“I don’t want to pay more money for the same team”

[Sled21]

I think the defense will take a huge step forward this year due to Golden's system.

[*jason*]

(07-25-2025, 11:28 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: we lost three games by a total of 5 points to KC and Baltimore (2 of the top 3 teams in AFC} , their main changes was revamp coaching staff feeling that they have a good enough roster to compete and were happy i think with their group of 2nd year players and expect more impact from them especially on defense. 

I'm not going to look it up but I bet most every team lost x amount of games by x amount of marginal points. That's not an indication of being really close to being really good. It just means you're not winning games. The drubbing that Philly laid on the Bengals last year is an outlier. Most games are decided by a few points.

[Ell Prez]

(Yesterday, 09:59 AM)Sled21 Wrote: Cam or Drew, because if you're talking about Drew you lost credibility right there. When you have an iffy O-line, you don't cut your best TE blocker. 

Drew. If you signed 2 guards, like I said, you fixed the line.

[Ell Prez]

(Yesterday, 01:50 PM)jason Wrote: I'm not going to look it up but I bet most every team lost x amount of games by x amount of marginal points. That's not an indication of being really close to being really good. It just means you're not winning games. The drubbing that Philly laid on the Bengals last year is an outlier. Most games are decided by a few points.

Correct. And we could also turn this the other way and say the games they won, they didn’t beat anyone that good, except the broncos. The broncos aren’t even that good.

I feel like people forget the goal is a superbowl while we have the best QB and best WR in the league at their prime. The window is small, the years are long.

If we didn’t do enough this offseason, it’s another wasted year. And then what next offseason? Same as last and the year before.

[Ell Prez]

(Yesterday, 11:54 AM)Isaac Curtis: The Real #85 Wrote: So far: Starters out:

O: Cappa (cut)
D: Hubbard (retired), Rankins (cut), Pratt (cut), Hilton (FA, not retained).

Replacements:
O: Ford/Patrick
D: Ossai/Stewart, Slaton (Hill to 3T), Knight/Burks, Turner/Fig/Hill.


Volson is still on the team, but Fairchild is the starter. LS & CB could also see new starters. As coukd TE if Fant signs. 

Yikes. We’re hoping our miraculous turn around is on the backs of Ossai, 2”3 rookies, a rotational one dimensional DT, and the exact same CB we had last year and weren’t good when they were healthy.


Say that out loud and tell me this is a top 3 team in the league.

[Ell Prez]

(Yesterday, 01:37 PM)Luvnit2 Wrote: NP

Let's look at week 4 and see what the defense ranks in 2025 versus what they ranked in 2024. I say we are better, you say same or worse so let's see who correct.

As for 2nd years players getting better, if not we have huge issues. It is very realistic to expect young players to progress. We saw it offense with Yoshi and even Chase getting better.

Let’s say you’re right, and the defense is better. How better? Are they good enough, obviously along with our offense, to get us to a Super Bowl?


This is me entire point I make over and over on numerous threads. We have not done enough to become a superbowl team, and thus it’s a wasted season if that turns out to be the case.

[Essex Johnson]

(Yesterday, 01:58 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: Let’s say you’re right, and the defense is better. How better? Are they good enough, obviously along with our offense, to get us to a Super Bowl?


This is me entire point I make over and over on numerous threads. We have not done enough to become a superbowl team, and thus it’s a wasted season if that turns out to be the case.

well  lets think about last year, if the defense was a bit better, we would have sweep Ravens and beaten Chiefs, so 2 of the top 3 teams in AFC , so yes we would have been considered a SB contender.. 

[Soonerpeace]

(Yesterday, 02:06 PM)Essex Johnson Wrote: well  lets think about last year, if the defense was a bit better, we would have sweep Ravens and beaten Chiefs, so 2 of the top 3 teams in AFC , so yes we would have been considered a SB contender.. 

