(10-30-2016, 07:45 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Agree, drafting not one, but TWO freaking' busts at OT, with back to back picks, at the top of the draft, had to be the stupidest move ever.  (aside from Mike Brown running Sam Wyche out of town, of course) 

They could have, should have drafted a quality Center, a true stud LB, an intelligent Safety...

I'd really convinced myself that they knew best and that it would eventually be good for the team with some patience.  It's pretty insane that both are really as bad as they are.  That draft is an albatross around this team's neck right now.   Josh Shaw is the only player even showing flashes right now.

(10-30-2016, 07:54 PM)samhain Wrote: I'd really convinced myself that they knew best and that it would eventually be good for the team with some patience.  It's pretty insane that both are really as bad as they are.  That draft is an albatross around this team's neck right now.   Josh Shaw is the only player even showing flashes right now.

You, me, and many other Bengal faithful in the same boat on that issue... 

Remember how on the old board, how most of these discussions would always lead back to Mike Brown being a cheap ass?  I am now truly beginning to understand why...

(10-30-2016, 07:43 PM)samhain Wrote: I hope they have a change in philosophy when it comes to FA.  If they shed contracts like Peko, Maualuga, and Dre then they should have some cap to sign some halfway decent players.  If the team was in full rebuild mode, it might benefit them not to blow money on FAs, but they're in a place where they need to make hay while the sun is still shining i.e. Dalton and Green are still relatively young.  

Honestly the only way I see them even pursuing b-grade FAs is with a new HC and some staff changes.  Marvin got quite a few guys signed his first year in James, Thornton, and Hardy.  Maybe a new HC would get the same benefit.  Otherwise, I expect more of the same "Bengal Way" of doing things.

Yeah, we're good at QB, WR, TE, and RB. And will be for a few more years. It's everywhere else that needs at least one upgrade in each remaining position group, with some more than one. And that's not going to happen soon enough if things remain the same. And yes, there's the problems with the current staff. Did they really pursue the finest coaches out there, or just hire a buddy, a son of a former coach, or a friend of a friend? How this team's braintrust is blind to this is mind-boggling.

(10-30-2016, 07:58 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: You, me, and many other Bengal faithful in the same boat on that issue... 

Remember how on the old board, how most of these discussions would always lead back to Mike Brown being a cheap ass?  I am now truly beginning to understand why...

Yeah...the free agency debate too. The Bengals have fans convinced that every free agent signs insane contracts...

The reality is that the 1st few days of free agency they do, but there are free agents that you can sign to upgrade the team that won't break the bank.

The drafting of the 2 OT's was all about getting Smith and Whitworth's huge salaries off the books, just like all the 1st Round CB's were about getting Hall's salary off the books.

The reality is that the Bengals are letting veterans go and replacing them with inferior talent.

(10-30-2016, 07:02 PM)sonofstat Wrote: Agreed...

..same as Dennard was drafted to replace Jones/DreK 
..Ogbuehi was drafted to replace Andre Smith
..same as Fisher to potentially replace Whit/Zeit
..same as Williams was to replace Nelson

..fact is that these draft picks which look good on paper have led to a drop off in talent this season. 

It may primarily be coaching as some say but I just look at the talent level and believe we are simply weaker in too many positions this year.

Let's face the music. The past several drafts have not been good. Whomever is scouting these potential picks is/are not up to the job. Maybe these scouts are old friends of Mikey Brown and he is loyal to a FAULT. These draft picks can't be all Marvy's fault, can they? Never mind.

BTW, my doctor, looking at my lab results says, I look good on paper.

(10-30-2016, 08:55 PM)Derrick Wrote: Let's face the music. The past several drafts have not been good. Whomever is scouting these potential picks is/are not up to the job. Maybe these scouts are old friends of Mikey Brown and he is loyal to a FAULT. These draft picks can't be all Marvy's fault, can they? Never mind.

BTW, my doctor, looking at my lab results says, I look good on paper.

I swear the Bengals draft off of Mel Kipers board.

There is nothing more inspiring in athletics than a fat leader.

(10-30-2016, 05:39 PM)Housh Wrote: This tie is gonna kill us

The tie was a gift from the Skins after Cincy should have lost.  3-5 would have been terrible.  Go beat Baltimore and Pitt and all is well.

