NFL Top 100: Joe Staley Ranked No. 67, Carlos
Rogers Ranked No. 69

The NFL Network continued their series of the Top 100 players in the NFL in 2012 tonight, providing us with the players ranked No. 61-70. After seeing NaVorro Bowman ranked No. 85, the 49ers had two more players in tonight's episode. Cornerback Carlos Rogers was ranked No. 69 and offensive tackle Joe Staley was ranked No. 67. 49ers.com has reaction video from both players (Staley video; Rogers video).

The list is supposedly decided on by a vote of players. I recall some tweets last year from some players who hadn't voted and were wondering who actually did vote. Whatever the case, it's still a cool recognition. In a league with upwards of 1,700 players, getting ranked among the top 100 shows some serious respect for a player.

The season was notable for both players. Both players made their first Pro Bowl appearances and both also made their first appearance on All-Pro teams, appearing on the second team unit. The 49ers will be counting on big things from both players in 2012.

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Open Thread: Because Johnny Cash Performed NIN
Songs Better Than NIN

The discussions today were more rookie-oriented than anything. But that's the discussion of an open thread. It can be varied, wide-ranging and ever-lasting. And it's all yours.

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Football Outsiders: What Bengals Needs Remain

The Cincinnati Bengals seem to be unanimous winners of the 2012 offseason. Filling some holes in free agency with some solid players like Travelle Wharton and BenJarvus Green-Ellis, and then adding ten draft picks who could all make the final roster, made the national pundits take notice--especially when you're adding those types of players to a playoff roster from a year ago. We all know that "championships aren't won on paper", but the horizon looks as promising as it has over the last two or three decades.

Still, no matter what any team has done to improve their roster this offseason, there's always more that one can do. The fellows at Football Outsiders recently wrote a piece on the AFC North division and the perceived needs for each squad following the draft and free agency frenzy. We think you'll dig what they had to say.

Of the Bengals, Danny Tuccitto says:

Biggest Post-Draft Need: Strong safety

It's amazing -- and completely out of character in the Mike Brown era -- that, in only one calendar year, the Cincinnati's roster has gone from having more holes than the plot of the Terminator franchise to being as solid as a terminator itself.

To be sure, the Bengals can still use some tweaking around the edges, but for the most part they're in good shape. In February's edition of "Plugging the Holes," we listed running back and guard as glaring needs. The former was met by signing BenJarvus Green-Ellis to replace the worst workhorse running back of the past two years, Cedric Benson. The latter was met by using a first-round pick on Wisconsin guard Kevin Zeitler, who NFL Films Senior Producer (and avid game tape watcher) Greg Cosell thought was a better prospect than Stanford guard David DeCastro. Speaking of Cosell, he nailed Cincinnati's selection of Alabama cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick, who will immediately fill a need at cornerback.

Our own Nick Crago touched on Cosell's admiration of the Bengals draft class on Tuesday and the fact that FO mentions him in their piece just reiterates Cosell's reputation as a film guru in the NFL community. It's great to see that we Bengals "homers" aren't the only ones noticing an all-around solid 2012 Bengals roster.

Tuccitto continues:

It's at another position in the secondary, however, where the Bengals' biggest hole remains: strong safety. Typically, when a team decides to unceremoniously release an aging team captain, they have a promising understudy already in place (See Pittsburgh's handling of Hines Ward). To replace Chris Crocker, who was allegedly let go due to durability issues even though he started all 16 games last season, Cincinnati has ... Taylor Mays? So much for praising Mike Brown, I guess.

Let's recap Mays brief career, shall we? At the behest of Mike Singletary (and only Mike Singletary), Mays was taken by the 49ers in the second round of the 2010 draft. Shortly into the 2010 season, Mays was elevated to the starting strong safety spot in one of Singletary's last moves as head coach (San Francisco was 0-3 at the time). Mays played so badly that he was benched after only five games -- even Singletary couldn't take any more -- and finished the season having allowed 18.4 yards per pass. Then, in an extremely rare move for an NFL team, San Francisco basically gave Mays away after only one season, accepting Cincinnati's seventh-round pick in 2013 for a player they drafted in the second round.

Are there in-house options at strong safety other than Mays? Sure, except that Robert Sands, Jeromy Miles, and 2012 fifth-rounder George Iloka all have played even fewer NFL snaps on defense than Mays has.

