Might be way off base but I can't lose this image in my mind of the Bengals' "brain trust" sitting around high fiving each other over how brilliant they are. This way, nobody expects anything. Back to the comfort zone we go.

(03-10-2017, 06:00 PM)skycruiser Wrote: Hey guys, long time lurker first time poster

I was in Sears today (dont ask why) and it reminded me of the Bengals. Basically an organization so completely unwilling to adapt to the times. While the rest of the world passes them by, they remain completely steadfast in a model that had marginal success at one point, but is not longer viable in today's environment.

For the Bengals it looks like this:
Marvin Lewis is Craftsman tools, half of our roster is the crap on the discontinued/expired table, Zampeze is the confusing strange smell,  Duke Tobin is the Store Manager trying desperately to keep his store afloat...and all the while Mike has his POS Chevy parked in the only handicapped spot.

It's going to be really hard to find something to get excited about this season...

Excellent analogy, sir. Very nice first post.

(03-10-2017, 01:09 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I think he seriously overcharges for his steaks....

He does. But if people are willing to pay it good on him. They're damn good too. Best steak I ever had was probably from the Precinct. 

Meanwhile, the SB champs keep building their team like they haven't won a thing. Probably doesn't really matter what we do until Rapesburger and Brady retire, cuz we ain't getting near a SB with those two around anyway.

Serious question. If your drafted by the Bengals, do you even want to come here? I know I wouldn't. Team sucks.

(03-10-2017, 06:00 PM)skycruiser Wrote: Hey guys, long time lurker first time poster

I was in Sears today (dont ask why) and it reminded me of the Bengals. Basically an organization so completely unwilling to adapt to the times. While the rest of the world passes them by, they remain completely steadfast in a model that had marginal success at one point, but is not longer viable in today's environment.

For the Bengals it looks like this:
Marvin Lewis is Craftsman tools, half of our roster is the crap on the discontinued/expired table, Zampeze is the confusing strange smell,  Duke Tobin is the Store Manager trying desperately to keep his store afloat...and all the while Mike has his POS Chevy parked in the only handicapped spot.

It's going to be really hard to find something to get excited about this season...

Great post

(03-10-2017, 01:09 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I think he seriously overcharges for his steaks....

Never had them but certain you are correct.

But he threw OJ Simpson out of his restaurant down here Derby week a few years back. 

Always respected him for that.

(03-10-2017, 11:45 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Serious question. If your drafted by the Bengals, do you even want to come here? I know I wouldn't. Team sucks.

I mean, either I'm going to sit on the bench for years and get paid with little playing time.

Or I play well here, get to the playoffs, and then go somewhere else with more money because nothing here changes.

(03-10-2017, 02:51 PM)Wyche Wrote: This is true, but I don't think anything stopped them from inking Z before DeCastro, I could be wrong.  If I'm right, they just sat on their hands and waited for the chance at a cheap deal.  Then, they had no backup plan, unless you call a guy that wasn't good enough to spell an injured Clint Boling a backup plan.  Think about it, Boling was better with one arm than Westerman.  That's scary.

That's the thing, they are almost always waiting on the cheap deal.  I read earlier that Dre actually turned down more money because he likes his neighborhood and didn't want to move.

As to the original question about are the Bengals going in the wrong direction, I think the answer is most definitely yes.  I think they had a few good drafts, but have missed a lot lately.  Add in the departure of free agents and it is really taking a toll on this team.

(03-11-2017, 04:28 PM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: That's the thing, they are almost always waiting on the cheap deal.  

Or they are not willing to overpay. 

(03-10-2017, 06:17 PM)Wyche Wrote: Exactly why my level of disgust is so high right now.

Also, there were several of us, going back to the old boards, that were always pushing for a top tier FA or two along the way to help push us over the hump because we felt that window would close sooner than others did.  I guess we are all offspring of Nostradamus?  No, it was just using a bit of common sense, something not so common at PBS apparently.....

Remember the last couple years that would almost always be a thread started based off an analyst quote that the Bengals' window was closing?  People would line up to say that the national media hates Cincinnati, they don't know what they are talking about, the window had just begun to open, that it would be open for years to come, Marvin was in the middle of building a dynasty, etc.

Turns out that those "know nothings" may have actually known what they were talking about.  I know that I am extremely negative towards this team right now, but really don't see things improving.  They have major holes and question marks on both sides of the ball right now, and I just don't see them getting fixed in one or two drafts... especially as they continue to lose more players.

(03-11-2017, 04:33 PM)Beaker Wrote: Or they are not willing to overpay. 

They were cheap when they tried to extend for Clint Boling money almost 2 years ago.  Then....when it got to a bidding war....it became overpay.  That's the problem.

(03-11-2017, 04:39 PM)Wyche Wrote: They were cheap when they tried to extend for Clint Boling money almost 2 years ago.  Then....when it got to a bidding war....it became overpay.  That's the problem.

They were cheap to offer a G the same money other Gs were getting at the time?

(03-11-2017, 04:39 PM)Wyche Wrote: They were cheap when they tried to extend for Clint Boling money almost 2 years ago.  Then....when it got to a bidding war....it became overpay.  That's the problem.

I think the Bengals' definition of "overpay" and much of the NFL's definition is two different things.

(03-11-2017, 04:35 PM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: Remember the last couple years that would almost always be a thread started based off an analyst quote that the Bengals' window was closing?  People would line up to say that the national media hates Cincinnati, they don't know what they are talking about, the window had just begun to open, that it would be open for years to come, Marvin was in the middle of building a dynasty, etc.

Turns out that those "know nothings" may have actually known what they were talking about.  I know that I am extremely negative towards this team right now, but really don't see things improving.  They have major holes and question marks on both sides of the ball right now, and I just don't see them getting fixed in one or two drafts... especially as they continue to lose more players.

We're all just random message board idiots.  Seriously....it's pretty pathetic when guys on here can see the writing on the wall....but the "professional" running the show can't.

(03-11-2017, 04:41 PM)OrlandoBengal Wrote: I think the Bengals' definition of "overpay" and much of the NFL's definition is two different things.

That is most likely correct.

(03-11-2017, 04:33 PM)Beaker Wrote: Or they are not willing to overpay. 

Overpay is a relative and fluid concept.  The market is not what Mike says it is.  It's what the rest of the league says it is.

(03-11-2017, 04:40 PM)Beaker Wrote: They were cheap to offer a G the same money other Gs were getting at the time?

Clint Boling was getting mid to lower tier money because his rookie deal was based on a 4th round scale.  Personally....if I took any pride in myself at all....I'd be insulted.  No offense to Clint.  That would be like a warehouse manager getting offered a raise to make as much as the guy sweeping the floor.

(03-11-2017, 04:44 PM)Wyche Wrote: Clint Boling was getting mid to lower tier money because his rookie deal was based on a 4th round scale.  Personally....if I took any pride in myself at all....I'd be insulted.  No offense to Clint.  That would be like a warehouse manager getting offered a raise to make as much as the guy sweeping the floor.

Also, everything I've ever seen has Zeitler ranked much higher than Boling.

(03-11-2017, 04:44 PM)Wyche Wrote: Clint Boling was getting mid to lower tier money because his rookie deal was based on a 4th round scale.  Personally....if I took any pride in myself at all....I'd be insulted.  No offense to Clint.  That would be like a warehouse manager getting offered a raise to make as much as the guy sweeping the floor.

If the warehouse manager was already making less than the guy sweeping the floor then he probably wasnt that good a manager anyway.