As I do every year, here's my immediate look at the state of our roster, with some blatant guesses about how we can fit the draft picks into the squad.

====================
QB (2)
Dalton, Barkley/Driskel
[Please, Andy, don't get injured!]

RB (4)
Mixon, Bernard, Walton, Hill/Williams/Carson
[Maybe they only go with 3 RBs on the 53 and keep a couple on the PS]

FB (1)
Hewitt

TE (3)
Eifert, Kroft, Uzomah

OT (4)
Glenn, Fisher, Ogbuehi, Hart

OG (3)
Boling, Westerman, Hopkins
[I could easily see Redmond here and Hart or Ogbuehi being released, with Boling backing up OT. Or maybe they just go with 8 OL]

OC (2)
Price
TJ Johnson

WR (6)
Green, LaFell, Boyd, Erickson, Malone, Ross

Total Offense: 25
====================

DE (4)
Dunlap, Johnson, Willis, Hubbard

DT (5)
Atkins, Glasgow, Billings, Baker, Brown
[Will Baker make the roster? Going 8 DL seems lighter than they'd normally consider]

LB (6)
Burfict*, Vigil, Brown, Rey, Evans, Lawson, Jefferson
[We can fit them all in for the start of the season, but what happens when Burfict returns?]

CB (6)
Jackson, Kirkpatrick, Dennard, then 3 from (Shaw, Russell, Harris, Phillips)
[Alternatively, one of these could move to safety, causing a cut there]

S (4)
Iloka, Williams, Bates, Fejedelem

Total Defense: 25
====================

K (1)
Bullock

P (1)
Huber

LS (1)
Harris

Total Special Teams: 3
======================

Thoughts?

Look, they all fit. Got Buffalo Bills LT and LB which we needed. Got Center in 1 which we needed. Got Safety in 2 which we have needed ever since Reggie Nelson left. Got DE and LB in 3 and Bengals wanted more LB help and an Edge rusher. In 4 they got a good RB to help fill in RB Stable with Hill gone, plus he can run, catch, return kicks. In 5 they got a CB/Safety, a DE/DT, and a Kick Return award winner who in college played both CB and WR as well as return kicks.

There is no how do they fit. They fit. That is why they were drafted. They fills huge needs Bengals had going in. Bengals had worst O Line in NFL and Defense was getting old and giving up too many 3rd and longs. We got O Line and Defense in Free Agency and Draft plus a RB to help replace Hill because you need more than Mixon and Bernard in the horse stable.

They all fit, don't worry about that. We are not the Super Bowl Champions where you ask how will they make this great team. This team not so great. They all fit.

(04-28-2018, 05:00 PM)kevin Wrote: Look, they all fit. Got Buffalo Bills LT and LB which we needed. Got Center in 1 which we needed. Got Safety in 2 which we have needed ever since Reggie Nelson left. Got DE and LB in 3 and Bengals wanted more LB help and an Edge rusher. In 4 they got a good RB to help fill in RB Stable with Hill gone, plus he can run, catch, return kicks. In 5 they got a CB/Safety, a DE/DT, and a Kick Return award winner who in college played both CB and WR as well as return kicks.

There is no how do they fit. They fit. That is why they were drafted. They fills huge needs Bengals had going in. Bengals had worst O Line in NFL and Defense was getting old and giving up too many 3rd and longs. We got O Line and Defense in Free Agency and Draft plus a RB to help replace Hill because you need more than Mixon and Bernard in the horse stable.

They all fit, don't worry about that. We are not the Super Bowl Champions where you ask how will they make this great team. This team not so great. They all fit.

I think you mis understood, he does this each year it’s a rosterolgy thing. You normally keep a certain number of each position and so it’s a look at who may be casualties based on those numbers.

Since we know there'll be injuries and some of the late-round guys could also be PS fodder, I'm not as worried about it as I have been in years past.

If they cut from anywhere I'd say DT. They like to move the ends in on passing downs (or at least have done so in the past) and keeping 5 DT's just seems like extreme overkill when you also use your DE's inside. Billings'd be my first to go. Guy has all the talent and measurables in the world and hasn't done a damn thing with them. I don't dislike Billings, but at some point you need to show the hell up and produce, and he hasn't...at all.

(04-28-2018, 05:10 PM)Ravage Wrote: Since we know there'll be injuries and some of the late-round guys could also be PS fodder, I'm not as worried about it as I have been in years past.

If they cut from anywhere I'd say DT. They like to move the ends in on passing downs (or at least have done so in the past) and keeping 5 DT's just seems like extreme overkill when you also use your DE's inside. Billings'd be my first to go. Guy has all the talent and measurables in the world and hasn't done a damn thing with them. I don't dislike Billings, but at some point you need to show the hell up and produce, and he hasn't...at all.

Billings stays because he is a NT and one of the few true run stuffing type guys. I think this is his make or break year though as it’s two years post ACL year so he should be fully healthy.

(04-28-2018, 05:11 PM)Au165 Wrote: Billings stays because he is a NT and one of the few true run stuffing type guys. I think this is his make or break year though as it’s two years post ACL year so he should be fully healthy.

