Draft Bowers

[BFritz21]

(11-28-2023, 04:11 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: There it is, again.  The TE is just an afterthought in the Zac Taylor offense.  He's not going to keep his existing playbook and just dictate to Burrow, "Ok Joe, TE is now always your second look".  His offense is designed specifically to have the majority of the balls going to WRs.  In order to prioritize the TE as a primary receiving target he'll have to utilize different formations, show a lot more run looks, basically completely different that what he brought with him from LA.

FWIW, I'd love to see the Bengals revamp the offense into a greater TE centric attack.  I just have little faith in Taylor buying into and making wholesale philosophical changes to make it work.

Like I said, I think Zac would work in a tight end like Bowers and get him the ball and make him the #2 or even the #1 read.

Send Bowers on a post or up the seam and just let them decide if the safety is going to double him or Chase. 

Zac is not Marvin and he will adapt to play to the team's strengths (I realize that Marvin wasn't the offensive coordinator, or even the DC, but the HC is supposed to play to the team's strengths, which he didn't/couldn't do).

(11-28-2023, 04:56 PM)Hammerstripes Wrote: I agree, but there's a couple things that stick out:

1.  I wouldn't be shocked if he's gone well before we pick.
2.  I wouldn't call this year's OT group weak by any means.  In fact I think it's one of the better ones we've seen in a little while.
3.  While #2 may be true (or false), the reality is that we need interior guys.

I think some of the stuff we've seen lately with the TE postiojnn may actually lend them some desire to take one that can really impact the offense.  I don't think it's off the table early like it was in the past.

The tackle group might be better than I'm giving them credit for (I wouldn't mind Joe Alt) but, like you said, we need interior guys more, which those guys likely won't come off the board until the late second round.

We've had such bad luck with drafting linemen early that it feels like it could be a wasted pick when we could have a player like Bowers that could change our entire offense.

I think Bowers would also help the line by helping to neutralize the pass rush.

Ideally, I'd love to tag-and-trade Higgins and get another high pick. At the deadline, I think the Colts and Panthers were trying to trade for him.

I think a tight end like Bowers would be super-valuable in this passing league.