Getty ImagesVontaze Burfict, the onetime first-round prospect whose disappointing 2011 season was followed by a disastrous Scouting Combine and Pro Day, has found his NFL home in Cincinnati.
The Bengals agreed to terms with Burfict as an undrafted free agent shortly after the 2012 NFL draft ended without Burfict’s name being called. Bengals coach Marvin Lewis had a long talk with Burfict at Arizona State’s Pro Day, and Lewis was believed to be high on Burfict’s potential.
Once considered among the most talented linebackers in college football, Burfict was called for way too many penalties during his final season at Arizona State, and he also had a reputation as a player who was more interested in delivering big hits than in actually following his assignment within the defense. He was also reportedly a disruptive presence in the Arizona State locker room. So there’s a lot not to like about him.
Still, Burfict did make enough plays early in his college career that he once looked like a potential first-round pick. It’s easy to envision him making the roster in Cincinnati.
Channel Finder
LOL!! No shocker here folks!
Good for Vontaze. Prove all these draft gurus wrong brother!!!
Of all teams… the Bengals.
Truly, some things NEVER change!
Can’t make this stuff up.
Father Flanagan Brown strikes again. The Ellis Island of the NFL. I guess he taking Nate Webster spot and his mentor is going to be Adam “Pacman” Jones. Great.
fits the profile
Shocked ….
I bet vegas had these odds at 2:1
Sweet! Puts the finishing touches to the best draft next to the Rams. Who Dey!
He would be worth a shot, except the ‘being a disruptive presence’ in the locker room. It’s one thing to take a chance on a otherwise good player with a relatively minor off-field issue, but its another thing to bring a player on your team that is going to piss-off other players.
Burfict place for him.
File this one under “Totally Unexpected”
I hear Pacman has been chosen to mentor him and show him the ropes! This should end well…
So Maualuga , Burflict, Nate Webster and Pacman walk in to the bar……………
I hate to say it, but the Bengals just bring their reputation on themselves. Sometimes it’s just better to walk away, and leave a bad situation alone. Hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. Red flags are raised for a reason.
They have to know their reputation. Do they WANT to be a cliche?
This could pay off HUGE! Zimmer can make this boy a man.
Low risk, High reward. If he screws up hes gone if not he could be Elite.
31 QBs in the league upped their insurance.
Of course they do…
Is anyone else as tired of these “Burfict” jokes as I am?
This kid gets a 2nd chance at no cost to the Bengals. I love it. Rey is in the last year of his contract, and hasn’t lived up to his potential. This could be a win win situation.
ctiggs says:
Apr 28, 2012 9:23 PM
So Maualuga , Burflict, Nate Webster and Pacman walk in to the bar……………
How do you manage to spell Maualuga correctly then mess up Burficts name when its in the title of the story?
Steelers draft a player who tested positive for weed in Round 2 and a stalker in round 5. The “awesome draft” Rams take a guy on no ones draft board in the second….Pats take a guy in round 7 who hit a cop in the face – every team drafted a “character risk.”
The Bengals take one after the draft with NO risk and a small upside (was predicted as a possible first round pick in February) and it is “business as usual.” – If he screws up, cut him and your out no money……
We all know that there would be many cliche, moronic “Bengals being Bengals” posts here. Why would you NOT take a chance on a guy who has 1st round talent for a minimum risk. If the guy can get his head on straight he has Pro Bowl talent. While I realize that is a big if, stranger things have happened.
Vontaze has no one else to blame for his fall from grace but himself, but by that same token, no one can stand in his way of success in the NFL but himself. Prove everyone wrong, Vontaze.
Of course
He is still just a kid so hopefully the coaches can steer him in the right direction. Also, despite the perception, there are a lot of high-character players on the Bengals so they can certainly push him in the right direction.
It was just a few months ago that he was showing up as high as a top 10 pick on some mocks so good move by the Bengals. If he doesn’t work out – nothing lost.
So Maualuga , Burflict, Nate Webster and Pacman walk in to the bar……………
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More like a strip club
thenightmancometh says:Apr 28, 2012 9:30 PM
Im sorry Professor, but it happens sometimes.
Odell Thuman 2.0
Vontaze: an ancient word for he who will be tazed.
Bengals draft was not that good. Dre is slow and not strong,and the tackle from Wis is not great. DT from Penn State is overrated. The only good pick they got,is the WR from Rutgers. Burfict is a punk who will fit well with Cincy. Go Browns!
Don’t know how it ends but we sure know how he came in and with what red flags….