And that's fine if he stays. It wasn't an ACL, it was his meniscus that knocked him out of his rookie year. 

(04-28-2018, 05:08 PM)Au165 Wrote: I think you mis understood, he does this each year it’s a rosterolgy thing. You normally keep a certain number of each position and so it’s a look at who may be casualties based on those numbers.

I get that fans have their roster thing going and who do we now cut, as every year.   The thing is we needed these positions filled without cuts.  Bengals had huge holes going into Free Agency and The Draft.   I think sometimes we act like this team won Super Bowl every year. Truth is no play-off win since 1990 season going into 2018 season.  As fans start making out their fan favorite rosters, I say let them all bust their rear ends in Training Camp and Preseason.  Good, Healthy, Hard Work Competition is good in practice for regular season.  Every player taken fills a huge need.  

We lost Bodine, Reggie Nelson, Peko, Hill, Whitworth.  The Free Agents and Draft Picks all fill huge holes in the roster forcing losing seasons. 

(04-28-2018, 05:16 PM)Ravage Wrote: And that's fine if he stays. It wasn't an ACL, it was his meniscus that knocked him out of his rookie year. 

You’re right Thompson tore his ACL that year. It was a rough year for DT knees.

(04-28-2018, 05:24 PM)kevin Wrote: I get that fans have their roster thing going and who do we now cut, as every year.   The thing is we needed these positions filled without cuts.  Bengals had huge holes going into Free Agency and The Draft.   I think sometimes we act like this team won Super Bowl every year. Truth is no play-off win since 1990 season going into 2018 season.  As fans start making out their fan favorite rosters, I say let them all bust their rear ends in Training Camp and Preseason.  Good, Healthy, Hard Work Competition is good in practice for regular season.  Every player taken fills a huge need.  

We lost Bodine, Reggie Nelson, Peko, Hill, Whitworth.  The Free Agents and Draft Picks all fill huge holes in the roster forcing losing seasons. 

There are 53 spots on the roster, you literally can’t keep everyone that’s the point. We cut rookies last year we drafted and we probably will this year too.

Brandon Wilson can be squeezed in there somewhere as a Returner or gunner on ST's.

Brown can also be listed as either and End or DT however we want to sneak him on the team.

Same with Lawson who can be listed as either a LB or an End. The versatility is nice.

Oh, and to Ravage, Billings isn't going anywhere, this Draft just said so. We didn't draft a run stopping DT. Billings was
coming off injury and is extremely young and talented. You do not cut that going into his 3rd year where he will be able
to finally lift again like he could as a rookie.

QB (2)
Dalton, Barkley/Driskel
[Please, Andy, don't get injured!]

RB (4)
Mixon, Bernard, Walton, Hill/Williams/Carson
[Maybe they only go with 3 RBs on the 53 and keep a couple on the PS]

FB (1)
Hewitt

TE (3)
Eifert, Kroft, Uzomah

OT (4)
Glenn, Fisher, Ogbuehi, Hart

OG (3)
Boling, Westerman, Hopkins
[I could easily see Redmond here and Hart or Ogbuehi being released, with Boling backing up OT. Or maybe they just go with 8 OL]

OC (2)
Price
TJ Johnson

WR (6)
Green, LaFell, Boyd, Erickson, Malone, Ross

Total Offense: 25
====================

DE (4)
Dunlap, Johnson, Willis, Hubbard

DT (5)
Atkins, Glasgow, Billings, Baker, Brown
[Will Baker make the roster? Going 8 DL seems lighter than they'd normally consider]

LB (6)
Burfict*, Vigil, Brown, Rey, Evans, Lawson, Jefferson
[We can fit them all in for the start of the season, but what happens when Burfict returns?]

CB (6)
Jackson, Kirkpatrick, Dennard, then 3 from (Shaw, Russell, Harris, Phillips)
[Alternatively, one of these could move to safety, causing a cut there]

S (4)
Iloka, Williams, Bates, Fejedelem

Total Defense: 25
====================

K (1)
Bullock

P (1)
Huber

LS (1)
Harris

Total Special Teams: 3
======================

Thoughts?

Looking at your roster most of it seems plausible.

A few changes I would make are below.

OT (4)
Glenn, Fisher, Ogbuehi, Hart

For OT I would pencil in Perkins as he outplayed both Fisher and GoByMe. Hart stinks and I see him or one of the other 2 I mentioned being cut.

OT
Glenn, Perkins, 2 of Fisher, Og, Hart

OG (3)
Boling, Westerman, Hopkins
[I could easily see Redmond here and Hart or Ogbuehi being released, with Boling backing up OT. Or maybe they just go with 8 OL]

I also see the starting guards as Boling and Westerman with Hopkins and Redmon as depth. TJ Johnson would be my cut here.

I could also see 1 of the drafted CB's going to the PS as I don't think they are cutting Shaw or Russel, if they did though my bet is on Russel. I think all the safeties make it with Williams playing more of a hybrid nickel/backer role.

