Editorial: Is it time for the NFL to Marge Shott the Brown Family?

One thing you learn in business school is never do business with a widow or an idiot son.  The Cincinnati Bengals have so many law violators that they must use the no-huddle offense because a felon can not be within 20 feet of another felon.  Their draft choices over the last 15 seasons have been a joke.  As proof, I need only to bring up the name of Akili Smith the supposed quarterback drafted with the 3^rd pick in the 1999 draft.

By Bill Smith

            As the 1998 college season opened, Smith was at best a non-drafted free agent.  But Smith, the former backup, had one good year at Oregon and that convinced the Bengals he was the one.  Some scouts including me felt that you never should draft a QB high that had only one season starting at college.  He proved those of us that doubted his ability right.  In 4 years, he had a quarterback rating of 52.8.  If you never complete a pass but avoid interceptions you end up with a quarterback rating 39.58!

            Now, having had several calls from the NFL office about drafting players that have a clean record, they did finally give up on Chris “I never saw a law I wouldn't break” Henry.  But then they went to the draft and picked 4 players that have questionable pasts out of their 10 choices.

            The third round pick, DT Pat Sims, struggled at Auburn for the first two seasons of his college career.  In 2 years he had a total of 16 tackles.  He quit the team in 2005 in part because he had been demoted to 3^rd string and in part due to the death of his sister.  He broke out in 2007 and was the MVP of the bowl game.

            In 2007, DT Jason Shirley, the Bengals 5^th round pick, had 8 tackles because was arrested for DUI and a hit and run accident.  He was suspended from the Fresno State team.  Two days after he was reinstated, he was dismissed from the team for driving on a suspended license and an expired registration.  Great pick.

            The first of 2 7^th round picks, LB Angelo Craig was suspended for a game in his senior season at Cincinnati for “an unspecified violation of team rules.”  The Bengals are just what Craig needs to go from violating team rules to bigger and better violations of the law.  Way to go!

            Their other 7^th round pick is a head case.  If Mario Urrutia WR Louisville doesn't get enough touches early in the game, he sulks and will easy drop passes.

            Hiring quality talent scouts must be against the religion of team management.  Maybe the Browns are spending so much money on physiologists for family members and players alike that they can't afford scouts. 

            Commissioner Goodell, PLEASE give the fans of Cincinnati a break.  They build a new stadium for this poor excuse for a team that can't keep enough players out of the Hamilton County Jail to field a team.  MLB finally did something about Marge “Hitler wasn't so bad” Schott and forced her to sell the team.  (See you should never do business with a widow!)  Based on this draft, it doesn't look like 2008 will be much different.  No wonder Chad Johnson wants out.  Can you blame him?