I did not realize it, but 29 year old former 1st round pick Jamal Adams is a free agent. He does have a lot of baggage, he was cut by not 1 but 3 teams in 2024. Seattle, then picked up by Titans, cut and picked up by Lions and cut before end of 2024.

He says he is healthy and wants to unit with the Jets (my guess he wants a job). He is not even listed as a FA on Spotract, so my guess a non guaranteed vet minimum contract may be in his future.

He should be a very cheap option and no risk to bring him in to compete in July. Should we consider it? I believe Blackman is still available, a more expensive option but may be coming off injury. Or should we just stay pat at safety and pray Stone and Battle can get much better?

I definitely think one wouldn't hurt, but with the DBs being asked to do less this year than the past 4 years in terms of assignments, I think we'll be ok with who we have.

(05-16-2025, 04:40 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I did not realize it, but 29 year old former 1st round pick Jamal Adams is a free agent. He does have a lot of baggage, he was cut by not 1 but 3 teams in 2024. Seattle, then picked up by Titans, cut and picked up by Lions and cut before end of 2024.

He says he is healthy and wants to unit with the Jets (my guess he wants a job). He is not even listed as a FA on Spotract, so my guess a non guaranteed vet minimum contract may be in his future.

He should be a very cheap option and no risk to bring him in to compete in July. Should we consider it? I believe Blackman is still available, a more expensive option but may be coming off injury. Or should we just stay pat at safety and pray Stone and Battle can get much better?

I would rather roll with Stone than someone cut by 3 teams in one year. That said, I think the Bengals should sign Blackman.

We need a guy that can play the deep half of the field in a single High defense. That's why I would say no to Adams because he is a box safety.

We definitely need a safety but with Stones job saved I don't think there is a spot for one now. they just are gambling with what we have.....

Bombs away on this defense. There's nothing that can be done to stop it. Bo Nix exposed that.

(05-16-2025, 05:39 PM)jj22 Wrote: We definitely need a safety but with Stones job saved I don't think there is a spot for one now. they just are gambling with what we have.....

Bombs away on this defense. There's nothing that can be done to stop it. Bo Nix exposed that.

Except we will be running a different defense..

while Stone wasn't my first preferred option, most Vets do better in the 2nd year on a new team. So I think we should just roll with him, and see how he looks during camp and preseason. if he's stinking then check options. I'd prefer to take care of Trey and maybe a better G if possible.

Of the remaining FAs, safety looks like possibly the deepest group.  That's also Cincy's weakest group, I think it's that simple.  Sometime before camp, you'd think there would be a match, if nothing else an insurance move for Cincy even if they don't see them competing to start.

I'd like to see them pay Trey add a veteran G prior to making other moves.

I feel confident our secondary will be our achilles heel....Golden went full LB.. we'll see if he is a genius or a demotion from Lou.

(Yesterday, 12:24 PM)Bengalitis Wrote: I feel confident our secondary will be our achilles heel....Golden went full LB.. we'll see if he is a genius or a demotion from Lou.

Maybe.  I think that there's actually decent potential there.  Hill and Turner have had their moments on the boundary.  They aren't exactly grizzled veterans, so there's a decent chance that they can hold it down.  Maybe even excel.  I think Newton and Ivey are acceptable depth.  Wilson was a pleasant surprise last year, too.  

Safety is a tough one.  If you read the last paragraph, you likely already know here I'm headed.  I wonder if CTB may get moved.  Seems unlikely as we've not heard anything to that effect.  Still, if Newton is your nickel, then it's hard to say your 3 best corners are on the field.  I don't think he's superior to Hill, CTB, or Turner.  So then why is he the guy?  

I think CTB played some safety at Nebraska, but could be wrong.  It could just be me hoping that there's a plan, but I think there are worse approaches....  Rolling with the guys they've got now, for example.

(05-16-2025, 04:40 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I did not realize it, but 29 year old former 1st round pick Jamal Adams is a free agent. He does have a lot of baggage, he was cut by not 1 but 3 teams in 2024. Seattle, then picked up by Titans, cut and picked up by Lions and cut before end of 2024.

He says he is healthy and wants to unit with the Jets (my guess he wants a job). He is not even listed as a FA on Spotract, so my guess a non guaranteed vet minimum contract may be in his future.

He should be a very cheap option and no risk to bring him in to compete in July. Should we consider it? I believe Blackman is still available, a more expensive option but may be coming off injury. Or should we just stay pat at safety and pray Stone and Battle can get much better?

