New article on Bengals.com highlights AJ Green and his improvements/progress.

Green says he plans to play until he's 36, which he's only missed three games in his career so there's no reason to doubt that he can do it, and I love the way he sounds like he's just all-in in Cincy.

Green also, according to Dalton, looks like he's in the best shape of his career, looking bigger, stronger, and faster, which, paired with his attitude, sounds like he's in for a HUGE season.

He's already making big plays and it's still early in the preseason:

Quote:Rewind to early in Tuesday’s practice. Green lines up outside opposite cornerback William Jackson and although the coverage isn’t bad, Green’s sleight-of-foot double move has got a step on Jackson down the right sideline on a go route. Safety Shawn Williams comes over to help but Dalton has put the ball in the only place Williams and Jackson can’t get it. Right on the edge of the boundary. Green, as he always seems to be able to do whether in a May practice or in the fourth quarter in Baltimore, turned himself into a rubber band and contorted his body in time to snap the ball into his hands before stepping out of bounds.

“We just watched it,’ Dalton said later. “He was in.

“That stuff doesn’t surprise me anymore. I almost expect him to make the crazy catch because I know he can. He’s done it for so long.”

That's amazing to me because WJIII is no slouch, and Dalton being able to place the ball like that is amazing and these two sound like they're on the same page more than ever before, which can only lead to big things. It's early and might just be blind optimism, but I feel like these two can be one of the best pairs in the NFL.

Also helping make AJ's life easier, which he acknowledges, is the young guys looking good because he knows that defenses have enough trouble covering him without having to worry about other guys.

Quote:What a difference, as they like to say in D.C., a year makes. When Green went down after just nine games with a partially torn hamstring, Boyd and LaFell responded with productive seasons and they are now teamed with a lightning round draft class. The Bengals receiver room now boasts the fastest player ever at the NFL scouting combine in first-rounder John Ross and a 6-3, 4.40 speedster in fourth-rounder Josh Malone.


Not only that, the most impressive receiver in camp besides Green has been last year’s sixth-rounder Cody Core, another 6-3 guy that runs mid 4.4 40s and has clocked the fastest route of the spring in a little more than 23 miles per hour.

“That’s what I’m looking for in the young guys, something they didn’t do well last year, have they worked on it to get better this year?” said Green, sounding all of his seven years. “I feel like the biggest guy that’s improving is Cody Core. I feel like he’s been really working on his craft this offseason and getting better. You can tell on the field. How fast ‘TB’ is playing.

“You know with John we’re not going to rush him in. We’ve got guys that can play with ‘Jo’ and ‘TB’ so that’s one thing; he’s not going to have to be pressured to play right away. We’ve got a great receiving corps, so we’re going to give him some of his plays and let him work himself in.

I didn't realize that our receiving core was this fast but it's amazing because teams will need to load the box to stop Mixon, making it hard to defend speeder receivers that Dalton can just loft it up to!

When asked about stats, Green gave one of the most amazing answers that I've EVER heard:

Quote:“One Super Bowl, that’s all I need,”
Green said. “That’s the only number that matters. That’s all I need. One is good.”

His goal is like all of ours: hoisting the Lombardi!

I'm getting more and more excited for this season and the possibilities!

That article is worth the read!

AJ is going to own the league this year. He was on track to own it last year before the injury.

The key to all of it for AJ is to get through the entire season injury free.. 

(05-31-2017, 05:13 AM)grampahol Wrote: The key to all of it for AJ is to get through the entire season injury free.. 

My biggest fear as well. For the entire team actually. Last year killed us with injuries.

Good stuff, Brad, but Green missed more than three games last year alone.

Not saying he has been fragile, but he has missed more than just a few games.

I think perhaps the best part of this year's squad isn't just the healthy AJ Green, but the talent they have assembled around him. It will better take advantage of mismatches and also be better prepares should Green get nicked up.

AJ was unstoppable last year before injury. I am extremely excited to watch him this year.

(05-31-2017, 08:26 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Good stuff, Brad, but Green missed more than three games last year alone.  

Not saying he has been fragile, but he has missed more than just a few games.

I think perhaps the best part of this year's squad isn't just the healthy AJ Green, but the talent they have assembled around him.  It will better take advantage of mismatches and also be better prepares should Green get nicked up.

AJ was unstoppable last year before injury.  I am extremely excited to watch him this year.

Yep. He's missed 10 regular season games.

We are incredibly lucky to have AJ Green playing for us here in Cincy.

Truly cannot say a bad thing about the man.

