Lou’s Future in the Jungle

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(01-13-2023, 03:18 PM)Wyche Wrote: Well, Zim had a lot of talent on the field in 13 when they let Danny Woodhead gash em. So let's say Zimmer's 2013 unit vs Lou's D the last two years. 

I'm not necessarily talking QBs on the team, or anything relative to what the offense is doing. It's all about, if you need a stop to get the W, do you trust this current Bengals D to get the stop/turnover, or the ones that played while Mike was here? 

Side bar, I often wonder if the Odom/Bryant deals aren't what made Mikey so afraid of FA. Speaking of that culture...these coaches have helped establish the current model. They deserve a little credit, IMO.

They did? Brandon Thompson, Chris Crocker, Rey Maualuga, Dre Kirkpatrick all started that game and weren't good. Thompson and Crocker never started another game in the NFL afterwards. Domata Peko, Michael Johnson, and George Iloka were just okay.

Atkins tore his knee in 2013. That defense was pretty much just Dunlap, Burfict, Reggie, Pacman, and a bunch of meh, and even Dunlap wasn't as good as Hendrickson. So only 3/11 starters in that 2013 playoff game were more talented than their current counterparts.

Hendrickson > Dunlap
Hubbard > M Johnson
Hill > Thompson
Reader > Peko

Wilson < Burfict
Pratt > Maualuga

Apple = Kirkpatrick
CTB < A Jones
Hilton > Crocker
Bates < Nelson
Bell > Iloka

I think that's a pretty non-controversial rating.

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I 100% also believe that's part of what made him shy away, but he wasn't big on it even prior to then.

I give the FA credit more to Katie. I doubt Zac was the first coach to ever ask Mike for FA $. The timing of it aligned with Mike Brown taking a step back (not gone, but a step back) in running the team and Katie and Troy taking a step forward. They F'd up the Whit situation, but they certainly opened up the FA pocketbook.