Good job to the Bengals coaching staff! I thought they answered every need and have positioned themselves well for the future. As for the QB situation, this is the year for Kitna to show his stuff. No excuses for two bad years back to back. As for Akili Smith, I wouldn't write him off yet. I believe he can still develop into a very good QB but he has to be study and work hard.
--Bob in Dumfries, Va.

Let's just back our team and give them hope.
--April in Cincinnati

I am a Purdue alum and have watched Travis Dorsch for the past few seasons. He really worked hard to be a great kicker. I think the Bengals will benefit from his services. I am really pleased with their draft picks. I know we need a really stellar quarterback but last year we lost some really close games because of missed kicks so I think the team will do fine with Jones and the kicker.
--Shirley in Cincinnati

  Are the people who hate our picks the same ones who wanted us to draft Kenyatta Walker over Justin Smith last year?   Walker was TERRIBLE last year thrown in the fire as a rookie.  Jones gets to learn from one of the best in the business - Big Willie - and gets to learn from a HOFer in Richmond Webb.    Next year when Webb retires, we now have an easier transition at LT instead of short DB who has enough of an attitude problem that one GM said, "I wouldn't take him in ANY round", or a pass catching TE who can't block.    I trust Dick LeBeau and this is what he wanted this year.  How would everyone felt if we had to start a rookie LT next year?  Talk about taking a step backwards.  Learning from Webb and Willie and seeing playing time will make him an impact player this year.  Webb did not run block well at all last year.  Corey's 3.9 per carry showed that.  We need better quality run blocking and with Jones we will get that.  When Jim McNally, who coached Anthony Munoz calls Jones, "The best offensive lineman in the draft", that's good enough for me.
--Joe in   Hackettstown, NJ

  Bled - who. Think about it. Injured - not in his prime! Proficient yes. Healthy? Mike Brown, I think you are starting to wise up. No, we have a coaching staff who is wising Brown up. Yes we need a quarterback! But don't sell the farm to get one until we have what will allow him to be successful. Our left side is old; we now have quality youth! Our line will be strong on both sides! Not a lot of teams can say that! Next year we may want to look trading up to get a potential quality quarterback. We have a chance for the first time in 10 years to be watching our BUNGALS play in at least one or two playoff games. Remember this - if our BUNGALS do become BENGALS this year - they will remain BENGALS for a few years. Why? Because Brown didn't sell the farm for a one or two year wonder like the Ravens and Redskins!
--Jeffrey in Kaiserslautern, Germany

Hats off to Mike Brown (and John Cooper for convincing Mike to draft a tackle in the first round).; I don't care what the experts say, this was the best move the Bengals could have made. If they would have made a move to acquire Bledsoe, he would have been injured within four games of the season, for he would have been hit from the blind side (lack of left tackle protection) and they would have back to square one. Besides, Bledsoe did not want to play in Cincinnati. I say the Bengals will make the playoffs this season! Mike Brown, continue to do the right thing and get Levi Jones signed before training camp. Please do not try to low-ball him. Go Bengals.
--Tyrone in Cincinnati

If Paul Daugherty is against the pick, then it must be a good pick.
--Ken in Fairfield

I'd like to take a moment to tell everyone in Cincinnati what I just had to witness. Tom Donahoes news conference introducing Drew Bledsoe as the new QB of the Bills. While Mike Brown sits on the sidelines and watches a real GM operate, the BIlls have just written their ticket to the playoffs. I'm a lonely Bungals fan near Syracuse just waiting to endure having to watch Akili Smith or Jon Kitna scramble for their lives and throw more interceptions. I wish Mike Brown could field the congratulatory calls I've already received from BIlls fans in my area thanking me for having him as a GM and allowing the BIlls to pursue the only All Pro QB available. Now while the Bills ticket office phones ring off the wall, we Bengals fans will have to wait to figure out what game Akili Smith will replace Jon Kitna, then when Smith fails, try to figure out when Scott Covington enters the game. As Chris Berman would say, "Oh Boy".

