PFF has Pratt and Wilson rated quite low and honestly I agree on this seasons performances. I hope they bring in some competition through FA
or draft to upgrade this unit. I know PFF isnt the only metric here but it seems to be the baromoter everyone looks at. Im still pissed they didnt bring in Ivan Pace
that kid is a beast.....cant believe he went undrafted!

With both guys having gotten paid recently, I don't see the Bengals looking for anything besides depth behind them. We rarely run out a third LB as is, and Pratt and Wilson play 95%+ of the LB snaps in a season. Our back up LBs play Special Teams, that's about it.

Fix the communication issues in the young secondary and the LB issues will sort themselves out. Fix the interior of the DLine and that'll help out too.

Total disclosure: I’m a Buckeye alumnus — and homer — but I am very impressed with linebacker Tommy Eichenberg.

Pratt and Wilson have enough of a sample size to kind of prove that 2023 there was most likely something else going on.

Whether it was one (or both) dealing with injury, or other players (safties) no doing their part which in turn made them look bad...I am giving them the benefit of the doubt.

(01-19-2024, 01:09 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Pratt and Wilson have enough of a sample size to kind of prove that 2023 there was most likely something else going on.

Whether it was one (or both) dealing with injury, or other players (safties) no doing their part which in turn made them look bad...I am giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Inadequate defensive line play can expose linebackers unnecessarily as well.

I think the loss of effective communication from the safeties affected their play a lot. They had to compensate for miscommunications etc etc, so that's definitely gonna come through in their overall play and success.

Pratt and Wilson are being paid like good starters, so they are going to get the majority of LB reps.
All the depth LBs are set to hit FA, so if we see anyone brought in, it will be as a rotational/role piece only.
I think a Day 3 LB is definitely in the cards, but I wouldn't expect any actual starter-caliber LB to be brought in.

I am buying some of this but a lot of it is on them.
I saw Wilson out of position, getting blocked and just missing tackles more this season than in the previous 2 years combined. Regardless of what the S or DT is doing they still need to make the tackle when they are squared up with the runner. Too many times they did not. Also Wilson’s coverage seemed to take a big step back this year and he appeared to get beat a lot more than usual.

They have been solid in previous years so I do hope they figure it out because they were both very disappointing this season.

(01-19-2024, 12:55 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Total disclosure: I’m a Buckeye alumnus — and homer — but I am very impressed with linebacker Tommy Eichenberg.

Me too, man. Me too.

Sadly this just means Baltimore or Shitsburgh will draft him because they run defenses that feature LBs. He is a perfect Stoolers target too, I bet they could use an offball LB to compliment TWatt and Highsmith, giving us yet another former Buckeye to hate for the next decade ala Cam Heyward.

Meanwhile, we'll keep drafting TTUN players that either can't see the field (Evans) or projects like Dax Hill that take bad angles and have occasional brain farts. I'll also toss this in: Chris Perry > Stephen Jackson?! C'mon maaaaaaan (Marvin and Co.)!!!

(01-19-2024, 01:17 PM)burreauxs Wrote: I think the loss of effective communication from the safeties affected their play a lot. They had to compensate for miscommunications etc etc, so that's definitely gonna come through in their overall play and success.

I agree with this. I think it was communication more than anything. 

(01-19-2024, 01:41 PM)Clark W Griswold Wrote: I am buying some of this but a lot of it is on them.
I saw Wilson out of position, getting blocked and just missing tackles more this season than in the previous 2 years combined.  Regardless of what the S or DT is doing they still need to make the tackle when they are squared up with the runner. Too many times they did not.  Also Wilson’s coverage seemed to take a big step back this year and he appeared to get beat a lot more than usual.

They have been solid in previous years so I do hope they figure it out because they were both very disappointing this season.

I think Wilson was dealing with an ankle injury for the majority of the season. 

Their backups are free agents. Hopefully they get signed this off season..

We may had some day 3 guys and some lower tier FA's, or resign ours, but the contracts given dictate reps for those two in 2024...but maybe not beyond.

I think they sign Isiah Simmons to a 1 year prove it type deal!

(01-19-2024, 01:16 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Inadequate defensive line play can expose linebackers unnecessarily as well.

Pratt's biggest issue is going for strips every time and getting drug an extra 3-4 yards before someone else gets in on the stop.

(01-19-2024, 04:23 PM)Whatever Wrote: Pratt's biggest issue is going for strips every time and getting drug an extra 3-4 yards before someone else gets in on the stop.

Bingo!  Ever since he took the ball from Kelce he seems to go for the strip instead of securing the tackle.

(01-19-2024, 04:07 PM)J24 Wrote: I think they sign Isiah Simmons to a 1 year prove it type deal!

What makes you think that??

(01-19-2024, 11:57 AM)kalibengal Wrote: PFF has Pratt and Wilson rated quite low and honestly I agree on this seasons performances. I hope they bring in some competition through FA
or draft to upgrade this unit. I know PFF isnt the only metric here but it seems to be the baromoter everyone looks at. Im still pissed they didnt bring in Ivan Pace
that kid is a beast.....cant believe he went undrafted!

No: they are two excellent LBs. Draft depth, but the unit stays the same, save for MAYBE Akeem, who may want to test the waters and see if he can get a larger role (same for Bailey, but I think he stays).

Pratt struggled at times and Logan was hurt after the SF game and could clearly not move well (Jax game) for the second half of the season.

I'm not worried.

(01-19-2024, 01:09 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Pratt and Wilson have enough of a sample size to kind of prove that 2023 there was most likely something else going on.

Whether it was one (or both) dealing with injury, or other players (safties) no doing their part which in turn made them look bad...I am giving them the benefit of the doubt.

Bingo

(01-19-2024, 04:52 PM)Mer Wrote: Bingo!  Ever since he took the ball from Kelce he seems to go for the strip instead of securing the tackle.

To be honest, if I took the ball from Travis Kelce I'd be wanting to snatch the ball at every opportunity, too.

(01-19-2024, 04:52 PM)Mer Wrote: Bingo!  Ever since he took the ball from Kelce he seems to go for the strip instead of securing the tackle.

Only Taylor can take Kelce's balls