(04-14-2023, 05:10 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Duke and Zac work very well together. Zac has gained Duke’s trust with his formula of drafting team captains and veterans that are hard workers that love ball. Zac also wanted players from successful college programs and captains. Why because the groom you and you don’t start at top programs by not working at a high level. Duke has gained Zac’s trust as he’s hit on those guys. Zac got his coaches involved in the process more than most teams. He wanted them to have ownership.

Hit the nail on the head. Zac said this very early on about the type of players he wanted, and I’ve been saying it for ages. I love Burrow as much as one can healthily root for a player, but Zac deserves more credit from a lot of fans (the ones who subscribe to the idea that it’s 100% Burrow and either 0 percent Zac, or insinuates that it is in spite of Taylor. A lot of the magic is beget from Zac Taylor for having a clear vision of the type of player and the type of culture for his team. He mentioned targeting players who were team leaders and team captains on their respective teams, with also players who have won and know how to win. Players who have been a part of winning programs. And it’s obvious that he likes the type of player who has something to prove with a bit of a chip on his shoulder; maybe a player who feels a little disrespected and wants to show what they’re made of. It really is a team that is - in my mind- special, and one that not only has boxes checked with a roster of talented athletes, but a rare set of intangibles related to unity, chemistry and some other qualities that can’t be bought. Some of those aforementioned intangible things, in my opinion (and I hold it with pretty high conviction) are directly related to Zac Taylor, for the reasons above.

(04-14-2023, 02:46 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Hope we don't see another 2015 trend ever again.

Well, he won't have the "guru" in his ear to pick guys like Ogbuehi and Fisher.

The more I think about it….

No GM should be top 5 that just had the #1 pick on his own draft assets within the last three years.

A big difference between Duke now and Duke of 2015 is that Mike Brown is far less involved in the final decision-making on who to draft

(04-17-2023, 04:25 PM)Mgbrown66 Wrote: The more I think about it….

No GM should be top 5 that just had the #1 pick on his own draft assets within the last three years.

hmmmm...

Maybe that was his plan. Great year to have #1 pick with Burrow sitting there NFL ready and a stud.

The turnaround of the Bengals is 5 fold:

Hiring Tobin in 1999
Hiring Marvin Lewis
Firing Marvin Lewis (to allow for any chance to win playoff games)
Hiring Zac Taylor
Drafting Joe Burrow

Sure, Joe is the main reason we are *Super Bowl* contenders, but if any of these things doesn't happen, I believe we're closer to the 90's than winning a championship.

It's just a shame it took 16 years to reach the "fire Marvin" step.

(04-17-2023, 05:19 PM)pally Wrote: A big difference between Duke now and Duke of 2015 is that Mike Brown is far less involved in the final decision-making on who to draft

I don't doubt this at all, but from everything I read through the years, Mike wasn't extremely involved in the last couple decades. He threw in his 2 cents, but I rarely heard about him flexing his power. He openly said he wanted Ryan Mallet or Colin Kaepernick in 2011, but you saw who we took. He didn't allow Jay to trade up for him, though.

(04-17-2023, 04:25 PM)Mgbrown66 Wrote: The more I think about it….

No GM should be top 5 that just had the #1 pick on his own draft assets within the last three years.

How far would Joe Burrow have gotten without:

Tyler Boyd
Joe Mixon
Jessie Bates
Sam Hubbard
Jonah Williams
Germaine Pratt
Tee Higgins
Logan Wilson
Jamar Chase
Evan McPherson
Joseph Ossai
Etc

#1 picks also flop sometimes, and we had the option to trade the pick, with some amazing offers on the table. Tobin has been fantastic and deserves props.

(04-14-2023, 02:38 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: How times have changed. I remember just a few years ago when tons of fans were calling for Duke's head.

how a few years of SB level play changes narratives.

(04-14-2023, 05:10 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Duke and Zac work very well together. Zac has gained Duke’s trust with his formula of drafting team captains and veterans that are hard workers that love ball. Zac also wanted players from successful college programs and captains. Why because the groom you and you don’t start at top programs by not working at a high level. Duke has gained Zac’s trust as he’s hit on those guys. Zac got his coaches involved in the process more than most teams. He wanted them to have ownership.

That’s been typical of how the Bengals have operated for decades, probably since their inception.

(04-17-2023, 11:38 AM)Wyche Wrote: Well, he won't have the "guru" in his ear to pick guys like Ogbuehi and Fisher.

Yeah or the "LB whisperer". 

(04-17-2023, 05:19 PM)pally Wrote: A big difference between Duke now and Duke of 2015 is that Mike Brown is far less involved in the final decision-making on who to draft

Sabotage from an owner can destroy everything if he doesn't REALLY know his shit. 

Look at Jerry Jones and all his money has accomplished...

(04-18-2023, 01:12 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I don't doubt this at all, but from everything I read through the years, Mike wasn't extremely involved in the last couple decades. He threw in his 2 cents, but I rarely heard about him flexing his power. He openly said he wanted Ryan Mallet or Colin Kaepernick in 2011, but you saw who we took. He didn't allow Jay to trade up for him, though.

Man, glad we didn't take either of those guys looking back and I was for them at the time. Ugh 

(04-18-2023, 01:42 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: how a few years of SB level play changes narratives.

That will do it.