(03-18-2022, 09:24 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: I guess we will see, but I would not bet on a rookie corner at 31 unseating a veteran that played well for a super bowl team last year.  I could be wrong, but I feel 95% confident Apple will remain a starter, pending injuries, for the duration of this upcoming season.

I hope I’m wrong, and your right, as that would signal a home run pick by the bengals.

If the Bengals felt as strongly about Apple as you, they wouldn't have let him test the market just to bring him back for 1yr, 4m. I don't think a rookie is going to go into camp as CB2, I think he'll earn it before the season is over. 

(03-18-2022, 09:16 AM)Bengalpool Wrote: He'll be the 4th CB on this team if we take CB at 31. Which is great depth.

Will have to see if one slides that far... Its looking like most of them will go higher and the value drops a little after the top guys. Woolen and McCreary are probably high to mid 2nd round guys.

(03-18-2022, 09:26 AM)Bengalpool Wrote: If the Bengals felt as strongly about Apple as you, they wouldn't have let him test the market just to bring him back for 1yr, 4m. I don't think a rookie is going to go into camp as CB2, I think he'll earn it before the season is over. 

Oh, I don’t feel that strongly about Apple, nor do the bengals. But he is a good (not great player). If he is the weakest part of our secondary (in a nickel package)… that’s a good place to be.

(03-18-2022, 09:28 AM)Synric Wrote: Will have to see if one slides that far... Its looking like most of them will go higher and the value drops a little after the top guys. Woolen and McCreary are probably high to mid 2nd round guys.

By time the dust settles in FA, if CB is our most glaring need, I'd be itching to trade up for Stingley if he started to fall. I just don't know how serious his injury history is. If its a huge red flag or not. 

(03-18-2022, 09:30 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Oh, I don’t feel that strongly about Apple, nor do the bengals.  But he is a good (not great player).  If he is the weakest part of our secondary (in a nickel package)… that’s a good place to be.

I misinterpreted then, my apologies. I agree on him being good. It would be nice to have someone earn his spot at CB2, he's great depth.  

Congrats Apple Welcome back

Having Apple back just means we can now focus on CB in the draft instead of trying to bring one in, which in turn allows the focus in FA to be in the trenches.

(03-18-2022, 09:26 AM)Bengalpool Wrote: If the Bengals felt as strongly about Apple as you, they wouldn't have let him test the market just to bring him back for 1yr, 4m. I don't think a rookie is going to go into camp as CB2, I think he'll earn it before the season is over. 

Rookie CBs are usually burnt toast. Leon Hall sucked as a rookie before becoming a shutdown corner in 09. If we draft a CB he probably won’t supplant Eli Apple year one.

(03-17-2022, 07:58 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: tennesse playoffs, chiefs playoffs game before half time

You beat me to it. I'm not a huge fan, but he played solid enough, the money is right, we filled a potential hole, and this dude saved the day in KC. He also had great coverage on the play Pratt made the INT to seal the Raiders game. If Pratt doesn't make that play, Apple either knocks the ball away, or is in position to stop the receiver short of the goal to seal the deal. He came up big when we needed it. Solid signing, Twitter feed notwithstanding...lol.

(03-17-2022, 09:17 PM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: A lot of people are forgetting this. I hated Eli as a Bengal long before the Super Bowl and long before I knew of his Twitter idiocy. One of my oldest friends is a Giants fan that's hated Eli since day 1 and I've dated a Saints fan off and on when I'm in her town for years. She called laughing when Cincy signed him. "You're going to hate him sooooo much." I was still hopeful and said "He'll be a #4 or #5. I doubt he'll play a lot of meaningful minutes." Whoops.

The scouting report I got from both of them was this "He's so physically weak that he can't play bump and run coverage because he gets man handled and tossed to the ground like a rag doll in the first five yards. If the line can hold for a second and a half, his man will be wide open for a 25-50 yard gain. So he has to play at least 6-7 yards off of the line so they won't legally run into him and bowl him over, even if it's 3rd and 1.

Well, the Bengals do run a lot of zone coverage . . . and Eli always plays zone. Even when they call man to man, it still looks like Eli is going to play zone.

If he's starting week one, that's a failure on the FO. He's a #4 at best because there is no way he's beating out a healthy Mike Hilton for slot corner.

Uh, he allowed a 22.6 passer rating in man to man coverage. That wasn't his PFF grade.

