Jungle Noise: Fourth Edition of Cincinnati Bengals News and Notes

Another Former Cowboy

James Williams, the agent for former Dallas Cowboy LB Greg Ellis, said that the Cincinnati Bengals are on his clients list, because of his relationship with Bengals Defensive Coordinator Mike Zimmer. Ellis played for Zimmer for seven years in Dallas; both know what they would be getting with each other.

Mike Zimmer would get a veteran in the locker room, and a field leader, and Ellis would be going back to a coach that he flourished under.

Ellis could be the missing piece to the Bengals roster, over the last two years he has racked up 20.5 sacks.

The 6”4 265 pound Ellis was a 3-4 backer in Dallas, in Cincinnati’s 4-3 he would project into a rush end.

This is where the problem comes in, the Bengals are stacked at that position which includes two of the Defensive Lines highest paid players in Antwan Odom and Robert Geathers, complicating it even further the Bengals drafted speed rusher Michael Johnson out of Georgia Tech in the third round.

Mike Zimmer is not worried about the number of D Lineman the more the merrier he says, one number that maybe Zimmer is concerned with is 34, the age that Ellis turns the day the Bengals open their preseason schedule.

Charges Reduced

Cornerback Leon Hall appeared in a Clermont County court room on Tuesday entering a guilty plea to a lesser charge. Leon Hall charged with DUI; plead guilty to a lesser charge of reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

Hall 24 years old, has had no prior alcohol charges, and no other convictions of any kind, was able to get the charge reduced and he received 64 hours of community service, a 250$ fine and had to donate 500$ to the USO.

Hall received a 30 day jail sentence, but Judge Shriver suspended 27 of the days, and Hall will serve a 3 day sentence at Camp Allen in Clermont County. At his 3 day stay Hall will attend alcohol related classes.

On a personal note Camp Allen is probably less than 2 minutes from my house and I know many people who have had to attend their 3 day class for DUI’s.  Clermont County is famous for the police in this area getting an extraordinary amount of DUI.

Caldwell’s Confident

Bengals second year receiver Andre Caldwell, the Bengals third round pick of the 2007 draft, has high hopes for the 2009 season, and he isn’t bashful about sharing them.

Caldwell says that TJ Houshmanzadeh taught him everything about being a pro; he says that he never really took care of his body like he does now until TJ ran him through his workouts.

Apparently Caldwell thinks that he has learned enough, because he is confident he can be the Bengals third down go to guy.

Caldwell is like TJ in more ways than his ability to play the slot; he also has an exuberant amount of confidence.

Caldwell says “I think I fit the TJ form, but I think I can do more things after I get the ball, I’m a little faster, a little shiftier guy. I think I possess both of those qualities. I can also go deep just like Chad.”

Palmer says that Caldwell has picked up right where he left off when he took TJ’s spot in the season finale, where he had 83 all purpose yards and helped propel the Bengals to a victory against the Chiefs in the '08 finale.

It is odd that Caldwell chose to compare himself to TJ, Caldwell had his breakout game in the season finale of '08, whereas TJ had his breakout game in the season finale against Pittsburgh seven years earlier in his rookie season.

In the game Dec 30 against Pittsburgh, a victory, quarterback Jon Kitna drove in the fourth quarter and his first six passes were intended for TJ Houshmanzadeh. Of the six passes, three were complete and one drew a pass interference flag.