(04-29-2022, 01:38 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I think you probably want to look at your own posts, Bfine. Yearly cash has nothing to do with getting rid of Bates. The only reason you would need to get rid of Bates to front-load a contract is if their cap hits were hitting earlier than later, which the Bengals (and almost nobody) does. There's a couple rare examples out there, but they're few and far between.

They were able to part ways with Trae Waynes and Trey Hopkins this year because they both had the highest cap hits of their careers in 2022, but most of neither were guaranteed. Guaranteed money also has no need to get rid of Bates.

Of course releasing Bates frees up yearly cash. Over $13 MIl of it. We can turn that into signing bonus (aka front load) for someone like Jonah.

Parting with Bates gives us money to secure others long term it's really simple, but that's for another thread. GO DAX!!

(04-29-2022, 11:20 AM)Big Boss Wrote: They'll figure their WRs out. Them snagging Linderbaum really ***** burns me.

Until I saw him sitting on the couch next to his girlfriend and she looked bigger than he did. Reader, Hill, Tupou, and Shelvin will be rag dolling him.

He looks extra pretty on the move out blocking in space. But when he has to sit back and pass protect is what scared the hell out of me. We all want Burrow throwing the ball all over. I don’t think the smallest C in the league with little baby arms is who you want right in front of your QB. It might work for the Ravens as Lamar can just bail out of the pocket every time. But that wouldn’t work for us

(04-29-2022, 10:57 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: I'm not sure Hill is a direct replacement for Bates. Bates is strictly a center fielder for Cincinnati and that isn't what Hill is good at. Hill excels in the slot and playing as a box safety. He's closer to Bell than he is Bates, imo. 

(04-29-2022, 11:01 AM)fredtoast Wrote: This.

Because of his small size and speed most people think he is a free safety like Bates. But he actually plays the role of Bell.

The way NFL defenses are adjusting to the new emphasis on passing traditional positions and roles are getting blurred.  Guys that look like safeties are lining up like linebackers.  Cornerbacks are playing safety.  Safeties are playing slot corner.

Hill fills a need this season even if Bates and Bell had long term contracts. He immediately becomes the backup for both safeties and Hilton. Like Killer Goose said the 3 safety look will be used a lot and with Hubbard as a spy. It was solid against Mahomes. Zac and the staff never loses focus on their division. The Ravens had a great free agency and first round.

Dax is the first Defensive player taken before the 3rd round in the Zac Taylor era. Question is..do we go 2 for 2 tonight.

(04-29-2022, 12:34 AM)Tony Wrote: This pick sucked.. wtf!!

Hill was probably the best player in the draft to replace Bates who doesn't deserve $15M+/year.

(04-29-2022, 11:36 AM)bfine32 Wrote: Dax is the first Defensive player taken before the 3rd round in the Zac Taylor era. Question is..do we go 2 for 2 tonight.

Brisker, Pitre, Cross, Cook in the 2nd or 3rd would give them a lot of flexibility in the secondary.

Awesome pick.... seems like theres very few fans or sports analysts that disagree with the selection.

Duke Tobin the G.O.A.T - I wonder how much Zac Taylor has influenced as well? Perhaps a spot as a GM one day

Daxton Hill is an amazing pick and will be a von bell replacement. I don't think this affects the Jessie Bate contract at all. That doesn't mean we will sign him long term, but it does mean that we have a guy who is an A+ player and can play all over. Love it

(04-29-2022, 11:04 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: Yes, exactly. An even better non-Bengal comparison would be someone like Tyrann Mathieu. I think Hill is going to be utilized exactly like Mathieu was in KC. His versatility will be important. I like the pick. 

I really thought KC would pick him before our pick as an excellent replacement for Tyrann. Glad they didn't! 

If we add another promising corner this secondary will be really good.

(04-29-2022, 09:36 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Called this pick in my final mock draft, as well as some ones from a few months ago.

I had been mocking him to Bengals before the Combine and before Bates got tagged, as I thought he was the best replacement for him.
Then the Combine hit, and I thought there's no way he'll make it.
Then Bates got tagged.
I thought they might take a safety in the middle rounds at the earliest to back up and groom.

