This is not an I told you so thread. But this is to address whether or not Team Sewell people can now relax a bit after the draft is complete.

The biggest argument I heard coming out of those on team Sewell was that "winning teams build from the trenches". And if the Bengals took Chase, they were neglecting the trenches and Burrow was going to die. After taking the best WR in the draft, I would say the Bengals did a really nice job building from the trenches. In fact, of their 110 draft picks, they took 7 players on the Offensive and defensive lines. They got:

A starter a G in Carman. Some thought he was a reach based on his expected draft position. But those grades were based on him being evaluated as an OT prospect, not a G. The Bengals drafted him as a G who could also move out to play RT in case of injuries. Arguably G was our biggest line need, not T. And with Rieff on a 1 yr deal, Carman is a stellar fit.

A run stuffing, immovable DT from a power SEC school. Shelvin will fit perfectly into our D line rotation and hopefully bring it back to like it was under Zimmer when he was always rotating in fresh players and getting pressure on opposing QBs.

An OT who is a bit light and needs some coaching, but has a great upside.

3 DEs, one of which was a consensus great pick in Ossai. DE was arguably our second biggest position of need. Lack of pressure on QBs was a huge problem last year.

A good C, who if he hadnt gotten injured was projected maybe 2 rounds earlier. We now have a backup/heir to our C who is coming off an ACL injury.

I would say that is a pretty strong job of addressing the trenches.

I also saw a poster who pointed out after the Carman pick that he would have rather had Sewell and a WR like Moore, than Chase and Carman. What he failed to recognize with that post was that it wasn't Chase/Carman. Because of the trade, we also got Tyler Shelvin and D'Ante Smith. Call me stupid, but with the number of holes we had on both lines, I think the Bengals did a fantastic job getting Chase/Carman/Shelvin/Smith which is a huge advantage over Sewell/Moore with those picks.

In conclusion, those who were upset after round one and were positive the Bengals had screwed up and that our FO was only interested in flashy toys as weapons for Burrow while neglecting the glaring needs....do you still feel the same way now?

Team Sewell people are really living in your head Beaker. Let it go. You're not going to be able to change someone's mind if they don't want it to be changed.

It wasnt to change their minds.

They didnt need to draft Sewell..
they drafted the most lethal offensive weapon on the board (other than QB's)
They adressed the Oline and Burrow is happy with his Old/new toy..
If burrow is happy its a freaking good thing for the entire franchise..

I feel pretty good about it considering we're all gonna die. We probably won't all die today or even this year or even in 20 years, but in the grand scheme of things it doesn't really matter if this team blows forever. We're all still gonna die eventually.. 
That said I'd still like to see them win a championship just once before my ticket gets punched..
And MAYBE Sewell will muddle around for a few years, become a free agent and sign with the Bengals long term just as his potential greatness begins to emerge.. Never discount the impossible.. :) 

I was "Team Sewell" before the draft. But I'm a Bengals fan, so that ship has sailed. I do like how they really focused on the defensive line the past three days though. Hopefully at least one of those guys can be impactful very early on, and ultimately several of them.

As for the other line, it's wait and see for me- though that's the way it always is in reality for any draft. I think Jackson can help out if he takes to coaching and wants it badly enough. Trey Hill may surprise me and help out early on, as he has played guard also. I'm not really high at all on Smith, however, as he has reportedly struggled to maintain 300 lbs while playing and needs significant improvement in strength. Those types seem perpetually lacking in that area.

I'm really hoping for significant improvement from the guys already on deck. If Price and Jordan can simply be average to solid I think we're good. Of course they haven't provided much thus far to instill much confidence in that happening.

(05-02-2021, 01:57 PM)ElkValleyBengal Wrote: I was "Team Sewell" before the draft.  But I'm a Bengals can, so that ship has sailed.  I do like how they really focused on the defensive line the past three days though.  Hopefully at least one of those guys can be impactful very early on, and ultimately several of them.    

As for the other line, it's wait and see for me- though that's the way it always is in reality for any draft.  I think Jackson can help out if he takes to coaching and wants it badly enough.  Trey Hill may surprise me and help out early on, as he has played guard also.  I'm not really high at all on Smith, however, as he has reportedly struggled to maintain 300 lbs while playing and needs significant improvement in strength.  Those types seem perpetually lacking in that area.

That's all very reasonable.  Nice perspectives.

(05-02-2021, 01:09 PM)Spider Wrote: They didnt need to draft Sewell..
they drafted the most lethal offensive weapon on the board (other than QB's)
They adressed the Oline and Burrow is happy with his Old/new toy..
If burrow is happy its a freaking good thing for the entire franchise..

Yes. I've was on the Sewell train but as someone pointed out earlier in another thread, having chase takes pressure of the offensive line when you have 3 great receivers out there and a serviceable TE.

What really grinds my gears are the guys who said drafting a college tackle to play guard which is the plan for Carman doesn’t work and will get Burrow killed. Whitworth did it, and Sewell was going to do the same thing. So by those fans logic, drafting Sewell to play guard will get burrow killed.

