Why didn't they protect Joe this year he was coming off a torn ACL? They reached on a second round guard coming off back surgery and they thought that would fix one of the worst O-Lines ever? Most of us knew that Joe was going to take a beating this year, I know I did. I am just glad his career wasn't ended from a bad hit.

We forget that they TRIED to address the offensive line needs. Just last year they signed Reiff and drafted 3 linemen. Additionally, they had others returning from injury. PLUS they fired the OL coach and rehired the guy we wish they had kept 2 years before. Couple that with multiple moves on the OL including first round draft picks in previous years and it shows us it isn't lack of attention being paid...it is lack of success
It just didn't work out the way they, we, or Joe wanted.

(02-17-2022, 01:58 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Maybe Mike is smarter than all of us and knew Andy and Carson were not worth it, lol. He was waiting for the one.

Most GMs will assure you that they can draft a great QB sometime in the next 30 years.

(02-17-2022, 01:59 PM)AtomicBlaze Wrote: Why didn't they protect Joe this year he was coming off a torn ACL?  They reached on a second round guard coming off back surgery and they thought that would fix one of the worst O-Lines ever?  Most of us knew that Joe was going to take a beating this year, I know I did.  I am just glad his career wasn't ended from a bad hit.

Lets be glad they didnt,  Honestly, if we dont get Trey, Awuzie, Hilton, and Chase,  we arent in the SB, i dont think the best OL the NFL has ever seen would have gotten us there.  However everyone is upset that Zac and others arent calling out the OL,  but i think thats good,  its hard to good for morale around a place when those guys speak out against the players they employ, short of saying we gotta play better.  They cant just come out and say Adenji, Hopkins and Prince suck ass and we wanna move on,   i mean we all think it,  just wouldnt be good to say it aloud.  

(02-17-2022, 02:10 PM)pally Wrote: We forget that they TRIED to address the offensive line needs.  Just last year they signed Reiff and drafted 3 linemen. Additionally, they had others returning from injury.  PLUS they fired the OL coach and rehired the guy we wish they had kept 2 years before.  Couple that with multiple moves on the OL including first round draft picks in previous years and it shows us it isn't lack of attention being paid...it is lack of success
It just didn't work out the way they, we, or Joe wanted.

Sure, and some of these drafted guys could pan out in the long run.  But if their Super Bowl window is open now, then they need proven quality starters now.  Gotta buy them in FA.  

I wonder just how much we’re seeing the “Burrow” effect on mike. It seems like he spent his last year or two trying to get the team in a position where they were at least trending towards average when he handed over the reigns.

Now that they are here maybe slightly earlier than expected he’s got a chance to enjoy a championship while he still can and reverse the image of his legacy.

They have to realize the time to go for it is now. If burrow walks as soon he can because they cheaped out again I think a lot of fans would be gone too.


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(02-17-2022, 11:55 AM)grampahol Wrote: I want Zac to beat McVay by taking the team to and winning the superbowl without breaking the bank and mortgaging their future..  That would be far more impressive..

This. It's a good thing for the Rams that they won the SB this time because they are going to lose a bunch of players after this season. And they're QB isn't getting any younger. The Bengals, on the other hand, are young and the team has cap space.

(02-17-2022, 02:53 PM)BenZoo2 Wrote: I wonder just how much we’re seeing the “Burrow” effect on mike.  It seems like he spent his last year or two trying to get the team in a position where they were at least trending towards average when he handed over the reigns.

Now that they are here maybe slightly earlier than expected he’s got a chance to enjoy a championship while he still can and reverse the image of his legacy.

They have to realize the time to go for it is now.  If burrow walks as soon he can because they cheaped out again I think a lot of fans would be gone too.


