Is there an examples of teams that only carried 4 LB's on their roster that were successful teams? I mean it's not like our guys have been non-injury prone. Trying to understand the logic here. I get you're in Nickel a bunch and the talk about maybe utilizing Fej or Shawn Williams, but still wondering what kind of plan this really is.

(09-03-2019, 04:32 PM)WestCoastBengalsFan Wrote: Is there an examples of teams that only carried 4 LB's on their roster that were successful teams? I mean it's not like our guys have been non-injury prone. Trying to understand the logic here. I get you're in Nickel a bunch and the talk about maybe utilizing Fej or Shawn Williams, but still wondering what kind of plan this really is.

I don't think we'll know until the season starts.  ZT has not exactly been open about such things.  He showed really next to nothing about his offense or defense in the preseason. 

It seems pretty concerning at this point in time.   People bring up the idea of using S's as LB's.  Not only are there only 4 LB's, there are only 4 S's too.

I think they just kept the best players they had. they figured that the #5 LB was so weak they could get a player like that off the street if they needed one. So they kept players at other positions that were better than the average street free agent.

Keeping 11 on the Dline is equally interesting. 5-1-5 looks you'd think, but we short on db's too so who knows.

Don't be surprised if Hardy is still lurking waiting to return ala Jerry. While we think they've got some master plan involving a fresh face with potential getting added sometime down the line.

This isn't surprising if you think about it. Picture Hubs, Lawson and Willis as EDGE guys or standup linebackers in a 3-4 defense and you have 7 linebackers/ 7 lineman. Last year teams kept us in run defense to keep Lawson off the field and neutralize Geno. This will keep Lawson on the field during rush downs and allow them to mix it up.

Hardy Nickerson has returned to the PS, so he's there if the team needs another LB.
With that said, I'm expecting a high amount of either 4-2-5 or 5-2-4 personnel on the field.

yup 4. and none of them are good. long year ahead of us. SIGN TEVON CONEY

What about that Cravens kid that Denver drafted? I think he’d be a good attempt at the DB/LB hybrid type we might be looking at trying to do.


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(09-03-2019, 05:30 PM)yellowxdiscipline Wrote: What about that Cravens kid that Denver drafted? I think he’d be a good attempt at the DB/LB hybrid type we might be looking at trying to do.


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agreed ^^^ bring in cravens and Tevon Coney.

(09-03-2019, 04:32 PM)WestCoastBengalsFan Wrote: Is there an examples of teams that only carried 4 LB's on their roster that were successful teams? I mean it's not like our guys have been non-injury prone. Trying to understand the logic here. I get you're in Nickel a bunch and the talk about maybe utilizing Fej or Shawn Williams, but still wondering what kind of plan this really is.

all I can say at this point is the players at other positions provided more value than our LB depth (which the guys that were cut wont really be missed)

With the holiday weekend it might have been slow to get guys in for a visit I hope to hear we have at least kicked tires on a few LBers in the next day or so


Anyone we pick up now will take a while before they are contributing past special teams.

(09-03-2019, 05:13 PM)yang Wrote: This isn't surprising if you think about it.  Picture Hubs, Lawson and Willis as EDGE guys or standup linebackers in a 3-4 defense and you have 7 linebackers/ 7 lineman.   Last year teams kept us in run defense to keep Lawson off the field and neutralize Geno.  This will keep Lawson on the field during rush downs and allow them to mix it up.

that could be the plan... didn't see any of that preseason but wouldn't expect to...   But we tried playing DEs as Linebackers before with little success.

(09-03-2019, 05:30 PM)yellowxdiscipline Wrote: What about that Cravens kid that Denver drafted? I think he’d be a good attempt at the DB/LB hybrid type we might be looking at trying to do.


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Cravens has a terrible attitude stay away from him.

Anyone remember the scheme the Chargers used in the Playoff game against the Ravens last year when they controlled Lamar Jackson

If Im not mistaken they ran the whole game with 2 LBS and 5 in the secondary if not more DBs

With the changing landscape of the NFL and they pass "happiness" we may see more of this scheme

I really don't like how they configured the end of this roster.
We basically have 4 nose Tackles and we're short at both LB and CB. Maybe they could have gotten away with 4 LBers if we had 11 DBs with a hybrid S/NLB combo type player. We're dangerously thin at LB. I just don't get how this team can make the same mistake over and over again

I don't think I've seen one good argument to keep only four LBs. I really don't understand it. Unless we are running some heavily modified 5-2. If that's the case, I'd want more DBs. I guess we will see. Maybe ZT was hiding the defense from everyone!?

(09-03-2019, 05:28 PM)SadFaceBengal15 Wrote: yup 4.  and none of them are good.  long year ahead of us.  SIGN TEVON CONEY

An undrafted CFA cut by the Raiders.  What's he the answer to?

https://thedraftnetwork.com/player/tevon-coney

"{LB Te'Von Coney projects as an early down linebacker at the NFL level. Coney's range and impact on passing downs are major hurdles to a featured role, but his physical limitations present a very limited ceiling with little room for growth. Coney has the physicality to be a force defender in the box and plug up gaps. Coney is ideally a rotational defender who gets run in early downs and short yardage situations, although that role comes with a limited value. "

We could also be using 3 CB 2 Safeties 2 LB 4 DL. The third CB is in essence the Free Safety and the 2nd Safety plays up like a LB. Alternately we may play a 5 man front with one designated to drop into coverage on pass plays.

(09-03-2019, 05:13 PM)yang Wrote: This isn't surprising if you think about it.  Picture Hubs, Lawson and Willis as EDGE guys or standup linebackers in a 3-4 defense and you have 7 linebackers/ 7 lineman.   Last year teams kept us in run defense to keep Lawson off the field and neutralize Geno.  This will keep Lawson on the field during rush downs and allow them to mix it up.

Thats the way I am looking at it. 

I like it. Use the good players that we have. Don't force a bum onto the team, change the scheme and use the players to their strengths.

poor Taylor Mays was 5 years ahead of his time......someone in that mold would excel in todays game

(09-03-2019, 06:02 PM)corpjet Wrote: poor Taylor Mays was 5 years ahead of his time......someone in that mold would excel in todays game

Isaiah Simmons is going top 5 this year in the draft and he has very similar athletic dimensions to Mays.