Just dropping these in to track division rivals and their signings. so we can see how little we are doing =)

Former Saints’ RB Mark Ingram intends to sign a three-year, $15 million deal with the Baltimore Ravens, per @diannaESPN and me.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 13, 2019

He torched us badly last year with the saints.

At this point you just have to applaud teams for trying.

Typical Bengal fans perception of free agency.

Every other team gets better by signing free agents but no team ever gets weaker by losing them.

(03-13-2019, 01:30 PM)jj22 Wrote: At this point you just have to applaud teams for trying.

Just because Bengals don't let the fans decide what moves they make does not mean they are not trying.

I'm not really a Mark Ingram fan...although the Ravens seem to have unknown backs who do decent in their system.

(03-13-2019, 02:10 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Typical Bengal fans perception of free agency.

Every other team gets better by signing free agents but no team ever gets weaker by losing them.

Put free agency aside. Look at the team right now. Do you honestly believe the Bengals will be good enough to win the division this year? If you do believe they will be a good team please explain why? Did the terrible o-line get better? Did our slow linebackers get faster?

 You seem to be pretty condescending to anyone who has even the slightest negative opinion of the Bengals. So I'd like to know why you stay so optimistic despite all the evidence pointing to them to drafting in the top 10 in 2020.

I'm not trying to come off as a dick. I genuinely want to know why you think everyone should be happy with the team.

(03-13-2019, 02:22 PM)MentalRage Wrote: Put free agency aside. Look at the team right now. Do you honestly believe the Bengals will be good enough to win the division this year? If you do believe they will be a good team please explain why? Did the terrible o-line get better? Did our slow linebackers get faster?

 You seem to be pretty condescending to anyone who has even the slightest negative opinion of the Bengals. So I'd like to know why you stay so optimistic despite all the evidence pointing to them to drafting in the top 10 in 2020.

I'm not trying to come off as a dick. I genuinely want to know why you think everyone should be happy with the team.

I don't think he's saying people need to be happy with the team, I think he's saying what I'm saying - it's still way too early to start this level of panic. We're less than 2 full days in to free agency... let's give them a week or two. People who are complaining right now - many of who spent the last couple of weeks posting about how they KNOW the Bengals weren't going to do anything at the start of free agency - are just complaining for the sake of complaining, IMO.

I'd also ask this... if the Bengals are as bad as everyone around here seems to think they are, is there really one signing that's going to make any real difference for them? I'm not in favor of them making a move just to make a move, and if the strategy is to pick up a handful of good players (or a ton of average players) over one great player... I think that's the right approach to have.

(03-13-2019, 02:33 PM)NKURyan Wrote: I don't think he's saying people need to be happy with the team, I think he's saying what I'm saying - it's still way too early to start this level of panic. We're less than 2 full days in to free agency... let's give them a week or two. People who are complaining right now - many of who spent the last couple of weeks posting about how they KNOW the Bengals weren't going to do anything at the start of free agency - are just complaining for the sake of complaining, IMO.

I'd also ask this... if the Bengals are as bad as everyone around here seems to think they are, is there really one signing that's going to make any real difference for them? I'm not in favor of them making a move just to make a move, and if the strategy is to pick up a handful of good players (or a ton of average players) over one great player... I think that's the right approach to have.

There were actually moves the team could have made to excite the fans. Sign a new starting o-lineman and a new starting LB.

(03-13-2019, 02:10 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Typical Bengal fans perception of free agency.

Every other team gets better by signing free agents but no team ever gets weaker by losing them.

Saints replaced Ingram with Latavius Murray.

We're actually still 2 hours away from the start of free agency. LoL

(03-13-2019, 02:22 PM)MentalRage Wrote: Put free agency aside. Look at the team right now. Do you honestly believe the Bengals will be good enough to win the division this year? If you do believe they will be a good team please explain why? Did the terrible o-line get better? Did our slow linebackers get faster?

 You seem to be pretty condescending to anyone who has even the slightest negative opinion of the Bengals. So I'd like to know why you stay so optimistic despite all the evidence pointing to them to drafting in the top 10 in 2020.

I'm not trying to come off as a dick. I genuinely want to know why you think everyone should be happy with the team.

First of all I am not condescending to "anyone who has even the slightest negative opinion of the Bengals"  If you had spent any time here you would have seen all of the times I have been critical of the Bengals front office.  But there are a handful of posters here who criticize every single move the Bengals make (or don't make) based on their opinion that the Bengals have been the worst team in the league for years.  For some reason no one here made a thread about the Ravens losing a huge star like Mosely, but when they sign just a decent RB suddenly it has to posted here as a reason to shit on the Bengals.

The reason I have not broken down into a hopeless whiner yet is because I remember 2011 when the Bengals improved their scoring defense from 24th to 9th by signing three new starters in free agency.  Not a single one of those signings was a big-money first-day signing.

