11-17-2019, 09:46 PM
Q - Hi Geoff. Is it time for team ownership to admit that the front office structure isn't working? This team hasn't been successful for 3 decades. I include the division championships in that because the team never won a playoff game during that time.
When an organisation is unsuccessful, the buck must stop at the top. An unfortunate run of injuries to the top draft picks either early or late in their careers has not helped. However, all the successful franchises use quality pro bowl caliber free agents and intelligent trades to compliment the drafting strategy. This is something that is desperately lacking in the Bengals front office. As I diehard fan for over 3 decades, it is heartbreaking to see the same mistakes made over and over again.
A golden opportunity will more than likely present itself in the nest offseason when the Bengals will be odds on to secure a top 2 draft pick. Is it time to hire a quality general manager who can work without interference from ownership, attract pro bowl quality free agents, make intelligent trades, and maybe even bring a change of luck with a healthy first round draft pick? To finally be successful and win a playoff game, surely that is the way we must go. Andrew, Gold Coast, Australia
ANDREW: I appreciate the question, but I respectfully disagree with the premise. To say this team hasn’t been successful for three decades overlooks too many facts. Ask fans in Miami, Cleveland, Tennessee, Detroit, Washington, D.C., among others, if the Marvin Lewis Era was successful and you’ll get a much different answer.
Seven play-off appearances, five consecutive post-season trips, four division titles. Successful, yes. The ultimate? No.
Now, do you and everyone else want more? Of course. Absolutely. Need that post-season win. They know that. We know that. Everyone knows that. But I would argue the current structure has yielded quality teams and successful seasons. Yes, some of the post-season trips ended poorly: 2009, 2012 and 2013. And some were affected by injuries to quarterbacks like ’05 and ’15, Jeremy Hill notwithstanding. If you want to break down each of those seven play-off losses, I don’t think front office structure correlates. They had the talent to get there.
Look, you’re right. Until you’re hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, everyone is subject to criticism and looking at how they can do their job better. But I would also suggest that it’s hard to argue this “front office structure” hasn’t yielded quality rosters with talent highly regarded around the league. Until recently it has, when injuries and some struggles with high picks have dogged them the past few seasons.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin and his scouts continue to expand their role with the new coaching staff and another year with Taylor’s coaches should smooth out some things. No question they whiffed on Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and Oregon tackle Jake Fisher in the first two rounds in 2015. But below the headlines and hidden behind the clicks is that for the past two Opening Days, this “front office structure,” has drafted the most players in the league.
Certainly this team needs more late-round draft picks like T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Marvin Jones, and Jonathan Fanene who spurred playoff runs. Yes, they need more franchise linchpins drafted in the fourth round like Geno Atkins and Domata Peko. So criticism is fair until those deep drafts return.
But same mistakes? The two franchise quarterbacks they’ve drafted in the last 17 years accounted for five Pro Bowls and seven playoff berths. Same mistakes? Yes they whiffed on Ogbuehi and Fisher in 2015, but they also hit on tackles Levi Jones (Pro Bowl alternate), Andrew Whitworth (Pro Bowl) and Andre Smith (right tackle on six play-off teams).
Be careful for what you wish. The only thing in this league that’s harder than chasing a quarterback is chasing a front office that can find one.
I give you the team up the road. During the Carson-Dalton stretch the Browns drafted seven quarterbacks in the third round and none panned out: (Charlie Frye 2005 third round, Brady Quinn 2007 first round, Colt McCoy 2010 third round, Brandon Weeden 2012 first round, Johnny Manziel 2014 first round, Cody Kessler 2016 third round), Deshone Kizer 2017 third round).