I heard more and more people speculate that they might try to get a safety a year early to groom behind Bates and Bell, so I decided to put Hill back on my mock again.

Super stoked to have Hill. I think he'll be a great DB.

I'm really excited about this selection. Look at our secondary, we have 1 player that was drafted, and he's received the franchise tag. We can't expect to just buy our secondary forever. Expect a 2nd or 3rd to be spent on a CB also. 

(04-29-2022, 01:32 AM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Trade him this year when you can still get something for him.

I'd be down for that now.. Maybe trade him to move up into the 2nd round..

(04-29-2022, 12:42 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Wrong, as usual.

If you say so.. We all know your opinion is all that matters... We have 2 safetys.. Woulda rather had Booth here...

(04-29-2022, 07:55 AM)KillerGoose Wrote: Allen did not see a lot of playtime. He played less than 20% of the snaps on the season.

Silly comparison. He got hurt in like Week 2 and missed a big chunk of the season. Silly Goose. 

(04-29-2022, 10:44 AM)MTBengalsFan Wrote: This year, watching the Reds with a blindfold is better!

This ^ plus I like having the TV muted.

 In regards to Hill - drafting BPA is what successful teams do.  Pass rush with a good secondary is turn over time!

(04-29-2022, 12:01 PM)Sanforbd Wrote: I'm really excited about this selection. Look at our secondary, we have 1 player that was drafted, and he's received the franchise tag. We can't expect to just buy our secondary forever. Expect a 2nd or 3rd to be spent on a CB also. 

I think the big question is where does he end up starting?
Is Hill good enough to handle outside CB duties in place of Apple?
Does Hill take over slot CB in place of Hilton in some way?
Or does this mean the inevitable departure of Bates/Bell?

I lean toward the last option.
Bengals have quite a lot of $$ tied up into the defense, and they'll need to pay some non-DB/DL players in the coming couple years.
Pratt
Wilson
Jonah Williams
Tee Higgins
Joe Burrow
JaMarr Chase

For everyone who loved Flowers last year, Hill is probably going to unseat him a bit on covering TE's. His speed and versatility will be used for all sorts of physical match up challenges. Expect to see him in the slot when teams move their speed receivers there to try and overwhelm Hilton. Expect to see him split out wide allowing us to play man when TE's go wide. Expect him to rotate from a sub package dime LB to center field while Bell sprints down into a blitz or late robber rotation.

The guy is a swiss army knife and he is going to get plenty of snaps this year.

(04-29-2022, 12:10 PM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: Silly comparison. He got hurt in like Week 2 and missed a big chunk of the season. Silly Goose. 

He missed three games. He played in every game after that, just didn't play much. Out of the games he was available for, he only played 18.4% of the snaps. PFR probably has some precision issues which is why you get a different value than what his page reports. 

The guy just didn't play much, there isn't any other to swing that. 

(04-29-2022, 12:05 PM)Tony Wrote: If you say so.. We all know your opinion is all that matters... We have 2 safetys.. Woulda rather had Booth here...

And listen to everyone complain about drafting an oft-injured player Again??

No thanks..

(04-29-2022, 12:05 PM)Tony Wrote: If you say so.. We all know your opinion is all that matters... We have 2 safetys.. Woulda rather had Booth here...

I don't know college players, but everything I've heard about Hill suggests to me that he was a great pick at 31. A guy that most mock drafts had being picked well before 31 and everyone else that was available could potentially be had mid-way through the 2nd round and I think that suggests we got a great value.

Then I hear what kind of player he is and I'm actually excited. A guy athletic enough he could actually play cornerback as well as safety? Dude. I know draft picks are always hyped up, but still, this guy sounds like he could be a reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally good player.

(04-29-2022, 12:21 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: He missed three games. He played in every game after that, just didn't play much. Out of the games he was available for, he only played 18.4% of the snaps. PFR probably has some precision issues which is why you get a different value than what his page reports. 

The guy just didn't play much, there isn't any other to swing that. 

I think he got unseatted by Flowers in the role they had planned for him to be in. Combined they still weren't a massive amount of snaps but I think Hill still does a bit more than either of those two do.