Bengals Begin Bluffing On Maclin?

BasX · Mar 30, 2009

There’s an interesting dynamic shaping up in the bottom half of the top ten in this year’s draft.

The Raiders, who hold the seventh overall pick, are believed to be interested in receiver Michael Crabtree — we’ve heard that it’s one of the reasons they articulated to support their decision not to pursue Terrell Owens.

Of course, this could mean that the Raiders actually are interested in receiver Jeremy Maclin.

The Raiders’ actual position in this regard could have a huge impact on the team that picks right behind them.

At No. 8, the Jaguars are desperate for a high-end receiver after squandering first-round picks on guys like Reggie Williams and Matt Jones, and trading for a former top-ten bust (Troy Williamson) who has yet to do anything in the NFL other than drop passes.

The fact that the Jags have brought in Torry Holt for a visit supports the notion that, at a minimum, they’re considering taking a wideout at No. 8.

It the Jags decide they want the same guy that the Raiders covet, Jacksonville might have to leapfrog Oakland into the No. 6 spot. To block such a move, the Raiders might be wise to flip-flop from No. 7 to No. 6.

The team currently in the six spot is the Cincinnati Bengals. (Man, this is the longest setup we think we’ve ever had.)

It appears that the Bengals are priming the pump for a possible trade down by sending smoke signals that they are interested in one of the possible first wideouts off the board.

According to Carlos Holmes of the Dayton Daily News, Maclin will be visiting the Bengals on April 2 and 3.

And Holmes, intentionally or otherwise, does his best to sell the notion that the Bengals genuinely are interested in making Maclin the replacement for T.J. Houshmandzadeh.

At times, we were wondering whether Holmes has gotten the memo that the Bengals have signed Laveranues Coles.

Feigning interest in Maclin could give the Bengals a way to squeeze the Raiders or the Jaguars or both to try to make a move up. If the Bengals don’t seem to be interested in a receiver, there’s a chance that the Jags decide they’d be thrilled with either Maclin or Crabtree, taking whichever one is left after the Raiders pick.

By sniffing around Maclin, the Bengals might dupe the Jags into fearing that both Maclin and Crabtree will be gone by No. 8.

Regardless of how it all plays out, we’ve got a feeling that the Bengals will pounce on Alabama left tackle Andre Smith, if Smith is still on the board. The bigger question is whether they call his name at No. 6, No. 7, or No. 8.

That said, there’s a chance that the Bengals will assume an even lower position in round one, if someone decides to spring up from the teens in order to have first crack at Maclin or Crabtree, if both guys are left after the first five names are called.
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http://www.profootballtalk.com/2009/03/30/bengals-begin-bluffing-on-maclin/

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Bengals Begin Bluffing On Maclin?

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