Great point

[Soonerpeace]

(Yesterday, 01:56 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: Yikes. We’re hoping our miraculous turn around is on the backs of Ossai, 2”3 rookies, a rotational one dimensional DT, and the exact same CB we had last year and weren’t good when they were healthy.


Say that out loud and tell me this is a top 3 team in the league.

At this juncture no we aren’t a top 3 team. Defense wasn’t upgraded enough but could be better. But I asked but you didn’t respond. What players either in the draft or in FA should we have pursued while mindful of dealing with Chase,Tee, and Trey contractually? Where did we drop the ball? You say we didn’t do enough. Spit it out.

[The Clapp]

(Yesterday, 01:56 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: Do you want specific names and specific details? Cut: Volson, Stone, Moss, Sample.

I would have signed a corner ( Carlton Davis, Byron Murphy, Ward, Fulton, slay).

Sign a safety, sign a DE or DT. Sign 2 guards.

If they followed what said above. You would have complained that should not have wasted their money in Free Agency. They should have signed Chase, Tee, and Trey. Cause they wouldnt have been able to do both.

[*jason*]

(Yesterday, 01:53 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: Correct. And we could also turn this the other way and say the games they won, they didn’t beat anyone that good, except the broncos. The broncos aren’t even that good.

I feel like people forget the goal is a superbowl while we have the best QB and best WR in the league at their prime. The window is small, the years are long.

If we didn’t do enough this offseason, it’s another wasted year. And then what next offseason? Same as last and the year before.

I want them to succeed, but they haven't demonstrated the ability to win during their QB's 2nd contract going all the way back to Carson Palmer. Right now I don't see the on paper improvement from last year's team. I could just be a little jaded from the last two seasons though.

[007BengalsFan]

(Yesterday, 01:58 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: Let’s say you’re right, and the defense is better. How better? Are they good enough, obviously along with our offense, to get us to a Super Bowl?


This is me entire point I make over and over on numerous threads. We have not done enough to become a superbowl team, and thus it’s a wasted season if that turns out to be the case.

The defense should be much better this year.  Last year the D line was in bad shape.  Jenkins and Jackson were rookies and both started the season injured.  Rankins had his medical issues and was a bust.  We now have a healthy Jenkins and Jackson and both are now vets with some valuable experience.  We also have added a great run stopper in Slaton.  If you get help upfront with your D line, it helps the rest of the defense.  

In the secondary last year we had some injuries.   We are now healthy with some younger guys that had to fill in getting valuable playing time and experience.

Logan Wilson is healthy.  We signed Oren Burks, drafted Knight and drafted Stewart who is very good against the run.  I think you will see a good improvement to the defense this year.  If we could add Christian Wilkins to the defense that would be a big boost if he is healthy.

[Luvnit2]

This is interesting on Mike Hilton for those question the FO for not signing him. These numbers are magnified in my opinion when you factor in both of our starting CB's were hurt. One of them Hill played some slot until he got hurt.

Hilton saw his snap count diminish last season, especially on third downs. He played on 66.3% of the team's defensive snaps, according to Next Gen Stats, his lowest total since joining the team in 2021.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/45830257/source-titans-wr-treylon-burks-suffers-fractured-collarbone

[Soonerpeace]

(Yesterday, 01:56 AM)Ell Prez Wrote: Do you want specific names and specific details? Cut: Volson, Stone, Moss, Sample.

I would have signed a corner ( Carlton Davis, Byron Murphy, Ward, Fulton, slay).

Sign a safety, sign a DE or DT. Sign 2 guards.

Okay Davis was signed for 18 million a year
Byron Murphy (DT)of the Seahawks? How were we getting him?
Jimmie Ward (S) he’s 34 and signed for 10.5 million and is likely sidelined for a felony
Kristian Fulton signed with KC for 10 million
Darius Slay is 34 10 million contract.

You didn’t say who at guard? 2? How much are we spending there?
What’s the price tag on your hunt?

Obviously they were restricted signing Trey. They drafted a DE. So a safety, corner, and guard?