I don't think Paulie instills any kind of fear in the players .when Zimmer was here
even if you did something RIGHT he was gonna make sure you didn't get too big headed
he had his players on edge a bit and accountable
blowing a assignment under Zim or a missed tackle damn you would hear it from Zim.
guys now have NO FEAR when they blow coverage or miss a tackle
THEY DON'T RESPECT GUENTHER
he does not bring out the best in them

...They let an average QB throw for 400+ on them; but then, they've done that before this year. Not a championship-level performance. Thank goodness for the bye.
GO STRIPES!!!

(10-30-2016, 06:23 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Aside from the obvious answer of coaches.  The combined loss of Vance Joseph and Reggie Nelson is absolutely killing us.  It has become more than abundantly clear that Shawn Williams could have used another year as the "understudy", but why did he look so good and ready to step up last year?  Heck, even George Iloka looks like he has taken two steps backwards this year, why is that?  The answer is Vance Joseph.  And without Reggie Nelson's leadership on the field, the secondary just looks out of sync.

Yep.

(10-30-2016, 06:41 PM)jj22 Wrote: I think our LB's have struggled the most out of the bunch. Even Burfict. The secondary has struggled, but Williams is playing out of position. I think he's doing what we should have been expecting him to do. We need a roaming fs. That's why we miss Nelson. Hopefully WJIII comes back. All isn't lost with the secondary when healthy, and with some help in the draft.  It's not like Guenther can't coach. I think he can. I just don't think he's getting much help. He can't look to Marvin. He's never been able to fix our D.  

Vance would be a good HC candidate if we ever made a move.

Probably yep about Guenther, after all Zim wanted him. Definitely yep about VJ.

(10-30-2016, 06:44 PM)wildcats forever Wrote: All really good points, but the defense as a whole looks out of sync to me - not just the secondary. There's no denying the talent of Geno and Carlos, but the line is a bubble off this year too. And Vinnie Rey is the sole consistently decent LB so far this season. Topping it off are the damned boneheaded penalties every week. Talented players, but undisciplined and scatter-brained looking. It sure feels like this defensive coaching staff has no clear vision, or the wrong vision if they have one. I know I can't turn back the clock, but I really want last year's staff back after watching this train wreck so far.

Yep.  You know I listen to these coaches and players (Hue & Chad Johnson) both in interviews this past week speaking of how, "That's Marvin's team". "They are on the cusp"..."Marvin deserves to be the winner when it happens" ( I am paraphrasing on this last one but...) I would love for him to win a SB.

That's all fine and dandy but I bet anyone that Tampa Bay doesn't have a single regret about trading for Gruden and pushing Dungy out. Just saying...

The Tampa Bay Bucs are SB champions. They have a championship in their city.

(10-30-2016, 05:55 PM)sonofstat Wrote: we seemed to blitz a lot more this game than we have all year but it was broadly ineffectual with a good Skins OLine picking most of it up and then Cousins finding the open receiver sitting in the soft zone coverage.

That soft zone coverage combined with some of the worst open field tackling I have seen from a Bengals D in a long, long time meant they always seemed like they could move the ball on us.

Its scary right now how much infusion of talent at all levels of the D we need. 

Peko was woeful. I like Mauluaga but he's not getting the snaps and when he is in he's way short of speed, our secondary is terrible in coverage despite multiple draft picks (is Shaw our best Db?), safeties are a joke, Burfict is fat, and if Dunlap is not on it we have zero outside rush.

People will soon realize this pick was an absolute steal.  Speaking of trashy mauluaga where the hell did pj dawson get off to? Didnt they compare him as tez (the non fat version) II?

(10-31-2016, 04:59 AM)ah5 Wrote: People will soon realize this pick was an absolute steal.  Speaking of trashy mauluaga where the hell did pj dawson get off to? Didnt they compare him as tez (the non fat version) II?

Shaw was a steal in the draft because he made up a story about getting injured being a hero when he in fact hurt it evading police.

I've noticed too often that our guys play too close together in a zone defense, leaving huge areas of the field uncovered.

the D looks scattered because all of our D position coaches are new and have never worked together

not having our Reggie on the backend is killing the secondary..........dude is a playmaker and got everyone where they should be