Dre is Cut

[samhain]

(03-31-2020, 12:52 PM)bengals1969 Wrote: A move with no impact on their draft days decisions.  Is Shawn Williams the next cap casualty?  I think so for the $4 million savings. Since he won't start, he's in same situation as Dre was in all last week.  Goes to show how badly the coach's thought of the secondary.  Piss poor.

I'm not so sure about Williams being gone.  They seem to view him as the leader of the defense, and have mentioned using all 3 of Bates, Williams, and Bell in 3 safety packages as a benefit of signing Bell.  I also see Williams as a guy that can line up as a LB when needed.   I definitely do not consider his departure a foregone conclusion like Dre and Dalton.

I'm a little curious about the status of Geno and Carlos at this point.  They both make a shitload of money and have been around forever.  Dunlap still plays at a high level, but Geno is very up and down, showing signs of decline, though not quite there yet.

There are many good DTs that could be available to us in round 2 or 3.  Madibuike, Blacklock, Gallimore, etc are all likely to be options.  The switch to a hybrid 3-4 doesn't quite favor Geno's strengths, either.  On top of that, the team just shelled out a huge deal to Reader, a young player who will anchor the DT group for years to come as Geno continues to age.

Look at the guys considered to be Geno's peers.  Suh, McCoy, and Jurrell Casey were all once considered to top guys at that spot along with Atkins.  Not one of those guys is on their original team, and all have declined significantly.  Only Donald remains as a stud, and he's a got a few less years on him than most of those guys.

I think gene could be a surprise post-draft cut if things play out in a particular way.  I think Carlos is safe.  There aren't enough pass rushers on the team to cut bait, and he's still a terrific player.