Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

While the Bengals are looking to go younger, we need to add some experience. He's only 31 and has proved to be a very good player. Should we consider Hardy before Brown? I would.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

I think he should get a look. Why not bring all of these guys into camp? If they suck, cut them. If they outplay the poop we currently put on the field, then we just got better on the cheap.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

I would look at Hardy and Foreman before Brown.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

I would look at Laurel and Hardy before Brown. Seriously -- he does not have the injury probles Chad has and probably would take a lesser salary to prove that the bengals made a mistake

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

:thumbsup:
Absolutely. If we bring in all the proven vets on the downslide there\'s bound to be one or two with enough gas in the tank to help us out. As long as its a guy who can play the Sam. You can\'t sling a dead cat around here without hitting 9 WLB\'s.

looking at our depth chart...
SLB-Allen, Hodge
MLB-Watson, Ruff, Fincher
WLB-Bockwoldt, Rodgers, Fisher, Watson, Ruff and 14 other stiffs I\'ve never heard of.

This depth chart screams for another SLB.

Oh, and off-topic a bit, I was re-watching a 2004 game last week and noticed a formation that had Ruff and Watson both in the game as well as a WLB (I think it was Watson but not sure). Anyone else notice that? Is Ruff playing some SLB?

[Edited on 3/5/2005 by Danno]

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

heres his stats...i\'m all for gettingrid of someof our non-performers.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Hardy\'s not that old, but there\'s alot of miles on him. He\'s been in the league a long time, yet he\'s somehow remained relatively healthy and productive. He\'s obviously not a long term solution, but I can\'t see the harm in bringing him in if the price is right.

Agreed with others above, I\'d certainly be more interested in Hardy than Brown. At this stage in his career, Brown would be nothing more than a situational player ... and like Danno\'s analogy, you can\'t sling a dead cat around here without hitting one of those, too.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

but,,,,,,,,,,ladies, and gentlemen,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
where ever shall we get the money?
smitty

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

omg, he\'s older than i am.

he had been out of football a longtime.

http://www.berkeleycm.com/per_hardy.html

another new orleans first round draft pick bust

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

I think Ruff\'s coverage skills and speed may be insufficient to play SAM. Though, I think that people are more down on Ruff than he should be because he was brought in here to save a floundering D and didn\'t. He\'s not a bad LB, but he is a bit on the slow side. As a situational player, I don\'t think he is that bad at all - in fact, I think he is considerably better than Rodgers.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Hardy\'s a former Pro Bowler and a fairly consistent player. No harm in bringing him in.

I\'d have to think he\'s somewhat of a disappointment.

Wasn\'t he a top five draft pick out of Illinois???

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

#7 overall by the Saints 1968. made the hall of shame

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Sorry Kool, I have to disagree. I think Ruff flat out stinks, situational, whatever. He was never anything special. I don\'t think anyone is down on him for not saving the D cause I don\'t think anyone was high on him in the first place. The team tried to pump him up, but I don\'t think anyone bought. I certainly have never heard anyone speak high of him. He got as much of the WTF face from fans when we picked him up in FA as Sullivan got when we drafted him. And all you need to know about Ruff is in the first Tampa game last year. Late in the game, Ruff at MLB, obvious passing down. Snap the ball, a CB(forgot who) and Bellamy are double covering Clayton down the right sideline. Ruff though it was in the team\'s best interest for him to go triple team this double covered rookie, letting their tight end, Dilger I think, slip right behind him OVER THE MIDDLE and go for like a 45 yard TD. That was just stupid. Ruff stinks.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Actually I meant Kevin Hardy, who was originally drafted by the Jags in \'96.

He was selected #2 overall.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

i know, i know, some of these nightmare busts never leave ya though, even 35 years later. a number 7 that never did squat. picked ahead of larry csonka, marvin upshaw, ken stabler, curly culp, etc.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

I don\'t know I am thinking we are going to have to go with what we got this year. We have somewhat a young unit and I think they are developing just not at the pace we would like. Bringing in older guys who will give us maybe a year will prove to be more disruptive and hinder development.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

or they might add veteran mentoring and provide experienced manpower in particular roles.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Well -- maybe the linebacking core will jell since they played together the last four games -- isn\'t that always the response when you have an underperforming unit :casstet:

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

I agree...people are putting far too much weight into those last four games, which were against teams who were below average at best at the time.

Seems to be the 12 games before that they were horrible. Seems to be that THAT is the larger concern. Hopefully Fincher will show us something.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Sometimes a light bulb goes off in ones head and they finally get it. 4 games can make a huge difference in a learning process and if they finally get it great. Learning the system, and learning how to work with one another the game planning coach could make a huge difference this year.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Does anyone know why we haven\'t brought in Mark Fields for the LB spot. He is an unrestricted free agent and though the Panthers have tons of depth at LB they desperately want him back because of the leadership he provides as well as the fact that he was a ProBowler last year. I never wanted him to leave in the first place, but I would take Fields over Brown, Hardy or any other veteran out there. We need to make an offer and bring our draft choice home.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Mark Fields wants to play for Carolina, and has told them he will not sign a contract until he is sure he can play the season. He won\'t be coming back.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

This is probably what Loomis is thinking. :casstet:

stockman,

Don\'t be fooled by Fields\' performance with Carolina. Fields was a product of the Panthers\' superior coaching system. He was always a great athlete but he lacks ideal instincts and smarts that a naturally talented LB has. He needs to be in a system that knows how to use his athleticism properly. If we were to pick him up again he would be as lost as he was when he first got here.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

Good Call, that Panther coaching staff could make James Allen, Sedrick Hodge, and Orlando Ruff look great.

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

So Tomb,
Basically what your saying is a) that the Saints don\'t have a Superior coaching system that could utilize a good athlete\'s skills and b) Mark Fields hasn\'t matured as a football player at all since playing for Carolina and is purely an athlete?

I\'m sorry but if that is the case why was he making plays against us all last year and why even bring in quality veterans or rookies for that matter if our coaching stinks in the first place?

Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

That is almost exactly what I\'m saying. Fields is more than purely an athlete, but he is not what I would call an overly talented LB.

Again Fields isn\'t what I would call quality. He was in the right system at the right time. Our coaching staff would be/would have been better served to bring in players that have better instincts and more natural talent for the position.

RE: Bengals release Kevin Hardy...
 

i like hardy but they're other quality LBs like peter boulaware, rob morris and ronald mckinnon......all are available