(05-02-2021, 12:23 AM)AtomicBlaze Wrote: We have 17 games now.  In our Division I think we will lose to the Browns and Ravens twice and split with the Steelers.  Out of Division, I see about 7 games that we may be favored.  So 8-9 seems realistic assuming Burrow plays the full year, and we don't have any injuries on the OL.  If the OL plays better than expected I could see us in playoff contention.  I still think maybe we are 1 really good draft away from being a playoff contender assuming we did well on this draft.  I hope next year we try for some premier OL talent, then my confidence will be really high about the team.

The Bengals ain't losing to the Browns twice. Maybe not even once. 
GO STRIPES!!!

(05-05-2021, 12:41 AM)iowahwky4cincy Wrote: Jackson Carman will almost certainly be penciled in as a starter at one of the guard spots. The only way that doesn't happen is if he gets hurt. If he goes to RG, it'll be an immediate--and significant--upgrade.
GO STRIPES!!!

As a Clemson fan, Carman is a good player and has a great deal of potential to be a good Guard in the NFL.

However, there is no way any team is going to pencil a guy in as a starter before seeing how he does with the transition from tackle to guard as well as the transition from college to pros. 

(05-02-2021, 03:15 AM)TheBengalsMind Wrote: I'll breakdown what I think of every pick.

A - Ja'Marr Chase, I was a Penei Sewell guy, but Chase is a great WR and an A+ prospect.

B+ - Carman Jackson, Injuries don't bother me, but some of his tape does. He wouldn't be a guy I'd trust at tackle, but he was an exceptional run blocker. Smart, kept with his assignments. I think he can be pretty solid at guard, like a Eric Steinbach. I can can see a lot of pulls to the other side, like we did for Rudi. At tackle he might struggle against the speed. Look at the video to see what I mean.





A - Joseph Ossai, he only had one single year and 9 games total as an edge player and came away with 55 tackles, 5.5 sacks and 15.5 tackles for lost. So natural and fluid when blitzing and stunting. Relentless and hard work ethic. Needs to get better at the point of attack against the run sometimes.

B - Cameron Sample, 6'3, 267 so he's got good size. He's another guy that was known for being relentless and finishing the play. A very solid pick.

A+ Tyler Shelvin, 6'3 346 a big nasty as they say. I absolutely love this pick. I think he'll be a Domata Peko or Vince Wilfork were his number will probably never do him justice. However, I think he'll help against the run tremendously. His biggest concern, is probably going to be himself.

B D’Ante Smith, has the height, length and speed you can't teach. If he hits the workout room and strengthens his frame he could really develop.

A Evan McPherson, he's one of the best kickers to come out in years. He can boom them, he can have pinpoint accuracy. Ultimately, he makes the team better.

I'm not sure how I feel about the last three yet. Overall, I'll give us a B+. This is going to turn out to be a very crucial draft and free agency for this franchise!

In the video, Carman's main issue with pass blocking as a tackle is technique, not ability. Fortunately, the Bengals seem set at tackle for now. 
GO STRIPES!!!

(05-04-2021, 03:18 PM)GodFather Wrote: Spain graded out at 56.7 last year.... spinnnnnnnnnnnnnn

His highest grade was back in 2016 with 84.2. Those days are behind him and if they weren't the Bills would've never got rid of him Mitch Hedberg.

Think you are going to eat crow GF. Spain with a full offseason with Pollack working with him could do wonders.

I am picking Spain to be our surprise OL this year to have a very good year.

(05-05-2021, 01:16 AM)Murdock2420 Wrote: As a Clemson fan, Carman is a good player and has a great deal of potential to be a good Guard in the NFL.

However, there is no way any team is going to pencil a guy in as a starter before seeing how he does with the transition from tackle to guard as well as the transition from college to pros. 

Would he very surprised if Carman doesn't start at one of the Guard positions for us. Watch the vid, moving to Guard hides all of 
his weaknesses and just plays to his strengths. Great run blocker and would be a great pass blocker on the inside IMO.

(05-05-2021, 01:20 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Would he very surprised if Carman doesn't start at one of the Guard positions for us. Watch the vid, moving to Guard hides all of 
his weaknesses and just plays to his strengths. Great run blocker and would be a great pass blocker on the inside IMO.

I understand and agree the move hides his flaws but with the possibility of no rookie minicamp and even less reps of a preseason I don't think it is too far fetched to expect him to be the first guard off the bench for a few weeks as the team turns to veteran players to start the season. 

Just seems a bit risky with all the talk of no rookie camps and such.

Again, this isn't a long-term doubting on Carman. I believe in time he will be a very solid guard, just not sure how long the transition takes with all the changes to the off-season program.

(05-05-2021, 01:48 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: I understand and agree the move hides his flaws but with the possibility of no rookie minicamp and even less reps of a preseason I don't think it is too far fetched to expect him to be the first guard off the bench for a few weeks as the team turns to veteran players to start the season. 

Just seems a bit risky with all the talk of no rookie camps and such.

