The Biggest Bust in Bengals History?

[NKURyan]

There's plenty to choose from, but who do you think was the biggest of them all? Kijana Carter? Akili Smith? Do you go more recent and pick Cedric Ogbeughi (I can never spell his damn name and it's not worth looking up)? Play the hipster role and go all-in on John Ross already? Do you take injuries into consideration in ranking the busts, or are statistics all the matter? Does it matter who else the Bengals could have had instead?

Make your case!

(I think I know which direction I'm leaning, but I'll wait until tomorrow to post so I have a little more time to explain why)

[impactplaya]

Akili Smith.
Mike Ditka offered the Bengals the kingdom for their draft selection.
Mike Brown shot it down.
Akili set the franchise back so many years

[I_C_DeadPeople]

Mike Brown

[Yojimbo]

David Klingler. Carter was an injury, I don’t consider career ending injuries in the bust category. If Klingler had been a hit, would never have needed to draft Smith. So, Klingler being a bust, led to drafting another bust, which makes Klingler a double bust.

[Whatever]

(05-28-2019, 11:16 PM)NKURyan Wrote: There's plenty to choose from, but who do you think was the biggest of them all? Kijana Carter? Akili Smith? Do you go more recent and pick Cedric Ogbeughi (I can never spell his damn name and it's not worth looking up)? Play the hipster role and go all-in on John Ross already? Do you take injuries into consideration in ranking the busts, or are statistics all the matter? Does it matter who else the Bengals could have had instead?

Make your case!

(I think I know which direction I'm leaning, but I'll wait until tomorrow to post so I have a little more time to explain why)

The biggest bust overall would have to be Kenny Irons.  2nd round pick that never played a regular season snap.

Biggest first round bust was probably Akili, all things considered.  Dude threw 5 TD's in 4 years with the team and doesn't have the injury excuses guys like Ki-Jana and Og had.

Honorable mention has to go to Archie Griffin.  He's still the undisputed greatest college football player ever as the only 2x Heisman winner, but was a thoroughly mediocre pro, never recording even a 700 yard season.

[Shake n Blake]

It's gotta be Akili. Not only did we pass up the Saints entire draft, but the guy authored one of the worst passing seasons in NFL history.

12 games
11 starts
1253 yards (4.69 yards/attempt)
3 TD's
6 INT's
44.2% completion rate
52.8 passer rating

The guy was so abysmal in 2000 that we averaged a franchise record low 11.6 points/game despite a great season from Corey Dillon (1435 rush yards on 4.6 ypc). He was so bad that people were clamoring for Scott Mitchell, who was only marginally better.

People lump Akili in with Klingler, but Klingler's 1993 season (the only where he started the majority of games) was far better in every statistical measure, and Klingler didn't have Corey Dillon.

-------------

Honorable mention to Ogbuehi. That dude almost single handedly wrecked 2 seasons and set us back for several years. We've had players that couldn't get on the field, but the fact that Ogbuehi started 25 games puts him well above some other busts imo.

Others who deserve mention: David Verser, Ricky Hunley, Chris Perry, Keith Rivers, and possibly John Ross. I'm trying not to list guys who flamed out due to injury.

[BengalChris]

(05-28-2019, 11:16 PM)NKURyan Wrote: There's plenty to choose from, but who do you think was the biggest of them all? Kijana Carter? Akili Smith? Do you go more recent and pick Cedric Ogbeughi (I can never spell his damn name and it's not worth looking up)? Play the hipster role and go all-in on John Ross already? Do you take injuries into consideration in ranking the busts, or are statistics all the matter? Does it matter who else the Bengals could have had instead?

Make your case!

(I think I know which direction I'm leaning, but I'll wait until tomorrow to post so I have a little more time to explain why)

It's not Kijana Carter. His injury was really bad and pretty much eliminated his speed. And he came in behind a really bad line. Without that injury he had Zek or Barkley type talent. Carter didn't come in injured and I personally thought it was a great move at the time.

It's not Ogbuehi either, although he would certainly be in the top 5 of the Bengals all-time bust list. The fact that we drafted him injured is another one that can be laid at the feet of the front office.

It's not Ross either. Ross' career was saved by Lazor last year because it was Lazor who figured out that Ross could at least run short routes in the red zone without getting lost. Something Ross can't seem to do when there's green in front of him. I've seen several articles laying Ross' bad catch percentage at incompetent QB play (including Dalton), yet AJ Green, Marvin Jones, Sanu, Boyd and LaFell all had the same QB and they managed to get catchable balls from Dalton. No one writing those articles ever bothered to ask if Ross was in the right spot or not. My guess is that Ross is often not in the right spot. But even if Ross' career ends up being a red zone target and he can give us 8-10 TDs and 3 or 4 hundred yards a year, then at least he'll have contributed something valuable. Which is more than Ogbuehi can say for himself.

