Obviously LBer was one of our very weak spots this past season. For the purposes of this list let's assume we get two starters this off season, one from top of draft and a free agent. Who from this list do we keep ?

Preston Brown
Vontaze Burfict
Jordan Evans  
Malik Jefferson
Hardy Nickerson
Vincent Rey
Nick Vigil
Chris Worley

Brown and Rey are both unrestricted free agents. Burfict just needs to go for the benefit of all. Nickerson is just awful !

To me the keep list is small:

Vigil - I could see him being serviceable paired with two good LBers.
Jefferson - 3rd round pick, is he really that bad that he couldn't move one of these others out ?
Brown - I'm on the bubble about ? If the price was right I guess ?

Everyone besides Rey and Burfict I would guess will be back for camp. I think they get Brown back on another 1 year deal.

The one guy I definitely DO NOT want back is Nickerson. Easily one of the worst LBers I’ve ever seen.

(01-15-2019, 02:01 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Obviously LBer was one of our very weak spots this past season. For the purposes of this list let's assume we get two starters this off season, one from top of draft and a free agent. Who from this list do we keep ?

Preston Brown
Vontaze Burfict
Jordan Evans  
Malik Jefferson
Hardy Nickerson
Vincent Rey
Nick Vigil
Chris Worley

Brown and Rey are both unrestricted free agents. Burfict just needs to go for the benefit of all. Nickerson is just awful !

To me the keep list is small:

Vigil - I could see him being serviceable paired with two good LBers.
Jefferson - 3rd round pick, is he really that bad that he couldn't move one of these others out ?
Brown - I'm on the bubble about ? If the price was right I guess ?

I don't think we ever saw a healthy Brown play.  In the one series he played uninjured he had an interception

(01-15-2019, 02:04 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: The one guy I definitely DO NOT want back is Nickerson. Easily one of the worst LBers I’ve ever seen.

Oh yes,

I'm 54 and I bet I could go out there right now and put the challenge to Nickerson going sideline to sideline.

P.S. - not really but you know what I mean

Burfict and Nickerson have to go.

(01-15-2019, 02:01 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Obviously LBer was one of our very weak spots this past season. For the purposes of this list let's assume we get two starters this off season, one from top of draft and a free agent. Who from this list do we keep ?

Preston Brown
Vontaze Burfict
Jordan Evans  
Malik Jefferson
Hardy Nickerson
Vincent Rey
Nick Vigil
Chris Worley

Brown and Rey are both unrestricted free agents. Burfict just needs to go for the benefit of all. Nickerson is just awful !

To me the keep list is small:

Vigil - I could see him being serviceable paired with two good LBers.
Jefferson - 3rd round pick, is he really that bad that he couldn't move one of these others out ?
Brown - I'm on the bubble about ? If the price was right I guess ?

I'm really not that interested in keeping any of the Bengals LBers that will cost much. None of them played well enough to earn much of a contract. Now some haven't had much of an opportunity to show anything yet and they don't cost much so I'd keep them and let them compete in camp.

Basically, I'm not interested in Brown, Burfict or Rey because they all cost too much and didn't perform well.

I want some speedy LBers who can cover and who tackle well and who have the smarts to understand what they are seeing unfold in front of them.

(01-15-2019, 02:07 PM)pally Wrote: I don't think we ever saw a healthy Brown play.  In the one series he played uninjured he had an interception

Brown's injury I'm sure slowed him down and after he got back he wasn't awful. I'm not against them bringing him back for depth if nothing else.

i don't think vigil is really that bad tbh.

(01-15-2019, 02:01 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Obviously LBer was one of our very weak spots this past season. For the purposes of this list let's assume we get two starters this off season, one from top of draft and a free agent. Who from this list do we keep ?

Preston Brown
Vontaze Burfict
Jordan Evans  
Malik Jefferson
Hardy Nickerson
Vincent Rey
Nick Vigil
Chris Worley

Brown and Rey are both unrestricted free agents. Burfict just needs to go for the benefit of all. Nickerson is just awful !

