(03-24-2020, 11:06 PM)BURROWorBUST Wrote: Video worth watching

Always nice to see other team’s fans upset about us stealing a player away. Way too often it’s been them saying good riddance and laughing at us.

(03-24-2020, 11:06 PM)BURROWorBUST Wrote: Video worth watching

Sounds a lot like Dhani Jones, to be honest.  

Seems like a patriot like signing smart and physical should help the locker room. Still need to sign one or two more guys at least. Along with a high pick.

I'd still like to sign a vet like Ogletree at the very least to compete for a starting spot.

(03-24-2020, 11:49 PM)jj22 Wrote: A body. Shouldn't change any plans starting/draft. We still need 3 more lb's. As a vet presence it's a good signing. As a starter, negating an early draft pick? I'm not sure.

He does seem to take better angles than Vigil, and can tackle.

I have to admit I'm taken aback by the silent majority of Vigil fans that secretly wanted him back.

I think he backs up Pratt in the middle where he came along once he took over for Brown (so hopefully they don't move him). I don't think Bynes plays anywhere else but the middle. We still need someone that can run sideline to sideline. That was the issue. We were stout up the middle.

Pratt is a guy with sideline to sideline speed.  Evans also fits that mold, but hasn't really developed.  Pratt and Bynes will be the starters unless they draft one early, which is looking doubtful.  They've dumped a ton of FA dollars into the defense, so it's hard to see them forcing a Day 2 pick at LB.  If there's a value, they may pull the trigger, but I can't see them going into Day 2 thinking LB or bust.  They have to give the offense some tools to work with, too.  It's an insanely good WR class and also a very good OL class,both of which will be keys to Burrow's development.  With Eifert gone, you also have to look at TE depth.  Tough to pass on a duel threat RB given Mixon's contract situation if one falls, either.

We had too many holes to fill in one off-season.  Bynes is a band aid, but he's an upgrade over Vigil and if Pratt shows improvement, we should be able to get by at LB, especially with the addition of Reader.  

This off season has been great.

(03-24-2020, 09:16 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yep, Bynes is a real speedster, with that 4.81 in the 40 time..

Sunset, playing speed is different than 40 time.  Burfict ran about a 4.9 I believe and he was a pro-bowler because he was smart at reading the offense.  Bynes obviously rates better than Vigil in both pass and run according to PFF and should be considered an upgrade.  We signed a LB to our practice squad last year that is 6'5 230 and ran a 4.52 and has barely seen the field in 4 years in the NFL.  Tested speed is not the be all end all.  I'm sure we'll get a couple of the genetic freak types in the draft like Chinn, Dugger, Davis-Gaither, Brooks etc.  

(03-25-2020, 12:15 AM)Whatever Wrote: Sounds a lot like Dhani Jones, to be honest.  

You're right. He dies! And I'm totally alright with that. 

(03-25-2020, 12:58 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: This off season has been great.

Yes it has. And even without picking up anyone I personally would have looked at is has been. From all reports it sounds like it's not over.

He gives us a solid #3 LB and a good veteran to have in what looks to be a young group. I'm still thinking the Bengals will draft 1 in rd 2/3  and possibly another in rd 6/7 . I'm still thinking their plan is to trade down a few spots in the 2nd to acquire a 3/4 rd pick to address the LB position.

LB's

1) Germaine Pratt

2) Draft

3) Josh Bynes

4) Draft

5) Jordan Evans

(03-25-2020, 04:01 AM)schroomytunes Wrote: He gives us a solid #3 LB and a good veteran to have in what looks to be a young group. I'm still thinking the Bengals will draft 1 in rd 2/3  and possibly another in rd 6/7 . I'm still thinking their plan is to trade down a few spots in the 2nd to acquire a 3/4 rd pick to address the LB position.

LB's

1) Germaine Pratt

2) Draft

3) Josh Bynes

4) Draft

5) Jordan Evans

6) Vet FA

(03-25-2020, 04:01 AM)schroomytunes Wrote: He gives us a solid #3 LB and a good veteran to have in what looks to be a young group. I'm still thinking the Bengals will draft 1 in rd 2/3  and possibly another in rd 6/7 . I'm still thinking their plan is to trade down a few spots in the 2nd to acquire a 3/4 rd pick to address the LB position.

