It sounds like the Bengals are going to be more active in free agency than they have in the past, but Tobin is cautious because there is no market yet to be read and, well, he's not going to say much else because it is the biggest poker game of the year. The stakes open in mid-March.

"The plan is try and put together the best roster we can find and it's not something we proclaim in advance," Tobin said.

For the past several years the Bengals have kept their signing of unrestricted free agents to a minimum in an effort to gather extra draft picks. But Tobin said that hasn't been a ram-rod principle.

"It's not a driving force. It's something to be aware of when we're going through the process, but it's not an overriding factor," Tobin said. "We want to build the best team. At times that requires looking at players from other teams and sometimes extending players on your own team. It's not easily predictable and we haven't been able to sit down yet with a player or an agent."

Next week they'll have 18 minutes to sit and talk. Offense is always going to get the headlines now and 10 years from now when they talk about this draft. But with the defense more settled this time around and picking at the top of each round, it may have a big impact, too.

https://www.bengals.com/news/bengals-prime-for-combine-don-t-forget-the-defense

Perhaps they're listening to the media and thinking of shutting them up?

When taking a qb first round, you need to surround him with talent to give an early chance to succeed.

Dont believe it. They will resign our own guys then sign a few free agents 2-3 months late into the free agency period when all the big names aren't available.

Rebellions are built on hope...

I would not hold my breath here.  Nowhere does he indicate that they will be changing their traditional free agency approach, which has been mostly a total failure as far back as I can remember.  Additionally, it will cost the Bengals more to bring in quality free agents due to their record than it would for better teams.  Mike Brown is not going to like this  and would rather sign loyalists like Bobby Hart, than be baited into a lucrative contract for a quality free agent vet.  Please stop with the 1 year deals for washed up vets like AJ Hawk, Terrell Owens & James Harrison.  

I can't think of one impactful outside free agent signing we've had in the last 10 years.  We will need to hit a home run with the draft to improve the team as those are really the only players from outside the organization we will be getting, besides the typical rummage sale items we come across in the offseason.  Perhaps with all the bad press recently, MB and Co. will change their ways, but again, I would not hold my breath.  MB typically just digs in his heals when faced with outside criticism.

(02-22-2020, 10:12 AM)scorp1974 Wrote: Dont believe it. They will resign our own guys then sign a few free agents 2-3 months late into the free agency period when all the big names aren't available.

This^

I see nothing in the above posted “article” that’s says anything will be different. But this year I think more important than most it is crucial we resign our own guys. We must keep Billings Eifert Dennard. Would love to keep AJ as well but not if it means we can’t keep one of those three. Dennard is a goood corner and he allows Kirkpatrick to be expendable. Billings is coming on strong in the middle and without him we would only have an aging Atkins and no one else and Eifert will be burrows best friend we have to keep weapons around burrow. We can’t just bring in a bunch of rookies and cross our fingers. If we sign Aj Dennard Eifert and Billings it opens this entire draft up imo to BPA outside maybe backer. Gotta get a linebacker. I saw a beat fit free agent signing with the bengals signing Brandon sherff if that happened. We’d be looking pretty darn good going into the draft to say the least.

Yeah, it's most likely the same song and dance: we'll all get excited thinking that we're going to make moves and then we'll maybe bring in a few guys but won't make any offers and end up signing one or two guys that were big names five or ten years ago in hopes that our fans think that we signed a top tier player and just get any guys off the scrap heap.

The Bengals will be more active in FA? Cool! That means they’ll kick twice as many tires! Double the Hobspin articles this offseason

(02-22-2020, 09:20 AM)Gdale_Bengal Wrote: When taking a qb first round, you need to surround him with talent to give an early chance to succeed.

Yep. When you have a QB on a rookie contract it would be crazy to not take advantage of it.

More from the article.

Quote:"The idea is to get better at all three levels. There's a bunch of different things I think we need to improve, but you start with helping all three levels." Anarumo said.

If you think that sounds like best available player, you're probably right. Linebacker is clearly the biggest need, but with starters William Jackson (shoulder surgery) and Dre Kirkpatrick (knee) coming off injuries and Darqueze Dennard a free agent, cornerback has to be addressed at some point. Their two best pass rushers, one inside and one outside, are older than 30, and that's going to get a look. It looks like they can hold the fort with safeties Shawn Williams and Jessie Bates III.