There's also WR David Verser to consider. He was drafted in the 1st round (10th overall) in 1981, the same year we drafted Cris Collinsworth (2nd round). Verser played for 3 teams in 6 years and amassed a whopping 454 yards receiving and 3 TDs.

Akili Smith would be my pick and it was all Mike Brown who did it. I don't really think most fans expected much from Smith, I know I didn't. He was a one year wonder in a college offense that wasn't suited for the NFL.

[Jason_NC]

Freddie Childress. Second round pick in 1989 that didn't even make the team his rookie year.

[Tiger Teeth]

Odell Thurman has to be up there.

[*SHRacerX*]

(05-28-2019, 11:31 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Akili Smith.
Mike Ditka offered the Bengals the kingdom for their draft selection.
Mike Brown shot it down.
Akili set the franchise back so many years

I don't need to go any further other than to say THIS

[*SHRacerX*]

(05-29-2019, 08:18 AM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: Odell Thurman has to be up there.

Is this a joke?  He might have been the best defensive rookie I have ever seen in stripes....5 INTs, 5 FF???  He just couldn't stay out of trouble and that is tragic, but he was a steal, as a player, in the 2nd round.  

[Goalpost]

Kirby Criswell was another 2nd rounder who didn't make the team either. Drafted in 1980 as a linebacker. Sported a mohawk and got a lot of press for it. But he sucked in training camp and Forrest cut him.

[RunKijanaRun]

Akili Smith because of the opportunity cost.

Klingler may have been a worse QB.

My namesake fell victim to injury. That one still smarts. Such high hopes.

[Bengalitis]

(05-28-2019, 11:31 PM)impactplaya Wrote: Akili Smith.
Mike Ditka offered the Bengals the kingdom for their draft selection.
Mike Brown shot it down.
Akili set the franchise back so many years

This one, at least it's an easy one.

[shanebo]

Agree that it's gotta be Akili. Although I must admit that I was fooled by him too -- I was certain that he was the next best thing after Couch, and a sure-fire HOFer. I remember cheering when the Eagles took McNabb and left him on the board for us. Several experts agreed, as I recall a few of them saying during the draft that he was the best in a "historic, '83-level" QB class. I thought we had our Elway. Even now, every year around draft time, I go to YouTube and watch Akili's Oregon highlight reels -- which are freaking awesome, BTW -- and just shake my head. Kid had so much athletic talent, but just couldn't wrap his head around a NFL playbook ...

As an aside, I think too much is made of the fact that we were offered "the Saints' entire draft" but turned it down for Akili. Have you ever taken a look at who was actually drafted with those Saints' picks? Apart from Arrington, who had a handful of good years (but was kind of an injury bust himself), they all sucked balls. No reason to think we would have done any better with those picks:

1999 first round pick (12th overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select Cade McNown)
1999 third round pick (71st overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select D'Wayne Bates)
1999 fourth round pick (107th overall, used to select Nate Stimson)
1999 fifth round pick (144th overall, later traded to Chicago, used to select Khari Samuel)
1999 sixth round pick (179th overall, later traded to Denver, used to select Desmond Clark)
1999 seventh round pick (218th overall, later traded to Denver, used to select Billy Miller)
2000 first round pick (2nd overall, used to select LaVar Arrington)
2000 third round pick (64th overall, used to select Lloyd Harrison)

Side note - Washington traded 12 and 71 to move up and select HOF'er Champ Bailey, but I guarantee we would have stood pat and picked McNown.

[Bengalitis]

(05-29-2019, 01:10 AM)BengalChris Wrote: It's not Ross either. Ross' career was saved by Lazor last year because it was Lazor who figured out that Ross could at least run short routes in the red zone without getting lost. Something Ross can't seem to do when there's green in front of him.

With AJ in the scheme, anyone could scramble in the endzone and score at least 5-7 TDs.  Ross owes Boyd every little credit he gets for those TDs for moving the offense/chains every time to get to the endzone, every time.

[Socal Bengals fan]

Akili, Ogbuehi close second

[Hoofhearted]

(05-29-2019, 10:07 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Is this a joke?  He might have been the best defensive rookie I have ever seen in stripes....5 INTs, 5 FF???  He just couldn't stay out of trouble and that is tragic, but he was a steal, as a player, in the 2nd round.  

Yeah, not sure how you can label Odell a bust. Dude was a baller, but also happen to be a dumbass. But no bust. 

[Hoofhearted]

Pains me to say, but: Archie Griffin

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

Akili Smith.