(02-14-2022, 04:15 PM)wcu Wrote: We'll find out soon whether or not team management has truly changed.  In years past, we've seen glaring weaknesses totally ignored or treated with a knock-off brand band-aid.  This year we went to the Super Bowl with one of the worst O-lines in the league.  Everyone and their brother knows we need 3-4 new starters.  The front office knows it and they know that we know they know it.  Do they throw their hands up and sign a below average to average guard/tackle just to check the box?  Or, do they get serious about the one glaring weakness on this team and sign/draft several bona fide stud linemen?  

I think they know the window is only a couple of more years with Joe on his rookie deal.  Surely they also know they can't continue to abuse him without him quitting or having a career ending injury.  Common sense says you hit the problem hard and solidify your place as a powerhouse for at least the next 3 years.  But as you well know, the Bengals FO sometimes likes to do things their own special way.

Personally, with us being so close to the summit, I will be completely and utterly disheartened if they chose not to fix something that could so easily be done.  If they go after the problem aggressively, we'll definitely be in the mix for more titles in the next few seasons.

No doubt. When does Free Agency start?

I want us to attack that OL even more aggressively than we did the Defense the last few years. Bring back our own of course 
but we need to add at least 2 top tier O-lineman in FA. Would absolutely love it if we added two of Scherff, Daniels, Armstead,
Moses or Norwell.

(02-15-2022, 02:23 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: No doubt. When does Free Agency start?

I want us to attack that OL even more aggressively than we did the Defense the last few years. Bring back our own of course 
but we need to add at least 2 top tier O-lineman in FA. Would absolutely love it if we added two of Scherff, Daniels, Armstead,
Moses or Norwell.

Free agency in the NFL begins immediately when the new league year begins. This year, that falls on March 16, 2022, at 4 p.m. ET.

Teams can begin speaking with free agents two days before free agency begins during the legal tampering period. Beginning on Monday, March 14, 2022, at 12 p.m. ET, clubs can contact and negotiate with players who will become unrestricted free agents two days later. Players and teams can agree to deals, but they can’t be signed until the new league year begins.

Which NFL teams have the most cap space?
The salary cap is a tricky thing in the NFL. Unlike the NBA, football players do not have fully guaranteed salaries. Between bonuses, incentives and void years, there are plenty of loopholes that teams use to clear cap space.

Entering the 2022 offseason, here’s a look at the 10 teams with the most salary cap space (per Spotrac):

Miami Dolphins: $66,167,360
Los Angeles Chargers: $62,400,267
Jacksonville Jaguars: $61,334,233
Cincinnati Bengals: $56,398,062
New York Jets: $47,649,012
Seattle Seahawks: $42,834,892
Indianapolis Colts: $42,227,420
Denver Broncos: $40,389,581
Washington Football Team: $35,989,581
Chicago Bears: $30,204,286
Plenty of teams aren’t in a good position entering free agency, as eight teams are above the cap. Here are the 10 teams with the fewest amount of cap space:

New Orleans Saints: -$76,497,695
Green Bay Packers: -$46,495,123
Dallas Cowboys: -$25,394,940
Minnesota Vikings: -$15,714,133
New York Giants: -$7,267,436
Atlanta Falcons: -$6,485,266
Buffalo Bills: -$1,347,316
Tennessee Titans: -$936,661
Los Angeles Rams: $190,313
Arizona Cardinals: $4,570,098

We should go hard for Moses and Daniels.

(02-14-2022, 04:29 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The thing is, they have been trying to fix the offensive line for years. Drafting Ced/Fisher/Price/Williams. They traded for Cordy Glenn. Brought in Reiff/Spain/XSF. Drafted Carman. Drafted some other guys.

Management has been trying to fix the offensive line...it just hasn't worked.

People act like it's as easy as just signing the 2-3 best offensive lineman. Many teams need lineman. It's going to be competitive.

If the front office has  been trying it’s been a real half ass attempt. Last year hey signed Reiffin FA and picked up Carman after trading down. 


If that’s a real attempt then everyone will hate Burrow too like Palmer when he also tells the team to take a hike and moves on. 

Go out there and get a right tackle, guard and center in free agency. No more developing in draft. We need someone to protect him now. 

If they  don’t I would bet my amount of money Burrow doesn’t make it through an entire season without being severely injured once again. 

(02-15-2022, 02:30 PM)wcu Wrote: Free agency in the NFL begins immediately when the new league year begins. This year, that falls on March 16, 2022, at 4 p.m. ET.