Again, this isn't a long-term doubting on Carman. I believe in time he will be a very solid guard, just not sure how long the transition takes with all the changes to the off-season program.

We will see, sure wish these talks of no rookie minicamp would end. I find to reason for us to not have them.

Everyone gets routinely tested now a days.

(05-05-2021, 01:18 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Think you are going to eat crow GF. Spain with a full offseason with Pollack working with him could do wonders.

I am picking Spain to be our surprise OL this year to have a very good year.

I hope your right buddy, Id love nothing more than to see the OL flourish. Just color me jaded till they actually do it.

(05-05-2021, 02:30 PM)GodFather Wrote: I hope your right buddy, Id love nothing more than to see the OL flourish. Just color me jaded till they actually do it.

Don't blame you. Hard to see it happening till it finally does lol

I probably gave it too low of a grade. In a world where Sewell wasn't there, there would be no reason at all for anyone to be upset about Chase at 5. His breakout year featured outstanding production. His workout was outrageously good. In a void, just as a prospect, and considering the fog or war with the Covid stuff ; Chase is a great prospect. From a purely logical standpoint where you agree that teams should ignore need and narratives, he'd be a great addition to any team. 

Joseph Ossai seems like a steal in the 3rd so long as they figure out how to use him - I see more potential for him to be a James Harrison type than as a straight up edge rusher.  He could be nasty rushing from the A gap, spying, covering short etc. Sample has potential - I liked the pick. Not sure if Shelvin was a good pick vs. the other available DTs or not - can he impact the passing game? The trade down was smart. 

The real fly in the ointment for me is that they seem to go out of their way to play with fire when it comes to existing medical stuff. After being burnt so many times you'd think that it may warrant a different approach. "Chronic" back problems with a recent surgery, multiple recent knee surgeries, and a major project...it seems like an approach that's asking for trouble. I heard a recent statement from Duke Tobin where it sounded as if he viewed injury problems as being totally random - as if he weren't interested in learning how one may divine the potential health/longevity of a player throughout their career. To me that is the wrong attitude. Are fumbles totally random, or can certain teams avoid them more skillfully? 

I gave it a C, but it feels kind of wrong after adding Chase and Ossai. Hopefully the OL guys pan out and make that rating look silly. 

I gave them a C. I'm a bit of a tough a$$ but whatever corresponds to slightly below-average. I'm aligned with their positional breakdown, and I"m satisfied with the Carman deal. We got an additional 2 picks while still landing our player of choice.

Our players of choice are I got a bit disappointed. Ossai- terrific. Smith- fantastic. Sample and Hubert- good enough, to each his own. But Carman, Shelvin and Evans are not my guys. The fact that we 'know' Carman and Shelvin does not make them better players. I fear that we may have allowed bias to creep into those decisions. Even at 46, Carman was the first surprise of the draft. And while Shelvin deserved to be picked where he was, I don't see him as a fit for this defense: a 0-tech who struggles to pierce the pocket and is not proficient on the goal line? Plus didn't play last year? Don't get me wrong, he may yet turn out. He has an NFL body for sure. But it'll be an uphill climb regardless imo.

I do like McPherson and I'm glad we got him. But the opportunity cost of taking him at 149 was high. I reckon Zac and co. are feeling some buyer's remorse today. I mean, unless we had specific intel that suggested that he was being targeted by somebody else- which is possible but unlikely given that he was the only kicker drafted - I would have taken my chances on him later. Instead we missed out on a myriad of playmakers between 149 and 190 who could have really fortified this offense.

In the end, we did ok. But I think it's clear we could have done better. In too many instances it seemed like we were bidding against ourselves. And yes, my opinion is the product of pure speculation- but if this entire exercise in draft grades isn't an exercise in pure speculation, I don't know what is lol.

B

Didn’t address the o-line with enough quality draftees; 2 of 3 o-line draftees have some injury concerns, and the other is a developmental tackle who isn’t playing anytime soon. Chase will likely be a stud, but the current o-line still has more questions than answers. The bottom line is the team was not as aggressive improving the line as other franchises, and they’re gambling with the franchise QB as a result.

D-line received a nice influx of talent which should improve the run defense and pass rush from last year’s abysmal showings.

Kicker was upgraded as a relatively high cost, but an upgrade was sorely needed.

Late round draftees will improve special teams and/or provide camp bodies.

Potentially good, but at this point a fat meh. I'm not too hype on drafting projects (tackles to play guard, for example), but I'll revisit my opinion here in a few months.

(05-05-2021, 01:18 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Think you are going to eat crow GF. Spain with a full offseason with Pollack working with him could do wonders.

I am picking Spain to be our surprise OL this year to have a very good year.

Buffalo thought so much of Spain they released him. Spain is average on a good day, and is eminently replaceable. Just because he’s better than Jordan doesn’t mean he’s a quality starter.

(05-01-2021, 11:40 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I think with the players added, this is a 7-9 win team. I don’t think this team competes for a playoff spot.
That’s not dogging the team though, as it’s still an improvement from last year.

