Cincy Jungle

A Rebuttal To The League's Perception Of How To Improve The Average NFL Viewing Experience

2012-02-16T02:00:11Z

In a recent foxsports.com article, Patriots owner Robert Kraft describes that he went to an NHL game between the New York Rangers and Boston Bruins and was so impressed with the viewing experience that he approached NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, asking if the NFL could borrow some of the NHL's ideas to encourage the average NFL fan to become more excited and involved.

The league's response, not surprisingly, wasn't an embracing and enthusiastic one. One of the league's brass replied:

"The fan bases actually interact with their teams in a very different way," said Grubman, who has discussed the topic extensively with Kraft’s son and Patriots president Jonathan Kraft. "There are music elements and other things that relate to football that are popular entertainment, but we’re not looking to (other leagues) as a role model. They may be going in another direction of things that other people may enjoy. We’re going football and connectivity."

Admittedly, I haven't been to many hockey game in my liftetime (just not a Cyclones guy), but I can guarantee that the viewing experience at an NHL game is far better than any NFL game I've been to.

At Paul Brown Stadium, Bengals fans have become accustomed to a few cheerleaders before and during the game, but little else of note. It surprises me that the outdated animated tiger intro is still played before the game, and the players only run out to some smoke and small fireworks. Fans can watch highlights from around the league during halftime (because the league mandates that all stadiums must show some NFL RedZone coverage), but these aren't on HD display screens, nor are the screens very big in terms of league standards. I'm there to watch my Bengals, and that's about it.

The NFL and the Bengals organization itself seem to be doing little to improve what is a subpar viewing experience. The league seems to think that the most important area for improvement is the "connectivity" with other fans. As in, let fans tweet and text and check scores on their phones by increasing the available bandwidth in stadiums. That's a good idea, but that's not the only aspect of the viewing experience that the NFL should consider improving. It's not just 'football and connectivity', as Mr. Grubman explains.

If the league decides that improving connectivity is the biggest issue, they should at least focus on doing it well. At our own PBS, AT&T installed a "dual-antenna system" in hopes of improving cell phone coverage late last season. But, that didn't let me get messages any faster when I was at Paul Brown Stadium in November and December. I still received messages at least an hour after they were sent, and couldn't tweet anything until the game was over. I tried to send out a picture message of one of Mike Nugent's missed field goal attempts (sly lady two rows in front of me decided to keep the football and hide it under her seat), but it never sent.

Maybe the league should focus on improving the more pressing issues of the viewing experience, like ticket-pricing, concessions pricing, parking, tailgating, long bathroom lines, and on a related note- TV blackouts. PBS doesn't necessarily reflect all of these concerns, but stadiums around around the country are far behind the trend when it comes to these contant pains.

Take it from the National Football Post's Jack Bechta, who's been to 26 of the NFL's 31 venues and is extremely dissatisfied with what he's experienced, as he explains in a mock letter to the league.

Bechta lists five solid areas of concern that the average NFL fan must face on gameday: ticket prices, getting in and out of the stadium, the parking lot and tailgating, over priced concessions & long lines, and obnoxious fan behavior.

Bechta's argument is definitely worth a read, as it gives NFL fans a bit of perspective on what they have been enduring for years and years. Though Bechta is a little on the whiny side, I certainly agree. There are so many flaws with the fan's experience when he goes to an NFL game. It's a shame that the league thinks the only issue worth addressing is "connectivity".

Mike Mayock: "Bengals Don't Have To Reach In First Round"

2012-02-16T01:00:14Z

With just over two months until the NFL draft it's time for every expert, fan, and critic to speculate as to which player each team will select. In just about every mock draft that we've seen so far, "experts" have the Bengals selecting either a cornerback, offensive lineman, or a running back. It's usually some combination of those three positions.

However, Mike Mayock, of NFL Network, believes that the Bengals don't have to reach for any position when they make their two first round picks in April's draft.

The Bengals have areas that they need to address in the first round. Ideally they would snag a cornerback and offensive lineman in the first round to address two of their primary holes. If they wait until later in the draft to address either position it could come back to blow up in their face. It's hard to envision them reaching for a player or trading up to receive the best player at a certain position at any point.

