William Jackson III Archives

Who Stays and Who Goes for Who Dey? – Part II

January 23, 2017 Chris Russell 2 Comments

Last week, the Bengal Boys gave their first thoughts on which Cincinnati players would still be on the roster next fall and which ones would become free agents. Now we examine the next two on our list. Do they have enough – or have they done enough – to suit up for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2017?

Will the Cincinnati Bengals Keep These Free Agents?

4. Dre Kirkpatrick (defensive back) – Dre K had arguably his best season as a pro in 2016. He notched 46 tackles and 3 interceptions. The Cincinnati Bengals gave him the fifth-year extension before last season and Dre showed enough improvement that, we think, he should receive a long-term deal. Furthering our case is the fact that, with Adam Jones staring at a possible suspension because of his January 3 arrest and William Jackson III being an unknown commodity, the Bengals will want all the secondary stability they can get. Re-sign (yep or nope): Yep

5. Kevin Zeitler (offensive guard) – Zeitler, like Kirkpatrick, was a first-round pick in 2012 and is probably the best guard to enter free agency this season. Also like Dre, we think the Bengals will want to keep him around for the sake of unit continuity. The Bengals averaged 110.6 rushing yards per game this season – not bad, but it won’t wow anybody. Zeitler is only in his sixth year as a pro and is worth the $9 million or $10 million it may take to keep him. Our guess is that the Bengal bigwigs will. Re-sign (yep or nope): Yep

Bengals Place William Jackson & Cedric Peerman on IR; Sign Trey Hopkins & Chykie Brown

September 4, 2016 Nate Mallon 2 Comments

The Bengals placed cornerback William Jackson III and running back Cedric Peerman on IR today with the possibility that one of them can return and contribute later this season. To fill their roster spots they signed guard Trey Hopkins and corner Chykie Brown back to the roster. The team will only carry 3 running backs to start the season. Check our updated team depth chart.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Jacksonville Jaguars – 5 Things to Watch

August 27, 2016 Chris Russell 3 Comments

Cincinnati put up a solid effort in last Thursday’s 30-14 win over Detroit. With a trip to Jacksonville to take on the 0-2 Jaguars looming, here are 5 things to watch in the third game of the Bengals’ preseason.

1. Wide receiver battle, part I. News flash: 5-time Pro Bowler A.J. Green commands the top WR position. But there are question marks for the second spot. Brandon LaFell, fresh off a stint with the Patriots, is experienced but has yet to crack the 1,000-yard mark in a season and is battling a hand injury. Rookie Tyler Boyd is versatile … and just now cutting his teeth in the pros.

2. WR battle, part II. There are several candidates trying to fill out the back end of the receiver rotation before the roster is cut to 53 men on September 3rd. Brandon Tate, Alex Erickson, James Wright, Mario Alford, and Jake Kumerow are all battling for spots. You may be wondering “Who Dey?”, but it’s more a question of “Who Make It?” and “Who Don’t?”

3. A banged-up secondary. Darqueze Dennard won’t play because of a sprained ankle, First-round pick William Jackson III has a torn pectoral muscle and will spend most of the season (if not all of it) on Injured Reserve. That’s less-than-good news when facing a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, as well as tight ends Julius Thomas (5 catches of 20+ yards last year) and Mercedes Lewis (14.1 yards per reception).

4. How long will the starters stay in? Getting reps for the No. 1 guys is crucial so they can hit the ground running (or passing) when the regular season kicks off September 11 against the Jets, who won 10 games in 2015. Andy Dalton looked smooth against Detroit, going 7 of 9 and posting a 102.8 QB rating. Does he stay in until the third quarter before coach Marvin Lewis slaps third-year man A.J. McCarron on the shoulder and says ‘Go get ’em.”? And with tight end Tyler Eifert most likely out 4-6 weeks to start the season it will be interesting to see how much playing time other key weapons like Green, Jeremy Hill and Giovani Bernard get.

5. Can the Bengals avoid the bug? The injury bug, that is. We already mentioned the losses of Dennard and WJIII, which can be enough to put the passing defense behind the proverbial 8-ball. A big goal for the team is to get through the game with the starting lineup intact and keep the team doctors from having a busy night.