I really don’t want to hear any Bengal fan ever complain about their perception amongst other NFL fans.
You’ve built your reputation completely on your own.
Hey Pacman twist one up for vontaze – just blaze!
A Pac-12 coach calls Vontaze Burfict “deliciously violent.” An NFL scout calls him “what you get after you kick Ray Lewis’ dog.”
This is why the Bengals will never win it all.
If Burfict shapes up, the Bengals will have one amazing linebacker, and Lewis will be touted as a genius.
If not, they just cut his a$$, they have lost nothing, and just move on.
The Pats have just signed Alfonso Dennard, lets see who works out better, Burfict or Dennard.
There is a reason no team even sniffed this guy in the draft. There is also a reason they are called the Bungals.
Sounds good to me! Sometimes I feel a little guilty though because I enjoy seeing a train wreck.
The Ohio probation department has a one-stop shop.
acerockefellar says:
Apr 28, 2012 9:27 PM
31 QBs in the league upped their insurance.
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Oh yeah…I’m sure they are all sweating this move. Not like he’s the only LB in the NFL.
LOL lets hear the Bengal fans try to spin this and deflect attention on another team.
Face it guys, you do this to yourself. Cincy is not relevent enough to slander so it’s not like you are getting singled out here. We call it like we see it.
Cedric Benson, Pac-man, Chris Henry, Odell Thurman, Peter Warrick, Carlos Dunlap, Jerome Simpson all just off the top of my head. All criminals or troubled people that other (successful) teams wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole. Now you guys add noted turds like Dre Kirkpatrick and Vontaze Burfict? Both failed their combine drug test! How much of an irresponsible bottom feeder do you have to be to do that on the stage of the biggest job interview they will ever have?
The bengals lead the NFL in players arrested since 2000 with around 40 players. That’s just counting those that were arrested for criminal behaviour, not those that just had character concerns (like Vontaze, TO, or Ocho Cinco) but were still detrimental to the team.
ditto “I hate to say it, but the Bengals just bring their reputation on themselves. Sometimes it’s just better to walk away, and leave a bad situation alone. Hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. Red flags are raised for a reason.”
When Baltimore and Pats pass on this guy, something is up. Bungles aren’t Burfict I guess.
Nice pick up for Zimmerman’s stingy defense!
Good luck young man
I wish him all the best. Mavin Lewis is a good man and a good leader. Cincy has more against it’s owner then the team or coaching staff. I hope you get it straightened out. Here in Cleveland we are just drowning in sea of stupidity. At least you MADE the playoffs !
Move on.
Move Forward.
Success has many fathers while failure in an orphan.
here is the analysis. He sucks, bad. I watched this kid play a good amount of games, and it isnt impressive. The Bengals are pretty strong at LB. He’ll be gone within 2 years.
LOL, professional athletes regularly use cannabis, and this particular professional athlete is now employed by a team in Cincinnati! LOL!
I am glad we are getting his caliber of talent without using a draft pick. Hate on people, hate on!
djigel says:Apr 28, 2012 9:31 PM
Steelers draft a player who tested positive for weed in Round 2 and a stalker in round 5. The “awesome draft” Rams take a guy on no ones draft board in the second….Pats take a guy in round 7 who hit a cop in the face – every team drafted a “character risk.”
==================================
I suppose you saw every teams draft board to know that no one else had Brian Quick or whoever you’re referring to on it? If YOU haven’t heard of the guy I suggest you look him up rather than show your ignorance.
I give it 12 months before an incident at a strip club and a bar fight. Sad. Hope he proves everyone wrong, but….
No risk, no reward. Let’s see how it plays out. Good luck Vontaze, it is up to you to prove your detractors wrong.
Some things never change….
After this experiment fails he will surely end up in either Oakland or Dallas….or both. That’s just the way the toilet flushes.
spunhead73
And RG3 will be run out of town with every other QB in .
Cleveland. Maybe Kozar can still play!
Burfict won’t make the roster! Hello CFL!
That ESPN article might be a puff piece, but it might be true. Probably a little of both. Thankfully I didn’t grow up in a neighborhood with gangster spics running the streets killing my friends. Would eff my head up too among all the other things in the article. This dude might not have the mentality to be a pro, but being picked up as an UDFA is ultra low risk for the Bengals. Might as well see where his head’s at.