Teams can begin speaking with free agents two days before free agency begins during the legal tampering period. Beginning on Monday, March 14, 2022, at 12 p.m. ET, clubs can contact and negotiate with players who will become unrestricted free agents two days later. Players and teams can agree to deals, but they can’t be signed until the new league year begins.

Which NFL teams have the most cap space?
The salary cap is a tricky thing in the NFL. Unlike the NBA, football players do not have fully guaranteed salaries. Between bonuses, incentives and void years, there are plenty of loopholes that teams use to clear cap space.

Entering the 2022 offseason, here’s a look at the 10 teams with the most salary cap space (per Spotrac):

Miami Dolphins: $66,167,360
Los Angeles Chargers: $62,400,267
Jacksonville Jaguars: $61,334,233
Cincinnati Bengals: $56,398,062
New York Jets: $47,649,012
Seattle Seahawks: $42,834,892
Indianapolis Colts: $42,227,420
Denver Broncos: $40,389,581
Washington Football Team: $35,989,581
Chicago Bears: $30,204,286
Plenty of teams aren’t in a good position entering free agency, as eight teams are above the cap. Here are the 10 teams with the fewest amount of cap space:

New Orleans Saints: -$76,497,695
Green Bay Packers: -$46,495,123
Dallas Cowboys: -$25,394,940
Minnesota Vikings: -$15,714,133
New York Giants: -$7,267,436
Atlanta Falcons: -$6,485,266
Buffalo Bills: -$1,347,316
Tennessee Titans: -$936,661
Los Angeles Rams: $190,313
Arizona Cardinals: $4,570,098

Thanks WCU. We are in a good spot. Lets go all out on that OL man...

Those Saints are in a tight spot...

(02-15-2022, 02:34 PM)Interceptor Wrote: We should go hard for Moses and Daniels.

Yes sir, that would be fantastic along with Norwell.

(02-15-2022, 02:36 PM)GodFather Wrote: If the front office has  been trying it’s been a real half ass attempt. Last year hey signed Reiffin FA and picked up Carman after trading down. 


If that’s a real attempt then everyone will hate Burrow too like Palmer when he also tells the team to take a hike and moves on. 

Go out there and get a right tackle, guard and center in free agency. No more developing in draft. We need someone to protect him now. 

If they  don’t I would bet my amount of money Burrow doesn’t make it through an entire season without being severely injured once again. 

I wouldn't go that far with your last statement but yes, have to go all out and get at least 2 preferably 3 top OL.

(02-14-2022, 06:07 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Even the best offensive line coach in the history of the NFL - Paul Alexander would have struggled with these guys. Ever since they stopped using his foolproof method of drafting lineman based on how they dispensed ketchup from a bottle...things have declined. (This is so sarcastic.)

I'm not so sure.. Perhaps Burrow would be better protected by 4 medium size ketchup bottles and 1 decent center..  The thing is Palmer and Dalton initially had far better Olines than Joe has ever so much as sniffed from across the field..  Palmer's knee was shredded with a great Oline..  

(02-15-2022, 02:36 PM)GodFather Wrote: If the front office has  been trying it’s been a real half ass attempt. Last year hey signed Reiffin FA and picked up Carman after trading down. 


If that’s a real attempt then everyone will hate Burrow too like Palmer when he also tells the team to take a hike and moves on. 

Go out there and get a right tackle, guard and center in free agency. No more developing in draft. We need someone to protect him now. 

If they  don’t I would bet my amount of money Burrow doesn’t make it through an entire season without being severely injured once again. 

What other free agent tackles were out there? It's not like there are a bunch of star 25 year old lineman out there that will sign for $6 million a year.

(02-15-2022, 02:41 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I wouldn't go that far with your last statement but yes, have to go all out and get at least 2 preferably 3 top OL.

How would you not go that far, the guy was hammered all year, the body can only take so much and it adds up...

(02-15-2022, 02:36 PM)GodFather Wrote: If they don’t I would bet my amount of money Burrow doesn’t make it through an entire season without being severely injured once again. 

It amazes me how so many people think Burrow is made of glass.

(02-15-2022, 04:48 PM)fredtoast Wrote: It amazes me how so many people think Burrow is made of glass.

That is the dumbest thing I've seen here in awhile. If he was made of glass he would've already been out after the first few weeks. 

But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know if he continues to get hit his body will eventually have a very short NFL career. Think thats stretching it? See Andrew Luck...

(02-15-2022, 04:48 PM)fredtoast Wrote: It amazes me how so many people think Burrow is made of glass.

