Drafting and Player Development

[Bengalbug]

(10-29-2024, 02:10 PM)puddycat Wrote: Off: Burrow, Chase, Higgins, Iosivas, Sample, Volson, Sims
Def: Hubbard, Wilson, Pratt, CTB, Turner
It's is not a bad list of starting players that were drafted and developed by the Bengals. Of 12 players there are 4 1sts, 3 2nds, 3 3rds, 1 4th and 1 6th. Half are on their rookie contracts. I get that we're not particularly happy with the 4th and 6th picks right now.
I agree that the team doesn't hit (or develop) on our later picks. What seems more problematic is that the units built from mostly FAs: OL, DL, and S seem to be the worst performing units, not because we are papering over weak units, but because the FA players we choose aren't performing. Similarly, our chosen (paid) superstars are not elevating the play of the players around them right now.

Outside of Chase burrow and Higgins, the rest of those guys are JAGs. Iosivas is not good.