On the free agent market, the pickings are even slimmer. The best strong safeties out there include Yeremiah Bell and Melvin Bullitt. Also, there's always -- wait for it -- Chris Crocker (who is still available). Perhaps Cincinnati is best off if they wait for training camp cuts to make their move.

Not exactly the most ringing endorsement for Mays, nor does it show much light at the end of the tunnel for an outside veteran to be brought in. Not only will Mays have to play at a much higher level than everyone assumes he'll play at, but we'll echo Marvin Lewis' sentiments in that the rookies and other youngsters will have to show that they can be trusted to play and/or start, if need be. Even though the Bengals interchange their safeties in a lot of formations, Mays is their only true "strong" safety on the roster. If he can live up to the hype that surrounded him after his junior year at USC, the Bengals could have a major diamond in the rough. For right now, that's a big "if".

Under the "Important Undrafted Free Agents" designation, Tuccitto predictably points at Vontaze Burfict.

In addition to not addressing their hole at strong safety during the draft, the Bengals used exactly zero of their 10 picks on a linebacker even though middleman Rey Maualuga's contract expires next spring. Enter Vontaze Burfict, the headliner of Cincinnati's undrafted free agent class. The range of possible NFL career paths for Burfict is at least as wide as the performance extremes of his final two years at Arizona State: anywhere from winning individual awards to flaming out in a Haynesworth-esque inferno of laziness and cheap shots. The good news for Cincinnati is that, if the latter happens, they won't be losing a major investment in the fire.

As for the rest of the division, Tuccitto claims that the biggest needs for the Ravens is more offensive line help, which makes sense since they are an aging group that lost Ben Grubbs. He claims that the Browns still need receiver help, as they failed to properly address this in the draft. And, in what seems like an annual weak spot for the Steelers, Tuccitto points at their cornerback situation. But, as we all know, the Steelers rely on their front seven and their safeties much more than their corners.

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Andy Dalton Bulking Up And Working On Footwork
For 2012

One of the things that many people attribute to the potential success for the Bengals in 2012 is that second-year stars Andy Dalton and A.J. Green will have the benefit of a full offseason to work on things and digest a more diverse playbook. The lockout last year really handcuffed the rookies in their development, as they had limited time to work together. It looked pretty scary in the preseason, but Dalton and company overcame the shortened offseason and performed well.

Now the fear of a "Sophomore Slump" has been creeping into Bengals' fans minds and the hopes are that Dalton won't be complacent and rest his laurels on his 2011 Pro Bowl campaign. According to Bengals.com Editor, Geoff Hobson, we can be relieved to know that Dalton not only looks sharp this spring, but is working hard to better his game.

First, Dalton has been hitting the weights a bit more this offseason and has increased his playing weight by almost ten pounds.

If you guess his draft day weight of 217 pounds, you'd be wrong.

"Nope," he might say triumphantly. "Try 224.6."

Most of the new thickness is through his chest and shoulders after Dalton went home following the Wild Card loss in Houston trying to figure out how to quarterback his team deeper into the NFL hunt. After the 16-game pounding and the 24-hour flu bug before the playoff game shriveled him to 208 pounds, he felt like he needed to get stronger in the weight room.

But while he lived with the weights he also watched tape of his rookie struggles with the long ball and he knew he needed to make putting more meat on his deep passes one of his off-season priorities.

Now, some may cringe at that because usually added weight leads to a decrease in mobility. It's that mobility that made Dalton so effective last year and helped make the Bengals one of the top team's in sacks allowed. But, that doesn't seem to be something to worry about, as some of that added bulk is also being added to his legs. All in all, this is part of an effort on Dalton's part to be a better deep ball passer.

If there were two things you could knock Dalton for last season, it was that inaccuracy on his deep ball and a penchant for slow starts. It's these two things that Dalton is looking to improve on in 2012:

"We're going to start faster this year," Dalton said this week. "There were game where I stunk in the first half. I'm not going to have those games."

Under the watchful eye of quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese, the Bengals' maven of mechanics, Dalton is reportedly going long better and easier than he did last year. Zampese, offensive coordinator Jay Gruden, no one, has questions about his arm strength. For Dalton, the long ball starts with the legs, not the arm.