I understand the frustration. Join the club. But in my opinion, lack of talent hasn’t been the biggest problem since 2015. It’s been a problem in some areas, of course. But to me, the biggest problem has been finding schemes to fit the talent and that takes us back to where we began and the overhaul that started the day after last season.
https://www.bengals.com/news/hobson-s-choice-floor-is-open
When an organisation is unsuccessful, the buck must stop at the top. An unfortunate run of injuries to the top draft picks either early or late in their careers has not helped. However, all the successful franchises use quality pro bowl caliber free agents and intelligent trades to compliment the drafting strategy. This is something that is desperately lacking in the Bengals front office. As I diehard fan for over 3 decades, it is heartbreaking to see the same mistakes made over and over again.
A golden opportunity will more than likely present itself in the nest offseason when the Bengals will be odds on to secure a top 2 draft pick. Is it time to hire a quality general manager who can work without interference from ownership, attract pro bowl quality free agents, make intelligent trades, and maybe even bring a change of luck with a healthy first round draft pick? To finally be successful and win a playoff game, surely that is the way we must go. Andrew, Gold Coast, Australia
ANDREW: I appreciate the question, but I respectfully disagree with the premise. To say this team hasn’t been successful for three decades overlooks too many facts. Ask fans in Miami, Cleveland, Tennessee, Detroit, Washington, D.C., among others, if the Marvin Lewis Era was successful and you’ll get a much different answer.
Seven play-off appearances, five consecutive post-season trips, four division titles. Successful, yes. The ultimate? No.
Now, do you and everyone else want more? Of course. Absolutely. Need that post-season win. They know that. We know that. Everyone knows that. But I would argue the current structure has yielded quality teams and successful seasons. Yes, some of the post-season trips ended poorly: 2009, 2012 and 2013. And some were affected by injuries to quarterbacks like ’05 and ’15, Jeremy Hill notwithstanding. If you want to break down each of those seven play-off losses, I don’t think front office structure correlates. They had the talent to get there.
Look, you’re right. Until you’re hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, everyone is subject to criticism and looking at how they can do their job better. But I would also suggest that it’s hard to argue this “front office structure” hasn’t yielded quality rosters with talent highly regarded around the league. Until recently it has, when injuries and some struggles with high picks have dogged them the past few seasons.
Director of player personnel Duke Tobin and his scouts continue to expand their role with the new coaching staff and another year with Taylor’s coaches should smooth out some things. No question they whiffed on Texas A&M tackle Cedric Ogbuehi and Oregon tackle Jake Fisher in the first two rounds in 2015. But below the headlines and hidden behind the clicks is that for the past two Opening Days, this “front office structure,” has drafted the most players in the league.
Certainly this team needs more late-round draft picks like T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Marvin Jones, and Jonathan Fanene who spurred playoff runs. Yes, they need more franchise linchpins drafted in the fourth round like Geno Atkins and Domata Peko. So criticism is fair until those deep drafts return.
But same mistakes? The two franchise quarterbacks they’ve drafted in the last 17 years accounted for five Pro Bowls and seven playoff berths. Same mistakes? Yes they whiffed on Ogbuehi and Fisher in 2015, but they also hit on tackles Levi Jones (Pro Bowl alternate), Andrew Whitworth (Pro Bowl) and Andre Smith (right tackle on six play-off teams).
Be careful for what you wish. The only thing in this league that’s harder than chasing a quarterback is chasing a front office that can find one.
I give you the team up the road. During the Carson-Dalton stretch the Browns drafted seven quarterbacks in the third round and none panned out: (Charlie Frye 2005 third round, Brady Quinn 2007 first round, Colt McCoy 2010 third round, Brandon Weeden 2012 first round, Johnny Manziel 2014 first round, Cody Kessler 2016 third round), Deshone Kizer 2017 third round).
I understand the frustration. Join the club. But in my opinion, lack of talent hasn’t been the biggest problem since 2015. It’s been a problem in some areas, of course. But to me, the biggest problem has been finding schemes to fit the talent and that takes us back to where we began and the overhaul that started the day after last season.
https://www.bengals.com/news/hobson-s-choice-floor-is-open
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https://plackersinthewild.blogspot.com/
https://mygottareadbooks.blogspot.com/
http://questoffitness.blogspot.com/
Try Audible for 30 days and get 2 free Audio Books:
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