I see that the Enquirer produced an article, just last night, to calm and explain away all of the hopeful expectations of fans looking forward to some wholesale free agency moves.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2019/03/09/cincinnati-bengals-free-agents-philosophy-not-money/3103115002/

Quote:In a year of change, the time has never been more ripe to utilize free agency to find exactly what Taylor desires in his team on the free agent market. We’ll see if the Bengals push similarly to last year. Don't expect them to suddenly drop all available cash on the likes of Baltimore's C.J. Mosley or New England's Trent Brown.
Next week, losing Darqueze Dennard and not finding an adequate replacement at slot corner could doom this coming season.

So you are saying there is a chance we sign CJ Mosley and Trent Brown. Those are the two we need. Lets get it done. Im still getting my hopes up.

i liked the article. Their is good talent to be had in FA. But getting a mega player for mega bucks is not the answer. The Bengals should approach FA looking for talented players to fill immediate need and shoring up thier draft strategy. Problem with the past (unlike last year) is simply doing nothing. We have enough holes to address this year that we should make waves in FA. But don’t want them doing cannonball off the high dive type waves just to excite fans. That will not work out.

(03-10-2019, 11:26 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I see that the Enquirer produced an article, just last night, to calm and explain away all of the hopeful expectations of fans looking forward to some wholesale free agency moves.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2019/03/09/cincinnati-bengals-free-agents-philosophy-not-money/3103115002/

Funny how I don't see a single quote from anyone in the Bengals' front office.  It states what they've done in the past and that's about it.  Another guy telling what we already know about the past and having no insight into the future.  Basically, a space filler.

(03-10-2019, 11:56 AM)McC Wrote: Funny how I don't see a single quote from anyone in the Bengals' front office.  It states what they've done in the past and that's about it.  Another guy telling what we already know about the past and having no insight into the future.  Basically, a space filler.

The quote was likely in the form of a text from Katie to Dehner, saying "put out the annual article to temper expectations".  

You guys will be in the playoffs next year. Keep your heads up.

So essentially "losing Dennard could tank the season".

Btw, telling Bengals fans not to get their hopes up for free agency is even more hilarious.

Enquirer's got jokes.

(03-10-2019, 11:48 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: i liked the article. Their is good talent to be had in FA. But getting a mega player for mega bucks is not the answer. The Bengals should approach FA looking for talented players to fill immediate need and shoring up thier draft strategy. Problem with the past (unlike last year) is simply doing nothing. We have enough holes to address this year that we should make waves in FA. But don’t want them doing cannonball off the high dive type waves just to excite fans. That will not work out.

Thing is, very few Bengal fans even ask for the mega deal.  How many non rushing LB's get huge deals?  Or RT's for that matter?  Just stop signing bums looking for one more payday.  Do something like last year.

heres the Bengals philosophy.
lets be bargain basement shoppers in free agency yet at the same time.then compile all the 6th picks we can
to address our needs.
every free agent the Bengals sign is like using the Flex Seal approach to a bigger leak.
its always a short term fix.
they never sign a free agent who has his BEST YEARS AHEAD OF HIM. ITS THE OPPOSITE HIS BEST DAYS ARE GONE.
Hawk Harrison Dansby Minter Brown.
when you totally fail on the 2014 and 2015 Drafts you have to use free agency at times to help compensate
for those failures.
great you whiffed on Fisher and Ogebuhi.
now go try to get Williams or Brown.

You know, I might be led to believe that it's smart to never (never, ever) target a big free agent, but it's tough to believe the Bengals are the smart ones when it's netted the results we've seen.

(03-10-2019, 12:20 PM)McC Wrote: Thing is, very few Bengal fans even ask for the mega deal.  How many non rushing LB's get huge deals?  Or RT's for that matter?  Just stop signing bums looking for one more payday.  Do something like last year.

Agree. There are good deals to be had to fill need. Although last year seemed out of our norm, a similar approach this year could help a lot in how ZTs first season goes.