The excitement in NY and the Buffalo area is beyond the Bengals wildest dreams. They will never experience this while Mike Brown continues to fool himself and actually believe these second tier QB's and failed draft picks will finally get us above .500. The Bills drafted for Bledsoe, they will sell tickets and they will win. Everyone who has called me has already told me that. I'm not sure what Mike Brown thinks, but I know one thing for sure, the excitement at the Bledsoe press conference and excitement in the community are going to make me a Bills fan and finally dump the hopeless Bungals....Good Luck Levi...Or as most people around here said "Who is Levi??" Have a nice long summer waiting for that opening game.
--Joe in Binghamton, NY

I take that the way your phrase your section here you or the editors disagree with the selections of the Bengals. I applaud the Bengals for the picks that they made and only time will tell who did what. Just in the future I wish that you would look back on the past drafts of not only the Bengals but other teams and grade them. Most want to think the Bengals do poorly but I believe they have turned the corner.
--Ron in Pickerington

I have been a Bengals fan since I was a small child. I have stuck with a team that appears to have had some bad luck on past picks. I have continued to have hope for the Bengals even though some of these picks have not worked out. Watching the 2002 draft fairly closely, I have come to the conclusion that the Bengals want to lose. I don't necessarily disagree with picking an offensive tackle in the first round, but Levi Jones...honestly they could have done better with the 10th overall pick. If they didn't want an impact player why didn't they trade down.

Another problem I have is with the Bengals not trying to draft Kurt Kittner in the 4th round. He could be one of those late round steals, but I guess that is for some other team to find out. Good thing we have a kicker though, maybe if we would have traded down in round 1 and got another 4th round pick we could have Kittner and a kicker. It appears that Mike Brown forgot about the draft and shot from the hip this year...nice work Mike...nice work. Hopefully it all works out alright.
--Joe in South Dakota

I think this year's draft has been the best in years! They addressed a long overdue need in left tackle, they addressed the need in safety and tight end.
Go Bengals,
--John in St. Bernard

It is time for everyone to stop whining and think this pick through. First, the pick makes great sense for both the present and the future, more so than trading for Bledsoe. Also, the Bengals were wise to take Jones when they did. Why? Examine these reasons:

1) Bledsoe DID NOT want to be in Cincy. Hence, he would spend a few unhappy years here and leave. Such a bargain!

2) We need RUN BLOCKING! I don't think Cincy fans have a clue about how good Dillon could be with a fast (read- not a tub of goo), smart lineman to run behind.

3) Jones could advance VERY quickly. From reading between the lines this kid is big, smart (academic scholarship), strong, fast and nasty. The last two Bengals who combined these characteristics on the line were Mike Reid (my favorite DL) and Anthony Munoz.

4) You don't bet on the come when you can fill a need now. Old linemen have a tendency to wear out after 12 years and our tackles are right there. Trading down might be a fun gamble in the living room, but not in the draft room.

5) Improving the defense will not score you more points. Without helping the offense, the Bengals might hold teams to fewer points, but will still lose, say 9 to 6. Wahoo!

Frankly, this kid may prove to be a steal at #10.
--John in Charlotte, NC

Vent? Stand up and cheer. What are all the naysayers thinking? Bad pick, bad pick, same old Bengals. If they are the same old Bengals picture this good news / bad news scenario. The good news is we now have the 6th ranked defense in the NFL. The bad news is Webb gets a knee strain, Jackson herniates a disc and now we can't run the ball because Phillip Buchanon weighs a buck 85 and we are now losing games 10-7, 7-6. You want to talk about a bad passing game try it without a running game. Webb and Jackson both retire at the end of the season and we are back to square 1 at this time next year looking for a starting rookie left tackle with the 8th pick in the draft. I think the Bengals are planning for a successful future of more than 1 year. Give me a solid line with depth, Corey Dillion, same defense, a healthy Sean Brewer (there's your TE) and I'll take my chances over the next 5 years and I don't care who starts at quarterback.
--Randy in Dayton

