(04-23-2017, 04:30 PM)eoxyod Wrote: LB is the least important position on defense if you have one good one and 2 other decentish ones. Defensive line will always need to be beefed up much more and linebackers manage to look much better

(04-23-2017, 04:26 PM)kevin Wrote: Yes or No

I am a NO.....I am not content with Bengals linebackers. Those who say we are solid and don't need any help here, I just don't see how they can say that.  I have considered LB a weak area on Bengals for years and going from Harrison to Hawk to Dansby to Minter doesn't change that even with this yearly revolving door we have lost talented LB's and we never draft a top LB.  To think Burfict can be a one man wrecking crew is silly.  I don't see us ever getting that play-off win until we upgrade linebacker to play-off win status.  One of the best players in the draft is Foster at LB.  I don't care about all this MAC, SAM, WILL,  Outside Linebacker, Middle Linebacker, Pass Rush Linebacker stuff.  The way I see it, we need help, period, and Best Available Athlete at LB should be able to upgrade our Linebackers no matter what tag put on him.  Coach him up, get him on the field and let him hit people.  I'm hoping for the LSU RB or LB Thursday, but D Line would be OK.  If we don't get a LB in round one or at least early in two, we have missed our chance to upgrade a weak area.

(04-24-2017, 12:04 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'm content after the pickup of Minter. Yes, it's only 1 year, but I have confidence the Bengals will look to extend him or draft a LB early to take over after this year.
If the Bengals plan/hope to sign Minter to an extension by next offseason, I think a Day 3 depth pick is the most likely scenario for this draft.

(04-24-2017, 12:04 PM)ochocincos Wrote: I'm content after the pickup of Minter. Yes, it's only 1 year, but I have confidence the Bengals will look to extend him or draft a LB early to take over after this year.
If the Bengals plan/hope to sign Minter to an extension by next offseason, I think a Day 3 depth pick is the most likely scenario for this draft.

(04-23-2017, 08:26 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You can't rely on Burfict to play 16 games, Minter is on a 1 year deal, and the run defense has shown to take an enormous step back when Burfict is out (or fat).

So I would like to see a 4th round LB added. Unless you want to pick up Jabrill Peppers in the 2nd and just play him as a S/LB hybrid.

(04-24-2017, 01:27 PM)BengalD Wrote: Yes - I'm ok with it for right now, pre-draft.  But if Foster is BPOB at 9 - welcome to Cincy!

(04-24-2017, 01:30 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: With his failed test and what happened at the hospital...I doubt the Bengals would touch him at 9.

(04-24-2017, 11:42 AM)kevin Wrote: At Pick 9 and again at pick 41 there is going to be amazing talent at LB.  If we are going on the Paul Brown Best Available Athlete it's hard not to look at the linebackers early in one or two that are way above most draft years.  That All American high school star from Florida that Urban Meyer recruited for Ohio State would normally be a first round but in this draft year of linebackers he may be there at pick 41.  This is a good draft year for linebackers.  I use to be higher on Rey until he was given more to do.  Everybody complained about draft Virgil and I don't see what he has done to instill so much confidence in last years losing season.  I am not that high on Rey and Virgil.  How good is Minter, we don't know yet. Burfict is good when he plays but I have to question his team captain leadership abilities because sometimes teams can goat him into a total lack of focus, such as Steelers.  Many on here are talking of playing in 4-2 packages with only a front 6 and not a front 7.  So you are thinking in terms of 2 linebackers and the rest as bench players.  So we are ruling out ever having and 3-4 packages.  We are ruling out ever having any 4-3 packages.  You are saying the new NFL is the 4-2.  Funny, I see winning teams playing 3-4 or at least 4-3.  On offense I see teams running the ball.  I do not see a pass only NFL. I see teams running the ball.  OK, Patriots with Brady mostly passed last year. When he retires I look for them to run more as they use to.  Cowboys certainly ran it up our rear ends all game. Steelers ran it up our rear ends all game.  Steelers have that stable of good running backs. If we are in a 4-2 we are going to get bulldozed over.  I have seen too many games where good teams such as Steelers or Patriots have just ran the ball on our Bengals the entire 4th quarter as they eat clock and win the game. As good as our D Line is the good teams have good O Lines when the ball is snapped. As the good teams runners crash behind their good O Lines it is key that we have the linebackers to make a stop and get the ball back.  We play the Steelers twice a year and they can flat out run the football so how do we intend to stop it.  Ravens also run and look for Cleveland to try to develop a running game which Cleveland for decades was known for. If it's true in the AFC North you need good running backs, then it is true in the AFC North you better have front 7 to stop the run. Not a front 6 but a front 7.  

