Joe

Bachie

Brown did not practice to begin the week after head coach Zac Taylor called him day-to-day on Monday. He participated in the Monday walkthrough, but is officially a non-participant for Wednesday after missing the last two games for the Bengals. LB Joe Bachie (hip), DT B.J. Hill (knee), and WR Charlie Jones (groin) were also non-participants on the Bengals’ Wednesday practice report.

Adomitis was an exclusive rights free agent. A snapper of the longest snaps you’ll ever see on a Sunday, Adomitis has been with the Bengals since 2022 after making the team as an undrafted free agent. In addition to Adomitis, the Bengals also signed LB Joe Bachie to a one-year deal.

Bachie started two games in the middle of the season when Logan Wilson was hurt, and was an exclusive rights free agent. He’s been more of a special teams player so far for the Bengals. He’ll be depth behind Germaine Pratt and Logan Wilson in 2022.

Bachie (6’1/230) was a captain and three-year starting middle linebacker for the Spartans. He was suspended five games as a senior for PED. If Bachie had played a full season, he would have finished with his third straight 100-plus tackle campaign. He is an aggressive presence in the middle of the field with quality run-and-chase speed who graded equally well against the run as pass. Bachie is a solid blitzer and surrendered just 7.0 yards per target in coverage. Bachie showed 26th percentile athleticism with 4.66 speed at the Combine, scores that put a cap on his overall upside, especially as a pass defender.

Bachie (6'1/230) drew plaudits for his initial 40 run from the NFL Network’s broadcast, with Daniel Jeremiah calling it a “great run.” Prior to that 40-yard sprint, the Michigan State linebacker recorded a vertical jump of 33.5 inches and a broad jump of 119 inches. PFF likes Bachie’s prowess as a run-stopper but has major concerns with his abilities to work in coverage. The outlet sees him as a seventh-round selection at best for April’s draft.

Bachie (6'1/230) answered questions about the ordeal while at the NFL Scouting Combine, saying that he had passed multiple tests in the past despite using the same product. Unfortunately for him, the batch of the supplement in question that he had taken prior to a left in the fall was “tainted” (his own word), triggering the positive result. There’s no doubt that this has been brought up by teams that Bachie has interviewed with while in Indianapolis, and he’s considered to be in that Day 2/3 range when it comes to his draft prospects.

Bachie’s senior season came to a premature end, as he was suspended after testing positive for performance-enhancing substances. While he’s very good at diagnosing plays and defending the pass as part of a zone package, Bachie’s limited athleticism is a concern. “He will struggle with man coverage but plays passing lanes from zone effectively,” Zierlein wrote in his analysis. “His technique and play recognition will stand out for defensive coaches, but it might not matter if his speed and athletic testing don’t check out.” He was projected to be a Day 2/3 prospect before the 2019 season began, but the stock likely took a hit due in part to how his Michigan State career ended.

HC Mark Dantonio revealed the news following Saturday’s 27-0 win at Rutgers, and as a result Bachie (6'2/238) has played his last game as a Spartan. The senior linebacker has been suspended since late-October, and he finishes 2019 with 71 total tackles (8.5 for loss) and 3.5 sacks. Pro Football Network draft analyst Tony Pauline gave Bachie a third-round grade before the season began, but he’s going to have some questions to answer regarding the end of his college career during the pre-draft process.

Bachie (6'2/238) tested positive for a substance classified as a performance-enhancer. Michigan State will appeal this case in the hope to get the senior linebacker back on the field before the campaign’s close. This ruling is a rough one for MSU, as Bachie leads the team in both tackles and pass breakups. For the campaign as a whole, the linebacker has logged 71 tackles (8.5 for loss), 3.5 sacks and four pass breakups, plus one interception, across eight games. Look for Noah Harvey and Ed Warriner to pick up the slack while Bachie is out ineligible.

Bachie (6'2/238) is graded as one of the top run-defenders in the nation, but he also can rush the passer and can hold his own in pass coverage. Basically, he’s one of the most well-rounded defenders in college. His draft stock will depend on his athleticism, but he has the look of a rock-solid Day 2 or early Day 3 prospect going into his senior season.