Bengals "unknowns" going into '16.

[fredtoast]

These are issues that people can argue one way or another, but the fact is none of us know for sure.

1. Will Ogbuehi be better than Andre Smith?...I feel pretty good about this one.  For a couple of seasons Smith was one of the best right tackles in the league, but his play had declined.

2.  Was Dalton's '15 season a fluke?...Very few people want to admit it, but NFL history is full of decent QBs who had one great year.  I would not be surprised at all if Dalton's numbers drop, but I still him posting at least a solid mid-90's passer rating if his receivers stay healthy.  And this brings me to...

3.  Can Eifert stay healthy?...Again, few people want to admit it, but Eifert has missed games every single year he has been in the league, and he is injured again.  They already say he is questionable for opening day, but the question is more about how long it will take him to get back to 100%?   We really need Eifert to be in top form because...

4.  Can we find a legit WR other than Green?...I like LaFell's NFL resume (just one year removed from a 74 catch, 937 yard season), but the fact is we got him for a very cheap price.  For some reason other NFL teams did not see a lot of value in him.  I also like Tyler Boyd, but more often than not second round WRs do NOT have big impacts their rookie season.  We could have 2 very good WRs other than Green or they could both be ineffective this year.

5.  Can Shawn Williams make up for the loss of Nelson?...Nelson was one of my favorite Bengals.  I hated to see him go.  But every good team reaches the point where they have to start letting some higher paid players leave.  Shawn has shown some flashes, but we don't know if he will be consistent as a starter.  Chinedum Ndukwe and Vincent Rey became good players in the eyes of many fans based on one or two good games.  Lets hope Shawn is not like them.  

6.  Can Jeremy Hill return to his rookie form?...I am not going to predict Hill will average over five yards a carry again or have a bunch of 150 yard games, but I think he will be much better than he was in '16 (794 yds, 3.6 avg).

7. (from Bonesaw) Can Zampese equal the success and innovation Hue brought to the offense?...I have faith in Zampese because he has worked with a lot of great offensive minds during his NFL career e.g. Sean Peyton, Mike McCarthy, Mike Martz, Ernie Zampese, and Bob Bratkowski.  But he is really a true question mark as a coordinator.

Overall I think our defense will be just as good as last year.  On offense I think we will run the ball better (Hill plays better and Ogbuehi is upgrade), but I predict a drop in the passing game.  If Eifert stays healthy the play of our #2 WR is not as crucial, but I do not have a ton of confidence in our WR corps or the durability of Eifert.

[leonardfan40]

1,5,6 I believe are all yes.
2: I think his numbers may suffer but more because of the loss of Jones and question with Eifert's health. I think Dalton will be just as good as last year because a lot of his success was due to his growth in pre snap reads and adjustments. He seemed to have that Peyton/Brady pre snap brain last year and I don't think he loses that once he gets it.
3/4: are the big ?'s to me this year. If they work out then it'll be a great season!

[The Burfict Answer]

Obguehi is going to be a stud. You could see how well he played at the end of the year.

I'm preparing for the worst with eifert. I think he is out 2-4 weeks, I think we become more run heavy and I just have a feeling hill is going to tear it up this year.

He is still losing sleep over that playoff loss. I think he takes it upon himself to train and be the best he's every been. He has all the tools to be a top 5 back.

I also think if hill plays like I think we see alot of gio in the passing game .

[Jpoore]

Not worried about eifert missing against jets or Broncos or Dolphins bc Kroft can be a solid security blanket for dalton he won't be a game busters like eifert who I compare to gronk but he'll be a security blanket while eifert a out kind of like how Heath Miller was in Pittsburg so I'm not that worried about 3 of first 4 games

[bonesaw]

3 and 4 are the only ones that got me nervous.... 6 is a little iffy but I'm pretty sure Shawn Williams will bring his own set of positives.

I'll add another one

7. Can Zampese equal the success and innovation Hue brought to the offense?

[Brownshoe]

I'm not worried about Dalton. It's not like he hasn't shown he could be a gun slinger in the past. Even at the start of 2014 he looked good until everyone started getting hurt around him. And I think he did a good job in 2013 too. We played some pretty good defenses last year, and we looked fine. This year we face a lot easier schedule, and a lot easier defenses.

