Cincinnati Bengals Find Their Stripes? What Jay Gruden Must Do To Fix Offense
Cincinnati Bengals left tackle Andrew Whitworth may have said it best when the team announced the hiring of new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden—"If you wanted change, you got it."
But let's wait and see before we start making any proclamations.
The Bengals offense has fallen apart piece by piece since the 2005 season. We've all heard the reasons—the departure of T.J. Houshmandzadeh, the lack of a pass-catching tight end, the death of Chris Henry, no help for Chad Ochocinco, Carson Palmer's decline in production, etc.
Cincinnati addressed most of those areas last offseason when they followed through with head coach Marvin Lewis' battle cry to surround quarterback Carson Palmer with more weapons. The Bengals made dynamic pass-catcher Jermaine Gresham the first tight end drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, picked up Texas receiver Jordan Shipley in the third round and infamously brought in boisterous wide receiver Terrell Owens via free agency at the beginning of training camp.
The results were pleasant. Owens hauled in nine touchdowns and was just 17 yards away from surpassing the 1,000-yard receiving mark before being placed on injured reserve for the final two games of the season. Gresham showed great promise and led rookie tight ends in receptions. Shipley developed a good rapport with Palmer and was reliable in the slot.
However, all of that resulted in a porous 4-12 season. Despite the additions on offense, over 1,000 yards from running back Cedric Benson and nearly 4,000 and 26 touchdown passes from Carson Palmer, the Bengals offense is now surrounded with more questions now than when the season began.
After throwing down a trade-me-or-I'll-quit gauntlet in owner Mike Brown's office last month, what will happen with Palmer? Will Benson explore new opportunities in free agency after the Bengals trashed the run-heavy playbook that won them the 2009 division title? Has Ochocinco played his final game in stripes? Why has the play of the offensive line been so sloppy, undisciplined and inconsistent?
The Bengals will contemplate the answers to those questions, among many others, this offseason.
They began their quest for answers by lopping the head of Bob Bratkowski, the team's offensive coordinator for 10 seasons.
However, it's unlikely that Bratkowski's head on a silver platter will equate to instant change as far as the offense in Cincinnati is concerned. While it may maintain some outraged season ticket holders and appease fans who have become increasingly frustrated since 2005, Gruden has inherited a mess that no one has been able to figure out.
If it were just a couple things here and there, the Bengals would have worked the kinks out throughout the course of the season. If there were a quick fix, the miscommunication wouldn't have plagued the team all the way through Week 17.
Let's take a look at some of the things Gruden will need to address this offseason to get this offense back on track and make the Bengals competitive in 2011 and beyond.
New Offensive Coordinator, New Offensive Philosophy
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One of the hottest names around the league—Gruden—is headed to Cincinnati to take over the Bengals offense.
Except, it's not the Gruden you think, and it's not the league you think.
After tearing up the United Football League (UFL) with the Virginia Destroyers, Jay Gruden, Jon's brother, will replace Bob Bratkowski as the Cincinnati Bengals' offensive coordinator.
As far as experience in the NFL goes, Gruden was an offensive assistant on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and was a part of his brother's Super Bowl team.
Perhaps, most importantly, the West Coast system he plans to install could be a lure for quarterback Carson Palmer to drop his trade request and return to the Bengals for a ninth season. Palmer is still adamant about forcing his way out of town, but Gruden is confident the disgruntled signal-caller will find his new offensive system attractive.
Gruden learned the West Coast attack under his brother, Jon, who picked it up at the feet of Bill Walsh, Andy Reid and Mike Holmgren. Gruden calls the plan he will implement "quarterback-friendly" and believes it is one that will Palmer will flourish in, allowing him to showcase his talents and return him to "elite" status.
Gruden also intends to carry out head coach Marvin Lewis' vision of pounding the ball in the running game, which should please Cedric Benson.
However, to be effective and successful in Cincinnati, Gruden will need to have a Zimmer-like effect on this football team.
When Mike Zimmer became the team's defensive coordinator in 2008, he came in demanding respect and preaching discipline. That defense, which finished 28th in the league the previous season, finished 12th in the league. In 2009, the Bengals were a top five defense.
After three seasons under Zimmer, the Bengals defense is a solid unit and is no longer the Achilles' heel of the team. Gone are the days that the group held back the elite Cincinnati offense of 2005-2007. Now, the tables have turned.
