ESPN has our training camp preview.

The headline is "not many holes to fill, but one key position battle looms."

It starts off with the offensive line, which is, IMCO, the only thing standing in our way of a Super Bowl.

Quote:The most compelling position battle: Jackson Carman vs. Cordell Volson. Cincinnati doesn’t have a ton of high-profile position battles entering training camp, which is a testament to the roster construction over the last few offseasons. But Carman, a second-round selection in 2021, will be under the spotlight as he looks to fend off Volson, this year’s fourth-round draft pick. Carman couldn't secure a starting spot as a rookie despite having the inside track. Coaches have praised his on-field development this offseason, but head coach Zac Taylor said the battle will be open in training camp. It’s the only legitimate question mark on an offensive line that will feature three new starters in ’22.

I love the competition and the fact that they'll be working that much harder to get on the field because I don't want to see another season of Joe Burrow having the line pushed into his face or d-linemen beating our guards and Burrow not even being able to step up to avoid them or step into throws.

The fact that that's the most compelling position battle says a lot about the talent on our team.

This one still scares me:

Quote:The player with the most to prove: Jessie Bates III. Theoretically, Bates shouldn’t have to prove a thing given what he did in the postseason. He helped force a key turnover that led to Cincinnati’s win over Kansas City in the AFC Championship game and had an interception in Super Bowl LVI. But with Bates not getting a long-term deal, he can prove to the rest of the league that he is a premier starter who commands big money in the free market.

Yeah, but will he half-ass the regular season again and then just hope he can make enough big plays in the playoffs to gain interest from another team or get us to sign him long-term?

I don't want to get into all that again but that still worries me. I hate his agent.

Quote:The biggest question: Can the Bengals find more offensive consistency? Cincinnati wanted to become a more explosive offense in ’21. The team succeeded and led the NFL in yards per passing attempt. However, there were significant lulls during games that featured stalled possessions. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow referenced fixing the issue when he spoke with reporters after the final offseason workout. Between Burrow, the team’s trio of starting wide receivers (Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd) and a beefed-up offensive line, Cincinnati has the resources to be one of the NFL’s best offenses. The pressure will be on the offense and Taylor calling the plays to be more efficient in ’22.

I think we need to establish the run to be more consistent, sustain drives, and take pressure off of Burrow. It blows me away that we had the most yards in passing attempts per season last year but I think that just goes to show the connection that Burrow has with the receivers and also how great of a QB Burrow is.

Then it talks about finding a punt returner, which I think is a big need for us this year because we will be one of the top teams in the league and we can't have game-changing mistakes on special teams:

Quote:Training camp is a success if …: the Bengals find a reliable punt returner. Former cornerback Darius Phillips held this role until gaffes in 2021, specifically two lost muffed punts in a 26-23 overtime loss to the San Francisco 49ers, forced Cincinnati to look at other options. Wide receiver Trent Taylor, who was on the practice squad after failing to make the 53-man roster out of training camp, proved to be a solid option toward the end of the season. Rookie wide receiver Kwamie Lassiter II could get some looks in training camp as special teams coordinator Darrin Simmons searches for the solution at a key spot.

I do like Lassiter just because he's small and elusive. He kind of reminds me of Adam Jones when I watch his highlights from Kansas, and the fact that we signed him so quickly after the draft makes me think that the coaching staff thinks that he'll be a big part of our return game. I saw a video of him talking about a drop he had against K State(?), but he talked about the mistake he made and he seems like the type of kid that will be a perfectionist to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Then it lists the most important addition as Kappa:

Quote:Most impactful offseason addition: Alex Cappa. The easy choice is to pick the trio of starting offensive linemen acquired in free agency — center Ted Karras, right guard Cappa and right tackle La'el Collins. But Cappa deserves singular recognition. When the Bengals landed the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starter, it signaled the franchise’s value on improving a unit that was widely ridiculed after Burrow was sacked 70 times last year. Of the three new additions on the line, Cappa was given the most guaranteed money ($11 million). If he can improve Cincinnati’s interior pass protection, the Bengals should become a more potent offense.

Hoping that trio and staying healthy is the missing piece to lead us to another Super Bowl appearance because I think Burrow is taking over the NFL and will replace Brady as the face of the league!

There's a little more in the article but those are the most important parts!

I LOVE IT!

Kwamie Lassiter II sucked as a punt return man in college. He was not a good WR either. He isn't even really fast.

I don't understand why he is getting so much love from media as well as fans here.

The good news is we are almost officially out of off season. Practices start soon and then soon pre-season games.

It will nice to be able to discuss football we see and heat about on the field.

I think we all agree (other than key injuries we can't control), our OL is the key to having a great 2022. But, I also want to see if our defense can take another big step forward in 2022. To me, it is all about the trenches and controlling both sides of the LOS.

I am excited for a fun team to watch.

Did we do enough for OL Depth? with 2 of the 3 big signings not practicing.....

