(01-13-2017, 07:35 AM)sonofstat Wrote: I'm in the camp of we need to look at FA to bolster the OLine goinginto next year, so I was looking through the FA tackle list and saw that Sebastian Vollmer is a FA this year.

As he's been one of the best RT in the league when healthy I would have assumed he was either going to be renewed by the Patriots or too expensive for us to pick up.

However he chose a bad time to get injured and was never activated.

I'd be keen to have a look at him. It would be a boom/bust kind of deal but if he has recovered to what he was he would be a definite upgrade on Winston/Fisher.

Main downside is coming back from injury introduces some risk, plus he's not massively position flexible - not sure he's ever played guard and even when he flexed to LT he was not as good. So it would probably be RT or nothing - same as Winston.

Worth a look?

(01-13-2017, 10:13 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I don't trust anyone who plays OL for the Pats. They take a bunch of scrubs and scheme/coach them up to be a decent unit.

Don't trust Broncos RBs, Seahawks CBs, or Pats OL.

If you're going to get a decent tackle in FA (doubtful the Bengals will, it's FA afterall) then you should at least go younger. Byron Bell would be my choice. Will turn 28 in a couple days, 6'5 240lb tackle who played for the 2015 Titans and the previous four season with the Panthers. Missed all of 2016, so should be available on a relatively good deal, but isn't injury prone because he only missed 2 games in the prior 5 seasons.

Looks like a good chance to buy low.

(01-13-2017, 10:58 AM)spazz70 Wrote: 6' 5" and 240 lbs is pretty small for a RT...

(01-13-2017, 10:13 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I don't trust anyone who plays OL for the Pats. They take a bunch of scrubs and scheme/coach them up to be a decent unit.

Don't trust Broncos RBs, Seahawks CBs, or Pats OL.

If you're going to get a decent tackle in FA (doubtful the Bengals will, it's FA afterall) then you should at least go younger. Byron Bell would be my choice. Will turn 28 in a couple days, 6'5 240lb tackle who played for the 2015 Titans and the previous four season with the Panthers. Missed all of 2016, so should be available on a relatively good deal, but isn't injury prone because he only missed 2 games in the prior 5 seasons.

Looks like a good chance to buy low.

(01-13-2017, 10:13 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: I don't trust anyone who plays OL for the Pats. They take a bunch of scrubs and scheme/coach them up to be a decent unit.

Don't trust Broncos RBs, Seahawks CBs, or Pats OL.

If you're going to get a decent tackle in FA (doubtful the Bengals will, it's FA afterall) then you should at least go younger. Byron Bell would be my choice. Will turn 28 in a couple days, 6'5 240lb tackle who played for the 2015 Titans and the previous four season with the Panthers. Missed all of 2016, so should be available on a relatively good deal, but isn't injury prone because he only missed 2 games in the prior 5 seasons.

Looks like a good chance to buy low.

(01-13-2017, 12:17 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Please take this as I mean it -- not personally because you're among my favorite posters -- but with all due respect, "buying low" partially explains the Bengals' lack of talent in certain key positions.

(01-13-2017, 07:35 AM)sonofstat Wrote: I'm in the camp of we need to look at FA to bolster the OLine goinginto next year,  so I was looking through the FA tackle list and saw that Sebastian Vollmer is a FA this year.

As he's been one of the best RT in the league when healthy I would have assumed he was either going to be renewed by the Patriots or too expensive for us to pick up.

However he chose a bad time to get injured and was never activated.

I'd be keen to have a look at him.  It would be a boom/bust kind of deal but if he has recovered to what he was he would be a definite upgrade on Winston/Fisher.

Main downside is coming back from injury introduces some risk, plus he's not massively position flexible - not sure he's ever played guard and even when he flexed to LT he was not as good.  So it would probably be RT or nothing - same as Winston.

Worth a look?

(01-13-2017, 01:34 PM)ochocincos Wrote: You know, I see a lot of people mentioning Byron Bell.

He was hurt all this year, so there's no contribution from him for that good running game.
Jack Conklin was the RT for the Titans and was named all-pro as a rookie.

In 2015, Bell played seven games at LG, eight at RT, and the finale at LT due to an injury to Lewan.
This offense ranked 28th in rushing attempts, 25th in rushing yards, 18th in rushing TDs, and 17th rushing yards per attempt.
In the passing game, the offense was also in the bottom half of the league in every category.

His four years at Carolina also were labeled as substandard or mediocre. He was considered a below-average starter at OT.
http://www.catscratchreader.com/2015/7/27/9049689/defending-byron-bell

Would Byron Bell really be that much of an upgrade to this OL? Sure, he's versatile in that he can play practically every spot but C, but he doesn't really seem like a great starter. I'd rather stick with Fisher at RT to start over Bell. But Bell might be a good backup OL or consolation prize as a stopgap RG if Zeitler leaves in FA.

(01-13-2017, 12:17 PM)Fan_in_Kettering Wrote: Please take this as I mean it -- not personally because you're among my favorite posters -- but with all due respect, "buying low" partially explains the Bengals' lack of talent in certain key positions.

(01-13-2017, 02:23 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: If it comes down to paying Whitworth $10 million a year for 2 years, or a young guy like Riley Reiff $8-10 million a year for 4-5 years...I'd sign Reiff in a second.

(01-13-2017, 02:23 PM)THE PISTONS Wrote: If it comes down to paying Whitworth $10 million a year for 2 years, or a young guy like Riley Reiff $8-10 million a year for 4-5 years...I'd sign Reiff in a second.