03-24-2021, 11:16 AM
(03-24-2021, 11:03 AM)Forever Spinning Vinyl Wrote: They fixed the LB position in last year's draft unless you're one of these idiots that thinks you need to have 11 All-Pros on defense in order to play NFL football.
The biggest defensive weakness at the end of the Dalton era was 3rd down receptions by TEs or RBs because for years they've had by far and away the worst LBs in the league. Those 3rd down TE and RB receptions still happened last year but at a much lower rate than before. Opponents could call whatever they wanted for the first two downs knowing that if they could just by enough time for the TE to make his first cut on 3rd down, they would have a fresh new set of downs.
Pratt is not going to be Ray Lewis sniffing out plays and making tackles in the backfield but he has considerably improved in pass coverage from his painful rookie year. Wilson is going to be a Bengal for a long time and they RARELY have three LBs on the field at the same time so ADG will have time to grow into the role of Pratt's backup. Same with Bailey as Wilson's backup.
Too many people live in "The Now" and have no vision of what could be, only of what they currently know. Unless the Bengals draft a quality LB that falls into the 4th round, 7th rounder Bailey is already ahead of any 5th round or later LB because he's had the playbook for over a year and he knows what a season of NFL practice is like. Regardless if he played against them or not . . . he's already prepared for the Steelers, Browns and Ravens twice more than anybody they'll pick up in the draft.
LB is not a strength, but it is no longer a glowing weakness. I'm not surprised at all that they haven't gone after a LB in FA. Let the young'ns grow into their roles. Look at what that same approach did for Rex Burkhead. He was allowed to improve every year without fighting off potential replacements every season and has become a very reliable NFL RB.
Inactually really like the current Bengals roster at LB. Not sure what all the negativity is about. The LB position is now 3rd in terms of positional impact on an NFL defense.
