***Official Bengals Free Agency Thread***

[J24]

(03-17-2021, 05:38 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: A third RD pick is a potential number of things, not just a potential starter.  The last thing you want to do is count on a 3rd round pick to immediately be able to come in and start.  At the very least, they should have to earn it by beating out other capable starters.

Also, these 3rd round picks were all potential starters too:

-Sean Brewer
-Matt Schoebel
-Caleb Miller
-Chase Coffman
-Brandon Ghee
-Dontay Moch
-Brandon Thompson
-Will Clarke
-Tyler Kroft
-Paul Dawson
-Nick Vigil
-Jordan Willis
-Malik Jefferson

That's 13 guys in the last 20 years that never became full-time starters, much less immediately.

Also, there's a whole other list of names I'm not including in this that were/are far, far from great:  Germaine Pratt, Shawn Williams, Jordan Shipley, Pat Sims, Andre Caldwell, Frostee Rucker, Kelly Washington, Landon Johnson, and Ron Dugans.

There were some guys in this list that were ok, and serviceable but none all that good.  How many of these guys were ready to start from day 1?

If the Bengals go into the season with Hopkins still injured, a 3rd round center and Billy Price then they're asking for trouble.  And you can remove Hopkins and Price from this and change the position and my point still stands.

You don't count on 3rd rounders for shit, especially if you're the Bengals.

We have 3 day one starters on the roster that have been third RD picks. Logan Wilson, Pratt, and Hubbard.  Im not giving up a third RD pick for a 32 year old player that will only be here for one or two seasons.

[fredtoast]

(03-17-2021, 05:42 PM)Gamma Ray Tan Wrote: Technically, I guess replacing bad players with equally bad players is addressing it. But in my book, it’s not caring enough to bring a SUBSTANTIAL upgrade to the position which I consider ignoring it. So, if they are not ignoring it and this is what they consider “good enough” and you want to defend it ...... I don’t know what to tell ya.

Your right. They should have used draft picks higher tjan the first round.

The problem with all you whiners is that you can't just say that the Bengals made mistakes. That does not make you big enough victims I guess. Instead you have to make up total bullshit about them "not even trying".

[Wes Mantooth]

(03-17-2021, 05:49 PM)fredtoast Wrote: And how wad last yesr complete bullshit?

We did nothing to fix our OL, our once in a decade franchise QB prospect got his knee shredded to shit, and we only won 4 games.

[Big Boss]

I'm feeling sympathy pain in my left knee.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(03-17-2021, 04:26 PM)Fulcher_33 Wrote: Hell yeah Fulcher was a monster.... hence my SN :)

Wyce -  Raiders with Bo were ridiculous, but dont sleep on the "Lions" in that game. They had Barry, and J.Ball at NT with the Dive on snap cheat/technique and get the sack made my friends break numerous controllers LOL...

Okay I'm putting the 90's to bed. Thanks for brining back the memories, even though from a Bengals perspective they were forgettable. 

Back to the 2021 FAs..... LETS GET SOME OL!!

Truth, and Marion Butts with the Chargers was fun too. Raiders had Bo AND Marcus....and Howie Long...they were fun.

[*psychdoctor*]

IF the Bengals are interested in Jackson, the sticking point may be cap hit for the nearly 7 mil, even if they could get Raiders to agree to a trade for a later round draft pick. I do not know much about cap and it's relationship to SB but there are some questions on how the Bengals are structuring contracts that may leave less dead money later but drives up cap hit this year. Unless Bengals cut some players, they may have to get creative in signing some of these coveted players.

[bengals67]

(03-17-2021, 05:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: You are wrong. I guarantee the Bengals upgrade the talent on our O-line this offseason.

Of course we could sign an All-Pro and you would still find some reason to whine and cry about it.

I predict the "upgrade" will be someone like XSF who can only be described as an "upgrade" because the Bengal's guards are so bad ( including XSF)

It is sheer madness to defend what management has done about the o-line since drafting Burrow.

