Who is your player that has low expectations that you feel may surprise?

[BengalChris]

I don't have a specific person in mind. But if this team ever needed someone to step up and surprise it would be one of the young WRs. Which one it is I really don't care. In reality, we need two of them to step up while Green is down.

[Murdock2420]

Cody Core will do well this season.

The board will still hate him and demand he be cut after he drops a pass.

Bengals Board tradition.

[*SHRacerX*]

(08-06-2019, 11:41 AM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Willis was my first thought as well. Think Preston Brown has low expectations and could surprise.

Especially with Pratt playing next to him.

I am really hoping Pratt or Evans can win the starting nickel LB next to Vigil.  Probably Evans more likely at least early.  He has supposedly looked good in practice and had a few passes defensed (in nickel).  It will be the old "experience vs ability" argument. 

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-07-2019, 08:06 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: I am really hoping Pratt or Evans can win the starting nickel LB next to Vigil.  Probably Evans more likely at least early.  He has supposedly looked good in practice and had a few passes defensed (in nickel).  It will be the old "experience vs ability" argument. 

Happy to hear that Evans is finally playing well, he has talent. Maybe he just needed a decent LB coach?

Brown will be playing MIKE on running downs I am pretty sure. 

Vigil will most likely be playing WILL and I heard he has looked good.

So it is most likely Pratt or Evans fighting for the SAM position. 

Need to have Pratt in the Nickel though with his ability to cover.

[*SHRacerX*]

(08-07-2019, 12:02 PM)Nate (formerly eliminate08) Wrote: Happy to hear that Evans is finally playing well, he has talent. Maybe he just needed a decent LB coach?

Brown will be playing MIKE on running downs I am pretty sure. 

Vigil will most likely be playing WILL and I heard he has looked good.

So it is most likely Pratt or Evans fighting for the SAM position. 

Need to have Pratt in the Nickel though with his ability to cover.

Right now, they have Vigil at SAM, Evans at WILL, and Brown playing MLB. Brown is currently in the nickel with Vigil until someone can take that spot from him.  I'm sure this coaching staff will be giving Evans and Pratt every chance to win the job if they are capable.

The lost guy is Malik Jefferson.  Listed as third on the depth charts and possibly a cut.  What a waste of a pick.  Could have been Orlando Brown.  (And YES, I was begging for it to be before the selection was made).  Groan.  

[*Nate (formerly eliminate08)*]

(08-08-2019, 08:15 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Right now, they have Vigil at SAM, Evans at WILL, and Brown playing MLB. Brown is currently in the nickel with Vigil until someone can take that spot from him.  I'm sure this coaching staff will be giving Evans and Pratt every chance to win the job if they are capable.

The lost guy is Malik Jefferson.  Listed as third on the depth charts and possibly a cut.  What a waste of a pick.  Could have been Orlando Brown.  (And YES, I was begging for it to be before the selection was made).  Groan.  

I like that the coaches see what I saw a couple years ago, Vigil played his best game against Buffalo at SAM. I expect Pratt to win the job over Evans but Evans is big and fast with talent. Just want the best players to win out. I kind of think the coaches are just pushing Pratt really hard cause everyone seems to be raving about him and they don't want to just start him right away and give him a big head.

Agreed on Malik, willing to give him a chance with a new LB coach but if Tem doesn't think he is mentally prepared either it could be a wasted pick no matter how talented Malik is. At this point would of wanted Orlando over him too, remember you begging for Orlando in that draft.

[McC]

(08-08-2019, 08:15 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Right now, they have Vigil at SAM, Evans at WILL, and Brown playing MLB. Brown is currently in the nickel with Vigil until someone can take that spot from him.  I'm sure this coaching staff will be giving Evans and Pratt every chance to win the job if they are capable.

The lost guy is Malik Jefferson.  Listed as third on the depth charts and possibly a cut.  What a waste of a pick.  Could have been Orlando Brown.  (And YES, I was begging for it to be before the selection was made).  Groan.  

The what if game is a tempting one to play, but the end result is usually misery.

[*rfaulk34*]

(08-08-2019, 08:15 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: The lost guy is Malik Jefferson.  