Cincinnati needs to address the offensive line in the first round. They have five impending free agents in Bobbie Williams, Anthony Collins, Nate Livings, Dennis Roland, and Mike McGlynn. Of those five I think Williams and Collins are the only ones worthy of re-signing for a short-term deal at a reasonable price. Williams provides veteran leadership and he's still a solid lineman. Collins has been a reliable alternative for the Bengals since he was drafted in 2008.

The Bengals also need a cornerback that can provide depth or step in and start immediately. Once Leon Hall went down for the season the Bengals secondary became exposed. In eight games without Hall the Bengals allowed 13 passing touchdowns. In the nine games that Hall played in the defense held opposing offenses to nine passing touchdowns. His absence was felt on the field, so picking a cornerback is a rational assumption.

By the time the Bengals are on the clock with the No. 17 pick they will have a number of directions to go, depending on who's available. Mayock figures that two of the top cornerbacks, Morris Claiborne of LSU and Dre Kirkpatrick of Alabama will be off the board by then. If that's the case then the Bengals could go with the best available cornerback or the top available offensive lineman.

"With the loss of Johnathan Joseph you'd like to get a corner that can compete right away," Mayock said. "If they've got a guy they like, fine, go get him. But they can sit there and take the best player."

Joseph has been gone for a season now. There's no need to dwell on his departure anymore. The Bengals brought in Nate Clements to replace him and for the most part he did an adequate job in 2011. The bigger concern should be Hall and his recovery from his Achilles injury. He undoubtedly won't be fully healed by the time the season starts. He was the Bengals top defensive player while he was on the field, but without him the dynamic of the Bengals defense took a drastic turn.

Mayock also senses that Cedric Benson is done in Cincinnati. I think we can all agree with that. He's been done since the end of the 2010 season, but that's not the point. Mayock believes the only running back worthy of being selected in the first round is Alabama's Trent Richardson. For the Bengals it would be a waste to select Richardson or any other running back in the first round because they won't have an offensive line to open running lanes for them. They would get swallowed up by opposing defenses. Andrew Whitworth, Kyle Cook, and Andre Smith can't do everything on their own. The Bengals can wait until the second or third round to pick a running back.

Right now the Bengals primary needs are cornerback and offensive line. Only time will tell what direction the Bengals decide to head in for April's draft.

NFL Networks Mike Mayock Lists His Top 5 Pre-Combine Prospects At Each Position

2012-02-16T00:00:23Z

Going into the draft, everybody has their favorite prospects. Some people are high on talent, some are high on speed, and others are high on previous success--whatever the criteria, there's one name you desperately hope to hear the Bengals call on April 26th. The NFL Scouting Combine may not heavily influence that common fan's evaluation of prospects, but it does bear slightly more significance to the 32 NFL front offices. Earlier today, Cincy Jungle's own Mike Fightmaster discussed the importance of the NFL Combine and the impact it has on certain players' draft stock. Whether or not the Combine is that important is debatable, but pre-combine player rankings carry significance regardless.

Mike Mayock of NFL Network recently posted his top five players at each position heading into the Combine. For the positions most important to the Bengals--guard, cornerback, and running back--Mayock provides no shock at the No. 1 spots, but has quite a few interesting choices at No. 2 through No. 5. The rankings are as follows:

Cornerback

1. Morris Claiborne, LSU
2. Dre Kirkpatrick, Alabama
3. Janoris Jenkins, North Alabama
4. Trumaine Johnson, Montana
5. Leonard Johnson, Iowa State

This list is different from almost all other pre-combine cornerback rankings. The usual suspects of Claiborne, Kirkpatrick and Jenkins are no surprise as the top three prospects, but instead of the frequently heard names of Stephon Gilmore and Alonzo Dennard at No. 4 and No. 5, Mayock lists Trumaine Johnson and Leonard Johnson.

