Looks like he may really be trying to change his ways and style. At the right price would you take a flyer on him?

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28773697/agent-peter-schaffer-vontaze-burfict-working-conform-style-nfl

(02-24-2020, 05:21 PM)Chezaugie Wrote: Looks like he may really be trying to change his ways and style. At the right price would you take a flyer on him?

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28773697/agent-peter-schaffer-vontaze-burfict-working-conform-style-nfl

If he's serious about playing within the rules, why not. He is very football smart, and would be cheap.

I'm more concerned with his concussion history then his play. I think that ship has sailed tho.

Not interested. He was one of my favorite players for a while there, but he’s public enemy #1, and honestly the game is moving away from the thumper type LBers anyway.

No

(02-24-2020, 05:47 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Not interested. He was one of my favorite players for a while there, but he’s public enemy #1, and honestly the game is moving away from the thumper type LBers anyway.

Feel the same, loved Burfict as well but we need LB's that are young, athletic, can cover and tackle and don't have a concussion
history. Give me any one of Jamie Collins, Trevathan, Littleton or Schobert over Burfict at this point. Wouldn't matter anyways if 
Burfict changed up his game, he would be in stripes again and it wouldn't matter. He is a target for the refs to make an example
of and it would be even worse if he came back here.

No thanks, He was a good player but his time has passed. Also the first time he hits someone even a bit late, he will get banned for about 6 games

Where was all this attention to detail, and desire to play within the rules 5 ***** years ago?

It's frustrating because he's not a dummy, and by all accounts is a normal guy off the field, but his history goes all the way back to HS. It's also frustrating because he knows better. He played clean all of his rookie season, and only had a few dustups in 2013... Coincidentally Mike Zimmer moved on in 2014.

If he didn't change after his role in winning the 2015 playoff game only to help blow it moments later, why would he be serious now?

(02-24-2020, 05:58 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Feel the same, loved Burfict as well but we need LB's that are young, athletic, can cover and tackle and don't have a concussion
history. Give me any one of Jamie Collins, Trevathan, Littleton or Schobert over Burfict at this point. Wouldn't matter anyways if 
Burfict changed up his game, he would be in stripes again and it wouldn't matter. He is a target for the refs to make an example
of and it would be even worse if he came back here.

I was about to start a thread about this.  

Personally, I'd at least bring him in for a workout and training camp because he still has the ability and, if he has cleaned up his game, he'd be a beast.

We need playmakers on defense and he knows that he'd be on a short leash with the NFL, so he'd be doing everything he can to make sure that he plays within the rules.  He'd be a veteran presence that I think the young guys would look up to and be able to follow.

He has only played 79 of 128 games, so he has less wear-and-tear than a normal veteran his age, which you could argue that his style of play has shortened his career more than other players, but I still think that he has the ability.

I don't think his phone will be ringing off the hook, so we could get him at a cheap price, and I think he'd be a nice addition to our d and give us another playmaker that we need.

BRING HIM IN!

(02-24-2020, 05:58 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Wouldn't matter anyways if Burfict changed up his game, he would be in stripes again and it wouldn't matter. He is a target for the refs to make an exampleof and it would be even worse if he came back here.

Agreed, plus, I don't think his problem is technique based. I think he's just not wired to control himself when it comes to game time.

I'm with all the others in the no camp.

Moving on from Burfict was the right move. No reason to bring him back.

(02-24-2020, 05:47 PM)Nicomo Cosca Wrote: Not interested. He was one of my favorite players for a while there, but he’s public enemy #1, and honestly the game is moving away from the thumper type LBers anyway.

This sums up my feelings, as well.  While the team could benefit greatly from the presence of skilled, veteran LB, I feel like bringing Vontaze back would be a step in the wrong direction.

No.

(02-24-2020, 06:29 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Agreed, plus, I don't think his problem is technique based. I think he's just not wired to control himself when it comes to game time.

This is exactly it. Like I said in my post, he's not outta control off the field. Something snaps when the ball is kicked off on Sundays.

He'd have been a damn folk hero even 20 years ago, but that isn't football anymore.

(02-24-2020, 06:26 PM)BFritz21 Wrote: I was about to start a thread about this.  

Personally, I'd at least bring him in for a workout and training camp because he still has the ability and, if he has cleaned up his game, he'd be a beast.

We need playmakers on defense and he knows that he'd be on a short leash with the NFL, so he'd be doing everything he can to make sure that he plays within the rules.  He'd be a veteran presence that I think the young guys would look up to and be able to follow.

He has only played 79 of 128 games, so he has less wear-and-tear than a normal veteran his age, which you could argue that his style of play has shortened his career more than other players, but I still think that he has the ability.

I don't think his phone will be ringing off the hook, so we could get him at a cheap price, and I think he'd be a nice addition to our d and give us another playmaker that we need.

BRING HIM IN!

The wear and tear is with his head and I am not just talking the concussions which he has a significant history with.

He just cannot hold himself back when he is on the field. Love the way he played in his prime and he will probably always
be one of if not my favorite Bengal Linebackers but I doubt he just comes back here and is like he was in his prime and 
cleans up his hard hitting ways. Don't know if this is something he cannot get out of his game.

Especially this late in his career.

(02-24-2020, 06:29 PM)kdgjr Wrote: Agreed, plus, I don't think his problem is technique based. I think he's just not wired to control himself when it comes to game time.

Spot on. Dude is wired to take dudes out. Not something you just change on the fly.

(02-24-2020, 06:58 PM)jason Wrote: This is exactly it. Like I said in my post, he's not outta control off the field. Something snaps when the ball is kicked off on Sundays.

He'd have been a damn folk hero even 20 years ago, but that isn't football anymore.

So true. Back in the day he would of been considered one of the greatest. 

Times have changed and we need to change with them.

I feel if we look at this deeply not only with Vontez but other former Bengals we have been conditioned to look at changes as bringing back former Bengals or past their prime players. We moved away from Vontez because it was time. 2 years later bringing him back would be dumber than if we kept him. Same goes for one of my favorites all time in Whit. If it was time for him to go then, then no reason to retread the tire. Time to buy new tires.

There were a time where if we had 22 players with Taz"s mentality we would have won a SB.

(02-24-2020, 07:07 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: The wear and tear is with his head and I am not just talking the concussions which he has a significant history with.

He just cannot hold himself back when he is on the field. Love the way he played in his prime and he will probably always
be one of if not my favorite Bengal Linebackers but I doubt he just comes back here and is like he was in his prime and 
cleans up his hard hitting ways. Don't know if this is something he cannot get out of his game.

Especially this late in his career.

That's what I'm saying, though, because it sounds like he's working on all that because he knows that this would be his last shot, and it sounds like he wants to prolong his career, so he's changing his ways.

People point to that playoff loss as a reason to say he can't contain himself, but I disagree:  he had just made an interception to win the city its first playoff game in forever, goes back into the locker room, has to come back out after Hill fumbles, get his mind back on track, and then actually tried to avoid hitting Brown when he was initially just trying to make a play.

I don't think it could hurt to at least bring him in and the upside is too much to deny.

No thanks