Going into this free agency I thought it was gonna be the same old narrative with this team. They’ve shocked me. I love this team and I’m 29 years old and this is the first time that I’ve ever seen the Bengals this active in free agency. It feels good and shows that they are trying to put out a winning team finally. The icing on the top will be when the team drafts Burrow. I’m truly shocked that this team went out and signed quality free agents that are still young. It truly is a new dey indeed.

Yup, same boat here. Got my crow in the Crock-Pot.

Should we really feel bad for believing that they wouldn't do much in FA?
I mean considering they kinda set that as the norm and everything.

(03-31-2020, 01:44 PM)E Wrote: Should we really feel bad for believing that they wouldn't do much in FA?
I mean considering they kinda set that as the norm and everything.

You’re right, this all honestly feels like some weird dream

Truthfully I thought the Bengals would coast through the offseason, draft Joe Burrow, and believe they fixed everything.

I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.

(03-31-2020, 06:01 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Truthfully I thought the Bengals would coast through the offseason, draft Joe Burrow, and believe they fixed everything.

I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.

I figured they would do a little, just like a couple inches more than normal. They went like a half a mile more ! I think I'm still in mild shock.

(03-31-2020, 11:22 AM)Wyche Wrote: Yup, same boat here. Got my crow in the Crock-Pot.

(03-31-2020, 06:01 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Truthfully I thought the Bengals would coast through the offseason, draft Joe Burrow, and believe they fixed everything.

I’ve never been so happy to be wrong in my life.

(03-31-2020, 06:43 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: I figured they would do a little, just like a couple inches more than normal. They went like a half a mile more ! I think I'm still in mild shock.

I think that all of us "forever" fans are in some degree of shock and disbelief at what we have witnessed in the past couple weeks.  

(03-31-2020, 07:04 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: I think that all of us "forever" fans are in some degree of shock and disbelief at what we have witnessed in the past couple weeks.  

What I want to know is this: What was the spark? The catalyst? Why now? I wonder what snapped. Maybe the 2-14 season and a mostly empty stadium loosened Frankenstein’s bolts, so to speak.

(03-31-2020, 07:14 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: What I want to know is this:  What was the spark?  The catalyst?  Why now?  I wonder what snapped.  Maybe the 2-14 season and a mostly empty stadium loosened Frankenstein’s bolts, so to speak.

In my opinion, the things that you have listed may well have been "aggravating factors" that led to the degree of change that we've witnessed in this relatively short period of time.

However, I have a strong feeling that the decision to rebuild was made last year, at the same moment it was decided to move on from Marvin Lewis and go with a youthful HC going forward.  I feel like they likely wanted to revamp the roster last season, but felt constricted by the amount of "dead money" that they would have eaten, would have cut in half the amount of personnel acquisitions that they would have been able to make.

(03-31-2020, 07:14 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: What I want to know is this:  What was the spark?  The catalyst?  Why now?  I wonder what snapped.  Maybe the 2-14 season and a mostly empty stadium loosened Frankenstein’s bolts, so to speak.

Because we have all seen since 2001 that you have 5 years under a rookie QB to set yourself up for a championship before you must pay said QB and cripple your cap.  So we can't draft Joe and spend the next 5 drafts getting a great squad around him.  Instead we need to have the pieces in place within 2 years to have a three year window for a championship before the cap goes to hell for a few years because of him.

(03-31-2020, 10:52 AM)Trademark Wrote: Going into this free agency I thought it was gonna be the same old narrative with this team. They’ve shocked me. I love this team and I’m 29 years old and this is the first time that I’ve ever seen the Bengals this active in free agency. It feels good and shows that they are trying to put out a winning team finally. The icing on the top will be when the team drafts Burrow. I’m truly shocked that this team went out and signed quality free agents that are still young. It truly is a new dey indeed.

I don't think there's any need to eat crow in this case because all of us would have to eat crow.  Nobody saw this coming, not to this extent.