So say Fulton 10 Ward 10 ( you’d be hunted on hear with his arrest) and 2 guards let’s say 15 million. And the guys you cut about 13 million in cap hits. That’s the fuzziest math I’ve ever seen

I can agree on a safety. But they drafted Fairchild and Stewart. Maybe a guard but the good guards were expensive.

[Ell Prez]

(Yesterday, 02:16 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: At this juncture no we aren’t a top 3 team. Defense wasn’t upgraded enough but could be better. But I asked but you didn’t respond. What players either in the draft or in FA should we have pursued while mindful of dealing with Chase,Tee, and Trey contractually? Where did we drop the ball? You say we didn’t do enough. Spit it out.

I did respond. I mentioned numerous CB names. I’m not going to go back and look at salaries at who signed for what, but we needed a S and 2 guards. Many were better than Volson, ford or a 3rd round rookie.

[Ell Prez]

(Yesterday, 04:59 PM)Soonerpeace Wrote: Okay Davis was signed for 18 million a year
Byron Murphy (DT)of the Seahawks? How were we getting him?
Jimmie Ward (S) he’s 34 and signed for 10.5 million and is likely sidelined for a felony
Kristian Fulton signed with KC for 10 million
Darius Slay is 34 10 million contract.

You didn’t say who at guard? 2? How much are we spending there?
What’s the price tag on your hunt?

Obviously they were restricted signing Trey. They drafted a DE. So a safety, corner, and guard?

So say Fulton 10 Ward 10 ( you’d be hunted on hear with his arrest) and 2 guards let’s say 15 million. And the guys you cut about 13 million in cap hits. That’s the fuzziest math I’ve ever seen

I can agree on a safety. But they drafted Fairchild and Stewart. Maybe a guard but the good guards were expensive.

Bengals could have signed multiple free agents. They could do longer deals to spread the cap, void years, cut more players.

They didn’t do enough to win a superbowl, and that means it’s a wasted year. I’ll still watch every single game and hope to be proven wrong.

[ERIC1]

(Yesterday, 01:58 PM)Ell Prez Wrote: Let’s say you’re right, and the defense is better. How better? Are they good enough, obviously along with our offense, to get us to a Super Bowl?


This is me entire point I make over and over on numerous threads. We have not done enough to become a superbowl team, and thus it’s a wasted season if that turns out to be the case.

In your mind they have niot done enough because they did not sign the playersand coaches that you wanted

In fact..they have made significant changes..significant

The only way you would be happy is if they signed some big name free agents that are on the tail end of their careers and may ot may not be that good anymore

[Frank Booth]

(11 hours ago)ERIC1 Wrote: In your mind they have niot done enough because they did not sign the playersand coaches that you wanted

In fact..they have made significant changes..significant

Only in your mind did the Brown family make adequate moves to get the bengals a super bowl

[jj22]

I don’t know why they forcing Ford back to guard.  We already know it’s not his best position. Nothing wrong with being the best swing tackle on the roster.  That’s his role. The one he excelledished at.

I’d rather the RG spot be more of an open “competition”…. Even if you end up with two young guards who lack experience. If they outplay Ford and Patrick who already seems like he won’t be reliable.

[Soonerpeace]

(11 hours ago)Ell Prez Wrote: Bengals could have signed multiple free agents. They could do longer deals to spread the cap, void years, cut more players.

They didn’t do enough to win a superbowl, and that means it’s a wasted year. I’ll still watch every single game and hope to be proven wrong.

The guys you mentioned added up to 35 million. The guys you wanted to cut were a hell of a long way from that figure. If they sign Trey no way they could have swung what you wanted. I agreed about Safety. But DT they got Slaton a much needed run stuffer. Guard they drafted Fairchild. DE they drafted Stewart. CB sure could be better but their assets have them stymied. So I’m not gonna agree that your grandiose plan would have computed. Sure they could have signed Chase & Tee sooner and saved money. I’m not glossing over mistakes but the only thing I see is a good free agent safety