(05-31-2017, 11:56 AM)CageTheBengal Wrote: We are incredibly lucky to have AJ Green playing for us here in Cincy.

Truly cannot say a bad thing about the man.

Yep. A great WR who's also a class act human being.

(05-31-2017, 08:26 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Good stuff, Brad, but Green missed more than three games last year alone.  

Not saying he has been fragile, but he has missed more than just a few games.

I think perhaps the best part of this year's squad isn't just the healthy AJ Green, but the talent they have assembled around him.  It will better take advantage of mismatches and also be better prepares should Green get nicked up.

AJ was unstoppable last year before injury.  I am extremely excited to watch him this year.

The actual article at Bengals.com says  that in Green's 86 NFL games all but 3 of them were with Dalton. Did AJ miss games when Dalton broke his thumb?

(05-31-2017, 12:13 PM)sandwedge Wrote: The actual article at Bengals.com says  that in Green's 86 NFL games all but 3 of them were with Dalton. Did AJ miss games when Dalton broke his thumb?

It looks like AJ missed the Ravens games right after Steelers week when Dalton got hurt. I looked at the recap and unless he didn't record a single stat he was out.

AJ with Ross on the other side is unstoppable. Plug in mixon eifert core and others and our offense is scary! just depends if we can give dalton time with the o-line

Great enthusiasm Brad, let's hope the revamped o line holds up well enough for those great things to happen.

Ive heard it all before.

(05-31-2017, 02:46 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Ive heard it all before.

We all have, but, aside from the offensive line (which is admittedly a HUGE if), this team looks like one of the most, if not THE most, talented and most complete teams that we've had in over two decades.  

I also don't ever recall AJ speaking this completely and with this much enthusiasm about the team.  It seems like much more than empty rhetoric.

(05-31-2017, 02:02 PM)magikod Wrote: AJ with Ross on the other side is unstoppable. Plug in mixon eifert core and others and our offense is scary! just depends if we can give dalton time with the o-line

That's what I'm saying!  I think Mixon could be an absolute SUPERSTAR for us.  My only fear is Marvin staying loyal to Hill, but let's hope that Hill's time is running short.  With Gio still hurt, though, I doubt it.

I've been worried about the line, too, but I think we'll be ok because of Mixon.  If you'll remember '08, Palmer only played in four games because he got killed because Perry couldn't keep the defenses honest, and then we brought in Ced.  Fitz got sacked a lot, too, when he replaced Palmer, but I think that his sacks were more on himself.

It's tough to rush the passer when we have weapons all over the field.

:andy:

(05-31-2017, 12:13 PM)sandwedge Wrote: The actual article at Bengals.com says  that in Green's 86 NFL games all but 3 of them were with Dalton. Did AJ miss games when Dalton broke his thumb?

I am not sure, but he was injured in week 11 so last season was more than three games by itself.   He also missed the Colts playoff game...that is just off the top of my head.  

(05-31-2017, 02:46 PM)WeezyBengal Wrote: Ive heard it all before.

Well, would you rather we just dwell on the negatives?  C'mon man.

(06-01-2017, 06:11 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: I am not sure, but he was injured in week 11 so last season was more than three games by itself.   He also missed the Colts playoff game...that is just off the top of my head.  

And a couple more games that year. Remember Sanu being the number 1 guy a few weeks in a row that year? AJ had turf toe. He also hurt his knee his rookie year when he torched Ryan Clark and Polamalu for a TD. Missed a game or two then.

(06-02-2017, 12:09 AM)Tiger Teeth Wrote: Well, would you rather we just dwell on the negatives?  C'mon man.

Ide rather just wait until the first Sunday of the season and then judge this team. I guess its the off season, though. We have to talk about something. 

We need to utilize the weapons around him. I don't worry about AJ, I worry about Eifert. If this bro can't make 8 games this season he should get cut, Mr. Glass forever. Can't free AJ up if there's no other weapon to throw to.

Man, now Green talking about Superbowlz.

We need Superbowlz.

Seriously though, it is very exciting. Love what AJ said about Core, it is not just Hobspin.

This O-line has so much pressure on them and the FO better be pressuring PA. They are the only question right now.

If injuries don't decimate us like last year (as SHRacer said AJ has missed much more than 3 games) this team could carry Marv's lame ass to the SB. That is how many talented players we added on both sides of the ball this Offseason. Ross, Mixon, Billings, WJ3, Willis, Lawson etc.

...And don't forget ST's with the speed we added in Jordan Evans and Brandon Wilson.

Nice thread Brad, AJ Green is a class act.