(03-10-2019, 12:23 PM)impactplaya Wrote: they never sign a free agent who has his BEST YEARS AHEAD OF HIM. ITS THE OPPOSITE HIS BEST DAYS ARE GONE.
Hawk Harrison Dansby Minter Brown.

Preston Brown was just 25 when we signed him last year.

Do not feed.........

:troll:

Maybe before I leave this earth we can sign a big time free agent and win a playoff game. I’m not asking for that much.

(03-10-2019, 11:48 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: i liked the article. Their is good talent to be had in FA. But getting a mega player for mega bucks is not the answer. 

Agree.  Unless you were just one game away from the Super Bowl last year and only have one hole in your roster.  And even then it sometimes does not work out.

Every year there are free agents signed to huge contracts that fail to live up to them.  One contract like that can screw up the entire roster.

In 2011 the Bengals rebuilt their defense by signing three new starters in free agency (Nate Clements, Manny Lawson, Thomas Howard).  None of them were huge stars but they all had lots of NFL starts and decent production.  In fact Clements had been one of those players to not live up to a huge free agent contract before the Bengals signed him for a more reasonable price.

Lawson and Howard are almost exactly the type of players we need now.  Howard was 27 with 62 career starts and almost 400 tackles.  Lawson was 26 with 56 starts including an impressive '09 season (6.5 sacks, 16 QB hits, 9 TFL).  Both of them were very fast and athletic.

(03-10-2019, 12:34 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Preston Brown was just 25 when we signed him last year.

Do not feed.........

:troll:

And he had led the NFL in tackles the previous season.

(03-10-2019, 12:57 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Agree.  Unless you were just one game away from the Super Bowl last year and onlky have one hole in your roster.  And even then it sometimes does not work out.

Every year there are free agents signed to huge contracts that fail to live up to them.  One contract like that can screw up the entire roster.

In 2011 the Bengals rebuilt theiur defense by signing three players in free agency (Nate Clements, Manny Lawson, Thomas Howard).  None of them were huge stars but they all had lots of NFL starts and decent production.  In fact Clements had been one of those players to not live up to a huge free agent contract before the Bengals signed him for a more reasonable price.

You would think the Bengals could change their strategy after 27 years of failing. But that’s just me thinking crazy

(03-10-2019, 11:26 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I see that the Enquirer produced an article, just last night, to calm and explain away all of the hopeful expectations of fans looking forward to some wholesale free agency moves.

https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/nfl/bengals/2019/03/09/cincinnati-bengals-free-agents-philosophy-not-money/3103115002/

It would be classic Mike Brown to lose Dennard, have no replacement, then, two years down the line come to the conclusion that the team needs a decent slot corner.

Frankly, until we see an actual change in how the team approaches the off season don't expect any. Mike Brown has infected the entire front office with his warped thinking process, as witnessed by Troy Blackburn's text to Whitworth's agent.

Every year we all hope it will be different this year, but we are generally very disappointed with the out come.

People think of this year as a year of change, but do realize that not one person in the front office has been fired or replaced and no one new has been added.

 

(03-10-2019, 01:07 PM)Beaker Wrote: And he had led the NFL in tackles the previous season.

leading a team in tackles means nothing. 

(03-10-2019, 01:29 PM)impactplaya Wrote: leading a team in tackles means nothing. 

He led the league in tackles.

(03-10-2019, 01:17 PM)BengalChris Wrote: People think of this year as a year of change, but do realize that not one person in the front office has been fired or replaced and no one new has been added.

You mean the same front office that just last year added the 8th highest paid OT in the league and a LB who was among the top half of the league in pay for his position.

I am in no way saying I agree with all the moves the front office makes or does not make, but you really need to update your whimper.  Last year proved that they were at least willing to try something other than bargain bin players.

The results have not changed much but there was at least a change in some tactics.