I saw a post from ElkValleyBengal in the "Loss that hurt the most" thread, where he mentioned Greg Cook being the "biggest loss". That got me thinking. If you could erase an injury and bring back any Bengal whose career was ended short, who would you add to this team? The player would also become less injury prone, just to get that out of the way. Here's some names to get it started, but you can add anyone you can think of:

Greg Cook
Ki-Jana Carter
David Pollack
Peter Warrick
Kenny Irons
Odell Thurman (not an injury, but still)
Chris Henry (see Thurman)
Chris Perry (career was ruined by multiple injuries...looked great in 2005)
Dennis Weathersby
Ickey Woods
Stanley Wilson (see Henry and Thurman)
Jordan Shipley (nod to TGISunday)
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As an aside, I noticed two things while looking through our draft history. Apparently, the Bengals (likely Paul Brown) used to value the center position, drafting both Bob Johnson and Dave Rimington in the first round. Johnson was actually the highest-drafted center since 1938. I also saw that we drafted two tackles named Mike Wilson in an 8 year span. One in the 14th round of the 1969 draft (out of Dayton) and one in the 4th round of the 1977 draft (out of Georgia).

Yes, I'm bored today.

I still contend that Carson never fully got his mojo back after the knee injury, so maybe that. Also, I would put David Pollack up there. Seemed like a charismatic guy and he showed up big a couple times late in his rookie season (against the Steelers I remember a great late game sack). He could been a heart for our defense for years.

Greg Cook and Ickey are the worst, Sad to say but Eifert could fall into that category.

Another to add to the List is DT Mike Reid. First-Team All-Pro after his third season. Retired after his fifth season. Many people say he retired just because of his music career, but he also struggled with knee and hand injuries his final season with the Bengals.

(03-23-2017, 03:44 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Greg Cook and Ickey are the worst,  Sad to say but Eifert could fall into that category.

Another to add to the List is DT Mike Reid.  First-Team All-Pro after his third season.  Retired after his fifth season.  Many people say he retired just because of his music career, but he also struggled with knee and hand injuries his final season with the Bengals.

I was thinking the same thing. It sucks. I see Jordan Cameron retiring early and I wonder if Eifert could suffer the same fate. 

Eifert doesn't have the severe concussion problem Cameron did, but still.

Levi Jones!

I loved the David Pollack selection and his double-spin move with a counter-rotating second spin. I think with the line we assembled, he could have been a Jason Taylor-type. He would have only gotten stronger and he just seemed to have a knack for rushing the passer.

Lots of others, but it just seemed like a speed demon off the edge were what was missing on those Bengal teams that had such a prolific offense.

(03-23-2017, 03:26 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I saw a post from ElkValleyBengal in the "Loss that hurt the most" thread, where he mentioned Greg Cook being the "biggest loss". That got me thinking. If you could erase an injury and bring back any Bengal whose career was ended short, who would you add to this team? The player would also become less injury prone, just to get that out of the way. Here's some names to get it started, but you can add anyone you can think of:

Greg Cook
Ki-Jana Carter
David Pollack
Peter Warrick
Kenny Irons
Odell Thurman (not an injury, but still)
Chris Henry (see Thurman)
Chris Perry (career was ruined by multiple injuries...looked great in 2005)
Dennis Weathersby
Ickey Woods
Stanley Wilson (see Henry and Thurman)
_________________________________________

As an aside, I noticed two things while looking through our draft history. Apparently, the Bengals (likely Paul Brown) used to value the center position, drafting both Bob Johnson and Dave Rimington in the first round. Johnson was actually the highest-drafted center since 1938. I also saw that we drafted two tackles named Mike Wilson in an 8 year span. One in the 14th round of the 1969 draft (out of Dayton) and one in the 4th round of the 1977 draft (out of Georgia).

Yes, I'm bored today.

Well for the OL I would say Levi Jones

Outside that  Chris perry would be great to have in 2005 form or better

The whole 2005 draft class. David Pollack, Odell Thurman, Chris Henry, Tab Perry, and Johnathan Fanene were all good players but had injury woes or got addicted to meth or died and had legal problems.

I love Andy Dalton, but give me Greg Cook.....a freaking natural.  I'm agreeing with fred a lot lately....I'd take some Ickey Woods too.  The sad thing is, if they guys had been hurt in today's game, they'd rehab and be back within a year....a shame.

Gotta also add that Odell Thurman would have been the enforcer we needed at LB all those years before Tez....Pollack was a nice player too.

