03-10-2022, 10:49 AM
(03-09-2022, 08:41 PM)casear2727 Wrote: I contend Boyd’s production is a direct result of our poor pass blocking causing us to operate solely in a 3-step drop/quick pass offense.
Immediate go routes or underneath quick passes to Boyd covered by a LB.
In my scenario we upgrade the Oline as close as we can in some spots to elite status which vastly opens up the run game and allows for 5-7 drop pass concepts such as deep routes and double moves for Tee & Chase. WR3 & TE will primarily be check downs minus some slants and seams.
I want to post some data around this because I have seen this message thrown around quite a bit. Cincinnati did not solely operate in a 3-step drop/quick pass offense. It is quite the opposite - Cincinnati was one of the most aggressive teams in pushing the ball down the field. The Bengals ranked 8th in the league in pass attempts that traveled over 25 yards in the air. If you bump that threshold up to 30 yards, they were 5th. So, their aggressiveness in regard to deep passing is evident here, but they did suffer in the intermediate game. Just making this clear, you specifically talk about allowing "deep routes" to come into play when they already are in play.
Offensive line and WR are difficult topics to try to compare due to the impact that one OL has vs one WR. My initial reaction is to say that I don't agree with your idea. I don't think Cincinnati would have been a better team. Even with a top notch OL, counting on Taylor to compete with Boyd's production is far fetched IMO. You mention more running, which isn't really going to help the offense. The bread and butter of this offense is throwing the ball, so you grab an elite OL to enable Burrow, not Mixon. Where improvement in the running game is necessary is in short-yardage situations, which would be the two areas I focus on (pass protection and short yardage production). Otherwise, the running game value is more or less the same unless you have a back like Chubb/Taylor who are averaging over 5.5 yards per pop, due to their own great OLs for sure.
I do understand the contractual argument and how his production didn't live up to his pay, however. I also don't think that Boyd fetches much in a trade, though, so it's tough to really do it. What you get back for him won't be of equal value to what he can produce.
