05-07-2023, 10:48 AM
(05-07-2023, 09:01 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: We suffered when Trey went down last year. We suffered when Awouzie went down. We suffered when Boyd went down in the AFC Championship. As you mentioned they are covering themselves if they get injuries at key positions as well as developing to save cap money down the road. So glad they aren’t masters of just the here and now.
Well stated. Consider as well how different things could have been in several games toward the end of the season how nice it would have been to have had fresher legs off the edge that had high quality starting talent behind them. Aside from Ossai, who right now is a situational pass rusher, we did not have that sort of talent on the bench. Hubbard and Hendrickson both leave it all on the field every single down and it will be awesome having Murphy who can come in for either of them and there should not be a drop off in talent level.
I know someone mentioned that guys like Michael Johnson and Carlos Dunlap each played a higher percentage of downs than Hubbard and Hendrickson but I would argue the effort put in every down they were on the field and I am a fan of both Dunlap and Johnson. It is also a different league in that Dunlap and Johnson were not chasing down the athletic ability in QBs that is seen in the league now.
The value of the draft even extended beyond the 7th round and continued into the UDFAs that the Bengals were able to bring in:
Devonnsha Maxwell - he was a collegiate stat machine and with the coaching of Marion Hobby could be the inside presence the Bengals have missed since Geno.
Jaxson Kirkland - not too long ago he was discussed as a mid round draft selection. Can play either guard position or RT.
Shaka Heyward - he went to Duke so he is not a dummy. Has the size and length that the Bengals do not have a lot of in their LB depth and the athleticism to go with it.
Both of the backs they brought in were very productive collegiate runners.
It is very refreshing to see the changes within this organization and to see them setting themselves up for long-term success from top to bottom.
