(08-01-2017, 08:26 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: Agree with everything except this.  I like the way that the team is being run right now.  They are for the most part staying out of salary cap hell and are doing a very good job of keeping their own.  

True, and notice you didn't mentioned anything about winning a SB? This aligns perfectly with their strategy.  

(08-01-2017, 10:21 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: As you say O-line is a giant question mark. After that I'm a bit concerned about RDE and Kicker.

(08-02-2017, 02:49 AM)wolfkaosaun Wrote: Play-calling.

It was pretty bad last year, especially in the red zone.

The Bengals have had a top 10 red zone scoring offense every year since 2013......except for last year where they ranked 18th.

These two, plus I will add Safety. 

I think the young OT's will do at least a sufficient job to not hold the offense back.

As to the DLine, there are question marks but there are candidates with the dreaded potential to answer the questions. We will be looking at young guys to do the job in a few areas. There is unknown but it's far from hopeless.

I do wonder about depth at OT. Winston is no more that s stopgap. After him, who?

(08-02-2017, 11:42 AM)McC Wrote: I think the young OT's will do at least a sufficient job to not hold the offense back.

As to the DLine, there are question marks but there are candidates with the dreaded potential to answer the questions.  We will be looking at young guys to do the job in a few areas.  There is unknown but it's far from hopeless.

I do wonder about depth at OT.  Winston is no more that s stopgap.  After him, who?

Andre Smith strictly for RT, Hopkins as a last resort for all OT spots.

(08-02-2017, 11:48 AM)ochocincos Wrote: Andre Smith strictly for RT, Hopkins as a last resort for all OT spots.

Andre said a few days ago he is not willing to be a back up if he can not start.  So if he don't change that attitude he wont be on the team unless he wins the right guard starting spot.

(08-02-2017, 12:37 PM)BengalsBong Wrote: Andre said a few days ago he is not willing to be a back up if he can not start.  So if he don't change that attitude he wont be on the team unless he wins the right guard starting spot.

What I'm saying is if certain injuries occur, Andre would shift over to be the starting RT, and someone else would become the starting RG. If Andre and Winston are hurt, Hopkins would likely the last resort RT.

(08-01-2017, 08:01 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: -Offensive Line
-Kicker
-Linebacker if/when Burfict is out
-TE when Eifert gets hurt
-DT next to Atkins
-DE opposite of Dunlap
-Coaching
-Ownership

A couple of those (Kicker, DT, DE) have rookies/unproven guys who potentially can make it not a weakness, but until it's proven, it'll be a weakness at least for now.

I think our secondary...especially safeties ability to cover passes is a question mark too. They may prove capable...we shall see. If we have a good pass rush it could cover it.

CB is unknown beyond Kirkpatrick. I assume Jackson will be good and cover that weakness. It remains to be seen.

Coaching................

(08-01-2017, 09:22 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Which on OTHER teams, would be true... but on the Mike Brown Bengals, it is not.

For example, Paul Alexander has been here since 1994, 9 years before Marvin. He also inherited Bob Bratkowski and Jim Anderson, among others, I am sure.

So I highly doubt Marvin has full say in his coaching staff.

Sometimes it comes down to the relationship between an owner and assistant coach. Jed York was very fond of Jim Tomsula in San Francisco. After Harbaugh left, York was asking candidates if they were going to keep him staff. I know Josh McDaniels didn't want to retain him. I'm not sure what others said, but then you see Tomsula get the HC gig.

After the suspect Oline, I gotta go with Safety as the weakest position group.

How ironic neither was really addressed in the draft or free agency

All weaknesses are pale in comparison to:

(08-02-2017, 04:47 PM)bambino5130 Wrote: After the suspect Oline, I gotta go with Safety as the weakest position group.

How ironic neither was really addressed in the draft or free agency  

At S, they're just trying to kill it with numbers.  They have a bunch of guys and are hoping maybe one or more of them step up and provide quality depth. Starter-wise, we should be okay.  

(08-02-2017, 05:19 PM)McC Wrote: At S, they're just trying to kill it with numbers.  They have a bunch of guys and are hoping maybe one or more of them step up and provide quality depth. Starter-wise, we should be okay.  

I think Fejedelem will pan out as a good strong safety and reliable backup to Williams.  We have Deron Smith or Brandon Wilson as possible backups for the FS spot - if they get over their injuries.   I think Smith is a pretty good FS guy and I think Shaw could do a very good job there.  The FS position seems to be the numbers game.

(08-02-2017, 02:13 AM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I don't see how CB is a weakness? Maybe it's not exactly a strength  (although WJ3 could help make it so), but Pacman and Kirkpatrick are solid. Shaw ain't bad either. 