(03-31-2020, 07:32 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: Because we have all seen since 2001 that you have 5 years under a rookie QB to set yourself up for a championship before you must pay said QB and cripple your cap.  So we can't draft Joe and spend the next 5 drafts getting a great squad around him. 

This is an incredible observation. Your rationale applies equally to Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton in the past and applies to Joe Burrow now.

Restaurants are mostly closed and take out may be a bit of a risk, so I'm eating my crow with a buffalo/garlic sauce along with some asparagus and roasted taters.

It's been unprecedented and fun.

You cook Sam? Just wondering. Love to cook but do not very rarely do it if, not at all.

(03-31-2020, 07:52 PM)Passepartout Wrote: You cook Sam? Just wondering. Love to cook but do not very rarely do it if, not at all.

I can if I have to, but my cooking is nothing to brag about.  Fortunately (given our current predicament), my wife is an outstanding cook.  Over the years, she's gotten pretty good a serving crow.

(03-31-2020, 07:48 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: This is an incredible observation.  Your rationale applies equally to Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton in the past and applies to Joe Burrow now.

Oops, was supposed to say 2011!

(03-31-2020, 08:14 PM)jfkbengals Wrote: Oops, was supposed to say 2011!

I think you were right in both instances.

(03-31-2020, 07:48 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: This is an incredible observation.  Your rationale applies equally to Carson Palmer and Andy Dalton in the past and applies to Joe Burrow now.

Yeah, agree.  I've really surprised and happy to see them using this strategy, which is relatively common around the league today.

You can't say what would've been, because it never happened, but I think they made a huge mistake by not taking advantage of the early Dalton/Green years when those two were on their rookie deals.  Those teams grew into great rosters by 2013-2015.  I'll always wonder what it would have been like to see them add a big time pass rusher to team with what they already had on the defense.  That or a prime-career linebacker instead of the token broken down nag SLB they signed almost yearly.  

(04-01-2020, 02:08 PM)samhain Wrote: You can't say what would've been, because it never happened, but I think they made a huge mistake by not taking advantage of the early Dalton/Green years when those two were on their rookie deals.  Those teams grew into great rosters by 2013-2015.  I'll always wonder what it would have been like to see them add a big time pass rusher to team with what they already had on the defense.  That or a prime-career linebacker instead of the token broken down nag SLB they signed almost yearly.  

This.  IN 2011 they pretty much admitted they needed an upgrade at OG when they signed Duce Latui, but when the deal fell apart because of a failed physical the Bengals never went out and signed anyone else.

We were lucky to find Boling in the 4th round, but he did not help until 2012.

(03-31-2020, 10:52 AM)Trademark Wrote: Going into this free agency I thought it was gonna be the same old narrative with this team. They’ve shocked me. I love this team and I’m 29 years old and this is the first time that I’ve ever seen the Bengals this active in free agency. It feels good and shows that they are trying to put out a winning team finally. The icing on the top will be when the team drafts Burrow. I’m truly shocked that this team went out and signed quality free agents that are still young. It truly is a new dey indeed.

Glad peeps fessing up. 

It's not hard to predict, I kept telling people they went all out for Marvin in his first couple of years.. especially year 1. 

I had us grabbing 
2 Db Byron Jones/Trae Wayne's
Dt Jordan Phillip's (but happier with Reader)
2 Lbs (Schobert/Martinez) and they tried. Josh was lower tier and acceptable.
S Von Bell
Wr Cooper (but that was dependent upon their plans for AJ)
Then wanted Bulaga/Peter's for a short term deal.

But my point was sign D draft O.

This draft is great for O players. Especially OL after we grab Burrows. Tons of Guards and even a Center of we want. 
Most importantly, set up for BPA. 
1 burrows 
2 who falls that shouldnt have (murray hopefully)
3 depending on round. Wr or Malik Harrison
4+ OT/G's
There is Gs that could start back there. Ots that need a year to develop.

Crazy year and perfect for us.

And I admit. They out spent me as well