[*psychdoctor*]

(03-17-2021, 05:49 PM)Rubekahn29 Wrote: Literally 3 quality linemen have CHANGED  teams via free agency. Thuney and Linsley. Maybe another one I’m missing, but you’re acting as if like 20 linemen chose other teams.

There are more than 3 quality linemen out.

Missing out on Linsley really hurts for the Bengals.  Even with Hopkins healthy, Linsley would have been a difference maker.  

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(03-17-2021, 05:08 PM)Shake n Blake Wrote: I think most people probably think of that year as the year it started, for those reasons.

I just wanted to point out that this whole scenario has been going on for a whopping 5 seasons and counting.

The Ogbuehi/Fisher/Bodine flops really hurt this team, and they did little/nothing in FA to remedy the situation.

Game one of the 2016 season told the tale....7 sacks at NYJ, but we won. It only got worse from there, and Dalton eventually wound up shellshocked.

[Fulcher_33]

(03-17-2021, 05:49 PM)Rubekahn29 Wrote: Literally 3 quality linemen have CHANGED  teams via free agency. Thuney and Linsley. Maybe another one I’m missing, but you’re acting as if like 20 linemen chose other teams.

There are more than 3 quality linemen out.

Thuney
Linsley
Mack
Hudson
J.Britt
K.Zeitler

Those are just the INTERIOR OL that changed teams, that are "note" worthy. There have been others, and obviously OTs as well.

Andrews and Reiter are still out there, and Im sure some other IOL I'm not thinking of off the top of my head. I just don't see the Bengals pursuing any at this point.

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(03-17-2021, 05:11 PM)J24 Wrote: A third RD pick is a potential starter and they already have a Center in Hopkins.

Who is out with an ACL....

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(03-17-2021, 04:12 PM)Schmitbuck Wrote: Cool. Tell me more.

My point was the Bengals can’t build a team through the draft alone, but must aggressively pursue every avenue to improve at their disposal. To include smart free agency signings. Manipulating the cap. Manipulating the draft order. Expanding the scouting department. Etc.

Then you jumped in to correct me by explaining why they need to utilize free agency to fill the two most important positions on the defense. Thus refuting the build through the draft mantra which the Bengals famously use to lower fan expectations during free agency perennially.

Basically, you unwittingly agreed with me without realizing it. So thank you for adding to my point.

[spazz70]

I just do not get it on this board...we are a bad team right now...FAs DO NOT WANT TO COME HERE!! and we cannot make them come here...Why would you choose our franchise over a perennial SB contender or a team with the OROY or a team that is a couple of pieces away? This is like beating a dead horse every year...Players want big up front money, the Bengals do not do that withe their contracts. There are a million reasons why but everyone expects us to sign every top 20 player of need in FA every year and it never happens.

They need to upgrade the OG position(s) and I believe they will as there are still options. Hopkins is on pace for opening day and just signed a new contract (we are not going to sign a FA center) unless Hopkins moves to OG where he did not play very well. We will most likely get a top OT in the draft (hopefully Sewell). It is not all doom and gloom at this point in day one of FA.

Personally for this year I would like them to get Sewell (please)...move Jonah to LG, Hopkins, FA/XSF, Rick Wagner (FA)

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

(03-17-2021, 05:31 PM)samhain Wrote: IIRC Trey couldn't hold down a starting guard spot when given the chance, then came into his own at center.  Honestly, I wouldn't be mad if they upgraded the position, but I'm not breaking out the torches and pitchforks if they don't.  The major need is at both guard spots, then RT.  I think it's a virtual lock that a first or second is going toward a tackle, so not overly upset about them not pursuing tackles.  

If they stand pat at guard however, that's pretty pathetic.  The guys we have are slightly below average in XSF to awful with Redmond and MJ.  They need to upgrade, no question about it.  