The Bengals may not be able to quench their thirst for linebackers in this draft and the corners are going to go fast, although they may be able to make some hay up front. Anarumo points out that his 3-4 is interchangeable because 65 to 70 percent of the time they're in some kind of a four-man line on passing downs.

So he's not looking for a classic 4-3 end like left end Carlos Dunlap or 3-4ish right end like Sam Hubbard. What he's looking for are three traits in those guys. No. 1 is pass-rushing ability.

"Who can affect the quarterback the most? That's the premium," Anarumo said. "And then, who can set the edge on the run? Then, oh by way, if they can drop a little in coverage, that would be great. Those three things are what comes into evaluating outside backers slash college defensive ends that potentially translate into an outside linebacker. There's a ton of them out there in free agency and the draft. We've got some pretty darn good ones on our team in Sam Hubbard, Carl Lawson, Carlos Dunlap."

Lawson is a prime example of how Anarumo's scheme has impacted players. After dabbling at linebacker early in his rookie year, Lawson became solely a nickel rush end in his first two seasons. Under Anarumo, Lawson began dropping some as the season went on. In his second season, Hubbard had to sharpen up his dropping skills from Ohio State.

Anarumo isn't looking for a certain peg to fit into a certain hole.

(02-22-2020, 10:51 AM)SadFaceBengal15 Wrote: This^

I see nothing in the above posted “article” that’s says anything will be different.  But this year I think more important than most it is crucial we resign our own guys.  We must keep Billings Eifert Dennard.  Would love to keep AJ as well but not if it means we can’t keep one of those three.  Dennard is a goood corner and he allows Kirkpatrick to be expendable.  Billings is coming on strong in the middle and without him we would only have an aging Atkins and no one else and Eifert will be burrows best friend we have to keep weapons around burrow.  We can’t just bring in a bunch of rookies and cross our fingers.  If we sign Aj Dennard Eifert and Billings it opens this entire draft up imo to BPA outside maybe backer.  Gotta get a linebacker.  I saw a beat fit free agent signing with the bengals signing Brandon sherff if that happened.  We’d be looking pretty darn good going into the draft to say the least.

We have Topu, Glasgow, and Wrenn we are well positioned at nose tackle without Billings but 3T behind Geno is a major issue.

(02-22-2020, 12:17 PM)J24 Wrote: We have Topu, Glasgow, and Wrenn we are well positioned at nose tackle without Billings but 3T behind Geno is a major issue.

But wasnt Rendell wren capable of being a 3 tech? Thought he could become that type if player.

Before and After Marvin, the Family seems set on cashing their NFL Welfare Check, and otherwise expending as little effort and expense possible.
Show Me: some gumption
Show Me: some urgency
Show Me: a shred of pride
I'll believe it when I see it, not one second sooner.

I realize that some Bengal fans embrace the negative and try to blank out memories of the Bengals doing anything good, but the last time we bottomed out this hard (4-12, 2010) the front office signed three new defensive starters in free agency. CB Nate Clements was getting older, but was still considered a top player. LBs Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard were not big stars, but they were both young, and had been productive starters.

Will the Bengals sign any of the highest paid Free agents on the market? Probably not. But I suspect we see them go after something better than the bottom of the barrel projects they usually sign.

(02-22-2020, 12:17 PM)J24 Wrote: We have Topu, Glasgow, and Wrenn we are well positioned at nose tackle without Billings but 3T behind Geno is a major issue.

Tupau is the only one of those that I would consider to be a true NT type, and he has shown some solid development, but is he ready to be THE man?  Glassgow is still a mystery, as the guy flashes, but can't stay whole long enough to make a case for greater responsibility.  Wrenn?  I sure hope that the coaches see something in him that I don't.

I predict that the team signs Billings to a 3 year deal, he was rated as one of the Bengals most improved players, and the Bengals like to reward guys that they brought up.

Here's one easy way to gauge their interest and intention in free agency:

Does Cordy Glenn get released in the next few weeks?

To me, this tells you everything you need to know about whether or not they truly want to spend in free agency, to build the very best team possible.

