Roster turnover

[*SHRacerX*]

(11-25-2021, 12:28 PM)jason Wrote: Yep... Honestly Bell was the 2020 pickup I was most excited about. Admittedly I'm a shameless OSU, but you're right... Vonn Bell is not only a consistent and very solid player; he's also a proverbial glue guy.

I was most excited about Reader, given the continual problems inside since losing Peko.  However, I was VERY excited about Bell as well and he has proven to be an absolute gem.  

With the injuries to Waynes, this could have gone the other way....the Bengals could have said "see what happens when we spend in FA?", but the massive impact of Bell and others has strengthened this position instead of weakening it.  

Now, with one of the more enviable positions in the NFL as far as cap space/current players signed for several years, the future is very bright.  

As much as I love that, right now it is just so much fun to be in the thick of the playoff chase and in a position to take a lead in the division with 6 weeks to go.  They are "ahead of schedule", if you will.  Playing with house money.  If they can stay healthy, the defense stays on track, and they get in to the playoffs, they have every bit as much of a chance as any other team in the league to make it to the Super Bowl.  

EVERY sports analyst picked the Bengals fourth in the AFC North.  There are NO dominant teams.  It is anybody's game at this point (with a few obvious exceptions) and I have been so impressed with the improvement in coaching, and overall execution of the team.