          I can't understand the Bengals. Now that we know who they drafted with the 10th pick, would you have traded Levi Jones for Drew Bledsoe? New England  wanted a first round pick and the 10th would have gotten it done. I think the Bengals needed a proven QB more than a an unproven OT. What are they thinking??
 -- Curt in Boston

My main problem with the Bengals draft is they are not building for 2002 but 2003 and beyond. The Bengals had a great chance to make the Cincy "D" a Tampa Bay type impact defense if they draft Buchanon with Thompson. Let's be honest here... as long as the Bengals don't sign a veteran kicker, all the OL they draft won't help the team score points. If LeBeau is hell bent on making this Pittsburgh style football - no offense, just FG's and defensive TD's - then you have to draft the cornerback. No QB, no TE, no kicker, no need to worry about playoff tickets again!
-- Dustin in Eldorado, Ohio

        For years we bashed Mike Brown for not stocking the offensive line with high draft picks. Now we bash him because he does? They are gonna need a left tackle soon, given the ages of Webb & Jackson. Why wait until your veterans are gone to start a rookie there? Let the kid learn from Webb & Jackson for a year. Did all you Bengal fans really want a short, cocky rookie CB? I'm just very glad they didn't waste another No. 1 pick on a QB. Now let's go get Kurt Kittner in the fourth round and a kicker in the fifth. That would make most of us happy, I think.
  -- Al in Ada

I was shocked when they took Levi Jones. If Mike Brown was so interested in the o-line, he should have taken Willie Roaf, Tony Boselli, and others the Bengals passed on). Taking Phillip Buchanon would have lessened the blow when the Bengals passed on Troy Vincent. The Bengals DON'T know how to draft DB's. Mark Roman, Artrell Hawkins, Charles Fisher ... what bums! Just think if the Bengals would have drafted all the players I mentioned above they passed on, do you think they would have been the worse team of the decade in the history of the NFL!
--Rob in West Virginia

I was waiting so impatiently for the Bengals to choose their #1 pick. When the announcement came, I was totally shocked. Another step to making the Bengal brass and especially the fans the laughingstock of the draft. Prior to the choice, the crew from ESPN were complimentary in saying that the Bengals are a few players away from being a playoff team. When the choice was given, even the ESPN announcers were taken back, gasping for air to respond to the latest snafu. I feel for the coaches that have to be subjected to MB and his idiotic, frugal thinking. What makes matters worse, Dick Lebeau has to support his bosses decision by making announcements that this was a good choice. Passing up on Buchannon and Shockey was absurd and uncalled for Shame on you, Mike Brown, for making the Bengals the laughingstock of the draft, as usual.
-- Roger in Cincinnati

        Teams have a very small window to compete for a shot at the Super Bowl  before they lose quality players to free agency and need to reload. Good examples are Baltimore and Jacksonville. The Bengals are close to competing for the AFC title, with a quality defense, very good running game with Corey Dillon and a solid receiving corp. Drew Bledsoe, one of the eight best QB's in the NFL, could have been acquired with the 10th pick and elevated the play of the entire offense and given the Bengals a chance to compete for a Super Bowl. Now they have a developmental left tackle that won't be able to contribute until the Bengals have to start reloading again. Typical Bengals. Losers.
-- Chris in Cincinnati

        I have no problem at all with the Bengals getting an offensive tackle.  I would have preferred they move down and think they could have traded with the Giants and still drafted Jones.  But, I like this pick! The Bengals came back very strong in rounds 2 and 3 getting one of the best safeties and tight ends on the board so all in all, I think they had a very strong first day. Get Kittner in the fourth round!
-- Rick in Westerville

        If the Bengals really wanted a tackle that badly, they should have traded up. Or better yet, they should have drafted one last year when they had the opportunity to get one of the best. Then they could have gotten a defensive end this year because there were more defensive linemen available. The fact that they didn't go after an impact player - cornerback, tight end - shows ineptitude. John Jackson and Richmond Webb may be around for two more years. In that time period a better tackle might come out in the draft. The Bengals need someone who can play NOW, not another project.
-- Joe in Cincinnati

