(04-28-2019, 11:38 AM)OSUfan Wrote: I have to say after this draft that I feel even better about the direction that this new staff is going with this franchise. I was never a Lewis hater but I really like the energy and apparent direction of this new staff.

It would appear that they understand the division they are in and are not going to force the square peg in the round hole. They seem to want to take proven ideologies for this division and improve upon them. It looks as if they have a clear vision for an identity already and are committed to pounding the football and imposing their will on opposing defenses. I really like that.

It looks like with the drafting of Sample that they are going to truly use the TE as that extra blocker which will play heavily into him being a weapon in the play action passing game and he is absolutely the ideal fit for this type of a scheme. With him lining up next to either Jonah Williams or Cordy Glenn it should make for a formidable tandem on the end of the line in run blocking.

I like that it seems the defensive staff wants to simply the scheme and allow the guys to just play fast and instinctive. I think many times that teams out scheme themselves. The Patriots are so stinking good on both sides of the ball because they use simple schemes but just execute them relatively flawlessly.

Just some post draft thoughts. I have to say that at this point I really like the direction it seems to be going.

Perhaps it's just me being a homer ? I dunno ? But it seems there's a method to this madness, it seems they went into the draft on a mission and they stuck to their guns.

Maybe it will be a total flop ? But I'm starting to believe there's actually a plan now. And that provides hope

When's the last time the Bengals made three trades in the same draft?

(04-28-2019, 11:54 PM)ElkValleyBengal Wrote: When's the last time the Bengals made three trades in the same draft?

I don't often talk about Mike Brown giving up control (because people have been making those claims forever), but to me this was a big sign of change. Zac Taylor was able to fill out his staff completely, which is something even Marvin Lewis wasn't able to do in 2003. Then we make multiple trades up in the draft, which is something we'd done exactly one time since 1995. IMO, it's a pretty big deal.

(04-28-2019, 05:08 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: He probably sees Mixon as our Todd Gurley. He should. Mixon is a top 5 back already.


I wouldn't write off the Browns offense. Mayfield, Beckham Jr, Jarvis Landry, Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, etc.

They are absolutely loaded on offense.

They may have too many weapons.  How do all those guys get enough chances to keep them all happy? They have a bunch of front line guys but no secondary players to take whatever they get and not complain.

(04-28-2019, 05:24 PM)Beaker Wrote: I would like to see it play out like this.....they both play well in the preseason, but not so spectacular that other teams want them badly. Then Williams gets the 3rd RB spot and we stash Anderson on the PS. Other teams leave him there because they are scared of his injury history. He has a year to heal and get stronger with the strength and conditioning coaches, and he learns the offense. Then if we lose Gio next season, our 3 are Mixon, Anderson and Williams.

I think if Anderson does make 53 man roster, he needs to go on IR for his toe nail issue.  

(04-28-2019, 08:43 PM)psychdoctor Wrote: I hear what sold them on Finley over all of the other QB in this draft was his ability to reiterate protection schemes back to the coaches.  I think the staff is really high on Finley.  

I like your previous post Psychdoctor and add this element to it.   They're drafting smart and mentally tough players.

I like it.

(04-28-2019, 05:08 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: He probably sees Mixon as our Todd Gurley. He should. Mixon is a top 5 back already.


I wouldn't write off the Browns offense. Mayfield, Beckham Jr, Jarvis Landry, Kareem Hunt, Nick Chubb, David Njoku, etc.

They are absolutely loaded on offense.

Agreed on the Browns there for real. I still think we can beat them but there good.

(04-28-2019, 11:38 AM)OSUfan Wrote: I have to say after this draft that I feel even better about the direction that this new staff is going with this franchise. I was never a Lewis hater but I really like the energy and apparent direction of this new staff.

It would appear that they understand the division they are in and are not going to force the square peg in the round hole. They seem to want to take proven ideologies for this division and improve upon them. It looks as if they have a clear vision for an identity already and are committed to pounding the football and imposing their will on opposing defenses. I really like that.

It looks like with the drafting of Sample that they are going to truly use the TE as that extra blocker which will play heavily into him being a weapon in the play action passing game and he is absolutely the ideal fit for this type of a scheme. With him lining up next to either Jonah Williams or Cordy Glenn it should make for a formidable tandem on the end of the line in run blocking.

I like that it seems the defensive staff wants to simply the scheme and allow the guys to just play fast and instinctive. I think many times that teams out scheme themselves. The Patriots are so stinking good on both sides of the ball because they use simple schemes but just execute them relatively flawlessly.

Just some post draft thoughts. I have to say that at this point I really like the direction it seems to be going.

