So, do you all see the youth movement by our young HC changing the way the Bengals view and use FA?

This FA definitely has Taylor's analytical stamp on it. There's no denying it.

It's not just the money that's being spent, but how.

Every player they've brought in has played a lot of football, their PFF grades are better than the players they lost, and they're all young and ascending players still.

In the past, it's always been veteran descending player, at a medium sized contract.

I'm really liking the Bengals FA period this year. It's different and based on analytics and money.

We'll all see if it all works or not!!?

New Day!!

Cue the anti-ZT army.

From the outside looking in, and with no claims of inside knowledge whatsoever, it looks like they are operating with a definite plan.

Still wondering what they did with Mike.

(03-25-2020, 03:11 PM)JerseyDD09 Wrote: So, do you all see the youth movement by our young HC changing the way the Bengals view and use FA?

This FA definitely has Taylor's analytical stamp on it. There's no denying it.

It's not just the money that's being spent, but how.

Every player they've brought in has played a lot of football, their PFF grades are better than the players they lost, and they're all young and ascending players still.

In the past, it's always been veteran descending player, at a medium sized contract.

I'm really liking the Bengals FA period this year. It's different and based on analytics and money.

We'll all see if it all works or not!!?

New Day!!

This is clearly Taylor's team now, it is clearly different, anyone saying different hasn't seen our other FA's in the past where we
always sign our own and try to build the team through the Draft. They are getting proven players on Defense for Lou and Zac is
going to build his Offense through the Draft obviously with this FA. I like the plan as we can add the best QB come out in forever
and this Draft is extremely deep with weapons and interior O-lineman.

"Analytics" relies on objective stats. PFF rankings are subjective voodoo. For example, did you know Andy Dalton was better in 2018 than 2015?

I am glad to see them spending money on younger players, but still need to see if they are evaluating them correctly.

Seems to me, like with anything else, analytics is not necessarily a be all and end all. It's another tool to be used in conjunction with the basic old school eye test and any other methods at a team's disposal, both old school and new.

Mike might be dead in a corner closet at PBS. That's the only possible scenario I can think of that these changes are taking place in Cincy.

While I'm sure Mike Brown's data analytics knowledge may be limited to COBOL and punch cards and calling a computer "an electronic brain," I seriously do hope Zac Taylor is using data analytics to supplement traditional statistics.  I've actually taken some graduate classes in data analytics recently and, properly applied, the techniques can be very powerful. 

(03-25-2020, 03:39 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: Mike might be dead in a corner closet at PBS. That's the only possible scenario I can think of that these changes are taking place in Cincy.

(03-25-2020, 03:22 PM)fredtoast Wrote: "Analytics" relies on objective stats.  PFF rankings are subjective voodoo.  For example, did you know Andy Dalton was better in 2018 than 2015?

I am glad to see them spending money on younger players, but still need to see if they are evaluating them correctly.

FT, I've seen you reply to debates with PFF analytics in several forums. So, I'm sure you must be happy that MB seems to be on board with using them in FA for once?

I think there is no doubt that the pressure of the offseason has pushed the higher-ups to change their culture. Maybe all this media backlash about Joe Burrow really pushed them to change.

(03-25-2020, 03:19 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: This is clearly Taylor's team now, it is clearly different, anyone saying different hasn't seen our other FA's in the past where we
always sign our own and try to build the team through the Draft. They are getting proven players on Defense for Lou and Zac is
going to build his Offense through the Draft obviously with this FA. I like the plan as we can add the best QB come out in forever
and this Draft is extremely deep with weapons and interior O-lineman.

I know you and I have had several discussions about players and the draft.
But, with the additions of Burrow, Jonah and AJ, I don't see a large run on offense in this draft still.
I think the defense is vastly depleted of any playmakers.
And, they need a lot of new juice on that side of the ball.
The offense will be okay going into the season with at least their skill position players.
We'll see how the draft plays out though. It should be exciting!

(03-25-2020, 03:51 PM)Okeana Wrote: I think there is no doubt that the pressure of the offseason has pushed the higher-ups to change their culture.  Maybe all this media backlash about Joe Burrow really pushed them to change.

I was wondering how the FO was going to procede after all the media bashing. For once, they haven't disappointed!

There is suddenly a lot to get excited about. New young coach and staff, new stadium offices and revamped workout area, new way of approaching FA, and the best QB in the draft!