So when free agency and the draft is over I will be in more of a position to give an opinion on our off season.  So far I am not thrilled with our new coaching staff (more concern about coordinators and position coaches than Taylor) or the contract given to Hart.  But I am far from giving up this early in the game.

If you ever take part in a game day thread you will see these constant whiners predicting a Bengal loss every time we fall behind in the first half.  They are often wrong, but they just ignore all the times they were wrong and claim they have been right for "30 years".

(03-13-2019, 02:57 PM)Wyche Wrote: Saints replaced Ingram with Latavius Murray.

I was talking more about the Ravens losing Mosely.

(03-13-2019, 02:33 PM)NKURyan Wrote: I don't think he's saying people need to be happy with the team, I think he's saying what I'm saying - it's still way too early to start this level of panic. We're less than 2 full days in to free agency... let's give them a week or two. People who are complaining right now - many of who spent the last couple of weeks posting about how they KNOW the Bengals weren't going to do anything at the start of free agency - are just complaining for the sake of complaining, IMO.

I'd also ask this... if the Bengals are as bad as everyone around here seems to think they are, is there really one signing that's going to make any real difference for them? I'm not in favor of them making a move just to make a move, and if the strategy is to pick up a handful of good players (or a ton of average players) over one great player... I think that's the right approach to have.

So to your first part. Yes. I would normally agree that it's only been three days and it's super early to panic. But, with the money given to Hopkins, Uzomah, Hart and Brown the Bengals have essentially handicapped themselves from making any more significant moves. The Bengals aren't the type of team to cut players midway through contracts so by giving those three year deals to Brown/Hart they are essentially saying, "these two are my MLB/OT for the foreseeable future." I think that's a problem. Hart isn't a good OT and Brown is one-dimensional run stuffing LB. As for the Uzomah/Hopkins deals I was more than ok with them. Also, I can't speak for any of the other posters but I never complained about knowing that the bengals wouldn't spend money in free agency. 

Secondly, and once again I can only speak for myself, I believe the Bengals are right on the cusp of being either a bad or good team. I've never been a fan of going out and spending loads of money in free agency. It almost never works out. I am a fan, however, of spending money in a smart way. You say their strategy is to sign a handful of average to good players. I can agree with that, but let's be smart with the money. Bobby Hart isn't even an average tackle, in fact he's one of the worst and by signing him to that deal it just about takes OT off the board in round 1 of the draft. Preston Brown is slightly average. Why do you think the Bills let him walk only to draft an athletically gifted LB as his replacement? Because that's where the NFL is headed. The Bengals need athletes at the position. 

If you want an idea of a smart move for an OT look at what the Bills signed OT Ty Nsekhe for. 2 years for 14.5 mil. PFF grades him as a way better run/pass blocker than Hart. That is the type of deal I was hoping the Bengals would look for. I'm not arguing for the Bengals to make high profile moves. I want SMART moves. There is a difference. 

Were we looking for a RB?

(03-13-2019, 03:12 PM)MentalRage Wrote: If you want an idea of a smart move for an OT look at what the Bills signed OT Ty Nsekhe for. 2 years for 14.5 mil. PFF grades him as a way better run/pass blocker than Hart. That is the type of deal I was hoping the Bengals would look for. I'm not arguing for the Bengals to make high profile moves. I want SMART moves. There is a difference. 

PFF is a joke.  Nsekhe has never even been a starter.

And the Bills are also a joke.  They have had 2 winning seasons in the last 14 years, and have not won 10 games in a season in the last 20 years.

(03-13-2019, 02:14 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: I'm not really a Mark Ingram fan...although the Ravens seem to have unknown backs who do decent in their system.

They had to replace that one guy they cut for getting into legal trouble.  They need a stable of backs for the offense they run,

(03-13-2019, 03:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: PFF is a joke.  Nsekhe has never even been a starter.

And the Bills are also a joke.  They have had 2 winning seasons in the last 14 years, and have not won 10 games in a season in the last 20 years.

Just because he hasn't been a starter yet (he was blocked by Trent Williams) doesn't mean he isn't better than Bobby Hart.

Hart gave up 10 sacks last year along with 11 penalties. PFF may not be gospel but it is a good place to start.

Also their team record has nothing to do with whether or not it is a good signing. That is irrelevant. 

(03-13-2019, 03:28 PM)MentalRage Wrote: Also their team record has nothing to do with whether or not it is a good signing. That is irrelevant. 

How do you judge a front office if not by how the team performs on the field?

(03-13-2019, 03:28 PM)MentalRage Wrote: Just because he hasn't been a starter yet (he was blocked by Trent Williams) doesn't mean he isn't better than Bobby Hart.

Nsekhe is 33 years old and has never won a starting job in the NFL.  He is 3 years OLDER than Trent Williams