John Grieshop - Getty Images
5 months ago: CINCINNATI, OH - JANUARY 01: Jerome Simpson #89 of the Cincinnati Bengals avoids the tackle of Cary Williams #29 of the Baltimore Ravens during their game at Paul Brown Stadium on January 1, 2012 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Ravens defeated the Bengals 24-16. (Photo by John Grieshop/Getty Images)
Here is part two of our round table from Friday, one day before the Bengals take on the Texans in Houston in the first round of the playoffs. Joe Goodberry, Jason Garrison and I discussed Jerome Simpson's role in the upcoming game as well as his future with the team, and we also talked about the Bengals chances of beating the Patriots if they defeat the Texans. All questions were asked by Jason.
Without further ado.
With Johnathan Joseph sure to be on A.J. Green with a little help, how important do you consider Jerome Simpson's performance in this game?
Josh Kirkendall: Important, but we'll survive without him as long as Jermaine Gresham is active in the game plan. But I've given up on hoping for Benson to step up.
Jason Garrison: Okay, Josh. Since that's your answer, you think that Simpson will be on the roster in 2012?
Josh: Unlikely. Federal investigation is still pending and I think they could look at free agency and/or the draft to help find a replacement. Need someone dependable, clutch and consistent. Simpson can make jaw-dropping plays no doubt, but he's hardly dependable or consistent.
Joe Goodberry: Let's face it. If the Texans have an obvious weakness on defense its at No. 2 CB. Simpson's role could be huge.
Josh: True. But Simpson is all about potential and what he "could" become since he came into the league in 2008.
Jason: Yeah, his potential isn't helping the Bengals win games. I would be shocked if the Bengals re-signed him and if they do, I would think he wouldn't be the No. 2 receiver anymore. Still, it would be nice if he stepped up in this game.
Josh: More importantly, it would be nice if he stepped up when the team needed him to. Clutch third down conversions, etc...
Jason: To me, Simpson seems to be one of the least clutch guys on the team unfortunately.
Josh: Check this out. Jerome Simpson has three games with 100 yards receiving (Bengals are 1-2 in those games). What's worse is that Simpson has only four games of 50 yards receiving or more and that includes his three 100-yard performances.
Jason: That's sad. I have to say that the Jerome Simpson experiment as a No. 2 receiver has failed.
Joe: I'd re-sign Simpson for the right deal. Incentive type of deal.
Josh: That's fine, but I wouldn't give him the No. 2 job. He'd be behind Jordan Shipley at the very most.
Joe: Right. No. 4 WR with outside skills. They have Shipley, Whalen & Hawkins who can play the slot. This team is in desperate need of outside wide receivers.
Jason: And I think they'll get a new No. 2 receiver in the draft or in free agency.
Josh: So you sign him the "right deal", and keep the guy that catches less than 50% of the passes, only gained 50 yards or more in four games. I go back to my original answer. No. The team shouldn't resign him because his "potential" and what "could be" is four years old now and at some point they have to move on to something else that works.
Joe: Look at the Saints. Marques Colston, Robert Meachem, Lance Moore and Devery Henderson are call contributing wide receivers. Bengals need to sign a free agent and draft one. I'm not saying "Sign him based on potential". I'm saying we know what Simpson is. He can play in the NFL and help a team but he's not a starter.
Josh: I kind of wish we would have seen this offense with Shipley.
Jason: Me too. Hopefully he's back to 100 percent by the 2012 season. I don't see a reason why he wouldn't be.
If.... not if.... When the Bengals win this weekend, what chances to do give them to get to the AFC Championship game if they have to go through the Patriots?
Joe: A lot would depend on how they look in the win over the Texans.
Josh: My initial reaction was, not good. But then you think about it, what's the one thing that generally gets the Patriots into trouble? The opposing defense's pass rush. New England has an average rushing offense, hardly the threat of what we've seen already. And they have a very leaky defense. I'm not sure about the team's chances overall, but I don't think it's going to be a push-over game either. Bengals would make it competitive.
