Tough Sledding for Al Golden

[Luvnit2]

(02-16-2025, 02:10 PM)samhain Wrote: I hope that Al Golden got a lot of money to return to Cincinnati.  It's difficult to view the situation he's inheriting and not seeing inevitable disappointment.  Considering where he is and what he will get compared to Anarumo's early years, he'd better be ready to do some Copperfield level magic.

Lou inherited a horrific defense in year one.  His major FA acquisition was BW Webb, a player he'd coached in NY.  Remember him?  Wouldn't fault you if you didn't.  Year 2, however, was a different approach.  The team anticipated Burrow being their number 1 pick and having a cheap qb for a few years.  They loaded up on defense in FA in a manner that we've never seen in franchise history.  Big money for a NT in Reader.  Big money for Waynes, who never panned out.  Shelling out for Alexander at nickel corner.  Vonn Bell was the cherry on top of the class.  Then came Wilson in the draft.

Year 3 might have been even more of a re-load.  They snagged possibly the best pass rusher in team history in Trey on day 1, a day we used to regard as out of reach for the Bengals.  Then another slot corner in Hilton when Alexander didn't work out.  They signed Chido to hedge against Waynes not getting on the field.  Then Ogunjobi.  Then the trade for Hill, who became an incredibly reliable player.

The organization went above and beyond to support Lou's vision on defense.  At times, he had 7 of 11 starters on defense that arrived via FA counting Apple.  It's crazy that so many of them actually worked out.

Al won't get close to that.  The rookie qb contract years are long gone.  We'd better hope that this guy is as good at development as his reputation suggests, because there's unlikely to be a cavalry any time soon.  He may have a fully developed offense to bail him out, but there's a lot of work to be done and few resources to plug in.  

Lou's tenure was the Fisher-Price My First DC job treatment.  Golden's will be the Thoughts and Prayers era.  Guess it's a good thing he's spent some time hanging with touchdown Jesus.  He'll need all the help he can get.

IMHO, I tend to disagree with a lot you posted. Golden takes over one of worst defenses in the NFL, so hard to not go up. The difference of Bengals having to spend #1 draft pick on Burrow and 2nd round pick on Higgins is our offense is very good. The team can focus on defense in FA and also the draft to improve the roster. I have a hunch we will end up with a ton of cap space after we make cuts.
Rankins - save 9.5 million if cut for a guy that did nothing in 2024.
Cappa - save 8 million 
Hubbard - save 9.5 million
Pratt - Save 5.6 million if cut/traded
Stone - Save 6.5 million if cut
Moss - Save 3.3 million if cut

Bengals have 44.5 to 46 million cap depending on site in 2025 and if it all happens above, they have 42.5 more million or minimum of 87 million. This does not include Burrow restructuring his deal to gain some cap space. Yes, they have to replace those guys, extend Trey, extend Chase, sign or trade Tee (tag and trade) and others. But, if they get creative with structure, we have over 226 million in cap space in 2026 so easily can push cap from 2025 to 2026.

I see a vastly different defensive roster in 2025 and hopefully Golden will get some input in FA and the draft.

I think the Bengals can make a huge impact if the use their cap dollars wisely and are willing to cut vets who underperformed.