In the games that have already begun, which are merely pitch-and-catch with his receivers, Dalton has reportedly looked sharp. His fast ball seems to have more zip to some. Gruden isn't sure about all that but says he looks stronger and in one throwing session this week word was he hit all but one deep "Go," route with the only incompletion a drop

Remember the lack of arm strength as a knock on Dalton coming out of college? It didn't seem to be an issue with his short and intermediate routes last year, as he had plenty of zip. Well, it appears he has even more now and his long ball should benefit from the increased practices, weights and attention to the details of the route. It should pay off.

Finally, if you're still worried about Dalton becoming complacent, take a look at these quotes that reflect his competitiveness and work ethic:

"When I threw my Go ball, I wasn’t very good last year," Dalton said. "I know there were sometimes I was rushing my drop because I felt like I had to get back quicker than I really had to. I thought there was going to be pressure when there wasn't really going to be pressure. Little things mentally. I knew what was going on, but I'd go back quicker and when I did I'd step on my back foot. The ball wasn't where I wanted it to be.

"I'd rush the top of the drop," he said of the last two or three steps in the five-step drop. "I'm not hitting that fifth step, hitching up, and getting it out. It’s a hit the fifth step, kind of have to gather, and then hitch, and then try to throw it, so the timing is off.

"My focus has been more on getting that fifth step and really getting that hitch, and really getting more into it," Dalton said. "Rather than trying to feel a throw out there. Just let it go. There were so many times last year we were running by guys even if they were the off corner. A.J. and some of these other guys are going to get past them. It can be frustrating when you know you've got it and you just missed the throw. Hopefully it will happen a little less this year."

There aren't any absolute guarantees that Dalton will be a vastly improved quarterback and really, he doesn't have all that much to improve upon. But, unlike so many quarterback busts of the past, Dalton is working to better himself and the team. We should see dividends on his hard work on the field this year.

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Awesome 49ers Player Re-Tweet Of The Day

It's a slow day, but that didn't stop Jason Slowey from helping us out by retweeting this great line.

@JasonSlowey is the symposium where they teach you how be be a normal member of society and not shoot yourself in a club?

— Alex Orr (@Alex_Orr_What) May 16, 2012

Over the summer, NFL rookies take part in an NFLPA rookie program, coming up this weekend, and then a rookie symposium the league conducts. The NFLPA rookie program is more about getting the players names out there and includes the day where they get some photos for football cards.

The symposium is where players get a chance to learn about the perils of NFL life and how to stay on the straight and narrow. Some players live the good life and make it through their NFL career with few issues. Others do not.

It's also worth noting that he had this reply to a tweet about the hardest defensive front to face. Jason knows what's up.

@bigzeke49 any defensive front that includes Patrick Willis, Justin smith, Navarro bowman, Aldon smith, tukuafu, etc... Lol

— Jason Slowey (@JasonSlowey) May 16, 2012

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Marvin Lewis On Vontaze Burfict: No Down Side To
Signing Him

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis was asked a variety of questions Tuesday night on NFL Network's Total Access, ranging from what they're deciding at the No. 2 wide receiver spot to the recent signing of undrafted free agent linebacker Vontaze Burfict.

Thanks to the transcribed work of Michael Davis Smith with Pro Football Talk, Lewis talked about the team's signing of Burfict on Total Access, remarking that there really isn't much downside.

"I don’t know what down side there is. I think he’s a young man who has fallen from graces everywhere," Lewis said on NFL Network’s Total Access. "Through the draft process, obviously at Arizona State, he didn’t play very well as a senior player. But when you watch some of the things he did on tape, he has the hips, the snap, he has the ability to play under and through blocks, and that’s what you’re looking for in a linebacker. We’re providing the opportunity for Vontaze. He’ll continue to get better. He’s changing his body physically from the body that played in the ’11 season at Arizona State. He’s a much lighter player now again, and I’m pleased with what he did last week in our rookie camp. I want to see him continue to get better and it’ll be fun next week when we get the full team out here in OTAs."

Though there are Bengals fans that felt uneasy about the signing, there really is nothing to lose. If Burfict loses his mind and fails to live up to that potential that Lewis has vested in him, then the team can cut him with little (if any) penalty against the salary cap or the team's overall future. Burfict is icing on the cake, as they say.

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Blaine Gabbert thinks he could throw a football
over them mountains.

Blaine Gabbert thinks he could throw a football over them mountains.

In a media session after the Jaguars OTA's, Gabbert was asked about some reporters questioning his throwing ability. Gabbert responded by saying, "I'd like to challenge them to a throwing competition. Like Uncle Rico."

