We all know (hope) that we're signing some top-tier linemen to protect Burrow and that it should lead to big things, but are we going to replace everyone on the line and get some quality backups or do you think the players we'll already have can perform well enough if called upon?

Injuries always seem to kill us, and protecting Burrow is the only thing missing to make us championship contenders. We almost won the Super Bowl with one of the worst lines in the league, so do you think an average or below average backup can fill in if we only need one spot filled due to an injury to a starter or do we need better backups?

I realize that sometimes there's quality free agents on the market to sign to fill-in short term, but I'm talking about if we're in a big game that could have big implications or even in the playoffs where we'd need someone to fill in for that game.

Hopefully all of our young guys will make up our depth. Carman, Adeniji, Prince, Smith, Johnson, and Hill all have a little experience now and should have no where to go but up.

Ideally none of these guys are our starters though. I'd like to see Free Agents signed to every starting position and then not have to draft any O-lineman at all because we already have enough young developing talent.

Bring in as many free agents as possible for interviews/workouts and i hope Joe Burrow is very much involved in any and all decisions
We may not need the most expensive and highest rated options
5 starters who will gel ASAP and will sacrifice themselves not only for burrow but mixon as well
Easier said then done tho
I think we all Know Burrow not only needs to trust his Lineman but also establish a family type bond...
I think Aaron Rodgers and his Oline are the perfect example of what we can only hope may develop here

I’d say if we have Williams and 4 other solid to great starters, we can afford our current young guys as depth. If Carman has to spot start or Prince has to spot start, I think that in of itself is not bad. It’s just when all of your supposed depths pieces are starting then that is a problem.

I look for D'Ante Smith to take a big step this year, after having his meniscus repaired this past season.

(03-03-2022, 09:14 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I look for D'Ante Smith to take a big step this year, after having his meniscus repaired this past season.

Frank Pollard also cited health reasons for Jackson Carman’s struggles this season

(03-03-2022, 09:47 AM)pally Wrote: Frank Pollard also cited health reasons for Jackson Carman’s struggles this season

There is a difference.  Smith's meniscus was a simple repair, Carman's back issues are likely going to linger and keep resurfacing for life.  He may get to looking and feeling 100%, and then out of nowhere, it'll flare back up.  (trust me on this one, I'm an athlete with back issues)

(03-03-2022, 02:39 AM)BFritz21 Wrote: We all know (hope) that we're signing some top-tier linemen to protect Burrow and that it should lead to big things, but are we going to replace everyone on the line and get some quality backups or do you think the players we'll already have can perform well enough if called upon?

Injuries always seem to kill us, and protecting Burrow is the only thing missing to make us championship contenders. We almost won the Super Bowl with one of the worst lines in the league, so do you think an average or below average backup can fill in if we only need one spot filled due to an injury to a starter or do we need better backups?

I realize that sometimes there's quality free agents on the market to sign to fill-in short term, but I'm talking about if we're in a big game that could have big implications or even in the playoffs where we'd need someone to fill in for that game.

Backups are backups for a reason. With a bunch of backups that got starter minutes/reps the last 2 years and many many games actually played very well, the Bengals would be in fantastic shape with a few of these starters becoming backups.

I think with Carman, D'Ante Smith, Prince, Hill and FJ we could have really good depth behind some proven vets that we
get in FA. Particularly D'Ante Smith as Sunset said could be a very good depth piece at multiple positions. He really surprised
me on how well he played in the Preseason last year as I thought it would take time and he was more of a potential pick.

He shown he is more than that and he can play OT and Guard.

I don't want to go into the season counting on him too heavily, but I think people are throwing dirt on Carman a bit too early.

(03-03-2022, 05:09 PM)Dr.Z Wrote: I don't want to go into the season counting on him too heavily, but I think people are throwing dirt on Carman a bit too early.

This.

Not predicting he will become a good player, but it is way too early to write him off.  He still has a lot of potential.