(03-25-2020, 03:54 PM)JerseyDD09 Wrote: I know you and I have had several discussions about players and the draft.
But, with the additions of Burrow, Jonah and AJ, I don't see a large run on offense in this draft still.
I think the defense is vastly depleted of any playmakers.
And, they need a lot of new juice on that side of the ball.
The offense will be okay going into the season with at least their skill position players.
We'll see how the draft plays out though. It should be exciting!

Both Jonah and AJ just missed an entire season to injury, I wouldn't solely rely on them. Not a good plan IMO.

Draft AJ's replacement and build up the last scoring Offense in the NFL and this will help the Defense stay fresh.

This would be my plan after this Defense stacked FA.

(03-25-2020, 03:54 PM)JerseyDD09 Wrote: I know you and I have had several discussions about players and the draft.
But, with the additions of Burrow, Jonah and AJ, I don't see a large run on offense in this draft still.
I think the defense is vastly depleted of any playmakers.
And, they need a lot of new juice on that side of the ball.
The offense will be okay going into the season with at least their skill position players.
We'll see how the draft plays out though. It should be exciting!

IMO, the one position you do go looking for is an OG, you do go looking for a speedy LB who can cover, you are open to taking a WR if you stumble onto good value and you are open to an OT if value presents itself.

FA has truly opened the hell outa this draft, if I may state the completely obvious.

All I know for sure is that in Zac's first FULL off-season, after months of being able to view and evaluate this roster, we get these types of signings, and cuts from guys that were signed just last year.

I don't think it takes a rocket scientist to figure out that Zac has influenced and changed this franchises approach.

(03-25-2020, 03:59 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Both Jonah and AJ just missed an entire season to injury, I wouldn't solely rely on them. Not a good plan IMO.

Draft AJ's replacement and build up the last scoring Offense in the NFL and this will help the Defense stay fresh.

This would be my plan after this Defense stacked FA.

Do you think the defense as is right now looks better on paper than the offense with Burrow, Jonah and AJ?
Will it stop people at under 20 per game?
Will that offense score more with those additions, averaging 20+ per game?
Just curious as to your thoughts....

One other point I would like to make is that the team from the start has been 100% behind Taylor and since he's on a two-year deal they may have opened the books to give him the best opportunity to prove himself before making decisions about the future of the team. The major complaint from coordinators that turned us down last year was that our team and specifically our defense was simply too old and didn't have enough talent. All these things combined with the media probably made them reevaluate where this team was and realize they had to change because the draft only concept wasn't working.

(03-25-2020, 04:05 PM)JerseyDD09 Wrote: Do you think the defense as is right now looks better on paper than the offense with Burrow, Jonah and AJ?
Will it stop people at under 20 per game?
Will that offense score more with those additions, averaging 20+ per game?
Just curious as to your thoughts....

I think it is with the Reader, Bell, Waynes, Alexander, Bynes additions, yes.

Burrow and Jonah still have yet to play in an NFL game, completely unproven and AJ hasn't played in 24 straight games.

Ross is injury prone. If we can build up the O-line and add weapons for Burrow and our play calling gets much better I could see
the Offense making the jump from the worst to one of the best. But we have to help Burrow out man, this FA helps us do this in 
Free Agency. Awesome FA getting proven good to great Defensive players.

(03-25-2020, 04:09 PM)Okeana Wrote: One other point I would like to make is that the team from the start has been 100% behind Taylor and since he's on a two-year deal they may have opened the books to give him the best opportunity to prove himself before making decisions about the future of the team.  The major complaint from coordinators that turned us down last year was that our team and specifically our defense was simply too old and didn't have enough talent.  All these things combined with the media probably made them reevaluate where this team was and realize they had to change because the draft only concept wasn't working.

I totally agree Okeana!

I'd just like to know where all this money is coming from for the Bynes, Sims and Bell signings???

They must already have Dalton's and Dre's contracts off their books to be doing these right?

(03-25-2020, 04:13 PM)JerseyDD09 Wrote: I totally agree Okeana!

I'd just like to know where all this money is coming from for the Bynes, Sims and Bell signings???

They must already have Dalton's and Dre's contracts off their books to be doing these right?

They pretty much have to be. 

Signed--

Dumbfounded
Very happy
Maybe a little scared