Jason: I completely agree. In the end the Bengals' weakness on defense is their secondary and covering tight ends. Rob Gronkowski is one of the best in the league as is Tom Brady. I don't know if the Bengals could score enough points to win the game but I think that they would give a lot of Patriots fans heart attacks before the game is over.
Joe: I'd take that. A few heart attacks and a confidence boost heading into the offseason.
Josh: Patriots tight ends would give the Bengals a lot of trouble. But if there was a game that the Bengals offense could actually flourish beyond stagnant, it would be that game.
Jason: Yeah I agree with that. The Patriots' defense, especially their pass defense, has been bad all year long and I would love to see what A.J. Green could do against them.
Josh: Maybe that could be the game where Jerome Simpson remembers he's a wide receiver and not a stone golem protecting the treasure on candy-ass mountain.
Jason: Hopefully that game is also played at night because he could turn to stone. Or am I thinking of Trolls?
Josh: Or Dennis Roland.
Joe: "Number 74 has reported eligible"
Josh: You should see how agile Hobbits get when officials make the call.
Jason: I saw Dennis Roland once. He was dragging a giant club and was just walking back and forth beneath the Brent-Spence Bridge.
0 recs | 31 comments
There are two things the Bengals can do to erase all good will gets earned this year
Re-sign Simpson and re-sign Benson. Should be simple mathematics this offseason. SO MANY options to upgrade the RB and #2 wideout position between free agency and the draft. Any attempt they make to bring in fresh talent at those spots will be welcomed by me. Throw in a free agency guard pickup and hopefully another in the draft and I’ll be ecstatic.
eric nyc - January 6, 2012 via iPhone app
It's not likely Simpson and Caldwell go.
Besides those 2 that only leaves green to play the outside. Caldwell can play both slot and WO but I would much rather keep Simpson and bring in a legit #2. We only have so many draft picks and Brown isn’t likely to bring in 2 good WO.
Bigcatdaddy - January 6, 2012 via Android app
Ding.
And as much as Simpson sometimes refuses to show up, Caldwell is generally bad and seems to just have a knack for being involved in every bad offensive play you can think of. It’s ridiculous, and he’s just as bad, probably even worse, than Simpson is.
I get upgrading but we shouldn’t create a huge hole in our receiving corps by dropping both Simpson and Caldwell.
Doc Scratch - January 6, 2012
I agree if Simpson can be signed for not huge amounts of money
Caldwell I don’t want back under any circumstances.
Simpson could be a nice guy to have around if you don’t have to pay him starter money… but he’s probably going to get that from somebody.
occams_tiger_teeth - January 7, 2012
I agree with keeping Simpson as a #3 WR because that is what he is.
Caldwell is average at best and with Shipley coming back they will let Caldwell go. There is no way Benson is on the 2012 team. Ced lacks speed and has had some very costly fumbles over the last month. Cincy would love to get trent Richardson but he will be gone way before pick 17. Mike Brown does not like to mortgage future picks but with the extra pick from Oakland the Bengals might make a move.
More than likely Mike and Marvin will take a CB with 17th overall. If they would have signed Joseph they could take best player on the board but with Hall injury that takes that off the board.
lightskin350 - January 7, 2012
Use simpson as a #4 like we did with henry
i know hes not henry but i like his chances vs a saftey or a 4th CB
Bengalsfan024 - January 7, 2012
I don't think Simpons the guilty party here.
Hurd already indicted and his run-in happened after Simpson’s, he would have been indicted by now?
ashunte23 - January 6, 2012
You would certainly think so
Helmsy - January 7, 2012
It is easy to say you want someone gone...
but the last 2 free agent WR signings were Coles and Bryant, and neither worked. I would rather play Shipley in the slot, not the outside…. someone out of the draft would probably not put up great numbers in his first year as the 2 reciever…. Simpson has his flaws, but I would not have a problem with resigning him. Just my opinion,
txbengal29 - January 6, 2012
I don't think anyone's talking about playing Shipley outside
The idea is to bring in a wideout to play the Y. That could be Colston or Meachem or Garçon or it could be any of a bunch of guys from the draft. Simpson can easily be upgraded this offseason and there’s no reason not to do it.
