We have leader for RT in free agency....

[*ochocincos*]

(02-07-2024, 02:08 PM)jj22 Wrote: I guess I think we have a lot of money tied up on the Oline and we are going to have to hit on some draft pics. Conitnuing to buy an Oline with the highest paid NFL player is tough. When there is a deep draft class at certain positions of need and premium positions, they have to take advantage of it. 

I'm not a GM obviously, but the pie Tobin loves to speak of, I'd like to see how much of the cap the Oline and Dline has / had (with Reader) tied up, and I wonder if that is sustainable as an ideal way to build a roster. 

We are going to have to hit on draft picks in this new era. Especially with 2 100+ million contracts on the horizon. I think the days of FA like we've seen since 2020 are over.

I'd also hate to see us stick with unproven players like Turner as starters because we've spent money in FA on a RT and passed on elite prospects in the draft.

I get using the draft for luxury picks, but with the transition of the roster we are set to see in the next year, now probably isn't the time. We are going to have to draft need when it isn't a reach and the prospect pool is there.

Oline is a boring 1st round pick, but it would be great to solidify the spot at a rookie rate.

Maybe I haven't invested enough time looking into the non-1st rounder OT guys, but I'm not overly confident they'd find an immediate starter at OT after 18.

What the Bengals cannot afford, IMO, is either:
1) Putting a rookie RT out there who is not ready to be solid-or-better from Game 1. We can't afford a learning curve throughout the year, as it could derail the season.
2) Using another 1st (or even 2nd) round pick for someone who hardly plays any offensive/defensive snaps as a rookie. Bengals really need to understand their window is now, not 3-5 years from now.
3) Dumping a decent amount of $$ toward a stopgap FA only for a rookie to overtake that player. That money could have gone toward another position in FA or gotten an even better player at another position.

They need to very calculated and deliberate in who they add in FA and draft such that they are getting the most out of all added players specifically in 2024 and 2025.