[grampahol]

The thing that strikes me about Eifert and Gronk type players is I usually expect them to be injured quite often compared to ordinary players. They seem to have the willingness to put themselves in those dangerous positions to make the plays that they're able to make. When a TE scores 11-12 tds (or more) a season they really put a big target on themselves to opposing defensive players whose jobs depend on stopping them. They go up in traffic where quite often guys are running at full speed and come down hard usually.. It would seem miraculous if they didn't get injured.
I hope he's able to stay 100% the entire season, but considering the position and the kinds of plays he can make its tough to imagine him playing 16 or more games injury free.

Baring injury Dalton will be just fine. I'm not 100% convinced that the WRs will be, but there's only one way to find out.. PLAY BALL!

[Jpoore]

Hoping kumerow starts!!!

[*SHRacerX*]

(07-14-2016, 11:51 AM)fredtoast Wrote: These are issues that people can argue one way or another, but the fact is none of us know for sure.

1. Will Ogbuehi be better than Andre Smith?...I feel pretty good about this one.  For a couple of seasons Smith was one of the best right tackles in the league, but his play had declined.

Quote:I think Ced will make us all forget Smith very early on.  He is a much better athlete and I won't be holding my breath that he will have a fat-induced injury (hammy, toe, foot, etc).  I'm really glad he got his feet wet last year and will be full strength this season.  The Bengals showed a lot of faith in him, selecting him as a first rounder while knowing he wouldn't likely contribute much in year 1.  I think he pays huge dividends.  

2.  Was Dalton's '15 season a fluke?...Very few people want to admit it, but NFL history is full of decent QBs who had one great year.  I would not be surprised at all if Dalton's numbers drop, but I still him posting at least a solid mid-90's passer rating if his receivers stay healthy.  And this brings me to...

Quote:Hell, no.  Aside from the one year dip when his OCs changed, Dalton has progressed every year.  He has had the quick release and accuracy, but he know has the experience of knowing where he can fit balls and has greatly improved his decision making year over year.  

3.  Can Eifert stay healthy?...Again, few people want to admit it, but Eifert has missed games every single year he has been in the league, and he is injured again.  They already say he is questionable for opening day, but the question is more about how long it will take him to get back to 100%?   We really need Eifert to be in top form because...

Quote:I think Eifert will be very strong down the stretch and in to the playoffs, which is where they need him.  I hope Kroft can progress as well as Eifert did in what was essentially his second season.  I think his season last year showed what they can expect from him moving forward.  His injury in the pro bowl was a fluke.  

4.  Can we find a legit WR other than Green?...I like LaFell's NFL resume (just one year removed from a 74 catch, 937 yard season), but the fact is we got him for a very cheap price.  For some reason other NFL teams did not see a lot of value in him.  I also like Tyler Boyd, but more often than not second round WRs do NOT have big impacts their rookie season.  We could have 2 very good WRs other than Green or they could both be ineffective this year.

Quote:I'm hoping Lafell can benefit from the single coverage he is likely to see opposite AJ, and I am very excited to see the competition between Boyd, Core, and perhaps Alford.  I really have a good feeling about Core.  I love that big body and toughness.  Both as a blocker and as a WR.  

5.  Can Shawn Williams make up for the loss of Nelson?...Nelson was one of my favorite Bengals.  I hated to see him go.  But every good team reaches the point where they have to start letting some higher paid players leave.  Shawn has shown some flashes, but we don't know if he will be consistent as a starter.  Chinedum Ndukwe and Vincent Rey became good players in the eyes of many fans based on one or two good games.  Lets hope Shawn is not like them.  

Quote:This is probably my biggest concern.  Despite Shawn's progres in his greatest opportunity last year, he still has had difficulty staying healthy.  Nelson had such a knack for diagnosing plays, and making the big INT.  The depth is pretty thin behind Shawn, in terms of players with starting experience at safety.  I love Shaw, but I think he is the new Leon Hall at nickel CB.  I have always liked Shawn's toughness, but he will have to show his ability to diagnose and make the right reads all season for this defense to become a top five unit.  