I don't know what the hype was/is with this guy. Nickname maybe? Every bit of game film that i watched of him, he looked slow and lost most of the time. 

[Socal Bengals fan]

(08-09-2019, 01:33 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I don't know what the hype was/is with this guy. Nickname maybe? Every bit of game film that i watched of him, he looked slow and lost most of the time. 

He was the number 1 high school linebacker coming out went to Texas underperformed then blew up his junior year. He’s fast n can hit just the mental part is lacking

[*rfaulk34*]

(08-09-2019, 01:43 AM)Socal Bengals fan Wrote: He was the number 1 high school linebacker coming out went to Texas underperformed then blew up his junior year.  He’s fast n can hit just the mental part is lacking

He may be fast when running in a straight line, but he didn't look all that fast getting to ball carriers in college. Extremely easy to block. Doesn't finish plays. If he's unblocked, he can make a play every now and then. 

This game against ND in 2016 is pretty much a snapshot of every game he played in college.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CGE4-1CmIw

[J24]

Actually heard that Jefferson is having a good camp.

[TSwigZ]

Preston Brown

[*SHRacerX*]

(08-08-2019, 08:26 PM)McC Wrote: The what if game is a tempting one to play, but the end result is usually misery.

It is even more maddening if you apply it to so many of their mid to later round LBs:

Paul Dawson (3rd rounder)
Marquis Flowers (6th rounder)
Sean Porter (4th rounder)
Dontay Moch (3rd rounder)
Roderick Muckelroy (4th rounder)
Rey Maualuga (2nd rounder)
Caleb Miller (3rd rounder)
Khalid Abdullah (5th rounder)

[*SHRacerX*]

(08-09-2019, 01:33 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I don't know what the hype was/is with this guy. Nickname maybe? Every bit of game film that i watched of him, he looked slow and lost most of the time. 

I thought the same thing when I looked at him and a number of more recent draft picks:  athlete, not football player.  If he doesn't know the game and have instincts by now, how do you expect him to learn the game at the highest level and the greatest speed?

[*Synric*]

(08-09-2019, 01:33 AM)rfaulk34 Wrote: I don't know what the hype was/is with this guy. Nickname maybe? Every bit of game film that i watched of him, he looked slow and lost most of the time. 

Honestly I've always felt it was a panic pick after the Steelers traded up to take Mason Rudolph right ahead of the Bengals but Lewis and Tobin did have a history of taking athletes with elite measurables and try to turn them into football players.

[yellowxdiscipline]

(08-06-2019, 11:59 PM)Murdock2420 Wrote: Cody Core will do well this season.

The board will still hate him and demand he be cut after he drops a pass.

Bengals Board tradition.

Is dropping a pass considered "doing well"?

[yellowxdiscipline]

Sample is my guy. Every expects him to come out and just be a steady blocker but I think he'll turn some heads catching passes and may push Uzomah.

[RunKijanaRun]

Andy Dalton

[Whatever]

(08-08-2019, 08:15 AM)SHRacerX Wrote: Right now, they have Vigil at SAM, Evans at WILL, and Brown playing MLB. Brown is currently in the nickel with Vigil until someone can take that spot from him.  I'm sure this coaching staff will be giving Evans and Pratt every chance to win the job if they are capable.

The lost guy is Malik Jefferson.  Listed as third on the depth charts and possibly a cut.  What a waste of a pick.  Could have been Orlando Brown.  (And YES, I was begging for it to be before the selection was made).  Groan.  

You know Orlando Brown failed his conditioning test at Ravens camp and is in Harbaugh's doghouse,right?  He was even briefly demoted to 2nd team.  I realize T depth is a need, but we can really do without a lazy bum like Brown. The Ravens are counting on him to start and dude can't even pass a condition test?  That's pathetic.

[Murdock2420]

(08-09-2019, 09:39 AM)yellowxdiscipline Wrote: Is dropping a pass considered "doing well"?

Every WR drops one from time to time. I was simply implying that Core could lead the team in catches, yards and TDs but one drop would be what most of the posters here would focus on and hammer him about.