Thursday, April 06, 2000
Akili throws with no pain in toe
Bengals QB does drills, wonders about Warrick
BY GEOFF HOBSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Bengals quarterback Akili Smith gave a thumbs-up for his big toe after his most extensive throwing since last season's injury.
Smith showed no signs of favoring his right foot Wednesday as offensive coordinator Ken Anderson harped on his mechanics and those of backups Scott Mitchell and Scott Covington during drills at Spinney Field.
“It's the most throwing I've done since the week preparing for Jacksonville,” Smith said of the Oct.31 toe strain he received against the Jaguars. “The arm feels a little tired but not bad at all. I'm a little rusty, but that's going to take a week or two.”
Smith threw to receivers Darnay Scott, James Hundon and Damon Griffin, as well as running back Michael Basnight.
And Florida State wide receiver Peter Warrick could be lining up in mini-camp drills in 23 days if the NFL draft goes as expected when the Bengals pick fourth.
“That guy's a weapon,” Smith said. “It would be something else if he came in here. Add a back in there like Corey Dillon, and it would be a dangerous offense.”
Of the top four players in the April 15 draft, Warrick is the most attractive because of his big-play capability that alters games. Even Bengals director of college/pro personnel Jim Lippincott, long a believer Cleveland will take Warrick No.1, is starting to think the dream comes true at 4.
All indications are the Browns at No.1 are taking one of two Penn State teammates, either defensive end Courtney Brown or linebacker LaVar Arrington. At Nos.2 and 3, Washington may take whomever Cleveland doesn't, then Alabama left tackle Chris Samuels, leaving Warrick.
“I still don't see it, but you keep reading it,” Lippincott said. “On the Internet, the mock draft, in the (Cleveland) Plain-Dealer. But then I think back to the fall when (Warrick) was the best player in the country.”
Despite the Carl Pickens problem, it's tempting for some in the organization to ponder Warrick's ability to exploit mismatches in the slot of a three-receiver set with Pickens and Scott. That would invoke the wide-open alignment of the Super Bowl champion Rams.
“He can do a lot of things,” Anderson said of Warrick. “But let's wait on that stuff and see what happens. There's still (nine days) to the draft.”
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