(03-06-2017, 06:35 PM)kevin Wrote: NFL teams are allowed to start negotiating with players up for free agency starting tomorrow Tuesday March 7th.  Then on Thursday March 9th at 4 PM Free Agency is on and teams can start signing players.  If the Bengals lose all their players to other teams they are in deep shot.  I still think it was a mistake not to use the Franchise Tag March 1st on somebody.  I hope they resign key players to show the tag wasn't needed.  If we resign some key players I will be more hopeful about 2017.  If we see all our key players go to other teams, I will just figure no Super Bowl, no Play-Offs, no winning season, no 8-8 season and a losing season.  As others talk about the draft in late April, my eyes are glued to what happens now in March, because it will make or break this teams chances and hopes of winning.

(03-06-2017, 06:52 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Said it before but if we let Whitworth go this team will implode. Our franchise QB's blindside will be unprotected
and our RG is as good as gone. So we lose 2 of our stronger points of our biggest weakness. To me his would be
inexcusable and unbelievable.

(03-06-2017, 07:06 PM)kevin Wrote: Our top players if not resigned as Bengals will be signed by other teams before weekend is over. Kirkpatrick, Whitworth, Zeitler will go fast.  I also look for LaFell to be signed fast. Burkhead may even be grabbed by another team fast.  Don't think Zimmer isn't looking to grab some of his former defensive players to help in Minnesota. We could lose a lot of the D Line.  Our best 3 or 4 will be gone by this weekend if Bengals act too slow. 

(03-06-2017, 07:18 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: You sure are making me feel better Kev. :andy:

(03-06-2017, 07:25 PM)kevin Wrote: No, we should NOT feel good.  The Brown Family, how they let this many be up for Free Agency is just boneheaded.  Let's hope by this weekend some of the top 4 or 5 Bengals are resigned and we can both feel better then, when rumors end and they are resigned.  They will not resign all of the top 4 or 5.  I'm just hoping they don't come away empty handed with Whitworth, Zeitler, Kirkpatrick, LaFell, Burkhead all on other teams. 

(03-06-2017, 07:34 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: We have 11 draft picks out of a loaded draft class.

We never win free agency. So don't get too bent out of shape when we don't this year.

The draft is what will make or break us.

(03-06-2017, 07:06 PM)kevin Wrote: Our top players if not resigned as Bengals will be signed by other teams before weekend is over. Kirkpatrick, Whitworth, Zeitler will go fast.  I also look for LaFell to be signed fast. Burkhead may even be grabbed by another team fast.  Don't think Zimmer isn't looking to grab some of his former defensive players to help in Minnesota. We could lose a lot of the D Line.  Our best 3 or 4 will be gone by this weekend if Bengals act too slow. 

(03-06-2017, 07:40 PM)McC Wrote: Yes, but the FA period, depending on how many of ours we lose, could leave us too broken to fix with a draft.  We are at a crossroads.  Which way ya gonna go, Mike?

(03-06-2017, 07:34 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: We have 11 draft picks out of a loaded draft class.

We never win free agency. So don't get too bent out of shape when we don't this year.

The draft is what will make or break us.

(03-06-2017, 07:40 PM)McC Wrote: Yes, but the FA period, depending on how many of ours we lose, could leave us too broken to fix with a draft.  We are at a crossroads.  Which way ya gonna go, Mike?

(03-06-2017, 07:53 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: I  don;t see it the same terrible gloom that you have written.  To me 1 of those FA is vital that is Whitworth. I like Zeitler but he will command too much on the market for our budget.. a tough loss but at least we drafted Westerman, so he has a year under his belt.

As for Dre.. funny how things change from a year ago.. he was one injury away (Jackson) as possible not starting at all.  He is a average Corner.. but with a thin market he will be overpriced at CB to bring back... Shaw showed nice signs of corner play and with Jackson and the kid from KC who I think will play, I would not overpay Dre.  Now on to LaFell.. great cheap pickup for Bengals last year.. sign him cheap or let him go.. we drafted two WRs that showed nice improvement as the year went on  in Boyd and Core plus we could just do the same this year as last.. sign a cheap veteran WR to replace the cheap veteran WR we just lost (LaFell.

