Question for Drafting Chase Supporters

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(04-15-2021, 10:33 PM)CanadianBengal Wrote: I love Chase --would love him on the Bengals but when I think about our OLine I simply cannot justify passing on an elite offensive lineman. So if you are committed to drafting Chase --please explain how you think the OLine will give Burrows enough time to use the weapons he will have.

Here is my assessment of the line --please share yours

Williams is average but getting better and a long term piece.Reif is solid but signed for one year.

Hopkins is below average and coming back from an injury.

Spain, XSF are back ups. XSF was a back-up for Dallas, he signed for a back-up salary. Spain was cut by Buffalo during the year when they had title hopes. He just resigned for a back up salary. Which means the Bengals, the other teams and the player all accept that at least for this year --they look like a back up. If they or other teams thought they were starters --they wouldn't have signed for back-up salary

Pollack is better than Turner --but we had Pollack before and the line was not great. So why do we believe he can turn poor players into sound players?

I think because we watched Turner coach Redmond, Hart and Jordan --we overvalue Pollack, Spain and XSF.

Sewell or Slater become our best OLineman. They guarantee we have three strong OLineman. Waiting to round two is just to great a risk for me.

Love to hear your argument

You focused your analysis on the offensive line, and rightfully so.  It was a huge weakness last year.  But they have already added Spain to compete with XSF at BOTH of their natural position, LG.  I feel very good about Jonah in year 2 of his playing career in the NFL.  Hopkins is a solid center and Price a capable backup.  At RT, they signed a solid veteran in Reilly Reiff.  That leaves RG.  They will surely draft at least 2 linemen that could compete for that position.  One will be a potential tackle to start off at RG, and the other a natural G.  That addresses a lot of the concerns and would start 2021 leaps and bounds better than 2020.

Now, look at what the offense did against pitt and Baltimore.  Nothing.  They were able to shut down Boyd and Higgins.  Those bigger, longer-striding WR that don't have the phone booth quicks of a player like Chase were blanketed.  I don't think anyone has ever been able to blanket Chase...even in college where you are allowed contact beyond 5 yards.  He has the amazing short shuttle, the deep speed, and the ball-tracking skills to be a dominant WR in the league.  He is an alpha.  A leader.  He has set NATIONAL RECORDS at both the HS and college level.  If you try to press him, he will bench-press your ass in to the ground.  He is a WR with the build of a SS.  Fast, quick in short areas, great at contested catches, and unparalleled in deep ball tracking.  All things that the Bengals showed they needed against their division foes.  

Having Chase, Boyd, and Higgins on the field together opens up the running game by forcing safeties to play off the LOS.  It also opens up the underneath for RBs and TEs as receivers.  The bottom line:  THEY WILL SCORE MORE POINTS.  I believe they will score a shit-ton more points.  We have a coach that lives in 11 personnel more than any coach in the league.  Having three real WR threats will fit his offense perfectly.  Think of the Colts when they had Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, and Dallas Clark.  All first round picks.  They attacked the 3rd or 4th best cover option of the defense with elite talent.  Their offense was incredible.  They had a smart QB that could read defenses and attack them accordingly.  

The bottom line:  I see a much greater drop off in talent from Chase to the likes of Dyami Brown or others that may be there in Rd 2, than I do with Sewell compared to some of the players that could be long-term solutions at RT for the Bengals.  

FWIW, I won't be upset if they draft Sewell, but I would prefer Chase for the reasons I have outlined above.  You have to beat your division foes to win your division.  I think Chase helps them to that more than any player in the draft.