Now that the Bengals are a respected powerhouse in todays NFL, it’s not as painful to look back at some of the head scratching decisions this franchise has made over the years. There is plenty to choose from. Not making the trade with Ditka and drafting Akili to the Palmer debacle. What’s your biggest Bengals blunder.

I’ll go with NOT making Bill Walsh head coach. Our SB’s may have had a different outcome. The only problem I have is we may have never had Sam wyche, my favorite Bengal coach. However Bill did bring Sam into the NFL when he was with SF, so who knows. Maybe Sam would have been Bills successor. Maybe we can do a Best Bengals decision at some point later. For now, what’s your worst decision.

Why would any Bengal fan want to bring back the bad karma of bygone leadership eras? The current era of Bengals leadership seems to have the team on a strong track forward.

Fun thread. :ninja:

(05-21-2023, 07:57 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Why would any Bengal fan want to bring back the bad karma of bygone leadership eras?  The current era of Bengals leadership seems to have the team on a strong track forward.

^This

I have zero interest in bringin up old FUBARs.

The answer is and will forever be (assuming we can't say Paul Brown letting his Son inherit the team) not doing the Saints trade in order to draft Akili. There's no other possible choice....


Akili Smith

vs

1999
1st round pick (12th)
3rd round pick (71st)
4th round pick (107th)
5th round pick (144th)
6th round pick (179th)
7th round pick (218th)
2000
1st round pick (2nd)
2001
1st round pick (23rd)
2002
2nd round pick (44th)


- - - - -
2nd worst I will go with not firing Marvin after the 2013 playoff loss (and him going 0-5) and keeping Mike Zimmer by making him HC. The '14 and '15 rosters really had a shot at doing something special if they had gotten away from Marvin sooner. Still blows my mind they didn't get a single playoff win out of those rosters.

Easy one...NOT selling the team to me for $1.00! I coulda been someone. I coulda been a contender!  

on the other hand..I coulda screwed up so badly just saying the word Cincinnati may have brought me death threats.. 

(05-21-2023, 08:48 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: The answer is and will forever be (assuming we can't say Paul Brown letting his Son inherit the team) not doing the Saints trade in order to draft Akili. There's no other possible choice....


Akili Smith

vs

1999
1st round pick (12th)
3rd round pick (71st)
4th round pick (107th)
5th round pick (144th)
6th round pick (179th)
7th round pick (218th)
2000
1st round pick (2nd)
2001
1st round pick (23rd)
2002
2nd round pick (44th)


- - - - -
2nd worst I will go with not firing Marvin after the 2013 playoff loss (and him going 0-5) and keeping Mike Zimmer by making him HC. The '14 and '15 rosters really had a shot at doing something special if they had gotten away from Marvin sooner. Still blows my mind they didn't get a single playoff win out of those rosters.

Was that really worse than just staying put and drafting Eggerrin James? That 99 Draft really wasn't that good. 

(05-21-2023, 07:54 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Now that the Bengals are a respected powerhouse in todays NFL, it’s not as painful to look back at some of the head scratching decisions this franchise has made over the years. There is plenty to choose from. Not making the trade with Ditka and drafting Akili to the Palmer debacle. What’s your biggest Bengals blunder.

I’ll go with NOT making Bill Walsh head coach. Our SB’s may have had a different outcome. The only problem I have is we may have never had Sam wyche, my favorite Bengal coach. However Bill did bring Sam into the NFL when he was with SF, so who knows. Maybe Sam would have been Bills successor. Maybe we can do a Best Bengals decision at some point later. For now, what’s your worst decision.

It's the same people with the same shitty, negative mentality, year in, year out.

(05-21-2023, 07:57 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Why would any Bengal fan want to bring back the bad karma of bygone leadership eras? The current era of Bengals leadership seems to have the team on a strong track forward.

Remembering the horrible past makes the current and future so much sweeter. We’ve been through a lot of s**t. Got to make sure we fully appreciate the good times for as long as they last. Also need to make sure we don’t turn into entitled obnoxious Steelers fans. Everyone should remember our humble beginnings during this window.

(05-21-2023, 10:49 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Was that really worse than just staying put and drafting Eggerrin James? That 99 Draft really wasn't that good. 

Corey Dillon? You can’t even pretend that edge would have been any more successful than dillon.

(05-21-2023, 11:04 PM)leonardfan40 Wrote: Remembering the horrible past makes the current and future so much sweeter. We’ve been through a lot of s**t. Got to make sure we fully appreciate the good times for as long as they last. Also need to make sure we don’t turn into entitled obnoxious Steelers fans. Everyone should remember our humble beginnings during this window.

