Sunday, January 16, 2000BENGALS INSIDER
Brown calls Akili over Saints' 9 picks 'a wash'
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati EnquirerFor the man who held out to draft Akili Smith back in April, Bengals President Mike Brown made a remarkable observation last week when he noted NFL teams no longer have to look at the top of the draft if they want a franchise quarterback.
After watching Kurt Warner come out of Arena ball, Doug Flutie come out of Canada, Brad Johnson come out of Europe and Shaun King come out of Tulane, what else can anyone conclude?
Brown even tried to go the recycled route Vikings coach Dennis Green has coaxed into the last two playoffs with Randall Cunningham and Jeff George.
After Boomer Esiason left for the TV booth after the 1997 season, Brown thought he was securing a playoff run instead of a 3-13 season when he gave Neil O'Donnell $3.7 million to sign.
Brown is still furious O'Donnell has produced everywhere but Cincinnati, although apparently not furious enough to make the coaches pay.
Yet, Brown is still convinced the decision to draft Smith with the third pick and turn down the New Orleans Saints' offer of nine draft choices (first and third through seventh rounds in '99, first-rounders in 2000 and 2001 and a second in 2002) will hold up under the test of time.
Of course, no one in the league dreamed the Saints' first-rounder in 2000 would be the second pick in the draft.
“I think 10 years from now, we're going to say it was a wash,” said Brown of the two choices he faced draft day.
Before the draft, the Bengals plugged in the players they would take with the extra choices, trying to figure which deal would yield the biggest difference.
Brown concluded there would be no immediate difference makers at positions the Bengals needed, so the decision boiled down to Smith or UCLA quarterback Cade McNown, a player they weren't sure would be available at No.12 but ultimately was.
Smith's size, mobility and arm strength carried the day.
Here's what the players end ed up doing their rookie year after they were drafted in the spots given up by the Saints. The Bengals would have no doubt drafted different positions, so this is merely a guess of possible impact. Maybe some of these guys develop, maybe not.
• First round, 12th pick by Bears: UCLA quarterback Cade McNown — Established himself as promising starter in last three games. Next to Tim Couch played the most of the five first-round quarterbacks. Eight touchdown passes, 10 interceptions.
• Third round, 71st pick by Bears: Northwestern receiver D'Wayne Bates — Played in seven games. Started one in sitting behind bevy of receivers. Two catches for 19 yards, but Bears see good future.
• Fourth round, 107th pick by Redskins: Georgia Tech linebacker Nate Stimson — Wasn't on the Redskins playoff roster on Saturday.
• Fifth round, 144th pick by Bears: Massachusetts linebacker Khari Samuel — Played 13 games. Started one. Mainly on special teams. Showed some potential backing up in middle with 17 tackles.
• Sixth round, 179th pick by Broncos: Wake Forest tight end Desmond Clark — One catch for five yards as No.3 tight end used occasionally in double tight formations. Liked him enough they kept four tight ends so not to lose him.
• Seventh round, 218th pick by Broncos: USC wide receiver Billy Miller — At times No.3 receiver. Played some tight end. Five catches, 59 yards. Played mostly special teams, where took some penalties.
BELL OUT: Veteran strong safety Myron Bell can see the future and he's not a Bengal. Bell, 28, the former Steeler who started this season when Sam Shade opted for free agency, stopped by Spinney Field last week to clean out his locker.
“I'm not ruling them out,” Bell said, “but I didn't clean it out in Pittsburgh and, I only got about half my stuff sent to me.”
Bell thinks the Bengals will move rookie Cory Hall from free safety to strong and put fourth-year player Tremain Mack at free safety. Bell, a classy, stand-up guy, refused to go out ripping like so many ex-Bengals this season.
“I feel like if you say something bad about the organization, you're saying something bad about the players and I would never do that to my teammates,” Bell said.
The Bengals didn't seemed thrilled with Bell's pass coverage. But Richard Katz, his Cincinnati-based agent, can't see why the club will let him go: “They're so young back there already and now they're going to lose another veteran? But we hope they call us, we just haven't heard anything.”
GOOD TIDE-INGS: Katz, 50, one of the decent men in the business, secured his first first-round player after 15 years in the game when Alabama running back Shaun Alexander, a Northern Kentucky product, signed on.
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