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I seen a post yesterday that summed it up well for me,  Now, i dont know all the ins and outs of everything, but i do know this.   Mike Brown isnt an uber wealthy owner,  he doesnt make his money from other things such as microsoft, oil, or other things,  The Bengals are his income, so he has to manage them like a business, he cant afford to buy championships like the Rams, Bucs, Pats, and others who will go all in.  Now, im not saying he cant afford to do what is right for the fans and put together a competent team.  But it is a business that has budgets and all sorts of other things.  Again, i am not really trying to make excuses, even tho this comes off as one,  but after seeing that post the otherday it did kinda open my eyes as to why we consider him cheap.

(02-17-2022, 02:23 PM)Big Boss Wrote: Sure, and some of these drafted guys could pan out in the long run.  But if their Super Bowl window is open now, then they need proven quality starters now.  Gotta buy them in FA.  

Who says it's just "now" and not for the next 5 years? You talk like they are an aging team with Burrow on his last leg. They lost a SB in the last 2 minutes on a terrible call. Sure, they have to improve on the OL but you have to be careful so as not supersede your draft year-to-year all because a 1st year OL didn't become a starter and dominate 3 of the best DL's in the NFL in the playoffs. You still have to build a team thru needs but also you simply can't just decide to draft 3 more OL hoping to find a gem in one.

Believe it or not, every position group becomes a need whether it's due to injuries, depth, contract situations, etc.

(02-17-2022, 02:59 PM)BengalRed Wrote: This. It's a good thing for the Rams that they won the SB this time because they are going to lose a bunch of players after this season. And they're QB isn't getting any younger. The Bengals, on the other hand, are young and the team has cap space.

We have cap space now...but our windows is like 3 years then the window changes. When Burrow is making $45-50 million a year, it's going to be harder to build a complete team. And Higgins and Chase will be paid highly too.

It's going to put even more of a premium on us drafting and developing guys that can play quick on rookie deals.

(02-17-2022, 02:53 PM)BenZoo2 Wrote: I wonder just how much we’re seeing the “Burrow” effect on mike.  It seems like he spent his last year or two trying to get the team in a position where they were at least trending towards average when he handed over the reigns.

Now that they are here maybe slightly earlier than expected he’s got a chance to enjoy a championship while he still can and reverse the image of his legacy.

They have to realize the time to go for it is now.  If burrow walks as soon he can because they cheaped out again I think a lot of fans would be gone too.


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Burrow getting hurt last year was a big part Im sure.

They've been trying things on the line for 6-7 years. Drafting Ced/Fisher/Price/Carman - that's 2 1sts and 2 2nds. Trading for Cordy Glenn who was highly paid. Signing Reiff. Drafting Jonah 1st.

They signed that Jon Miller from Buffalo. Picking Spain up. Signing XSF.

They've invested a decent bit if you add all that stuff up.

(02-17-2022, 03:33 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: We have cap space now...but our windows is like 3 years then the window changes. When Burrow is making $45-50 million a year, it's going to be harder to build a complete team. And Higgins and Chase will be paid highly too.

It's going to put even more of a premium on us drafting and developing guys that can play quick on rookie deals.

I agree the window is the next few years.  It's possible to build it out longer with some really solid drafts.  But in terms of having the rookie deals they do for some of these high impact players, they need to capitalize in that window.  The good news is they've got a lot of these guys on early deals so they have a window that's longer than a year like some teams have (ala the Rams).  

This is 100% the time to put some money into that OL to make the most of the window.  It'll close a lot faster if they let Burrow get hurt again...  I don't think they ignored the OL last year, but I think they thought it would play out differently than it did.  They have to be convinced now of the priority level. 

(02-17-2022, 03:39 PM)MileHighGrowler Wrote: I agree the window is the next few years.  It's possible to build it out longer with some really solid drafts.  But in terms of having the rookie deals they do for some of these high impact players, they need to capitalize in that window.  The good news is they've got a lot of these guys on early deals so they have a window that's longer than a year like some teams have (ala the Rams).  