Good points all. I would simplify my feedback with this analysis of each pick:

They love football, first and foremost.
They have outstanding talent in an area that fits our team’s area of need.
They are high character guys.
They were drafted with a specific purpose in mind.

This team will be fun to watch and a totally different vibe than under Marvin. I can’t wait.

No more knuckleheads....which hopefully means no more meltdowns!

There seemed to be a concise and direct plan, and they stuck to it. That was kind of odd to see on a Bengals draft day. It's plain as day what the plan is here in Cincy, I just hope they can pull it off.

I was rather impressed with what seemed to be a focus on high character young men; something that wasn't always valued by the previous regime.

(04-28-2019, 11:38 AM)OSUfan Wrote: I have to say after this draft that I feel even better about the direction that this new staff is going with this franchise. I was never a Lewis hater but I really like the energy and apparent direction of this new staff.

It would appear that they understand the division they are in and are not going to force the square peg in the round hole. They seem to want to take proven ideologies for this division and improve upon them. It looks as if they have a clear vision for an identity already and are committed to pounding the football and imposing their will on opposing defenses. I really like that.

It looks like with the drafting of Sample that they are going to truly use the TE as that extra blocker which will play heavily into him being a weapon in the play action passing game and he is absolutely the ideal fit for this type of a scheme. With him lining up next to either Jonah Williams or Cordy Glenn it should make for a formidable tandem on the end of the line in run blocking.

I like that it seems the defensive staff wants to simply the scheme and allow the guys to just play fast and instinctive. I think many times that teams out scheme themselves. The Patriots are so stinking good on both sides of the ball because they use simple schemes but just execute them relatively flawlessly.

Just some post draft thoughts. I have to say that at this point I really like the direction it seems to be going.

Agree with everything you say here OSUfan. Had to solidify the trenches for Taylor to have success immediately. With Jonah and Sample now on the Offense we have added two great talents in the blocking department that are smart and standup individuals. We can now run a simple unpredictable scheme that features a lot of Play Action and a lot of use of the RB's.

It is not a coincidence that all of the RB's now on the roster are versatile and can catch the ball. Taylor saw how Gurley got worn down last year and doesn't want the same thing to happen to Mixon. Use Mixon more in the passing game is what i want to see, maybe a little less in the running game. We have the RB's to do both and keep him fresh for down the stretch hopefully heading deep into the Playoffs.

(04-30-2019, 04:00 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Agree with everything you say here OSUfan. Had to solidify the trenches for Taylor to have success immediately. With Jonah and Sample now on the Offense we have added two great talents in the blocking department that are smart and standup individuals. We can now run a simple unpredictable scheme that features a lot of Play Action and a lot of use of the RB's.

It is not a coincidence that all of the RB's now on the roster are versatile and can catch the ball. Taylor saw how Gurley got worn down last year and doesn't want the same thing to happen to Mixon. Use Mixon more in the passing game is what i want to see, maybe a little less in the running game. We have the RB's to do both and keep him fresh for down the stretch hopefully heading deep into the Playoffs.

Nothing at all to argue here and I have to say I look forward to seeing this offense in action. I really think Dalton is going to shine in this scheme. Whether some care to admit it or not Dalton is a smart QB. He understands the game. He has good anticipation and one of the top pre-snap QBs in the league. It seems that some forget that prior to injuring his throwing thumb he was on an MVP pace.

Yes Dalton needs some protection and no he is not on the level of a Tom Brady or an Aaron Rodgers. Would be silly to argue that he is. However, if he gets some protection then he can take this team on a very deep playoff run I firmly believe. I really feel that Taylor and Callahan are going to be able to get the best of Andy Dalton out of him in their scheme.

I also look forward to seeing us smash the ball against Pittsburgh like they have us for so many years. It is very refreshing to feel that there is absolutely an identity and direction and a very precise plan to put it into action.

(04-30-2019, 03:37 PM)Lucidus Wrote: I was rather impressed with what seemed to be a focus on high character young men; something that wasn't always valued by the previous regime.

High character, smart, and guys that the game seems to be very important to. Guys with a passion for the game.

(04-30-2019, 05:18 PM)OSUfan Wrote: Nothing at all to argue here and I have to say I look forward to seeing this offense in action. I really think Dalton is going to shine in this scheme. Whether some care to admit it or not Dalton is a smart QB. He understands the game. He has good anticipation and one of the top pre-snap QBs in the league. It seems that some forget that prior to injuring his throwing thumb he was on an MVP pace.

Yes Dalton needs some protection and no he is not on the level of a Tom Brady or an Aaron Rodgers. Would be silly to argue that he is. However, if he gets some protection then he can take this team on a very deep playoff run I firmly believe. I really feel that Taylor and Callahan are going to be able to get the best of Andy Dalton out of him in their scheme.

