Dominique Easley, Shawn Oakman, and possibly Jaylon Smith are all very talented and are going to be available to the Bengals (and the rest of the NFL) due to various red flags.

DE/DT and former first round pick (2014) Easley was released from the Patriots. Reports are that it has to do with off field issues and differences in injury rehab. He must have ticked the Pats off something fierce for them to cut bait with him after 2 seasons where he showed promise. Maybe he straightens out after this, maybe not. Would you want the Bengals to take a flyer on him? He was cut, so there won't be any impact on comp picks in 2017.

DE Oakman was arrested for sexual assault stemming from an April 3 encounter with a woman. He says it was consensual. This is very likely going to go to trial unless -- pardon my cynicism -- he pays her off and the charges get dropped, or he gets a very favorable plea deal. Oakman has the size of Margus Hunt, with about 100x the football talent. The knock on him prior to this is that he wasn't actually all that interested in playing football. He was expected to go in the mid rounds, but now is probably on the cusp of being drafted at all and very likely will be a PFA signing somewhere. In my mind he ends up in the WWE after his football career is over. Will that career include a stint with the Bengals?

LB Jaylon Smith was slated to go as a top 10 selection this year until his knee was injured in the Fiesta Bowl. Word is that his injury is more severe than what Gurley and Ogbuehi had last year and there is some real question about whether or not he'll make it back at all. Should the Bengals take that gamble?

What say you, fellow Bengals fans?

I wouldn't bat an eye at Easley or Jaylon Smith.

Oakman is a NO for me right now. He will go undrafted, but if he clears up his charges he would be worth the risk.

No to easly.... Teammates called him a cancer. finished all his NFL season on IR

(04-14-2016, 12:22 PM)WrongVerb Wrote:  Oakman has the size of Margus Hunt, with about 100x the football talent. 

Oakman has done nothing to show that he has any more football talent than Margus Hunt.

(04-14-2016, 01:33 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Oakman has done nothing to show that he has any more football talent than Margus Hunt.

I don't remember Hunt posting double digit sacks like Oakman has.

Not saying that makes him any better, but at least he has produced.

(04-14-2016, 02:19 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: I don't remember Hunt posting double digit sacks like Oakman has.

Not saying that makes him any better, but at least he has produced.

8 sacks is not that much different than 11 sacks.

Oakman is a physical specimen who will be viewed as a project just like Hunt.  In fact, based on draft projections Hunt was higher rated than Oakman coming out of college

Easley's career is probably over, how many years in a row has he not been able to stay healthy? Throw in some off field issues... Pass

Oakman is in prison a couple weeks before the draft. He is undraftable.

(04-14-2016, 03:44 PM)fredtoast Wrote: 8 sacks is not that much different than 11 sacks.

Oakman is a physical specimen who will be viewed as a project just like Hunt.  In fact, based on draft projections Hunt was higher rated than Oakman coming out of college

Except Oakman did it in the Big 12 vs. Hunt doing it at SMU.

Someone help me out. I've never seen an Oakman highlight. Is being in a kind of cool picture with a weird facemask the only thing he's ever done?

Oakman is a hell no..

(04-15-2016, 06:27 AM)StoneTheCrow Wrote: Someone help me out. I've never seen an Oakman highlight. Is being in a kind of cool picture with a weird facemask the only thing he's ever done?

Pretty much. Very over rated in my opinion. Without the pending charges I wouldn't grade him more than a 4th rounder.

(04-14-2016, 10:51 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: Except Oakman did it in the Big 12 vs. Hunt doing it at SMU.

Again, not a big difference.  He started last year with 2 sacks and 5.5 TFL in the first two games of the season against Lamar and Rice.  Over the remaining 10 games he got only 2.5 sacks and 9 TFL.


I am not saying hunt is better than Oakman.  All I am doing is repeating everything I read from all of the experts.  Oakman is a physical specimen with not a lot of football technique.  To say he has 100 times more football talent than Hunt at this point just is not true. 

If Oakman had not gotten into legal trouble he would have been a 2nd-3rd round project just like Hunt was. 

Red flags every frickin' where with Easley. Nada.

Jaylon Smith, worth a gamble in the 3rd round or later. Was a great player and if he can get back to that level
a year or two down the road you will have a Probowl LB. Worth it.

Shawn Oakman, 4th round or later. Has the size we like in our Ends, reminds me a lot of Michael Johnson. Had
a bad year last season and being along side a great DT like Billings should of helped him, not hurt him. Still we
need another End and Oakman has shown flashes in the past. Not like he is a terrible player.

This is easy.

No on Easley
No on Oakman - too many other good defensive lineman in the draft to take unnecessary risks
No on Smith if the medicals don't checkout
Mid round pick on Smith if the medicals checkout

(04-15-2016, 06:48 PM)BengalChris Wrote: This is easy.

No on Easley
No on Oakman - too many other good defensive lineman in the draft to take unnecessary risks
No on Smith if the medicals don't checkout
Mid round pick on Smith if the medicals checkout

My thoughts exactly