My heart sank when I saw this headline on Joe Reedy’s blog: “Four, including Lewis, at Auburn’s pro day“. Internal monologue: Ugh! They’ve locked onto Newton, haven’t they? (subsequent toxic tirade deleted)
Then I actually read the post and learned that one of those 4 was defensive line coach Jay Hayes. Now that is what I want to hear. Hayes sounds very interested in Nick Fairley, as am I.
When former Bengal David Pollack, who was doing ESPN3′s coverage, asked Hayes if there was a concern about Fairley’s mean streak, Hayes said: “If he’s mean like that it’s a good thing. I want them as mean as I can get them.”
LOVE THAT! Bring us some nasty! Then I was further encouraged when reedy said this:
With Jay Gruden and Ken Zampese not at Auburn’s pro day, and possibly at Arkansas, the early conclusion would be that the Bengals are looking at Fairley and Ryan Mallett and have shied away from Cam Newton. However there are still private workouts and the 30 draft prospects that the Bengals can bring to Cincinnati.
Encouraged not because of Mallett, but because of not Newton. If the Bengals are smart enough to take Fairley at #4, Mallett likely (hopefully) won’t be around when they pick again, unless they manage to trade back into the first round. Things might be looking up here.
Reedy noted in an update to the post that Zampese actually was at Auburn as well, which I am hoping is simply due diligence. Then again, we can always count on Mike Brown to louse up a good plan.
Original Story:
http://stripehype.com/2011/03/09/enco...