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2012 NFL Draft: Reviewing the Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have the potential to be good in a few years. I feel pretty comfortable making such a statement; and I do not think it is too controversial to make. A lot of the pieces are in place for a successful rebuilding process.

The major caveat to such a statement is that even if the Vikings do rebuild successfully, they still have to play in a very competitive NFC North. It's not like they are chasing one team. Nay, they have to catch up to three (I think) playoff caliber teams. That is tough in this league - but crazier stuff has happened, I suppose.

That said, the Vikings did have a lot of areas of concern this offseason, and the relative success of their Free Agency was never going to fix everything. The plethora of drafts picks this year, however, should go a long way to solving these problems. I particularly like how aggressive the Vikings were in the first round, making some smart moves and still getting excellent players that also fill needs in OT Matt Kalil from USC and S Harrison Smith from Natre Dame.

Jump to the third round for another addition to the secondary with CB Josh Robinson from UCF. It's the fourth round, however, that may be the best round for the Vikings (with obvious exceptions for the first). Adding three players, the Vikings went a long way to potential upgrade their passing attack, which was a big area of need, with WR Jarius Wright from Arkansas, TE Rhett Ellison from USC, and WR Greg Childs from Arkansas. From what I have read, though, Ellison will not be much more than a special team type of guy who can potentially play fullback and TE when necessary. Also, when in doubt, collect all the Arkansas receivers!

The only other multi-pick round the Vikings had was the seventh, in which they chose LB Audie Cole from North Carolina State and DE Trevor Guyton from California. They join sixth round choice K Blair Walsh from Georgia and fifth rounder CB Robert Blanton from Notre Dame.

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Who Is RB/FB Jourdan Brooks

I was curious with the lack of information I've been able to locate on Jourdan Brooks, what type of player he is. I was able to find one highlight video of his time at Rutgers, and another video of him and a couple other Rutgers players. He looks like a big, strong back who can run between the tackles and move the pile. Due to the lack of information, I queried Josh Buchanan, an analyst who concentrates on small schools, and here is what he said.

Small School Analyst ‏@JoshBDraft

@OregonBengalFan Brooks is 6'1, 245. He's a good blocker. Muscular build. Athletic. Strong. Balanced player who does well running + blocking

Small School Analyst ‏@JoshBDraft

@OregonBengalFan Only thing he really didn't do much in college was catch. Was a top 3 or 4 rusher on team the last two years.

I had asked how he looked with his limited receptions, but I didn't get an answer on that question. Not sure if he just wasn't asked to catch or if catching is not a part of his skill set.

UPDATE: Josh Buchanan's response about Brooks' receiving skills:

Adam Bullock ‏@OregonBengalFan

@JoshBDraft Great, thanks for the info! On the catching. Didn't do much, but how was he on the limited catches? Show the ability or not?

Small School Analyst ‏@JoshBDraft

@OregonBengalFan Yeah he could. Just little experience doing it.

He looked pretty good in the rookie minicamp and considering he got a signing out of it, he must have impressed the coaches. Bengals.com has him listed as a full back on their roster as opposed to a running back. Not exactly sure how they see him. Whether they see him just as a blocking full back or a back that will be part of the RBBC rotation.

The videos that I found don't showcase his blocking, but there are other videos, that appear to be high school highlights, that show him as a mauling blocker in the backfield. These videos do show his power and ability to move the pile. One play in particular I liked is at about the 6 minute mark in the first video. He rushed into the endzone and collided with 3 defenders, and still pushed forward.

video details and more

PT1 JOURDAN BROOKS HIGHLIGHTS @ RU. NOW THE RUNNIG BACK @ MORGAN STATE! (via mad1sir)

video details and more

Joe, Jack and Jourdan (via owntheowner)

Go ahead and discuss. Does Brooks make the team? Does he get a role in the RBBC rotation? Is he just a camp body that winds up cut after the preseason? Any Rutgers or Morgan State fans out there that have watched him and have a perspective?

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SB Nation Wants Your Deployment Sports Stories

SB Nation Wants Your Deployment Sports Stories

SB Nation is putting together a video to honor veterans on Memorial Day with a video. Matt Ufford, a former marine, is soliciting your stories about watching sports while on deployment. Email him or tweet at him your stories.

Please include your name, your service, and the years you served.

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