09-23-2021, 04:20 PM
(09-23-2021, 10:32 AM)fredtoast Wrote: Here are some facts about how Mike Brown has dealt with the O-line since '91.
--Over the last 7 drafts the Bengals have selected 5 O-linemen in the first 2 rounds. In the 24 previous drafts the Bengals only selected 6 O-linemen in the first two rounds. So there was a time when the Bengals refused to use high draft picks on O-line, but that is not true anymore.
--While the Bengals have more than tripled their rate of drafting O-linemen in the first two rounds the difference in quality is staggering. The 6 prior to '15 were Willie Anderson, Levi Jones, Eric Steinbach, Andrew Whitworth, Andre Smith, and Eric Zeitler. (Some consider Smith a bust, but he was one of the better RTs in the league from '11-'13) The 5 since '15 were Ogbuehi, Jake Fisher, Billy Price, Jonah Williams, and Jackson Carman. (Jonah is finally playing like a first round pick. The question is his ability to stay healthy. I still like Carman's potential a lot, but he has not contributed anything yet). So the problem is not that the Bengals don't value O-linemen. Instead the problem has been scouting/development.
--In 2018, for the first time in team history, the Bengals traded for an established starter on the O-line. Cordy Glenn was a high second round pick who had started since his rookie season and whose second contract had made him the 8th highest paid OT in the league. But, like our recent high draft picks, that also failed.
--This year, again for the first time in team history, the Bengals signed an established top-level starter in free agency. They made Riley Rieff the 10th highest paid RT in the league. So far that moves has worked out great.
--The '05 O-line was arguably the best in team history. They set a team record for fewest sacks allowed while Rudi Johnson set the team single-season rushing record. Mike Brown realized their value. The problem was that all five starters were hitting free agency at the same time. There was no way they could keep them all. Center Rich Braham got a contract extension in '05. In '06 Levi Jones and Willie Anderson got contract extensions that made them the highest paid OT tandem in the league. Bobbie Williams was also re-signed in '06. That made it pretty much impossible to re-sign Eric Steinbach when he as rated as the #1 O-line free agent in '07. With Andrew Whitworth waiting to step in it would have been ridiculous to pay Steinbach what he got from the Browns. The $49 million deal made him the second highest paid OG in the league. Eric was good but not near that good. He was a ProBowl alternate one time but the Browns released him with two year left on the contract. It is ironic that Steinbach is often cited as proof that Mike Brown is cheap with OGs when at that time Mike Brown was spending the most ever on his O-line.
--The Bengals used to be good at finding free agent value. It is hard to say if it was scouting or development but the Bengals got a lot of good play from Rich Braham (cut by the Cards), Bobbie Williams (second round pick considered a bust with the Eagles), Evan Mathis (cut by 2 teams in 2 years before signing with Bengals), and UDFA Kyle Cook (grossly underrated, only allowed 4 sacks in his first 48 starts '09-'11 before injury ruined his career). Also, if you believe in free-market economics then the Bengals also did well developing UDFA Nate Livings, 4th round Pick Stacy Andrews, and 4th round pick Anthony Collins.
--2009 may have clouded Mike Browns vision on offensive linemen. That year the Bengals won a division title with an O-line that got 44 combined starts from 3 undrafted free agents an a 4th round pick who came into that season with only 13 total NFL starts. Many of our recent "low dollar" additions to our O-line have had much more experience than that. John Miller (47 starts with Bills), Bobby Hart (21 starts with Giants), Xavier Su'a-Filo (53 starts with Texans and Cowboys), and Quinton Spain (66 starts with Titans and Bills).
In the famous words of Fred links to this information for accuracy?
