(04-29-2017, 07:09 PM)Mike M (the other one) Wrote: We will be fine. Our OL is better than you think.

I hope you're right because I still see the OL as a HUGE weakness on this team. One that may or may not get our QB killed

(04-29-2017, 06:59 PM)BonnieBengal Wrote: I can't see that happening.

I think at best the coaches use him as the slot receiver this year.

There's a chance his shoulder isn't healed fast enough to make it to training camp too. He could start the year on PUP.

(04-29-2017, 09:57 PM)Pat5775 Wrote: I hope you're right because I still see the OL as a HUGE weakness on this team. One that may or may not get our QB killed

And all the available evidence at this time points to just that. You're going on faith and hope if you think otherwise. Good thing this is a crow eating thread.

From a talent standpoint it was a very good draft.

Let's hope Ced is stronger on the left this season. Whit has probably helped him a ton specifically his needing to be stronger. I hope his technique is better. If not it's gonna look like a Chinese fire drill. I think he should be more up to speed in the upcoming season.

The TE position is still a huge question mark. The drop off after Eifert is significant. The stats back that up. Yes, there are other weapons now and that will help, but Andy seems to play his best when he has a dominant TE.

There are question marks, but solid haul.

(04-29-2017, 10:15 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I think at best the coaches use him as the slot receiver this year.

There's a chance his shoulder isn't healed fast enough to make it to training camp too. He could start the year on PUP.

I thought Marvin said he'd been ready by August.

(04-29-2017, 09:22 PM)GodFather Wrote: You know what thats called? The Bengal Trap!

Happens every year to the fans, they are disgusted and want to have nothing to do with the team. After the draft they think this year they can make the playoffs with such a "great draft" 

Once training camp and preseason starts you will be well on your way to honestly believing this team is special and could go deep.

And then Marvin will shit on your sports fantasy and you will be back in the same place...


but you know what? Theres good news, want to know what that is? The draft will be upcoming and it will start all over again! :giggle:

I considered that.  It's not my first rodeo. I'm 35 plus years in.   But I still think they made the offense so potent that it actually improved the O line.  Defenses are going to have to cover Ross deep, taking some pressure off the O line.  It's a game changer. Plus Mixon is both a running and passing threat. Dalton can dump it off to him and he can make things happen.  We basically picked up an Antonio Brown (Ross) and a Leveon Bell (Mixon)  to add to our arsenal along with  Green and Eifert.    Plus we shored up our D line.  We're gonna have a good year.

I wouldn't warm up that crow yet. The staff has it's way of dangling hope.

Cautiously optimistic is a better term.

(04-29-2017, 03:43 PM)BonnieBengal Wrote: When we lost Whit and Zeitler, I declared the season basically over.  Lots of people said i would feel differently after the draft.  They were right.  I now feel we can get back to the playoffs, even with the O line we have.

There is no crow to be eaten, Bonnie!  Everyone, including the Bengals, didn't like the way the Whit departure occurred.  He was supposed to retire here, and he was still a very good player.  The Bengals didn't really address his loss other than to secure depth at the other tackle spot, which would allow Fisher to swing to LT if Ced can't do the job.  They are putting a lot of their chips on one number and hoping it hits.  

The other piece of the puzzle is the weapons they have added to the team:  mercurial speed at the WR spot that will force two deep safety coverage.  Really good RB prospect that can catch AND pick up the blitz.  These weapons, plus a healthy TE squad, will help control the pass rush as well.  

I am extremely excited for the upcoming season and I look forward to watching this infusion of speed on both sides of the ball (and special teams).

They will absolutely be back in the playoffs, and will make a run!

(04-29-2017, 04:31 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: These guys have potential...but the picks on most teams do.

The big question is: Will the coaches play these guys?

For all we know, Ross could be a 4th WR.

The coaches have even said as much in relation to this year's crop of draft picks.  It was something to the effect of "they start at the bottom", but for the longest time, has there been any real competition to MJ, Dunlap, Burfict, Lafell, Hill, etc.?

