https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-lbs-coach-mike-hodges-enjoying-ground-floor-of-new-scheme-we-re-creating-our-own-defense-here-the-conversation

This is a great read and I know many will call it a fluff piece, but is it.

My key takeaways:

1. He did not mention Pratt as a running mate rght now with Wilson.
2. He really likes Wilson
3. They are creating a new defense together with Al and the rest of the defensive coaches.
4. He has known ZT for a long time and appreciates his demeanor (not an eleistist) and him letting the defensive and offensive coaches sculpt their schemes.

There is a lot more, but he seems very enthusiastic to be here and brings a lot of expereince with him.

For sh*ts and giggles I asked CHatGPT, Grok and Gemini who will be the pick in Rd 1:

ChatGPT- seemed to lean James Pierce
Grok - Kenneth Grant
Gemini - leaned Jihad Campbell

Personally, i'm warming up to Campbell

Nice article on Bengal's website. Yes, it is all words with some actions. But good to see Myles wants to get better and puts it all on himself. I know many dismiss Hobson, but to me we need at least one of the returning edge players to make a huge leap in 2025. Step 1 is knowing you have not been your best. Step 2 is take steps including diet to get better.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-edge-gets-a-new-look-as-myles-murphy-upends-offseason-regimen

"Murphy says he's not a fan of how he handled his rehab, so he "left nothing to chance," this offseason in his hometown of Atlanta. With the Bengals' offseason program set to start in 11 days, the 6-6 Murphy says he's coming in with newfound confidence surging through his re-constituted body. It's not like he was a burlap bag to begin with, but his recent reading of 13.8 body fat has him fired up."

Bengals Edge Gets A New Look As Myles Murphy Upends Offseason Regimen

He switched defensive line trainers. He added an extra day to his work week and goes Monday through Saturday. He prioritized not only his hands, but also the hands of his opponents. He revamped his diet with his own research that included interviewing nutritionists. He bid a bitter farewell to breakfast.

"I haven't eaten cereal in three months," Murphy says. "I feel that in itself, has changed me … because there's a lot of dense, packed sugar in cereal … which a lot of people don't think about. Most mornings, I just do some black coffee and I call it a morning."

"I'm not really worried about all that, let's be honest," Murphy says. "It's me versus me right now. Just trying to be way better than last year, for sure.

"I know I've got everything that it takes to dominate in the league. It's just building up the confidence to know I can make those plays that are ahead of me … (Working on) Being great at stuff that doesn't take talent or athleticism."

Start with the body. The one that made him the 28th pick in the draft two years ago. He admits his knee injury that wiped out last season's first four games "set some things back." He had flashed in his second training camp, but by the time he started playing games, "when I did come back, I knew that I wasn't where I was and where I need to be."

"I feel like I'm in one of the best bodies I've been in for years. Since sophomore year of college," Murphy says. "I ended the season at 282 and three weeks ago I was 265-267. Since then, I've been packing on muscle. Yesterday I weighed myself and I was 274. It's close to last year, but the body fat is different … I feel great … Losing that breakfast … I'm losing that sugar."

Murphy looks like he's partaking in the "Sweet Science," if you've caught some training clips on social media. But it only looks like he's boxing because his coach wears boxing gloves to simulate the offensive line using their hands.

"That's something a little new," Murphy says. "Most definitely working on the hands so I actually have my eyes in the right spot and swatting at hands and not just trying to time things up and sometimes just swiping on air. So just being more accurate with my hands.

"I knew if I started doing that earlier in the offseason it would be something that would come much more naturally once team stuff comes around."

Am I missing the thread or was this expected and I just forget about it?!

Quote:When it comes to free agents the Cincinnati Bengals lost this offseason, Trent Brown hasn’t come to mind often.

Brown, after all, signed with the Bengals roughly one year ago and technically won the starting right tackle job to start the season before suffering a season-ending injury in Week 3.