My surprise change is MJ being cut with us drafting both Hubbard and Brown and Lawson is still technically a DE more than an OLB.

(04-28-2018, 04:48 PM)bengal kitten uk Wrote: As I do every year, here's my immediate look at the state of our roster, with some blatant guesses about how we can fit the draft picks into the squad.

====================
QB (2)
Dalton, Barkley/Driskel
[Please, Andy, don't get injured!]

RB (4)
Mixon, Bernard, Walton, Hill/Williams/Carson
[Maybe they only go with 3 RBs on the 53 and keep a couple on the PS]

FB (1)
Hewitt

TE (3)
Eifert, Kroft, Uzomah

OT (4)
Glenn, Fisher, Ogbuehi, Hart

OG (3)
Boling, Westerman, Hopkins
[I could easily see Redmond here and Hart or Ogbuehi being released, with Boling backing up OT.  Or maybe they just go with 8 OL]

OC (2)
Price
TJ Johnson

WR (6)
Green, LaFell, Boyd, Erickson, Malone, Ross

Total Offense: 25
====================

DE (4)
Dunlap, Johnson, Willis, Hubbard

DT (5)
Atkins, Glasgow, Billings, Baker, Brown
[Will Baker make the roster? Going 8 DL seems lighter than they'd normally consider]

LB (6)
Burfict*, Vigil, Brown, Rey, Evans, Lawson, Jefferson
[We can fit them all in for the start of the season, but what happens when Burfict returns?]

CB (6)
Jackson, Kirkpatrick, Dennard, then 3 from (Shaw, Russell, Harris, Phillips)
[Alternatively, one of these could move to safety, causing a cut there]

S (4)
Iloka, Williams, Bates, Fejedelem

Total Defense: 25
====================

K (1)
Bullock

P (1)
Huber

LS (1)
Harris

Total Special Teams: 3
======================

Thoughts?

Almost exactly what I would say.  I see a few possible changes, but I would not be shocked if it was just as you predict.  

-Fejedelem could be gone with Brandon Wilson as #4 Safety.  Or Shaw could be #4 safety and we keep Russell, Harris and Phillips as CBs.

-Johnson could be gone with Lawson playing DE.  Then we keep Jefferson even when Burfict returns.

-Might go with just 3 RB if we get Peermans ST play from another position.



Whatever happens that is a pretty good roster.  If Eifert is healthy and the O-line gels we have the talent to beat anyone.  I feel pretty good about the O-line, but Eifert is a HUGE "if".  I really see him as the key to our season.  We are a good team without him.  But if he is healthy that chagnges everything.

Look good to me BengalKitten. I think MJ might go, however. He just doesn't have it anymore and he's got the big paycheck. Also, of course, an undrafted free agent could come in and shake things up.

Havent you been reading on here man, our entire draft Is a bust! We don't need to find room for Any of them

I think we drafted a lot of players. At the most 3/4 of them make the team. I would have liked to get another impact player out of the draft. If it meant trading up then that would have been good because not all these guys make the team. Trading down for Bates was a good idea, but i wasnt blown away by the players we got in the third. Maybe we could have traded up from where we were in the third to get a lineman on either side of the ball, or a better linebacker prospect. Hope it works out for us, though. I would have been happier if the steelers didnt trade ahead of us and grab rudolph too.

As always I'll wait awhile and see who rises to the top. Someone always does especially with 11 drafted and CFA's haven't come on board yet. Usually 1 or 2 will shine . It's still too early to absolutely stays and who goes with a few exceptions . Price and Hubbard ain't going anywhere and I'm pretty sure Bates gets a long look although not many WF players make it. I really hope he pans out . After that it's anyones gues ..

(04-28-2018, 08:38 PM)Sweetness Wrote: Havent you been reading on here man, our entire draft Is a bust! We don't need to find room for Any of them

I don't know what you're talking about. From what i've read on here, every pick is an A or B and they will all have a significant impact this year. o_o

(04-28-2018, 05:11 PM)Au165 Wrote: Billings stays because he is a NT and one of the few true run stuffing type guys. I think this is his make or break year though as it’s two years post ACL year so he should be fully healthy.

Billings MIGHT emerge, might not.   I would not have been surprised if a big DT went in our top 4 rounds.  Note , M Johnson did fine sliding to DT.
We WILL have a few "walk Ons" and usually one steps up to make the roster.

(04-29-2018, 12:43 PM)redwood Wrote: Billings MIGHT emerge, might not.   I would not have been surprised if a big DT went in our top 4 rounds.  Note , M Johnson did fine sliding to DT.
We WILL have a few "walk Ons" and usually one steps up to make the roster.

I think they signed Chris Baker, so that they wouldn't have to be so concerned about NT in the draft.  The addition of Andrew Brown makes things interesting.  He's got the size and power to be a run stuffer at end on 1st down, and can kick inside on passing downs.

Like every year, there will be a few surprise cuts. I think this is a make or break year for Billings.

Cutting a good player because of numbers is a problem a lot of teams would love to have.