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CINCINNATI — Something's wrong with Bengals' third-year veteran Ahmad Brooks.

Instead of being anchored at middle linebacker, where he was a year ago, he's nailed to the sidelines.

All of Brooks' prized possessions — size, speed, agility and mobility — are gathering a goodly amount of rust because the groin injury that ruined his 2007 season still is causing him pain.

"My father always told me, 'You can't make the club in the tub,' " Brooks said. "The coaches want people out there who are doing something, who can be productive. Right now, I'm not productive. It hurts."

Inquiring minds wanted to know why Brooks was limited to five snaps in the club's first on-field coaching session this week. You could almost see the coaches and trainers waving the caution flag on him.

"They backed me off," he said. "They know my situation. They know I'm not 100 percent right now, so my reps were limited."

Snaps are precious for Brooks because he's learning a new position. He's moved from middle linebacker ("Mike") to strong-side linebacker ("Sam").

Middle linebackers find the football. The strong-side 'backer must seal off the outside run and force the action inside. The duties include shedding blocks from the tackle and tight end, blanketing the tight end in pass coverage and, sometimes, rushing the quarterback.

The biggest adjustment?

"Everything," Brooks said. "It's knowing what the offensive tackle is doing and what the tight end is doing. I've never played outside the (tackle) box. I've always played middle linebacker. Converting to outside linebacker is going to be pretty tough, but I can do it."

Brooks' eight tackles, including a sack and forced fumble, helped the Bengals to a 27-20 victory over Baltimore in the 2007 opener. A week later, his season ended when he tore muscle fibers of his inner thigh in kickoff coverage at Cleveland.

He's still struggling to become pain-free.

"If you can't practice, it's going to be hard to play," defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer said. "His history is being hurt."

By the time Brooks gets healthy, he may need a complement to his helmet, shoulder pads and cleats.

A full can of Rust-Oleum.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2253 or cludwig@DaytonDailyNews.com

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