I can't believe so many are talking in terms of Bengals playing a front 6.  Most teams play a front 7 in either a 3-4 which we went to 2 Super Bowls with, or a 4-3 which Marvin Lewis coached with Ravens. Marvin Lewis Ravens 4-3 had a good D line, but it had 3 Pro Bowl linebackers.  I don't see the Bengals winning many games in a 4-2-5 and never a play-off win.  Never a play-off win because teams good enough to make play-offs will destroy a 4-2-5 with their top O Lines and top running backs.  We will watch the other team run the ball up our rear ends all game, which we have seen in many play-off games.  Steelers, Jets, Texans, Chargers. Colts.   If it really was a touch football NFL of all passing I would agree with only needing 2 starting linebackers.  I see an NFL that has brought back tight ends and is bringing back fullbacks and is running the ball.  I see an NFL that tried the no tight end and no fullback all WR formations and saw it doesn't win.  An NFL that has went back to the run game in a huge way and 2 linebackers just won't be enough.  In fact Steelers still play a 3-4. A lot of team use a 3-4 and these teams win. Bengals are the team that has gone 26 years without a play-off win.  

The 4-2 sounds weak to me.  Way too weak.  We do not have the linebackers to play a 4-3 and certainly don't have the linebackers for any 3-4 packages to use now and then.  The 4-2 sounds too Bengals of 26 years with no play-off wins. Steelers are going to have linebackers. Ravens are going to have linebackers. Even Browns are going to try to have linebackers.  All these teams are going to try to run the ball up our rear ends. Seems to me Burfict and Minter are NOT enough. Not in the AFC North.  This years draft is loaded in linebacker talent in first 2 rounds which is rare.  This is the year for Bengals to get a team captain linebacker over the next 10 years and man up with the teams in big boy pants which we have not done in 26 years.  We have Atkins and Dunlap and a good secondary but our linebackers are not that good.  I can see taking a D Lineman in round one if that is best athlete on the board, and at pick 9 there may be a D Lineman that falls due to a team taking a QB, and a top D Lineman falls to us, I can see that.  At least at the top of round 2 dip into this very talented pool of linebackers in this draft. They are there and I'm saying a 4-2 is not enough, not even close to enough to win in the AFC North.  Bill Bergey was a round 2.  There is amazing talent probably at the top of this years round 2.  If not in one, at least in two.  Those wanting all offense, remember fans may like offense, but you win with defense. If the Ohio State LB or JJ Watts talented linebacker brother are there in round 2 with other rare talent LBs, the cupboard is full of LB talent this draft unlike last few years drafts of few top LBs. Our Defense has slipped a little and was not as good last year as it has been.  Lets say we take a D Lineman in one and a LB in two, or vise versa, you add those top picks to Atkins, Dunlap and our secondary and our defense should be back to play-off form with the goal to have a Super Bowl Defense.

(04-23-2017, 04:46 PM)kevin Wrote: Super Bowl teams seem to prove otherwise. Most Super Bowl winners are rock solid at LB across the board and are not of the opinion it is the least important position on the team. When good teams run the ball right up the Bengals rear end and we can't do one thing to stop it, well, that is our linebackers just not good enough.  The great NFL teams have had great linebackers. There is a monster of a run stopper some say Bengals will draft. Others say no.  I would love to see Bengals be able to stop Steelers RB and all RBs, instead of just getting plowed over by the better teams in NFL.  A defense where we can see good teams on schedule and say we don't care because we have the D to stop them.  That to me means not just getting by at LB or thinking it is not an important position. We have Atkins and Dulap on D Line. We have talent at DB. Our weakness on D is at LB and I sure hope it's not by design thinking teams don't need linebackers. Seems to me the teams that WIN have linebackers.

(04-24-2017, 12:45 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Burfict has only missed significant time due to injury twice in 5 seasons, played 16 games twice, and only missed 2 games due to injury last year. I think it's a bit soon to start calling him an injury liability. I don't think his weight affected him last year, it was just something for people to complain about during a lost season. Yes Minter was signed to a 1 year deal, but we could (a) resign him next year and if not (b) sign someone else or draft someone then. 

I'm not at all confident in a 4th round pick to eventually become the full-time replacement at MLB. May as well roll with Minter and see what happens. If all else fails, take the position more seriously (than a 4th rounder) next year. Mind you, I wouldn't be opposed to taking a guy in the 4th round, but I just don't see it as a dire need. A 4th round rookie isn't going to be a good substitute for Burfict this year...or anyone else.

(04-24-2017, 01:42 PM)BengalD Wrote: I heard about the hospital deal, but didn't know anything about a failed test.  Did he fail a whiz quiz?