Lapham's prediction is IN

[fredtoast]

(04-27-2022, 02:13 PM)ATOTR Wrote: I firmly believe that over the last 15 years, the 3 biggest setbacks to this Franchise were: 

Palmer Knee Injury 

Other than losing one playoff game in '05 his knee injury was not even a factor.  He started every game in 2006 and was a top 5 QB in the league.

(04-27-2022, 02:13 PM)ATOTR Wrote: The 2014-2018 1st round Draft Run 

Dead on here.  Price, Ross, and Ogbuehi were horrible.  Dennard and Jackson had talent but could not stay healthy.  You cold actually go back another year because as good as Eifert was we only got ONE really good year out of him.  He was not a bust talent wise, but he was a bust based on career production.  He averaged 26 receptions for 307 yards in his 7 years with the Bengals. 

(04-27-2022, 02:13 PM)ATOTR Wrote: And the most crippling; Drafting and Starting Andy Dalton for 9 years like he was a Franchise QB, when he was a backup. 

Andy bottomed out his last year with the Bengals but over his first 8 seasons he was an average starter.  Not close to "back up".

But if you had said "Dalton was just barely good enough not to get replaced" I could see your point.  Dalton was winning so many games that we never drafted close to the top 10 where you can get a good QB, and we always had holes in our roster because we did not sign free agents back then.  So we could not waste a first round pick on a QB project that might have developed after sitting a year or two behind Andy.