You forget about Dennard?



Our corners are pretty solid and I think they'll be a strength.

(08-02-2017, 05:59 AM)BengalsBong Wrote: I agree he is but he should not be. We should have more options then just Eifert in the red zone. We have good route runners with good hands these guys can catch touchdowns too.

I hope Dalton learning to trust the new WR on the team helps in the red zone. Zamp in his second year might help also.


My concerns are LB Vigil moving to a new spot. DE across from Dunlap can MJ find the fire and hunger he lost when he left the Bengals. I wont call a rookie a weakness till he proves he is one. So depth is my only other concern. Lets hope the O line plays good enough to give Dalton time to throw.

I think with Geno calling for double-teams and chips, we should be pretty set at whoever we line up at ends, but I say that every year and last year we had a pretty horrible pass rush.

I think we just need to rotate more because we have a bunch of guys that can get to the quarterback.  Jordan Willis and Carl Lawson should offer us some youth and hopefully a spark to go along with guys like MJ and Dunlap (and a few more vets that might offer a little something in rotation).

I think Mixon helps us A LOT in the red zone, and I'm hoping that we use the 6'3 Malone in the red zone because line up a 6'4 AJ on the other side and throw a jump ball to whichever has a better matchup.

(08-02-2017, 10:52 AM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I'll 2nd this

I'm not at all convinced the Zmeister is an NFL level play caller

How could he be with Hill tiptoeing through the line?  I think Mixon makes our offensive play calling hard to mess-up, along with new weapons like Ross, Malone, a healthy Eifert, etc.

We have so many weapons that I don't think it's humanly possible for anyone to screw it up (I mean anyone with any football logic because I don't think he's stupid enough to take Marvin's run-first plan and not understand that being run-first didn't mean dive, dive, curl, punt every series).

Looking at our 26 starters, I think we have more unknowns than weaknesses.

Yes, LT and RT are concerning. They could be absolute train wrecks. Or they could be fine. They will be manned by a 1st and 2nd round pick, respectively, after all. So here's hoping they live up to their draft billing.

Beyond that, our guards are fine, our center is acceptable. Our RBs are going to be great with Gio and Joe, with Hill mixed in occasionally (hopefully not too much). Our WRs seem elite with Green, Ross, LaFell, Boyd, Malone, Core...

TEs and FB are solid, great if healthy.

QB is solid as ever. Not elite by any means but more than good enough to win with.

On defense, we got 1 great DE, 2 unknown DE/pass rushers and a bunch of mediocre players (Johnson, Clarke, etc). At DT we have 1 elite DT and 1 promising unknown with some decent depth behind both of them, albeit also unknown.

At LB, we have what seems like a rock solid corp. Minter and Burfict are considered well above average. Rey is a quality back up and then Vigil is an unknown that showed a tiny bit of promise last year.

At CB, we have 4 first round picks and only 1 of them is truly a known player. Dennard and Jackson are complete unknowns and Dre showed a lot of growth last year. Pacman may be good this year, or he'll continue to deteriorate. Only time will tell.

At Safety, we got two solid, but unspectacular, starters with decent, but unknown depth, behind them.

And then our kicker is a 100% unknown. We won't really know him until we see him in a pressure kick situation.

Punter, PR/KR and LS are all good players. Nothing to worry about there.

So, TL;DR
Lots of unknowns, including the Oline, DE, DT, CB and K. I wouldn't classify any as weaknesses until we can get a look at how they play in the regular season.

(08-02-2017, 12:37 PM)BengalsBong Wrote: Andre said a few days ago he is not willing to be a back up if he can not start.  So if he don't change that attitude he wont be on the team unless he wins the right guard starting spot.

You may have misinterpreted his statement.  I think Andre was saying he isn't going to be second in line at chow time, and he has no intention of not being at the buffet the minute it opens.

Ok, it is mean to make fun of the guy's weight, but has he even walked by a gym?  The pic I saw yesterday looks like the most undefined and sloppy body I have ever seen, let alone that of a Pro athlete.  I am expecting a series of injuries from him and nothing more.  What an absolute waste of talent.  

(08-03-2017, 08:55 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: You may have misinterpreted his statement.  I think Andre was saying he isn't going to be second in line at chow time, and he has no intention of not being at the buffet the minute it opens.

Ok, it is mean to make fun of the guy's weight, but has he even walked by a gym?  The pic I saw yesterday looks like the most undefined and sloppy body I have ever seen, let alone that of a Pro athlete.  I am expecting a series of injuries from him and nothing more.  What an absolute waste of talent.