05-05-2023, 08:46 PM
(05-05-2023, 08:06 PM)casear2727 Wrote: The Eli Apple hate here and on social media is clear evidence that some fans are truly uninformed when it comes to the NFL and the state of the Bengals organization. Due to injuries we can only hope that we have several Eli Apples in the future.
Apple saved our butts 2 years in a row and during both years he was, by far, the #1 vet when it came to production over expectation and cost.
CB is the most difficult position to play in the NFL, yet...
in 2021, Apple was paid 1.2M to play CB4. Due to injuries he was forced to start every game at CB2, all the way to the SB.....
in 2022, Apple was paid 3.5M to play CB2 until CBT came along, and then back to CB4. Due to injuries he was forced to start at CB1 for 10 straight wins, all the way to the AFCCG.....
Had his name been Jalen Davis we would hail him as a great backup.
Some people are more concerned about social media than actual production. And the Apple bias is real as mentioned previously. Hilton ran his mouth and followed it up by being torched nonstop by KC. Bates basically gave up 2 TDs - but nothing about these guys. Eli and CBT played their best games in the biggest game of the year.
As the big contracts come along, we can only hope to find more Eli Apples in reserve roles that step up and help us continue to win as we will undoubtedly lose starters every season.
Agree. Don't get me wrong, I think Hilton is great and I love him as a player. All I'm saying is that the standard is applied unfairly with Eli.
I worry a bit about the secondary turnover even if Awuzie starts in week 1. We just left a golden age for safety play in Cincinnati. You don't just replace that quality right away. I'd have preferred to have as much continuity as possible back there. There's an excellent chance that this team starts the year vs another premier AFC team with a stud quarterback. I have a legit concern that this group won't quite be the sum of it's parts when they start playing real games.