Finally Burkhead.. i love him too but understand he is third on the depth chart.. again we are not going to pay him top $$ to be 3rd on the depth chart.. this year's RB draft has been called one of the deepest in a while.. we can find a quality 3rd string RB in 4/5 round possible. 

With that said, I would hate to see us only be able to sign Whitworth.. i would like to see at least one other signed besides Whitworth.. though Zeitler is out of range if we sign Whitworth.. 

(03-06-2017, 08:03 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: I doubt he sees it like that. He probably sees a loaded draft class and his 11 draft picks and feels good about himself. Throw in a potentially sought after QB as trade bait...

Hopefully making Marvin coach out a contract year gets these guys to lose a little bit of complacency and they put some pressure on the front office to be aggressive with their giant bag of money and all these draft picks. But Mike Brown probably thinks he is sitting pretty and will just let the draft come to him then root around the garbage pile of free agents. 

(03-06-2017, 07:34 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: We have 11 draft picks out of a loaded draft class.

We never win free agency. So don't get too bent out of shape when we don't this year.

The draft is what will make or break us.

(03-06-2017, 08:44 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: For what year? Certainly not next? Players drafted this year will play in 2020.

(03-06-2017, 07:34 PM)NATI BENGALS Wrote: We have 11 draft picks out of a loaded draft class.

We never win free agency. So don't get too bent out of shape when we don't this year.

The draft is what will make or break us.

(03-06-2017, 07:53 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: As for Dre.. funny how things change from a year ago.. he was one injury away (Jackson) as possible not starting at all.  He is a average Corner.. but with a thin market he will be overpriced at CB to bring back... Shaw showed nice signs of corner play and with Jackson and the kid from KC who I think will play, I would not overpay Dre.
Now on to LaFell.. great cheap pickup for Bengals last year.. sign him cheap or let him go.. we drafted two WRs that showed nice improvement as the year went on  in Boyd and Core plus we could just do the same this year as last.. sign a cheap veteran WR to replace the cheap veteran WR we just lost (LaFell.

Finally Burkhead.. i love him too but understand he is third on the depth chart.. again we are not going to pay him top $$ to be 3rd on the depth chart.. this year's RB draft has been called one of the deepest in a while.. we can find a quality 3rd string RB in 4/5 round possible. 

With that said, I would hate to see us only be able to sign Whitworth.. i would like to see at least one other signed besides Whitworth.. though Zeitler is out of range if we sign Whitworth.. 

(03-06-2017, 10:07 PM)Derrick Wrote: DreKirk is swimming in a FA pool with a lot of other CBs. Therefore, it is a buyers market. Personally, I don't trust him to keep improving once he gets paid. He may not be as high priced as he thinks he is.

(03-06-2017, 10:07 PM)Derrick Wrote: DreKirk is swimming in a FA pool with a lot of other CBs. Therefore, it is a buyers market. Personally, I don't trust him to keep improving once he gets paid. He may not be as high priced as he thinks he is.

LaFell should be a backup to a very fast drafted (or FA) WR who can stretch the field (clear out the safety) and make the 10-15 yard passes more successful in addition to long passes occasionally.

Burkhead may be 3rd on the depth chart only (IMO) because he gets paid less than Gio and Hill. Given more snaps he will make all RBs better.

Whitworth is a must resign. Zeitler should be also. The FO can afford both, but won't.

(03-06-2017, 10:12 PM)HarleyDog Wrote: I'm with you. I just don't trust this friggin guy. Pacman is his idol. He's constantly dancing and waving his arms with so much drama you would see when the police show up at the scene. I don't trust him at all. Once he gets paid, he will be a problem.

(03-07-2017, 12:44 AM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: This week will answer the biggest question of 2017 for the Bengals:  Will the team treat the offseason like a Super Bowl contender or will they continue to become the AAA farm team for the rest of the NFL?