In comparison, Sports Illustrated's Tony Pauline listed Trumaine Johnson as the 9th best cornerback and Leonard Johnson as the 12th. Mayock does not elaborate on his selections, but it would be interesting to see why he values Johnson and Johnson more than Gilmore and Dennard. Perhaps he sees Gilmore and Dennard as busts--as most people feel about Dennard lately--and Johnson and Johnson as middle round sleepers, so he lists them according to that sentiment. Whatever the case, the addition of Trumaine Johnson and Leonard Johnson to the top five cornerbacks in the upcoming draft is sure to draw some attention and criticism.

Interior Offensive Lineman
1. David DeCastro, Stanford
2. Peter Konz, Wisconsin
3. Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin
4. Amini Silatolu, Midwestern State
5. Kelechi Osemele, Iowa State

Out: Glenn (switched groups from interior offensive lineman to tackle)

The first thing to notice is the guard de-classification of Georgia's Cordy Glenn. Glenn played both guard and tackle in college and has been listed as a guard prospect for most of this offseason, so it's fair to still classify him in that position. Mayock lists Glenn as the fourth best tackle prospect, behind certain first round selections Matt Kaliil, Reilly Reiff, and Mike Adams.

Of this list, DeCastro is the best guard talent by far (Konz is a center) and many Bengal fans will be crossing their fingers that he isn't off the board by picks No. 17 and 21. Zeitler, Silatolu and Osemele are projected by most as middle round picks, which may work out well if CIncinnati decides to address other positions with their first few picks.

Running Back
1. Trent Richardson, Alabama
2. David Wilson, Virginia Tech
3. Lamar Miller, Miami (Fla.)
4. Doug Martin, Boise State
5. LaMichael James, Oregon

When it comes to the draft, running back the most highly debated position among fans. Should Cincy trade up to grab Richardson? Should a first rounder be used on running back at all? What about free agency?

Each of the top four on this list have been discussed as possible draft choices of the Bengals. All except LaMichael James. Draft scouts do not hold James in high regard despite his collegiate success, and usually predict him as a middle round selection. His inclusion in the top five means that another prospect was snubbed off the list--in this case, University of Cincinnati's Isaiah Pead. Pead's stock has been steadily rising since the end of the season--TFY Draft Insider now lists him as a possible second round pick--and has all the makings of a steal if he can be had with a middle round selection.

It's been said a thousand times, but this upcoming draft is sure going to be interesting.

For more from Cincy Jungle, make sure to follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

2012 Franchise Tag Numbers And The Bengals

2012-02-15T22:30:09Z

For those of you who don't know, the new CBA has changed the way the franchise tag works. Josh broke it down like a high-priced lawyer in an earlier post, but basically what he meant is for the team to use the exclusive free agent tender on a player, they need to drop a sweaty wad of cash in that player's hand.

Related: New Franchise Tender Rules

There are 27 Bengals free agents, 20 of which are unrestricted, heading into the offseason and the team will undoubtedly try to re-sign some of them. Some of the players that they will try to re-sign will include Mike Nugent, Reggie Nelson, Manny Lawson, Pat Sims and a few more.

It's doubtful, at least to me, that the team uses the franchise tag on any of these guys, but just in case, let's look at what they would have to spend on certain players.

Position	2012 Franchise Tag Value*	2011 Franchise Tag Value
Quarterback	$16.1 million	$14.4 million
Running Back	$7.7 million	$9.6 million
Wide Receiver	$9.4 million	$11.4 million
Tight End	$5.4 million	$7.3 million
Offensive Line	$9.4 million	$10.1 million
Defensive End	$10.6 million	$13 million
Defensive Tackle	$7.9 million	$12.5 million
Linebacker	$8.8 million	$10.1 million
Cornerback	$10.6 million	$13.5 million
Safety	$6.2 million	$8.8 million

So let's say they feel like they may need to apply the tag to Reggie Nelson to keep him around. In 2011, Nelson made $957,500, so a jump from slightly less than $1 million to $6.2 million for one year would be massive and way too much.

How about Manny Lawson? In 2011, he made $3 million on a one-year contract. Again, a jump from a one-year, $3 million to a one-year, $8.8 million is way too much. Not going to happen.

Then there's Pat Sims. The jump from the $555,000 that Sims made in 2011 is $8.8 million. That's one hell of a pay increase and even though I like Sims, he's not worth it. So that's a no.

