(06-16-2017, 09:29 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Honestly, I think the defense could be shaping up to be what carries the team this year.

(06-16-2017, 11:43 AM)3wt Wrote: With us it will take more than 1 Superbowl win to get rid of our bad boy image.

It's a sticky label that we don't deserve.  We've had no more thugs on our teams than a lot of other teams.  Every team in the NFL had their bad boys, they just get the "boys will be boys" treatment, where the Bengals get the scarlet "T".

The press, draft sites (Walter Football being notorious) and even other teams share this perception.  But Dallas and Pittsburgh - and even the Patriots have all had every bit as many thugs and problem children as us.

We'll have to become a dynasty to shed that image.

(06-16-2017, 06:18 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Yeah, I hope so too.  I read somewhere today that the medical report said no ligament damage, likely a deep bruise.  However, didn't one of Eifert's injuries begin as a simple sprained ankle?

(06-17-2017, 11:02 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: The deep bone bruise is what ended Richie Braham, so I wasn't thrilled when I heard that explanation.  

(06-16-2017, 09:29 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Honestly, I think the defense could be shaping up to be what carries the team this year.

(06-17-2017, 11:10 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: I keep praising the offense, but it is hard to overlook the defense.  

Improved pass rush with not one, but two speedy, strong DEs (Willis played a lot at LDE, so he can rotate with Dunlap as well, and Lawson).  Billings could be huge freeing up the rest of the front four.  Peko never was double teamed.  

Improved LB play with the replacement of aging slowpokes like Maualuga and Dansby with Minter and Vigil, plus a healthy Burfict.

The secondary gains WJIII and Shawn Williams in year 2 as the starter.  

Improved at every level, and they weren't bad down the stretch last year, finishing 8th in the league in points allowed.  I think they will be very improved this year.  They synergy provided by a better offense and better rushing attack will also improve the defense.  The Bengals were 20th in the NFL in Time of Possession last year, but still managed to finish 8th in points allowed.  If the defense is not on the field as long, they will likely give up fewer points. 

(06-17-2017, 11:09 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: While still not a good thing to learn, at least Core has youth on his side, as far as healing goes.

(06-16-2017, 06:51 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Ok, with the Core injury turning out to just be "a scare", what did we learn about the team through OTAs and Minicamp?

!.  Everyone looks like superstars in shorts and helmets.  (lol, had to throw that in there)

2.  We have added some fast football talent to the roster.  Unfortunately, we haven't had a chance to lay eyes on Ross or Malone yet, but I have not a doubt that Ross will be impressive, and Malone will look great in preseason.  Willis and Lawson have turned some heads, their speed should enable the defense to show some different looks.

3.  The team really wants us to believe that the OL is going to be just fine.  I sincerely hope so, as the fate of the season pretty much depends upon them being able to protect Andy, and move the guys in front of them.

(06-16-2017, 09:24 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: I listened to NFL radio today in the afternoon on my trip back from Louisville. They are very high on Willis even saying he is the sleeper DE in this class. They liked Lawson, but did not like his injury history. But said Lawson would also be a solid pro

(06-15-2017, 08:38 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: Great post!

(06-17-2017, 01:21 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: I like the way Og and Fisher look i must say. Both look much buffer this year.

Also love what Lap said about them, especially Og. Said he is the only guy that has gave Lawson a run for his money.

Willis has so many pass rush moves, he will surprise some who doubted him. The only reason he fell to the 3rd was cause
of the small school. The dude can do everything, he can stop the run, rush from the outside and inside, has swim moves,
spin moves and is strong enough to bullrush etc.

These two guys added along with Billings, Minter and WJ3 sure make this Defense look downright fierce.


Feel the same about both players. Lawson could be a gamechanger if he can stay healthy.

Very physical pass rusher who is extremely smart and is also a very hardworker just like Willis.

(06-13-2017, 06:37 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: You won't be loving the speed of the opponent's DL going through the Bengals' OL. Or the speed of the ambulance carrying Dalton to the hospital.

(06-14-2017, 10:04 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Bengals aren't copying the Colts though. The reason the Colts had such a bad Oline was because, from 2012 until 2015, they spent only one second round pick, one third round pick and zero first round picks on the offensive line. So when their Oline underperformed, the problem wasn't that highly drafted players were not panning out. It was their lack of emphasis on drafting them made it a near inevitability.

They finally broke the cycle in 2016 by drafting a Center in the first round. But that's 2 premium picks on the Oline in 5 years.

The players we're worried about not working out aren't late round picks that we're hoping suddenly become good.

We're worried about a first and a second round pick living up to their potential.

In 2016, we weren't going to draft any Oline, because we had other weaknesses and we had a fairly stout Oline, if 2015 was any indication and two highly drafted tackles waiting in the wings.

And in 2017, we ended up not drafting any Oline because the value at the positions was terrible and there was tremendous value at every single one of our day 1 and day 2 picks with no Olinemen even close to value at any slot. And reaching for Oline would be just as bad, in my opinion, as having to wait one more year to get talented players along the line.

We may have a bad Oline this year. But it won't be because we took the Colts' route of ignoring the position for years and expecting magical results from 4th and 5th rounders.

If we have a bad Oline, it will be because, despite our emphasis on the position group, our highly drafted players did not live up to expectations.

I think there's a significant difference between the two scenarios.

(06-19-2017, 03:35 PM)masterpanthera_t Wrote: I think Billings and Lawson will probably be the key additions to this defense.  I like Willis, and he will develop into a good player in a year or two.  This year, I'm thinking he might get a handful of sacks, which is not bad at all for a third round rookie.  I really think Lawson will be the game changer as far as putting pressure on the QB.  Don't know how many sacks he will get, but his pressures should lead to good many turnovers, and he will have a higher impact than anyone not named Atkins or (maybe) Dunlap on pressuring the QB.  I am not going to hype him up anymore as I don't want to jinx it.  His intensity alone should transform the defense.  Couple that with Burfict's intensity and this defense can really take over games.  Ok, I'll let up on the hype just a bit.  I'm starting to sound like Geoff Hobson.  

(06-17-2017, 11:23 AM)Interceptor Wrote: With all this speed, will they be "coming back to the ball"?

(06-23-2017, 06:30 PM)3wt Wrote: Ross reportedly has a reputation for rescuing his QB that way.  And he has the quicks to do it!

(06-23-2017, 06:30 PM)3wt Wrote: Ross reportedly has a reputation for rescuing his QB that way.  And he has the quicks to do it!

(06-26-2017, 08:37 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: His QB play in Washington was awful compared to what Dalton can do with him.  And he didn't have AJ Green, Tyler Eifert, Joe Mixon on the field with him either.

I loved the Ross pick.  Hell, I loved the entire draft.  I wasn't a big supporter of the Mixon selection, but we still got Willis in the 3rd so I cooled off a bit.  

(12-12-2017, 04:22 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: It's crazy how many things people thought in the offseason didn't happen during the season.