Stanley Wilson. An incredible talent that was pissed away and never realized. 

I'd love to see a clean and focused Stanley Wilson getting starting snaps with this current team, to see what he could do.

I'd go with Cook, too. By most accounts, he was a can't miss stud quarterback. Total speculation, but I think there's a good chance he'd surpass all 4 of our usual suspects in the best Bengal QB of all time debate.

On top of it all, he'd have set some interesting historical events in motion if he'd have remained healthy. No need for Walsh to adapt the offense to a weak-arm quarterback, i.e. the WCO. His injury impacted this franchise in ways much more far-reaching than just losing a potentially great QB.

Greg Cook was not just a Bengal loss but a League loss. Could have been the greatest QB of all time. My pick, I'm stuck on 2. I would like it if Krumrie didn't get hurt in the SB, could have changed the outcome. And Palmer's 05 injury. That was our year ripped away by Kimo. Damn I hate Pitt.

They have medication for that....

I wasn't around for the Greg Cook era but I remember hearing Bob Trumpy saying he believed he'd have "a hand full of super bowl rings" had Cook never been injured. He was that highly regarded from players and coaches evetywhere. Our match ups with the steelers of the 70's would have been far more interesting... From an overall franchise standpoint, I'd have to choose Cook.

But for selfish reasons, I'd desperately love to see how Carson's career would have turned out if he never got Kimo'd. Sure, his career wasn't ended after the hit but he was never the same. Mentally, physically or whatever. The elite QB Carson never returned again. He was on the fast track to being a perennial Top 3 QB with Peyton and Brady. I'd have to think he'd have won us a super bowl or 2 without that injury but... With Marvin coaching who knows? And of course (again), Pittsburgh wins Super Bowls instead of our once great QB. Life as a Cincinnati fan simply isn't fair

(03-23-2017, 04:17 PM)samhain Wrote: I'd go with Cook, too. By most accounts, he was a can't miss stud quarterback. Total speculation, but I thin there's a good chance he'd surpass all 4 of our usual suspects in the best Bengal QB of all time debate.

On top of it all, he'd have set some interesting historical events in motion if he'd have remained healthy. No need for Walsh to adapt the offense to a weak-arm quarterback, i.e. the WCO. His injury impacted this franchise in ways much more far-reaching than just losing a potential great QB.

Man that's true, never really thought about it that way.

(03-23-2017, 04:18 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: They have medication for that....

Lol nice one.

(03-23-2017, 04:20 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Man that's true, never really thought about it that way.

It's outside the thread, but I'd go on to say that the Old Man's decision to let Bill Wlash go b/c he thought he was soft was every bit as devastating as any player loss.  It bit this team in the ass in ways we know all too well.  It's a giant Brown stain on the legacy of arguably the best football mind that ever lived.  

I don't think the knee injury messed Carson's career up. Brady suffered the same exact injury and it's a footnote to his career. I will say that corroding talent (particularly on the o-line) probably didn't help at all, but I think people just overestimated how good he was based on 1 season. Nick Foles had one of the greatest seasons of all-time and now look at him.

Now I'm not saying Palmer = Foles. I'm just saying that it's very possible Carson was just a "very good" - but not "great" QB that had a fantastic season with a stacked team around him.

Kind of like Dalton in 2015.

Definitely David Pollack. Things looked like they were clicking for him towards the end of the 2005 season. It seemed like we finally had that pass rusher that Marvin wanted so desperately.

(03-23-2017, 04:30 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I don't think the knee injury messed Carson's career up. Brady suffered the same exact injury and it's a footnote to his career. I will say that corroding talent (particularly on the o-line) probably didn't help at all, but I think people just overestimated how good he was based on 1 season. Nick Foles had one of the greatest seasons of all-time and now look at him.

Now I'm not saying Palmer = Foles. I'm just saying that it's very possible Carson was just a "very good" - but not "great" QB that had a fantastic season with a stacked team around him.

Kind of like Dalton in 2015.

......2008 was what did Carson in.  The elbow just wasn't there anymore, but he was still confident in an ability that just didn't exist after that injury.  The eroding talent on the oline was a big issue too.  He had all of the traits you want in a QB, I think he was pretty damn good....he was a little gunshy in 2006 stepping into his throws, but calmed down.  He's suffered two bad knee injuries, nerve damage to his throwing shoulder, and the aforementioned elbow, and is still soldiering on.