eric nyc - January 6, 2012 via iPhone app
Just
win 11 or more games next year… beat Pitt and Baltimore at least once each, and win multiple playoff games next year, and I will be happy…. it is time to win and take the next step in 2012
txbengal29 - January 6, 2012
Hopefully our new relevance in the division means 11 wins will be tough to come by
I’d like to think the days of Pittsburgh and Baltimore counting on 11+ wins are over. This might be a division won by 9-10 wins over the next few years until Bmore and Pitt start to decline.
eric nyc - January 6, 2012 via iPhone app
Garçon
He’d be amazing. He’s a speed threat, and that would compliment Green nicely. But he’ll be a big name in free agency and, honestly, when was the last time the Bengals were able to sign a big-name free agent (that didn’t subsequently back out)?
MrMcLargeHuge - January 6, 2012
Coles, Bryant, etc..
Cry - January 6, 2012
Exactly
I’m sick of writing the same post, but Mike Brown DOES make big free agent signings. And he makes big WR free agent signings. It’s silly to assume it wouldn’t happen because of Brown. The only thing that will stop it happening is if we re-sign Simpson and instal him as the #2. That will be giving up on this offense.
eric nyc - January 7, 2012
TO
Helmsy - January 7, 2012
Coles didn't work because
Palmer skipped that offseason, so they never developed a connection. WIth Palmer in full-on “pick one guy before the snap” mode, Coles was doomed from the start.
Bryant was just a dumb singing, as I said at the time.
indesignkat - January 6, 2012
It could have been a good signing
He was a very good WR. We just had a terrible medical staff at the time.
emeybee - January 7, 2012
Bryant never played a complete season
He was damaged goods from the beginning of his nfl career
indesignkat - January 7, 2012
I think Joe has it right.
You bring back Simpson as outside depth. You sign a Colston, Meachum, or Garcon. You draft a receiver in the 3rd or 4th round.
Cry - January 6, 2012
I want to expand on this..
We need athletes of Jerome’s caliber at WR4. Joe touched upon it in this round table when he mentioned the Saints. The good offenses in the league spread the ball around. A good X and Y won’t cut it any more. You need 5 or 6 receivers to touch the ball to be considered an elite offense in the NFL these days. AJ, Garcon, Shipley, Gresham, Jerome.. there are your 5 that should get touches every game. Along with them you should have at least 2 backs receiving carries, with at least one that can catch out of the back field. Behind that you have your Hawkins, Whalen, and whoever else is drafted this coming draft.
You need that stable of capable receivers and you need the QB that can spread the ball like butter. Dalton, I think, has that ability. But you need the skill players to make that a reality and you especially need the OC to draw it all up.
Cry - January 6, 2012
Agreed
I would be happy to see Rome back, as long as we pick up another outside WR to complement him.
emeybee - January 7, 2012
The Bengals need a big, strong outside WR with sticky fingers
AJ is the fast, athletic downfield threat. The Bengals have 2 of those guys right now with Simpson. They need a 6’4" 220lbs physicial receiver who can play on the outside, block and catches everything thrown his way. Maybe that is Whalen? Bengals are set at the slot with Shipley and Hawkins. I think Simpson as your #4 could create match-up problems across the board with the varying formations that could be employed.
Bottom line is I see the Bengals re-signing Simpson eventhough they probably should look in another direction. He has been on the field for 20 games and made enough spectacular plays that I think they’ll over look the drops and casper act in the hopes he develops some sort of consistency to go with the spectacular. (and yes, I realize he had 2 years on the PS prior to this but the fact is he has only started 20 games in his career. He is essentially a rookie on the field.)
WOOD98 - January 7, 2012
Bye Bye Jerome
Poor consistent performance and a date in the big house says he’s going away. The guy acts goofy all the time.
The herb has killed to many brain cells.