Carman has all the traits to be a really good guard, the line’s biggest weakness and whoever they took first was going to get penciled in as the starting guard day 1 whether that was Sewell or Slater. I don’t believe Darrisaw was on there radar but he could be the best LT in this draft class

I'm pretty sure you're referencing when I said we could've had Sewell plus Terrance Marshall. Marshall went 13 picks after Carman, so we could've traded back and got those picks in either scenario.

Fwiw, I don't think I've been overly critical of this draft, considering I didn't get the top guy I wanted.

I've showered praise on Chase - as has most Sewell guys. I gave the draft a B-...not an F. I think most of us have been fair, we just have different priorities.

Also, I have to clarify. Keeping Burrow healthy is important, but far from the only reason people wanted Sewell. The lineman we got were...nice. But o-line once again took a backseat on the priority list. This time to WR.

(05-02-2021, 02:09 PM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: What really grinds my gears are the guys who said drafting a college tackle to play guard which is the plan for Carman doesn’t work and will get Burrow killed. Whitworth did it, and Sewell was going to do the same thing. So by those fans logic, drafting Sewell to play guard will get burrow killed.

Carman has all the traits to be a really good guard, the line’s biggest weakness and whoever they took first was going to get penciled in as the starting guard day 1 whether that was Sewell or Slater. I don’t believe Darrisaw was on there radar but he could be the best LT in this draft class

I basically agree with Benton on this. Carman is clearly a guard. Sewell could've played guard, but would've definitely been our RT in the long term. So this signals to me that the Bengals think we're "all set" at Tackle, which is pretty concerning.

(05-02-2021, 02:09 PM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: What really grinds my gears are the guys who said drafting a college tackle to play guard which is the plan for  Carman doesn’t work and will get Burrow killed. Whitworth did it, and Sewell was going to do the same thing. So by those fans logic, drafting Sewell to play guard will get burrow killed.

Carman has all the traits to be a really good guard, the line’s biggest weakness and whoever they took first was going to get penciled in as the starting guard day 1 whether that was Sewell or Slater. I don’t believe Darrisaw was on there radar but he could be the best LT in this draft class

I feel like I have to add a disclaimer to all my posts these days....
Disclaimer:  I was 50/50 on the first pick.  Undecided.  Felt we couldn't go wrong either way.

There was/is a lot of unreasonable verbal flailing among SOME (just some) of those who were die hard Sewell.  It was the same vocal minority that represent the crowd you speak of above.  Because they didn't know the pick, and frankly probably didn't care to know the pick because their guy wasn't taken, all they saw was "Tackle".  And because that is where many of them INITIALLY stopped, it lead to ashes on their heads and gnashing of teeth for 24 hours.  Some now get what the Bengals planned to do with him all along, which was to make him a guard, and are like "Ok.  Wait and see.", which is reasonable.  Others are still flailing and gnashing their teeth, and always will.  We'll be hearing about Sewell for years from them.  Nothing you can do but put them on ignore.

The gamble worked on paper, but will it work on the field. Only time will tell.

(05-02-2021, 02:18 PM)jj22 Wrote: The gamble worked on paper, but will it work on the field. Only time will tell.

As is with any draft. We could have had the best of the best on paper. But you really never know.

Well I was Team Pitts so it just shows I knew who the best prospect was.

(05-02-2021, 02:13 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I basically agree with Benton on this. Carman is clearly a guard. Sewell could've played guard, but would've definitely been our RT in the long term. So this signals to me that the Bengals think we're "all set" at Tackle, which is pretty concerning.

I don’t know if they are fine long term since Reiff has 10 years on him and is on a one year deal, they can still get a tackle in FA next year or in the draft for the long term too. Are they OK this year? We have to wait and see if Adeniji makes a leap, Reiff is starting and Carman can play the position in a pinch. I think it’s fine for this year but they need a better long term solution at RT still.

(05-02-2021, 02:30 PM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: I don’t know if they are fine long term since Reiff has 10 years on him and is on a one year deal, they can still get a tackle in FA next year or in the draft for the long term too. Are they OK this year? We have to wait and see if Adeniji makes a leap, Reiff is starting and Carman can play the position in a pinch. I think it’s fine for this year but they need a better long term solution at RT still.

As much as it pains me to keep kicking the can down the road, yes we can address it next year. I suppose we're okay this year if Jonah stays healthy. If not, I guess one of the rookies is going to get a trial by fire at LT.

(05-02-2021, 02:29 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Well I was Team Pitts so it just shows I knew who the best prospect was.

So was I.  I'll point out that Miami passed on Sewell also.

(05-02-2021, 02:34 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: As much as it pains me to keep kicking the can down the road, yes we can address it next year. I suppose we're okay this year if Jonah stays healthy. If not, I guess one of the rookies is going to get a trial by fire at LT.

I'm no expert but wouldn't it make more sense to kick RR over to LT since he's played it for years, and have one of the rookies play RT?  Or is that too much OLine musical chairs?

(05-02-2021, 02:37 PM)Stewy Wrote: I'm no expert but wouldn't it make more sense to kick RR over to LT since he's played it for years, and have one of the rookies play RT?  Or is that too much OLine musical chairs?

Tbh that makes more sense to me. I'm sure Reiff could kick back over to LT seamlessly, and it'd be less of a transition for Carman, as he's going to he on the right side anyway.