Yes....guard is the biggest problem. But hey, Mikey doesn't understand why he should "pay a guard that much money."

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(03-17-2021, 05:01 PM)Whatever Wrote: Probably the same reason the Pats and Jets, both of whom have more cap space to spend than us and were after Thuney didn't get him.

KC doesn't need a WR1, 2 G's, a RT, maybe a C and a TE, 2 CB's, and 2 edge rushers like we do.  That allows them to concentrate their cap dollars on top players at positions of need while we have more cap dollars, but have to allocate those dollars to a lot more positions to fill holes.   

And the Bengals don’t have a QB with an almost half a billion dollar contract, either.

[J24]

(03-17-2021, 05:42 PM)TJ528 Wrote: Hmmm I've seen this movie before when we lined up Jake Fisher and Cedric Ogbuehi.  

Which if i remember right 1 was drafted in the 1st round and the other the 2nd round.  

They plugged one in at tackle and the other at guard and they both sucked. 

So yea just plan on plug and play with OL cause as we can see it's worked for them in the past. 

What if we draft the next Kevin Zeitler and Clint Boiling in this draft? Both were pretty good guards for us and both were starters thier rookie seasons. 
Also we traded for a LT in 2018 how did that work out for us? Everything we have done with the offensive line hasn't worked out since we lost both Zeitler and Whitworth.  From first RD picks, free agents, and trades. 

[Wes Mantooth]

(03-17-2021, 05:52 PM)fredtoast Wrote: The problem with all you whiners is that you can't just say that the Bengals made mistakes. That does not make you big enough victims I guess. Instead you have to make up total bullshit about them "not even trying".

Sometimes I wonder if you're a real human being.  It's as if you're completely oblivious to expressions, figures of speech, sarcasm or anthing else that differs from literal translation.

But then I remeber you're always looking to argue, and you love to nothing more than to paint fans, that have been subjected to 3 decades of one of the worst franchises in professional sports, as whiners, or criers, or your personal favorite, squealers.

Yup.  We're all the problem.  The fans who somehow still manage to find enough interest in this Mickey Mouse organization to talk about it.  It's not the team who has fed us shit for 30 years.  It's not their fault.  It's ours, and we should be called out on it.

We're all just unreasonable, irrational people who choose to be negative.  That's really what this boils down.  You want to bemoan the lack in investment in OL in free agency?  How dare you.  You want to complain about some limp-dicked loser of head coach who's 6-24-1?  Give me a break, be more positive!

PS Just in case you were serious about the "not even trying", sometimes people use that in a way that means not trying enough.  For example, a general manager of a car dealership says to his sales team "you guys aren't even trying this month" when numbers are down.  Most likely some people did try a little bit.  They may have went up to a customer in the lot here or there, they're just aren't trying as much as expected (making calls, following leads, emailing customers). 

If you ever find yourself in this situation, and don't want to seem like a robot, don't say to your boss  "Well actually, I did try a little bit so you can't really say I didn't even try.  Quit crying".  He's going to expect that you're capable of understanding basic language, and he's not concerned with anything other than whether or not you're successfull or you failed.  Best not to get into a battle of semantics with him.

[J24]

(03-17-2021, 06:00 PM)Wyche Wrote: Who is out with an ACL....

He is scheduled to be back for week 1.

[jj22]

(03-17-2021, 05:41 PM)fredtoast Wrote: Of course we could sign an All-Pro and you would still find some reason to whine and cry about it.

Probably given this new fake news label of All-Pro desperately being pushed around here. Hey he made the Facebook All-Pro team he's an All Pro!

[*rfaulk34*]

(03-17-2021, 03:29 PM)Wes Mantooth Wrote: Few can.  99% of normal males were immediately taking that Prodigy disk that came in the mail, and spending the entirity of the free trial waiting 20 minutes at a time for some titty pic to download.

I must have missed something because i was scouring the KMarts for the "free internet" disks they used to have.