(03-18-2022, 03:36 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Because having him as a stop-gap and back-up at Center and Guard is a better option then Trey Hill who looked like a total disaster when he was on the field?

I know he was just a rookie but he looked like he'd never played football at times out there. Just figured Hopkins on a much cheaper deal would have been a good depth piece in case of emergency.

Some desperate team will sign Hopkins for slightly less than he was scheduled to make as their bridge to the next starter.

(03-18-2022, 03:38 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Personally, I like Cam Jurgens from Nebraska.
He, like Parham, was an undersized but uber-athletic OL who bulked up to above 300 by the Combine.
Difference is Jurgens has played C in college whereas Parham would be transitioning into that role from playing other spots on the OL.

Jurgens could be there day 3.  I am doing mock drafts through various sites, seems like this is a draft Bengals trade down unless Zion Johnson or Green.  I don't know what to make of Green.  With Hopkins release, seems a rookie will compete with Carman.  

Good riddance.

Joke... High character guy that could've backed up at any IOL position. Would be nice to get him back later for cheaper.

(03-18-2022, 03:36 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Because having him as a stop-gap and back-up at Center and Guard is a better option then Trey Hill who looked like a total disaster when he was on the field?

I know he was just a rookie but he looked like he'd never played football at times out there. Just figured Hopkins on a much cheaper deal would have been a good depth piece in case of emergency.

I don't have a personal vendetta against Hopkins or nothing. But he's just not that good, that's all. And I want Joe to get better protection and moreover we need to be able to pick up 3rd and 1 on occasion. 

If Hopkins would have been willing to take a big pay cut and stay as a backup I wouldn't have hated it. Just not a starter.

Why is everyone acting like we just hurt our center depth? We still have Hill as backup center. The same depth we had last year. You aren’t paying $7 mil to a backup center! We flipped out Hopkins for Karras. Clean swap and saved money in the process.

We also gotta factor in that with Prince and Adeniji being so trash anyone at C probably struggles because that communication would’ve been trash on the right side. Not saying Hopkins was lowkey a pro bowler but playing with those 2 had to hurt him

(03-18-2022, 04:01 PM)Housh Wrote: We also gotta factor in that with Prince and Adeniji being so trash anyone at C probably struggles because that communication would’ve been trash on the right side. Not saying Hopkins was lowkey a pro bowler but playing with those 2 had to hurt him

I hope the get the line fixed, seems to have an issue for years

(03-18-2022, 03:38 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Personally, I like Cam Jurgens from Nebraska.
He, like Parham, was an undersized but uber-athletic OL who bulked up to above 300 by the Combine.
Difference is Jurgens has played C in college whereas Parham would be transitioning into that role from playing other spots on the OL.

Yes please! I love watching Jurgens, he’s an elite athlete and can really move. Pulls as good as anyone. He does have some issues with holding his blocks, but I think his weaknesses are easily coachable. Should be there in the 4th, I think he’ll develop into a good starting center. FWIW he went to Nebraska (Zac’s school), not that I’m sure if it even matters that much

(03-18-2022, 03:33 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Why surprised?  Dude had 6 years to get his shit together.  Penetration came up the middle and RG all season long, got worse facing strong pass rushes in the playoffs.  It's long past time to fix the middle of the OL, and they need that money he was to be paid in order to do it.

I want to touch on this right here. 

The fans have long been calling for weak links on the offensive line to be let go and replaced with better performers.  And for just as long the organization was content to let the contracts play out on these weak links, often rewarding mediocrity with a new contract, further dragging out the suffering. Perhaps no position better encapsulates this than the C position. Post Braham it has been an unbroken string of "meh" to flat out bad quality performances. Ghiaciuc, Cook, Faine (for a cup of coffee), Bodine, Price, and finally Hopkins.

When I saw the team trade Price I was honestly surprised, not because he was a bad fit here, but because he still had a year left on his rookie contract.  Granted, Hopkins also has 1 year left on his contract, but this feels different. It feels like the move was made to legitimately address subpar performance and with a true goal of getting better at that position and, finally, like the the front office and the fans are on the same page. 

I am honestly stunned at the sea-change that has taken place within the organization in the last couple of years. Is it Brown getting old and wanting to go all in, a younger generation in charge, Zac's influence, the rapidly developing Burrow mystique, or some combination?  I don't have that answer, but this isn't the team of my youth.  This is damn good team and a front office acting like a pro front office. 

