Not surprising. At all. But here's the quote:

"New Patriot Jonathan Fanene on the difference between the atmosphere in New England and his old team, Cincinnati: I see guys focused more, and not just the workout, but in everything we do here. Its more of a team effort. Guys welcome me inside the locker room. Its just hard-working, do-the-job type of atmosphere.

The Bungs do not try to build a winning culture. They just fill some needs and say, 'OK, we have some talent now let's go see what happens.'

You guys say Burfict is high reward, low risk, but I don't see it that way. I see it as a sign that nothing has changed, that the brownHole is still looking for "great value" rather than a winning culture, and that bargain shopping is still the "strategy" for contending.

As far as him being considered a #1 draft pick but falling because of character concerns, I'm with Lurker Guy. Players don't fall out of the draft completely unless they have majorly screwed up. Like murder, or at least a felony.

Look at Janorus Jenkins. Guy was kicked off his team, caught smoking dope like 3 times in less than a year, and was basically considered as risky a pick in terms of character as there was in this draft. He went in the 2nd round, rather than the 1st, not a huge drop.

If Burfict were the stud everyone seems to think, he would have been drafted. As it is he's probably an OK player but another head case that will contribute to the lack of focus, lack of team effort and lack of hard work that Fanene described. I could be wrong about him, but when you have a locker room full of these guys I won't be wrong about all of them. Even if half of them turn their character concerns around you still are going to have too many players in the locker room that just don't care enough about the right things.

Maybe some of you don't think locker room character counts for much and it's all about talent, but I disagree. I think it's also about wanting to come to work every day, trusting your teammates and being willing to push each other at practice, during film study and in meeting rooms. Yes you need talent to compete but talent alone is not enough.

Also, happy for Fanene. Not a Pats fan, but hope he has a great season. Always appreciated the way he played the game.

The Bengals are not the Patriots?

Shocker.

No one is saying Burfict is the saving grace, he is simply good value as an UFA.

Is this the time I remind you that Belicheck takes these players too? HE just took Dennard (the Cornhusker Corner in trouble with the law the week of the draft).

BB takes projects all the time.

The biggest difference - The Pats have Tom Brady.

"Insert witty quotation here"

Why does it hurt to bring in the guy?

James Harrison went undrafted, then cut, then cut, then cut, then became the NFL defensive player of the year.
I guess the Steelers went bargain shopping..lol



http://murf-seriously.blogspot.com/

All i know is something has definatley changed in the way the Bengals have aproched the draft. Before thier drafting choices were at best a joke. Now, they take a more thoughtful aproach to the draft.

Drafting on need.
Not overvaluing players.
making all around good choices and not wasting picks

Im actually impressed over the last 3 drafts. At first i thought it was a fluke. I thought Brown pulled a golden egg out of his arse last year.
However after seeing another solid draft this year something has changed.

Their still weak at RB and Safety but this team on paper should compete for the AFC north.

This is what a good draft gets you when you are a bungles fan:

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/05/02/nate-clements-could-be-candidate-for-release-in-cincinnati/

We got a guy who is a pretty good corner on paper, so that gives the brownHole the freedom to cut our best corner from last year. Why not save $4M or so, right?

Never mind that Kirkpatrick hasn't played a snap, or that he isn't likely to be able to replace a vet corner in his rookie year. The fans like it, Mel gave him an 'A' on the pick, and that's really all that matters. Well, that and making lots of $$$.

"We do do, and we do it at a very, very high level," Lewis said.

I'll be royally teed if the Bungs cut Clements. First they should see what happens this year with the corners. Plenty of room under the salary cap.