LB's

1) Germaine Pratt

2) Draft

3) Josh Bynes

4) Draft

5) Jordan Evans

I wouldnt put it past them to only carry 4 linebackers on the 53 man roster. I think they toyed with the idea last year, but our sub par linebacker play forced them to carry 5.

This is not an acceptable option to pencil in as a starting LB for the year. Not a bad depth piece... Not a guy I want to count on as a starter.

A Ravens LB, hmm. Not only is he good against the run, but he practiced against LJ8. This is a very good pickup. Maybe the one we look back on and wish we signed him to a multi-year deal. Now we need 1-2 more LB's. One more in FA wouldn't hurt.

I really like this move. It's not the solution in itself but is a smaller piece of a larger jigsaw.

This is how you do it: sign a steady veteran on a cheap one year deal to plug the gap. That buys time to find a longer term solution by drafting and developing mid round picks, avoiding the need to reach and allowing you to go BPA in the first few rounds. You then slowly rotate in the mid and later round draftees, if you hit with a draft pick then they start the following season. If they aren't ready, you sign another veteran, if they're a miss then you draft another as well. People forget that 3rd and 4th rounder rookies rarely start week 1. You're likely only drafting two immediate starters: the rest are likely only to be rotational or depth pieces in year one.

I'd still be looking to add a second veteran, preferably one more adept at covering the pass rather than the run (maybe a safety?) and then double dipping in the draft. Something like Akeem Davis-Gaither at the top of the third and then maybe Juston Strnad with the 180th pick. A versatile safety like McKinney if he's BPA at 33 and then say Troy Dye at 107 could also work.

(03-24-2020, 08:21 PM)Synric Wrote: A top interior tackle, two very good tackling corners, and now a 34 SILB/43 SAM.

I think the Bengals want to stop the run.

Nailed it....wanted to see if anyone mentioned this before I posted.  It seems that was priority #1 on the defense:  better tackling.  That makes me wonder why Dre is still on the roster.  As mean as this sounds, you know some very high draft pick or veteran CB will snap a knee ligament in the early offseason workouts (this time off won't help anyone) and the Bengals could hold on to Dre until some team has a tremendous need.

The Pats are likely going to see if a QB like Herbert or Love falls all the way to them and then make a move for a veteran QB after the draft.  The Jags might beat them to it as they don't have a veteran QB on the roster.  

Here is an interesting article about Bynes from a Ratbird Rag:  

https://www.baltimorebeatdown.com/2020/3/7/21168655/the-ravens-should-re-sign-josh-bynes

(03-24-2020, 08:34 PM)Bengalholic Wrote: He's not great by any means...but he's a capable starter if needed, a valuable backup if coming off the bench, a solid special teams contributor and he brings postseason experience as well. All in all, a decent addition, especially when added to the other defensive signings.

I agree Holic, but how many "great" LBs are there out there?  I loved Vander Esch when he came out of Boise and he didn't disappoint, but I don't see a ton of playmaking LBs out there right now.  

(03-25-2020, 04:01 AM)schroomytunes Wrote: He gives us a solid #3 LB and a good veteran to have in what looks to be a young group. I'm still thinking the Bengals will draft 1 in rd 2/3  and possibly another in rd 6/7 . I'm still thinking their plan is to trade down a few spots in the 2nd to acquire a 3/4 rd pick to address the LB position.

LB's

1) Germaine Pratt

2) Draft

3) Josh Bynes

4) Draft

5) Jordan Evans

Why would Bynes be below Pratt?  Pratt had a 51.2 PFF rating last year.  Bynes rated 76.2 and hasn't rated below 60 since 2012.  I have high hopes for Pratt, but he still has to prove it on the field.

A lot of weird takes in here. He would have been the best LB on the roster last year and is currently the best one on the roster now. We weren't going to fix every hole in one free agency period, but we could have done a lot worse at LB this late in free agency than Bynes. He isn't an elite cover guy but people are acting like he is Preston Brown in coverage. QB's had a 47 passer rating when targeting him last year....that is good. The other thing is he can call the defenses as Pratt and a rookie won't be given that task so you have a veteran leader in a room that is no doubt going to be one of the youngest on the team.

I like the pickup, but would have preferred they kept Vigil for depth, unless they absolutely have someone else they think they can grab. Vigil was not gret, but he was not as bad as made out to be when he had a decent linebacker (Pratt) beside him.