6.  Can Jeremy Hill return to his rookie form?...I am not going to predict Hill will average over five yards a carry again or have a bunch of 150 yard games, but I think he will be much better than he was in '16 (794 yds, 3.6 avg).

Quote:I think stability on the offensive line, the fact that Gio just got paid, and the way Hill's season ended will propel him to new heights.  I am very excited to see what he does this year.  Although, personally, I would rather see carries spread out and keep  him fresh for the postseason.  He doesn't need to get 1600 yards rushing in the regular season.  I'm sure he would like that, though, heading in to a contract year, but keep him fresh and healthy for a postseason run.  

Overall I think our defense will be just as good as last year.  On offense I think we will run the ball better (Hill plays better and Ogbuehi is upgrade), but I predict a drop in the passing game.  If Eifert stays healthy the play of our #2 WR is not as crucial, but I do not have a ton of confidence in our WR corps or the durability of Eifert.

If the Bengals are able to rush the ball better than last year, the offense should soar.  That was the only thing missing from last year, although Gio played very well. 

[fredtoast]

(07-14-2016, 09:51 PM)bonesaw Wrote: 7.  Can Zampese equal the success and innovation Hue brought to the offense?

Excellent point. I have faith in Zampese, but he is really a true question mark as an OC.

[bengalguy71]

Dalton has had one good year?????

Dalton has had one bad year 2014, and still won 10 games.

According to the NFL Player Passing Statistics here's how Dalton finished:

2011 - #20 at 80.4
2012 - #13 at 87.4
2013 - #15 at 88.8
2014 - #25 at 83.5
2015 - #2 at 106.3

He finished higher than Luck in 2015, 2013, and 2012;

Luck finished #32 in 2015 at 74.9, and #26 in 2012 at 76.5

Eli Manning finished #35 in 2013 at 69.4

Kaepernick finished #31 in 2015 at 78.5

Dalton's worst year in 2014 was still at 83.5

Joe Flacco finished at #32 in 2013 at 73.1

[bengalguy71]

(07-14-2016, 11:51 AM)fredtoast Wrote: ........
4.  Can we find a legit WR other than Green?...I like LaFell's NFL resume (just one year removed from a 74 catch, 937 yard season), but the fact is we got him for a very cheap price.  For some reason other NFL teams did not see a lot of value in him.  I also like Tyler Boyd, but more often than not second round WRs do NOT have big impacts their rookie season.  We could have 2 very good WRs other than Green or they could both be ineffective this year.
.........

This is one area of the franchise that I certainly hope that most of the level headed football understanding folk here can agree on, and that is Tobin has done an outstanding job since 2011.  The drafting has been as good as it gets.  Proof?  Most will say that the Bengals have as much talent as any other team and many say they have the most talent.  When you have the best talent, you are doing something better than the other teams, so to question the Bengals player moves, based on the sales tag and/or what other teams thought of a certain player or players is kind of a moot point.  
Other teams decisions on signing and drafting players must not be as smart as the Bengals or THEY would have the best talent in the league, not the Bengals.

[*SHRacerX*]

(07-14-2016, 09:51 PM)bonesaw Wrote: 7.  Can Zampese equal the success and innovation Hue brought to the offense?

A very fair question.  But I have a counter-question:  What did Hue do that was so innovative?  Did the formations where he had tackles lined up wide every yield anything but a five yard gain?  Don't get me wrong, I loved Hue, but Zampese has been here for Brat, Gruden, and Hue and should know very well what works best with this team's strengths.  

I think he won't get hung up on running to set up the pass:  Brat

I don't think he will pass on third and 1:  Gruden

I don't think he will waste time on wrinkles that aren't really going to yield any big gains:  Hue

I believe Zamp has seen Dalton's strengths and knows exactly what he can do with this offense.  

[Captain Happy Pants]

(07-17-2016, 01:57 PM)SHRacerX Wrote: A very fair question.  But I have a counter-question:  What did Hue do that was so innovative?  Did the formations where he had tackles lined up wide every yield anything but a five yard gain?  Don't get me wrong, I loved Hue, but Zampese has been here for Brat, Gruden, and Hue and should know very well what works best with this team's strengths.  