        If the pick works out, what a line that would be. Winners are built up front. Isn't that something another Brown named Paul thought?
-- Andy in Grove City

        As a Steelers fan here in Cincinnati, I applaud the Bengals on their choice.  Nice of them to choose a player in the first round that will not have any impact on a game in at least two seasons.  Almost unanimously thought, Levi Jones would have been available 10 picks later and the Bengals could have added more personnel through a trade.  As a team getting close to turning the corner, the Bungles have done our new 4-team division a favor by opting to stay at the bottom.  A strong corner might have been able to handle Plaxico Burress and other franchise receivers in the league.
  -- Keith in Springfield Township

        Great pick, Dick LeBeau! It's nice to see a draft pick two years in a row with a good attitude toward hard work. The Bengals are going in right direction. Go Bengals!
--Donald in Columbus

I would like all the "experts" to explain to me what the Bengals will do when the 2002 season is over and their two left tackles retire. They are addressing a very important need. It took me about 10 hours to warm up to the pick. To bypass both Buchanon and Shockey was an absolute shock. But I understand now. Can you imagine the excellent tutoring Jones will receive from Richmond Webb and John Jackson? I believe this was a very good pick.
-- Michael in Williamsport, Pa.

        Before we blast Mike Brown I think we should see how the draft picks play in the NFL. Being rated No. 1 at a position doesn't mean anything except how much money they will get to sign a contract. I may be blasting Mike Brown, but it won't be until Christmas.
-- Duke in Milford

        When you are a Bengals fan, there are no surprises because there should be no expectations by now.  I do know that you can find a good lineman later in the draft (See Jason Fabini) but you can't find a shutdown corner past the first round (See Artrell Hawkins getting beat for TD's since we drafted him).
    -- Rob in Western Hills

        If he has as much potential as some of the publications have said, then I think it was an excellent pick.  We've heard the clamor for years about how badly the team needed to address the left tackle position and the outcry was silenced with the addition of Richmond Webb, but Webb's years are getting up there and he was viewed simply as a two to three year solution.  Having someone of Webb's talent and skills around, as well as those of John Jackson to help groom the young man can only make him a better player.  A reach at #10, just slightly, but a much needed and very good pick that will solidify one of the most important positions on the team for years to come.
  -- Michael in Cincinnati

        I almost felt like most of the people who have responded to the Bengals latest draft.  I had just about been taken by the response of ESPN's so called experts.  But then I thought about last year's picks.  I think that Dick LeBeau's influence on the draft choices which the Bengals have made in the last two years make sense.  Dick LeBeau and the staff that surrounds are drafting players which will fit in, and want to help the Bengals become winners.  Let's not forget Carl Pickens.  Players that are difficult to please and difficult to coach and who are only concerned about themselves are not the type of people you want to build a "TEAM" around.  The Bengals and Mike Brown have shown in the past that they don't handle theses types of high profile players well.  You don't have to look far to find teams which have taken this approach in the draft.  Pittsburgh comes to mind.  They seem to develop talent from their draft picks, players that aren't in the spotlight during the draft.  I understand that being a Bengals fan the last 10 years has been difficult.  I didn't hear the so called experts complaining when the Bengals drated KiJana Carter, David Klingler, and Dan Wilkinson.   I hope Bengals fans give LeBeau a chance.
  --Tom in Hillsboro

        I have watched the sad state of the Cincinnati offensive line for years and it is great that they have decided to make the offensive line a priority again. Does anyone remember Munoz and Montoya? Without them, no one would remember Boomer, Ickey and Brooks.
-- Phil in Cincinnati

        One more reason to laugh at the Bengals this year.  Imagine Mike Brown in the old Johnny Carson mindreader bit:

          [Holding envelope to head]

          Levi Jones.

          [Opens envelope]

          What player will hold out for #10 pick money, but was maybe a top twenty pick, and will spend the season on the bench?
-- David in Cincinnati

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