Some of you may be worried about the team losing Anthony Collins, but he also made $555,000 in 2011 and the $8.8 million pay raise for a one-year contract if the team used the tag on him would be way too much of a price to pay to keep him around.

So after looking through all of the free agents that the Bengals stand to lose, there isn't one of them that is worth the money that a franchise tag would guarantee them. If they were forced to use the tag, I would say they should use it on kicker Mike Nugent (and of course we don't have the number for kickers), but I don't even think that will happen.

But it's not important what I think. What do you think?

Rules Regarding The Franchise Tag Per The Collective Bargaining Agreement

2012-02-15T21:31:31Z

On Monday February 20 teams will be allowed to slap the unwelcome franchise tag on players with the idea that it allows team to keep their best players from entering free agency. The deadline for teams to use their franchise tag will be March 5, roughly eight days before free agency kicks off on March 13. That being said here's the rules in regards to the Franchise Tag per the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (we highlighted some of the key points).

Before we get to that, let's go through some quick points.

If the team uses the Exclusive Franchise Tender, then that player is not allowed to negotiate with any team. The one-year contract is the average of the five largest salaries as that player's respective position as of the end of the restricted free agent signing period that league year.
If the team uses the Non-Exclusive Franchise Tender, then that player is allowed to negotiate with any team, however if that player leaves for the new team, then that player's old team receives two first round draft picks as compensation. The one-year contract is the average of the top contracts at that player's position over the five preceding league years -- or 120 percent increase over that player's contract the year prior (whichever is greater).
Teams can withdraw the Franchise Tender at anytime before the player signs, allowing that player to become an unrestricted free agent.
The deadline for franchise players to sign a long-term deal is July 15 (or the first Monday if the 15th falls on a weekend).

Onto the CBA language.

Section 1. Franchise Player Designations:

Except as set forth in Section 9 below, each Club shall be permitted to designate one of its players who would otherwise be an Unrestricted Free Agent as a Franchise Player each season during the term of this Agreement. The player so designated may be one who would otherwise be a Restricted Free Agent. Except as set forth in Section 2(a)(i) below, any Club that designates a Franchise Player shall be the only Club with which such Franchise Player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract during the period the player is so designated, notwithstanding the number of his Accrued Seasons. The period for Clubs to designate Franchise Players will begin on the twenty-second day preceding the first day of the new League Year and will end at 4:00pm New York time on the eighth day preceding the first day of the new League Year.

Section 2. Required Tender for Franchise Players:

(a) Except as provided in Subsection (b) below, any Club that designates a Franchise Player shall on the date the designation is made notify the player and the NFLPA which one of the following two potential required tenders the Club has selected:

(i) Nonexclusive Franchise Tender. The Nonexclusive Franchise Tender shall be a one year NFL Player Contract for (A) the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position (within the categories set forth in Section 7(a) below) at which the Franchise Player participated in the most plays during the prior League Year, which average shall be calculated by: (1) summing the amounts of the Franchise Tags for players at that position for the five preceding League Years; (2) dividing the resulting amount by the sum of the Salary Caps for the five preceding League Years (using the average of the amounts of the 2009 and 2011 Salary Caps as the Salary Cap amount for the 2010 League Year); and (3) multiplying the resulting percentage by the Salary Cap for the upcoming League Year (e.g., when calculating the Tender for the 2012 League Year, dividing the aggregate sum of the Franchise Tags for players at that position for the 2007–2011 League Years by the aggregate sum of the Salary Caps for the 2007–2011 League Years and multiplying the result by the amount of the Salary Cap for the 2012 League Year) (the "Cap Percentage Average") (See Appendix E for an illustrative example); or (B) 120% of his Prior Year Salary, whichever is greater; if the Club extends the Tender pursuant to this Subsection (a)(i), the player shall be permitted to negotiate a Player Contract with any Club as if he were a player subject to Section 5 below, except that Draft Choice Compensation of two first round draft selections shall be made with respect to such player in the event he signs with the New Club, and the Signing Period for such player shall be determined under Section 14 below. For purposes of this Subsection, the "Franchise Tag" is the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries (e.g., the Franchise Tag for the 2010 League Year equals the average of the five largest Salaries for the 2009 League Year for players at that position); or

(ii) Exclusive Franchise Tender. The Exclusive Franchise Tender shall be a one year NFL Player Contract for (A) the average of the five largest Salaries in Player Contracts for that League Year as of the end of the Restricted Free Agent Signing Period that League Year, as set forth in Article 9, Section 2(e), for players at the position (within the categories set forth in Section 7(a) below) at which he participated in the most plays during the prior League Year, or (B) the amount of the Required Tender under Subsection (a)(i) above, whichever is greater.