Besides the feds are waiting for the Bengal season to end as a favor to Mike Brown, then they will snatch him up for the first round draft choice in the big house.
sofakingood - January 7, 2012
Keep Simpson
We have too many other areas of need to look at. Bringing in too many new pieces at one is a recipe for disaster. Simpson is good enough, and his upside is still higher, AND he knows the system.
I would much rather focus on getting a dominant interior lineman and a stud RB, and address the secondary. Upgrading the WR position just seems like a low priority to me.
EarthwormJim - January 7, 2012
This still doesn't make sense
Simpson isn’t signed past this year. It’s not like keeping Simpson is the “do nothing” option. You have to go out in the offseason and SIGN the guy. And, as retarded as it is, that silly flip just upped his price about a million a year. The only way I’d be ok with bringing Simpson back is fi it’s on a league minimum 2 year deal. He hasn’t shown NEARLY enough on the field to deserve more than that. He won’t do that, because he’s not that bright, and someone (I’m looking at you Oakland) will pay him because of the highlight clips.
eric nyc - January 7, 2012
Free Agents
Re-signing Simpson will be cheaper than getting a FA of comparable talent. I would argue, based on Marvin’s reaction to the flip, that it will not help him. Coaches will view that as a dumb move, even if we as fans loved it.
Furthermore, a FA has to learn the system and work to build rapport with the rest of the offense. (See: Owens, T) Simpson has finally picked it up (more or less). Why throw that away? At worst, he is a known quantity. At best he can be a star.
Let me frame it this way… Pick 3 of 5 things you want to get accomplished this offseason:
1. Keep the D-line intact (Fanene, Rucker & Sims are all FAs too)
2. Upgrade the RB position
3. Upgrade the OGs
4. Upgrade the CBs and Safeties (does Hall come back from the Achilles?)
5. Find an upgrade over Simpson.
There’s no way to do all 5 in one season IMO.
EarthwormJim - January 7, 2012
crazy thing about the flip
is some owner/coach will see it as a way to help fill seats. remember this flip thats right hes on our team.
Bengalsfan024 - January 7, 2012
Simpson has NOT "picked up" anything
That’s why we’re having this conversation to begin with. He disappears for weeks at a time. Every once in a while he’ll have a big game (based usually around 1 or two hail mary passes downfield, not from any kind of consistently well executed game by Simpson himself) and then he’s gone again. As recently as last week we saw Simpson on the completely wrong page with Dalton and Dalton calling him out for it on the field. The guy is not worth a free agent signing.
We are going to have roughly a metric TON of money to spend in free agency next year. Carson being gone frees up about $13 million. I predict we’ll part ways with Geathers and possibly Rivers, which will free up about another $9-10 million I believe. THrow in some spare change here and there, plus what we had to work with from this year, and we’re going to have somewhere in the neighborhood of $20-25 million in cap space going into free agency. That should be, by some margin, the most in the NFL. And despite what everyone seems to believe in the face of a lot of evidence, Mike Brown will spend it. There is no reason to go bargain shopping on positions of need. That’s what Jerome Simpson (or Benson) would be – the bargain bin option for WR.
We will easily have enough money to keep the D-line intact (minus Geathers, which isn’t much of a loss since Dunlap needs to be getting more snaps anyway), sign a top OG, and then go out and get a top WR. We’ll draft a RB and a CB – there aren’t going to be any reasonable options for either of those positions in FA anyway. There are going to be a BUNCH of options at WR. Simpson is by far the worst player on the list.
eric nyc - January 7, 2012
agree 100%
indesignkat - January 7, 2012
Caldwell gone, Simpson back is what I expect
not what I want, unless (lots of things showing he is smarter than I thought and isn’t a pothead or any other kind of criminal and he is going to put forth consistent effort), but I think that’s what will happen. Caldwell has been replaced by Hawkins, even Whalen looked better than Caldwell in the one game he got a chance to play. He only had 3 catches for 20 yards, but he had to fight for those catches and I think he only got 3 targets. Simpson, on the other hand, is a guy that I think the coaches are still in love with his athletic ability and are willing to keep hoping that he eventually “gets it”.
indesignkat - January 7, 2012
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