If they hang on to him past the start of free agency then I think you're looking at one or two different outcomes. 1.) They'll release him well after the draft, to "hide" the cap space that could have been spent in FA. 2.) They'll actually keep the bum on the roster, rather than spend elsewhere.

Look, it's pretty simple with this guy... Either you believe he was truly in concussion protocol for 12 weeks, and he shouldn't be playing football at all, much less at 9 mil per. Or... he faked it, and he shouldn't be playing here at 9 mil per.

Either way, he needs to go. He creates a ton of usable cap space, with a minimal amount of dead money. Even if we pretend last year didn't happen, and there's no drama sudrounding him, he still should be a cap casualty. He's not worth that amount, and he's not a long term option.

Frankly, it's shocking he hasn't been released already. Let's hope it happens here soon, buf the fact it hasn't yet leads me to believe that he'll be stashed for awhile, as to not add to available cap space. Which would, of course, lead to more clammoring from the fanbase to sign legitimate free agents.

If this team is truly serious about using free agency then you'll see this guy come off the books very soon. And Dre Kirkpatrick will as well. Both are vastly overpaid, aging, going into their final years, with limited dead money. Combined they create almost 20 mil in space. Uzmah would also be a player that may be dumped by a team looking to spend.

So yeah, just look for whether or not guys come off the books prior to the draft. Cuz if they don't then I wouldn't believe one word of them approaching it any differently.

My prediction? None get released early. AJ gets tagged or a multi-year eating into space. Dalton and his cap space will sit for weeks while big names come off tbe board. Mixon gets a new deal. Team throws the fans a bone wity the signing of one guy at like 3 years 20 mil, all the while crying poor. When in reality, done properly, they had about another 35 mil in cap spacs sitting there all along.

Hope I'm wrong.

(02-22-2020, 12:36 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I realize that some Bengal fans embrace the negative and try to blank out memories of the Bengals doing anything good, but the last time we bottomed out this hard (4-12, 2010) the front office signed three new defensive starters in free agency.  CB Nate Clements was getting older, but was still considered a top player.  LBs Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard were not big stars, but they were both young, and had been productive starters.

Will the Bengals sign any of the highest paid Free agents on the market?  Probably not.  But I suspect we see them go after something better than the bottom of the barrel projects they usually sign.

During Marv's tenure. Somehow he was able to get something out of them, and I now get your admiration of him operating in spite of the Family.

Like I said, I'll believe it when I see it.

Looks like people are going to be disappointed again if they think the Bengals are going to draft an off the ball linebacker early.

At #33 corner or 3-4 OLB is in the table...Zack Baun looks like a future Jack Linebacker.

(02-22-2020, 12:36 PM)fredtoast Wrote: I realize that some Bengal fans embrace the negative and try to blank out memories of the Bengals doing anything good, but the last time we bottomed out this hard (4-12, 2010) the front office signed three new defensive starters in free agency.  CB Nate Clements was getting older, but was still considered a top player.  LBs Manny Lawson and Thomas Howard were not big stars, but they were both young, and had been productive starters.

Will the Bengals sign any of the highest paid Free agents on the market?  Probably not.  But I suspect we see them go after something better than the bottom of the barrel projects they usually sign.

This is bologna. Those were dumlster diving, cheap, band-aid signings.

Nate Clements - 2 years/10.5 mil total   ***Out of league after 2012

Thomas Howard - 2 years/6.5 mil total  ***Out of league after 2012
Manny Lawson - 1 year/3.5 mil


Clements was over the hill and replaced Joseph who got a contract 5x that amount. We didn't even sign bim during free agency. He was a training camp cut in late July.  He was a substantial downgrade and a much cheaper optjon than the guy we let walk.


Lawson was a first round bust. That's why, despite being young, he signed a 1 year bargain bjn deal. He was also cheaper than the guy he replaced. (Rivers)


Thomas Howard was waived mid-season prior to us signing him. No one bothered claiming him. He had 7 tackles that year in 12 games, and 9 starts. 7!!!  He ended up being decent for a year but, again, 25 year old guys dont sign 2 year deals at 6 mil if theyre a covetsd free agent.


C'mon now. None of those signings indicated a change of approach.