(b) Any Club that designates a player as a Franchise Player for the third time shall, on the date the third such designation is made, be deemed to have tendered the player a one-year NFL Player Contract for the greater of: (A) the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position (within the categories set forth in Section 7(a) below) with the highest such average; (B) 120% of the average of the five largest Prior Year Salaries for players at the position (within the categories set forth in Section 7(a) below) at which the player participated in the most plays during the prior League Year; or (C) 144% of his Prior Year Salary. (By way of example, a kicker designated as a Franchise Player for the third time in the 2014 League Year would have a Required Tender equal to the greater of: (i) the average of the five largest 2013 Salaries for quarterbacks; (ii) 120% of the average of the five largest 2013 Salaries for kickers; or (iii) 144% of the player’s own 2013 Salary.) If the Club designates the player as a Franchise Player for the third time, the designating Club shall be the only Club with which the player may negotiate or sign a Player Contract. In lieu of designating such a player as a Franchise Player for the third time, any Club may designate such player as a Transition Player pursuant to Section 3 below.

(c) If a player subject to a Franchise Player designation accepts the Required Tender, the resulting Player Contract shall be fully guaranteed if the player’s contract is terminated because of lack of comparative skill; as a result of an injury sustained in the performance of his services under his Player Contract; and/or due to a Club’s determination to create Room for Salary Cap purposes. For purposes of this Subsection only, any contract termination due to the failure of the player to establish or maintain his excellent physical condition will be subject to review of a neutral physician appointed by the parties, whose physical findings will be conclusive in any arbitration proceeding relating to the physical condition of the player at the time of the exam, provided that such exam takes place within twenty (20) days of the contract termination.

(d) Any of the Required Tenders set forth in this Section 2 may be withdrawn at any time, but if such Tender is withdrawn, the player immediately becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent and thereafter is completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club, and any Club shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any such player, without any penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period.

(e) For the purposes of this Article, "Salary" means the total of the Paragraph 5 Salary (reduced proportionately if the contract is entered into after the first regular season game), roster and reporting bonuses, pro-rata portion of signing bonus, and other payments to players in compensation for the playing of professional football for the applicable year of the player’s most recently negotiated Player Contract, except for performance bonuses other than roster and reporting bonuses. Salary shall also include any unrepaid loans made, guaranteed or collateralized by a Team or its Team Affiliate to a player or Player Affiliate. "Prior Year Salary" means the Salary (as defined in this Subsection) for the last League Year of the player’s most recently negotiated Player Contract.

(f) The calculation of any five largest Prior Year Salaries shall include any Player Contract resulting from acceptance of a Tender for the Prior Year pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or (a)(ii) above, provided that the player played during the Prior League Year pursuant to the Tender, but shall not include the amount of any term of a Player Contract renegotiated after the Monday of the tenth week of the regular season of the Prior League Year that provides for an unearned incentive to be treated as signing bonus.

(g) The calculation of any five largest Salaries for the current League Year as of the end of the Restricted Free Agent signing period pursuant to Section 2(a)(ii) above shall include any Player Contract resulting from acceptance of any Tender for the Prior League Year pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) or (a)(ii) above, provided that the player played during the Prior League Year pursuant to the Tender, but shall not include (i) any Player Contract amount resulting from a renegotiation of an existing Player Contract between the time of the designation and any applicable later date or (ii) the amount of any term of a Player Contract renegotiated after the Monday of the tenth week of the regular season of the Prior League Year that provides for an unearned incentive to be treated as signing bonus.

