DJ Reader signs with DET

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(03-14-2024, 06:49 PM)007BengalsFan Wrote: When Lou had Hendrickson, Ogunjobi, Hill, Bell and Bates the team rode the defense to the Super Bowl.  Since that time the Bengals let Ogunjobi leave, let Bates leave, let Bell leave then let Reader leave to save money.  You cant let talent like that leave and replace it with guys like Dax Hill, Nick Scott, Teair Tart??? and claim you are giving Lou a bunch of talent.  The Bengals have mostly signed a bunch of "value" guys for Lou to work with.  When Lou had more talent to work with, the defense made it to the Super Bowl and AFC Championship.  Dont expect him to work miracle with "value" signings.

It's amazing how people have erased the regular season out of their minds from that year. The defense was amazing in the postseason, sure, but it wasn't good in the regular season. The Bengals had the 17th scoring defense and 7th scoring offense. They just had an amazing postseason run, very 2012 Joe Flaccoish, and we all made fun of the Ravens Fans for proclaiming Flacco elite because of that season.

Also lol to "to save money" while ignoring all the people they paid, and the fact you can't keep everyone because the salary cap exists.

Poor Lou, last year he only had the 5th and 20th highest paid DEs and 15th and 22nd highest paid DTs, both paid LBs, and two straight drafts of every first two day picks going to him. How can you expect him to develop young guys rather than just pay everyone? Such disrespect.

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Also weird how you simultaneously complain about letting Reader, Bell, and Ogunjobi leave... while also belittling their signings as "a bunch of value guys". Are they priceless losses, or are they scrubs that didn't give Lou any talent? Make up your mind.

"The Defense" didn't make it to the AFCC and the Super Bowl. Joe Burrow being healthy made it to the AFCC and the Super Bowl. They didn't do shit in 2020 (we had Bates, Bell, Reader then) or 2023, but when Joe Burrow is healthy it's magically the defense that is nearly perpetually below average in points allowed that is carrying the team, not the top-3 QB who has a top-10 scoring offense every time he's healthy.