I think he won't get hung up on running to set up the pass:  Brat

I don't think he will pass on third and 1:  Gruden

I don't think he will waste time on wrinkles that aren't really going to yield any big gains:  Hue

I believe Zamp has seen Dalton's strengths and knows exactly what he can do with this offense.  

He may have learned from the other coordinators, but has Zamp ever CALLED PLAYS? Knowing the offense is one thing but making game time decisions is entirely different.

[*Go Cards*]

All great questions.

Only one I am confident in is Williams doing good enough for Nelsons replacement.

The rest think Bengals have a great shot of answering positively but are questions still.

If not for Dalton injury would place him with the confident group. Only because last year's standards were so strong.

Still a big fan though because of last season tilting the scale heavily in my mind.

[BengalChris]

(07-14-2016, 11:51 AM)fredtoast Wrote: These are issues that people can argue one way or another, but the fact is none of us know for sure.

1. Will Ogbuehi be better than Andre Smith?...I feel pretty good about this one.  For a couple of seasons Smith was one of the best right tackles in the league, but his play had declined.

Quote:I expect Ogbuehi to be an overall improvement.

2.  Was Dalton's '15 season a fluke?...Very few people want to admit it, but NFL history is full of decent QBs who had one great year.  I would not be surprised at all if Dalton's numbers drop, but I still him posting at least a solid mid-90's passer rating if his receivers stay healthy.  And this brings me to...

Quote:That is the million dollar question. The Bengals have a ton of offensive talent around Dalton, but when he has to play with reduced talent he's a average QB, 2014 showed us that. But, on the other hand, he has shown consistent improvement (except for the playoffs) and it is possible that his leadership could grow in 2016. The team needs it to with new #2 and #3 WRs.

3.  Can Eifert stay healthy?...Again, few people want to admit it, but Eifert has missed games every single year he has been in the league, and he is injured again.  They already say he is questionable for opening day, but the question is more about how long it will take him to get back to 100%?   We really need Eifert to be in top form because...

Quote:Another good question. Can Kroft be the man at TE?

4.  Can we find a legit WR other than Green?...I like LaFell's NFL resume (just one year removed from a 74 catch, 937 yard season), but the fact is we got him for a very cheap price.  For some reason other NFL teams did not see a lot of value in him.  I also like Tyler Boyd, but more often than not second round WRs do NOT have big impacts their rookie season.  We could have 2 very good WRs other than Green or they could both be ineffective this year.

Quote:The talent is there in LaFell and Boyd. Boyd should be better than Sanu.

5.  Can Shawn Williams make up for the loss of Nelson?...Nelson was one of my favorite Bengals.  I hated to see him go.  But every good team reaches the point where they have to start letting some higher paid players leave.  Shawn has shown some flashes, but we don't know if he will be consistent as a starter.  Chinedum Ndukwe and Vincent Rey became good players in the eyes of many fans based on one or two good games.  Lets hope Shawn is not like them.  

Quote:Williams may be taking Nelson's spot, I don't expect 8 INTs from him. With the drafting of Jackson and Shaw get some at safety, I believe the secondary has the potential to be better than last year's.

6.  Can Jeremy Hill return to his rookie form?...I am not going to predict Hill will average over five yards a carry again or have a bunch of 150 yard games, but I think he will be much better than he was in '16 (794 yds, 3.6 avg).

Quote:Another good question. The running game really is Jeremy Hill and I hope he gets back to form. In his first two years he's had 1,918 rushing yards and 20 rushing TDs. Bernard had 1,410 rushing yards with 7 rushing TDs the last two years.

7. (from Bonesaw) Can Zampese equal the success and innovation Hue brought to the offense?...I have faith in Zampese because he has worked with a lot of great offensive minds during his NFL career e.g. Sean Peyton, Mike McCarthy, Mike Martz, Ernie Zampese, and Bob Bratkowski.  But he is really a true question mark as a coordinator.

Quote:I wouldn't call Bratkowski a great offensive mind, but I do agree with your assessment of Zampese's potential.

Overall I think our defense will be just as good as last year.  On offense I think we will run the ball better (Hill plays better and Ogbuehi is upgrade), but I predict a drop in the passing game.  If Eifert stays healthy the play of our #2 WR is not as crucial, but I do not have a ton of confidence in our WR corps or the durability of Eifert.

