Most underappreciated Bengal: Trey Hendrickson

[Shake n Blake]

(10-14-2023, 01:23 AM)TheFan Wrote: Getting the most accolades and being the most impactful are still two different things. That's like saying Fields is a top 10 QB because he was a great fantasy QB. Sacks is only part of a DEs job and Hendrickson is below average at the other part, run stopping. Geno was good at both. Like I said, I would take Hendrickson over Dunlap but to equate him to Geno is overeating him, at least in my opinion. 

Who are the top run defenders in the league? How much are they paid? Now who are the top pass rushers, and how much are they paid? I'm not alone on this opinion.

I feel like sacks are viewed as a "casual" stat, so some thumb their nose at sacks and point to pressures (also very important) and run defense (less important).

I'm not saying run defense doesn't matter. It very much does. I just view it as more of a team stat. One dude isn't typically going to stop the run on his own.

That said, one guy can get to the QB.

(10-14-2023, 02:15 AM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: The Bengals 5-13 record against the Browns and Ravens under Anarumo would disagree that run defense is overrated. Being able to stop the run (and in today's NFL being able to keep the QB contained) is still extremely important.

The Eagles nearly broke an all-time sack record... but couldn't get a single sack in the SB because they got ran all over by the Chiefs.

Also being a good run defender separates the great DEs from the elite DEs.

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I do think it is kind of a disrespect to pair the two up when you say he's just as impactful. Hendrickson is great, but there's a reason he's not an All-Pro, or why he wasn't ranked the 29th best player in the NFL by his peers like Atkins was. If we want people to take our players seriously as Hall of Fame candidates, we can't be comparing them to clearly lesser (even if great) players just because they're current and we like them.

Actually reminds me a bit of when people early were trying to say AJ Green was the best WR the Bengals have ever had. Like Chad wasn't arguably the best WR in the NFL for a 3 year span and a top-3 WR for a 5 year span. Not to say AJ wasn't great, he was, but Chad just reached a completely different peak.

1. See what I said to TheFan about the run.

2. I'm not comparing their entire careers. Geno unquestionably had the better career. Especially when you factor his position. Hendrickson is likely to have a very short peak. That said, that's all I'm comparing. Their peaks.

If this is about who had a better career when all is said and done, it will be Geno, by a mile.