This is 100% the time to put some money into that OL to make the most of the window.  It'll close a lot faster if they let Burrow get hurt again...  I don't think they ignored the OL last year, but I think they thought it would play out differently than it did.  They have to be convinced now of the priority level. 

And IF Reiff is healthy, it does play out different.

Our line, while never good was probably average with Reiff.

(02-17-2022, 03:40 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: And IF Reiff is healthy, it does play out different.

Our line, while never good was probably average with Reiff.

But now this is the second year straight that Reiff's been hurt, right?

So the question is whether or not Reiff is even worth bringing back if we're just going to end up with Prince as our starting RT again.  

(02-17-2022, 03:46 PM)Big Boss Wrote: But now the is the second year straight that Reiff's been hurt, right?

So the question is whether or not Reiff is even worth bringing back if we're just going to end up with Prince as our starting RT again.  

I think you try to get a younger guy no doubt.

Rieff wasn't a $15 million a year guy though. At his age, he was what around $7 million a year on a 1 year deal? You won't get a good Tackle for that.

The Bengals look for value. This needs to be the year they stop doing that on the offensive line.

Time to go buy a Porsche. The 10 year old Civic keeps breaking down.

It’s not just throwing $ at the OL. It’s utilizing your scouting resources, as well, which is what appears to have happened with the defensive additions the past couple of years. Hopefully they are now laser focused on the OL, ending with similar results.

(02-17-2022, 01:58 PM)reuben.ahmed Wrote: Maybe Mike is smarter than all of us and knew Andy and Carson were not worth it, lol. He was waiting for the one.

I was thinking the same thing. Seriously. Mike Brown is not a dumb man. Maybe he was waiting for the right time to invest in a potential Superbowl.

I think he believes in this team more than any other since he has taken over. Hope I am right and we build the right way to potentially run it back next year!

(02-17-2022, 01:40 PM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: If I get can retain there core FAs and sign/trade assets to build the line, the schedule next year looks much easier.

Get Moses, Daniels and either Jensen or Linderbaum, cut/trade some of those other guys, and they would have a top 15 O line

 Our SOS was 29th.. only 2 teams had a weaker schedule.

We will play the division champion schedule in 2022, supposed to be tougher to maintain parity.  We get lucky with Brady retiring and the Saints look to be worse off.   We replace playoff teams Packers, Raiders, 49ers with Bills, Patriots, Bucs, Titans and we play the Chiefs again.

We replace:
Vikings
Bears
Jacksonville
Green Bay
Detroit
Raiders
Chargers
49ers
Broncos

We add:
Bills
Patriots
Bucs
Cowboys
Dolphins
Falcons
Panthers
Dolphins
Titans

Play again:
Chiefs 
Jets

(02-17-2022, 01:08 PM)Go Cards Wrote: This is good to hear but would have rather it had been phrased that "we are going to do everything in our power to protect Joe and it will start at combine but definitely include scouring FA as well "

Gotta wonder if FA was implied when he said "it starts at the combine" or if the plan really is to mainly address in the draft vs FA.
Maybe he left off the FA part so teams don't 100% know that the Bengals plan to go after FAs...?

(02-17-2022, 11:38 AM)pally Wrote: Mike thinks Paul would have loved this team

"I think so. Joe is a smart player and that shines through," Brown said. "He's accurate, he's tough as nails. We want to do some things to help him.

"This team has what (Paul Brown) prized most. The ability to throw the ball."



Brown says they plan to improve. That starts in two weeks at the NFL scouting combine.

"I think we have the core of a top team, we'll add to it and I think we can make it better,"


Hopefully, his statements mean what we hope it means

https://www.bengals.com/news/city-rallies-for-bengals-one-final-time-in-a-special-season-as-mike-brown-reflec

Mike Brown also is a huge Meatloaf fan

"I would do anything for Joe"

"Great Mike, Are you going to get top tier offensive linemen to protect him this year?"

"But I won't do that"