Quote:Marvin Jones was our second leading receiver in 2015. I know people keep pointing to Eifert as the #2, but that's only true in the red zone. Jones had more catches and yards than Eifert and he helped us move down the field.

Answers in quotas above.

[Utts]

8. Will Margus Hunt still suck?

I feel like we should keep him on the roster until he's 80-years old or expires. He's a sunk cost, right? Let's double down on Margus Hunt!

I made a post like this last year, but people were calling me out for being negative. I think these are all legitimate unknowns that will have a huge impact on how things go. My greatest fear is Hill doesn't return to form, and we don't find a legit replacement for M. Jones. That there is a recipe for disaster on offense.

['E']

(07-14-2016, 11:51 AM)fredtoast Wrote: These are issues that people can argue one way or another, but the fact is none of us know for sure.

1. Will Ogbuehi be better than Andre Smith?...I feel pretty good about this one.  For a couple of seasons Smith was one of the best right tackles in the league, but his play had declined.

2.  Was Dalton's '15 season a fluke?...Very few people want to admit it, but NFL history is full of decent QBs who had one great year.  I would not be surprised at all if Dalton's numbers drop, but I still him posting at least a solid mid-90's passer rating if his receivers stay healthy.  And this brings me to...

3.  Can Eifert stay healthy?...Again, few people want to admit it, but Eifert has missed games every single year he has been in the league, and he is injured again.  They already say he is questionable for opening day, but the question is more about how long it will take him to get back to 100%?   We really need Eifert to be in top form because...

4.  Can we find a legit WR other than Green?...I like LaFell's NFL resume (just one year removed from a 74 catch, 937 yard season), but the fact is we got him for a very cheap price.  For some reason other NFL teams did not see a lot of value in him.  I also like Tyler Boyd, but more often than not second round WRs do NOT have big impacts their rookie season.  We could have 2 very good WRs other than Green or they could both be ineffective this year.

5.  Can Shawn Williams make up for the loss of Nelson?...Nelson was one of my favorite Bengals.  I hated to see him go.  But every good team reaches the point where they have to start letting some higher paid players leave.  Shawn has shown some flashes, but we don't know if he will be consistent as a starter.  Chinedum Ndukwe and Vincent Rey became good players in the eyes of many fans based on one or two good games.  Lets hope Shawn is not like them.  

6.  Can Jeremy Hill return to his rookie form?...I am not going to predict Hill will average over five yards a carry again or have a bunch of 150 yard games, but I think he will be much better than he was in '16 (794 yds, 3.6 avg).

7. (from Bonesaw) Can Zampese equal the success and innovation Hue brought to the offense?...I have faith in Zampese because he has worked with a lot of great offensive minds during his NFL career e.g. Sean Peyton, Mike McCarthy, Mike Martz, Ernie Zampese, and Bob Bratkowski.  But he is really a true question mark as a coordinator.

Overall I think our defense will be just as good as last year.  On offense I think we will run the ball better (Hill plays better and Ogbuehi is upgrade), but I predict a drop in the passing game.  If Eifert stays healthy the play of our #2 WR is not as crucial, but I do not have a ton of confidence in our WR corps or the durability of Eifert.

1. Maybe not right out of the gate, but I wouldn't rule it out.

2. I saw some growth in Dalton last year, but I still have concerns. I think this season will go a long way towards answering those questions one way or the other.

3. Short answer, no.....But I hope so.

4. Boyd will out produce Lafell , and with that said, I don't expect the rookie to make a major impact.

5. I think he can make us forget about Reggie eventually, but probably not this year.

6. He will be better than last year. How much better is difficult to guess.

7. It will be hard to replace Hue's presence ...I think the O struggles under Zamp.

[fredtoast]

(07-18-2016, 01:06 AM)Utts Wrote: I made a post like this last year, but people were calling me out for being negative.

They didn't call you "negative" because of one post. They called you negative because you say the same thing about almost every player on our roster.

And even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[*Nately120*]

(07-17-2016, 06:48 AM)Jpoore Wrote: Hoping kumerow starts!!!

...starts packing his bags because he's going to be cut?  ZING!