I guess my first choice is Joe Burrow? Though I'll look more at this class when we get into the offseason.

We certainly could have a shot at Lawrence going by how we tend to upgrade or should I say not upgrade through free agency, but to be perfectly honest he hasn't played that great this year, so I'm not even convince on him quite yet. Does he have the tools and talent? Of course, but he hasn't shown it on the field nearly as much as he should have this year. And this comes from a guy that lives 30 minutes away from Clemson stadium.

(11-19-2019, 12:00 AM)CarolinaBengalFanGuy Wrote: I guess my first choice is Joe Burrow? Though I'll look more at this class when we get into the offseason.

We certainly could have a shot at Lawrence going by how we tend to upgrade or should I say not upgrade through free agency, but to be perfectly honest he hasn't played that great this year, so I'm not even convince on him quite yet. Does he have the tools and talent? Of course, but he hasn't shown it on the field nearly as much as he should have this year. And this comes from a guy that lives 30 minutes away from Clemson stadium.

Lawrence isn't eligible until next year. 

Joe Burrow is probably the guy but I have serious doubts about the guy.
1.) Know one new who he was before the season began
2.) Arm Talent questions?
3.) Seems Athletic but not sure if it is transcendent or not.
4.) Hometown kid it will add a considerable amount of pressure on him than any other prospect.
5.) I think Jalen Hurts will be just as good or slightly worse than Burrow. Probably could get him in late first or early second in draft. Hurts + another Elite prospect or Burrow?

(11-19-2019, 12:12 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Lawrence isn't eligible until next year. 

I think he is saying we will be really bad again next year, which I agree with. This is why I say Chase Young this year then Lawrence/Fields/Tua?/Ehlinger/Eason? next year. This class has lost a lot of luster, it's Burrow/Herbert then a bunch of guys with individual red flags.

(11-19-2019, 03:18 AM)J24 Wrote: Joe Burrow is probably the guy but I have serious doubts about the guy.
1.) Know one new who he was before the season began
2.) Arm Talent questions?
3.) Seems Athletic but not sure if it is transcendent or not.
4.) Hometown kid it will add a considerable amount of pressure on him than any other prospect.
5.) I think Jalen Hurts will be just as good or slightly worse than Burrow. Probably could get him in late first or early second in draft. Hurts + another Elite prospect or Burrow?

People knew who Burrow was before the season, he actually had a decent year last year (not statistically but actually playing) in a bad offense.

"Arm Talent" is NFL level. He can make every throw on the tree.

He is a plus athlete, I'd put him in a similar category as Andrew Luck. My issue is he doesn't avoid contact at the end of runs and that will get him hurt at the next level.

He has played his best games this season against his best opponents, he seems to thrive under pressure which is a plus for him.

Jalen Hurts is a mirage. People are falling for the scheme and bad defenses, but if you watch what he is actually doing it's not going to be an easy transfer into the NFL. Watching tape he is still the same guy he was at Bama who is slow to read defenses when the defined read isn't there. First half against Baylor he was atrocious but they schematically changed some things second half and got him going. Jalen Hurts is a product of Oklahoma and Lincoln Riley. I look at him as a smaller poor mans Cam Newton. He is a power runner who can do some things with his legs and can pass within the system. He doesn't process defenses fast and can be confused by late rotation of defenses.

To me Hurts is a 3rd round pick, and honestly if you can get him there that would be worth a flyer. I think someone will fall in love with him though, and who knows maybe it is Lincoln Riley if he goes to the NFL.

(11-19-2019, 09:25 AM)Au165 Wrote: I think he is saying we will be really bad again next year, which I agree with. This is why I say Chase Young this year then Lawrence/Fields/Tua?/Ehlinger/Eason? next year. This class has lost a lot of luster, it's Burrow/Herbert then a bunch of guys with individual red flags.

No one really seems to want to, but i'd rather take Burrow/Herbert and get Kindley in 2, then sign OL and LB in FA. 

Alternately, i'd take Young in 1, Hurts in 2 and do what i could to get back in the 1st to take OL. 

(11-19-2019, 01:50 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: No one really seems to want to, but i'd rather take Burrow/Herbert and get Kindley in 2, then sign OL and LB in FA. 

Alternately, i'd take Young in 1, Hurts in 2 and do what i could to get back in the 1st to take OL. 

I think Hurts will likely get pushed into the 1st with Tua's injury.

(11-19-2019, 02:09 PM)Whatever Wrote: I think Hurts will likely get pushed into the 1st with Tua's injury.

No doubt. Not only that, with his running ability and age...when the combine comes along, QBs are always elevated from that point on and become a priority. 

