This offseason has raised one question for me and one question only.

Who is running the team?

This is not a Mike Brown, Duke Tobin like off-season. They've ignored the OL for years and it's like all the sudden the lights went on and they need to be aggressive about it? Not upset to see it happening, should have happened last year or the year before lol, but it just makes you ask what did change in the front office to get Mike to finally do things different.

(03-21-2022, 04:13 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: This offseason has raised one question for me and one question only.

Who is running the team?

This is not a Mike Brown, Duke Tobin like off-season. They've ignored the OL for years and it's like all the sudden the lights went on and they need to be aggressive about it? Not upset to see it happening, should have happened last year or the year before lol, but it just makes you ask what did change in the front office to get Mike to finally do things different.

It is a team of people.

It has happened since Zac and Lou have gotten here honestly. Just started with the DL in Reader and the Defense.

This was the time to concentrate specifically on the OL after the clear weakness that was shown in the biggest game of all.

The Draft is a crapshoot and we were drafting poorly before Taylor and company got here so it took time to build the trenches.

But yeah, it has to be a mixture of Taylor, the coaches and the FO in how they shifted the way they do things. 

They are all working together for a common goal and finally have the foundation to build around in Burrow. Had to fortify the 
OL and they finally did it the right way in Free Agency with young proven veterans. No more relying on a gamble that is a Draft
pick. Doesn't matter where you take a guy no player is a sure thing that has yet to play in the NFL.

(03-21-2022, 04:31 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: It is a team of people.

It has happened since Zac and Lou have gotten here honestly. Just started with the DL in Reader and the Defense.

This was the time to concentrate specifically on the OL after the clear weakness that was shown in the biggest game of all.

The Draft is a crapshoot and we were drafting poorly before Taylor and company got here so it took time to build the trenches.

But yeah, it has to be a mixture of Taylor, the coaches and the FO in how they shifted the way they do things. 

They are all working together for a common goal and finally have the foundation to build around in Burrow. Had to fortify the 
OL and they finally did it the right way in Free Agency with young proven veterans. No more relying on a gamble that is a Draft
pick. Doesn't matter where you take a guy no player is a sure thing that has yet to play in the NFL.

Folks that wanted him fired are having a real tough time acknowledging that maybe Zac was serious about all of that New Dey talk......

(03-21-2022, 05:01 AM)Old Dipstick Wrote: Or maybe Burrow simply told them "Get me some protection or I'm off to some team that will"

They would have just laughed at him because last year he told them to pass on O-line for a WR.

(03-21-2022, 05:36 PM)Wyche Wrote: Folks that wanted him fired are having a real tough time acknowledging that maybe Zac was serious about all of that New Dey talk......

Hey, I was one of them if Taylor didn't at the very least have a winning record this last year.

He not only got us 10 wins in the regular season but 3 in the Playoffs and nearly won us the entire thing.

Lou and the Defense surely did their part and I was one of the dudes that wanted to move on from Lou after that 2nd season
and the way it ended with the Ratbirds running for like 400 yards on our D. That sure changed this last season and I expect an
even bigger jump this year with this Draft and players like Ossai and ADG coming back.

Doesn't matter how good of a coach you are with poor trench play.

Oh wow. Carolina signed Bozeman C for 1 yr / $2.8 million. What a deal.

(03-21-2022, 06:05 PM)Yogo Wrote: Oh wow.  Carolina signed Bozeman C for 1 yr / $2.8 million.  What a deal.

Hmmm. That is pretty damn cheap, what is wrong with him?

(03-21-2022, 06:05 PM)Yogo Wrote: Oh wow.  Carolina signed Bozeman C for 1 yr / $2.8 million.  What a deal.

bengals shouldve made this deal

put Karras at the position he's stronger at(LG), Have Bozeman at center for 1 year,

then move Karras back to C in 2023, and then have Carman compete for the LG job

(03-21-2022, 06:31 PM)Frank Booth Wrote: bengals shouldve made this deal

put Karras at the position he's stronger at(LG), Have Bozeman at center for 1 year,

then move Karras back to C in 2023, and then have Carman compete for the LG job

Must of not fit what Pollack wanted or is banged up. Makes too much sense.

I know you don't like Carman Frank but it seems Pollack wants Carman at LG or D'Ante or Bozeman would be here.

We could of easily afforded that deal.

(03-21-2022, 05:42 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Hey, I was one of them if Taylor didn't at the very least have a winning record this last year.

He not only got us 10 wins in the regular season but 3 in the Playoffs and nearly won us the entire thing.

Lou and the Defense surely did their part and I was one of the dudes that wanted to move on from Lou after that 2nd season
and the way it ended with the Ratbirds running for like 400 yards on our D. That sure changed this last season and I expect an
even bigger jump this year with this Draft and players like Ossai and ADG coming back.

Doesn't matter how good of a coach you are with poor trench play.

Oh, I was in prove it mode this year too, but some dug in their heels on him. They still don't give him much credit.

(03-21-2022, 11:14 PM)Wyche Wrote: Oh, I was in prove it mode this year too, but some dug in their heels on him. They still don't give him much credit.

Thats a mistake. Zac proved he is the future to me at HC this last season and especially in the Playoffs.

Something special going on and it isn't just Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase. That Defense with Lou is special and we even 
brought in Bettcher as our new Linebacker coach which I find to be maybe the most underrated thing we have done this 
Offseason so far.

I think Bettcher ends up being our DC after Lou has another great year coaching this D and becomes a HC somewhere else
and we see a flawless transition to Bettcher. These guys are building something special around here, at least that is what I 
see. Still remember Shake N' Blakes thread about us getting to the SB ahead of schedule, this is just the start.

(03-21-2022, 05:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: They would have just laughed at him because last year he told them to pass on O-line for a WR.

"last year" Kind of the key part of that statement is it not? THIS year and after the beating he took he could have told them something totally different before free agency began couldn't he?

All I've read is a lot of speculation here about what lit a fire under the Bengals FO to upgrade the OL.

(03-21-2022, 04:13 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I would put the percentage of that happening, conservatively, at 0%. 

Why? If he told them to get him a WR and that seemed to happen, why couldn't he have told them to upgrade the OL thru FA?

I just woke up from a 10 year long coma...what did I miss? Isn't this the time of year where we talk about how teams that go big in free agency turn into crap like the Washington Redskins or "Dream Team" Eagles?

(03-22-2022, 12:06 AM)Old Dipstick Wrote: Why? If he told them to get him a WR and that seemed to happen, why couldn't he have told them to upgrade the OL thru FA?

Because he doesn't call the shots and nothing he's ever said leans towards him giving the team an ultimatum. 

(03-21-2022, 11:14 PM)Wyche Wrote: Oh, I was in prove it mode this year too, but some dug in their heels on him. They still don't give him much credit.

Yep several got egg on their face and strangely asked for more.

(03-22-2022, 12:55 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Because he doesn't call the shots and nothing he's ever said leans towards him giving the team an ultimatum. 

True he doesn't ultimately call the shots but its a free country so he can tell them anything he wants even if they don't do it. What are they going do? Fire him? Good luck finding someone better to do the job.

IMo he'd have to be off his rocker to not speak up about the terrible OL after the beat down he took last year. Staying healthy is key.