To me the keep list is small:

Vigil - I could see him being serviceable paired with two good LBers.
Jefferson - 3rd round pick, is he really that bad that he couldn't move one of these others out ?
Brown - I'm on the bubble about ? If the price was right I guess ?

I'd keep these three.  Brown played through injury until he was finally put on IR, and as pally noted, he got an INT before he was hurt, and got another later on.  To be out there every week on a gimp ankle, I thought he played ok.  Vigil came back from a knee injury too, as someone else noted in another thread, he was leading the NFL in stops before the injury.  You kind of have to keep the sophomore to see if he develops.

I thank Vinnie Rey for his time here, and he really overachieved, but I think the fuel pump has lost its prime.  Just no on Nickerson, and Burfict needs to hang up the spikes.  Evans?  Meh.....

(01-15-2019, 02:16 PM)Okeana Wrote: i don't think vigil is really that bad tbh.

I don’t think he’d start on many good teams, but he looked decent by comparison here this season with what was around him.

(01-15-2019, 02:16 PM)Okeana Wrote: i don't think vigil is really that bad tbh.

Vigil would be fine as the 3rd best LB. As the 1st best LB, he looks bad.

I keep wanting Evans to surprise me, but all he did was let me down last season. Still on the fence about him.
Vigil is worth keeping and so is Jefferson. Brown and Worley I'd keep also.
I was pissed we cut Joseph last preseason and kept Nickerson, now that Merv is gone and so is his good ol'boy network, Nickerson can't be shown the door fast enough. Rey, love ya but hang it up buddy. Burfict, I'd wait on to see what's left in the tank.

(01-15-2019, 02:18 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: I don’t think he’d start on many good teams, but he looked decent by comparison here this season with what was around him.

(01-15-2019, 02:19 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: Vigil would be fine as the 3rd best LB. As the 1st best LB, he looks bad.

Agreed,

Vigil isn't a top shelf LBer in the league but he would be pretty good compliment with a couple studs !

(01-15-2019, 02:30 PM)sandwedge Wrote: I keep wanting Evans to surprise me, but all he did was let me down last season. Still on the fence about him.
Vigil is worth keeping and so is Jefferson. Brown and Worley I'd keep also.
I was pissed we cut Joseph last preseason and kept Nickerson, now that Merv is gone and so is his good ol'boy network, Nickerson can't be shown the door fast enough. Rey, love ya but hang it up buddy. Burfict, I'd wait on to see what's left in the tank.

Evans is like the #6 LBer on nearly every team out there. I think we can upgrade from him fairly easily.

(01-15-2019, 02:45 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Evans is like the #6 LBer on nearly every team out there. I think we can upgrade from him fairly easily.

He's tons better than people give him credit for; feast or famine guy that looks awesome when he's on and less than stellar when he's not.

He gets kept.

Vigil
Evans
Brown
Jefferson

Those are the sure keeps.

Maybe Worley if he can actually contribute on defensive snaps, instead of just STs.

Draft one to put us at 6 LBs (or get another if Worley is not retained) and call it a day; it needs work, but it shouldn't be the most heavily-invested part of the team.

They need to be only competent.

As long as we have room for white I’m happy. Kids a stud

I'd like to see one added in FA, to go with a high draft pick. Ocho mentioned Littleton, I think that would be a good fit. I also wouldn't mind Jordan Hicks from the Eagles.

Call it blind faith. Call me an idiot. I'm not ready to pull the plug on Burfict just yet. He looked spent, but I'd give him an off-season, a full camp, and actually play him in the preseason... See what happens.

I like Vigil. He's shown nothing, but it's too soon to quit on Jefferson. Maybe keep Brown if the price is right... The rest can kick rocks.

(01-15-2019, 03:01 PM)Au165 Wrote: I'd like to see one added in FA, to go with a high draft pick. Ocho mentioned Littleton, I think that would be a good fit. I also wouldn't mind Jordan Hicks from the Eagles.

My thoughts as well. High draft pick and a real free agent.

LBers that can cover or hybrid safeties are crucial in today's NFL.