Competition at every level of your team improves everyone.  Look at what Burfict looked like in the workout photos.  He looks to be in great shape, unlike last year.  Could that have something to do with Minter?  Adam Jones was sucking wind during the Denver game last year...think he will play with the ridiculous speed they have drafted around him if he isn't in top shape?  

Ross, at pick #9 overall, is a bit of a different story.  His mere presence will change things.  

I hear what you are saying, but I think this year's crop is a lot of positions that can come in and contribute right away.  The defensive ends?  See QB, kill QB...  RB?  Easiest transition from college of every position.  Kicker?  Who knows.  

I love the haul of talent and speed and it will not only improve the roster by their talent, but it will squeeze the most out of the talent we already have.  

(04-29-2017, 05:30 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote:


.........

If teams stack the box and blitz our QB, they had better be able to cover over the top.  The days of putting two guys on AJ and pretty much stopping this offense are OVER.

(04-29-2017, 06:55 PM)BigPapaKain Wrote: Ain't making the playoffs this year. Dalton is going to be a shattered shell of a player by week 14.

Really?  Like last year when he threw for 4,000 yards despite losing AJ Green, Tyler Eifert, Gio Bernard, Jeremy Hill and his best offensive weapon late in the year was 6th rounder Cody Core?  (And Sexy, but it just hurts too much still).

Dalton showed his toughness and (I thought) slayed all the naysayers that said crap like "he has to be surrounded by the best of talent at all levels to make him effective" as though he couldn't throw for a single yard without Pro Bowlers at every level of the offense.  Despite the fact that virtually every QB, even Sir Lord Brady, struggles when they have pressure in their face and they lose their weapons, it has always been a way that people slight Dalton for actually performing well at the QB position.

Well, get ready folks.  I have said since DAY 1 of the Dalton/Green Era that what they needed was a Chris Henry to take the top off the defense, drop the safeties, and allow the RBs, TEs, and slot WR to work underneath.  They have it.  Ross was the perfect fit for this offense.  Get your popcorn ready.  This is going to be fun.  

(04-30-2017, 12:08 AM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: From a talent standpoint it was a very good draft.

Let's hope Ced is stronger on the left this season. Whit has probably helped him a ton specifically his needing to be stronger. I hope his technique is better. If not it's gonna look like a Chinese fire drill. I think he should be more up to speed in the upcoming season.

The TE position is still a huge question mark. The drop off after Eifert is significant. The stats back that up. Yes, there are other weapons now and that will help, but Andy seems to play his best when he has a dominant TE.

There are question marks, but solid haul.

From my thread "things I think I know", I explained that they are VERY high on ALL FOUR of their TEs (which includes H-Back, Hewitt) and ALL FOUR had significant injuries last year that they were trying to play through because there simply weren't any other TEs available.  

They felt that the TE group might have been their strongest position group coming in to the season last year.  Then, all four get injured.  The chances of that repeating itself are very slim.  The red zone threat of having a healthy Kroft or Uzomah with Eifert will pay huge dividends this season.  

(04-29-2017, 09:44 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: With Mixon in the backfield, you can bet your bottom dollar the DEs will not be so willing to pin their ears back and run right at Andy.

With Hill back there, the only risk was giving up...an additional yard if they were too far upfield? Now, they actually have to consider the running game.

True, are you going to put Mixon in your avatar now CJD?

(04-30-2017, 07:47 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: If teams stack the box and blitz our QB, they had better be able to cover over the top.  The days of putting two guys on AJ and pretty much stopping this offense are OVER.

That is what is so nice about getting Ross and Mixon. Even if the O-line is as bad as last year we can still make teams pay with these guys.

Especially Ross, like you said, his mere presence will effect how Defenses play us.