Cincinnati's defense took a few weeks to find its way, but once it did, the unit played well enough to win several games for the team this year. It was the offense that buckled. Week after week, undisciplined play, inconsistency and turnovers plagued the Bengals offense.
Landing the Bengals offense in the top five in the league in the next couple of seasons, as Zimmer did for the team's defense, is certainly a tall order. However, Gruden coming in with a Zimmer-like approach would be a great foundation for this unit to build upon.
Gruden may also want to think about looking at the Green Bay Packers offense in Super Bowl XLV as a blueprint for competing in the AFC North next season and beyond.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers manhandled the Pittsburgh Steelers defense in a variation of the West Coast offense. Gruden should take notes and implement similar ideas to formulate a game plan against the elite defenses of the AFC North.
However, much of that will be dependent on who is quarterbacking the Bengals next season. Attacking strong defenses such as Pittsburgh and Baltimore with five-wideout sets and wishbone formations would be much easier with Carson Palmer at the helm than an untested rookie.
Gruden has plenty of work ahead of him, and until he hears otherwise, he will be operating as if Palmer is his quarterback.
Who Will Be The Quarterback?
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Of course, the biggest question for the Bengals this offseason will be the future of quarterback Carson Palmer.
It has been well-documented that Carson Palmer has demanded that the Cincinnati Bengals trade him to a team of his liking. Palmer is so adamant about getting out of town that should the Bengals not comply with his request, he claims he will retire.
As clear as Palmer has made his unhappiness, owner Mike Brown has made it just as clear that he is not prepared to trade his quarterback. Brown remains adamant that Palmer is vital to the future of the franchise.
We'll see in the coming months just how far Palmer is prepared to take this, but it doesn't look to end favorably for the Bengals.
Aside from the rare possibility that new offensive coordinator Jay Gruden can pitch his offense to Palmer successfully and convince him to stay, the Bengals will be forced to either trade Palmer after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached or draft his replacement.
With Carson's brother, Jordan Palmer, and untested Dan LeFevour, a waiver-wire pickup from the Chicago Bears, as the only other signal-callers on the team, Palmer's successor doesn't currently look to be on the roster.
There is a possibility that the Bengals will use the fourth overall pick in April's draft to select a quarterback. Missouri's Blaine Gabbert is likely to become the first quarterback taken off the board and could be available when the Bengals are on the clock.
He will certainly be under the microscope in the coming months.
What Will The Receiving Corps Look Like?
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Wide receiver Chad Ochocinco's behavior has been unusual—as usual—lately.
He's sent mixed signals by flirting with the New England Patriots, New York Jets and Oakland Raiders, and then claiming he wants to stay in Cincinnati and can't imagine himself playing anywhere else.
He even went as far as to try to set up a steel cage match between himself and head coach Marvin Lews before the start of next season.
It appears that Lewis has finally grown tired of Ochocinco's antics and that he could be playing elsewhere next season.
Veteran receiver and blockbuster free-agent pickup Terrell Owens was as good as gone after going down with a season-ending injury on the first series against the Cleveland Browns during Week 15.
Third-year receivers Jerome Simpson and Andre Caldwell were great in the Weeks 16 and 17 when injuries to star wideouts Ochocinco and Owens sidelined them for the final two games of the season.
Simpson, in particular, may have been a gem resting on Cincinnati's sideline for quite some time. The former second-round pick hauled in 18 catches, 247 yards and three touchdowns in the final two weeks of the season against the talented defenses of San Diego and Baltimore.
Jordan Shipley, the rookie from the University of Texas, was quite a find in the third round for the Bengals last year. He was a fantastic third-down option for Palmer and was excellent in the slot.
The tight end position figures to be set for years to come with the addition of young stud Jermaine Gresham from the University of Oklahoma. Gresham is a dynamic receiver who has a knack for making plays and his blocking will only get better.
It will be interesting to see how this young receiving corps gels together through OTAs and training camp should Ochocinco and Owens not return.
However, will this unit be enough?
A few weeks ago, it was widely believed that the Bengals were seriously considering drafting Georgia receiver A.J. Green with the fourth overall pick in April's draft.
That is, until Carson Palmer demanded a trade out of Cincinnati.
Needless to say, the Bengals' priorities have changed. Drastically.
Whether it be via draft or free agency, the Bengals will still need to address the receiver position this offseason. Love them or hate them, the losses of Ochocinco and Owens leaves quite a bit of production to replace. The Bengals will need to add depth.
