The glaring weak point on the Bengals defense is clearly the LBs. This coming offseason may be the chance for them to do a complete revamp. In order to do that, I think they can/should draft a LB within the first two rounds and then also get a proven veteran in FA.

The FA I want most at LB is KJ Wright.
He's had triple-digit combined tackles each season from 2014-2017, and he has ideal size and enough range to be a modern day 3-down LB. He's also had at least 3 PDs each full season he's played (sitting at 2 right now, but he's only played 3 games all year due to nagging knee injury).
He's only one year older than Vontaze Burfict, will be 30 next year. I think he has another 2-3 years of good production left.

In terms of expected salary, the top 3 4-3 OLBs make just above $11 mill a year average. Burfict is actually the third-highest paid 4-3 OLB.
I think KJ Wright is deserving of right around that $11 mill a year range.
To help absorb that cost, I think it would make sense to cut/trade Burfict (whom Wright would replace) and save $6.8 mill in cap space in 2019 and $8.9 mill in 2020. That would essentially be just an additional cap hit of ~$6 mill over the course of two seasons...not a big hit to the cap at all.

I think the only other "upper tier" FA LBs I'd like to see instead of Wright would be Anthony Barr or maybe Deone Bucannon, but I don't see the Bengals going for Bucannon at LB if they aren't willing to move someone like Shawn Williams there, who is roughly the same size.
Barr, to me, is more of a modern day SAM who could fill that Peter Boulware role that Marvin seems to like but the price for Barr will probably be way too high for how Barr would be used in Cincinnati.

If the Bengals decided to go after a LB in FA, who would you want?

Wright is the free agent I want in stripes next year. And I think, or maybe hope, he might go a little cheaper than $11million a year since he will be 30 next year.  All other primarily outside 4-3 linebackers (Vernon, Barr, Collins, Lee) paid 9+million a year received their new contract in the 25-27 age range.

KJ has a knee injury and has missed a lot of games this year so that should make him cheaper than what he should go for. I am going to say between 7-8 million for him a year. We would take him in a heartbeat.

Lots of good LBs getting ready to hit free agency. https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/linebacker/

From a quick look, I think all of these guys are worth putting a bid on.

Avery Williamson
Dee Ford
Preston Smith
Denzel Perryman
Jordan Hicks
Za'Darious Smith
Corey Littleton
Brennan Scarlett
Isiah Irving

I'd prefer Jordan Hicks.

(12-15-2018, 04:11 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Lots of good LBs getting ready to hit free agency.  https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/free-agents/all/linebacker/

From a quick look, I think all of these guys are worth putting a bid on.

Avery Williamson
Dee Ford
Preston Smith
Denzel Perryman
Jordan Hicks
Za'Darious Smith
Corey Littleton
Brennan Scarlett
Isiah Irving

I like Perryman and Hicks. 

Isn't Hicks a Cincinnati kid?

Mike Brown will do his usual LB thing and grab an aging vet on a one year prove it deal to not mess with his comp pick wet dream.

(12-21-2018, 09:50 PM)BengalFanInNJ Wrote: I like Perryman and Hicks. 

Isn't Hicks a Cincinnati kid?

Hicks is local. The Bengals also loved him in 2015 .They were ready to take him in the third. He was taken right in front of us and we took Kroft.

(12-14-2018, 11:28 AM)ochocincos Wrote: The glaring weak point on the Bengals defense is clearly the LBs. This coming offseason may be the chance for them to do a complete revamp. In order to do that, I think they can/should draft a LB within the first two rounds and then also get a proven veteran in FA.

The FA I want most at LB is KJ Wright.
He's had triple-digit combined tackles each season from 2014-2017, and he has ideal size and enough range to be a modern day 3-down LB. He's also had at least 3 PDs each full season he's played (sitting at 2 right now, but he's only played 3 games all year due to nagging knee injury).
He's only one year older than Vontaze Burfict, will be 30 next year. I think he has another 2-3 years of good production left.

In terms of expected salary, the top 3 4-3 OLBs make just above $11 mill a year average. Burfict is actually the third-highest paid 4-3 OLB.
I think KJ Wright is deserving of right around that $11 mill a year range.
To help absorb that cost, I think it would make sense to cut/trade Burfict (whom Wright would replace) and save $6.8 mill in cap space in 2019 and $8.9 mill in 2020. That would essentially be just an additional cap hit of ~$6 mill over the course of two seasons...not a big hit to the cap at all.

I think the only other "upper tier" FA LBs I'd like to see instead of Wright would be Anthony Barr or maybe Deone Bucannon, but I don't see the Bengals going for Bucannon at LB if they aren't willing to move someone like Shawn Williams there, who is roughly the same size.
Barr, to me, is more of a modern day SAM who could fill that Peter Boulware role that Marvin seems to like but the price for Barr will probably be way too high for how Barr would be used in Cincinnati.

If the Bengals decided to go after a LB in FA, who would you want?

One negative for Wright is his age, the second is had injury issues this year and n the past.

But, I would love to see us cut/trade Burfict and bring in Wright. Burfict should retire or reach an injury settlement with team for his own sake long term health wise.

(01-10-2019, 12:56 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: One negative for Wright is his age, the second is had injury issues this year and n the past.

But, I would love to see us cut/trade Burfict and bring in Wright. Burfict should retire or reach an injury settlement with team for his own sake long term health wise.

Definitely right. But if the team wanted to try to give Jefferson and Evans a couple years to develop, Wright should still be a very good option for 2-3 years. While he's missed a lot of games this past year, he only missed five games in his entire career prior (2011-2017).

I'd love to see CJ Mosley but I think he's going to be the top LB in FA and would be tough to get to Cincinnati.
I didn't realize Jordan Hicks was set to hit FA until someone else mentioned him, but I'd like him too. He went to Lakota West and has been a solid LB in the NFL. He hasn't been as good as Wright though since 2015. 

(01-10-2019, 01:23 PM)ochocincos Wrote: Definitely right. But if the team wanted to try to give Jefferson and Evans a couple years to develop, Wright should still be a very good option for 2-3 years. While he's missed a lot of games this past year, he only missed five games in his entire career prior (2011-2017).

I'd love to see CJ Mosley but I think he's going to be the top LB in FA and would be tough to get to Cincinnati.
I didn't realize Jordan Hicks was set to hit FA until someone else mentioned him, but I'd like him too. He went to Lakota West and has been a solid LB in the NFL. He hasn't been as good as Wright though since 2015. 

I would have no issue with Evans, the Lakota West LB too. I was not impressed with Brown when he was healthy. Hicks is more of a MLB I do believe than Brown or Wright as well.

I agree Evans, Jefferson and Vigil could still develop. But, it would nice to see them have time to develop behind proven vets or have to beat out the vets for playing time.