(03-18-2022, 04:16 PM)Burma Wrote: I want to touch on this right here. 

The fans have long been calling for weak links on the offensive line to be let go and replaced with better performers.  And for just as long the organization was content to let the contracts play out on these weak links, often rewarding mediocrity with a new contract, further dragging out the suffering. Perhaps no position better encapsulates this than the C position. Post Braham it has been an unbroken string of "meh" to flat out bad quality performances. Ghiaciuc, Cook, Faine (for a cup of coffee), Bodine, Price, and finally Hopkins.

When I saw the team trade Price I was honestly surprised, not because he was a bad fit here, but because he still had a year left on his rookie contract.  Granted, Hopkins also has 1 year left on his contract, but this feels different. It feels like the move was made to legitimately address subpar performance and with a true goal of getting better at that position and, finally, like the the front office and the fans are on the same page. 

I am honestly stunned at the sea-change that has taken place within the organization in the last couple of years. Is it Brown getting old and wanting to go all in, a younger generation in charge, Zac's influence, the rapidly developing Burrow mystique, or some combination?  I don't have that answer, but this isn't the team of my youth.  This is damn good team and a front office acting like a pro front office. 

It is not like FO hasn't tried.  The one thing I have noticed is that Zac Taylor is looking at the human component and locker room chemistry more, in addition to stats.  It just seems the collective brass is on the same page.   

Not understanding why we're cutting Hopkins and keeping waynes can someone please explain to me why the hell trae waynes is still a bengal??

(03-18-2022, 04:11 PM)BuildTheWall Wrote: Yes please! I love watching Jurgens, he’s an elite athlete and can really move. Pulls as good as anyone. He does have some issues with holding his blocks, but I think his weaknesses are easily coachable. Should be there in the 4th, I think he’ll develop into a good starting center. FWIW he went to Nebraska (Zac’s school), not that I’m sure if it even matters that much

Jurgens (and Parham) showed too that the added weight didn't affect athleticism. Performed very well at the Combine at 307 lbs.

(03-18-2022, 04:00 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I don't have a personal vendetta against Hopkins or nothing. But he's just not that good, that's all. And I want Joe to get better protection and moreover we need to be able to pick up 3rd and 1 on occasion. 

If Hopkins would have been willing to take a big pay cut and stay as a backup I wouldn't have hated it. Just not a starter.

That's what I was hoping for with my comment. A restructure to lower his hit and keep him here as a back-up for center and guard, not a starter at all.

(03-18-2022, 04:24 PM)Tlawsonmariat82 Wrote: Not understanding why we're cutting Hopkins and keeping waynes can someone please explain to me why the hell trae waynes is still a bengal??

They’ll let him go if they get another corner close to a deal. But no reason to let him go unless you got someone better. Can’t destroy our depth.

(03-18-2022, 04:24 PM)Tlawsonmariat82 Wrote: Not understanding why we're cutting Hopkins and keeping waynes can someone please explain to me why the hell trae waynes is still a bengal??

When they start interviewing CBs and then decide to hire one, they will likely cut him then to free up the money.  Cutting him prior to having a replacement ready to put in place isn't a wise move, but one that could lead to potential candidates' agents feeling like they have the upper hand in the negotiating process.

For example, notice how Hopkins wasn't released until the Karras contract had been signed and finalized.

(03-18-2022, 04:24 PM)Tlawsonmariat82 Wrote: Not understanding why we're cutting Hopkins and keeping waynes can someone please explain to me why the hell trae waynes is still a bengal??

It's pretty self-evident that you do not cut a player until you have a better player to replace him with.

Hope this means La’el soon come

I've not been able to dedicate time to the thread. Is Hopkins released so we can pay for Cappa/Karras or is the money being cleared to get Collins? Is it neither and he's now not needed because of Cappa/Karras?

(03-18-2022, 03:36 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Because having him as a stop-gap and back-up at Center and Guard is a better option then Trey Hill who looked like a total disaster when he was on the field?

I know he was just a rookie but he looked like he'd never played football at times out there. Just figured Hopkins on a much cheaper deal would have been a good depth piece in case of emergency.

We can get depth at a cheaper price than $7.1 million (cap hit).

(03-18-2022, 04:51 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: We can get depth at a cheaper price than $7.1 million (cap hit).

Absolutely.

Again, that was why I was surprised they didn't restructure the deal to lower the cap hit and keep him around.

Super happy with the upgrades they have made so far, just was surprised they released him versus trying to re-work the deal.

Is what it is though.