This could be another 2011 where 5 QBs went in the top 35 picks. And...ironically, the Bengals are in the same boat they were then. 

(11-19-2019, 01:50 PM)rfaulk34 Wrote: No one really seems to want to, but i'd rather take Burrow/Herbert and get Kindley in 2, then sign OL and LB in FA. 

Alternately, i'd take Young in 1, Hurts in 2 and do what i could to get back in the 1st to take OL. 

You probably want the Bengals to get guys in FA before the draft since it happens before, right? 

I agree though in that if they are properly active in FA this year, it really would open up the draft while also actually fixing some holes on the roster.

(11-19-2019, 02:50 PM)ochocincos Wrote: You probably want the Bengals to get guys in FA before the draft since it happens before, right? 

I agree though in that if they are properly active in FA this year, it really would open up the draft while also actually fixing some holes on the roster.

I know it's a pipe dream but what makes it so frustrating is that it's such a real possibility...if the Bengals braintrust wasn't so stubborn and stupid.

(11-19-2019, 12:12 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: Lawrence isn't eligible until next year. 

Yes yes, that's why I said I think we have a shot at him depending on free agency or basically if we stay par for the course make no major changes this team will stink enough to have a top pick in the next draft.

(11-19-2019, 02:09 PM)Whatever Wrote: I think Hurts will likely get pushed into the 1st with Tua's injury.

See I don't get why because we have one less elite QB prospect that means that someone has to take their place in the first round. There have been years where there's only one or hardly any QB prospects coming out and then 3 or 4 go in the first because you have to have a QB and then you end up with these huge bust of players because they went way before they should have.


I think Joe Burrow is probably the only QB I'd want in the first this year. If they don't want him or somehow don't have the 1st pick and can't get him then build around the QB position and find/draft one later.

(11-19-2019, 09:25 AM)Au165 Wrote: I think he is saying we will be really bad again next year, which I agree with. This is why I say Chase Young this year then Lawrence/Fields/Tua?/Ehlinger/Eason? next year. This class has lost a lot of luster, it's Burrow/Herbert then a bunch of guys with individual red flags.

If they go Chase Young Jake Fromm could be the guy at the top of the second but that Andy Dalton comparison will get him alot of negative stigma in Cincy...

Can we go with a Kirk Cousins comparison instead? Lol.

(11-19-2019, 11:50 PM)Synric Wrote: If they go Chase Young Jake Fromm could be the guy at the top of the second but that Andy Dalton comparison will get him alot of negative stigma in Cincy...

Can we go with a Kirk Cousins comparison instead? Lol.

I mean that may not be a bad comparison. Cousins in college was a benefactor of a lot of NFL level talent on those teams and I think Fromm has been as well throughout his career. This year with young inexperienced WR's you can see him struggle a bit. The Cousins narrative is he needs good weapons around him but when he has them he can manage and thrive at times, which is probably true for Fromm. 

How about this:

Trade the #1 pick to the Giants if they have #4 or #5 and Will Hernandez.

They get Chase Young. We get a young and very good Guard and can draft Andrew Thomas with the #4 or #5 pick. Now the line is set (well, unless Williams and Thomas are busts). We can grab whatever QB is left in round 2 (Hurts?), or even grab another Guard (Kindley, Bredeson).

I'd roll with a line of Williams-Kindley-Hopkins-Hernandez-Thomas. Yes, scary to have 2 rookies on the line with another guy playing his first year as well, but heck, can't get much worse, no?

Just thinking out loud.

(11-20-2019, 10:12 AM)BengalFanInNJ Wrote: How about this:

Trade the #1 pick to the Giants if they have #4 or #5 and Will Hernandez.

They get Chase Young. We get a young and very good Guard and can draft Andrew Thomas with the #4 or #5 pick. Now the line is set (well, unless Williams and Thomas are busts). We can grab whatever QB is left in round 2 (Hurts?), or even grab another Guard (Kindley, Bredeson).

I'd roll with a line of Williams-Kindley-Hopkins-Hernandez-Thomas. Yes, scary to have 2 rookies on the line with another guy playing his first year as well, but heck, can't get much worse, no?

Just thinking out loud.

If you are moving off #1, you better get a hell of a lot more than a guard. Anything short of multiple 1st's and you got suckered.

(11-19-2019, 11:50 PM)Synric Wrote: If they go Chase Young Jake Fromm could be the guy at the top of the second but that Andy Dalton comparison will get him alot of negative stigma in Cincy...

Can we go with a Kirk Cousins comparison instead? Lol.

My worry is that if the Bengals go Chase Young then QB, it likely means they don't address OL until Round 3 at the earliest unless they acquire more picks in the first two rounds. That wouldn't give me any confidence this team can succeed in 2020 in that case, as they so desperately need OL.