(h) If a Franchise Player receives a Nonexclusive Franchise Player Tender pursuant to Section 2(a)(i) above, any provision in an Offer Sheet to such player waiving or limiting the New Club’s ability to designate the player as a Franchise Player or Transition Player in the future shall not be a Principal Term, and therefore need not be included in a contract formed with the Prior Club as a result of matching such an Offer Sheet (but shall be included in a contract formed with the New Club as a result of the Prior Club not matching such an Offer Sheet). This Subsection (h) shall not apply to a player who was designated as a Transition Player in lieu of designated as a Franchise Player, pursuant to Section 3(a) below, or to any other Transition Player.

(i) The definition of a "signing bonus" for this Article is the same as that in Article 13. The pro rata portion of such signing bonuses includes prorated amounts from prior Player Contracts; the Salary Cap acceleration rules for unamortized signing bonus amounts do not apply to the calculation of the Franchise and Transition Tenders.

(j) For purposes of calculating the minimum Tenders to Franchise and Transition players under this Article, if the present value of any deferred Paragraph 5 amount (as defined in Article 12, Section 6(a)(ii)) is at least $100,000 less than the initial Paragraph 5 amount (before being present valued), then the present value amount shall be used.

(k) Any Club designating a Franchise Player shall have until 4:00 p.m., New York time, on July 15 of the League Year (or, if July 15 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the first Monday thereafter) for which the designation takes effect to sign the player to a multiyear contract or extension. After that date, the player may sign only a one-year Player Contract with his Prior Club for that season, and such Player Contract may not be extended until after the Club’s last regular season game of that League Year.

A highlight video of Janoris Jenkins, who many believe the Bengals will select in the first round...

2012-02-15T21:21:13Z

A highlight video of Janoris Jenkins, who many believe the Bengals will select in the first round of the draft, against Julio Jones and A.J. Green while playing for Florida.

Mel Kiper Mock Draft 2.0: Bengals Select A Cornerback And Offensive Guard

2012-02-15T20:00:42Z

Last month when Mel Kiper Jr. released his first mock draft of the NFL draft season, he projected Cincinnati selecting Nebraska cornerback Alfonzo Dennard and University of Miami running back Lamar Miller. Makes sense. Cedric Benson is leaving (for the love of God), so the team needs a running back -- despite my complete objection of using a first round selection for a running back. Yet the true caveat is that a running back is only as good as his offensive line and if they're not very good, then it won't matter who the team selects. That running back simply won't be effective.

Cornerback is an absolute given. Not only is there a chance that Leon Hall's rehabilitation could lead into the regular season after suffering a season-ending Achilles injury, there's absolutely no depth on this roster. And even if the Bengals successfully convinced cornerback Stanford Routt to bring his slight-above-average talents (though valuable due to the lack of overall demand) to Cincinnati, the Bengals are hardly finished rebuilding their secondary. In today's NFL you need three good cornerbacks to counter the multiple wide receiver formations.

All that being said if Mel Kiper Jr.'s February Mock Draft were any indication of what the team may do in late April, those needs will be addressed. With the 17th selection, Kiper has the Bengals selecting Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick. He writes:

The Bengals held up pretty well against the pass last year, but should look for the heir to Johnathan Joseph, whom they lost to Houston before the 2011 season. Kirkpatrick fits the bill as a big, physical corner who doesn't give up much in coverage given his size (nearly 6-foot-3), which makes him particularly good inside the red zone. He's also not one to shy away from run support. The Bengals need a running back, too, but they can find value at that position much later. Glenn is also an option if the Jets don't make that pick.

And with the 21st selection, Kiper has Cincinnati selecting Stanford guard David DeCastro.

I have guard as one of the top needs for the Bengals, and they won't do any better than DeCastro at this spot. A player who plays with exceptional awareness, DeCastro is the kind of guard who helps you crack off bigger gains in the run and screen game because he gets a great initial punch, but will also get to the second level and throw great blocks out in space. Again, I don't think Cincy gets enough value here at running back, but DeCastro helps the run game, too.

I think we can accept those.

NFL Network Schedule At The NFL Combine

2012-02-15T19:27:41Z

NFL Network Schedule At The NFL Combine

NFL Network released their schedule at the NFL Combine this year.