Ryan Phillips of Sports Illustrated, though, selected Brown as Cincinnati’s most notable loss in free agency this offseason:

“The Bengals can ill-afford to lose anyone on the offensive line, but they cast Brown adrift after a disappointing season in 2024. The veteran tackle suffered a torn patellar tendon in Week 3 and missed the rest of the season. The Houston Texans signed him to a one-year deal hoping for a bounce-back season. Meanwhile, the Bengals will have to add offensive line help via the draft.”

This is a splash signing and I am ashamed I doubted them.

He’s played 5 games in his career. Couple for Jax and a couple for NE.

LB removed from list of needs.

https://www.nbcsports.com/joe-giles-harris/00000188-9cf0-da6b-abd8-fcfdfdf6021d/stats

Whether the Bengals draft a linebacker or not this month, is it possible they view Pratt as salvageable? I mean, dude kinda earned his 2nd contract with us and while he definitely played himself off this team this past season, is it fair to give him another shot under Golden?

IMO, he only asked for a trade in order to keep his contract 'cause he, like all of us, figured he was getting cut this offseason, but as neither the release nor trade of Pratt has happened (yet), could it be the Bengals are waiting and if they don't draft a LB, they'll just give Pratt another chance?

And, what do YOU all think? Regardless of what the Bengals done, if Pratt is kept on the team, would he, could he turn his play around and be, at the very least, an average starter on our defense?

Been doing 3 a days since FEBRUARY and is 220lbs now and claims he’s moving better than he was last season at a lighter weight.


Jermaine Burton ain’t never seeing the field lol

https://youtu.be/nYX_PFrDzBc?si=_Mn1yMcpU-btGidh

It's that time again. The board's hosting plan expires on May 2nd. We did a 3 year plan 4 years ago, and then a 1 year extension. 

This fundraiser will be for just 2 years and will cover everything (hosting, SSL, domain, extending the current security package, full backups, etc).

The 2 year plan will cost 129.95 monthly for every thing, with a total cost of 3,118. This will take us through May of 2027.

https://gofund.me/965522b6

*On a board related note, we will officially reach 10 full years in May as well...and have now been around longer than the mothership. I couldn't have imagined that when we started this board a decade ago...so I just want to personally thank everyone in this community who has contributed with donations, posts, views, etc. 

I know things can get crazy sometimes, but I truly believe this is the best Bengals community on the web! 

***Also, an added bonus from WeezyBengal:

'all of those people who donate will be entered into a raffle for a bottle of Buffalo Trace and Weller Special Reserve bourbon.

One donation (of any amount) = one entry. ill do the raffle when the fundraiser is completed.'

The Least Successful First-Round Teams in the NFL Draft the Last 10 Years

https://ftnfantasy.com/nfl/the-least-successful-first-round-teams-in-the-nfl-draft-the-last-10-years.

#24. Bengals.  Amazing how this team's record tracks their ability to draft good (and bad) 1st round players.  The 2015-2019 run of Ogbuehi, Jackson, Ross, Price and Jonah.. uggh. No wonder Marvin got fired.

I still might prefer Scherff, but it's a pretty good sign when players are throwing it out there that they'd love to be a part of your team.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/look-free-agent-guard-dalton-risner-wants-to-play-for-cincinnati-bengals/ar-AA1CjbJB?ocid=msedgntp&pc=U531&cvid=2ff6c8d0f9104809a27aaecbfaab2e5d&ei=13

Quote:CINCINNATI — Free agent guard Dalton Risner wants to be a Bengal.

The Wrightway Sports Network's Malik Wright posted a TikTok this week that Risner commented on. He said he'd love to be a Bengal as the team still has a big hole at the guard position in front of Joe Burrow.

"Would LOVE to be a Bengal," Risner commented on Wright's post.

Risner played in 10 games for Minnesota last season due to injury after appearing in 15-plus outings per season since entering the league in 2019. He notched a 67 overall Pro Football Focus grade last season on 537 snaps, including a career-high 76.2 pass-blocking grade.

PFF projects him to sign a one-year, $4.5 million deal at 29 years old.