@randallflagg52
make up your mind, in the last article about notable udfa you posted how you hope your ravens pick him up. Now that the Bengals got him he’s a turd who will only be a detriment to the team? Looks like someone is a bit jealous. and also doesn’t know much about football. But hey its easy to rip on the Bengals for no other reason but to try and sound like you know what your talking about even though the irrelevant Bengals have a winning record against the ravens since Marvin took over almost a decade ago so yeah good luck next year with your senior citizen stars.
djigel says:Apr 28, 2012 9:31 PM
Steelers draft a player who tested positive for weed in Round 2 and a stalker in round 5. The “awesome draft” Rams take a guy on no ones draft board in the second….Pats take a guy in round 7 who hit a cop in the face – every team drafted a “character risk.”
And the Bengals drafted a guy arrested for possession in round 1 and a guy arrested for DUI in round 4. Don’t throw stones if you live in a glass house bro.
To: Mike Brown
From: FORMER season ticket holder
This is one reason why you get 30,000 fans a game.
@gdive
I think he meant janoris jenkins being taken off a lot of draft boards. brian quick was a good pick up
Oh yeah, I like this idea
#Ravens
spunhead73 says:
“Bengals draft was not that good. Dre is slow and not strong,and the tackle from Wis is not great. DT from Penn State is overrated….”
Yeah, you keep telling yourself that, Browns fan. lol
every team has guys getting in trouble these days. I think this guy is gonna be a monster. zero risk if he doesn’t pan out. I could point to every roster and have an example of guys being idiots. I think a lot of people are just upset their fav team didn’t get this guy. The Bengals clearly have a top 5 draft class this year easily.
Here’s the perspective of someone who actually FOLLOWS the Bengals, rather than reading a couple headlines:
The Bengals had 10 arrests in 2006. Most of those arrests came from 2 players: Chris Henry (RIP) and Odell Thurman. Ever since then, we’ve been plastered with this criminal reputation. Casual fans (most of you bashers) know next-to-nothing about the Bengals other than what your told.
The Bengals have an average amount of arrests from 2007-present, but the reputation is kept up by the media. Literally every time we sign a player with character issues, it gets BLOWN UP. If we have an arrest, it gets BLOWN UP. If you actually paid attention, you’d realize that our team is pretty average. Every team signs questionable players and has arrests. It’s just noone cares to pay attention to out small market team.
I hate to say it, but the Bengals just bring their reputation on themselves. Sometimes it’s just better to walk away, and leave a bad situation alone. Hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. Red flags are raised for a reason.
======
Really, just the bengals?? Didn’t the steelers just draft an OLineman with huge character problems? And they have a rapist playing qb, FYI.
Oh, and Ray Lewis killed a guy. Seriously.
But yes, it’s all the bengals (because that’s what the media wants you to think)
Bengals draft was not that good. Dre is slow and not strong,and the tackle from Wis is not great. DT from Penn State is overrated. The only good pick they got,is the WR from Rutgers. Burfict is a punk who will fit well with Cincy. Go Browns!
=•===•==
I don’t know if Browns’ fans should be criticizing anyone else’s draft… What an awful organization and terrible team.
So Maualuga , Burflict, Nate Webster and Pacman walk in to the bar……………
___________________________________
I’d say dragged into a police precinct in handcuffs would fit better
Coming from a Giants fan:
All of you morons bashing the Bengals for getting a player as talented as Burfict as an UDFA… are morons. It’s a zero risk, high reward situation. If the guy screws up again or just plain sucks, then he’s cut. It’s that simple.
As an UDFA, it’s no guarantee he’s on the team. The Bengals won’t lose any sleep over kicking his @ss to the curb. But if he can get his act together and play up to his potential… watch out.
The Bengals have had 2 or 3 amazing drafts in a row now. Can’t wait to see what this team accomplishes within the next 5 years. God knows Bengal fans could use a consistent winner… Good luck Bengals!
Fantastic move! I was hoping the Vikings would take a chance! Absolutely Zero risk , all reward if it pans out!
This guy will screw up and the Bengals will get laughed at. It’s not a question of if, but when. Sometimes a turd is such a big turd, you can’t fix it no matter how hard you try. We see it every day in others, right? Hot chicks so crazy you can’t run away fast enough. Guys like this can’t just flip a switch and be normal, especially once they get a little money in their pocket. Pacman Jones probably paces the floor of his apartment like a caged animal, struggling to pass the time of day without evil thoughts creeping in to his head and Burfict is just like him. Not getting arrested is a struggle for these clowns.
Paul Brown must be ashamed.
How can a Beowns fan critizze any other teams draft when they did not address wr need and got a 28 year old qb who would have been there round 2! This is why Browns are always drafting in top 10 and will be in the forseeable furture!