What does the bolded tell you???

(Yesterday, 12:24 PM)Bengalitis Wrote: I feel confident our secondary will be our achilles heel....Golden went full LB.. we'll see if he is a genius or a demotion from Lou.

I think Golden's answer to the Defensive backfield was to get more pressure up front. On paper, he has accomplished that.

Wassap with Tycen Anderson

I feel like he’s never been given a real shot at that backup safety role


Am i the only one who likes Geno Stone enough to run it back with him?

I truly think Lou messed him up

(Yesterday, 06:04 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I think Golden's answer to the Defensive backfield was to get more pressure up front. On paper, he has accomplished that.

How? 
We didnt add any significant pass rusher in free.agency and the defensive end we drafted is considered a project. + our best Pass Rushier status is unknown right now.

(Yesterday, 10:02 PM)Housh Wrote: Wassap with Tycen Anderson

I feel like he’s never been given a real shot at that backup safety role


Am i the only one who likes Geno Stone enough to run it back with him?

I truly think Lou messed him up

He was hurt, right? Maybe that derailed his growth for taking the field beyond special teams.

(Yesterday, 10:12 PM)J24 Wrote: How? 
We didnt add any significant pass rusher in free.agency and the defensive end we drafted is considered a project. + our best Pass Rushier status is unknown right now.

I suspect the DE we drafted is going to be very disruptive, and I also expect Jenkins Jr. to be much more proficient this year in his 2nd year. And I think Trey is going to play out his contract, because he's a complete idiot if he doesn't. Of course, everything is conjecture until the season starts. I also think our Linebacker play will improve this year with Wilson's knee problems behind him and the addition of our new rookie.

(Yesterday, 10:02 PM)Housh Wrote: Wassap with Tycen Anderson

I feel like he’s never been given a real shot at that backup safety role


Am i the only one who likes Geno Stone enough to run it back with him?

I truly think Lou messed him up

I'd give Stone another year to see what he can do under Golden's system. 

A vet safety, a plus starter at G, pass rush from DT, a two way TE, some CB help (CB1 or depth), and a dependable WR beyond Tee & Chase.

We did not get any of that in the draft or FA. We got a bunch of LBs (Burks, Giles-Harris, Knight, Carter), multiple RBs (Perine, Brooks, and kept Moss at a discount), and multiple mediocre guards (Patrick, Fairchild, Rivers). And we got a run stuffing NT type in Slaton.

That is not to say those guys won't help. We desperately needed better guard play, and even mediocre level (Patrick) G play is an improvement. And Fairchild is solid clay. We needed to improve our run D and Slaton will start, and help. We needed  to get more athletic at LB and get more bodies, since it appears we will run more 43 and less nickel.  And we have. We needed better RB depth and got it.

And while we didn't sign many/any frontline outside FA's, Higgins, Gesicki, and BJ Hill were all top 5 at their positions. Bringing Ossai back had my stamp of approval. As did Cam Sample. And some other minor moves (Rehkow, Adomitis, Ford, Grandy, etc.). 

But the double/triple dip at G, LB, and RB, to the exclusion of other needs (S, DT, CB, TE), especially while running to the podium to take guys we could have traded down and taken, while other teams around us successfully traded down, really dampens our draft performance. As does the needlessly risky Stewart pick. 

We also screwed up the Chase/Tee deals (+$11 mil in cap space wasted), and not only have failed to re-sign Trey, but actively pissed him off, numerous times. 

Retaining our own FAs: C 

Tee, Trey, + Chase extension was the baseline, and we are not at it yet. But we did do a good job outside of those 3. Gets bumped to a B/B+ if Trey gets done without disrupting things in camp.

Outside FA's: C-.

Slaton, Burks, Patrick, Perine, Giles-Harris. Bargains for sure. But also limited upside. 

Draft: D. 

Risky, redundant, reaches. Failing to explore trade downs. 

Cap management: D-.

No Burrow resteucture. Tee/Chase cost us $11 mil in cap. Pratt & Volson still on roster when we could have used that cap savings for FA help/Trey. The Moss restructure after getting Perine & drafting Brooks makes no sense to me. We were pretty frugal in our outside FA pickups, but they are mostly backup level players. 

Overall offseason grade: D. 

(Yesterday, 12:17 AM)Bengalbug Wrote: Except we will be running a different defense..

You can’t scheme speed..

For the lack thereof at the safety position.