02-26-2022, 09:50 AM
(02-25-2022, 11:34 AM)SunsetBengal Wrote: Mentally, Guard is easier. Physically, you need to be able to move large, aggressive men off the ball. Hopkins is not good at moving large players off the ball.
I think that this is a bigger problem than some might think. The Bengals are absolutely putrid in short yardage situations. Hopkins is a decent pass blocker, but his ability to get push on those 4th and shorts is almost non existent.
IMO this team needs a RG badly and has basically since Zeitler left. RT is a close second. However, tackles are really expensive, and slam dunk guards can be, too. I'm not sure how many true RTs are out there to be had, and the 2 best candidates in Brown and Moses both seem to miss a lot of time, although Moses got through this past year pretty unscathed.
With guards, Scherff is really expensive and likely not an option. Daniels is my favorite FA target, and probably a bit less so. After that, you're getting into guys who are solid but have some question marks ie Corbett, Norwell, and Williams.
Both of these position groups' FA scenarios keep brining me back to looking at centers. There are several available, and the position is in most cases less expensive than the other 2. The team could get a top-end guy for a not-insane price and with it a major upgrade and likely improvement in short yardage. They could, of course still upgrade elsewhere on the line along with this, but I feel like the most bang for their buck is at center.