Maybe I don’t have enough faith in Pollack, but he wasn’t exactly stellar when he was with the Bengals in 2018.

I think the offense will be in the upper teens to low 20s. I think the defense will be in the same range.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I'm gonna go with my bold prediction early. Top 10 offense this year. 

(05-02-2021, 02:02 AM)Benton Wrote: Carman won't likely start as a rookie for the reason truck lists as a knock on cosmi: technique. Carman is a power guy who everyone projects them to kick in to guard even though he had bad technique and, given the surgery, we don't know if he can rely on just being strong

Cosmi would've been a good pick. Could play tackle or guard and should be able to play as a rookie. Is his technique nfl starter level? No. Is it better than carman? Yes.


Honestly, I'll be surprised if carman plays much his rookie year. Like I've said in other threads, I think with coaching he will be a good guard in a year or two and maybe a tackle down the road. But if we're just grading things at face value, projects don't get good grades.

I've just gotta know...


What drugs are you on right now?

(05-02-2021, 03:12 AM)Stewy Wrote: It wasn't the Denny types.  It was just Denny.  He killed the board.  Period.  He went from general mope, to Mod to Admin, and once he became Admin he forced himself on the board more intrusively than Deshaun Watson on massage therapists.

Early on here he actively campaigned to try and get people to NOT come here, which obviously didn't work.  The guy was a total egotistical joke and we have NOTHING like him here because Holic wouldn't allow it.

So let's not make blanket statement that just aren't true.  The is NO ONE here like Denny that can ruin these forums because there's no one like Denny in charge, and frankly there are few to no pure homers, like Denny, here any more.  People who support the organization no matter what.  Who never find any fault.  Who berate every negative comment.  

Equating the criticisms the pro-Sewell crowd has gotten (justified or other) with what Denny used to dish out, just says you really don't remember what he and the old forums were like.  One could not criticize MB at all.  One could not criticize the FO at all.  Posts would get edited, deleted, people would get banned.  None of that happens here.  

You have selective memory.

You forgot to mention that he's only 4 feet 8 inches tall.

(05-05-2021, 10:47 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: You forgot to mention that he's only 4 feet 8 inches tall.

With heels.

(05-05-2021, 07:23 PM)tms Wrote: I gave them a C. I'm a bit of a tough a$$ but whatever corresponds to slightly below-average. I'm aligned with their positional breakdown, and I"m satisfied with the Carman deal. We got an additional 2 picks while still landing our player of choice.

Our players of choice are I got a bit disappointed. Ossai- terrific. Smith- fantastic. Sample and Hubert- good enough, to each his own. But Carman, Shelvin and Evans are not my guys. The fact that we 'know' Carman and Shelvin does not make them better players. I fear that we may have allowed bias to creep into those decisions. Even at 46, Carman was the first surprise of the draft. And while Shelvin deserved to be picked where he was, I don't see him as a fit for this defense: a 0-tech who struggles to pierce the pocket and is not proficient on the goal line? Plus didn't play last year? Don't get me wrong, he may yet turn out. He has an NFL body for sure. But it'll be an uphill climb regardless imo.

I do like McPherson and I'm glad we got him. But the opportunity cost of taking him at 149 was high. I reckon Zac and co. are feeling some buyer's remorse today. I mean, unless we had specific intel that suggested that he was being targeted by somebody else- which is possible but unlikely given that he was the only kicker drafted - I would have taken my chances on him later. Instead we missed out on a myriad of playmakers between 149 and 190 who could have really fortified this offense.

In the end, we did ok. But I think it's clear we could have done better. In too many instances it seemed like we were bidding against ourselves. And yes, my opinion is the product of pure speculation- but if this entire exercise in draft grades isn't an exercise in pure speculation, I don't know what is lol.

I'm ok with spending the 5th pick on a kicker.

That enables you to get the best kicker in the draft rather than getting, what, the 23rd best guard in the draft? The difference between the best and 2nd best kicker in a draft is going to be more than the difference between the 23rd and 24th best guards.

(05-06-2021, 12:37 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: I think Smith has potential. But I do not think he is quite ready for NFL snaps at the moment. He needs to put on weight and do some work on technique. Though his performance at the Senior Bowl may suggest otherwise. 

I think he is a strong candidate for the PS, and to be one of the 4 protected players on it (if that rule remains the same). 

Will be interesting how the OL shakes out. We have 12 guys there but no proven 3rd tackle. Do we bring in a vet for #3? For the 2 (or 3) who don't make the 53, do we cut them loose or try to have Pollack rehabilitate them? 

I think there's a gap between the final cut downs and when PS players can be protected, which means he could get claimed.

(05-05-2021, 07:43 PM)t3r3e3 Wrote: Buffalo thought so much of Spain they released him.  Spain is average on a good day, and is eminently replaceable.  Just because he’s better than Jordan doesn’t mean he’s a quality starter.

Eh, think you are going to eat crow too lol