Menace management:
With Vontaze CINCINNATI — Burfict suspended for the first three games for repeated violations of the league’s player-safety rules, one of the linebackers on the bubble for a roster spot will get a chance to prove he belongs.
Newly acquired Karlos Dansby, Vinny Rey, Rey Maualuga and a pair of recent third-round picks, Nick Vigil (2016) and P.J. Dawson (2015) would appear to be locks to make the 53-man roster. That will leave Jayson DiManche, Marquis Flowers, Trevor Roach, Darrien Harris and, possibly Jeff Luc (more on his situation later) to battle it out for the last of what should be six spots.
Here are five things to know about the linebackers:,
Burfict will miss the first three games of the season while serving his suspension for repeated violations of the league’s player-safety rules, and while his presence certainly will be missed, it may not be the huge blow many expect it to be.
The addition of Vigil in the third round and the continued presence of do-everything backup Rey means the Bengals have the depth to overcome Burfict’s absence, which is something they’ve proven they can do in the past.
Burfict missed 11 games due to concussions and a knee injury in 2014, and he spent the first six weeks of 2015 on the physically unable to perform list while rehabbing the knee. The Bengals’ record in those 17 games Burfict missed was 13-4.
Burfict equation:
One of the keys for Jim Vontaze Burfict (2017), Karlos Dansby (2016), Rey Maualuga (2017), Vinny Rey (2018), Nick Vigil (2019), P.J. Dawson (2018), Jayson DiManche (2017), Marquis Flowers (2017), Trevor Roach (2017), Jeff Luc (2017), Darrien Harris (2018) Dansby, Maualuga, Rey, Vigil, Dawson DiManche, Flowers, Roach Burfict Haslett in his first year as Bengals linebacker coach will be to control the sort of over-the-top antics by Burfict that led to his threegame suspension. The good news for Bengals fans — and Burfict — is that Haslett has experience with that sort of thing.
Haslett was the head coach of the New Orleans Saints when mercurial and oft-penalized offensive tackle Kyle Turley was playing. Turley had one of the most infamous meltdowns in NFL history when he reached into a pile after a play, ripped off the helmet of Jets cornerback Damien Robinson, flung it across the field and delivered an obscene gesture.
The addition of Dansby in the offseason gives the Bengals a player who has accomplished something the team has been unable to do since 1990 — winning in the postseason.
Dansby is 4-2 in six career playoff games and is one of three players on the roster who played in a Super Bowl. Dansby was on the Arizona team that lost to Pittsburgh is Super Bowl XLIII.
The other two players on the roster with Super Bowl experience also were signed in the offseason — cornerback Chykie Brown (won with the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII) and wide receiver Brandon LaFell (won with the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX).
Super support: Middle man:
Maualuga enters his eighth season as the starting middle linebacker, but it will be worth watching if he finishes the year that way. Maualuga has long had the support of Bengals coaches, but the team signed Rey to a three-year, $10.5 million contract this offseason, an unusually rich deal for a backup.
The Bengals also drafted Vigil in the third round. The last time the Bengals drafted a linebacker higher than Vigil was in 2009 when they took Maualuga in the second round. Vigil projects as a WILL backer, but he spent the spring learning all three positions and drew raves from head coach Marvin Lewis, who said, “”To see Nick Vigil out there today running the defense like he’s been the MIKE linebacker the entire time was really good.”
Second Luc:
University of Cincinnati product Luc is still listed as a linebacker wearing No. 50 on the roster on the team’s official web site, but the Bengals were giving Luc a look at fullback during spring workouts, when he was wearing No. 44.
“I would say it was a mutual thing,” Luc said. “It’s up to the coach to make the decision and it’s up to me to go out and do the best I can. It was brought up to me and I said, ‘Sure, whatever I can do to help the team.’ I just want to win.”
It will be interesting to see which number Luc is wearing when he shows up for the first day of camp.
