick, he has been a stud his entire career, perhaps the best left tackle in football along with Rival Joe Thomas of the Cleveland Browns. Cincinnati we have a great opportunity to be really good for a long time, we have some pieces that need to be replace and with the most money to spend at 54mil, letting guys like this walk shouldn't be an issue, I believe Andre and his agent knows they won't be able to get this much money per yr from anyone, they set this high amount hoping to settle for 5 or 6mil per, and I personally feel that's too much as well. According to SI's Peter King, several NFL teams are afraid of paying Smith a big signing bonus: "I think Cincinnati tackle Andre Smith should come with a warning label. Something like, "Huge money is hazardous to this player's greatness." Talked to several teams scared of Smith. They remember his weight problems early in his Cincinnati tenure, and they fear what a big signing bonus would do to his desire."- Peter King The way I see this playing out is Smith having a rude financial awakening, the Bengals declined that options for good reasons, a guy who struggled staying on the field his first year, a guy who can't control his weight, which made the Bengals clause his rookie deal, and not to mention the arrest back in January for bring a gun to an airport. Andre Smith is probably the biggest gamble this off season and the Bengals know that and it's a gamble I don't see them taking even though they have the most money to spend.

Diversity In NFL Leadership Positions, Or The Lack There Of

I was tuning into the latest episode of Bryant Gumbel, when his infamous commentary lead me to speak about an issue that is unseen, and UN-discussed in a business that is literally bigger than life, that is the NFL. That issue being the job opportunities that are given to men of color. The league is 68% black on the rosters, but we're talking about beyond the rosters today. This off-season there was 15 job vacancies in the NFL just in the ranks of head coaches and general managers, not one was filled by a man or woman of color. Many blow it off as if it's not really a big deal, but sitting before you as someone who has future ambitions to become a coach on the highest level one day, it's a HUGE deal. This isn't a problem that just came about in the NFL, it's an on going issue that really has no sign of turning around or getting better. The NFL league office is not in the dark about the situation, they are actually very aware.In the wake of no minority hirings to fill eight head coaching and seven general management vacancies following the conclusion of the 2012 NFL regular season, NFL Executive Vice president of Human Resources Robert Gulliver stated, "While there has been full compliance with the interview requirements of the Rooney Rule and we wish the new head coaches and general managers much success, the hiring results this year have been unexpected and reflect a disappointing lack of diversity. The true question is do they care? Commissioner Roger Goodell has been asked about this on numerous occasions. Most recently he stated how sorry and disappointed he is about the results of the most recent 15 hires, but is an apology enough? They have made an effort to change thing by implementing what we know as the Rooney rule.The rule for which was established to ensure that minority coaches, especially African Americans, were considered for high-level coaching positions. But has it work? Has it had an impact? Since the Rooney Rule was established in 2003, several NFL franchises have hired African American head coaches, at the start of 2006 season, the overall percentage of African American coaches had jumped to 22%, up from 6% prior to the Rooney Rule. However, that number and percentage has declined each of the last 3 years which lead many to believe and ask, Is the Rooney rule broken? Coach Tony Dungy said about the topic, "I know the concept is good and something we need to do, Obviously, it's not working the way it should." Herm Edwards, former coach of the New York Jets and Kansas City Chiefs and now an ESPN analyst, has called for not only revising the rule but perhaps even changing its name. "When you use the Rooney Rule and not correctly, you put a little bit of a bad mark on Mr. Rooney's name, and that is not good," Edwards said. "If it keeps going this way, we might need to take his name off the rule. It is not being used in the right manner that Mr. Rooney meant it to be." In the last three years, there has been 21 Job vacancy's none filled by people of color, so obviously regardless of race the owner are making the wrong decisions anyways. When we take all the factual information into hand, it makes you wonder what needs to be done, and what could be done to fix this problem. It's pretty clear that the rule needs to be tweak or revamped somehow. The Rooney Rule requires National Football League teams to interview minority candidates for head coaching and senior football operation jobs, keyword being INTERVIEW. I don't think we can make it to where we tell these owner who they must hire to operate in their business, but many wonder if they only interview the candidate just to follow the rule, that I can't answer but I know this, the NFL better do something about it and soon, because your starting to hear the whispers of legal actions being taken, and from the outside looking in that is a battle and a war the NFL has not a fighting chance in!