The only hope of success in 2020 with going Chase Young and QB in Rds 1-2 would be if the Bengals actually got a good OL in FA, which I'd definitely look to do but I'm not sure the Bengals will actually do.

(11-20-2019, 10:55 AM)Au165 Wrote: If you are moving off #1, you better get a hell of a lot more than a guard. Anything short of multiple 1st's and you got suckered.

Agreed. It better be Hernandez, the 2020 1st rounder, and a 2021 1st rounder. #1 overall is incredibly valuable.

(11-20-2019, 11:40 AM)ochocincos Wrote: My worry is that if the Bengals go Chase Young then QB, it likely means they don't address OL until Round 3 at the earliest unless they acquire more picks in the first two rounds. That wouldn't give me any confidence this team can succeed in 2020 in that case, as they so desperately need OL.

The only hope of success in 2020 with going Chase Young and QB in Rds 1-2 would be if the Bengals actually got a good OL in FA, which I'd definitely look to do but I'm not sure the Bengals will actually do.

This is my worry as well. If they go Chase Young, I would want them to commit to OL/LB changes. Go Young with #1, grab a lineman (Kindley?) or a LB (Troy Dye/Kenneth Murray?) and then continue with offensive line adjustments. An intriguing possibility is grabbing Kindley in the second, and grabbing someone like Calvin Throckmorton and/or Shane Lemieux. 

The first three rounds could look like.....

#1 - Chase Young
#2 - Solomon Kindley
#3 - Calvin Throckmorton/Shane Lemieux (both are projected to likely play G in the NFL but Throckmorton is currently a tackle. He has some flexibility.)

I would feel comfortable with this setup. The team would still be a pretty bad team, don't make any mistake. The concern would be that they would HAVE to be bad enough to get someone like Trevor Lawrence or Fields. If they aren't bad enough to grab one of the top QB prospects then that really pushes the window back for this team.

Another possibility is....(this could be done with #1 overall or by trading back).

#1 - Joe Burrow/Justin Herbert
#2 - Solomon Kindley
#3 - Calvin Throckmorton/Shane Lemieux

Same idea in round two and three, but the Bengals grab their guy at QB and focus heavily on the offensive line. I lean more towards this approach. Talent wise, the offense is close. Boyd and Green (if he becomes healthy) provide enough firepower at wide receiver and Mixon is a fantastic running back. The offensive line being improved would give this offense a much needed face lift. The defense would still be pitiful but this could be addressed in 2021 as I still wouldn't expect this team to be very good.

(11-20-2019, 01:24 PM)KillerGoose Wrote: This is my worry as well. If they go Chase Young, I would want them to commit to OL/LB changes. Go Young with #1, grab a lineman (Kindley?) or a LB (Troy Dye/Kenneth Murray?) and then continue with offensive line adjustments. An intriguing possibility is grabbing Kindley in the second, and grabbing someone like Calvin Throckmorton and/or Shane Lemieux. 

The first three rounds could look like.....

#1 - Chase Young
#2 - Solomon Kindley
#3 - Calvin Throckmorton/Shane Lemieux (both are projected to likely play G in the NFL but Throckmorton is currently a tackle. He has some flexibility.)

I would feel comfortable with this setup. The team would still be a pretty bad team, don't make any mistake. The concern would be that they would HAVE to be bad enough to get someone like Trevor Lawrence or Fields. If they aren't bad enough to grab one of the top QB prospects then that really pushes the window back for this team.

Another possibility is....(this could be done with #1 overall or by trading back).

#1 - Joe Burrow/Justin Herbert
#2 - Solomon Kindley
#3 - Calvin Throckmorton/Shane Lemieux

Same idea in round two and three, but the Bengals grab their guy at QB and focus heavily on the offensive line. I lean more towards this approach. Talent wise, the offense is close. Boyd and Green (if he becomes healthy) provide enough firepower at wide receiver and Mixon is a fantastic running back. The offensive line being improved would give this offense a much needed face lift. The defense would still be pitiful but this could be addressed in 2021 as I still wouldn't expect this team to be very good.

either way will not fix the team in its entirety.  Reason to go Burrow is the Bengals may not have chance for another QB for a while unless they lose next year more than expected.  If they are picking 12-17 in draft they could get a good QB but probably not a great QB given the Bengals history.  Remember, this franchise is not like another NFL franchise that can find a QB later in the draft.  They did ok with Dalton, just ok.  This front office especially Mike Brown cannot pick QB early or later, but at least picked Palmer with the overall #1 pick.  Need low hanging fruit for them not to miss, and yet they still could miss.