It was really important that we bring him back, and I’m happy with the deal. He’s better than people like to admit, but no doubt, can be improved upon. I’m guessing that corner will be a top priority for the team in the draft, and I wouldn’t be surprised or upset if it ends up being a corner at 31 if the right player is there.

Eli Apple has played well for us and deserved another year. I hope that his contract requires him to stay off of Twitter.

(03-18-2022, 11:28 AM)Wyche Wrote: Uh, he allowed a 22.6 passer rating in man to man coverage. That wasn't his PFF grade.

Eli Apple in man coverage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCe5HVybuuQ

Note:  embedding videos is disabled for this one so i had to direct link.  

Edit:  Here's a fun pic from the video to save time from watching it:

(03-18-2022, 12:13 PM)basballguy Wrote: Eli Apple in man coverage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCe5HVybuuQ

Note:  embedding videos is disabled for this one so i had to direct link.  

Edit:  Here's a fun pic from the video to save time from watching it:

https://youtu.be/VqSM7FLIkcQ
https://youtu.be/TEMoqs_kZBg



Eeh whatever.  Dude had his moments, helped win 2 playoff games this year.  I like what he did for us and he's worth a one year $4 mill deal easy.

Honestly, he played better than I expected.  Granted it was a low bar to overcome. But, still better than I expected. At a minimum, he was adequate to above average to borderline good at times.

(03-18-2022, 12:23 PM)motoarch Wrote: https://youtu.be/VqSM7FLIkcQ

Eeh whatever.  Dude had his moments, helped win 2 playoff games this year.  I like what he did for us and he's worth a one year $4 mill deal easy.

He made a great tackle on a poorly ran route, sure, but we should've never been in that spot.  

On that same drive he gave up a 48 yard pass and a 14 yard PI.  62 yards of that 78 yard drive were on him.  We won that game in spite of Eli, not because of him.  

(03-18-2022, 12:28 PM)basballguy Wrote: He made a great tackle on a poorly ran route, sure, but we should've never been in that spot.  

On that same drive he gave up a 48 yard pass and a 14 yard PI.  62 yards of that 78 yard drive were on him.  We won that game in spite of Eli, not because of him. 

All CBs get beat though that's how it goes it's a brutal position. Hell even the best CB in the NFL Ramsey got cooked a few times in the playoffs (Mike Evans beat him for a TD, and Chase did a number on him as well.)

(03-18-2022, 12:28 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Honestly, he played better than I expected.  Granted it was a low bar to overcome. But, still better than I expected. At a minimum, he was adequate to above average to borderline good at times.

This is the correct take.  There are times he shows flashes of the NFL player he was supposed to be, but those occasions are very rare and do not outweigh the player he actually is.

Don't get me wrong, I'll take him over Waynes but I'm not going to like it and I fully expect those Eli Apple 'moments' to make winning the game significantly harder on the rest of the team.  

(03-18-2022, 12:28 PM)basballguy Wrote: He made a great tackle on a poorly ran route, sure, but we should've never been in that spot.  

On that same drive he gave up a 48 yard pass and a 14 yard PI.  62 yards of that 78 yard drive were on him.  We won that game in spite of Eli, not because of him.  

He made the most important stop of the game against the shiftest wr in the NFL when it we needed it.  That's clutch.  That's all I care about.  It's not lile they'er offering him a 5 year deal worth $8+ mill a year.

 Who's better at that price?

You want too much.  The team still needs to drop some coin on OL and maybe bring in another CB that pushes Eli down the chart a place and you end up with a really solid 3rd CB at a reasonable price.

(03-18-2022, 12:36 PM)motoarch Wrote:  Who's better at that price?

You want too much.  The team still needs to drop some coin on OL and maybe bring in another CB that pushes Eli down the chart a place and you end up with a really solid 3rd CB at a reasonable price.

That's exactly where he belongs.  However, we gave him a contract, upon quick glance, that is equivalent to a CB2.  

I am only here to shut down the "Eli Apple is good" sentiments.  He's not good.  If he was good then the bengals would not have signed him to a 1 year deal again.  What the means to me is the benefit of keeping him here outweighs trying to find someone new to plug into the scheme...that's a thought I can at least get behind.  

(03-18-2022, 12:13 PM)basballguy Wrote: Eli Apple in man coverage:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCe5HVybuuQ

Note:  embedding videos is disabled for this one so i had to direct link.  

Edit:  Here's a fun pic from the video to save time from watching it:

I'm not saying he's all world bro, but that passer rating against him in man is what it is. Good stopgap signing, plugs a potential hole, I'm good with it. Pretty good price to boot.