2020 and Beyond Optimistic Look

[lone bengal]

(01-16-2020, 06:06 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I am an optimist but I normally hate predictions prior to draft and FA period. I have read thread after thread knocking our FO (a lot deserved), but it is the same group that assembled a team getting to the playoffs 5 years in a row (no easy feat).

So here we go in 2020:

We draft Burrow and trade AD for a 3rd and a 5th round pick.
We re-sign AJ Green to a 3 year deal.
Jonah Williams plays like a 1st round pick in his first official year shoring up our OL.
The Bengals add a very good LB in FA (using Dalton money)

Bengals improve to 9-7 and are in running for playoffs in 2020.

By 2021, Bengals are back in the playoff hunt every year for the rest of the decade as Burrow becomes the next Peyton Manning.

ZT ends up being a great hire.

There it is, an entire post of positives (this will drive the naysayers crazy)

Thoughts?

I appreciate the optimism and admit I'm pessimistic by nature when it comes to the Bengals. I always believed a franchise QB and a good head coach were two of the most important parts of a team along with a good front office which we lack. If Burrow is the real deal and if Taylor turns out to be a good coach that's huge,  far as the rest 

- I think the most we could get for Andy is a 4th it's a great free agent QB class Brady, Rivers, Bress, Tannehill and Cam Newton might be traded along with a strong QB draft class / we still win by releasing Dalton because it frees up cap space   
- My fear with signing Green is the Bengals cry poor in free agency saying we spent big money on Green/ or Green can't stay healthy and declines 
 - Williams being a good LT would be huge but it won't solve all our O-line issues. We need to sign a good starting free agent linemen/  still draft one high. Fear is the Bengals go status quo and role with Hart and company settling for below average. The best free agent linemen this year are guards which the Bengals don't typical like paying for.
- The only good free agent backer is Corey Littleton not sure if the Bengals would be willing to spend the cash or get in a biding war. The defense is a mess and needs multiple upgrades. 
- I think the Bengals could go win 6-7 games in 2020 which is still good considering they won two the year before and that would show progress. 
- A playoff push is more likely to happen in 2021 if the Bengals have a good draft, paired with them signing players to make the roster better.