Couldn’t have said it better. Thanks

I can't think of a worse decision than the 1999 draft debacle. One in-game decision which stands out to me is the decision Sam Wyche (also my favorite all time coach) made at the end of the 1987 49ers game. Not sure why he didn't punt it away, but the best way in my opinion to run the time out offensively would have been to have Boomer take a shotgun snap and just heave it as high and far as he could- and have it land out of bounds.

Definitely the 99 draft decision. 

(05-21-2023, 10:49 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Was that really worse than just staying put and drafting Eggerrin James? That 99 Draft really wasn't that good. 

The 2000 pick could have gotten us Brian Urlacher, and the 2001 pick could have gotten us Drew Brees. (Both less than 10 picks away from what those two 1st rounders would have been.)

In 1999, Joey Porter went 2 picks after 71, and Aaron Smith went 2 picks after 107. We could have had an alternate timeline where Joey Porter doesn't become a scumbag with the Steelers. There was also a Pro Bowler taken 3 picks after 144 and a Pro Bowler taken with 179. The 7th round pick is the only one without a Pro Bowler selected within 3 picks after the pick we would have gotten in the whole draft. Obviously no guarantees, but the players were there at the picks.

There's something to be said about being able to take a lot of shots. Lol

Also, I lean Champ Bailey over Edgerrin James out of the top-10 guys if they stayed put in 1999 but didn't draft Akili.

In Zac Taylor’s era hiring Jim Turner

(05-21-2023, 07:57 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Why would any Bengal fan want to bring back the bad karma of bygone leadership eras?  The current era of Bengals leadership seems to have the team on a strong track forward.

Just further proof that some Bengals fans aren't happy unless they're miserable. 

(05-21-2023, 07:54 PM)TKUHL Wrote: Now that the Bengals are a respected powerhouse in todays NFL, it’s not as painful to look back at some of the head scratching decisions this franchise has made over the years. There is plenty to choose from. Not making the trade with Ditka and drafting Akili to the Palmer debacle. What’s your biggest Bengals blunder.

I’ll go with NOT making Bill Walsh head coach. Our SB’s may have had a different outcome. The only problem I have is we may have never had Sam wyche, my favorite Bengal coach. However Bill did bring Sam into the NFL when he was with SF, so who knows. Maybe Sam would have been Bills successor. Maybe we can do a Best Bengals decision at some point later. For now, what’s your worst decision.

lets see...yes the Bill Walsh issue is probably the best choice..and then we can go down memory lane on all the  horrible 1st rounders
Akili Smith, Kijana, David Verser, Ogbui  but every team has those types of bad picks 

not keeping Justin Smith also comes to mind..he kicked ass in SF

Signing TO

never having an official GM

(05-22-2023, 10:39 AM)kalibengal Wrote: lets see...yes the Bill Walsh issue is probably the best choice..and then we can go down memory lane on all the  horrible 1st rounders
Akili Smith, Kijana, David Verser, Ogbui  but every team has those types of bad picks 

not keeping Justin Smith also comes to mind..he kicked ass in SF

Signing TO

never having an official GM

In the 2010 NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals were led in receiving yards by wide receiver Terrell Owens. Owens had a standout year for the Bengals, recording 72 receptions for 983 yards and 9 touchdowns. He was the team's leading receiver that season.

In the 2010 NFL season, the Cincinnati Bengals were led in touchdowns by wide receiver Terrell Owens. He recorded 9 touchdown receptions that season, leading the team in that category. Owens had a productive year with the Bengals, despite the team's overall struggles during the season.


Terrell Owens did not play in all 16 regular season games for the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2010 NFL season. He played in 14 games that season before suffering a knee injury that ended his season prematurely.

(05-21-2023, 08:48 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: The answer is and will forever be (assuming we can't say Paul Brown letting his Son inherit the team) not doing the Saints trade in order to draft Akili. There's no other possible choice....


Akili Smith

vs

1999
1st round pick (12th)
3rd round pick (71st)
4th round pick (107th)
5th round pick (144th)
6th round pick (179th)
7th round pick (218th)
2000
1st round pick (2nd)
2001
1st round pick (23rd)
2002
2nd round pick (44th)


- - - - -
2nd worst I will go with not firing Marvin after the 2013 playoff loss (and him going 0-5) and keeping Mike Zimmer by making him HC. The '14 and '15 rosters really had a shot at doing something special if they had gotten away from Marvin sooner. Still blows my mind they didn't get a single playoff win out of those rosters.

Mind-boggling. Three first round picks, including the 2nd overall pick in 2000. And an extra 2nd through 7th. 

And still I would put this behind not hiring Walsh as head coach.