We will see

(07-25-2022, 12:31 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The good news is we are almost officially out of off season. Practices start soon and then soon pre-season games.

It will nice to be able to discuss football we see and heat about on the field.

I think we all agree (other than key injuries we can't control), our OL is the key to having a great 2022. But, I also want to see if our defense can take another big step forward in 2022. To me, it is all about the trenches and controlling both sides of the LOS.

I am excited for a fun team to watch.

Defense is a big question mark for me. We could be average or we could be pretty bad.

We all know how much of a difference Bates can make if he plays all-out like he did in the playoffs.

Excited to see what Dax Hill can do and I think he could make some plays for us.

I'm also pumped to see what Ossai can do.

I think we have some quality players but it remains to be seen if they feed off of each other and step-up their games.

(07-25-2022, 12:45 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: Did we do enough for OL Depth? with 2 of the 3 big signings not practicing.....

We will see

That's the huge question mark and I think it dwarfs all other questions. 

I think we'll be a lot better than last season and Burrow took us to the Super Bowl behind a swiss cheese offensive line, but we can't let him take a beating like that again.

(07-25-2022, 03:39 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Excited to see what Dax Hill can do and I think he could make some plays for us.

I'm also pumped to see what Ossai can do.

Mannn ….. same !!

(07-25-2022, 11:45 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Kwamie Lassiter II sucked as a punt return man in college. He was not a good WR either. He isn't even really fast.

I don't understand why he is getting so much love from media as well as fans here.

Huh? He had 59 catches 653 yards at freaking Kansas his senior year???? He returned 8 punts for 13.5 yds per return his senior year? Research a must

(07-25-2022, 10:45 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Huh? He had 59 catches 653 yards at freaking Kansas his senior year????  He returned 8 punts for 13.5 yds per return his senior year? Research a must

30 career returns for 6.7 avg, 0 tds. Never had a return over 25 yds.

WRs with 650 yds in their best college season usually don't play in the NFL.  Especially when they just average 11 yards a catch

(07-25-2022, 12:31 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: The good news is we are almost officially out of off season. Practices start soon and then soon pre-season games.

It will nice to be able to discuss football we see and heat about on the field.

I think we all agree (other than key injuries we can't control), our OL is the key to having a great 2022. But, I also want to see if our defense can take another big step forward in 2022. To me, it is all about the trenches and controlling both sides of the LOS.

I am excited for a fun team to watch.

Since we upgraded the OL, I think the defense is a bigger question than the OL this year, especially the DL. I don't think the defense was great last year and they benefited from turnovers more than anything in the playoffs. I also wonder how the loss of Ogunjobi will impact this team. They never replaced him.

Mad or not, Bates won't be able to half ass it this season or he will find himself on the bench, which is not where he needs to be if he's trying to garner interest from other teams. Hopefully he's smart enough to realize he needs to ball out this year regardless of his long plan.

The one thing this offense needs to improve on is Red Zone production, and I think with the 3 new additions, once we get inside the 20 they will feed Mixon.

(07-26-2022, 09:03 AM)fredtoast Wrote: 30 career returns for 6.7 avg, 0 tds. Never had a return over 25 yds.

WRs with 650 yds in their best college season usually don't play in the NFL.  Especially when they just average 11 yards a catch

He’s at Kansas, Fred.

(07-24-2022, 11:29 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: ESPN has our training camp preview.

The headline is "not many holes to fill, but one key position battle looms."

It starts off with the offensive line, which is, IMCO, the only thing standing in our way of a Super Bowl.


I love the competition and the fact that they'll be working that much harder to get on the field because I don't want to see another season of Joe Burrow having the line pushed into his face or d-linemen beating our guards and Burrow not even being able to step up to avoid them or step into throws.

The fact that that's the most compelling position battle says a lot about the talent on our team.

This one still scares me:


Yeah, but will he half-ass the regular season again and then just hope he can make enough big plays in the playoffs to gain interest from another team or get us to sign him long-term?

I don't want to get into all that again but that still worries me. I hate his agent.


I think we need to establish the run to be more consistent, sustain drives, and take pressure off of Burrow. It blows me away that we had the most yards in passing attempts per season last year but I think that just goes to show the connection that Burrow has with the receivers and also how great of a QB Burrow is.

Then it talks about finding a punt returner, which I think is a big need for us this year because we will be one of the top teams in the league and we can't have game-changing mistakes on special teams:


I do like Lassiter just because he's small and elusive. He kind of reminds me of Adam Jones when I watch his highlights from Kansas, and the fact that we signed him so quickly after the draft makes me think that the coaching staff thinks that he'll be a big part of our return game. I saw a video of him talking about a drop he had against K State(?), but he talked about the mistake he made and he seems like the type of kid that will be a perfectionist to make sure it doesn't happen again.

Then it lists the most important addition as Kappa:


Hoping that trio and staying healthy is the missing piece to lead us to another Super Bowl appearance because I think Burrow is taking over the NFL and will replace Brady as the face of the league!