It didn’t KETTERING — take long for Dave Miller to get misty-eyed when reflecting on a great run with the Covington High School football program. He immediately paused, blinked back cherished memories, and admitted there were few places he’d rather be as a head coach.
“I could have spent the rest of my (coaching) career there,” he said. Instead, he’ll make his debut as Fairmont’s new head football coach this coming season.
Miller might be new to the Firebirds, but his roots are deeply planted in Kettering. He attended school in the Kettering City School District and moved over to Centerville in eighth grade, mainly because his father, Dave Miller Sr., was a key member of legendary Centerville coach Bob Gregg’s football staff.
Dave Miller Sr. eventually would become Beavercreek’s head coach and an assistant at multiple programs.
Dave Miller Jr. played on Elks teams that lost just two games in three seasons and was a senior starter at quarterback.
Now 49, Miller is well-traveled as an assistant coach and has 15 years of head coaching experience at Twin Valley South and Covington. He guided the Buccs to unprecedented smallschool success the past nine seasons: 86-20 overall record, nine playoff appearances, six Cross County Conferences titles, five teams that were 10-0 in the regular season and a 43-game regular-season win streak.
Much of his staff is from Centerville: George Reinke, Jake Feldmeyer, Greg Bell, David Fleming, Keith Bertram, Larry Noffsinger and assistant head coach Pat Roncagli. Shad Earick and Jeff Schwartz came from Covington. Dave Baker and Josh Jackson are the other assistants. “We have a nice staff,” said Miller.
Miller succeeds Andy Aracri as the Firebirds coach. Aracri, now an assistant at Centerville, was not renewed after six seasons, including 2-8 last year. Fairmont hosts Alter in the season opener on Aug. 26.
Here’s what Miller had to say about all that and more: The bottom line is my (two sons). That place was View video and photos at special and they treated us like gold. It was tough to leave. I told my wife I’m content. I loved the community and I loved the kids. We moved south and I kind of knew then. We’re both from Centerville and our mothers are living in Centerville and getting older and we wanted to be around them. It was either, I’m going to keep coaching and miss my kids playing football or I’m going to stop coaching and watch my kids play and that was going to kill me, because I love (coaching). Now, I’ve been able to bring it all here.
It sounds crazy, but I loved it. There’s something about driving through those cornfields that clears your head.
Oh, no. He’s retired and moved to Phoenix. He’s been approached about getting back in it out there, but I think it’s too hot for him. He needs to stay right where he’s at.
At Centerville in the late 1980’s. At Kenton for (head coach) Mike Mauk. At Northmont (with current Alter head coach Ed Domsitz). At Alter in 2004 and Centerville in 2005-06. I was the head coach at TV South from 1996-2001. We won two CCC titles and went to a regional final in 1999.
That’s my DNA. The thing about our offense, when you have average kids, it works. When you have good kids, it works even better. When you have great kids, it’s explosive. I’m not going to beat us. It works for Alter. College coaches will tell you that, the ones who are smart. They’ll say, that’s great all the stuff we do, but we recruit. You’re getting kids from your high school and community and we do what works.
There’s a learning curve. There’s a trust factor. The guys we brought on staff, our kids don’t understand how much knowledge these guys have. They know what success is like. That 38 years down there (at Centerville) from 1975 to 2013 with one losing record is not an accident. You have to look at that and realize the guys who are the coaching part of that know what they’re doing. That gave instant credibility to our staff. Our kids are at least willing to be coached. The other part of it is how hard are (the players) willing to work?
It was 2004. I have tons of respect for what (Domsitz has) done and he still puts together some really good football teams. We know; we’ve seen them on film. We know what they’ve got back. Realistically, I just want our kids to compete. I think we got a good shot at that. There’s talent here. That’s the one thing that surprised me when I came here in February.
We don’t use that word. We use BGA: Bob Gregg Academy. That’s how we get by with it. We were told not to use Centerville. It’s embedded. It’s a philosophy.