Thanks yankees2009, and good luck with Keith. Hopefully he can stay healthy for you guys!
If Marvin Lewis had been Vontaze’s coach the past three years he would be in a much better position today.
Nate Webster played 3 years in Tampa, 2 years in Cincinnati, 2 years in Denver. When he gets arrested he’s a Bengal though.
As a true Bengal fan, this is perfect. We eat irony.
I certainly hope that none of these “intelligent” posters here bagging on Cincy and/or Mike Brown are Vikings fans or fans of a team that didn’t even make the playoffs last year.
That would show just how idiotic some of you are if thats the case.
And for those that still use LOL and LMAO
Are you serious?
its a Burfict fit.
VONTAZE me bro!!!
Damn… The haters are just loving this, but if it was your team, it would be a steal to get a top 10 talent for next to nothing. And for all of you “experts” keep flipping burgers and pumping gas. The real experts have the Bengals as the top draft this year.
One thing I do know is he’s a bad man on the field believe dat
Once a PacMan or Laurence Phillips always a PacMan or Laurence Phillips.
He was TERRIBLE this year for the SunDevils. He was very good last year.
This dude is out for vengeance now… I predict him building a pro-bowl career based on pure spite of his critics. Mayock will eat his worlds every game this guy dominates…. or he’ll get in trouble and be out of the league. I don’t know for sure, but I sure am ready to follow this story. Nobody deserves to get trashed the way this guy did.
give the guy a break..heres hoping the best for ya burfict.
Vontaze got the burfict team
So Maualuga , Burflict, Nate Webster and Pacman walk in to the bar……………
I think some of you know nothings posting what you think are funny comments actually think Nate Webster still plays for the Bengals. Nate Webster left the Bengals in 2006 and went to the Broncos. I believe he finished his career as a Bronco. But by all means keep up the dumb jokes.
________
No risk?
What part of “disruptive presence in the locker room” don’t you understand?
Mike Brown should be forced to sell the team.
Kudos to bengals, great pick up, no risk whatsoever. I genuinely cannot believe he went undrafted. We had four seventh round picks, I’m sort of disappointed we didn’t take a chance. Best of luck to burfict, god knows nobody gives him a hope, up to him to prove it wrong.
to all the guys ragging the bengals in this thread, do you feel the same way about the pats for taking dennard? is it ok the steelers took rainey and adams?
I missed the part in the story about him having an arrest record… Is “too many penalties” a crime in Arizona?
.
WOW, ….AN ASTROS FAN SAID “THATS WHY THE BENGALS WILL NEVER WIN”
…….THATS TO FUNNY!
an astros fan….lol…..lol….lol
The Bengals “bagged” Burfict like I “bag” my dogs poop when I take him for a walk, its worthless and stinks!!!!
Annoying Amount of Alliteration
gdive says:
Apr 28, 2012 10:30 PM
djigel says:Apr 28, 2012 9:31 PM
Steelers draft a player who tested positive for weed in Round 2 and a stalker in round 5. The “awesome draft” Rams take a guy on no ones draft board in the second….Pats take a guy in round 7 who hit a cop in the face – every team drafted a “character risk.”
==================================
I suppose you saw every teams draft board to know that no one else had Brian Quick or whoever you’re referring to on it? If YOU haven’t heard of the guy I suggest you look him up rather than show your ignorance.
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His name is Janoris Jenkins. He was drafted 39th. He was kicked out of Florida. he smokes bails of weed.
Now, here is the catch. I think it was a great pick. He has the ability to be THE best cover corner in the draft. He was reportedly dropped from over 1/2 the leagues boards according to reports due to his seemingly lack of desire to quit smoking marijuana. If you’re a Rams fan and didn’t know that, shame on you. Quick is a WR with no character issues, just needs to learn how to run routes well….Adams, Rainey, and Dennard were the other players referred to…..
Again, I apologize for my sheer ignorance of realizing I didn’t have to link their wikipedia page here for you…..
@dino8500
That is a valid point. I was hoping my ravens would sign Burfict, but it’s obvious they wanted nothing to do with him. Ray Lewis is this guy’s role model and mentor so if the Ravens offered him a contract he would have taken it over anything. If Ozzie Newsome turns a player down he must have serious flaws, both as a player and as a human being. We are winners for a reason just as you are losers for a reason.
I’ll take Ozzie Newsome or Eric DeCosta’s opinion over mine or yours or Mike Brown’s. You guys haven’t won a playoff game since the 80′s so I doubt your team is an expert when it comes to talent evaluation. I mean you guys whiff on top 10 picks more than anyone…