There's a little more in the article but those are the most important parts!

I LOVE IT!

As of right now, it sounds like the only way for either Lassiter or Pooka Williams to make the roster is to beat out Wilson and Trent Taylor for PR duties.

(07-26-2022, 01:16 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: He’s at Kansas, Fred.

Kansas was no offensive powerhouse, no doubt.
But it's EXTREMELY rare for a WR to perform poorly in college only to blossom in the NFL.
Andrew Hawkins is one example though who eventually did.

At Toledo (MAC) 2004-2007, he had a total of just 634 yards and 4 TDs across 36 games.
His best season was 283-3.

It took him until 2011 to really land on an NFL roster, putting up 263-0 with CIN in 2011.
His best season in CIN was 533-4 in 2012, and then he signed his next contract with CLE where he put up one season above 350 yards, which was 824-2.

(07-26-2022, 09:34 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Mad or not, Bates won't be able to half ass it this season or he will find himself on the bench, which is not where he needs to be if he's trying to garner interest from other teams. Hopefully he's smart enough to realize he needs to ball out this year regardless of his long plan.

The one thing this offense needs to improve on is Red Zone production, and I think with the 3 new additions, once we get inside the 20 they will feed Mixon.

My only fear is he half-asses the regular season and then thinks “oh, I can just turn it on in the playoffs again and still have interest from other teams.” That might sound stupid and could backfire but then we all know that pro athletes overvalue themselves, especially with asshole agents telling them that they’re gods and will get huge paydays.

Let’s hope Bates comes out and plays at an All-Pro level in the regular season.

(07-26-2022, 01:16 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: He’s at Kansas, Fred.

Fred knows more than ESPN

:thumbsup:

(07-26-2022, 01:36 PM)ochocincos Wrote: As of right now, it sounds like the only way for either Lassiter or Pooka Williams to make the roster is to beat out Wilson and Trent Taylor for PR duties.

Coming from a college that’s not a football powerhouse, they might like his potential to develop into a productive player with more upside than one of those two.

ESPN sees it, so it’s a possibility.

(07-26-2022, 01:46 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Kansas was no offensive powerhouse, no doubt.
But it's EXTREMELY rare for a WR to perform poorly in college only to blossom in the NFL.
Andrew Hawkins is one example though who eventually did.

At Toledo (MAC) 2004-2007, he had a total of just 634 yards and 4 TDs across 36 games.
His best season was 283-3.

It took him until 2011 to really land on an NFL roster, putting up 263-0 with CIN in 2011.
His best season in CIN was 533-4 in 2012, and then he signed his next contract with CLE where he put up one season above 350 yards, which was 824-2.

He wasn’t exactly given the most opportunities but he did make some nice plays when given the chance.

(07-26-2022, 02:38 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: My only fear is he half-asses the regular season and then thinks “oh, I can just turn it on in the playoffs again and still have interest from other teams.” That might sound stupid and could backfire but then we all know that pro athletes overvalue themselves, especially with asshole agents telling them that they’re gods and will get huge paydays.

Let’s hope Bates comes out and plays at an All-Pro level in the regular season.

Fred knows more than ESPN



Coming from a college that’s not a football powerhouse, they might like his potential to develop into a productive player with more upside than one of those two.

ESPN sees it, so it’s a possibility.
He wasn’t exactly given the most opportunities but he did make some nice plays when given the chance.

To the bolded, I get it, but to Fred's point, it's a very low probability a player who has produced in college like Lassiter will magically blossom in the NFL.
Players like Lassiter typically sit on the back end of the depth chart for maybe a couple years before falling out of the league because their skill set is easily replaced by a slew of other players.

(07-26-2022, 02:51 PM)ochocincos Wrote: To the bolded, I get it, but to Fred's point, it's a very low probability a player who has produced in college like Lassiter will magically blossom in the NFL.
Players like Lassiter typically sit on the back end of the depth chart for maybe a couple years before falling out of the league because their skill set is easily replaced by a slew of other players.

Normally, I'd agree, but we're coming off a Super Bowl appearance and we have so much potential and other things going on, so the fact that ESPN found it worthwhile to mention him in the punt return game is significant, IMCO.

He might be at the end of the receiving depth chart, but the punt returns are where I mentioned him, and it's possible he could make a splash play or two receiving if given the opportunity.

(07-26-2022, 03:39 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: Normally, I'd agree, but we're coming off a Super Bowl appearance and we have so much potential and other things going on, so the fact that ESPN found it worthwhile to mention him in the punt return game is significant, IMCO.

He might be at the end of the receiving depth chart, but the punt returns are where I mentioned him, and it's possible he could make a splash play or two receiving if given the opportunity.

I get it, but he's going to have to show enough to beat out Brandon Wilson, Trent Taylor, and Pooka Williams for PR duties.
The guy didn't impress that much as a PR in college, so I'm having a hard time believing he will take that spot in the NFL until we can actually see him in action.