I also look forward to seeing us smash the ball against Pittsburgh like they have us for so many years. It is very refreshing to feel that there is absolutely an identity and direction and a very precise plan to put it into action.

Given time, Dalton is almost surgical in the right scheme.  For all of the grief Hue Jackson gets, you can't deny he had this offense humming.  Even when we were down a bunch of weapons in 2014, we won 10 games, that saw Dalton rush for 5 TDs, and even catch one.  The key was the offense being unpredictable, and.....this a big and.....the line was able to give Dalton enough time to scan the field.  That hasn't been the case since 2015.  To me, that's what Andy needs more than anything else, time.  You give him that, and you will see better results.

(04-30-2019, 06:48 PM)Wyche Wrote: Given time, Dalton is almost surgical in the right scheme.  For all of the grief Hue Jackson gets, you can't deny he had this offense humming.  Even when we were down a bunch of weapons in 2014, we won 10 games, that saw Dalton rush for 5 TDs, and even catch one.  The key was the offense being unpredictable, and.....this a big and.....the line was able to give Dalton enough time to scan the field.  That hasn't been the case since 2015.  To me, that's what Andy needs more than anything else, time.  You give him that, and you will see better results.

To me one of the major issues we have had since Dalton has been here has been our lines. People will quickly get up in arms here before reading on and start screaming about how good some of the lines were Dalton had. Well yes and no. Since Dalton has been here we have had some outstanding pass blocking lines for sure. What we have not had is a dominant run blocking line. We have not had a line that was capable of running the ball when they wanted to. We have only been able to run the ball when the defense has backed off.

I have waited a long time to see a team that is just flat going to be physical and pound defenses. A dominant run game will give Dalton time and open up our receivers. I am excited to see them start putting this together.

(04-30-2019, 05:18 PM)OSUfan Wrote: Nothing at all to argue here and I have to say I look forward to seeing this offense in action. I really think Dalton is going to shine in this scheme. Whether some care to admit it or not Dalton is a smart QB. He understands the game. He has good anticipation and one of the top pre-snap QBs in the league. It seems that some forget that prior to injuring his throwing thumb he was on an MVP pace.

Yes Dalton needs some protection and no he is not on the level of a Tom Brady or an Aaron Rodgers. Would be silly to argue that he is. However, if he gets some protection then he can take this team on a very deep playoff run I firmly believe. I really feel that Taylor and Callahan are going to be able to get the best of Andy Dalton out of him in their scheme.

I also look forward to seeing us smash the ball against Pittsburgh like they have us for so many years. It is very refreshing to feel that there is absolutely an identity and direction and a very precise plan to put it into action.

Should help everyone on Offense having an offensive minded coach instead of a defensive minded one.

The Defense i think looked so bad cause of coaching, we have new coaches and i really love Tem's resume and Lou Anarumo will see what Austin did poorly with these players last year and adapt accordingly. It was pretty damn obvious, the Linebackers were out of position or injured all year long, if Tem can get our guys to be in the right position and wrap up all the while diagnosing plays we will be good on that side of the ball too.

We have a good D-line and a good Secondary for Lou and the new Line coach to work with.

Two things really impressed me and hopefully these guys pan out:

1. The emphasis on character
2. The emphasis on the O-line.

Davis in the 6th may just turn out to be a good pick as a thumper on running downs.. I'm not opposed to rotating LB's for specific tasks just like they do with the DL.. The same applies for Wren as well..   We'll see..

(05-01-2019, 05:09 PM)grampahol Wrote: Davis in the 6th may just turn out to be a good pick as a thumper on running downs.. I'm not opposed to rotating LB's for specific tasks just like they do with the DL.. The same applies for Wren as well..   We'll see..

Sometimes you need that thumping LB. The Rams sure needed one in the Superbowl...

(05-01-2019, 01:50 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Should help everyone on Offense having an offensive minded coach instead of a defensive minded one.

The Defense i think looked so bad cause of coaching, we have new coaches and i really love Tem's resume and Lou Anarumo will see what Austin did poorly with these players last year and adapt accordingly. It was pretty damn obvious, the Linebackers were out of position or injured all year long, if Tem can get our guys to be in the right position and wrap up all the while diagnosing plays we will be good on that side of the ball too.

We have a good D-line and a good Secondary for Lou and the new Line coach to work with.

I have to admit that I have been impressed with both Lou and Tem in the interviews I have seen them do so far. It seems like Lou would like to simplify defensive schemes and allow guys to play football like they have all their lives rather than so much thinking. He seems like a guy that can identify player strengths and hopefully will scheme to maximize this.