(06-04-2018, 09:10 AM)dr1441 Wrote: Oh I am in total agreement with Williams. Actually his biggest knock coming out of Georgia was his covering skills all along. He is a prototypical in the box safety. I was confused at the pick then, because we still had Illoka who had the same knocks. Trying to make them work together last year is why we never had anyone on the backend of our cb's and its why we gave up so many long plays last year. 

(06-04-2018, 01:24 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Iloka played CB in college and was considered a very good cover safety.

(06-04-2018, 01:24 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Iloka played CB in college and was considered a very good cover safety.

(06-02-2018, 06:03 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: Brown is young and coming off a very productive season. None of those other LBs could make both those claims. I'm not thinking he's Ray Lewis, but I do think he's got a very good chance of being the best LB we've ever signed in free agency. 

(06-03-2018, 08:59 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Dead on, Nate....and last year's drafting of Willis and Lawson, untraditional-sized DEs given Marv's history.  Even Paulie G said something to the effect of "I don't care what they look like as long as they can get to the QB".  Chris Smith isn't a prototypical DE size and he had a decent season as a trade.  

If the buzz around Austin is true and our DBs begin to contest more short routes and play tighter coverage, we might have something on defense.  

All that being said, I still think we will see the greatest improvement on the offensive side of the ball.  The aforementioned Center, the trade that turned our first round pick in to Cordy Glenn and we still got Billy Price (not surprised, but the talking heads out there really didn't give the Bengals much credit for that).  The improvement we saw in the running game last year when the blocking scheme was (FINALLY) addressed, and Paul Alexander gets sent packing.  

I think a lot of the blame for Dalton's less-than-stellar 2017 fell on the lack of production by the WRs, but the offensive line not only allowed opposing defenses to defend a very small portion of the field they also had virtually no rushing attack until late in the season.  Westerman and Redmond showed they deserve a chance at RG, and with Boling back at LG, Glenn at LT, Price at C, the only real concern is RT.  Fisher supposedly looks (and feels) good, and he has Ced and Bobby Hart pushing him as competition.  

A small part of me wonders if Westerman could play RT and Redmond get the nod at RG.  Either way, it is a huge upgrade over a year ago and it has me very excited.  

(06-03-2018, 10:28 AM)fredtoast Wrote: If Nelson thrived under the system Marvin used how did Marvin make a mistake?

Quote:With Preston Brown, the Bengals will finally have a force in the middle.

Preston Brown is trying to prove he can be the long-term middle linebacker the Bengals have been missing for years.

Preston Brown is back in his hometown.

The Queen City native has spent his first four years in Buffalo, where he developed into a dependable starter at middle linebacker. But after the Bills let him walk, the Bengals brought him back to help their defense take the next step.

If things go well for Brown, there is no doubt the Bengals will consider making him the long-term inside linebacker. Brown will be following in the steps of A.J. Hawk, Karlos Dansby, and Kevin Minter as an incoming free agent linebacker. He is not joining a prestigious club, but Brown is only 25 years old and has had four years of solid production.

This combination of youth, skill, and experience is something that neither Hawk, Dansby, nor Minter had. Brown has the tools to set himself apart as the best MIKE linebacker of the Marvin Lewis era.

Preston Brown

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 251 pounds

College: Louisville

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH

Experience: Fifth-Year Player

Cap Status:
Brown only signed a one year deal with the Bengals after his rookie contract expired in Buffalo. His new contract is worth a total of $5 million in cap space according to Spotrac.com.

Background
Preston Brown will be playing in front of his friends and family as a member of the home team for the first time since 2009.

Brown was born in Cincinnati and played high school ball at Northwest High School. He almost stuck around the Queen City for college, but ended up decommitting from Cincinnati for Louisville.

He was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 2014 draft. Drafted as an inside linebacker, he had started at the WILL in his NFL debut and started at SAM in his second game. Over 14 starts, he collected 109 total tackles during his rookie season.

In 2015, new head coach Rex Ryan moved Brown back inside, which is where he would spend the rest of his Bills career. Over four years in Buffalo, Brown recorded 512 combined tackles and started every game after his rookie season.

The Bengals have signed a free agent linebacker every year for the past four years in hopes that they would plug up the middle. Each year, however, the middle linebacker position has been severely lacking. The Bengals are hoping to find a skilled and durable player in Brown to put beside Vontaze Burfict and Nick Vigil.

Brown has a unique mix of size, athleticism, talent, and intelligence. He has a good chance at being the quarterback of the defense in the middle of a unit that has seen so much tumult over the years.

Roster Odds:
The Bengals didn’t re-sign Kevin Minter, so the starting MIKE slot is vacant. Vincent Rey and Jordan Evans could challenge for the spot, but neither has been a full-time starter in the NFL. Preston Brown, on the other hand, has started all but two games in his career.

The Bengals brought him in to start at inside linebacker in Week 1, so he’s a lock.

Roster Odds: 99 percent.

(07-22-2018, 09:24 AM)HarleyDog Wrote: High expectations for Brown. Hoping he delivers above and beyond.

https://www.cincyjungle.com/2018/7/20/17588992/with-preston-brown-the-bengals-will-finally-have-a-force-in-the-middle