Like others have said, until we see an improved line, I am cautiously optimistic. If Ced isn't just average, I have a hard time seeing this as a playoff team. Love the moves and the firepower, but you win and lose in the trenches

(04-30-2017, 01:40 PM)Hoofhearted Wrote: Like others have said, until we see an improved line, I am cautiously optimistic. If Ced isn't just average, I have a hard time seeing this as a playoff team. Love the moves and the firepower, but you win and lose in the trenches

All true, but continuity is the biggest deal with O-lines almost all the time.

This year, Og will have an entire Offseason and will be at his natural position, LT.

Fisher will FINALLY play one position, RT.

We FINALLY will have a good run blocking RG if Andre Smith can stay healthy.

Boling should be healthy unlike last year when he had a bum shoulder.

There are reasons to be optimistic even with our biggest weakness HH.

(04-30-2017, 07:56 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: From my thread "things I think I know", I explained that they are VERY high on ALL FOUR of their TEs (which includes H-Back, Hewitt) and ALL FOUR had significant injuries last year that they were trying to play through because there simply weren't any other TEs available.  

They felt that the TE group might have been their strongest position group coming in to the season last year.  Then, all four get injured.  The chances of that repeating itself are very slim.  The red zone threat of having a healthy Kroft or Uzomah with Eifert will pay huge dividends this season.  

"They" at times "feel" many things that many other's don't feel. The numbers say different than what "they feel". Here's to hoping that "they" are correct. If not I expect we will see more excuses & back peddling. There's supposedly talent behind Eiffert, but the numbers are yet to prove it.

(04-30-2017, 01:26 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: That is what is so nice about getting Ross and Mixon. Even if the O-line is as bad as last year we can still make teams pay with these guys.

Especially Ross, like you said, his mere presence will effect how Defenses play us.

I can't wait....

Dalton must be thinking he died and went to heaven after the dearth of weapons he had last year. 

(04-30-2017, 02:53 PM)coachmcneil71 Wrote: "They" at times "feel" many things that many other's don't feel. The numbers say different than what "they feel". Here's to hoping that "they" are correct. If not I expect we will see more excuses & back peddling. There's supposedly talent behind Eiffert, but the numbers are yet to prove it.

Are you doubting that Kroft and Hewitt were playing with significant injuries?  It's ok if you are, but I would think that might give them a bit of a pass, especially when the 5th rounder Uzomah was looking so good until his injury. 

Hewitt has caught virtually everything they have thrown his way, but his opportunities were greatly diminished last year due to injury. 

Again, this info was largely to help everyone understand why they went Ross over OJ Howard, who they also really liked, but they felt Ross could provide a greater impact in their group of WRs and they like the 4 TEs they have on the squad already.  

This also explains a lot of the red zone troubles they had last year.  Very few healthy TEs.  

(04-30-2017, 05:15 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: Are you doubting that Kroft and Hewitt were playing with significant injuries?  It's ok if you are, but I would think that might give them a bit of a pass, especially when the 5th rounder Uzomah was looking so good until his injury. 

Hewitt has caught virtually everything they have thrown his way, but his opportunities were greatly diminished last year due to injury. 

Again, this info was largely to help everyone understand why they went Ross over OJ Howard, who they also really liked, but they felt Ross could provide a greater impact in their group of WRs and they like the 4 TEs they have on the squad already.  

This also explains a lot of the red zone troubles they had last year.  Very few healthy TEs.  

I'm not upset in the least about the Ross pick. I felt that both players were capable of helping the team. I also believe that Uzi, Hewitt, and Kroft are capable. Ts, I will feel better about it when I see some consistency from any TE on the roster not named Eiffert.

Then that said, I will be even more happy when I see some out of him. Do you get where I'm going now? I don't mean any disrespect whatsoever with any of the concerns that I have. They are real & valid concerns. Now TE may be a major weakness after this season. Hell, it very well could be this season.

Kroft,Uzi, & Hewitt aren't near the talent that Howard is. Still, I'm ok with the Ross pick. It just means we will probably be in need of one in next year's draft. Unless, of course, Mr.Glass can stay healthy for awhile, and we can resign him?