(04-21-2017, 03:01 PM)jason Wrote: Today in 2001, the Bengals drafted Justin Smith and Chad Johnson...

And Rudi Johnson and T. J. Houshmandzadeh.



Four Pro Bowl players in one draft.  That is the kind of draft that will turn a team around.

(04-21-2017, 04:12 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The funny thing was that Boling was pretty bad for 2-3 years...then he improved right before his contract was up. Kind of gives some hope for Ced and Bodine.

Truck here nailed it with Boling, his first year when he was playing RG he wasn't very good.

But Boling has been very underrated here in my opinion even by me when i was overrating Zeitler.

I then went and looked at the tape and Boling was better, especially in the running game.

Glad we kept the right one.

(04-21-2017, 04:32 PM)Truck_1_0_1_ Wrote: Not quite.

Boling had one bad Year: His first, when he played out of position at RG since Bobbie was hurt.

Since he started full time in 2012, he's been a top 5 LG every year, save for maybe last year (which I don't blame him for).

Yeah, hard to blame him last year for playing with a hurt shoulder.

He still was a better run blocker than Zeitler for heck sake.

(04-22-2017, 09:22 AM)fredtoast Wrote: And Rudi Johnson and T. J. Houshmandzadeh.



Four Pro Bowl players in one draft.  That is the kind of draft that will turn a team around.

Definitely a GREAT draft. Probably the best...in the Bengals 50 years.

Joseph, Whitworth, Peko in 2006 was a deceptively good draft.

2005 draft was the one that looked the best on paper but turned into a disaster for various reasons. Pollack, Thurman, Henry...all basically tragedy and disappointment. You struggle to find teams top 3 picks have that many things go wrong in one draft.

(04-21-2017, 02:18 PM)fredtoast Wrote: No one wants to admit what a total crapshoot the draft is because they all want to claim that they can pick the best players.  This is why I am always against giving up picks in order to move up in the draft.  I think the best way to improve your chances of getting a good player is to have the most picks.  That does not mean I would give up the #9 pick for two or three 7th round picks, but my general draft trade strategy would be to get the most picks possible in the first three rounds.

Completely agree! The 4th round has been a real sweet spot for us to though.For whatever reason.

(04-20-2017, 01:31 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I've noticed over the years that no matter who a team drafts...their fanbase generally feels like it is a good draft...unless a team passes on a popular local player.

Fans generally will say: My teams needs these positions, and if a team drafts those position guys...fans like it. They then project these players out to be starters. 7 new starters within the next 3 years!

The sad reality of the draft is that most of the guys you draft will be special teamers or out of the league within 3-4 years. You're lucky to get 2 solid starters. If you draft 3 solid starters, it was a really good draft. If you draft 4 starters it was a great draft. If you end up with multiple Pro Bowl players in one draft it was a generational draft.

I saw a stat that some 40% of 1st Round picks never go on to be a starter.

Another reality is that a lot of these guys may go against Pro-caliber competition in college maybe twice a year...so it's very hard to project out how they'll do in the Pros.

If drafting were as easy as selecting who Mel Kiper Jr had ranked the highest...then every team would be loaded...

Drafts represent hope for a fanbase...but if you look at the hit rate of a draft pick vs a free agent....the free agent with a track record probably makes it more on a percentage basis than a draft pick...

Great Point.  The NFL Network was showing the first rounds of several past drafts yesterday.  I started watching at 2011 and looking up every player I didn't know to see who had panned out and who hadn't.  I watched 2011 - 2014, and your 40% stat seems correct.  Cleveland alone though, must be about 80%  I swear.  

(04-23-2017, 01:13 PM)BonnieBengal Wrote: Great Point.  The NFL Network was showing the first rounds of several past drafts yesterday.  I started watching at 2011 and looking up every player I didn't know to see who had panned out and who hadn't.  I watched 2011 - 2014, and your 40% stat seems correct.  Cleveland alone though, must be about 80%  I swear.  

The Browns ineptness with draft picks and sheer ability to mess up prime picks is legendary.

That said...we were pretty bad in the 90's.

There is kind of a tipping point on teams where you can draft good players and they have so many bad players around them that they look bad. That's why Dunlap, Atkins, MJ, Dalton, Green...all coming within a couple years turned us around.

The Bengals of the 90's added a guy like Wilkinson...but teams could just double him to take him out of plays. Same with a lot of those guys.

Add Wilkinson or Justin Smith to the current Bengals and they'd probably be a perennial Pro Bowl player.

(04-23-2017, 01:58 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: The Browns ineptness with draft picks and sheer ability to mess up prime picks is legendary.

That said...we were pretty bad in the 90's.

There is kind of a tipping point on teams where you can draft good players and they have so many bad players around them that they look bad. That's why Dunlap, Atkins, MJ, Dalton, Green...all coming within a couple years turned us around.

The Bengals of the 90's added a guy like Wilkinson...but teams could just double him to take him out of plays. Same with a lot of those guys.

Add Wilkinson or Justin Smith to the current Bengals and they'd probably be a perennial Pro Bowl player.

I really hope Hue has better luck.  I know he's coaching a division rival but I still wish him the best and hope he doesn't end up on the huge scrap heap of former Browns coaches.

(04-23-2017, 06:06 PM)BonnieBengal Wrote: I really hope Hue has better luck.  I know he's coaching a division rival but I still wish him the best and hope he doesn't end up on the huge scrap heap of former Browns coaches.

They should have one of the best offensive lines in football now.

As long as they don't chase a QB in the draft and add talent they should improve.

I'm kind of surprised they didn't go after Kaepernick.

Over the years after watching the Cincinnati Bengals draft players, I've come to an entirely new conclusion. I started out as a "best player available" fan then I morphed into a "situational player" fan and now I just want the Bengals to draft someone durable. I'm sick of seeing great draftees get injured and never realize their potential.

That's a great point. A lot of guys fall int he draft due to injury concerns, or character concerns, etc. A lot of times...those are valid.

Thus...the quantity of pick approach seems to work. The Patriots like to stock up on extra picks and it seems to work well for them.

(04-23-2017, 11:20 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: They should have one of the best offensive lines in football now.

As long as they don't chase a QB in the draft and add talent they should improve.

I'm kind of surprised they didn't go after Kaepernick.

Kaepernick's a bust.  I think they should trade for McCarron.  I truly believe he can develop into a dependable starter who can lead their team for years.  If not,  I like Watson in the draft IF they can get him in the second round.