Not many QBs survive being sacked at the rate he is.

(02-15-2022, 06:15 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: Not many QBs survive being sacked at the rate he is.

The irony is Palmers knee got shredded when we had a good line.

(02-15-2022, 04:40 PM)GodFather Wrote: How would you not go that far, the guy was hammered all year, the body can only take so much and it adds up...

True, just saying I think Joe Burrow is tougher than Andrew Luck and I believe we will get this OL shored up this year so 
him being another Luck won't happen. It would of been different too if we won on Sunday, who knows if the FO would think
we might be okay with the OL we have, doubt it but I think it is much more likely we go after top OL after the loss and the 7
sacks on Burrow.

One thing I have to add is that Burrow loves empty sets and likes to hold onto the ball and make things happen. He will get 
sacked more than any QB even with a great O-line, he will get sacked lots. Just the way he plays.

But gotta get the great OL going on no question...

(02-15-2022, 06:13 PM)GodFather Wrote: But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know if he continues to get hit his body will eventually have a very short NFL career. Think thats stretching it? See Andrew Luck...

If you actually "see" Andrew Luck would know that in the final season of his career he was only sacked 18 times in 639 attempts.

At the same time Russell Wilson was being sacked an average of 63 times a year for 8 straight seasons without a single injury.

Andy Dalton was sacked 278 times as a Bengal without a single injury.

(02-15-2022, 06:48 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The irony is Palmers knee got shredded when we had a good line.

that was more a dirty hit than getting hit to much     

(02-15-2022, 07:45 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: True, just saying I think Joe Burrow is tougher than Andrew Luck and I believe we will get this OL shored up this year so 
him being another Luck won't happen. It would of been different too if we won on Sunday, who knows if the FO would think
we might be okay with the OL we have, doubt it but I think it is much more likely we go after top OL after the loss and the 7
sacks on Burrow.

One thing I have to add is that Burrow loves empty sets and likes to hold onto the ball and make things happen. He will get 
sacked more than any QB even with a great O-line, he will get sacked lots. Just the way he plays.

But gotta get the great OL going on no question...

tough doesnt have everything to do with it the body can only take so much we were sure we were gonna fix the OL last year too after it got his knee shredded

(02-15-2022, 04:48 PM)fredtoast Wrote: It amazes me how so many people think Burrow is made of glass.

It amazes me that you don’t realize that the inordinate amount of hits makes the likelihood that he gets hurt go up tremendously. The bottom line is that the FO just let the roster really dilapidate. Everybody in the organization got too comfortable with losing. Luckily the younger Browns are able to exert more influence on Mike. I think they will address the OL. They need to take a numbers approach. They need to get several in FA even if on prove it 1 year deals as well as some solid veterans. They need to draft several as well. Even resign Spain and Reiff. Then make it the survival of the best.

(02-16-2022, 09:47 AM)fredtoast Wrote: If you actually "see" Andrew Luck would know that in the final season of his career he was only sacked 18 times in 639 attempts.

At the same time Russell Wilson was being sacked an average of 63 times a year for 8 straight seasons without a single injury.

Andy Dalton was sacked 278 times as a Bengal without a single injury.

It's not really about the numbers when trying to make a Burrow/Luck comparison. Luck acknowledged playing with the pain from taking bad hits sparked his early retirement. It's about how Luck felt, not what the numbers reveal. Thus, that's the fear mongering sentiment being thrown out by fans or the media when speculating Burrow will become the next Luck because of the sacks and hits. The idea is easy to understand, will Burrow walk away early because he's tired of taking the sacks, dealing with the pain, or coping with injuries? Luck talked about this when announcing his retirement.

If I'm throwing out wild ideas about the OL really ruining Burrow's career, I'd be more worried he becomes Theismann Part II than Andrew Luck Part II.

All this "is Burrow the next Luck" talk aside, I think it's obvious to even the casual fan the OL needs to be better.

(02-16-2022, 11:10 AM)Soonerpeace Wrote: It amazes me that you don’t realize that the inordinate amount of hits makes the likelihood that he gets hurt go up tremendously

Let's not forget the rule changes made to protect the QB. Can't go low, can't hit em high, can't dive at them, can't body slam them to the ground. Yes, we don't want Burrow to get sacked so much and sure, maybe the likelihood of him getting hurt goes up with each sack, but honestly, he's more prone to get hurt everytime he runs for a first down or whatnot then by taking a bunch of sacks where they wrap their arms around him and hug him vociferously.