WHY are you surprised? Most of our core left in free agency over the past 2 years...

[*ochocincos*]

(10-25-2017, 01:32 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I was one of those, and my mind hasn't changed. Our inactivity in FA to replace any of those guys is the problem, IMO.

Letting Marvin Jones and Sanu walk still looks good even in hindsight. Those guys aren't living up to their paydays.

Letting Zeitler and Whit was fine, but we did absolutely nothing to replace them. 

Sad part is there were/are still some cheaper veteran options to pursue to try to fix the OL, but this organization felt it best to ride or die with the draft picks they have that have been underperforming since drafted.

Case in point:
LT - Branden Albert is still available to be signed after being released from the Jags for wanting to unretire in mid-August. He could have been brought in immediately and had a few weeks to ramp up. Heck, he could have even been used as a backup OT to start the season to see how Ogbuehi would do then take over as the starter if/when Ogbuehi sucked.
C - John Sullivan was picked up by the Rams for just about $1 mill (!!!!) and has been a top 10 C. With Bodine entering a contract year, the coaches thought it better to re-sign TJ Johnson instead who has never been more than mediocre. I think Sullivan could/would have come here for $1.5 mill to push Bodine or more likely just take his job outright.
Tretter also wasn't that expensive ($5.5 mill a year) and I expect he would have signed with the Bengals over the Browns if given the same deal.

Never any desire/urgency to win now. Always about grooming for the next few years.
I hope this organization sees the mistake they made sticking by three bad OL on rookie contracts just because they are too stubborn to admit the picks sucked.