(03-03-2022, 05:09 PM)Dr.Z Wrote: I don't want to go into the season counting on him too heavily, but I think people are throwing dirt on Carman a bit too early.

I understand Sunset's point about the back injury though, they are rough as he says.

I hope the surgery went really well though so it doesn't flare up at times like Sunset says.

If Carman gains some consistency he can be a great O-lineman for us, it just looked obvious that he likes the left side of the line
much better in the snaps he had last year. It was night and day from the right side. Keep giving him looks on the right but play him
where he plays the best and with the way Spain and Adeniji played in the postseason we should be open to anything at the Guard 
positions. Those 2 were pretty terrible.

Got to have a good starting o-line before we start talking about depth. Depth is great but if the 1st string is weak as it has been for years then it's a problem.

As bad as Adeniji and Carmen were their experience will be huge. I like Smith's potential.

Sunset made a very valid point regarding Carmen's back issues. This was a terrible pick and the last one that I hope Mike Brown ever interferes with again. That said he's our guy now and possesses some solid qualities, like Fred says we can't give up on him now. He seemed to really struggle at RG versus LG, which makes sense as he was a LT forever.

I fear free agency may be underwhelming and if Sooner is correct with the signing of Reiff and Spain as their upgrades I wont be happy. We need 2 new faces at minimum and if they want to show a real commitment then 3 solid free agents would hit the mark.

I look for Carmen and Smith to both take big steps. Not sure they will be large enough as starter material, but progress is good.

IF we replace RG & RT, we would already have pretty good depth. Prince and Adenji stepped in and played well enough to get us to the Super Bowl - that's the definition of depth.

(03-04-2022, 12:11 PM)casear2727 Wrote:  This was a terrible pick and the last one that I hope Mike Brown ever interferes with again.  

None of us have any idea how much influence Mike Brown has on draft picks.

But it seems like the only time his name is mentioned is to try and bash him for a bad pick.

I don't see anyone praising Mike fro drafting Higgins in the second round.  And if Carman develops into a good player I doubt anyone wiull give Mike Brown credit for overruling everyone else to draft him.

(03-04-2022, 02:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: None of us have any idea how much influence Mike Brown has on draft picks.

But it seems like the only time his name is mentioned is to try and bash him for a bad pick.

I don't see anyone praising Mike fro drafting Higgins in the second round.  And if Carman develops into a good player I doubt anyone wiull give Mike Brown credit for overruling everyone else to draft him.

There werent any rumors that Brown wanted Higgins while others were not all for that pick as there was with Carmen.  How many obvious better WR's were still on the board when we took Higgins?

Carmen's pick made no sense with a competent scouting staff... very large LT with a bad back, lazy and immature reputation, taken almost a full round early according to some, drafted so he could play a different position on the other side of the line....  

I'd prefer Mike vacate the building and I'm ok with the staff ignoring any advice from Paul Alexander in the future.

(03-04-2022, 03:06 PM)casear2727 Wrote: There werent any rumors that Brown wanted Higgins while others were not all for that pick as there was with Carmen.  How many obvious better WR's were still on the board when we took Higgins?

Carmen's pick made no sense with a competent scouting staff... very large LT with a bad back, lazy and immature reputation, taken almost a full round early according to some, drafted so he could play a different position on the other side of the line....  

I'd prefer Mike vacate the building and I'm ok with the staff ignoring any advice from Paul Alexander in the future.

How many Good OL have we drafted with Pollack as the OL coach?

(03-04-2022, 02:38 PM)fredtoast Wrote: None of us have any idea how much influence Mike Brown has on draft picks.

But it seems like the only time his name is mentioned is to try and bash him for a bad pick.

I don't see anyone praising Mike fro drafting Higgins in the second round.  And if Carman develops into a good player I doubt anyone wiull give Mike Brown credit for overruling everyone else to draft him.

(03-04-2022, 03:31 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: How many Good OL have we drafted with Pollack as the OL coach?

We don't know yet.