Odell Thurman Suspended First Four Games

[WVRed]

At least now the Ahmad Brooks pick makes more sense.

http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/bengals/

Bengals linebacker Odell Thurman will be suspended for the first four games of the NFL season for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, a source close to the situation told the Enquirer this afternoon.

The source said it was not necessarily a positive drug test that led to Thurman’s suspension. A missed test also counts the same as a positive test.

Thurman, who turned 23 on July 9, was one of the NFL’s top defensive rookies in 2005. He had a team-high 148 tackles and tied for the team lead with four forced fumbles. He returned one of his five interceptions for a touchdown. He started 15 games at middle linebacker and did not start the 16th for violation of a team rule.

Questions about Thurman’s health or status for the upcoming season surfaced during the mandatory June mini-camp. He was excused for personal reasons, coach Marvin Lewis said at the time.

Questions about Thurman’s situation again surfaced today when the Bengals selected former University of Virginia linebacker Ahmad Brooks in the NFL’s Supplemental Draft. The Bengals also used their fifth-round pick in the April 29-30 draft on former Florida State linebacker A.J. Nicholson.

Depth is no problem at linebacker for the Bengals. They also have returning second-year pro David Pollack, their first-round pick in 2005. They also drafted a pair of linebackers in the third round in 2004, Caleb Miller and Landon Johnson. Johnson started 11 games at middle linebacker as a rookie in place of injured starter Nate Webster. Johnson led the Bengals with 133 tackles as a rookie and appears to be the likely candidate to start in place of Thurman during the first month.

Pollack figures to be the starter at strong-side linebacker, and veteran Brian Simmons is likely to again start at weak-side linebacker.

[redsfan30]

Good God.

[WMR]

Jesus H. Marvin will you please get control of your team please

[Rob Dicken]

Great. That's JUST what we need.....

[RedFanAlways1966]

Coming from a Bengals nut... The "new Bengals" are making Tremaine Mack look like a decent kinda of guy. UGH!

:thumbdown

[Dom Heffner]

With the difficulty of the schedule, the inevitable Bengal injury to a major defensive player, the usual slow start, Carson Palmer's injury....geesh.

I love this team more than any other in professional sports, but geesh, every year there is some sort of struggle that makes us have to wait until next year.

[BoydsOfSummer]

Marvelous Marv might need to switch to the character based draft strategy that the Falcons employ.

Then again,as a Browns fan I gotta love the turmoil.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by BoydsOfSummer

Marvelous Marv might need to switch to the character based draft strategy that the Falcons employ.

Then again,as a Browns fan I gotta love the turmoil.

You mean all Hokies?

[BuckeyeRedleg]

6-10.

The honeymoon for Marvin will be over next off-season, but I predict they rebound and possibly win it all in 2007, as long as Marvin quits reaching for criminals in the draft and actually builds a decent defense.

[Razor Shines]

I understand how you guys feel. Last year our (colts) starting safety was suspended for firing his gun into the air outside a night club. How stupid is that? We seemed to do all right in the regular season, those darn playoffs though.

[DTCromer]

We aren't going to the playoffs this year. We weren't going to go even if Henry, Nicholson, Rucker, and Thurman didn't get in trouble. I said it before the end of last season that 2007 is our year to make a serious Super Bowl run. We'll miss the playoffs in '06 and everyone will blame Marvin for guys getting in trouble off the field even though only 1 of those guys was a key starter for our team.

I just find it humorous that Bengals fans are already getting a bit spoiled by 1 winning season.

[WVRed]

Originally Posted by DTCromer

We aren't going to the playoffs this year. We weren't going to go even if Henry, Nicholson, Rucker, and Thurman didn't get in trouble. I said it before the end of last season that 2007 is our year to make a serious Super Bowl run. We'll miss the playoffs in '06 and everyone will blame Marvin for guys getting in trouble off the field even though only 1 of those guys was a key starter for our team.

I just find it humorous that Bengals fans are already getting a bit spoiled by 1 winning season.

Couldn't agree more(and im a Bengals fan). With the schedule we will face this season and the situations involved, I would be happy with 8-8.

[CTA513]

Originally Posted by DTCromer

We aren't going to the playoffs this year. We weren't going to go even if Henry, Nicholson, Rucker, and Thurman didn't get in trouble. I said it before the end of last season that 2007 is our year to make a serious Super Bowl run. We'll miss the playoffs in '06 and everyone will blame Marvin for guys getting in trouble off the field even though only 1 of those guys was a key starter for our team.

I just find it humorous that Bengals fans are already getting a bit spoiled by 1 winning season.

Bengals will go 0-16

[Tony Cloninger]

4-0 start last year was not the usual slow start.

I think they go 9-4 but then lose to Indy and Den...before rebounding against PITT.

I think the more disturbing thing is no LTC for Jones or Steinbach....Willie i can see that, even though i would love all 3....but to have none of those?? That is not good.