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Running Back: Benson or Bust?
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The likelihood of free-agent running back Cedric Benson returning to the Bengals improved drastically with the firing former offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski.
It's safe to say that Benson was less-than-pleased with quarterback Carson Palmer's career-high 586 pass attempts last season. It was reported by Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer that if Bratkowski were to return to the Bengals in 2011, Benson would not.
The new man on the job, Jay Gruden, is saying all the right things to reel Benson back in, pledging to get back to what won the team the AFC North title in 2009—pounding the ball with running game.
Given the state of uncertainty surrounding the Bengals offense this offseason with Palmer demanding a trade and the two top receivers from last season, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, unlikely to return, the Bengals can't afford to lose Benson.
Benson said he believes Bratkowski's departure "will be a benefit in a positive way."
Asked if he believes the Bengals offense can succeed without Palmer, Benson said yes.
"“There would be a lot of adjustment but it is time for things to change and grow,” he said. “We have the tools to develop players."
There's a good possibility that Benson would like to return to Cincinnati. Don't forget—the Bengals were the only team willing to take a chance on him after he was released by the Chicago Bears in 2008 following his second alcohol-related arrest in five weeks.
Other than Palmer, no Bengal had more of a roller coaster season than Benson. A week after an abysmal performance against the Pittsburgh Steelers (eight rushes for 19 yards) in Week 14, he rushed for 150 yards on a season-high 31 carries against the Cleveland Browns the next week.
There isn't another every-down back currently on the Bengals' roster and no team can survive in the AFC North without a strong running attack. While Bernard Scott is an excellent change-of-pace back, he doesn’t have the durability to carry the load by himself. Brian Leonard, who is set to become a free agent as well, is primarily a third-and-fourth-down back and a receiving threat out of the backfield.
Regardless of what happens with Benson, the Bengals need to add some depth to the running back position. It wouldn't hurt the team to add a potential bell-cow back who could carry the ball 15-20 times a game should Benson get injured.
Personally, I thought the Bengals had a perfect opportunity to grab some insurance in the backfield in last year's draft in the later rounds with a back who fit their system perfectly—Oregon's LeGarrette Blount.
However, I had no idea Blount, who went undrafted, would turn into the stud he has become for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Blount is a big back who possesses the same smash-mouth, physical style as Benson and very well could have been his successor should he explore free agency this offseason.
Decisions To Be Made On The Offensive Line
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Ever since quarterback Carson Palmer lost guard Eric Steinbach and his two elite bookends, right tackle Willie Anderson and left tackle Levi Jones, his production has declined.
The inconsistency of the Bengals' offensive line has plagued the team for multiple seasons now.
The team attempted to fix the problem in 2009 when it drafted tackle Andre Smith from Alabama with the sixth overall selection. However, injuries and weight issues have kept him from reaching his potential. As many times as he has flashed his road-grading brilliance, he's also been labeled a possible "bust".
This offseason, the Bengals brass must decide if they'd like to exercise the option that would add two more years to Smith's contract. Given his production thus far, it is unlikely that they will.
Smith, Anthony Collins and Dennis Roland all spent time rotating at right tackle this season. Collins was solid late in the year and did a great job of keeping Palmer clean. If Smith is going to win the starting job next season, he may have to beat out Collins. There is also talk that the Bengals may experiment with Smith at guard.
Right guard Bobbie Williams, a mainstay and anchor on the offensive line for years, is entering the final year of his contract. Williams is 34-years-old and there is no clear successor behind on him.
Center Kyle Cook is a restricted free agent. Cook has been serviceable and the Bengals like the way he has held his own and fended off the big nose tackles in the AFC North. Cook will likely be offered a new multi-year deal.
Left guard has been a liability for many seasons now as Evan Mathis enters the offseason as an unrestricted free agent and Nate Livings becomes a restricted free agent. Neither figure to be the long-term solution at the position.
The only spot that is set for years to come is left tackle where Andrew Whitworth has really emerged over the past couple of seasons. Whitworth continually shuts down elite pass rushers with little to no help and is considered one of the biggest Pro Bowl snubs from last season.
To generate some consistency in both the passing game and the running game, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden needs to get this offensive line established, or at least headed in the right direction.
In particular, the guard spots need to be addressed sooner rather than later. It's time the Bengals used an early draft pick or a free-agent pick-up to shore up the position. With the inconsistency at left guard over the years and the looming departure of Williams, they surely won't regret it.
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